North West Victoria

The new routes listed below are those which have been submitted, and which are not published in the existing VCC NorthWest Victoria guidebook. These routes are made available on this site on an "as received" basis without any verification by the VCC. Thus, listed routes may have inaccurate details such as grade/length/location etc, or may be entirely fictional. If you have any information that clarifies or questions existing route descriptions, please send it in to the

Information regarding replacement/installation of bolts and abseil anchors can be found at Safer Cliffs Victoria.

MOUNT ALEXANDER

DOG ROCKS

Heroin Is So Passe 6m 19 [sport]
Starts 10m right of Elsie. Climb short slab past one high FH.Kent Paterson, Neil Monteith, Ti Hoang 6.11.2005

Up The Bracket 8m 23 [sport]
The right arête of the Little Bo Peep block. Stickclip first FH. Start from boulder on the right side of the arete and launch into the bouldery starting moves via flake to end up on the slabby left side. Continue hugging the arete past two more FHs. Descent via LBP's anchor. Kent Paterson, Neil Monteith 6.11.2005

* Ebb And Flow 8m 20 [sport]
An obvious problem that doesn¹t appear to have been recorded previously. Rounded arête 5m left of McDogs with three FHs. Neil Monteith, Kent Paterson & Ti Hoang 6.11.2005

Beta: Semantics 18m 18+. more like 20. Rumours 15m 25. 24 is a generous grade. It’s not 24. Painless 10m 20. I thought it was 18 in the older guide. I don’t believe it’s 20. Scottish Reign 24. Now has a hanger.

Lots of feedback from Ben Wright:
p.177 Access: Melways map is now 609 (at least in my Melways). The Koala Sanctuary seems no longer to exist, and is not signposted from the Calder Highway. The others signs are still there though, and there is a separate "Major Mitchell Trail" one as well. The turning is between the 114 and 115 km roadside makers (114.7km).
paragraph 4, I know some who have been misdirected by "Dog Rock Saddle is signposted and is 6.4km north along the road". Dog Rock Saddle is signposted and is 3.1km north along the road (6.4km from point 1).
p.179 the topo. It's a very good topo. Chimney Crack should be The Kennel. unnamed crack is Dick McGinty (McDogs also starts up the same crack).
p.180 "and has two, as yet unexplained bolts on the short slab behind it". Ben suggests the following description:

Courtyard Arete 10m 15
Bounce onto slab, step up, then it eases. 2BR and sling the branch, scramble back to belay on chains above Modern Logic. FADU.

McDogs, Dick McGinty, and Old Habits all start up the same crack before branching out.
Ecosse 14, and RHV 10 - I'd swap the grades round, and drop them! Ecosse 9, Ecosse RHV 13, and that may be generous (but you do have to worry that the whole block looks like it will fall on you). Also, of the group, Ecosse is the "straightest up" line, with Culloden (and Elsie) coming in to join it.
Jewellery, Chimney Corner, The Kennel; getting down is harder than the climbs! (well maybe one of them), suggest: Descent is by a tricky little downclimb towards the Bouldering Slab, or you can use the chain above Painless to belay and abseil down it instead.
Chimney Corner 10, The Kennel 7 - I'd swap these grades round too, but it's a bit hard to be sure.

Chimney Corner "The corner at the back of the deep chimney (really?)". Yes really, it's ok (if you like that sort of thing :-).
Mobile Phone - No star from me.
Mobile Phone Variant 12 - No, if someone just managed Rover this isn't what they should do next. 14/15? Wear gloves.
Semantics 20 (18) - Just to keep the discussion going, the Tim and Tom Guide had it starting in the chimney (no pro for quite a way?) then finishing as for Modern Logic (left of roof, 2FH). That might have been 18. Up the chimney and left to the crack might be 18 too. But with the Modern Logic start it's at least 20... Where's the crux on Modern Logic?
Mo Money "right at the first fixed hanger on Semantics" - it's now the first fixed hanger on Modern Logic...
Painless 18/20 - I'd give it 20 (maybe it's a height thing?).
Fleece 13 - That grade's for the middle of the slab, easier further left.
Waiting For Sam 15 - I'd say 16. Anyway it's harder than My Black Sheep (might be the height thing again, those staples are too far round the corner for comfort).

