Rock Climbing at Centurion Walls, Grampians, Victoria, Australia

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						Quick Stats
Climbs	*******	**	*	Hardest	Longest	Rock	Access
25	2	5	5	27	45m	Sandstone	15 mins

[ This guide contributed by Neil Monteith. Disclaimer: Rock climbing is a dangerous sport. None of the information contained in this document has been verified. Treat all fixed gear with suspicion, route grades may be incorrect and the rock may be poor. The editors of this document take no responsibility for any injury arising from the use of this information. If there are mistakes in this guide then let the editor know by emailing nmoneith@yahoo.com. Download printer friendly PDF version. ]

*** This text is now out of date. See: June 2006 Updated PDF

This is a new semi-sport crag located in the Northern Grampians in Victoria. The rock is steep orange sandstone walls with
the occasional cave thrown in for good measure. Most of the better routes are grade 20+ and protected mainly by bolts. The fixed equipment used on this cliff are either stainless steel expansion bolts or glue-in ringbolts. Most climbs have rap anchors to facilitate easy descent and cleaning. The first ascentionists have endeavoured to camouflage fixed equipment by painting hangers and rings with matt textured paint. The first bolts on routes are usually relatively high off the deck so a stick clip is useful.

Right: Nick McKinnon on Killer Wolf (21). All photos on this page by Neil Monteith.

Much of the rock is soft, so try and avoid climbing within 24 hours of recent rain. Routes such as Winged Corpse, Psychotic Episode and Killer Wolf are good wet weather routes. Black streaks on the rock are marks of water seepage which means these routes are not climbable after heavy rain. A light rack of gear is required for many of the routes - a single set of cams and wires will suffice on all apart from Kublai Khan or Stone Temptress. There is still some potential for new lines to be done.

Above Left: View of Centurion Walls. The best routes are in the Lower Centurion Wall, primarily sector 2 & 4, while the Upper Centurion Wall (sectors 5 & 6) contains some more chossy lines.

ACCESS

GR 299066. These cliffs are in the Mt Difficult Range (Nth Grampians), in Victoria, Australia. From Melbourne drive to Stawell and continue north towards Horsham for about 15 minutes then take the well signposted sign left to Roses Gap. If you drive past the big koala you have gone too far. Approx 10km down this road just before Roses Gap turn left down Roses Gap/Mt Zero Road
heading south for 1.2 km (24km north from Delley’s Bridge). Up on the R is an obvious orange wall with a large grey wall above. The upper wall has a very obvious arch formation. Find a rock cairn marking the start of the access track. Follow occasional marker tape and rock cairns for about 15 minutes, walking through light scrub to arrive at the centre of the Lower Wall.

If you want to camp the two best bets are the Fire Dam about 500m along Halls Gap/Mt Zero Rd from Roses Gap or Troopers Creek campsite (payment required) which is several kilometres west along Roses Gap Rd. You can also camp in a sheltered sandy cave to the right of Progressive Happy House at the cliff.

LOWER CENTURION WALL

Above Left: Lower Centurion Wall. Routes are listed from right to left. The first route climbs the orange overhung wall about 10m right of the impressive ring bolted buttress of Psychotic Episode (26). Above Right: Neil Monteith on Psychotic Episode (26) Photo Kathy Dicker.

1] Progressive Happy House 15m 18 *
The best of the easy trad routes of the cliff. Head diagonally right on big horizontal breaks to vertical reachy transition. Up easily to top and tree belay. Bring lots of cams. Rap off tree above Push It Upstairs. FFA Neil Monteith, Jono Schmidt & Nick McKinnon 25th June 2000

2] Push It Upstairs 15m 23
Sandbag one move wonder. Starts the same as PHH. Move up on big horizontals for 7m . Traverse left for 3m and up to another good slot. Dyno crux then up wall to belay tree. Rap off tree to descend. FFA Nick McKinnon & Neil Monteith 1st May 1999

3] Psychotic Episode 15m 26 ***
The best line of the cliff. Flakes leading up overhung orange buttress. Four rings leads to double ring lower-off. FFA Nick McKinnon 29th July 2000

4] Stone Temptress 20m 22 **
A super pumper traverse. Start up Kublia Khan for four metres then begin the never ending overhung hand-traverse right on superb stone to end at Psychotic Episode’s lower-off ring bolts. Bring every cam you own up to size 4, and lots of slings. FFA Neil Monteith 5th November 2000

