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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 27, 2008 - 05:11pm PT
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A little something from the land of Dreamtime. The classic survey of the crag from Mountain 78 March/April 1981. Certainly two of the most colorful characters ever in Greg and Kim, pulling down hard at home.
Note the globe trotting Gramicci!
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Double D
climber
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Jul 27, 2008 - 07:52pm PT
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Nice article. Nick, Java and Kim were a blast to hang with and funnier than anything BITD. Interesting that Tobin nailed the 2nd ascent of Denim. He did some amazing stuff.
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Barto
climber
Minneapolis, MN
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Jul 28, 2008 - 10:42am PT
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I loved the writing in the old Arapilles guide: Mike Law advocating for taking the whippers, chronicling the use of seatbelt assemblies as bolt to prevent anyone resting at clips, making it clear that Australia was fascinating and weird.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Jul 28, 2008 - 10:52am PT
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Steve, I really love your historical threads. Every time you post one, I'm surprised by how clearly I remember most every one of them. When I had these issues in my possession, I read and re-read them so many times that the stories and pictures must have gotten permanently logged into my brain. Thanks for jogging my memory, and keeping the keeping the roots alive.
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Rokrover
Trad climber
SB, CA
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Jul 28, 2008 - 11:28am PT
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I remember Arapiles from 1968 when it was a sleepy place being developed by Chris Dewhirst, Chris Baxter the Gledhill twins and others. John Ewbank, a visionary Sydney climber, nabbed the first ascent of a jam crack that had repulsed all Victorians who were not used to this style then. He named it The Rack and graded it 17 on his Ewbank (now Australian) system. That caused some consternation for the locals who were confident on grade 19 face climbs. Ancient history now.
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Jul 28, 2008 - 12:48pm PT
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Hey those first two shots are of my good friend Mark Moorhead. He was quite a cool character too. Tragically killed along with 3 other Australian’s on Makalu. I wish more of you could have known him.
Mike
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 29, 2008 - 11:28am PT
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Bummer Mike! We definitely lost a lot of good people to the Big Game. In memory and image, they will stay forever young. What encouraged you to visit Australia in the first place beyond the great people.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Jul 30, 2008 - 02:10am PT
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Jul 30, 2008 - 02:56am PT
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Mike Law (The Claw) Sydney Sea Cliffs
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 30, 2008 - 10:34am PT
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Postin' up de Law! Nice.
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Jul 30, 2008 - 12:15pm PT
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Steve thanks for posting this up. I’ve actually never seen this article, my Mt mag collection stops at 70.
Hearing about Australia from people like Henry Barber, Kim Carrigan, Tobin Sorenson are who really inspired me. On a previous trip to Britain I met even more folks talking about it. There I met Jeff Lamb of the Lake District (he is in one of those photos above) he eventually immigrated with his elder father to Australia. I ran into him at Arapiles on both of my trips. I’ve written about this before, he died Soloing a few years later at Frog Buttress in Queensland. Super great guy and good climber too.
Here is a shot of Mark Moorhead when we repeated Tobin’s Turinga Wall. oddly it was the first pitch that no one could do. It involved slab like friction moves that the Australians weren’t use to. Just as Tobin told me it went at about 10c. It was a piece of cake for everyone once they saw the beta.
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Glenn Tempest
Social climber
Melbourne, Australia
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Jul 31, 2008 - 03:09am PT
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Thanks heaps Steve. Brought back a bunch of memories. I shot quite a few of those images in the article. Feels like only yesterday - except in B/W. Hey Mike, your Ride Like the Wind (25, 5.12b) on Wind Wall still commands big respect. I think the 20m fall potential off the crux keeps the holds from chalking up....
You may be interested that Simon Mentz and I have just finished the new second edition of the Arapiles Selected Climbs guide. All singing, all dancing, all color 392 pages. The guide will be released in about two weeks. I have a few images of it on my site at Open Spaces (osp.com.au) if you want to check it out. If anyone's interested we are taking discounted pre-orders before it hits the streets.
