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Question from Europe

Fontlover

4-Apr-2009
2:12:45 AM

Hi Aussies,

Yesterday I booked a ticked to Australia! I'll be traveling from Sydney to Perth during the months January and February. I would like te boulder at some places between these two cities. What are the best summer destinations for bouldering? Also, Im travelling with my 1.5 year old daughter.

Thanks in advance for all the info.

Cheers,

Victor

mankrambler

4-Apr-2009
3:52:38 AM

Get the "Sydney bouldering" guide book, and only climb in the shade! Not the best time of year for bouldering, but Lindfield rocks, in Sydney can be okay on a mild summer day (morning or evening). It is probably the best place in Sydney and would be okay for (supervised) kids. The guide book will have further recommendations. Remember to go for south facing crags in general.

nmonteith

4-Apr-2009
10:27:50 AM

I hope you are prepared for 40'C+ temperatures!

Slightly off track but well worth the effort is the bouldering at Mt Stapylton in the Grampians. Very fontesque and lots of real Aussie scenery.

http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=subregion®ion_id=9

Fizz

4-Apr-2009
9:45:18 PM

On 4/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:

>bouldering at Mt Stapylton
>in the Grampians. Very fontesque

You really have know no idea about bouldering do you?

But to answer the question, Sydney, Gramps/Araps, Tassie and Sth West Western Australia. Google will answer your questions.
You might be lucky and get exceptable weather or youre up for predawn starts and then the rest of the day around water (if it rains this winter).
Wouldn't bother with Tassie if you're used to quality bouldering, but worth a visit because as Monty states it may be pretty bloody hot.

devlin66

4-Apr-2009
10:07:33 PM

I'd go back to Europe around that time. Very hot part of the year. Not much help other than that sorry.

nmonteith

5-Apr-2009
7:27:10 AM

On 4/04/2009 Fizz wrote:
>On 4/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>>bouldering at Mt Stapylton
>>in the Grampians. Very fontesque
>
>You really have know no idea about bouldering do you?

Andersons, Trackside and The Tower areas all feature rough sandstone free standing boulders in a forest - and slopers! Looks and climbs like Font. Of course there is tonnes of pocketed roofs, flakes, dynos, traverses ect that aren't like Font.

nmonteith

5-Apr-2009
7:43:58 AM

Just to narrow it down better... here is the best spots to boulder in the Northern Grampians.

http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=201
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=204
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=653
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=652
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=657
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=660
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=area&area_id=643

There is also excellent bouldering at Arapiles which is about an hour closer to Adelaide than the Grampians - but it's not very shady in summer. I suggest very early starts, shady caves or night climbing.

katmac

5-Apr-2009
12:12:07 PM

There is a very cool spot close to Perth called Blackwall Reach- nice limestone bouldering right on the Swan R. Great place to have a dip once you've worked up a sweat. Contact the local climbing club, CAWA, for more info

dalai

5-Apr-2009
2:11:15 PM

The bouldering in the Grampians is good, but there is no way I'd suggest the Grampians is Fontesque...

Font is in a league of its own, with only Castle Hill, Hueco, Bishop and Rocklands a close second IMO...

nmonteith

5-Apr-2009
8:14:36 PM

I've also bouldered at Castle Hill, Bishop and Rocklands - and i reckon the Grampians is as close in style to Font than any of the other places. It's not in France, it's not full of human shit, and its not visited by geriatric anorexic pof appliers - but i still stand by my comment that the style, look and texture is like Font. I didn't say it was better or equal to Font.

Fizz

5-Apr-2009
9:30:19 PM

On 5/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>but i still stand by my comment that
>the style, look and texture is like Font.

And I still stand by my comment,

>You really have know no idea about bouldering do you?

The style is nothing like it, to say it looks the same is laughable and the texture? They are both sandstone and thats about it. But I guess you once described a route in the blueys to gritstone in the same fashion, so I rest my case.

muki

5-Apr-2009
10:38:14 PM

On 5/04/2009 Fizz wrote:
>On 5/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>>but i still stand by my comment that
>>the style, look and texture is like Font.
>
>And I still stand by my comment,
>
>>You really have know no idea about bouldering do you?
>
>The style is nothing like it, to say it looks the same is laughable and
>the texture? They are both sandstone and thats about it. But I guess you
>once described a route in the blueys to gritstone in the same fashion,
>so I rest my case.