SCORPION ROCKS

These excellent crimpy face routes are to the right of Climb F (undercut grade 18 crack - see NW Vic Guide v2.0 page 185-186). They feature 3 FHs each. Listed from left to right.

*I’ll Stick Around 12m 24
Kent Paterson. 2001

*Sustain The Pain 12m 23
Kent Paterson. October 2003

Territorial Pissings 10m 23/24
Kent Paterson. 2001

WABBIT WOCKS

p.178 "Head for the hills along a narrow bitumen road past the Harcourt Primary School (not past the petrol station)". Ben Wright: I think you go past the petrol station, not the school. I've never seen the school, but there's a pre-school signposted up the hill from the public toilets that are along the cross road (south) from the petrol station. p178 paragraph 3 "(there is some tape on a tree to the left of the pine)". Ben Wright: I've never seen the tape. I looked quite hard for it a couple of times, but I don't think it's there any more. If it's there, it's not helpful.

CAMELS HUMP

A Soft Touch 25m 12
Named because of the furry handholds! Starts 2m left of Grey Arête at the foot of the slab. Up right leading crack to overlap. Step up left onto slab below overhang. Up ramp to break overhang on the right almost joining Grey Arête before heading up and left to ledge. FRA Rupert Freeman, Jerry Kupfer. 12.5.02

BLACK HILL

At northern end of reserve, down from the Northern Lookout and in from a farmhouse with a dog, is a block with two lines, a crack and an arête.

Barking Crack 10m 15
The diagonal line curving up from right to left. Jeremy Maddox, Campbell Mercer. April 1999

Crackling Bark 8m 14
The right arête, direct. Campbell Mercer, Jeremy Maddox. April 1999

Towards the south end of the reserve are some blocks with 3 good crack lines. This is the left-most.

Aleph 15m 18
The steep crack in groove to a ledge line. Step right and do the wide upper crack. Jeremy Maddox, Campbell Mercer. April 1999

MUSHROOM ROCKS

Surrogate Kitty 7m 14
Pushing the boundaries of Victorian miniature climbing. Little slab with right leading seam directly below Pull the Ripcord. BR. FFA Neil Monteith & Jono Schmidt 15.9.2003

Ultra Violet
"Replaced the 1st and 4th bolts. We also added one of two bolts for a RB lower off at the end of the climb. Other bolt should be added soon but for the time being the chains further back should be used rather than a single bolt".

VIRGIN SUMMIT TORS

Cushy 10m 13
10m left of No 11 YKK. A hand-crack then the pinnacle. Climb the crack and finish on top of the pinnacle. Goose (aka Arnoud Goossens), Jason Brooks, Luke Eichler. May 2002

THE NORTHERN GROUP

Sideline 8m 2
Fantastic introduction to lay backing. On the boulder just left of Deceit. Anne Watson, Pete Holmes. 14.5.02

DINO EGGS

24 Sleeps To Go 8m 12
North of Bicentennial Cra(ck)pp. On the southern side of a small egg is another rare crack. Al Hodgson, Pete Holmes. 14.5.02

Party On 10m 16
Two metres right of the top of the Bicentennial Cra(ck)pp, is another crack. Do as a second pitch to Bicentennial Cra(ck)pp, or traverse in to it (from the left is easiest). Ben Wright, Jerry Kupfer. 1.2.04

KYNETON QUARRY

Black Anarchy ?m 24
The grade 24 (more like grade 20/21 rather than 24) bolted arête climb. BEWARE this route contains a fractured, TV sized, semi-detached block just below and right of the chains, which you’ll need to haul on. There’s a couple of reachy moves, and it gets pumpy quick, but its actually rather fun, at least as the second.

MOUNT KOOYOORA

LOST ROCKS

Routes now covered in NW Vic Guide v2.0 page 205.

