Me and Kim Ladiges just climbed the East Face Regular Route on Mt Anne free. Impressive FA from Simon Young and Garry Phillips. This wall is epic.
★★ East Face Regular Route Free 190m 26
1. 35m 10 Scramble up broken ground to the base of the wall just right of the vague gray pyramid feature. Locate a couple of slings marking the base. 2. 35m 21 Climb chossy face/corner for about 15m to the start of the crack proper. Climb this crack from hands to wide fist. There is a hex stuck in the crack about 20m up. 3. 30m 23 From large ledge climb boldly through the thin face (RP's) to enter the finger crack. Up this to wide crack and ledge. It's also possible to head left at the end and up big crimps on face. 4. 20m 18 Climb the broken corner and cracks to about 10m below roof 5. 30m 26 Climb up cracks for 5m before heading right before the obvious roof. Make an exciting move right around the arête and up thin crack to a boulder problem entering the mini v-groove. Semi-hanging belay. 6. 40m 23 Continue up crack that ranges from fingers to offwith at the top. Scramble back down into access gully or continue up upper buttress.
Suggested gear: Double set of cams from #00 to #4 Camalot, possibly a #5 for top pitch, 15 draws, haul bag, tag line.
FFA Kim Ladiges and Alex Hartshorne (alt) Jan 2018
Just 10 m right of Arctic Zephyr 24. It's a fully bolted sport climb and it is conceivable to take a sport rack up Mt Strzelecki, climb Into the Labyrinth 24 on the Main Face, then traverse over to Ball Rock and climb Circus Dreams for a great day out!
55m, 21 bolts. Can be done in one or two pitches. When done in one pitch, bring seven extendables to avoid rope drag. Very unique, unusual and sustained climbing that lives up to the route name.
1) 25m 24, 9 bolts to double bolt belay. Use extendables on second, third and fourth bolt to avoid rope drag. Climb up past second bolt to higher horizontal, then traverse and downclimb until able to gain the offwidth flare. Follow flaring crack to double bolt belay.
2) 30m 25, 11 bolts to double bolt belay. Keep following crack and seam until it peters out (crux), climb up new crack until it's possible to traverse left. Use extendables on the four bolts from the beginning of the traverse to avoid rope drag. Follow golden slab to ledge with double bolt belay.
descent: rap off with two 50m ropes. rope stretch will see you safely to the ground on the left (avoid little gully on the right).
Photo shows first pitch and beginning of the second pitch up to about the crux. Not visible is the traverse and golden slab.
Here is one for the brains trust. Last weekend Kate Tasker and I were geographically embarrassed and tried to do improbability drive from battle cruiser ledge but without going up to the next ledge and starting in vaguely the right place. Anyway what we ended up doing seems to be possibly a new route between Starship trooper and hyperspace. It starts on the Starship trooper face immediately right of the arete following a very short crack before quite a technical little step around left of the arete following a series of cracks and flakes that climb completely separate to the arete and hyperspace before joining what I think is the second pitch of Starship trooper. We did the whole thing up to the battle cruiser anchors in one 60m rope stretcher with a bonus 5m to actually make the rings.
Anyone have any thoughts on whether this has been climbed before. Climbed very well, protection where needed at the cruxes, worth ** probably about grade 22. It was a little mossy in places but on the whole reasonably clean but looked fairly untouched.
I've done the first pitch Starship trooper but i haven't done the second 22 arete pitch. Sounds like its a link up from part way up the first pitch to part way up the second pitch. Be good to have a photo topo of that wall to figure it all out. ** Really ?? the original route is ** but this is tassie so why not give it *** like every other new route
Does sound like the line Dave Stephenson scoped a week or two back. A direct start to Starship. Up the arete to right of Linda Chimney, from large ledge, joining Starship at half height. to Will ask him. He wasn't entirely sure it was worth including I think.
Was up there with Neale Smith a few weeks back. I looked at going up the thin crack just left of the actual arete, but it looked a bit hard to protect, so I climbed the first part of Hyperspace, moving slightly right with some nice moves at about 20 over the small roof at the top of the hand crack (rather than stepping left as the guide says) - this joined the Starship Trooper pitch 1 grooves just past the crux on the face. My thought was Hyperspace actually went up those mossy corners to the left of the arete, although they didn't look to have seen much traffic. Mind you how often does Hyperspace get climbed - the bottom was pretty dirty too, although it is probably worth a couple of stars. Neale and I quizzed Nic Deka on it recently - but no-one really remembers back that far!
