Spring is in full swing and the rock is, now and then, dry so let’s meet up and climb outdoors. This time we should try rarely visited Boya Quarry East Side. There is enough to keep us busy for a few hours with grades from 16 to 23 on sport and some easier trad lines as well.
I’ll be in from 5 to 9pm and happy to set up top ropes if needed. Little refreshment provided for those who RSVP before midday on Wednesday.
What to bring:
Head torch, helmet definitely required (I have a few spare if u need) and long pants and sleeves highly recommended.
Just a reminder the Western Climber is YOUR voice! So please send us anything of interest including news, thoughts, photos, report and concerns at cawa@climberswa.asn.au.
The long awaited Kalbarri trip is just around the corner: Friday, 21st to Monday, 24th September 2018.
Remi on Keith Goes Blank 15***
Sheer sandstone walls carved out by the Murchison River provide trad, sport climbing, bouldering and deep water soloing opportunities. Roughly 6.5 hour drive north of Perth, Kalbarri gorge is well worth the trip. Kalbarri National Park provides opportunities for trad leading in the middle and upper grades and sport climbing at a high level. You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque setting. If you haven’t been before, Kalbarri gorge is truly spectacular and just a great spot to spend a weekend. Winter is prime climbing time in the gorge with excellent friction, pleasant temperatures and no flies.
Though the areas around the Z Bend tend to attract most climbers, there is some moderate trad climbing out at Hawk’s Head. Four Ways is also another great alternative if you want to avoid the crowd, whilst the remote Wonderwall offers some deep water soloing fun and is a pleasant day hike.
We would love to see you all there. We also need to make sure that everyone is clear about what to expect of the area. Kalbarri is not an ideal venue for beginners, unless they are accompanied by a suitably experienced climber. This is because access to routes will usually require lead climbing and the ability to set up top ropes is very limited. The climbing also tends to be moderate to very hard.
Access
From Perth, head north to Geraldton, Northampton and Kalbarri. The road out to the Z Bend is now sealed and accessible by 2WD.
Weather
Check the weather forecast to choose your clothing appropriately: if the forecast announces less than 15 degrees and windy, bring that down jacket as it can be very cold in the gorge. Sunscreen can be life saver as well if you’re planning to climb multi-pitches.
Accommodation
We have unpowered camping sites provisionally booked at Kalbarri Z-bend car park. Please let us know numbers as soon as possible if you plan to attend, thus we can ensure that we have enough space to accommodate everybody.
Registering Your Interest Now
Please register by completing the online form ASAP and by 10:00 am Friday 21st September. We will then send confirmation with further details.
——
Please note that CAWA trips are a benefit for members. Joining online is easy, through the link on the CAWA home page.
If you have any questions, please email both Elinor Fleming (elinorf@climberswa.asn.au) who will be in Kalbarri to coordinate the trip and me (dirkk@climberswa.asn.au) who is helping with the preparation ahead of the long weekend.
Dirk Klicker
CAWA Committee member and VP
——-
Due to legal and liability issues, CAWA does not provide training on trips. All climbers must be independent participants who are completely responsible for themselves. If you are an inexperienced climber, then have a chat to some of the more experienced people you know and see if they are planning to attend.
Just an update for those planning on attending next week – be sure to check-in with me, Anthony, to get your name in the chalkbag, as CAWA will be giving away 2x tickets to the showing of The Dawn Wall !
PS if you don’t know what The Dawn Wall is, you have clearly been on too many climbing expeditions and have been off the grid for some time – you’ll definitely want to see this!)
This CAWA Gym Crash – held at The Hangout 12 White St Bayswater WA 6053.
Starts around 6:00 on 06/09/18- Thursday Night.
Special CAWA member entry cost is $10. Special Note: Delicious Treats supplied!!! And of course giveaways, and a chance to win 2x tickets to The Dawn Wall
Prizes for: Best Foreign Climbing t-shirt & Oldest Chalkbag (because now you need a new one!)
All the regular facilities will be available, so this is a good opportunity to pick up another training session for the week, or just hangout for a with a great bunch of people.
