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Fang Buttress 🚫

Climbing in this area is closed.

Seasonality

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Description

The large outcrop behind the Plaque and in front of Ali's.

Emergency Location : Mount Arapiles,Fang Buttress Area

Reason for closure: Numerous important cultural heritage sites are evidence of the significance of Dyurrite for Wotjobaluk Peoples and the use of the area for thousands of years.

Access issues inherited from Arapiles

Cultural heritage closures now apply to some parts of Arapiles. This advice continues to evolve and may not be fully reflected in this website; refer to Parks Victoria for details applicable at the time of your visit. https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/documents/management-plans/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park---aboriginal-cultural-heritage-protections---october-2020.pdf

Bird Nesting September-December Raptors usually nest on the following climbs in Spring : Cassandra, Eurydice, Harlequin Cracks, Revelations. Nesting usually finishes mid-December. There may or may not be signs in place at these times. Please keep 50m clear of these climbs if there appears to be nesting activity.

State Park - no dogs. No fires allowed Oct-Apr (inclusive).

Descent notes

Crawl through the hole at the top of the buttress (opposite Ali's) then walk down.

Ethic inherited from Arapiles

Mount Arapiles is first and foremost a trad climbing area. The few sport climbs tend to be in the higher grades where no natural pro is available.

Bolting, particularly retro-bolting, is discouraged and should only be undertaken after extensive consultation with the local climbers, first ascensionists, etc. Inappropriately placed bolts have been chopped.

Do not chip the rock.

Look after the park.

  • Stick to the paths.

  • Don't disturb the wildlife.

  • Routes near peregrine falcon nesting sites are closed in the spring.

  • Minimise the impact of your camping (fuel stoves not fires, take your rubbish with you, etc).

Tags

Some content has been provided under license from: © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU)

Routes

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Grade Route
Closed

Straight up with terrible pro. Toproping recommended.

This looks like it has 2 or 3 bolts now?

Start: In the middle of the grey wall L of O-W.

FA: Chris Shepherd & Mark Moorhead, 1981

Closed

Follow the BRs.

Start: Start just L of O-W.

FA: Martin Grulich, 1986

Closed

A tricky start, then it's easier to the halfway ledge (at which point you still have no pro). Follow the weakness just L of the R arete of the wall.

Start: Start around the back of 'Fang Buttress', just across the gap from Ali's.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, 1975

Closed

This length is surely overstated. Anyway, up the unprotected start of O-W to the ledge. Now go R and up arete to a ledge then do the top overhang.

Start: Start as for O-W.

FA: Keith Egerton, Phil Wilkins & Jane Wilkinson, 1983

Closed

The arete right of Orc-Wood with 2 bolts

FA: Paul Deacon, 2009

Closed

Take the middle of the face between 'Vaunted' and 'Kamikaze', with one bolt.

Start: Start just L of K.

FA: Jim Thomas & Chris Shepherd, 1983

Closed

Worth doing? Yes. Worth a star? hmm...

Start: Start in the middle of the slim S face of 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: Keith Lockwood & Murray Taylor, 1968

Closed

Up the middle of the face between K and DA.

Start: Start just R of K.

FA: Kim Carrigan, 1985

Closed

Trend up R almost to the arete, then up past a piton to an interesting finish.

Start: Start as for TO.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Barry Young & Simon Parsons, 1978

Closed

Climb the arete with one bolt and not much else pro. Deviating into XI briefly at half height to avoid the widow maker loose flake is sensible (but if you're leading this you're probably a bit short on sense).

Start: Start under the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress', between DA and XI.

FA: Mark Moorhead, 1981

Closed

The gear is good from the crack up, but below that...

Start: Start 5m L of Fang, just R of the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: Mike Law & Peter Watson, 1976

Closed

Originally given 24 and one bolt - would have been very bold getting to the bolt. There are two ways to do it, some people find it easier to climb left of the bolts.

Retrobolted by the first ascentionist.

