Cape Raoul

Ben Lomond

Go back to Tasmania.
Go back to Freycinet 2.

Cape Raoul
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

Cape Raoul
Click for video.

Photos

Cape Raoul
Sunrise on the morning drive to Tasman National Park (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
The start of the hike to Cape Raoul – the ferns were teeming with wallabies (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
The longish hike through a pretty eucalyptus forest (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul.

Cape Raoul
The bushwhack (we lost the boot path) final approach to the base of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul – the climbers’ track mostly shadows the base of the cliffs (Jan. 2015).

Rain Of Terror
Rain Of Terror (18) is the first pitch of a two-pitch route that tops out on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Rain Of Terror
Leading Rain Of Terror on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Rain Of Terror
Shirley topping out on Rain Of Terror (Jan. 2015).

Jihad
Starting up Jihad (18) – this is the second pitch of a route that tops out on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Jihad
Looking down from the lead of Jihad on the Wedding Cake…the churning sea provides a great atmosphere (Jan. 2015).

Jihad
Sewing an unsatisfying groove on Jihad – fun climbing with some funky pro at the start (Jan. 2015).

Jihad
Shirley topping out on Jihad and the summit of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Shirley on the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
More views from the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Traversing the top of The Wedding Cake formation at Cape Raoul (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
A small sailboat off of Cape Raoul (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul.

Cape Raoul
Beyond the Wedding Cake, we ran into some shitty conditions and went back (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Re-climbing a pitch on the far side of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Shirley climbing back up to the top of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul.

Cape Raoul
A colony of seals at the base of Cape Raoul as seen from the top of The Wedding Cake formation (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Shirley admiring the seal colony from the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul – one of the most spectacular places we’ve ever seen. As a bonus, there’s a seal colony below (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Shirley on the Wedding Cake with the Pillars of Hercules in the background (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Shirley traversing the top of the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
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).

Cape Raoul
Looking back at the Wedding Cake (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul spires as seen from the overlook. The Wedding Cake is the broad formation near the center (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
After the climb (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Shirley hiking back (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
The cliffs near the end of Cape Raoul as seen on the hike-in (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
The beautiful Cape Raoul as seen from the approach hike. The climbing is at the tip of the Cape (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
A wallaby at Cape Raoul (Jan. 2015).

Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul trailhead. Tazzie was extremely charming…

Tasmania
…but it was time to go.

Go to Sydney.
Go back to Tasmania.