Date: Thur 06/09/18 Time: From 6:00 Location: The Hangout, 12 White St Bayswater WA 6053 BYO: Climbing shoes, chalk, harness, and rope if you want to lead climb
Here is a mid season reminder of our responsibilities in Kalbarri.
We have had feedback from the Rangers and they have been getting many last minute registrations. They like us to register a week in advance. Please stick to this rule where possible. I know it is not always possible but I think it is practical to get the registraions in by 5pm Wednesdays as the weather reports are usually locked down by this stage.
1- Remember that no toilet waste is allowed within 500m of the Promenade / Rock wallaby site. Therefore, it’s best to use the toilet facilities at the Z Bend carpark before hiking down the gorge.
No toilet waste area around The Promenade site.
No toilet waste area around The Promenade site.
2- Since the rediscovery of the rare Black Footed Rock Wallabies in 2015, camping is not permitted in the gorge within 1.5Km of the Z Bend Lookout – this includes the area around the Promenade climbing site.
3- However, there is a camping area near the Z Bend car park that is set aside for school groups, but the privilege is also extended to climbers. We are, however, on thin ice here so please register by completing the multi-day registration form and emailing it to either Mike Paxman mike.paxman@dpaw.wa.gov.au (Senior Ranger) or Lisa Gould lisa.gould@dpaw.wa.gov.au.
4- Climbers new to Kalbarri may phone the Kalbarri National Park Office to get directions to the alternate camping area (it is not sign posted).
Map of Alternative campsite adjacent to the Z-bend carpark
Map of the alternative campsite adjacent to the Z Bend carpark
5- Immediately close the gate behind you when driving in and out of the alternative camping area near the Z Bend carpark. The campsite is 200 metres past the gate. Please stay away from the vegetation regrowth and rehab area (short bushes and trees held up by sticks within the campsite) and do NOT pitch a tent there.
6- The campsite has no water and all rubbish must be taken out of the park. The toilets are situated in the Z Bend carpark area.
7- Due to the elevated risk of bushfire in the sandplain areas no open fires is allowed in the alternative camping area (gas cookers only).
8- Last but not least, remember to limit the use of excess chalk (especially on overhanging walls) and systematically brush it before you leave the site – the same goes for boulderers venturing on virgin rocks! Also, try not to use any chalk in high traffic areas such as the river trail / Aviary / Tourist wall.
A Park Entry fee of $12 per car and a camping fee of $8 per night per person apply.
The Park Entry can be paid for by credit card on the all-hours machine available at the main entrance of the park (just off Ajana-Kalbarri road). However, the camping fees must be paid for by cash stuffed in an envelope and inserted into the box next to the above mentioned machine.
For those of us who suffer the Tumblagooda Fever and need their regular fix of sandstone, you can wave the car entry fee by opting for the DPAW Annual All Parks Pass (Standard: $92): https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/know/park-passes
Following are the phone numbers for the Kalbarri National Park Office and the Rangers Mike and Russell. Please direct all general enquiries to the Kalbarri National Park Office. The Rangers numbers are there FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY.
Business Hours:
Kalbarri National Park Office: 08 9937 1140 – 08 993 7114 (fax)
It’s time to grab your winter woollies and pack up your car for a trip to the Wheatbelt to Eaglestone Rock. A 3.5 hour drive from Perth will take you to bulletproof granite with good face climbing and edge. With over 30 bolted, trad and mixed routes there is something for everyone. Abseil stations are positioned on top of the major boulders. There are a number of fantastic routes including **Wishbone (17), **Capachow (19), * Pink Rings (18) ** and Ithica (22). So be sure to check out your Perth Rock Climbing Guide for route and access information.
Camping at Eaglestone is super easy, with the campground only a stone’s throw away from the crag. There is the luxury of a drop toilet, so no need to pack a shovel. However, there are no other facilitates or water so you will need to be completely self-sufficient. A guide of what to bring:
Cooking & camping gear, including plenty of water
Firewood – there isn’t any to be collected from the ground, so we ask each car to bring firewood (it will be very cold at night, a camp fire will make the weekend infinitely warmer!)