A few new trad routes at Cathedral Rock (Rocky Cape) from a while back
Pablo's Predicament 12** 20m
An excellent outing with good exposure up the rounded orange arete. Plenty of big holds where it steepens. Finish by squeezing into the chimney at the top, or (better) step left and up the unprotected lichenous slab. C Arvier, I Cornes Jan 2018
Thoughtcrime 15 25m
Not bad. Start at the wide crack just right of Rorogwela. Romp up over a couple of ledges and finish as for Groupthink. C Arvier, I Cornes Jan 2018
Rorogwela RHV 22** 25m
As for Rorogwela, but avoid the top crux by heading right out of the pod with the use of a large jug on the arete. A good option if the swallows are nesting. C Arvier Jan 2018
Did a fairly bizarre variant to Cosmic Winch at Conningham a couple of months ago. I don't know of any other climbs in Tassie that require a full offwidth inversion... The grade is a bit arbitrary, but it must be easier than the 24 given for the original line.
★ 8
Cosmic Winch Direct
12m
22
An amusing variant that starts at the back of the aforementioned offwidth. Some unique, fruit bat-inspired maneuvers will get you past the lip, however returning to a more conventional orientation is the crux. Can be led with a big cam.
Nice work Ben - that is a pretty funny down-grade. Difficulty is such a relative term. We certainly tried it 'your way' (Doug Fyfe in particular had nearly succeeded - i still remember the veins popping out of his temples!). Marcel and I found the campus from the lip possible (cf offwidth option may as well have been impossible to me)- admittedly we hadn't done much off-widthing at that stage, and had done lots of fingery chin-ups! Even now i doubt i'd find the inversion easier!
I've upgraded "Bagpipe Remix" at the Paradiso from 25 to 26. Has taken alot of work from me for sure! Think it's hard for 26 and watching others work it this weekend seems to confirm this. It's an excellent climb and deserves more traffic. Please feel free to downgrade after trying the route in its current state, it may have lost a hold at the crux but I'm not really sure.
12 Comments
Alex Hartshorne AUTHOR
Me and Kim Ladiges just climbed the East Face Regular Route on Mt Anne free. Impressive FA from Simon Young and Garry Phillips. This wall is epic.
★★ East Face Regular Route Free 190m 26
1. 35m 10 Scramble up broken ground to the base of the wall just right of the vague gray pyramid feature. Locate a couple of slings marking the base.
2. 35m 21 Climb chossy face/corner for about 15m to the start of the crack proper. Climb this crack from hands to wide fist. There is a hex stuck in the crack about 20m up.
3. 30m 23 From large ledge climb boldly through the thin face (RP's) to enter the finger crack. Up this to wide crack and ledge. It's also possible to head left at the end and up big crimps on face.
4. 20m 18 Climb the broken corner and cracks to about 10m below roof
5. 30m 26 Climb up cracks for 5m before heading right before the obvious roof. Make an exciting move right around the arête and up thin crack to a boulder problem entering the mini v-groove. Semi-hanging belay.
6. 40m 23 Continue up crack that ranges from fingers to offwith at the top. Scramble back down into access gully or continue up upper buttress.
Suggested gear: Double set of cams from #00 to #4 Camalot, possibly a #5 for top pitch, 15 draws, haul bag, tag line.
FFA Kim Ladiges and Alex Hartshorne (alt) Jan 2018
Anna-Veronique L'hoest
Circus Dreams 25
Flinders Island, Mt Strzelecki, Ball Rock.
Just 10 m right of Arctic Zephyr 24. It's a fully bolted sport climb and it is conceivable to take a sport rack up Mt Strzelecki, climb Into the Labyrinth 24 on the Main Face, then traverse over to Ball Rock and climb Circus Dreams for a great day out!
55m, 21 bolts. Can be done in one or two pitches. When done in one pitch, bring seven extendables to avoid rope drag. Very unique, unusual and sustained climbing that lives up to the route name.
1) 25m 24, 9 bolts to double bolt belay. Use extendables on second, third and fourth bolt to avoid rope drag. Climb up past second bolt to higher horizontal, then traverse and downclimb until able to gain the offwidth flare. Follow flaring crack to double bolt belay.
2) 30m 25, 11 bolts to double bolt belay. Keep following crack and seam until it peters out (crux), climb up new crack until it's possible to traverse left. Use extendables on the four bolts from the beginning of the traverse to avoid rope drag. Follow golden slab to ledge with double bolt belay.
descent: rap off with two 50m ropes. rope stretch will see you safely to the ground on the left (avoid little gully on the right).