MOUNT KOOYOORA - BITUMEN BLUES BOULDERS

The following route appears to be a repeat of Woodfield Memorial Crack (NW Vic Guide v2.0 p207), however due to some ambiguity in which direction along the road you are meant to go from the campground in the following description, and the new routes editor's lack of familiarity with the area, it is included anyway.

* Tim Jam 10m 17
Location: The first large boulder out crop on the left side of the road 100m from the camp ground. The crack is found on the left hand side at the rear of the boulder.Short but sweet! Take some large cams. Pete Holmes & Tim Proctor 7/3/04

MOUNT KOOYOORA SUMMIT

Routes now covered in NW Vic Guide v2.0 page 214.

MOUNT KORONG

Burning Bog Roll Buttress

Easy access, enjoyable moderate grade climbs all with excellent protection, a lovely setting and a cave to seek shelter from the sun. In sun till late afternoon. Enter Mount Korong Park by the aast gate. follow the road right up the east side of the reserve, then around the north and then back south on the west boundary. 5.2 k from the entrance is a track off to the left. Follow this 800 metres up onot a saddle on the ridge immediately north of the mount. Favoured by locals as a picnic spot. Very scenic location. The cliff is to the south west at the foot of the slabby spur. Its a 2 to 3 minute walk depending how keen you are.

His Basic Grin 7 10m
On the right of the cliff is a pedestal leaning against the cliff. Start below the left side of the pedestal. Up, then up the corner using the crack and the dyke on the arete. Chris Wilmott, Neil Barr 24/11/2005

* New Years Day on Triple Time 8 8m
Something everyone will appreciate! Starts 2 metres left of Ya Hoo behind the pedestal. The world needs more grade 8 finger cracks, but perhaps a little longer. Neil Barr, Chris Wilmott 24/11/2005

* Ya-Hoo 13 15m
The lovely flake corner system. Starts 3m left of NYDOTT below a dead tree growing out of a crack. Up the flake just to the left of the dead tree. Undercling left, then up the flake corner system. Chris Wilmott, Neil Barr 24/11/2005

The Department of Sparks and Embers 15 10m
Doesn't quite finish the job. 10m left of Ya-Hoo is the finger crack obvious from the saddle. Up the crack to the ledge. Belay here then walk off left with care, or finish up Poultry in Motion. The continuation of the line is a fused seam. Neil Barr, Chris Wilmott 24/11/2005

Poultry in Motion 7 30m
Up the leaning thin crack line 10m left of DSE. Continue past the ledge then the easy slab above to belay in the vegetated water runnel. Chris Wilmott, Neil Barr 24/11/2005

Orienteering Wall

You need a a map and compass to find it. From the saddle walk NW along the ridge to the second knoll. The cliff is on the SW slope near the top. Ten minute walk. In the shade in the morning. One climb with potential for a few more.

The organiser and his photogrammetrist 13 8m
Towards the left of the cliff is a short crack line. Chris Wilmott, Neil Barr 24/11/2005

MT COLE

This seven metre tor is fifty metres further up the road from Steves Rock and on the downhill side. The side facing the road has an un-freed finger crack which is a great A1 aid route. Four metres left of the crack is a very thin flake and blank top. This has also been aided with two bathooks for the top at A2+. On the backside of the boulder is this route. A single rap bolt is used for descent.

Seated Ram 7m 23
Thin splitter finger-crack on steep backside of boulder. Bridging against the large detached flake is off-route. The crux is near the top. Neil Monteith, Gareth Llewellin. 22.4.02

RED ROCK – MT COLE FOREST

Ground Up 150m 19
Treat the description with caution, it was written from memory a couple of years after the fact. Start from terrace just up right of Millionaire. 1. 40m Easily up over blocks then thin crack to belay under steepening. 2. 50m Up steepening via a flake, then cruise up the slab keeping just right of big scrubby corner to belay on ledge on right. 3. 40m Easily up left to belay under 4th pitch. 4. 20m Climb the overlap via a small corner that leads to a strenuous right leading undercling flake, then straight up easily. James McIntosh, Glen Donohue. (var) 28.3.99

