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Buffalo pictorial 7.2.2004

nmonteith

9-Feb-2004
11:15:13 AM

Even at Buffalo it was 30'C in the middle of the day. We did some great routes, got really thirsty and had some good swims. The highlights package in pictorial form is here... sorry about all the duck pics!

http://www.mrppp.com.au/nhb/reports/07022004/index.htm

James

9-Feb-2004
12:22:18 PM

here's a write up of the weekend for those who can be bothered reading it...

The anticipation has been building - time to finally experience Mt Buffalo & see if all the raves of soaring lines and scary stories are justified. Shooting of the Melbourne in the Friday twilight, the monotonous drive to the plateau of big granite crystals and cliffs drones on for 4 hours. The driving-up-the-mountain-music was blaring, but the nights darkness & winding road hit the mountains secrets, bar the evidence of last summers bushfires in the headlights.

Jono, Brad & I met Neil & Kathy at the Lake Cantini campground, & we settled in between the trees & boulders, amid the tourist debacle of camper trailers & far-too-many-bloody-screaming-kids-&-families, all out to experience nature... complete with hot showers & flushing toilets included....

Fast forward to 7.30am or so the next morning. The buzzing of the flies woke some of us up, and the soothing roar of the MSR stove soon got the stragglers out of bed. A resident duck wanders through, but quickly continues down to the lake for a photo session with the paparazzi. Mr Duck obviously decided that a roaring shellite stove & espresso machine isn't duck food. After a bite to eat, its off the the Cathedral to seek out some classics. The driving-up-the-mountain-music is back on, & the plateau reminds me somewhat of Giraween (Qld/NSW border), although the tors & domes seem a little bigger. From the carpark, the stunning 3 pitch line of Sultan (20) is spotting, & I confirm that is most definitely IS bigger. The line looks intimidating, well the pitch traversing from under the roof does anyway. We wander up, Brad & Jono decide on Maharaja (17), whilst I find myself strangly keen to lead the 1st pitch of Sultan. As I rack up multiple big friends, Neil wonders to himself if James is biting off more than I can chew..... 3 weeks ago James was pumping & sketching up wasy Arapilies classics, & now for his intro to Buffalo its a 1st up lead on his current limit. After a bit of hesitiation on the 1st rooflet, I remind myself wat sticky rubber can stick to on granite & continue up the corner. Huffing & puffing at the 2nd (crux?) rooflet, I succumb to the pumping fist jamBs & resort to a quick rest on the poxy rusty carrot before cruising up the remainder of the pitch. I belay Neil up & wonder why I couldn't push it those 2 more metres to the jug just around that 2nd rooflet. Neil quickly dispenses with the easy but exhilerating 2nd traverse pitch. Deciding he hasn't has his share of leading, he 'pisses' on the 3rd pitch, & so huffs past the initial steep layback & then quickly up to the 'summit'. We head down to see Sultan devour its 2nd leader for the day, with Brad also sneaking a rest on the 2nd rooflet on his lead.

Heading round the corner, Neil decided that Strange Angels (20) looks good despite the lack of gear at the start. After thugging off the ground, he balances up the top past the rusty cad-plated dyna bolts complete with spinning hangers! We wonder why there is no bolt at the start, as it would surely be a 3 star classic if not for the seemingly strange bolting. On 2nd I discover just what grade 20 Buffalo slabs/faces are like... cracks are fine, but add a grade or 2 to the faces.

By now the 30 degree day is cooking everything in the sun, innocent climbers included. Kathy decides that baking in the sun would be more pleasant experienced by the side of Lake Cantini & so heads back that way. Rufusing the seemingly sensible option, Edge of Please (21) is next up. After scrambling down to the start & grovelling up the undercut arm-eating initial crack, its off up the pillar & grooves of doom for Mr Neil. Whinging & whining his way past the deathly 5m+ runout crux moves, Neil *apparently* decided that runouts are in fact fun, & proceeds to climb past the remaining carrots, thus having to clip them round his ankles. After a bit of consternation as to where the 2nd pitch is,a quick mantle onto the block above the belay ledge brings the 2nd pitch arete into sight.... & wow, there are 8 bolts.... no more scary runouts (are we still at Buffalo?). But this pitch is awesome, barely a metre wide, the arete snakes its way upwards for 45m & is a stunning feature. A quick rap off...."is that my car driving off down the hill... "..um, yep..." ..."err, why, please explain...". We coil the ropes, pack up & head down the hill to find that Jono & Brad in fact drove down to collect the esky complete with icy cold beer. Cold beer tastes sooo much better in 30degree heat & when you're dehydrated from climbing in the sun....needless to say the beer went down a treat.