5] Kublai Khan 30m 21 *
Old guard route with powerful climbing through steep territory. Start about 10m L of PE. Climb orange and black striped rock to first overhang. Traverse 3m L then up steeply until a traverse line leads back R between more overhangs. Committing moves over the next overhang lead to a dark red patch of rock and a hanging corner/weakness. Up this and finish out right of the summit roof. Rap off tree on ledge (25m rope reaches ground). FFA Keith Lockwood& Norm Booth 3rd November 1996

6] Ghengis Khan 35m 19
Interesting wall climbing with some suspect rock. Starts about 7m L of KK at the left most black streak that reaches the ground (flows out of a small wind blown scoop immediately L of a large pile of boulders). Up 4m to the small bush on R. Traverse L for 4m along the break then straight up the wall above to finish just L of the dead tree at the top of the cliff. FFA Campbell Mercer & Alan Hope 4th November 1995

7] Anti-Christ Superstar 20m 25 *
Wandery climbing on great rock. Start 20m left of Ghengis Khan below large scoop in rock. Up broken wall past BR to scoop. Follow five rings left across steep wall (crux) to big break. Shuffle right along this for a few moves (2 rings) to no hands rest in slot. Straight up a few moves to twin pocket jugs then right (ignore high ring) to break and good cam slot. Up again on pockets to jugs and pumpy conclusion past last ring to double ring lower off. Extend runners to avoid rope drag. FFA Neil Monteith & Nick McKinnon 2.9.2001

8] Compressor Route 23m 27 ** (S)
A long route with a sting in the tail. Starts as for Anti-Christ Superstar but takes a direct finish up the pocketed head-wall. Climb ACS to sixth ring and horizontal break. Fire up face above to big pocket. Crimping crux finish through bulge leads to chains. 9 RB’s and chain lower off. FFA Nick McKinnon 17th August 2002

9] Devilled Haircut 25m 25/26 ** (S)
Absorbing and powerful sport climbing up nice orange rock. Climb Compressor Route to fifth RB. Step left under block (RB) and fire up excellent wall above (three RB’s) with some nice big pockets to DRB loweroff. FFA Neil Monteith 7.9.2003

10] Killer Wolf 15m 21 **
Best warm-up of the cliff which seeps heavily after rain. The scoop and roof about 15m left of CR. Into small cave (FH), roof flake (cams) to small stance and FH. Head left on jugs past hard to clip RB then straight up to DRB. The direct finish straight up from second FH is an open project. FFA Nick McKinnon, Neil Monteith & Adam Demmert 4th June 2000

11] Lexicon 25m 17
Looks appalling. Up the centre of the black streak 10m left of Killer Wolf through two overhangs and finishing up R of the small bush at two thirds height. FFA Campbell Mercer, Allan Hope & Mike Mulcairn 4th November 1999

12] Liberator 30m 19
A nice feature spoilt by a scary start and less than great rock. Take the RH arête of the small buttress 5m L of Lexicon. Scramble in to start across choss from the right. Up arête steeply to the ledge and then up face above on jugs. To avoid rope drag you can split this into two short pitches. FFA Campbell Mercer & Mark Poustie 6th November 1995

13] Shades of Black 25m 16
The first route done on the cliff. Steep bold climbing on outrageous holds and quite a bit of bird shit. Starts 7m L of Liberator at a very small section of "brain" like rock at RH end of small white cave. Straight up to LH side of buttress. Up flake on L then up and R to top of buttress. Straight up wall above. FFA Campbell Mercer, Peter Watling, Allan Hope & Mike Mulcairn 4th November 1995

Above Left: Nick McKinnon on Damage Done (24) Photo Neil Monteith. Above Right: Nick McKinnon on the FFA of Left Hand Black (23).

