Amnesty Amphitheatre

Grades: 17-30

The Details: Impressively steep, you don't realise quite how much until you lower off about 6m out from the base. Often with a bit of seepage here and there, and the odd patch of less-than perfect rock. Still, the routes all look pretty damn good.

Access: 10min walk. Drive to the Hollow Mountain carpark at the far northern end of the Grampians, next to Mt Zero. 3.5hrs from Melbourne, 30mins from Horsham, 10mins from Stapylton campground. The most sure fire way to find it is to follow the signposted trail to Hollow Mountain,until it deposits you at the base of the incredible overhanging Sandinista Wall (the tourist trail scrambles up L of it). Head R along the base, past Moral Vandal Block, for another 50-80m, and down into a cool shady area with the steep wall looming over it. Once you know your way around it's quicker to break R off the tourist trail about 150m before Sandinista Wall and traverse around the hillside below Gunn Buttress then up to Amnesty Wall.

This is a shot of Amnesty Wall from the top of Gunn Buttress. Crank Start Amphitheatre is the obvious upper tier 'bowl' of rock. Tyrant's Grasp (22) takes the nose immediately L of the obvious large groove which drains Crank Start Amphitheatre, while Amnesty International (solid 24) takes the obvious black streak in the centre of shot.

Same angle of Amnesty Wall showing the cliff further R, with Amnesia Pinnacle obvious just left of centre, with Amnesia Left Variant taking the sharply defined front arete. No Fixed Address takes the faint open grey corner 6-8m R of Amnesia Pinnacle. The top of the Layback and Think of England (20) offwidth crack is quite obvious at bottom right.

Levitation Wall

This is the wall on your left as you start to walk down into the Amnesty Amphitheatre. It is at right angles to the main cliff (facing the opposite direction as Moral Vandal Block), and contains these two routes, both in the same vein as Moral Vandal but quite a bit better. In fact you're climbing the outer face of a 4m wide sliver of rock separated at the back by a wonderful narrow chasm which serves as an incredibly convenient descent. * Levitation 14m 21 (flash) The start is initialled. Boulder the thin start (good RP possible where small seam falls left) to gain the obvious slot (#3Fr), a few more reasonably tricky moves trending slightly L (wires), then easing significantly to finish. Great gear for anchor. ** Airplay 16m 21 (L) The start is initialled. Another bouldery start, but significantly more sustained climbing and no great rests make this noticeable harder than Levitation. With heaps of gear available, the trap is trying to place it all! Anyway, it's a fantastic intricate little route with oodles of pro, which certainly spanked me with one of the bigger pumps I've had lately. So despite getting through all the thin cruxy stuff down low, I came off the buckets up high! No convenient gear for the anchor, so cross the chasm and place gear on the far side. . . . .

Ross demonstrates Levitation

Amnesty Wall

Better than I was expecting, I must say. The initial moves up the intermittent poddy crack would probably take some working out if you don't have beta (like I did), because there's quite a lot of sucker holds (tip: tape up the middle pad of your R hand middle finger). Then you break out left and the rest of the route is on what looks like fairly shattered rock, but it's all well held together and climbs really well - very cool consistent steep sport climbing. . . . Dan skips straight from 22 to 24 with this good send of Sting Like a Bee

Kent shows how its done on the end of the crux sequence of Sting Like a Bee, with Amnesty Wall stretching beyond Dan on the redpoint crux of Sting Like a Bee

** Hope of the States 22m 23 (L)
This was always going to be a classic sport route, it was just a question of who was going to get around to bolting it! Kent took the honours of adding what is sure to become an absolute trade route. There's another variant which would possibly have a little more independent climbing, starting up Sting Like a Bee...anyone?? Anyway, this one starts up the first 2 or 3 bolts of Tyrant's Grasp, then a reachy traverse 2m L to blast up the sustained prow above. Technically no harder than Tyrant's Grasp but it hasn't got the huge rests and huge buckets, so it's twice as pumpy!! I totally approve of the increased spacing of the bolts up higher - just what every steep sport route should have!

** The Tyrant's Grasp 25m 22 (OS) Stick clip first RB, and belay from the ground rather than the slopy elevated ledge. The hardest move is probably to the 2nd RB, then just fight the pump. Take a picnic rug for the rest in the big scoop halfway up, then more elegant but still very pumpy moves lead L up the slight prow. The DRB are placed poorly, suggesting that you should clip off the smallest holds of the entire route!! Instead, step R past them to better holds and up a move to a good jug, clipping the DRB at armpit height. Jill high up and going strong on Tyrant's Grasp

Me on the crux during the onsight of Tyrant's Grasp

Steve gets into the business of The Good Fight (25) which heads up just left of the obvious black streak of Amnesty International (24)

Amnesia Pinnacle 10m R of Amnesty is a major pinnacle which almost stands as tall as the main cliff. You will notice lots of bolts up the front of it. Amnesia 20m 19 (OS) Gets 21 but is more like a grunty one move wonder 19 IMO. Take the front arete of the pinnacle, starting amongst the boulders. First section is a nice enough 17ish warm up, with a tricky start that is quite secure once you work it out, and has too many bolts. The anchor here lets you escape if thats all you're after, but otherwise just continue in a single pitch to the top, first stepping right under the roof, a grunt move over the roof (R hand on the arete, humph your R foot onto the lip), then easy enough up the R arete. * Amnesia L Variant 5m 21 (OS) Adds 5m of slightly better climbing, but again, with only one hard move it isn't 23. Do the humph move on the original, then step L to the L arete and an easy clip. Huge holds on the R of the arete, then reach L around arete to some small sharp crimps. Sort your feet and either pull through or just pop your L hand again to the obvious break. . . . . . . . Dan at the horrible crux of Amnesia

Orange Blossom Wall

Being accessible from the boulders below Amnesia Pinnacle this route naturally fits in the 'Amnesty Amphitheatre'. * No Fixed Address 35m 21 (flash) From the base of Amnesia, boulder hop 10m R and some exposed moves up R to belay on small ledge. Short flake (wire, #1Fr), then an undercling move leads to the obvious large letterbox slot on the orange wall (big cam). Work the big jugs to get high feet then a long reach straight up to some small holds (optional gear on L needs extending), before one reachy move R into base of crack/corner. A rest here should be well used to slot plenty of bomber gear (med cam plus small wires), as there's no gear to protect the next few metres of nice thin climbing up the corner. Bomber gear and bigger holds soon reappear, then continue for about 15m to the top (deviating L is easy enough if the bees nest is active). . . . . . . .

Ross below the business on No Fixed Address - he later plummeted off the top of the corner to within 3 m of the ledge!

Crank Start Amphitheatre

A view of Crank Start Amphitheatre, from just near the DRB rap station above Amnesty International.

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