BEN NEVIS - NORTH CLIFF

The Last Laugh Direct Start 60m 15
Dirty, unpleasant and a waste of time. We only climbed it by mistake, don’t do the same. On the left-hand side of the arch is a long, vegetated ramp and corner crack. 1. 40m (15) Struggle up the ramp to belay just before it traverses right. 2. 20m (13) Follow the crack and only clean rock on the route across right and then up to belay at the trees on the ledge at the start of the Last Laugh. Michael Stone, Chris Watson. alt. 4.3.01

LODDON RIVER FALLS

Looking directly across at the highest section of the cliff you should spot a reasonably obvious line following one of the many vertical cracks.(So is the climb on the west side or the east side?)

Fear Of Choss 20m 16
Start in the dual cracks, then, at about halfway up, the right side of the line terminates at the top of a slightly free standing pillar (good rest), and the climb continues on the left crack/arête to the summit. Michael Boniwell, Adrian Mooney, Kent Patterson, Brett Twycross. 25.5.02

WEST SIDE - MAIN WALL

This is the large wall on the opposite side of the river from the carpark. Robin Holmes came face to face with an irate and hungry Tiger Snake in the bottom of this mine when attempting to retrieve a lost shoe! This wall gets full morning sun until about 2pm.

Someone has done a huge job in clearing (poisoning?) the brambles that infested the cliffs and creek. In fact you can now walk around moderately unhindered to all of the rock faces without requiring a machete and long pants! (July 04)

**Mine Mine Mine 18m 23
Classic. Thin crackline located directly above mine (about 10m right of Shellshock).Take care climbing above shaft from the left to clip hard to reach FH.Bouldery crux then into thin finger crack.At horizontal break at two thirds height step right and finish up finger crack to double U-anchor.Kent Paterson, Neil Monteith.November 2003

Sick Baby Blues 17m 18
Depressing. Starts 5m left of mineshaft, at the right side of the orange wall.Up rotten crack to ledge on right.Up line on left passing wedged block and high FH.No lower off anchor.Nick McKinnon, Neil Monteith.7. 12.03

Photo: Nick McKinnon on the FA of The Dirt Unit. Pic by Neil Monteith

NickMcKinnon_TheDirtUnit22LoddonRiver_NeilMonteith_sm.jpg (34K) The Dirt Unit 16m 22
Fun moves but somewhat contrived. Start 5m L of mine-shaft. Up SBB for 3m then step L onto dirty ledge. Arrange wires then up the orange scar face and hanging corners above passing 3 FH's. Keep off the ledge on L. Above third FH make a delicate step R around the arete. Clip the FH on SBB and finish up corner. FFA Nick McKinnon 12.7.2004

Some guys mentioned that they thought the first ascent of Fear of Choss was lead by an 'English climber' onsight two years ago (mid-2002?).

EAST SIDE UPPER WATERFALL

This small wall rises from the eastern banks of the upper swimming hole with the impressive waterfall. On either side of these climbs are shorter and broken walls which could contain several easy trad routes in the future. A single U-bolt serves as a lower off point. This wall gets afternoon sun.

*Pull The Pin 10m 20
Consumer classic with lots of fun moves. FH and two ring bolts up subtle arête on left side of smooth wall.Rap off U-bolt above Stem Cell.Kent Paterson, Joe Morgan-Payler, Neil Monteith. 7.12.03

*Stem Cell 10m 22
Starts 2m right of Pull The Pin.Technical bridging up a face with some baffling start moves.Two ring bolts and wires to finish.Lower off U-bolt.Neil Monteith, Joe Morgan-Payler, Kent Paterson. 7.12.03

MOUNT BECKWORTH

The Amazing Shrinking Harness 10m 10
Starts as for Primordial and follows the slightly right-leading line easily to top. Tony Brotherton, David Dowie. 17.2.02

BAAL ROCK AREA

Approximately 1.6km from the entrance at the northern most point on the Cork Oaks Track, you will see a boulder split by a large crack, 100m uphill on your left.

