Eastern Wall

The Details:At first glance this crag looks as good as Mt Rosea but closer inspection reveals a rather less inspiring crag. Most routes follow chimneys and cracks, and while the rock quality is mostly fairly good, there's enough chossy/sandy/biscuity bits to play in your mind. Nevertheless it's really quite an ok crag and well worth a few visits. The views from the top are really beautiful so be sure to do at least one route which gets all the way up.

Eastern Wall viewed from Reed's Lookout (The Balconies)

A more front-on view of Eastern Wall, this time from near the summit of Mt Rosea. Marked routes are Killing Fields on the left, Mao Tse Tung, and Adolf Hitler Memorial Buttress on the right. That's Peking Wall on the far right.

Access: 12min walk. The road doesn't actually need 4WD but rather needs a car with good clearance and an ability to cross creeks - which probably means a 4WD! From Boreang campground drive SW on the Glenelg River Rd for about 2 mins then turn L - I think it's signposted the Moora Moora Track. Go for a km or two then turn L onto the Rosea Track and follow this for about 20mins with the escarpment gradually emerging on your R across the small valley. For Eastern Wall continue until there's a parking area / turning circle off the road on the R where you'll get views identical to the photos below. From here, cross the creek then easily locate a good track (probably maintained more by water erosion than walkers!) which blasts straight up the hill to just near AHMB.

Here's a view of the left (E) end of the wall. The Killing Fields is at far left, while Mao Tse Tung goes up the obvious orange wall.

Killing Fields * 25m 16 (YP) It only gets the inflated grade of 16 from me cause I didn't lead it - on second it felt 15 at most! See page 253 of the SE Gramps guide for a pic. Very easy slab moves on positive holds, with one thin move about 8m before the roof. Shame about the stupid scramble L around the ledge to get off - a rap point would be ideal here. Here's Ben and Cameron on it.

Mao Tse Tung 45m 22M1 (aid) 2 stars?? Hardly! I was pretty disappointed that the description doesn't mention the horrible sandy biscuity rock along the free crux undercling crack. The aid moves above look like a lot of fun to try and free (PS: I have since learned they have been freed by Peter somebody), but I wouldn't recommend the biscuity section to my worst enemy. Here's me entering the free crux section, before I knew better.

This is a shot showing the central part of the crag, with Pagoda (** 15), Samurai (* 12) and Ancient Warrior (** 20) marked. The white dot in the top chimney of Samurai is Ben.

** Pagoda 48m 15 (OS)
Ok, maybe it struggles for the 2nd star, but it is a damn good climb. 1) (** 21m 15) Start just L of the corner marked P, then at 3m step R into the steep thin corner above the "P", which goes to beautiful moves on good pockets. Step L over the "shark's fin" flake, to funky moves up and slightly L through the weakness in the overhang. Belay immediately on ledge. 2) (* 27m 14) Up to bigger ledge then follow the line up into the chimney which steepens and narrows at the top to a lovely airy position for the topout.

Here's Cameron approaching the "shark's fin" flake on a mid-30s day when we got absolutely roasted.

And here's Cameron negotiating the top overhang on P1. Steep eh?

And a shot showing the right end of the crag, Ben still on Samurai, plus Ancient Warriors (** 20) and the Adolf Hitler Memorial Buttress (*** 22) also marked.

And a view of the Adolf Hitler Memorial Buttress from the base of the crag. A good looking route, it blasts up the front.

More Internet Sites on Eastern Wall

© 2003-2004 Will