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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

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Author
Booroomba - kids climbing?
technogeekery
6-Jun-2012
6:44:43 PM
Hi all - I'll be camping with my family at Honeysuckle Campground this long weekend, and plan to walk into Booroomba to have a look. Have my two boys (7 & 5, keen scramblers & getting into climbing) and was wondering if there is any area you can recommend that I could easily put up some topropes (I wont have a second) for the kids - up to grade 10-ish, or just fun steep scrambling (same thing? :-)

Thanks

Alex
ARidgley
6-Jun-2012
6:58:03 PM
Hey Alex.

The walk to Baroomba may be beyond 5 & 7 year olds. It's very steep, quite long and pretty unsafe once you get there.

There are other places a short drive away that may be better. The ACT locals should be able to help you out. If not then I'll check my guides and give you uninformed advice.

Garrath
6-Jun-2012
8:40:28 PM
The walk in from the campsite isn't that bad but yes once at the top you will need to keep an eagle eye on the kiddies.

I'm wondering if Orroral Ridge might be more appropriate. Legoland could be fun to explore with kids. THere is a couple of easy slabs to play on as well.

Might be worth getting your hands on a guide, if it's still available. Is it still available? Is the ANUMC still looking after this one?

Big G
6-Jun-2012
8:41:01 PM
Not sure about the climbing but the bit referred to as legoland is great fun to explore
ARidgley
6-Jun-2012
9:07:37 PM
I have climbed at Orroral. There's some stuff that the end of the road, but I think you need to do moderate slab to get a top rope on it. There is some easier stuff further along the ridge (The Cloisters) via a reasonable walking track that you can get to the top of. Not particularly consumer though.

Looking at TheCrag.com, Tower Rocks at Honeysuckle Grag look OK. They say access is easy.

"Follow the obvious path from the carpark, where the tower once stood, for 100 metres southwest." if that helps.

https://www.thecrag.com/area/11830885
stonetroll
6-Jun-2012
9:58:12 PM
On 6/06/2012 technogeekery wrote:
>Hi all - I'll be camping with my family at Honeysuckle Campground this
>long weekend, and plan to walk into Booroomba to have a look. Have my two
>boys (7 & 5, keen scramblers & getting into climbing) and was wondering
>if there is any area you can recommend that I could easily put up some
>topropes (I wont have a second) for the kids - up to grade 10-ish, or just
>fun steep scrambling (same thing? :-)
>
>Thanks
>
>Alex

The walk to Booroomba from Honeysuckle camp ground would be way too long for 5 and 7 y.o but you can usually drive to the base providing the road is open. It's a 10 min drive from the camp ground and leaves you a bit under 2 k's walk return , farely steep up but a nice hike and kids would love it.
Climbing on Booroomba itself is more than scrambling and taking kids up for a climb would need a bit of organising. But then it depends how you define "scrambling", your 5 y.o may find amusement for 1/2 an hour but probably 7 y.o would want the serious scrambling. However the view alone is worth the hike up and its a nice place to have a picnic and chill for a while.

About 3 k's from Honeysuckle camp ground toward the west, up on the ridge is Tower Rocks great for scrambling and nice grade # 7 and # 8 climbs and you can lower or abseil the kids down between two big boulders down into this sort of cavey thing and then scramble out. Very kid freindly and easy access.

If you plan on having a fire at the camp ground you will need take fire wood.
One Day Hero
6-Jun-2012
10:59:49 PM
Marmalade? 15m gr10ish little thing as you first come round the Sth Buttress. You can walk to the top to rig ropes via a little staircase of blocks, it won't get the sun till mid arvo (hence pretty chilly whilst waiting at the bottom).

The walk up from the carpark (not from the campground) should be fine for the kids, as long as they're a little bit 'ard.

Just walking to the top is worth doing on its own.

evanbb
7-Jun-2012
8:25:37 AM
Agree with ODH; there's some stuff around the south buttress that should go. Will probably require you leaving the kids at the bottom then walking back up. South buttress access is pretty simple.

Also the Cloisters would be my choice. There are some doddle slabs and layback with very easy top rope access.

EDIT: It will be cold as a cold thing in that south buttress area.

cruze
7-Jun-2012
8:41:55 AM
Your best bet will be to drive to Booroomba carpark in the morning and get warm hiking up the hill. 30 mins at a slow pace on a good track and you will be there. Check out the views - purty. Walk south along the main ridge up some easy slabs for a bit of an explore. Then immediately forget about climbing and walk back downhill to the car. Have a cruisey lunch back at the camp then drive up to Orroral ridge with your gear. Wander along and setup a rope wherever you want now that the sun is high in the sky and you can choose whatever aspect you want. Doesn't need to be a Climb to be a climb. (I think you will be wasting your time getting cold trying to setup a toprope to climb at Booroomba)
technogeekery
8-Jun-2012
9:32:23 AM
Thanks all - lots of good suggestions here - appreciated.
technogeekery
15-Apr-2013
10:56:05 AM
Just a follow up on this one - have been to Namadgi NP 3 or 4 times with my kids since posting this original query, most recently this weekend with just my 6 year old boy. These posts were all very helpful, thanks. Booroomba itself is too big / serious for just me & a kid, but if you do have 2 climbers, there are some long easy slabs that are perfect for kids (Sunstroke & surrounds). Walking up to Booroomba is fine for kids, and the scramble to the base okay if they are used to that sort of thing (a bit tough for little ones).

Orroral ridge as suggested is brilliant for kids - easy walk in to Tower rocks, and then excellent scrambling / exploring through the rocks. Had to be careful with my son as there are some huge drops that open up unexpectedly - but great fun scrambling. Gaped at some of the more terrifying routes - and noted some easier ones to come back for with a partner.

Camping at Orroral campsite is nice, but Honeysuckle much nicer, I think, and of course closer to Booroomba / Orroral Ridge. Orroral is restricted to smaller groups / single tent camping, which is nice & peaceful - Honeysuckle occasionally gets big groups of scouts etc, and bogans in WRXs doing burnouts in the carpark. But there are more remote sites at Honeysuckle as well, and it is very beautiful in autumn, with some exotic trees (planted at the tracking station) turning beautifully at the moment.

Every time I go up there I find new things to enjoy about it. The landscape is so beautiful, and there is something incredibly appealing about granite domes & boulders (if also very scary from a climbers' perspective...)

A side trip to the Tidbinbilla tracking station is awesome for kids, also good for adults with an interest in space, and gives some context / reality to the old Honeysuckle & Orroral sites as well.

There are 11 messages in this topic.

 

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