Australian_Geographic_Outdoor_2016_07_08_

44 | AG Outdoor

D

RIVING ACROSS THE flat patchwork of pad-

docks that is the Wimmera in Victoria’s west,

an anomaly appears just past the small township

of Natimuk. Rising from the surrounding wheat

fields are what appear to be the ruined walls of a crumbling

fortress, its ramparts crusted with moss and topped with

a telecom tower.

Closer inspection reveals the walls are far from crumbling,

but are formed from walls of perfect sandstone, sometimes

Rock climbing:

Mt Arapiles

rich-orange in colour, other times shades of beautiful marled

grey. And amidst the labyrinth of buttresses, pinnacles and

gullies roam climbers, who spend their days here sallying

forth from the famous climbers’ campground of the Pines

to climb some of Arapiles’ 3000-plus routes.

Arapiles or ‘the Mount’, as it is known to locals – is

revered amongst climbers the world over. Every season they

make their way here to pay homage to its exceptional routes

and spend time dirtbagging (living cheaply) in the dust of

the Pines. They come to climb some of the world’s most

famous routes. Probably the most famous is Punks in the

Gym, a wall of sheer, almost holdless orange sandstone that

was first climbed by the legendary German climber Wolfgang

Gullich in 1986. Back then it was the world’s hardest climb,

and the first to be given the mythical grade of 32 (the higher

the number the harder the climb). Not far behind in the fame

stakes, and more achievable for most climbers, is Kachoong

(21), a supremely photogenic route that climbs through a 3m

roof. Climbers love to hang from the lip of the roof, dangling

above a sea of paddocks, and have their photo taken.

While these routes are iconic, what really makes Arapiles

unique amongst the world’s climbing destinations is the

quality of its easy routes. At most areas the easier climbs tend

to be low-angled, on poor rock and technically uninteresting.

However, at Arapiles the rock has formed such that even the

easier routes are on exceptional rock and have interesting,

gymnastic climbing on beautifully formed holds. Some these

easy climbs are incredibly famous: the long, gentle ramble

of Tiptoe Ridge (3), which is often soloed at night under a

full moon; Agamemnon (8), a chimney-climb that involves

pushing with your hands and feet on two opposing walls;

and the Bard (12), a wild and exposed romp up the front of a

massive, 120m-high buttress overlooking the Pines that has

been terrifying beginners since it was first climbed in the 60s.

Arapiles is a bastion of traditional climbing, a style where

climbers place protection (in case they fall) in the rock’s natu-

ral features cracks are fitted with little chocks or expanding

devices. Because Arapiles has so many wonderful easy routes

that can be naturally projected, it is one of the world’s pre-

mier places to learn how to trad climb. Indeed, generations

of Oz and NZ’s best climbers learnt their craft at Arapiles

before going on to climb all around the globe. – Ross Taylor

FACT FILE

For all things Victoria see http://www.visitvictoria.com

You need a camping permit in some national

parks. See http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

For a fishing licence see agriculture.vic.gov.au/

fisheries/recreational-fishing/fishing-licence

DESTINATION |VICTORIA

All year

http://www.chockstone.org/

arapiles/arapiles.htm

Mt Arapiles