Photo shows first pitch and beginning of the second pitch up to about the crux. Not visible is the traverse and golden slab.
Cleaned and bolted by John Fischer
FA by Anna-Veronique L'hoest on 01.02.2018
Tim Smith
Here is one for the brains trust. Last weekend Kate Tasker and I were geographically embarrassed and tried to do improbability drive from battle cruiser ledge but without going up to the next ledge and starting in vaguely the right place. Anyway what we ended up doing seems to be possibly a new route between Starship trooper and hyperspace. It starts on the Starship trooper face immediately right of the arete following a very short crack before quite a technical little step around left of the arete following a series of cracks and flakes that climb completely separate to the arete and hyperspace before joining what I think is the second pitch of Starship trooper. We did the whole thing up to the battle cruiser anchors in one 60m rope stretcher with a bonus 5m to actually make the rings.
Anyone have any thoughts on whether this has been climbed before. Climbed very well, protection where needed at the cruxes, worth ** probably about grade 22. It was a little mossy in places but on the whole reasonably clean but looked fairly untouched.
Jed Parkes
I've done the first pitch Starship trooper but i haven't done the second 22 arete pitch. Sounds like its a link up from part way up the first pitch to part way up the second pitch. Be good to have a photo topo of that wall to figure it all out. ** Really ?? the original route is ** but this is tassie so why not give it *** like every other new route
Tim Smith
Yeah it was surprisingly good. Definitively worthy of traffic. I'll try to get up there soon to get a topo photo to draw where we went.
Tony McKenny
Does sound like the line Dave Stephenson scoped a week or two back. A direct start to Starship. Up the arete to right of Linda Chimney, from large ledge, joining Starship at half height. to Will ask him. He wasn't entirely sure it was worth including I think.
David Stephenson
Was up there with Neale Smith a few weeks back. I looked at going up the thin crack just left of the actual arete, but it looked a bit hard to protect, so I climbed the first part of Hyperspace, moving slightly right with some nice moves at about 20 over the small roof at the top of the hand crack (rather than stepping left as the guide says) - this joined the Starship Trooper pitch 1 grooves just past the crux on the face. My thought was Hyperspace actually went up those mossy corners to the left of the arete, although they didn't look to have seen much traffic. Mind you how often does Hyperspace get climbed - the bottom was pretty dirty too, although it is probably worth a couple of stars. Neale and I quizzed Nic Deka on it recently - but no-one really remembers back that far!
Chris Arvier
A few new trad routes at Cathedral Rock (Rocky Cape) from a while back
Pablo's Predicament 12** 20m
An excellent outing with good exposure up the rounded orange arete. Plenty of big holds where it steepens. Finish by squeezing into the chimney at the top, or (better) step left and up the unprotected lichenous slab. C Arvier, I Cornes Jan 2018
Thoughtcrime 15 25m
Not bad. Start at the wide crack just right of Rorogwela. Romp up over a couple of ledges and finish as for Groupthink. C Arvier, I Cornes Jan 2018
Rorogwela RHV 22** 25m
As for Rorogwela, but avoid the top crux by heading right out of the pod with the use of a large jug on the arete. A good option if the swallows are nesting. C Arvier Jan 2018
Ben Armstrong
Did a fairly bizarre variant to Cosmic Winch at Conningham a couple of months ago. I don't know of any other climbs in Tassie that require a full offwidth inversion... The grade is a bit arbitrary, but it must be easier than the 24 given for the original line.
Ben Armstrong
Hamish Jackson
Nice work Ben - that is a pretty funny down-grade. Difficulty is such a relative term. We certainly tried it 'your way' (Doug Fyfe in particular had nearly succeeded - i still remember the veins popping out of his temples!). Marcel and I found the campus from the lip possible (cf offwidth option may as well have been impossible to me)- admittedly we hadn't done much off-widthing at that stage, and had done lots of fingery chin-ups! Even now i doubt i'd find the inversion easier!
Claudio Trefny
I've upgraded "Bagpipe Remix" at the Paradiso from 25 to 26. Has taken alot of work from me for sure! Think it's hard for 26 and watching others work it this weekend seems to confirm this. It's an excellent climb and deserves more traffic. Please feel free to downgrade after trying the route in its current state, it may have lost a hold at the crux but I'm not really sure.