Five outdoor rock climbs for a thrilling weekend trip
While rock-climbing walls have become quite the thing at gyms and adventure parks, nothing beats getting out in nature and tackling an actual cliff face.Now, we know that outdoor rock climbing isn’t something that should be encouraged without proper training, guidance and equipment but for those who have all three, or know someone who has, here are some of Australia’s better rocks on which to scramble up or down. Or both.
Mount Arapiles and Mitre Rock, Natimuk, Victoria
Seasoned rock climbers will need no introduction to Mount Arapiles as it is Victoria’s ‘Mecca’ for the sport. It pops out of the western plains at the northern end of the Grampians near Horsham and has literally thousands of gazetted climbs. Many of those are for the experienced mountaineer: if you’re a beginner, try nearby Mitre Rock (pick up a climbing guide in Natimuk) for something less daunting and its expansive views of farmland and Mitre Lake.
Blue Mountains, NSW
From Sydney’s western suburbs it’s only a short hop over to the Blue Mountains and their eroded sandstone cliffs offer almost endless opportunities for novice and experienced climbers. If you’re in the former category, the Soft Parade at Mt Victoria has been developed especially as a training crag, and the Sunbath at Medlow Bath is also not so daunting and well bolted – making it perfect for beginners.
Booroomba Rocks, ACT
Don’t be fooled by the Australian Capital Territory’s limited scale and Canberra’s largely urban landscape. In the southern part of the ACT, you’ll find the Booroomba Rocks in the Namadgi National Park and these massive granite boulders offer various grades of climbs, depending on your experience and courage. If you’re more into bushwalking than climbing, try the walking trail from the Honeysuckle campground that takes you to the rocks.
Wilpena Pound, South Australia
The Flinders Ranges are a destination in themselves in outback South Australia and deep in the heart of this convoluted and arid area is the Moonarie cliffs, near to Wilpena Pound. You’ll want to have a degree of experience before tackling the routes here, especially as the remote area leaves less scope for rookie errors but if you’re travelling in central Australia and have your climbing gear on board this is one for the bucket list.
The Totem Pole and Candlestick, Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania
Understatement of the century coming up: neither of these slim, rocky shards is the place for a beginner to learn the art of rock climbing. In fact, only the most experienced climbers will want to cross the shark infested waters to scramble up a 60-metre rock that is in danger of falling into the sea at any time. But if you want to drive down to the Tasman Peninsula about an hour out of Hobart and trek 90 minutes to these stunning formations at Cape Hauy, it’s worth it to understand how badly the rock-climbing bug can really bite.
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