Go back to Southeastern Australia Roadtrip.
Go back to Grampians Day 2.
Where Angels Fear To Tread.
Like many climbers visiting this national park, we started things off with a trip up the classic Where Angels Fear To Tread route; about 230 meters of climbing (plus another 100 meters of scrambling) and with a 17 rating. Probably the first non-sandbagged rating we’ve seen in about 4 days. This is a route tailor made for those with long arms and large hands (and feet!) as the crack is a wide flare where you have to reach inside to get good jams. If you’re small, you’re shit out of luck – need to reach deeper to get to your jam size while scraping your petite little ankles on the coarsely grained granite. The line is indeed proud looking – a splitter system in a 200+ meter, clean, white granite buttress. Lastly, this is a route where you hike in from the top (longer and bushwhackier than expected) but end up exiting close to your car. Back in Myrtleford in the afternoon and enjoying the awesome pool that our Airbnb offered – highlight of the trip!
Photos
Driving up to Mount Buffalo National Park (Dec. 2019).
Starting the downhill approach to the start of Where Angels Fear To Tread route (Dec. 2019).
Longer and rougher than we had expected given the popularity of the route (Dec. 2019).
Angels Buttress – home to the >200 meter splitter system that is Where Angels Fear To Tread (Dec. 2019).
Short sections of fixed lines on the approach (Dec. 2019).
Views down valley (place is called The Gorge; Dec. 2019).
More approach fun (Dec. 2019).
Looking over towards the North Wall of The Gorge. This is home to Australia’s most famous big wall route called Ozymandias (which in fact goes through the obvious roofs; Dec. 2019).
Shirley searching for the elusive inland taipan (Dec. 2019).
Almost there (Dec. 2019).
Starting up Where Angels Fear To Tread Direct. We’d combine some pitches but did not get too carried away (so that we could take more photos; Dec. 2019).
Nearing the first belay (Dec. 2019).
If you have small hands and feet and shorter arms and legs, you need to dig a bit deeper into the crack to get good jams – meaning you’re also more likely to scrape yourself (Dec. 2019).
Shirley arriving at the second belay (Dec. 2019).
Starting up pitch 3: an short and easy slab traverse to pick up the obvious splitter seen here (Dec. 2019).
Looking back at Shirley from the short slab traverse on pitch 3 (Dec. 2019).
Higher on our pitch 3 (Dec. 2019).
Shirley following the pitch 3 slab traverse (Dec. 2019).
Shirley arriving at the third belay (Dec. 2019).
Lookee at that nice splitter crack (Dec. 2019)!
Starting up pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).
Leading pitch 4 (Dec. 2019).
Shirley arriving at the fourth belay (Dec. 2019).
Views from the fourth belay (Dec. 2019).
Another look at the North Wall and Ozymandais (Dec. 2019).
Leading pitch 5 – bit grovel-y this one (Dec. 2019).
Looking up at the rim (Dec. 2019).
Where some tourists were getting a taste of portaledge life from a guide (Dec. 2019).
Was being eaten alive by the flies – have not seen them this obnoxious before (Dec. 2019).
Shirley topping out on pitch 5 or so. Temperature was pretty balmy at this point (Dec. 2019).
The approach to Where Angels Fear To Tread Direct starts next to the launch ramp for these guys (Dec. 2019).
More views towards the rim (Dec. 2019).
Pitch 6 I think. From here we started looking for the Burston’s Crevasse and the way to the top (Dec. 2019).
Shirley dropping into the “crevasse” (Dec. 2019).
Shirley in Burston’s Crevasse (Dec. 2019).
Scrambling in the “crevasse” (Dec. 2019).
We roped up for a short, exposed section at the tippy top (Dec. 2019).
Packing up at the car (Dec. 2019).
Mount Buffalo Chalet (Dec. 2019).
Welcoming committee back at the cabin in Myrtleford (Dec. 2019).
Soaking away the heat strokes in the bourbon and the pool (Dec. 2019).
Go to Mount Buffalo Days 2 And 3.
Go back to Southeastern Australia Roadtrip.