Toilet paper
Warm clothing for night
You don’t need a 4WD but there is a short section of dirt road, followed by a section of good sand track easily accessible by 2WD. Last year, we had a mix of people arriving on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
To register for the trip, please email me kateb@climberswa.asn.au and I will send through a registration form. For those who have not been to Eaglestone before, let me know when you register, and I can provide some more descriptive notes of how to find the crag – can be a little tricky at night!
The self-rescue course will be held on 22nd and 23rd of September 2018. There are still places left. So if your interested please me contact me ASAP.
In collaboration with Adventure Out, CAWA is pleased to offer an instructional two-day course designed to develop the technical skills, experience and confidence needed to safely perform self-rescue.
The course will be held at Mountain Quarry on Saturday, 22nd September and Sunday, 23rd September.
This course is ideal is a refresher or for those trying to increase their confidence climbing outdoors so they can take on those bigger bucketlist adventures.
Mountain Quarry offers a range of climbing challenges and serves as the ideal environment for learning self-rescue skills.
The instructors will provide participants with constant feedback and ensure appropriate safety standards are maintained throughout the course.
The course is set at an intermediate level, so you should be a confident top rope climber with experience in establishing belay systems utilising natural or artificial anchors and in belaying climbers.
Price: $270 per person*
*All prices include GST. Additionally, CAWA will subsidize $50 per member for a net price of $220 per person.
Adventure Out will provide
experienced instructor(s)
all necessary rock climbing equipment (feel free to bring any personal gear you may have)
We invite you to attend the CAWA Annual General Meeting.
Date: Thursday, 12th July 2018.
Venue: 246 Vincent Street, Leederville.
Time: Arrive 6:00 pm for 6.30 pm start.
The climbing is Tasmania is absolutely epic and our Guest Speaker this year will Gerry Narkowicz from Tasmania.
“Gerry Narkowicz has been active on the Tasmanian climbing scene since 1980. He has been on the first ascent of about 800 routes particularly in Northern Tasmania at areas such as Ben Lomond, the North and South Esk Rivers, Hillwood, and the Fingal Valley. Along with Robert McMahon, he is the co-author of Climb Northern Tasmania, North Esk, Memory Of A Journey and the guide to the South Esk.”
The agenda will include:
Confirmation of the Minutes for the last preceding Annual General Meeting
Annual reports: president and treasurer
Election of new management committee
Appoint a person to audit the accounts of the association
Guest Speaker – Gerry Narkowicz
Photo competition
The Perth Rock Climbing Guide ($20), Climb Tasmania ($40, limited copies) and CAWA T-shirts ($20) will be available. Please bring exact change.
IMPORTANT: If you are not able to attend, please email the completed proxy form to us at cawa@climberswa.asn.au as soon as possible after receiving this letter. Without quorum, we can’t conduct AGM business. Proxies must be received no later than 6:00 pm Thursday, 12th July 2018.
Each member can only hold five proxies, please ensure that the person you nominate is definitely coming to the meeting.
The long awaited Kalbarri trip is just around the corner: Friday 1st to Monday 4th June 2018.
Remi on Keith Goes Blank 15***
Sheer sandstone walls carved out by the Murchison River provide trad, sport climbing, bouldering and deep water soloing opportunities. Roughly 6.5 hour drive north of Perth, Kalbarri gorge is well worth the trip. Kalbarri National Park provides opportunities for trad leading in the middle and upper grades and sport climbing at a high level. You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque setting. If you haven’t been before, Kalbarri gorge is truly spectacular and just a great spot to spend a weekend. Winter is prime climbing time in the gorge with excellent friction, pleasant temperatures and no flies.
Though the areas around the Z Bend tend to attract most climbers, there is some moderate trad climbing out at Hawk’s Head. Four Ways is also another great alternative if you want to avoid the crowd, whilst the remote Wonderwall offers some deep water soloing fun and is a pleasant day hike.
We would love to see you all there. We also need to make sure that everyone is clear about what to expect of the area. Kalbarri is not an ideal venue for beginners, unless they are accompanied by a suitably experienced climber. This is because access to routes will usually require lead climbing and the ability to set up top ropes is very limited. The climbing also tends to be moderate to very hard.
