Go back to Tasmania.
Go back to Freycinet 2.
Cape Raoul.
For the final climb, we hiked out to Cape Raoul and climbed the Wedding Cake. Two nice crack pitches (Rain Of Terror to Jihad) brought us to the summit where we spent an hour watching frolicking seals below. The ridge of spires jutting out to the deep blue Tasman Sea made for one of the most spectacular places we’ve ever seen.
Seal Colony Video
Click for video.
Photos
Sunrise on the morning drive to Tasman National Park (Jan. 2015).
The start of the hike to Cape Raoul – the ferns were teeming with wallabies (Jan. 2015).
The longish hike through a pretty eucalyptus forest (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul.
The bushwhack (we lost the boot path) final approach to the base of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul – the climbers’ track mostly shadows the base of the cliffs (Jan. 2015).
Rain Of Terror (18) is the first pitch of a two-pitch route that tops out on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Leading Rain Of Terror on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Shirley topping out on Rain Of Terror (Jan. 2015).
Starting up Jihad (18) – this is the second pitch of a route that tops out on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Looking down from the lead of Jihad on the Wedding Cake…the churning sea provides a great atmosphere (Jan. 2015).
Sewing an unsatisfying groove on Jihad – fun climbing with some funky pro at the start (Jan. 2015).
Shirley topping out on Jihad and the summit of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Shirley on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
More views from the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Traversing the top of The Wedding Cake formation at Cape Raoul (Jan. 2015).
A small sailboat off of Cape Raoul (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul.
Beyond the Wedding Cake, we ran into some shitty conditions and went back (Jan. 2015).
Re-climbing a pitch on the far side of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Shirley climbing back up to the top of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul.
A colony of seals at the base of Cape Raoul as seen from the top of The Wedding Cake formation (Jan. 2015).
Shirley admiring the seal colony from the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul – one of the most spectacular places we’ve ever seen. As a bonus, there’s a seal colony below (Jan. 2015).
Shirley on the Wedding Cake with the Pillars of Hercules in the background (Jan. 2015).
Shirley traversing the top of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
The final part of the approach to the climbing requires fixing a line and rapping into a muddy, bushy gully. Here Shirley’s enjoying the fun jug out (Jan. 2015).
Looking back at the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul spires as seen from the overlook. The Wedding Cake is the broad formation near the center (Jan. 2015).
After the climb (Jan. 2015).
Shirley hiking back (Jan. 2015).
The cliffs near the end of Cape Raoul as seen on the hike-in (Jan. 2015).
The beautiful Cape Raoul as seen from the approach hike. The climbing is at the tip of the Cape (Jan. 2015).
A wallaby at Cape Raoul (Jan. 2015).
Cape Raoul trailhead. Tazzie was extremely charming…
…but it was time to go.
Go to Sydney.
Go back to Tasmania.