Sense prevails after beer is consumed (strange but true!) & so off down to Lake Cantini for a refreshing swin & a sit on the jetty. Soon its back into Otto, more driving-up-the-mountain-music, & a twilight climb on the Horn. Despite Jono's repeated "... I'm scared, what am I getting myself into here...", he deftly pads his way up Peroxide Blonde (20) as Neil fills yet another CF cards full of rosy sunset climbing shots. I contemplated leading the same route, but my screaming toes sliding on the smears up to the 1st bolt convince me that Peroxide Blonde is best left for another day. Jono & Neil rap down further to Big Fun (15) & I take my turn of sitting on a rap line taking a few photos. Next up, Neil continues up Peroxide Blonde, topping out to the applause of the tourist debacle that has congregated on the top of the Horn. Parks Vic may well whinge about climbers placing a few bolts, but they have dreadfully scarred the Horn with massive cut steps & handrails that make for convenient anchors.

More beer & red wine washes down the eveing meal nicely & leaves 4 climbers feeling sore & content after a great days climbing. Although I am still not sure how Messrs Brad & Jono could have been truley comfortable after the scoffing that mushy-soup-crap for dinner.

Sunday morning dawns a little later & the South Side of the Gorge is the chosen destination. Neil & I head for Beowulf (18) only to find another party already there. I whine my way up What Ethics? (15) to kill some time & the Neil quickly heads up Beowulf. Great climbing, finger locks, jamBs & laybacks.... "there's a grade 20 at the You Yangs just like this..." according to Mr Neil. We head back to the car, Neil & Kathy do their little bit to worsen the tourist debacle (devonshire tea at the Chalet). I wander down to the hang-glider ramp to see how Brad & Jono are going on Fat Wall Ordinaire Banana Blase (16). Rapping off the hang-glider ramp as (de)instructed, they find themselves under something that didn't quite resemble a 3 star grade 16 flake. Jono lead up an 'escape' rpute that he later discovered was Thin Wall Special Pineapple Delight (17), claiming a "...monster jamB..." on the way. The newly self-proclaimed jamB master then rapped off the correct side of the hang glider ramp & ran up Fat Wall Ordinaire Banana Blase, confirming the classic status of this popular route. Charging up to the Chalet, the jamB master decides he was sandbagged on the rap & so must confront the devious sandbagger. A disappointingly civilised confrontation & we all jump in the cars & head down to Eurobin Falls for a freezing swim. And you guessed it, driving-up-the-mountain-music was blasting & the paparazzi filled another CF card full of artuy-farty waterfall pics. Another quick stop for caramel milkshakes & then home.

The verdict - Buffalo ROCKS!! The scenery is awesome, stunning & often scary lines, & as soon as my toes stop hurting & the skin grows back on my finger tips, I'll be rounding up some victims for the next trip.... the North Wall of the Gorge is calling...

JohnK

10-Feb-2004
10:59:45 AM

Is there a stuck cam still on the last corner crack of Maharaja below the top out?

We spent ages trying to get it out two weeks ago and I am sure that Ben (its owner) would love it back!!

JBM

10-Feb-2004
11:12:14 AM

John-

I did not see any stuck gear when I climbed Maharaja. Sorry!

Brad

Rich

10-Feb-2004
1:26:31 PM

Great report and nice piccies.. awesome motivation for a trip up there (never been).. good stuff guys

climbingjac

10-Feb-2004
1:31:27 PM

Very impressed with the piccies, Neilio! I gather they were taken with your fancy new digicam?

nmonteith

10-Feb-2004
2:47:37 PM

oh yes indeed. The EOS300D is going great guns...

gfdonc

10-Feb-2004
5:45:21 PM

Feedback solicited on the camera, feel free to start another thread. (I've got an EOS5 with 3 lenses, so a potential target market for Canon's digital offering.

Robb

18-Feb-2004
6:12:03 PM

the abseiling looks like fun

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