I agree Fizz.
I've also been bouldering at Font and find no comparison to the Grampians, other than good
bouldering, the rock is sandstone, but with two very different formative processes, equalling two very
different bouldering experiences IMO.

nmonteith

5-Apr-2009
10:44:35 PM

yay! Another argument with a guy from Nati! You're right - Grampians bouldering is all about slabby granite crack climbing in a lovely alpine setting. You'll find the local villages to be a bit annoying - they have built their houses under many of the boulders, and tend to keep their goats and other livestock in many of the caves. Some of the granite boulders have amazing dyke features and fist sized crystals embedded in the clay base. When we first started bouldering in the Grampians we found gold nuggets inside some of these crystals. IT wasn't just a gold rush of problems - but a financial gold mine as well. It was this mineral boom that helped launch some of Australia's climbing businesses such as the Nati Mountain Shop and RPs. You can still see some of the working of these gold mines under some of the trackside boulders, they have helped to add a few extra moves to many of the older problems. On a further historical note you can find some of the original boulders in the grounds of the Victorian Governers residence in Melbourne. Legend has it that Lady Elizabeth Ramsdale had a son who took a shine to bouldering and requested the boulders be moved. Anyway - enjoy the bouldering in the Grampians whilst you can. The Australian government has just passed legislation to create several nuclear power stations in the Northern Grampians which will be powered by uranium mined from under Mt Stapylton. It's a scarce resource but worth it for a cleaner greener world.

Fizz

5-Apr-2009
11:05:47 PM

Surely to simply agree that you really have no idea would have been easier?

nmonteith

5-Apr-2009
11:29:17 PM

All bouldering is worthless shit anyway. Why bother when there are real cliffs 50m away. If i wanted to grovel around in the dirt i'd take up caving.

Fizz

5-Apr-2009
11:52:34 PM

On 5/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>If i wanted to grovel around in the dirt i'd take up caving.

Obviously no idea about caving either.

nmonteith

6-Apr-2009
8:02:46 AM

Is anyone actually going to write something useful and tell this guy what the Grampians bouldering is like? It seems we have so many experts overflowing with experience that surely someone can string a few words together to describe what is looks and climbs like. It's nothing like Font, so what is is it like then?

Johnie2.5

6-Apr-2009
8:39:10 AM

On 5/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>yay! Another argument with a guy from Nati! You're right - Grampians bouldering
>is all about slabby granite crack climbing in a lovely alpine setting.
>You'll find the local villages to be a bit annoying - they have built their
>houses under many of the boulders, and tend to keep their goats and other
>livestock in many of the caves. Some of the granite boulders have amazing
>dyke features and fist sized crystals embedded in the clay base. When we
>first started bouldering in the Grampians we found gold nuggets inside
>some of these crystals. IT wasn't just a gold rush of problems - but a
>financial gold mine as well. It was this mineral boom that helped launch
>some of Australia's climbing businesses such as the Nati Mountain Shop
>and RPs. You can still see some of the working of these gold mines under
>some of the trackside boulders, they have helped to add a few extra moves
>to many of the older problems. On a further historical note you can find
>some of the original boulders in the grounds of the Victorian Governers
>residence in Melbourne. Legend has it that Lady Elizabeth Ramsdale had
>a son who took a shine to bouldering and requested the boulders be moved.
>Anyway - enjoy the bouldering in the Grampians whilst you can. The Australian
>government has just passed legislation to create several nuclear power
>stations in the Northern Grampians which will be powered by uranium mined
>from under Mt Stapylton. It's a scarce resource but worth it for a cleaner
>greener world.

LOL
Thanks Neil, that just made my morning.
And i would have to say that i would probably use 'Fontesque' to decribe the bouldering in the grampians too (for lack of a better comparison), similar in shape, size and moves. No where near as extensive or as good but definately similar. Nuff said.

G

Sabu

6-Apr-2009
8:43:46 AM

On 6/04/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>It seems we have so many experts overflowing
>with experience that surely someone can string a few words together to
>describe what is looks and climbs like. It's nothing like Font, so what
>is is it like then?
It feels like rock, when its wet it feels like wet rock, when its hot, it feels like hot rock. It climbs like a person climbing on it?! And no, its nothing like Times new roman or Ariel, perhaps more like Comic sans or something!

There are 19 messages in this topic.