Gilham's Crags

The Details:This is actually one of the smallest outcrops in the area, but it earns its popularity from having great rock, a good selection of single pitch climbs at all grades, and being one of the closest bits of rock to the car. Camp either at Strachan's, from where it's a lovely 15km drive round the southern tip of the Victoria Range past heaps of rock including the awesome Chimney Pots, or up at Buandik.

Gilham's Crags as viewed from Harrop Track. Marked features are Schmitt Block, Smoke Wall, Red Rain Wall and Hypokinesic Wall

Access: 12min walk from Waterworks track (if its open), or 25min walk from Harrop Track. If Waterworks Tk is open, drive 1.4km N from Glenelg River Rd, to where a white 'AV' pole is on the left, and a cairn is a further 15m along on the R. Park here, then 12mins of steepening uphill slog. The crag is the first obvious rock on the R, but stay on the track until you're below an impressive overhung glassy wall (Goat Crag), the path round the base starts from here. If Waterworks Tk is closed, turn off Glenelg River Rd into Harrop Track, and follow it N for about 1.5kms to the carpark and a small cairn on the R. The walk is 10mins flat/gentle uphill to the Waterworks Tk, go left (N) for 20m along it to find the next track.

Described L to R, facing the cliff.

Goat Crag

* Hippy Chick 18m 12 (OS)
A pleasant enough intro. Step up the thin wall to the wide groove, then traverse L and up the pleasant steep wall. Your usual Grampians endless gear opportunities.

About 15m R of Hippy Chick is this face:

Jono leads up Slap and Tickle (18) on the left side of Gilham's in very non-photo-approved colours.

Schmitt Block

Just R of the obvious Shady Gully and L of Smoke Wall. Offers great views from the top of the lovely Smoke Wall. * Head Over Heels 22m 16 (OS) The most worn route up the centre of the R wall of Shady Gully. A tricky sustained slab/steep wall, tough for the grade and with pretty fiddly gear which is mostly tiny - but at least there's plenty of it. Worth a star in retrospect but a bit confronting at the time! . . .

Andrew on the easier top bit of Head Over Heels. That wire placement might look odd but it's the best gear on the entire route!

Smoke Wall

Here's a good view of the awesome Smoke Wall, which also shows the position of this crag up on the hillside above the plains which continue for hundreds of kilometres into the distance. This is Simon seconding "A Burnt Out Case" (* 22m 18), belayed by Michael (in shade under the roof). Look at that awesome rock quality!!

* A Burnt Out Case 22m 18 (OS)
Starts towards the L side of the wall. Easily gain pedestal, then a steep jam-corner leads to a pumpy hand traverse and tricky semi-mantle. An easy ramp leads up to the crux corner, tricky glassy stemming to some laybacking past an offwidth slot, and then another pumpy hand traverse and mantle gains the belay ledge. Damn near worth 2 stars this one, really good climbing on both the tricky sections. And fantastic rock quality - you've gotta love climbing on stuff this solid!

A nice photo through the trees of me onsighting A Burnt Out Case. This is the lovely sketchy traverse with a tough move to exit.

Me on the crux of A Burnt Out Case.

* But I Didn't Inhale 20m 23 (PP)
This looks like an overbolted squeeze job...and to a certain extent it is one! Still, it climbs really well. Definitely worth a star. Unfortunately there is too many bolts at the crux and too few down low, with some distinctly scary and fairly hard moves to the first bolt being protected only by wires in a shattered flake. Even if the wires hold you need an alert belayer and the swinging fall would be pretty unpleasant at best. If only the first and second bolts were each a metre lower... Anyway, the moves are just sensational through the crux, which can feel hideously hard or laughably easy depending on whether you get the sequence right. And the rock is just fantastic! It then slabs up to a nice thin finish.

Adam moves past the initial wires into the committing bulge on But I Didn't Inhale.

Adam moves into the crux on But I Didn't Inhale.

Adam mid-crux on But I Didn't Inhale.

** Do You Mind if I Smoke 20m 19 (OS)
Another brilliant route up this awesome wall. Excellent, steep and quite tricky most of the way. Up to the R end of the roof/flake, then awkwardly step up L to gain stance on lip below bulge. The bulge is quite tricky and protected only by a few small wires, and the tough bit is some balancy moves to stand up over it and then move R. Weld a few wires and a good microcam here, then pull the crux, a high step using a crap edge/pocket, but the foothold is fine and in exactly the right spot so it's not too hard to grab the crimp or reach further for a jug. Continue to a good horizontal (#2 cam), a bit bulgy here so not a great rest. Through the bulge is a fantastic sequence, pull off a good R hand to a positive small gaston way out L, great body tension required through your arms to suss some footholds then crank the gaston up to better holds - brilliant! Easy territory leads to the final 5m steep section, again protected by some small wires, nice crimpy moves and a little pumpy to protect.

Here's me post-crux during the onsight of Do You Mind if I Smoke, about to plug a bomber #2 camalot. The arete to the R is Purple Rain (18) - looks fantastic eh?

* Purple Rain 20m 18 (OS)
This takes the really attractive arete just right of Do You Mind if I Smoke (see above photo). It's an ok route, but the start's a bit runout, then above that the gear is all a bit tricky, and then the 18 version deviates R to a flake (out of sight in the photo above). If you're a purist and stay on the arete (like me) then its probably more like 21 and quite goey.

Red Rain Wall

Michael starts the traverse to the crux of Cloud Nine, with the awesome steep wall climbing waiting above. Note the rope on the R is hanging from the chains, so now you know where to find them!

Michael swings through the crux of Cloud Nine

Kent makes the crux of Red Rain look easy

Kent cranks along the pumpy post-crux traverse of Red Rain

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