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Anyone know about the block coming off Odin? 31-Jul-2017 At 9:36:58 AM Cams

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On 31/07/2017 Dr Nick wrote:
>Disclaimer - it's been over 20 years since I've been to Frog... but.
>
>My memory is that the top had quite a bit of scree, and it was definitely
>an area where even as a teenager I thought a helmet was a good idea. The
>other point is that the nature of the rock - which gives it the nice clean
>cracks that it's known for - means that it's going to form blocks. These
>blocks may be firmly anchored, or only held in place by a few points of
>friction.
>
>If the area got frost then stuff would fall off more rapidly, but as it
>is the weathering is relatively slow. The result is that you're going to
>have sections which are reasonably well held in when tested, but over the
>course of decades will lose enough material that they loosen up.
>
>Another factor could be heating from bushfires, which could cause cracking.
>Have there been any decent size ones around the base in the past few years?
>
>(PS it's probably just Wendy refusing to admit that anywhere but Victoria
>could have worthwhile rock...)

Burning off caused a lot of instability a couple of years back. The area around the base of Devils Wart got some redecorating. There have been another couple of notable rocks I remember coming down on the climbers left side over the last few years. The other close call I can think of was when Matt and Alex and team had a rock slice their rope a few years ago. I believe they were filming and hanging on two ropes though.

Someone will probably get conked sitting around the base below Plume Ledge one day. The area seems to attract bigger groups with potentially higher percentages of newer climbers and sure enough as soon as someone tops out on Faki and tries to set up and anchor they knock down a few blocks which bounce their way down.

So yeah, definitely need to stay on your toes. That said, the roof with Odin is quite a unique formation for Frog. Having had this block come down makes you look at that whole orange wall with new eyes and realise the the roof was probably formed by most of the cliff falling down, and evidentally it is still happening. I'd be suss of any of the blocks still remaining there. The big one up and to the right of where the magic block was is absolutely massive.