Dreamworld

The Details: These are the obvious boulders 40m from the road, on your R as you approach the Horn. Access: Park at the lowest end of the Horn carpark. Wander back down the road for 100m. The path, sometimes marked by a cairn, drops down the embankment and goes between the two biggest boulders. There's a little scrambling for the last 20m but it's still only a 3min access! Buffalo Soldier 18m 16 (RP) Dangerous lead. The moves are nice but the pro, while plentiful, is marginal at best. Also there are several brittle holds which might come off (one did for me!). Starts on the R side of the main face, 2m L of the arete, at a thin flake. Goey up the flake (med cam or wire), then pleasant moves on sharp holds past small wire to two threads (take thin tape). Step L, then up and back R into the thin corner at the top of the face, step L to avoid mantling on the loose top block. Rap chains. Ben doddles up Buffalo Soldier. That arete to his R is 22, looks a bit bold with only 2 bolts and marginal gear between them. This is the angle you get of the wall when walking down the road from the carpark. Spaceman Spiff 18m 18 (YP) Starts 3m L of BS then veers R to join it for the finish. This would also be a dangerous lead, but again is a very nice series of moves. ** This is Not our Land 18m 20 (OS) "19. Harder if you're short". Classic, but a solid 20, even if you're not short! Follows the attractive dyke/flake up the L end of the main face, 3m L of Ben in the shot above. (It's also visible in the R of the shot of Injustice to the R). 3 bolts, 1 wire, and basically no rests! In spots the dyke gives huge jugs, but then fuses to give bloody insecure laybacks off tiny things, or big reaches. The brilliant final move is the crux, 2m above a bolt!! ** Injustice 18m 22 (OS) Well actually a flash rather than an onsight cause I preplaced a sling for the top section. Felt more like 21 to me. Up the arete at the L end of the wall with numerous massive jugs separated by tricky litle moves. . One of Eddy's great composite shots of me at 3 stages of my flash of Injustice. Also note the beautiful dyke/flake just to the R - This Is Not Our Land goes up the L side of it. . Beware the Strathbogie 15m 12 (OS) A bizarre feature with remnants of the dyke stuck on both sides of the chimney! If you pushed the boulder back together they'd all fit back into place!! Worth doing for the feature, if not the moves. Difficult unprotected stemming to a committing step onto the juggy slab (not recommended for a leader at the grade), then pisseasy slabby jughauling on the dyke protrusions to the top (slinging the jugs for pro!). Descent is an issue - there's no decent anchor, and the boulder is only about 30cm wide on top! I suggest the leader haul in slack then rap down the back of the boulder off your belayer's body weight (don't lower off, it'll trash your rope). Then toprope your second up it and repeat the process. This'll save both of you being on top at the same time and having to coordinate a very cramped and dangerous simultaneous opposed rap. This shot shows Geoff on the easy slabby juggy wall, just after the committing stemming start. . Dreamworld North East Boulder About 60m NE of the main Dreamworld boulder, on the last significant boulder of the outcrop is this slab which faces NE away from the main area, back towards The Hump. Descent is by rapping off double rings on each boulder. AntAgony is recorded as "Unnamed 2" at the bottom of p135 in the 1996 guide, however we have taken the liberty of renaming it! AntAgony 12m 13 (OS) If it wasn't for the grass and the masses of ants, this would be a nice little route. It's the crack on the left side of the slab. Pro is good but takes some work. Two Old Plonkers 12m 18 (OS) A nice well protected route up the faint central scoop, which nearly earns a star. 4m R of the crack is a bolted line with a few carrots and a RB. The hard bits are at the start and the finish. Incessant Natter 12m 19 (OS) The moves are ok but this route is ruined by being a poorly bolted squeeze job, with the 'fix' not being obvious due to its close proximity to TOP! Start 2m R of TOP as for Medusa. Insecure spooky clip of 2nd carrot, then a ridiculous reach L to clip a bolt on TOP, then join TOP a little higher. Kevin on Medusa (21), with AntAgony the crack on the L * Peace is Quiet 15m 20 The next boulder back towards the main Dreamworld area can be accessed going either way around the NE Boulder. In the gap between the boulders is a corner with a hideously manky start. Avoid the mank and start on the ledge at 4m. Great sustained laybacking up the corner, with heaps of gear that is admittedly not particularly easy to place. DRB. Joe fires the first ascent of Peace is Quiet first shot - great effort! © 1999-2005 Will