14] Damage Done 30m 24 *
Amazing exposure and unlikely moves on upper wall which is spoilt by a crappy start. Start up Shades of Black and climb it to the bird shit stained ledge at about 20m height. Hand traverse left here and head up pocketed wall past a FH to under big roof. Monkey across this past another FH to finish. Bring medium wires and cams. FFA Neil Monteith & Tom Briggs (UK) 5th December 1998

15] Afterworld 20m 23 *
Sustained steep climbing. Starts up left side of cave about 30m left of DD. An easier variant finish to Left Hand Black. Climb LHB to third FH then traverse right past another FH to break in roof. Over roof on jugs (FH), then up orange corner and final steep wall to rap anchor. Wires and medium cams protect the upper half. The direct start has been attempted on top-rope. FFA Neil Monteith & Aaron Jones March 2000

16] Left Hand Black 18m 23 ** (S)
A popular sustained sport route. Named after black pattern on rock. The route climbs the left arête of cave, continues directly up orange face and then over a roof to finish on excellent pockets. 5 FH’s and rap chain. FFA Nick McKinnon & Neil Monteith 7th November 1998

17] Centrifugal Force 18m 24 **
The beautiful black streaked wall left of LHB. Start as for LHB to first bolt then bouldery traverse left to jugs. From the break continue up past a further three bolts and assorted wires. Last ring bolt was placed after first ascent. Rap from chains above LHB. FFA Neil Monteith & Adam Demmertt 21st November 1998

A good limited bouldering wall exists between Left Hand Black and Sandpit. The obvious problems were established by Tom Briggs, Neil Monteith and Gareth Llewellin on 5th December 1998. Additional V6 problem up ‘penis’ feature was added by Adam Demmert on 3rd June 2000.

18] Sandpit 18m 20
The obvious loose flake crack 5m left of CF. A single bolt offers the only really good protection on this wall. Rap off chains. Recommended only as a toprope. FFA Neil Monteith & Thomas Wimmer February 1999

19] Ton Steine Scherben 25m 24
Novel undercling roof lip traverse with some skanky rock. Climbs the lip of the cave left of Sandpit and finishes up the headwall above. Crux is getting from the roof into the small corner via shoulder busting mantle pull. 5 FH’s and some wires. Rap off chain. FFA Thomas Wimmer & Neil Monteith February 1999

20] Winged Corpse 15m 26 **
Dubious start to otherwise excellent climb. Wild overhung steepness through cave left of TSS. Stickclip very high FH then funkness leads up flakes and pockets to DRB. Bouldery from start to finish. Four FH’s in all. FFA Neil Monteith & Cameron Fairbairn 22nd April 2000

Right: Neil Monteith on the FFA of Winged Corpse (26).

30m up and left of Winged Corpse is the juggy grade 2 access route to the top of the cliff. A short fixed rope is in place. Leftwards from here is an assortment of average quality easy routes. There is potential for more if you are into that sort of thing.

21] Massacres and Maniacs 18m 15
About 40m left of fixed rope in scoop. Up scoop to ledge. Traverse L 3m up crack to roof. Out right and up wall. FFA Campbell Mercer & Peter Watling 6th November 1995

22] HCP 14m 12
A Hyper-classic Choss Pile? Up black wall left of MM and then V groove above. FFA Mark Poustie & Campbell Mercer 6th November 1995.

23] Lunchbox Legend 14m 18
Start 10m left of HCP. Straight up crack and then follow through steepening above. Hard bouldery start and disconcerting finish. FFA Campbell Mercer & Mike Mulcairn 6th November 1995

24] AA 24m 11
Start 25m R of the LH end of the cliff just to the right of the first large orange overhang. Start at the LH end of the scoop. Up diagonally Right through the scoop and across black wall to RH prow. Up. FFA Peter Watling & Mike Mulcairn 6th November 1995

UPPER CENTURION WALL

These are all choss routes and are not recommended. In the upper wall there is a large cave towards the RH end. To the R of this is a thin buttress flanked on its RH side by a smooth wall. Between the thin buttress and the smooth wall is a wide crack. This is Centurion.

25] Centurion 40m 9
Gain the ledge on the R then move back left to the wide crack. Up the wide crack and then the buttress above on good holds. FFA Campbell Mercer & Peter Watling 4th November 1995

26] BB 30m 10
Where Centurion finishes is a wide open ledge. 20m to the R of and slightly up from the top of Centurion is a strong diagonal line formed by the junction of a wall and a slab. (30m to the R of this route is the huge arch system which can be clearly seen from the road). FFA Allan Hope & Mike Mulcairn 4th November 1995

27] Desert Crack 20m A2
On the far right side of the chossy cave is a very obvious overhanging finger crack. Aid this using cams to size #1 and some birdbeaks for the top. Might go free at grade 25? Rap off sling. FA Neil Monteith (solo) 26th November 2000

Further Reading:
Centurion Walls - Neil Monteiths web site, for more pics and latest updates on Centurion Walls.