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Arapiles Chockstone Gathering 2008


Capt_mulch

10-Jun-2008
6:03:48 PM

We (Mr Pip –a.k.a. Cuzzy Bro Brett - & I ) managed to get out of Canberra right on time at 6am on the Friday morning before the Queens Birthday long weekend. We had the topo from the Sydney Rockies website that had the beta on the best route from Wagga to Horsham. It’s almost a straight line on reasonable country roads across vast flat plains. One of the biggest problems we had was arriving at towns like Denilequin and having to work out which road to take out of town to the next place. We managed to make it Arapiles in ten hours, with various stops for fuel, food, shopping, and a beer at the pub at Minyip (sorry Love, we’ve only got Pots… - I misheard and thought I was back in Nimbin for a minute, but then realized we’d entered the land of Pots Only Pubs).

Bard Buttress

Arapiles!! Look at all that fricken rock. After the initial shock of having too much rock to look at, we wandered around The Pines trying to find any other Chockstone Gathering people. We stopped and asked a South American guy, Juan, if he knew where Dave (a.k.a. Widewetandslippery) was. Dave seems to know everyone, so it was worth a shot. “Yeah, actually, I met him today” said Juan “here he comes now”. We looked across The Pines to see a grinning WW&S sauntering across the road. He was camped over in The Gums area, the non-piney campsite to the north, so we headed over there and set up camp with him.

We went for a late afternoon walk around the crag and checked out some routes on Tiger Wall, Castle Rock, and the Organ Pipes. A little later Rod (a.k.a. IdratherbeclimbingM9) arrived on his motorbike, so by later in the evening we had the start of a gathering and some plans for climbing. After the mega drive and a couple of beers an early evening was definitely in order.

Chocky Camp

We took it easy getting started the next morning as the sun comes up later in western Victoria, and we weren’t in any rush anyhow. Arapiles is a crag to ease into slowly. WW&S suggested we start on some single pitch routes on the left hand side of the Central Gully or the Organ Pipes area. The five minute walk in to the crag was extremely strenuous, and we were soon ogling what was on offer. WW&S suggested we walk further down the hill, and he slipped in behind a rock tower and the main face of the wall and down climbed a steep gully. Mr Pip and I followed, and as we were handing our packs down WW&S let out a string of expletives that are usually a fair indication that something serious and/or painful has just occurred. I arrived to find him clutching his leg, with a hundred kilo-ish boulder lying on the ground next to him, dislodged from its original position. As WW&S had stepped on the corner of the rock it had dislodged, rolling against his leg. Quick action on WW&S’s part had resulted in him only suffering from a badly bruised leg. Muki (a.k.a .Bomber Pro), had turned up that morning as well and was preparing to climb nearby with IdratherbeclimbingM9 when he heard the commotion. He was quickly on the scene with a First Aid kit and professional attitude and had WW&S checked out and fixed up with an elastic bandage. I was prepared to bail at that point and get WW&S back to camp to get an ice pack on the bruise, but he insisted that we (those left unwounded) should climb first.

Capt_mulch - Didgeridoo

After a bit of consultation, WW&S suggested that Didgeridoo (11) would be a good route to start with. It was going to be my first lead at Arapiles, so something easy sounded fine by me. I was soon to find out that Arapiles is one big sandbag and the routes are all graded about five grades lower than what they would be elsewhere. The moves up the first part of the climb were nice, but as I moved into the climb’s broken crack I missed the step to the left to move out onto the face of the rock. I didn’t get too worried as this was our first climb, Mr Pip had to second, and I didn’t want him put off by pushing him on anything to difficult to start with. If you stay on the right on Didgeridoo it turns into a wide ledge that leads into the back of a gully. It had a good flat spot for belaying from. I plugged into the wall and belayed Mr Pip up. Whilst standing there I was able to look straight across at IdratherbeclimbingM9, then Bomber Pro’s wife Jen, cranking through the roof on Jen’s Climb (19), which was next to us.

IdratherbeclimbingM9 (64) pulling through the roof on Jen's Climb (19)

After getting safely to the gully behind Didgeridoo, I ducked up and around the Didgeridoo pillar to find three people camped on top of the rap station which has about enough space on the associated knife edge ridge for a mountain goat. I didn’t think we were going to shift them quickly, so we decided to rap off the pine tree that is growing out of the center of the gully. I started to abseil down and dislodged some stones and yelled “Rock!!”. I thought that would clear out the crowd at the bottom of the crag, but it didn’t bring about much of a reaction. I looked back up at Mr Pip, who was sitting next to the pine tree rap station, when a fist sized rock came barreling past him, obviously dislodged by the climbers up behind us. The rock ricocheted a few times and then bounced out towards the base of the climb. At the same time Maddy, Bomber Pro and Jen’s very small and cute daughter (3yrs?) walked up the path and into the firing line. I stood aghast halfway down the abseil and watched as the rock made straight for Maddy, who was blissfully unaware of the implications of my manic screams of “Rock!!”. At the last moment the rock dropped, hit the ground about 30cm in front of her, and exploded into pieces. At the same time Maddy put her hands to her face and miraculously avoided injury. They must make these kids tough at Natimuk – she didn’t even cry. Maybe she just hangs out at the base of crags so much that falling rocks are just part of her world.