Start: Start as for 'Placements'.

FA: Roland Foster, 1982

Closed

Climb easy corner to ledge, then step right and ascend right-trending crack line/weakness via a series of sidepulls and gastons. Powerfully sustained at the grade and bombproof gear. Finish easily up right arete of the XI face (left of Fang). Alternative opinion: the gear is not bombproof! Small, fiddly gear through crux with decking potential if you can't place it. Good gear exists at the start and in the top diagonal.

A block came off the start of the hard section, not sure if this has changed the route.

Start: Start 1.5m L of F at the corner in the small alcove.

FA: Chris Shepherd, 1980

Closed

A favourite among those who like chest-beating about whether you can hand jam. To the rest of us it's a poxy one move wonder.

Start: Start under the dominant chimney on the L side of the E (main) face of 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: Peter Jackson & Chris Baxter, 1965

Closed

Obvious direct start (2 FHs) into 'Strolling', joining that route at its crux.

Start: 5m R of Fang and 5m L of 'Strolling'.

FA: Gordon Poulteney

Closed

Up SDS then head R past a new FH on the bulge (which nearly retrobolts Strolling) and finish up 'Ergonomics'.

Start: As for SDS.

FFA: Gordon Poultney, 2005

Closed

Up the steep flake, traverse 5m L under the bulge to a bolt, then over the bulge and up. Pro is ok but quite tricky to get in on lead.

Start: Start 8m R of Fang.

FA: Mark Moorhead, 1981

Closed

Original climbed bolt free but now it is possible to clip 2 of the bolts of Ergonomics.

Start as for Strolling then up and right from loose block past the broken remnants of an old PR (there's a good sneaky wire instead or clip bolt). Now pull over the bulge (again try to ignore the bolt) and trend L up the face to join the finish of Strolling.

Protection is adequate even without the bolts.

Be very careful of the massive every-so-slightly-loose block down low - you'll need to pull on it, but do not put gear behind it.

FA: Chris Shepherd

Closed

Recently re-bolted.

Excellent long-overlooked addition that incorporates a direct finish to Strolling RHV. Direct line up the centre right of the buttress that would have been completely uncontroversial had it pre-dated Strolling RHV.

Sustained climbing leads up and slightly left through a bulge to a technical crux. After the 4th bolt, continue straight up on blowable slopey pockets. Do not traverse off R here if you want to bathe in the social recognition of a legitimate ascent.

Start: 3m R of Strolling.

FA: Dave Jones 2005; Dave Jones

Closed

There's 1 or 2 old bolt holes 1 to 2m to the right dating from an unknown attempt on this great nose of rock. Start 4m L of 'Mantis'. It's almost a sport route but you need a few med. cams before the bolts.

FA: Dave Jones, 2005

Closed

Wagalak's chains unfortunately were a retrobolt of this route. But on the upside, if you lower off the chains this is possibly the best wet weather 19 at 'Arapiles'. Start as for 'Mantis' and climb it until 2m below the roof. Now traverse left along the break for 8m to the arête (where you will now find Wagalak's chains). Finish straight up the nice cracked arête. Unless you like ropedrag, use double ropes or split it into two pitches at the chains.

FA: Will Monks & Andrew Duckworth, 2004

Closed

Climbable even in the eponymous weather...one of the driest routes at Araps! Start as for 'Mantis' and climb it for about 6m. Now step L onto the steep orange left wall and up this over the bulge (grade 23 climbing with dicky gear) to the break (the traverse on Mandible). Continue up Mandible or Preying.

FA: Will Monks & Peter Monks, 2009

Closed

Up Mantis to roof, start traverse L as for Mandible, but halfway to arete blast straight up orange wall and through steepest part of juggy top bulge

FA: Will Monks & Andrew Duckworth, 2004

Closed

As for 'Mantis' to the recess under the roof, now take the left end of the overhang and up the corner above, rejoining 'Mantis' near the top. There is a piton somewhere on this.

Start: Start as for 'Mantis'.