Sheoak Shambles 6m 13
The large crack splitting the north face of the boulder.Gain the chockstone, then easily to the top.Good pro if needed. Belay off the Sheoak.Ray Fenton.Solo.4. 11.03

Sheoak Shuffle 6m 5
Start off the block a couple of metres left then up on huge jugs.Ray Fenton.Solo.4. 11.03

Park on the right a touch over 2.7km from the main entrance opposite a large grey “T” shaped tree stump. There is a old vehicle track heading east, follow this for about three minutes and you will find a large slabby outcrop. The start is steep but it soon relents. The rock is clean and the friction is excellent. On the east end of the wall is a short wall with large capstone.Follow the jam crack to the break, then pull over the top to belay.Ray Fenton.Solo.30. 10.03

What’s On This 6m 8
A tricky start just left of the crack then up and over the flake.Chris Watson.Solo.1. 2.04

Large cams and nuts can be used in the blocks above to belay the following routes.

Mimosa 10m 10
Bridge the left edge of the slab past a bolt.Ray Fenton. Solo. 30.10.03

Ormosia 10m 18
A thin start to a bolt then good holds to the top.Ray & Simon Fenton. 15.11.03

Acacia 10m 17
Possibly the best climb on the wall. Thin moves again to the next bolt, then on to the top.Ray & Simon Fenton. 15.11.03

Wattle Tree Wasteland 10m 18
A soft touch at the grade but the most consistent route on the wall. The angle’s slightly less and the friction, “magnificent”.Up past the 4th bolt along.Ray & Simon Fenton. 15.11.03

Rivales 9m 16
Quite good.A very hard start directly under the 5th bolt, but easier just to the right.Straight up to the top.Ray & Simon Fenton. 15.11.03

Loderi 9m 15
Could probably do with its own bolt.Start a metre or so just right of Rivales directly under the tree.Lean left to clip its bolt then back right and up to the ramp.Follow the easy ramp to the top.Ray Fenton.Solo.30. 10.03

Whistle For Water 12m 2
Follow the easy ramp.Simon, Ray, Harrison, Briar & Miranda Fenton. 15.11.03

Fabales 10m 2
The arête above the ramp.Ray Fenton.Solo.30. 10.03 From the Barbeque Area on the Cork Oaks Track, 3.2k from the entrance, walk south along the bank of the dry creek bed for about 3 minutes and you will come across a small boulder on your right. On the west side of the boulder is a little lay-back corner crack that has been soloed by the masses over the years.

LayLine 4m? 8
The nice little lay-back corner.FRA.Ray Fenton.Solo. 4.11.03

TAKING IT EASY WALL

Somebody has placed a bolt above the mantle on Up ‘n Over.(Probably Ray Fenton)

THE CAVE GROUP

Somebody has placed 2 stainless steel rap ring bolts at the top of Hierachertherium.

New Route Submissions:

If you have done any new routes or have information that clarifies or questions existing route descriptions - then please , (or post it to: Victorian Climbing Club, GPO Box 1725, Melbourne 3001), so that we can include them on this site, in the next issue of Argus and in the next edition of the relevant Guidebook. New Route submissions preferably should include the following information:

Location - relative to existing published routes (if possible), distinctive cliff features, and/or grid reference(s) (including the map used).
Route Name - obviously important!!
Length - including individual pitch lengths for multipitch routes.
Star rating - 3 stars if classic, 2 stars if very good, 1 star if worthwhile, or no stars.
Grade - taking into account technical difficulty, sustainedness, and/or boldness. Include the grade of each pitch for multipitch routes.
Route description - sufficient for repeat ascentionists to follow the route, and should also include essential/unusual gear requirements, without giving excessive detail ("beta").
Topos or Photos - If you have a line drawing or photograph of the route, please also send that in to help other people finding the route.
First ascent details - climber name(s) and ascent date(s).
Any comments, constructive criticism, or suggestions are welcome and should be sent to the .

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