Kangaroo Corner

The Details: A nice enough little crag, though in one big day here you could just about tick everything decent. There are two big downers in my opinion: (1) the use of painted initials to mark climbs (I mean surely we got over that about 15 years ago???); and (2) a mediocre bolting effort. Anyway, get out there and enjoy a day in the sun close to the car.

Access: 5min walk. 10min drive from Mt Vic. From Mt Victoria, drive out the Darling Causeway towards Bell. After several kms you'll pass the Hartley Vale Rd turn off. Continue along the Darling Causeway for another 1.3km, to a small turn-off to the L (it has about 10m of bitumen, and is the first of 2 turn offs about 100m apart down in the bottom of a large 'dip'). Follow this car track for 100m to a small dogleg (L then R) under some powerlines, and continue another 100m to a T intersection at which you turn L & go uphill for 50m to a large cleared area (with a clump of 7 eucalypts on the R as you pop out into the clearing). As you enter the clearing turn R & follow the track for about 800m (further than you expect!), until some obvious parking options appear just as the road hits a steepish downhill bit. Unless it's wet one car can go down the steep bit 80m to the bottom, there's only 1 parking spot down there. A 2WD should have no problem getting back up in the dry.
From the end of the road, walk downhill on a fairly obvious cairned track for about 300m which deposits you on a large rock platform. From here, the buttress about 40m straight ahead is the top of Ivory Tower (50m drop), the walkdown is in the gully around to the R (N), while the easily visible Black Slab and the 2 sets of rap chains are about 100m round to the L (S). Best descent is to rap, there's one set of chains above the Black Slab (look for the little 4m headwall, the chains are on the N end of that, and are quite dangerous to access due to the little scramble down and around the ledge). The better chains to use are in the shallow broad gully between the access track and the Black Slab (ie about 80m L from the rock platform you arrive on). Take a rap rope or two to leave in place.

Described L to R, facing the cliff.

** Ivory Tower 54m 14 (OS)
An excellent climb the whole way, but not one for bumblies due to the two tough offwidth moves. Follows nice cracks up the front of the wide-ish buttress. Probably best to combine P1&2, there's no drag. 1) (* 22m 14) Easily gain ledge at 8m, BB, then a tough move to get into hanging offwidth - step L off the ledge, double gastons at full stretch, and crank. Lovely 12m crack to a ledge/cave and DBB. 2) (* 18m 12) A nice step R up a wall into another lovely crack with great moves for 15m to DBB on a fantastic belay ledge. 3) (* 14m 14) Short but full value!! Thrutch 6m up the slightly overhung offwidth corner (BB!) to the roof. A slightly overhung hand traverse on flat holds leads L for 6m past 2 BB, to topout almost straight away. Sling trees and cam placement well back.

Black Slab

Here's a copy of the topo which apparently can be found at the base of the wall hanging off a tree!!

** Delusions of Grandeur / Black Magic link up 55m 19 (OS)
I originally thought I'd done DoG the whole way, but the above topo has showed I actually did this link up. It was a fantastic outing, which would easily get a third star if it had another bolt to avoid the shenanigans at 15m on P1. Would make a great single 55m pitch if you've got a 60m rope. 1) (** 30m 19) Brilliant moves up a v.thin slab/wall for 8m trending R past 2 bolts (after the second, DoG heads back left), and past a poor cam to gain the Black Velvet 3ft wide traverse ledge with BB. The direct line off the ledge is missing a bolt (surely this would go!), so unless you like ankle-breaking falls you have to trend L up the "ramp" on BV, clip the DBB, traverse delicately 5m back R into the line of BM, clip a BB, traverse back L and unclip the DBB, then traverse back R to BM!! Originally I thought this was idiotic bolting but now I just realise it's a link up that they didn't envisage! Anyway, after all the traversing you're into Black Magic and there's about 8m of brilliant sustained slab climbing, no jugs, no positive crimps, just a smattering of half knuckle slopers (or less) past some more bolts to DBB at a ledge. Great stuff. 2) (* 25m 18) More lovely delicate slab moves for 12m straight up off the belay past 2 BB, before easing off to the top.

** Black Velvet 50m 12 (OS)
A classic at the grade! Starts from the R side of the Black Slab. Up short wall then delicately step L onto 3ft ledge. Wander L then up slightly tricky ramp to DBB. Blast 25m straight up the magnificent wall/slab above, totally brilliant climbing, to an easy 10m finish.

Araluen Peach 45m 18 (OS)
Starts 15m R of the Black Slab, below the obvious square arete up high. Up corner/chimney for 6m, then a steep step R around arete to BB. It's poorly positioned so backclean the corner to avoid drag. About 25m of nondescript climbing, initially on licheny slopers then on fragile holds, leads past sporadic bolts (eg 2 within 1m, then none for 12m!). The last 8m is pleasant enough, a vertical section beside the arete on nice-ish orange rock, then the last few metres punches through a 1m bulge, nice airy positions 40m off the deck.

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