After the morning’s excitement we decided that going back to camp would be a whole lot safer, and my medical recommendation of an ice pack on WW&S’s bruise and a beer for the pain was eagerly accepted. Back at camp we got WW&S into a comfy position and cooked up a very late breakfast.

Mr Pip and I decided that we had to at least get another climb in, so we went off for a bit of a recce by ourselves. We settled on Ali’s Face (9), which is the face next to Ali’s, and in the guide book is assumed to be the original Ali’s. This looked fine to us as it got us up into that part of the crag without too much effort so we could have a bit of a look around. I climbed to the rap station at the top and tied in just as the rescue helicopter arrived to pick up the broken ankles accident over at Kitten Wall. The chopper kept buzzing the top of the crag in the vicinity of The Bard for about twenty minutes, making it impossible to hear what Mr Pip was yelling from below, or for him to hear me. Mr Pip eventually made it up, then I belayed him down as he moved over and grabbed the Ali’s chains and scrambled back down Ali’s. I then rapped off the very nice double chains and down climbed the last few metres.

Capt_mulch on Ali's Face

We’d had a very interesting, and at times a bit too exciting, introduction to Arapiles. The beer definitely tasted better than usual that evening. We sat around talking about what we had done that day and decided that we had discovered a variant finish for Didgeridoo, which we decided to call Didgeridon’t.

I slept in a bit on the Sunday morning, then headed over to The Pines to find Idratherbec

jgoding

10-Jun-2008
8:16:56 PM

Hey Capt'n,

nice to meet you on the weekend my man. Hope to catch you next time you're over this way again - or if I ever make it to Booromba.

Ciao,

Joe


Capt_mulch

10-Jun-2008
10:14:32 PM

I forgot to mention that Joe was camping next to us too - maybe Chockstoners tend to congregate!

No worries Joe - extra photos (with a couple of you) at:

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/CaptMulch/ArapilesJune08

prb

10-Jun-2008
11:24:08 PM

On 10/06/2008 Capt_mulch wrote:

>I was soon to find out that Arapiles is one big sandbag and the routes are all graded about five grades lower than what they would be elsewhere.

Those horrible Victorians. Next time come to Moonarie.

Nice report.


Organ Pipe

11-Jun-2008
2:17:57 AM

Great TR CM.

Wish I was there.


cruze

11-Jun-2008
8:12:00 AM

Sounds like you had a great time. I wish I could have been there, but unfortunate family stuff in Sydney kept me away. Hope to catch up soon.

ninth10

11-Jun-2008
8:24:26 AM

Great report CM.
Was great meeting you guys on the friday night prior to my chef arriving. :)
Are you aware of what the chopper was doing flying around? Nobody seemed to know wether it was a training exercise or not.
Regards
Ron.


Capt_mulch

11-Jun-2008
9:04:43 AM

I think there was a report on Chockstone a couple of days ago. Someone busted both ankles on Kitten Wall. Apparently they smiled for the cameras so the painkiller must have been good.


muki

11-Jun-2008
11:06:22 AM

Hey great TR Capt_mulch, really enjoyed meeting up with you finally, will look forward to doing more of
the same again soon, maybe a family trip out this way when your little one is bigger, original offer still
stands re accommodation. take it easy BP


IdratherbeclimbingM9

11-Jun-2008
2:00:34 PM

Good to read the TR Capt_Mulch (thanks for doing it), and I echo the flavour of others re being good to meet people and put some reality to the user identities that they choose.
It was an enjoyable sojourn, and you timed departure nicely as it continued to rain.

Btw I thought you might like to know that after you left, I traded some lollies for one of your biscuits that you gave to WW&S. Please pass on my compliments to the cook!

WW&S is raising the art of dirtbagging in The Gums. Last I saw him as I rode off he had an empty water bottle rigged to catch the rainwater off his tarp while he went to do Electra with a USA climber!


evanbb

11-Jun-2008
2:51:06 PM

On 11/06/2008 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>Btw I thought you might like to know that after you left, I traded some
>lollies for one of your biscuits that you gave to WW&S. Please pass on
>my compliments to the cook!