FA: Phillip McMillan & Rod Young, 1979

Closed

Up the slightly slabby face into the recess under the roof, then move R where it steepens to find the juggiest part of the overhang. Continue up wall above to ledge on left.

Start: At the pockety rock under the recess 12m R of Fang.

FA: Peter Jackson, Ted Batty & Bob Bull, 1965

Closed

Up to overhang at 4m, go L under it, then up. Has been done direct through the overhang at 21, by Col Reece, Greg Moore, 1979.

Start: Start 4m R of 'Mantis'.

FA: Mike Law & Glenn Tempest, 1976

Closed

Up slots to overhang, step L, then up wall trending R to gain arete. Skip the top overhang by traversing off left.

Start: Start 1m R of DB.

FA: Bill Andrews, Julie Tulloch & Roger Murphy, 1976

Closed

Instead of going L at small roof, step R around it and climb the R side of arete. (Belay on ledge to avoid rope drag.) The arete soon breaks out above the gully between 'Fang Buttress' and 'Bard Buttress'. Continue to summit of 'Fang Buttress'.

Start: Start as for Fear Of Praying.

FA: Cameron Millsom, Simon White, Hillary Little & Patrick Over, 1997

Closed

Traverse left towards arete and then swing back right and up till arete can be reached again.

Start: Start left of 'Pulpy Kidney'

FA: Hoskins, Bride & Wilkins, 1995

Closed

Stick clip bolt then up flake to jugs. At 2nd BR you can go straight up bulges or go L to flake and arete.

Start: Start by walking around the R (north) end of 'Fang Buttress' and going 20m up the gully behind.

FA: Mike Law & Steve Howden, 1982

Closed

Layback a pin-scarred flake with poor pro, then directly up wall above.

Start: Start 5m R of PK.

FA: Chris Dewhirst & John Moore, 1965

Closed

Up crack following big holds to ledge then take headwall.

Start: Start 5 metres up right of Wizard below short crack thingy.

FA: Smith, Pritchard & Hoskins, 1995

Closed

Not much pro.

Start: Start below left arete of Orc-Wood Wall.

FA: Hoskins, Smith & Pritchard, 1995

Closed

The full description provided is "Right of Mantle". Hmmm. Maybe a repeat of Downward Bound? Maybe somewhere else entirely? Who knows.

FA: Richard Smith, 2006

Closed

Not clear whether this is L or R of 'Thibenzol'.

Start: Takes the next pinnacle uphill (R) of Wizard.

FA: Keith & Tim Lockwood, 1995

Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Simon Mentz, Glenn Tempest

Date: 2016

ISBN: 9780987526427

This selected yet in depth guide, in its third edition in 2016, is a must for first timers or regulars to the "Pines". By Simon Mentz and Glenn Tempest. It features 1200 routes over 23 different areas as well as bouldering, history info on flora and fauna, plus heaps more.

Author(s): Gordon Poultney, Simon Carter

Date: 2013

ISBN: 9780987087461

444 of the best routes on the best stone on earth? Yes Please! Who has time for all those other wondering pitches anyway when Gordon Poultney and Simon Carter have picked out the classics and printed it in a pocket size handy guide with string attachment. You'll take it on the multipitches, you'll take it to read in the toilets, you'll take it everywhere!

Author(s): Lindorff, Goding & Hodgson

Date: 2011

ISBN: 9780646529387

Get ready to fully experience the rock climbing scene in Victoria with Sublime Climbs, a comprehensive guidebook authored by Kevin Lindorff, Josef Goding, and Jarrod Hodgson. This full-color, 380-page book covers the best climbing locations in the region, including Mt Arapiles, Mt Buffalo, and the Grampians. It features descriptions of over 700 routes, topographic maps, and breathtaking images. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the sport, Sublime Climbs has everything you need to make the most of your climbing experience in Victoria and experience all of it's classic routes.

Accommodations nearby more Hide

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Fri 2 Jun
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