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Blockbuster Ledge

  • Grade context: AU
  • Photos: 10
  • Ascents: 1,216
  • Aka: Bluff Major East Face

Seasonality

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Description

The face visible above Tiger Wall.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles, Bluffs Area

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).

Approach

Climb Ivan or one of the other routes on Flinders Lane.

Descent notes

25m abseil from the rap station above Missing Link.

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

The arete with minimal pro.

Start: Start L of 'Blockbuster'.

FA: Ed Neve & Chris O'Brien, 1975

The easiest route to the summit of Bluff Major is pure class, providing delicate groove climbing in a grand position.

FA: 1964

Straight up to bulge, step R, up to ledge. Now the small corner up the great headwall (small wires).

Start: Start as for W.

FA: Kieran Loughran & Keith Lockwood, 1993

Up wall trending R, over bulge and into chimney.

Start: Start R of B.

FA: Chris Dewhirst, Chris Baxter & ANdrew Smith, 1966

The major chimney R of 'Blockbuster' and L of 'Quo Vadis'.

Start: Start R of W.

FA: Chris Baxter & Andrew Bowman, 1973

Traverse out R to arete and up it past a crap BR. You can optionally step R for a rest in QV.

Start: Start as for BB.

FA: Mike Stone, Mike Law & Chris Baxter, 1976

Jenny Wren, retro bolted, with direct start up the arete. This is the usual way to do the route these days.

From halfway along the curved crack of QV, go straight up then finish L.

Start: Start as for QV.

FA: Simon Mentz, Stuart Williams & Jared McCulloch, 1990

Some tough moves off the ground past a good cam then a bolt, then follow the fantastic R-curving crack all the way.

Start: Start 4m L of S.

FA: Chris Dewhirst & Chris Baxter, 1968

Up GtAT for a few metres then straight up the line of bolts into the finish of QV.

Start: Start as for GtAT.

FA: Nick White & Andy Pollitt, 1990

Bumped up to 2 stars now that the dangerous start has been fixed. This is a good way to approach the elegant upper sections of 'Scorpion' or 'Kama Sutra', if their overhung trench starts don't appeal.

Start: Start 2m L of S.

  1. 15m (20) Tough thin crack for 5m (FH added w/ permission March 2011) then traverse R across 'Scorpion' to belay as for 'Kama Sutra' (2 rusty carrots).

  2. 15m (19) Finish up the excellent second pitch of 'Kama Sutra', with 2 FHs up high.

FA: Kieran Loughran & Meg Sleeman, 1988

A great adventure that you will savour for many years. There is a length of rope with a maillon on top (10/18) that you can very easily lower off, thus annulling the need for a seconder and ensuring that whoever has just witnessed your efforts has no excuse but to get on the sharp end!

Start: Start on the edge of the yawning void at the far right end of the ledge.

FA: Ian Guild, Mike Stone & John Moore with two points of aid., 1966

Start as for Scorpion. You can also approach by traversing in from the right, from the base of Anxiety Neurosis.

  1. 20m (23) Thrutch and thrash through the offwidth roof right of the Scorpion. chimney-roof. Belay at 2 rusty carrots over the lip.

  2. 15m (19) A great pitch up the corner then the face past 2 FHs (new in 2010, replacing manky original carrots). You might wish to sample this pitch independently of the "delights" of the first pitch, by doing Goodbye To All That.

FA: Chris Baxter, 1968

FFA: Henry Barber, 1975

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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.

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Mon 29 May
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