And just in case you're wondering, Mike. Yep we've included a sequence of images I shot of you making an early repeat of No Exit (25, 5.12a). Headband and all.
As you know Arapiles still sees itself as a bastion of trad, though one of the things I've noticed is how many 'new generation' climbers would like to upgrade (some) of the old classics. They feel the routes are too solid at the grade. Funny how the original grades that were seen as benchmarks at the time (established mainly during the 60s, 70s and 80s) have suddenly become 'too hard'. Hanging around and placing gear on steep routes is meant to be challenging....isn't it?
Glenn
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Glenn Tempest
Social climber
Melbourne, Australia
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Jul 31, 2008 - 03:14am PT
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Oh and by the way. Love the Hummer banner ad on Super Topo. Obviously global warming doesn't effect the United States like it does in our part of the world.....
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Jul 31, 2008 - 10:31am PT
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Now way! Glen Tempest!
How are you doing man? The new guide sounds good. Believe it or not I’m hoping to get back down under sometime soon. Just rounding up a crew for the trip.
Do you ever see Eddie Ozzls? I would love to get some photos of RLTW my camera was stolen just before I left that trip. Thanks loads for sending me that one of you took of NExit years ago.
Oh yeah, they can’t seem to give away Hummer’s and large SUV’s up here anymore no matter how much they advertise.
Cheers,
Mike
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Glenn Tempest
Social climber
Melbourne, Australia
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Jul 31, 2008 - 06:48pm PT
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Hey Mike,
Let me know when you are down this way. You've always got a place to crash here in Melbourne when you need it. Up at Araps the place has hardly changed. In fact in many ways it's better. The landscape is healthier than it was in the early eighties. More trees, less erosion etc. The Pines campground still has that special vibe (just like Camp 4 used to have back in the late 70s!). Our only concession is that there is now a small camping fee. Still, the rock is just as good, the climbs just as classic and the kangaroos still lie about in the grass and watch the climbers play on the rocks. If you want to stay in Natimuk there are plenty of places you could doss. Half the climbing population of Victoria seems to live there these days...
Take care. Glenn
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 2, 2008 - 01:30pm PT
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I'll take one of those guidebooks mate!
Along with any images of the Big Orange that you would care to post up. The full Gramicci sequence perhaps?!?
Or a tale or two of that other Yank ambassador plennipotentiary in flight and foam -----The Verminator!
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Glen, Thanks
I’d like one of those books too so I’ll visit your site.
Dang Steve, see what you drummed up. Sherman does have some good stories from down there. Not sure I could get him to post up, yet…
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Glenn Tempest
Social climber
Melbourne, Australia
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Actually Sherman does feature in the new guide. We have a pic of him playing golf on the course behind the Mount (long white socks, bum-hugger shorts and yellow floral shirt...oh so eighties). We've also got a pic of Timmy O'Neill playing Aussie rules football (sorta like gridiron but much tougher and with no body armor...).
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Hey Glenn,
How bad are the temps and notorious flys really in Dec, Jan & Feb? We'll be there, staying in Melbourne this year. That is the timeframe we have but some have warned us about the heat.
Arne
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Glenn Tempest
Social climber
Melbourne, Australia
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Geez..... Dec can be pretty good. Some days hot, some days warm a few (rare) days cool.....ish. Araps has enough shady spots to make Dec a reasonable place to be. Jan is getting pretty hot though and Feb is like an oven. In fact Feb is the one month everybody escapes to the alps and climbs at Mt Buffalo (or heads south to Tasmania). Feb is our hottest month so yeah, stay away from Araps in Feb. If you can get there in Dec you'll still have a great time. To quote Peter Croft 'Arapiles has the best rock in the Universe'. You won't be disappointed.....unless you do arrive in Feb!
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