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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area Location Sub Location Crag Links
All NSW (General) (General) (General)  

Author
Elijah and Ginsberg Beta
Olbert
1-Jun-2018
3:55:28 PM
So Hamish and I checked out the start of Elijah and Ginsberg this afternoon and are a bit confused. The various online descriptions don't seem to match what we found. A couple of questions before we launch up either tomorrow.

We think we found the start of Elijah - there was a bolt with old tat hanging off it - but no "E" as described in thecrag.com. Looking up, it kinda matched the pitch descriptions...kinda. Any beta would be appreciated?

We also think we found the start of Ginsberg - there was a fairly prominent right leaning crack/gully leading to a smallish ledge. It was underneath the right side of the big roof way up high. However we couldn't find the bolt with washer described in an old hand written description we have.

Any other thoughts, beta or bullshit would also be appreciated.

E. Wells
1-Jun-2018
5:15:27 PM
Elijah shouldnt have any visible tat however about 30m right there are some bail tats on a (much) harder line. It is very easy to climb directly past some of the bolts on Elijah so I cant imagine seeing them from the ground. Most routes you will have a few 'confirmation' moments at best up there. The first pitch is all gear to belay which is some wire twisted around some bolts on a horizontal ledge. From memory the first pitch sports the poorest rock but its all on the grade. My climbing shoes stayed on the back of my harness. As for Ginsberg , good luck finding beerbarrel block. I think its fallen out. Get photos of available resources and go for it. Remember , if your not walking in in the dark , your f#cked

E. Wells
1-Jun-2018
5:22:54 PM
P.M sent for beta beta
jrc
1-Jun-2018
11:29:09 PM
Good luck

You wont see any bolts from the ground other than the old belay bolt for Ginsberg it is just right of the V crack that constitutes the first pitch. Sounds like you found the crack

Elijah better started ~20m right of the gully and trend up and left to hit it about 30m above ground.
widewetandslippery
2-Jun-2018
7:59:55 AM
We found route finding on Elijah ok until I stuffed up very high and got very off route. Ginsberg we botch th start first shot. Second shot electrical storm bail. Third shot a long day. The guide doesn't indicate there is a long way to go after the crux pitch.
Olbert
5-Jun-2018
4:49:56 AM
Thanks for the info on short notice. We did Ginsberg first and managed quite well - 7am to 3.45pm on the wall. Elijah was 7am to 3.20pm but did an alternate last couple of pitches after a loose block blocked the correct corner. The alternate had plenty of its own dodgy blocks.

Edit: for future people googling for beta, the reason there we were blocked from the last couple of pitches of Elijah was that we missed the last belay bolt (high and left) which meant we belayed directly underneath the loose block. If you belay at the bolt, the block is not above your belayer and therefore it wouldn't be catastrophic if it let go with you on it. We decided to do the easy looking alternate corner on the left rather than move the belay. It is an ok alternative but beware of loose blocks (not directly above your belayer).
hamish_b
5-Jun-2018
6:52:17 PM
Part of the confusion around finding the starts of the climbs related to some out of date info. In our source (which is some notes from I think JRC) there was a bolt with a washer at the start of Ginsberg (as in the base of the climb). It also noted Brydens boots being there, but I think they are long gone along with the bolt and washer.

There is also a bolt with some tat at the 'slab start' for Elijah which is actually there but only obliquely referenced.

As for the routes, all I can say is that the first ascentionists really had some balls back then.....


Jrc
6-Jun-2018
7:16:28 PM
Yes ^3 to the FAs balls

Bryden and John were out there literally

I first climbed Elijah in 1997 w Bryden what a great day. 28 years after the first ascent. Again in 2000 w Ross Templeton then last year w my son Michael . I arranged things so he would lead the crux pitch through the overhang pull up but as luck would have it I got that pitch.

I’m still curious where Bryden and John bivvied in 1969 there is really nothing flat between pitch 3 and 9 (after vertical crack after the traverse ). I led the crack last year and mike dropped a tv right next to my belay from the “crux” pitch above. Missed me by this much, Chief!!”

The blocks in the corner on the ‘last’ pitch were a bit dicky but we managed to get around them. When I did that pitch 21 y ago I would have said 12 but more like 16 now
simey
6-Jun-2018
7:38:11 PM
Which was the better of these two routes? I've heard a few people really rave about Ginsberg.

And what do people consider to be the best route on Bluff Mountain?

jrc
7-Jun-2018
5:48:49 PM
Just do them both.

A toi la gloire...
widewetandslippery
8-Jun-2018
8:06:02 AM
On 7-Jun-2018 jrc wrote:
>Just do them both.
>
>A toi la gloire...
Olbert
8-Jun-2018
4:32:16 PM
On 6-Jun-2018 simey wrote:
>Which was the better of these two routes? I've heard a few people really
>rave about Ginsberg.
>
>And what do people consider to be the best route on Bluff Mountain?
>
>

I reckon climbing in the Bungles is much more about adventure than about actually good climbing. I don't reckon any of the pitches I did that weekend, if transposed and made into single pitch routes somewhere else, would get too many stars. Climbing in the Bungles, and on Bluff Mountain, is about the adventure of route finding on dodgy rock, lightly shitting yourself all day and being happy you didn't get benighted. I reckon both are three star Bungles routes because they have mostly good rock and are quite consistent at the grade and go up the proudest part of the face.

Picking between them? Not much really - though the traverse pitch on the 17 stands out. Mostly for slightly more shitting myself than the rest of the route and a reasonably large amount of wondering where the route goes.

I've now had my Bungles fill. Both routes were excellent in the Bungles style. It will now probably be another 10 years before I think it's a good idea to go back.

E. Wells
8-Jun-2018
7:51:22 PM
Some pitches have incredibly hard clean rock. You cant tell me u dont wanna do Caucasus Corner!?
Olbert
9-Jun-2018
8:08:19 AM
On 8-Jun-2018 E. Wells wrote:
>Some pitches have incredibly hard clean rock. You cant tell me u dont
>wanna do Caucasus Corner!?

It sure is a hell of a line - much more defined than either Ginsberg or Elijah. It might be on the list when I go back in 10 years.

And I would agree - some pitches are entirely good rock - assuming you don't get off route.
Olbert
9-Jun-2018
8:09:37 AM
On 8-Jun-2018 E. Wells wrote:
>Some pitches have incredibly hard clean rock. You cant tell me u dont
>wanna do Caucasus Corner!?

It sure is a hell of a line - much more defined than either Ginsberg or Elijah. It might be on the list when I go back in 10 years.

There are 15 messages in this topic.

 

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