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cavedude
Dec 6, 2003, 9:24 PM
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Registered: Jul 12, 2003
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I just quit my job and I'm about to travel for 9 months to a year. What are the best areas for multipitch trad in australia/new zealand, europe, and south america? Is there anything other than sporty limestone in SE Asia?
I'm looking for areas with lots of moderate (5.8-5.10), grade III to V trad routes. I spent half of last summer in Yosemite, and I'm looking to visit comparable areas on other continents.
Any advice?
Peace,
Dox
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dmon
Dec 7, 2003, 1:03 AM
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Registered: Feb 6, 2002
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Take out you pen. Write down "Mt Arapiles, Victoria, Australia." The rest is mere detail.
Other places in Australia:
Blue Mountains, NSW
Nowra (sport only) NSW
The Grampians, Vic
Moonarie, SA
Frog Buttress, Qld
miniguides available at:
www.climbing.com.au
and
www.chockstone.org
Haven't been to NZ, but from pictures I've seen, Castle Hill looks like a must go area.
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ozclimber
Dec 10, 2003, 1:01 AM
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I would have to agree that if you are thinking of heading to Australia then Mt. Arapiles would have to rate as one of the best climbing areas in the world for easy to medium grade trad routes. The protection is bombproof and routes range from single pitch up to around 150m(400ft). If you are looking for something that feels a little bigger than try heading to the grampians and finding such places as Mt Rosea, Mt Difficult, Mt Abrupt. All of these cliffs offer climbing in the 100+m range with Mt Rosea in particular offering some fantastic sandstone climbing with a few 3 star classics that are well within reach of those grade challenged climbers like myself.
As for Moonarie (down in south australia), now this place is out there. The locals know it as the moon, and that about how isolated you feel out there. Ive visited a few times and it rates as my favorite climbing places anywhere. But it not for everyone. Long approaches, bush camping and hot hot hot most of the year. The climbing is fantastic but there is not much in the easy grades so you need to be climbing around grade 20+ (5.10+) to get the full value.
The Blue Mountains( outside Sydney) offer almost endless cliff lines to climb and provoke dreams in many gererations to come. But the bigger cliff need to be addressed with a fair amount of care. Rock quality can range form perfect sandstone to welll ummm sand. These cliffs that can be spotted from everywhere and can be over 300+m. But again beware only a few have been climbed fewer have been repeated. There are many high quality areas offering trad climbing on a smaller and more friendly scale a short stroll from the car but generally only one to two pitches.
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ozclimber
Dec 10, 2003, 1:06 AM
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If you are heading to Oz and want a few suggested routes to climb I am sure i could point you in the direction of a few classics at the above areas or answer any other Q's you may have.
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marks
Dec 15, 2003, 6:36 PM
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Registered: Aug 3, 2002
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gritstone in the u.k,the home of trad climbing
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revegentil
Dec 15, 2003, 6:50 PM
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Registered: Sep 11, 2003
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ive got cousins in greece and ive seen, as im sure you have also, awesome pictures of amazing crag. just a thought if yoll be in europe some time
christopher
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crackjammer
Dec 18, 2003, 11:10 PM
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Registered: Oct 13, 2003
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Europe: Dolomites in Italy, The Alps (of cource).
Peru: The Sphinx!!!
Chile and Argentina: Patagonia, of cource.
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billcoe_
Dec 21, 2003, 5:29 AM
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Registered: Jun 30, 2002
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9 months?
Man, I want to be you!
If it was me - I'd pick an area and hang. So maybe you go to Europe and climb in the Dolomites, but head up to Frankenjura (Germany), Greece, the Alps or Broux (France).
There is enough climbing in Australia to last you 9 months in the Arapiles and Grampions area alone, they are both relatively close to each other and Oz is damn civilized. ( you could easilly check out the other Oz areas noted there as well),
Nice locals too. Have fun.
B
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rrrADAM
Dec 22, 2003, 2:50 AM
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Registered: Dec 19, 1999
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I too love Grade III's in the 5.9 to 5.10+ range. My faves so far in the US are:
-Tuolumne (especially 3rd Pillar of Dana Mountain outside the East Entrance)
-Yosemite
-Gunks (favorite Trad Area, but nothing more than 3 pitches, most are 2)
-Devil's Tower
-Mt Lemmon (2-3 pitches, and a few 4-5's)
-Needles (intimidating, but well worth it... this will test your skills)
-Lake Tahoe Areas
-Tahquitz / Suicide (a must, with plenty of Grade III's)
-Moore's Wall, NC (1-3 pitches, similar to the Gunks)
-Looking Glass, NC (2-5 pitches)
-Ship Rock, NC (1-3 pitches, similar to the Gunks)
-Castleton Tower (Grade II/III)
-Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons
-Moab Areas (especially Arches National Park)
-JTree (some 3-5 pitch climbs, but mostly 1 pitch)
-Red Rocks (1 pitch to Grade V's)
-Boulder Canyon, Co (1-5 pitches)
-Eldorado Canyon (Grade II's & III's)
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wallwombat
Dec 25, 2003, 4:59 PM
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Registered: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 727
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ARAPILES
and the WOLGAN VALLEY
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