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Topic Date User

Cape Woolamai Rockclimbing - video 23-Mar-2014 At 11:25:48 AM stuart h

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Chelsea organised MUMC climbers to check the route descriptions and take photos then wrote a new guidebook for Cape Woolamai. She did the layout and design with Richard Dale (Sticky). They generously gave me a co-author credit despite the fact that all I did was go climbing and answer a few questions (best editing gig ever).

Woolamai is a pink granite. The pink apparently comes from lots of feldspar. It is really pretty and a notable feature of many of Melbourne’s most impressive late 19th century buildings which used it for facing and decoration, sourcing the stone from a quarry on the San Remo side of the cape.

In its non-polished, still a sea cliff form, it doesn’t look nearly as clean and solid as Port Stephens appears in pictures (I’ve never been there). Expect a grainy surface and ledges that require care.

The climbing is straightforward; the setting is brilliant. For harder routes I climb on two single ropes (I take 30m ropes if climbing anywhere but the big cliff) and take a couple of screamers and lots of cams.

The whole environment requires a degree of care, but the stories have always been exaggerated. You could always spend another day cragging at Camel’s but, especially with Chelsea’s new guidebook, people should have no trouble enjoying the place - ocean, sky, stone & a bit of adventure - without finding themselves facing anything unacceptable.

Woolamai is easily my favourite day trip from Melbourne. The climbing on the more difficult routes is engaging without being unreasonable. It is beautiful and a day out is always memorable.