They sound like 'special' biscuits. Just the thing for a cold night in the campsite.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

11-Jun-2008
2:59:36 PM

WW&S reckons they are special enough to keep them until it starts to rain enough for him to become camp-bound!


Capt_mulch

12-Jun-2008
1:15:25 PM

God dammit! Two days back from Arapiles and the boss and I agree to 'part ways'. Two months good pay in the bank. I think I'm going back to Arapiles for a week! I wish it had happened last Thursday...


IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Jun-2008
1:22:19 PM

Wasn't too much time on Chockstone that caused the separation of the ways was it?

I'm sure WW&S will share a commiseration/celebration drink with you when you re-arrive!


IdratherbeclimbingM9

16-Jun-2008
1:56:20 PM

I briefly considered doing a separate T.R. but decided the content would not be different enough from Capt_Mulch's to make it worthwhile.

As for additional content ...
Here is a Link to what WW&S found at Araps

The particular item was bright red and gun-metal blue in colour ...

Anyone care to claim it as booty?
... if so please send him a post c/- Gums dirtbagging; mentioning where you may have lost said item.


MrsM10iswhereitsat.

16-Jun-2008
3:04:52 PM

What a lovely trip report style of writing you have Mr C. Mulch , and such interesting photos to accompany it too. While sipping on my morning cuppa with toast I relived some very fond memories when I read it, for I too have climbed your Didgereedont variant. It is a lovely place isn’t it deary, and I am sure you all had lots of fun, except perhaps the young lass who had a scare from the falling rock. Now reading that really was quite scary, but I am relieved to know that she is all right, and likewise for the American fellow.
Derek my M10 love, earlier said to me that Mr Hero was right about a high bumbly alert being issued for Arapiles for the long weekend , but when I read your report I now know that he was just talking through the bottom of his beer glass at the time, and besides we have not been there since that excellent looking new climb of Jens has been put up. Well done to whoever saw the potential in that one.
My goodness , what an incredible booty find Mr WW&Slippery has had. Is this what he was looking for when he dislodged the rock?, though Lord knows what he would want one of those for. I truly doubt that many will be lining up to collect it off him, no matter how brightly coloured it is. Bees up high on a route are bad enough, but now I shall be watching out for those things too.
Mr Pip would be well advised not to become a booty hunter if this is the sort of thing you boys look for when on trips to new areas.
Ahh Mr rhinckle sounds like a vintage fellow when he advocates dulfersitz style of abseiling. Derek my M10 love says he is probably potty in the head to want to do that in these days of very good equipment, forsaking it and all, but I can understand him wanting to show the youngsters a thing or two for self rescue purposes.
Oh dear, is that the time? I really must be going as I have an appointment to keep, so thankyou again for posting a report, as it certainly helps me pass dull days when the weather can’t make up its mind whether to dry the washing on the line or not.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

16-Jun-2008
3:48:46 PM

>for I too have climbed your Didgereedont variant

Fair dinkum MrsM10?
How long ago?

This one is starting to sound like a neo-classic.
~> maybe should be written up in Simeys new guide? !!
Heh, heh, heh.

Btw; I did not see the (any?) Nati Legends Rep at the Gathering on that w/end, nor any sign of the mythical boulder eating K26 beasties!


Sabu

16-Jun-2008
3:58:47 PM

>As for additional content ...
>Here is a Link
>to what WW&S found at Araps
>
>
>The particular item was bright red and gun-metal blue in colour ...
>
>Anyone care to claim it as booty?
>... if so please send him a post c/- Gums dirtbagging; mentioning where
>you may have lost said item.
Surely there is a story behind this? a girly scream perhaps?


MrsM10iswhereitsat.

16-Jun-2008
4:01:19 PM

Yoohoo Mr Sabu.
Real girls (ladies), dont' scream when they see such things. They may exclaim in alarm , but they don't scream. Derek tells me that only boulderers do that, and sport climbers too, when they have hissy fits.

And yes Mr IdratherM9, I am being quite forthright about one of my previous climbing escapades. Quite literally too deary, as it seems to be a good option for some of us sometimes!
As for when this was, now you would not be so impolite as to ask a girl her age now would you? Let me just say that it was a while ago now and Derek was not my M10 love back then!


IdratherbeclimbingM9

16-Jun-2008
4:14:51 PM

>Surely there is a story behind this? a girly scream perhaps?

As mentioned earlier Sabu ...
... there was no appearance of any Nati Legends that w/end. Heh, heh, heh.
WW&S may care to fill you in when he returns to cyberness from the wilds of the Araps backblocks, but in the meantime I'd suggest that you check your hexs for any unwanted visitors before you don your rack for a climb when you camp out there.

Thanks for the feedback MrsM10. From what I have seen, you are right about it being a good escapade*.

(*like your wordsmithing!)

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