Peak Head, WA.Moonarie, SA.Sabbatical number three: delayed a year but finally a “go.” Way older and with more of mid-life’s normal baggage but still excited at the prospect of climbing in new places. After about a decade and a half of climbing outside the US, we’ve come to know our preferences pretty well; and so we planned this stretch of time to include the logistically easy Australia and the less easy India, with a bit of Indonesia sightseeing thrown into the mix.
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Old Man Of Torbay.Gibraltar Rock.We had two Australian destinations in mind for this trip: Moonarie in the outback of South Australia and some seaside cliffs in the southwest corner of Western Australia. We had learned about the existence of the former when I stumbled onto a then new guidebook to the area some five years earlier. Like most of Australian climbing venues, Moonarie routes were not long (4-5 pitches max) but the bright orange rock and the remote setting were the draw.
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Outside Chance.Albatross.Simon Carter’s coffee table book on Australian climbing included a few photos from Western Australia; specifically Peak Head and The Old Man of Torbay, a pseudo sea stack. Both of those featured some nice looking rock above a blue ocean – a pretty exotic mix for US climbers.
Flying Buttress.Peak Head.For Moonarie climbing, we relied on the newish (2019) guidebook called Moonarie – A Rock Climber’s Guide by Rob Baker and Joseph Goding. For Albany area climbs, West Australian Rock – A Guide To The Best Rock Climbing In WA (2012) was pretty good. You should supplement that with information from thecrag.com.
