That's right my mainland manky lovers... TASMANIA! A trip to the ancient antipodean island to escape the heat of summer and to exlpore the famed dolemite rock and dance it all out at MONA FOMA.
The trip will mainly focus on a 5 to 7-day climbing trip at Ben Lomond. Ben Lomond is Australia’s premier crack climbing venue that is about 45 minutes drive from Launceston in an alpine setting. This purely Trad climbing area has hundreds of metres of perfect parallel cracks on dolerite columns giving marathon jamming routes.... if that doesn't make you lick your lips in anticipation and your heart leap in joy, there are also some excellent face routes.
All in all I'm looking to spend 10-12 days climbing in TAS.
There are plenty of other crags around Launceston to explore. For example, Hillwood is just 25 minutes from Launceston and is the largest sport climbing area in Tasmania. Here there are 145 bolted routes on basalt rock across a wide range of grades from 15 to 28. There is a great variety of climbing at Hillwood from roofs, steep face climbing, slabs, with slopers, razor sharp crimps, large blocks and side pulls.
So there will be something for everyone.
THEN, at the end of the trip, when you think everything is over, I'm intending to stay another 3 days to partake in the MONA FOMA festival (18-20 January) to dance out all of the climbing fatigue and good times.
This trip will mainly be trad climbing, however depending on the level of experience people coming, I'ld be happy to take 1 or 2 relative beginners.
Dates:
Not yet settled, we could potentially go from 3 Jan - 20 Jan, or leav a little later 5th or 7th of Jan. Depends on trip participants.
Logistics:
We will either take a car on the ferry across the ditch ourselves, or hire a car while in Tas so that we can get around to all the crags and be self sufficient. With enough people both of these options can be pretty cheap (~$50 pp), esepcially if we can snag an IMOOVA relocation car from Melbourne to Hobart, in which case we can get heavily subsidised ferry tickets.
Cost:
For about 2 weeks, I'm thinking:
- Travel to TAS from mainland (fly/ferry) - $99-$150 each way
- Accomodation - we will be camping, so free
- Food - $50-$100 pp
- Fuel and car will be variable based on whether we take one on the Ferry or hire a car but call it ~$200 pp
- Tickets to 3-day MONA FOMA - $89
This will be an EPIC and enjoyable trip, and heaps of fun. Très recommended.
Plan: people are arriving on the 3rd of January and departing sometime from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th. Climbing will be predominately at Ben Lomond, although may also include other crags. Campsite may also change, depending where we go.