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Agamemnon Area

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Description

The area uphill and to the R of Muldoon.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles,The Atridae 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).

Descent notes

There are rap stations above many routes, but if you are trying to get to one from above your best bet is Agamemnon (30m) or walk L to the rap anchors above Muldoon (35m). Or walk off R along the cliff top and down the gully.

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

Start R of Clytemnestra at a little gully heading towards Agamemnon. Take the thin crack on the L arete. Scramble off.

FA: Mike Law & solo, 1982

Start between NPS and CitS at the base of the V-slot the trail goes up. No bridging onto the opposite wall! Bad old FH, and then the crack. You can add to the fun by finishing up Crows in the Snow.

FA: George Fieg & Dave Gray, 1992

Start on the L side of Collision Course Wall, at the top of the V-slot the trail takes, beneath a short L curving flake. Up flake for 12m to cave, then R and blindly through bulge to another cave. Finish up any other route to get off. Poor rock and gear.

FA: Paul Tattersall & Chris Shepherd, 1982

FA: (described finish added by Kim Carrigan & Malcolm Matheson), 1982

Start just right of the U bolts - use the stick clip! Thin face climbing and a dyno, nice! Originally given 26 with fewer bolts and no stick-clip.

FA: Mike Law & Ian Anger, 1983

Direct finish to Gay Olympics through the roof past another FH on the lip, to loweroffs.

FA: Ingvar Lidman, 2006

Start 5m L of Agamemnon. L-facing orange flakes 1m L of shrub, to striking large holes under roof. Move 1m left to breach roof at obvious under clings, then up face past old peg on the right, drift left and up till the arete is reached, then back right up face to rap anchors (30m).

FA: Kevin Lindorff & Geoff Little, 1979

An excellent birthday present from Glenn to Kevin; the best route on Collision Course wall. Climbs the wall between Collision Course and Female Friends. Take off a star if the bees return. Three bolts and some trad gear.

Either climb the pillar immediately right of Collision Course, or climb the start of Collision Course itself (better) to the horizontal ledge at about 10m.

From the right edge of the ‘holes’ recessed there, reach up to clip the first ring bolt. Straight up past this and the second ring bolt above. Continue up until able to reach right to clip the third bolt (on Female Friends). Up to the anchors (double rings) above Collision Course.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Glenn Tempest & Glenn Tempest, Sep 2016

Reachy. An old route that starts as for FF to the 2nd FH then keeps traversing across to CC. Superseded by FF.

FA: Chris Shepherd & Mark Moorhead (variant by Mike Law), 1981

An exciting face climb that is very sustained. Start as for WoI, and move left at the FH. Up past 2nd FH then back R to a 3rd FH then loweroffs (30m).

FA: Mike Law & Mark Moorhead, 1981

If it weren't for the scrappy finish and the intermittent bee problems, this excellent traverse would get 2 stars. Start as for WoI then traverse the funky holes across the entire wall to the arete. Best to belay here due to drag. Finish easily up the front of buttress beside (or on) Clytemnestra Buttress, or move back R to the GG anchor.

FA: Joe Friend, John Chapman & Glenn Tempest, 1976

Possibly the best crack at Arapiles. The diagonal elephant's butt crack is a classic of the genre. Start just left of Agamemnon and finish where that route does. Belaying off the rings is not ideal but there are some excellent features to sling.

FA: Kim Carrigan & Mike Law, 1975

A lovely cool chasm with a thrilling finish - a dramatic bridging sequence that is both run-out and exposed.

  1. 15m (11) Up the blocky corner to big boulder choke.

  2. 25m (11) Up wide chimney using face to the anchor (30m).

FA: Michael Stone & Ian Speedie, 1964

Start as per Agamemnon, finish last 5m up Electra pinnacle staying on the Northern chimney face. Small pro. Descent off the back or Rap down Agamemnon bolts as Electra chain is an awkward downclimb.

FA: unknown

Start up inside the Agamemnon chimney, 1m L of a thin crack on the R (NW) wall. Tough move at BR then up L to short crack.

FA: Chris Shepherd & Stuart Hickson, 1982

Start just R of M. Up the thin crack to PR, with difficulty to good flake, then another hard move up L. Move R to easier climbing.

FA: Kim Carrigan, 1982

Originally 18 - it's still solid at 19! The Pauligks' aid wasn't actually at the crux - theirs was an awesome effort for 1966. The appealing crack on the L side of the beautiful orange front face of the buttress. Follow crack till it finishes then step R and up Careful of the rock up higher.

FA: Roland Pauligk & Ann Pauligk, 1966

FFA: Bryden Allen †, 1973

Not as good as it looks unfortunately, and the bolts are hard to clip. Start a few metres R of E, and 1m L of T.

FA: Hugh Widdowson, 1992

Great sustained climbing with great protection the whole way. Start a few metres right of Electra. Can lower off with 65m rope.

FA: Kevin Lindorff & Glenn Tempest, 1977

Up Telemachus's crack then straight up the arete above to stance. Step L below red patch and straight up the middle of the buttress to the top. Good gear at crux then run-out on easier ground.

FA: Kim Carrigan & Eddy Ozols, 1981

Start around R from T. Rightwards crack to rest, L into hanging groove (BR), orange wall then L arete.

FA: Kim Carrigan & Steve Monks, 1985

The start of Love That Pain, escaping up Necrophiliac. The rock is a bit dodgy at the start and the gear is fiddly but the climbing is OK.

FA: Douglas Hockly, 2014

...is another man's FA! Step across the block from the Necrophiliac anchor. Follow the dodgy rock across then up and over the overhang. Can belay using the Telemachus backup anchor bolt then rap from the Telemachus anchor.

FA: Rhys Boyar & Ben Wright, 27 Jun 2021

Left curving crack with a few nice jams. Lower-offs (25m).

FA: Phillip Stranger, 1967

Start 1m R of Necrophiliac. The thin crack, careful of the loose block.

FA: Dave Gairns & Chris Baxter, 1978

What's in a name?

Right of 'Cruxless Knickers' is a box corner.

FA: Richard Smith & Greg Pritchard, 1998

Start 15m R of Necrophiliac. The crack R of a bush.

FA: S. Madoc & Sam Blainey, 1990

Up RftM then juggy traverse R around arete.

FA: Sam Blainey & S Madoc, 1990

Great song, but the name is wasted on this route.

Walk up the gully R of the Atridae then back over the top to find a gully behind the Atridae. You are looking for the middle of a bulging orange wall on the "lefthand side" (whatever direction that may be!) of the gully, 30m up from a detached pillar.

FA: Andrew White, Sam Blainey & Jacquie Snow, 1991

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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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