Guides
The main guides to the area are Northern Rock and West Australian Rock. These will give you a good idea of the climbing on offer. More routes have been posted on the forum since the above publications, here are some of them:
Access
From Perth, head north to Geraldton, Northampton and Kalbarri. The road out to the Z Bend is now sealed and accessible by 2WD.
Weather
Check the weather forecast to choose your clothing appropriately: if the forecast announces less than 15 degrees and windy, bring that down jacket as it can be very cold in the gorge. Sunscreen can be life saver as well if you’re planning to climb multi-pitches.
Accommodation
We have unpowered camping sites provisionally booked nearby Kalbarri Township. A deposit is required to secure the camping so please let us know numbers as soon as possible if you plan to attend, thus we can ensure that we have enough space to accommodate everybody.
Registering Your Interest Now
Please register by completing the online form ASAP and by noon Friday 25th May. We will then send confirmation with further details.
——
Please note that CAWA trips are a benefit for members. Joining online is easy, through the link on the CAWA home page.
If you have any questions, please email both Gareth (garethw@climberswa.asn.au) who will be in Kalbarri to coordinate the trip and Remi (remiv@climberswa.asn.au) who is helping with the preparation ahead of the long weekend.
Remi Vignals & Gareth Wood
CAWA Committee member
——-
Due to legal and liability issues, CAWA does not provide training on trips. All climbers must be independent participants who are completely responsible for themselves. If you are an inexperienced climber, then have a chat to some of the more experienced people you know and see if they are planning to attend.
With winter, comes Kalbarri season! Here is a reminder of our responsibilities up there.
1- Remember that no toilet waste is allowed within 500m of the Promenade / Rock wallaby site. Therefore, it’s best to use the toilet facilities at the Z Bend carpark before hiking down the gorge.
No toilet waste area around The Promenade site.
2- Since the rediscovery of the rare Black Footed Rock Wallabies in 2015, camping is not permitted in the gorge within 1.5Km of the Z Bend Lookout – this includes the area around the Promenade climbing site.
3- However, there is a camping area near the Z Bend car park that is set aside for school groups, but the privilege is also extended to climbers. We are, however, on thin ice here so please register by completing the multi-day registration form and emailing it to either Mike Paxman mike.paxman@dpaw.wa.gov.au (Senior Ranger) or Lisa Gould lisa.gould@dpaw.wa.gov.au.
4- Climbers new to Kalbarri may phone the ranger to get directions to the alternate camping area (it is not sign posted).
Map of the alternative campsite adjacent to the Z Bend carpark
5- Immediately close the gate behind you when driving in and out of the alternative camping area near the Z Bend carpark. The campsite is 200 metres pass the gate. Please stay away from the vegetation regrowth and rehab area (short bushes and trees held up by sticks within the campsite) and do NOT pitch a tent there.
6- The campsite has no water and all rubbish must be taken out of the park. The toilets are situated in the Z Bend carpark area.
7- Due to the elevated risk of bushfire in the sandplain areas no open fires is allowed in the alternative camping area (gas cookers only).
8- Last but not least, remember to limit the use of excess chalk (especially on overhanging walls) and systematically brush it before you leave the site – the same goes for boulderers venturing on virgin rocks! Also, try not to use any chalk in high traffic areas such as the river trail / Aviary / Tourist wall.
A Park Entry fee of $12 per car and a camping fee of $8 per night per person apply.
The Park Entry can be paid for by credit card on the all-hours machine available at the main entrance of the park (just off Ajana-Kalbarri road). However, the camping fees must be paid for by cash stuffed in an envelope and inserted into the box next to the abovementioned machine.
For those of us who suffer the Tumblagooda Fever and need their regular fix of sandstone, you can wave the car entry fee by opting for the DPAW Annual All Parks Pass (Standard: $92): https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/know/park-passes
Following are the phone numbers for the Kalbarri National Park Office and the Rangers Mike and Russell. Please direct all general enquiries to the Kalbarri National Park Office. The Rangers numbers are there FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY.
Business Hours:
Kalbarri National Park Office: 08 9937 1140 – 08 993 7114 (fax)
