Arapiles Day 1

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Bard

Arapiles.

Horsham is a jumping off point for the famous Mount Arapiles, a.k.a. “the best crag in the world” – well, really it’s the tiny hamlet of Natimuk but we could not find a motel room there. We had allotted two days to climbing there and arrived with big appetites. As you’re hiking into the crag, the first cliff you pass is the proud looking Bard Buttress – a pointy, semi-detached tower. Though it was not what we had planned, it was hard to pass up and so we jumped on one of the easy classics of the area, the 5 pitch Bard route rated Australian 12 (…like 5.5). Though easy, the route is steep and not as perfectly mindless as the rating would imply. We topped out, scrambled down and hiked over to the Tiger Wall next door. For the second course, we climbed the beautiful 4 pitch classic called Resignation (15). Steep, juggy, and with some really nice positions. And hot of course.

Photos

Arapiles

Mount Arapiles from the drive (Dec. 2019).

Arapiles

Bard Buttress (left) and Tiger Wall Dec. 2019).

Arapiles

Hiking in on our first day at Mount Arapiles. The Bard formation is visible on the right side of the gully (Dec. 2019).

Bard Buttress

Bard Buttress. The route Bard climbs the obvious features on the face (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Leading the first pitch of the Bard route on the Bard Buttress (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Shirley on pitches 1 and 2 of the Bard route (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Shirley starting up pitch 3 of the Bard (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Views from low on the route (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Shirley finishing up the traverse that is pitch 3 (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Starting up pitch 4 of the Bard (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Looking back towards Shirley from the lead of pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Higher on pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Shirley topping out on the spacious ledge atop pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Looking towards the campground (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Leading pitch 5 of the Bard (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 5 (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Shirley topping out on the Bard Buttress (Dec. 2019).

Bard

The ambiance of Mount Arapiles (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Making our way to the descent route from top of the Bard Buttress (Dec. 2019).

Bard

Scrambling (spelunking?) to the descent via ferrata (Dec. 2019).

Arapiles

An Australian ladybug (Dec. 2019)?

Arapiles

Bard Buttress (left) and Tiger Wall (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Leading pitch 1 of the Resignation (Dec.2019).

Resignation

Shirley on pitch 1 of Resignation (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Starting up pitch 2 of Resignation (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Higher on the same pitch (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Shirley on pitch 2 (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

The outback-y views from the Resignation (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Shirley topping out on pitch 2 (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Leading the steep (juggy of course) pitch 3 of the Resignation (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Looking back at Shirley from above the bulge on pitch 3 of the Resignation (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Through the crux (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Shirley above the bulge on pitch 3 of the Resignation (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Views from the ledge atop pitch 3 (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Shirley arriving at the 3rd belay (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Leading the 4th and final pitch. The camera got a little banged up (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Shirley topping out on the route (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Arapiles fauna (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Arapiles flora (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Trying to catch some shade (Dec. 2019).

Resignation

Shirley on the second lap of the day down the via ferrata (Dec. 2019).

Natimuk

The little hamlet of Natimuk outside of Arapiles (Dec. 2019).

Natimuk

Natimuk (Dec. 2019).

Horsham

Looking for food and drink in Horsham, VIC (Dec. 2019).

Go to Arapiles Day 2.
Go back to Southeastern Australia Roadtrip.