Will's Rock Climbing Page > Crags > Mt Buffalo > Catani Crag
Last updated: Dec '04

Catani Crag

The Word: Convenience is all its got.
Sun/shade: Generally shaded by trees, but faces NE so tends to be fairly sunny.
Wet weather options: No.
Style & Length of Climbs: 15-20m. Some routes have bolts but bring a rack.
Grades: 14-24

The Details: The rocks poking out of the trees above the lake, opposite the campground.

Access: From the campsite, follow the signposted track for Chalwell Galleries to the end of the grassy plain, then plunge right up into the trees and follow the fairly well established track up to the nice low angled slab with two obvious thin flake lines.

* Keep Yourself Nice 35m 14 (OS)
Not given a star by the guide, but is easily worth it. The L flake line. The flake is trickier and more sustained than its low angle would infer! Some good small wires provide good pro, then easy slab to ledge. Step up to the bush, and the lovely line through the headwall. Good cams protect the lovely crack, which becomes increasingly wide and increasingly flaring, but is great fun! Trusting your footjams avoids any yucky offwidth stuff, then belay off tree. A very enjoyable route.

Nice view eh? The beautiful Lake Catani as seen from the Monolith, with the campground under the trees at the left end of the lake, Catani Crag poking out from the trees (above the left end of the lake), and Chalwell Galleries on the skyline further left.
Lake Catani

Fractured Fairytales 12m 15 (OS)
This is the "star attraction" of Catani Crag - but it's not 20m and not a one star route! Hard to find from the guide too. Sramble up R from KYN until almost at the end of the crag (about 50-60m), then scramble back up L onto the boulders, and over to the slab. A tricky step off the block onto the slab (BB), then nice enough to step L to 2nd BB. Undercling around nose then up creaky flakes. Back 10m to tree belay.

Catani Crag as viewed from the Western shores of Lake Catani, with both described routes indicated.
Catani Crag

© 1999-2004 Will

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