Trip Report
Bouldering in Bicheno, Tasmania

by dfinnecy
Wednesday January 4, 2012 7:26pm
This Christmas we booked in for 2 weeks of in-law revelry with the wife's extended family in Tasmania. I've long since given up any hope of climbing on family trips and climbing trips just aren't on the menu for the next decade. So imagine my pleasure when I did a bit of research and found Bicheno, Tasmania has a stash of pleasant sea-side bouldering, some of which can been seen from the front porch of our rental!

Bicheno bouldering

Here are a few pics from yesterday on Diamond Island.
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A corner of the Diamond island is visible from the house.
A corner of the Diamond island is visible from the house.
Credit: dfinnecy
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Diamond Island is easily accessible at mid to low tide by a 150mtr wad...
Diamond Island is easily accessible at mid to low tide by a 150mtr wade across the sandbar between the beach and the island. This pic is looking back toward the beach.
Credit: dfinnecy
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And now a break from our sponsor. Cascade Export Stout. Black soupy c...
And now a break from our sponsor. Cascade Export Stout. Black soupy courage to get you through the holidays. Conveniently delivered in an attractive brown bottle.
Credit: dfinnecy
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These aren't in the guide, I poked around here for a bit and got up a ...
These aren't in the guide, I poked around here for a bit and got up a few decent problems. The rock quality isn't the best but the location is great.
Credit: dfinnecy
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The cheering section. This local could tell I am a hardman so he was ...
The cheering section. This local could tell I am a hardman so he was intimidated and not much for conversation, I didn't get any beta on other areas or problems around town.
Credit: dfinnecy
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Nice easy corners, cracks and featured faces with flat landings. Casc...
Nice easy corners, cracks and featured faces with flat landings. Cascade Export Stout provided for scale. The V0 stands for Vict Ory.
Credit: dfinnecy
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This big fella is called Moby Dick. Cascade Export Stout included for...
This big fella is called Moby Dick. Cascade Export Stout included for scale (Look carefully, it's like a Where's Wally game). There are 5 or 6 reasonably tall problems up this face which probably range from V0 to around V3or4 and maybe higher.
Credit: dfinnecy
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Cascade Export Stout for scale. Didn't get to sample the beautiful pr...
Cascade Export Stout for scale. Didn't get to sample the beautiful problems on the Diamond Boulder because nap time was almost over so I had to run. It has established problems from V0 to V3 and certainly room for harder.
Credit: dfinnecy
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A good afternoon session!

Over the new year I sailed up to Bicheno from Hobart, look at this choss pile,

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Cape Raoul
Cape Raoul
Credit: dfinnecy
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And here is an uncommon vantage point on a much photographed climb,

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Anyone for a swim?
Anyone for a swim?
Credit: dfinnecy
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  Trip Report Views: 2,944
dfinnecy 		About the Author
dfinnecy is a social climber from 'stralia.

Comments
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Jan 4, 2012 - 08:34pm PT
Bump for chossy boulders on pristine beaches! Hey, is Tasmania rife
with poisonous serpents too or is that just the 'big island'?

ps Nice pics!
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Jan 4, 2012 - 08:29pm PT
hey there say, dfinnecy.... great interesting and nice share...

some pics are downloading now (showing up), very nice... some are not yet, so no more comments... but i sure enjoy the differnet scenery...
i wondered about the climbing here, before...

thanks again...
:)
Studly

Trad climber
WA
  Jan 4, 2012 - 08:34pm PT
Beautiful!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 4, 2012 - 08:38pm PT
Sweet. Good find!
dfinnecy

Social climber
'stralia
Author's Reply  Jan 4, 2012 - 08:56pm PT
Hey Reilly, I've been wondering that here myself. I don't think Tas has as many, but it isn't snake-free like New Zealand.
Also I should have noted, only the unnamed boulders I said are not in the guide had suspect rock quality, on the others the rock quality varied from good to great.

For anyone considering a climbing trip to Australia, Tasmania should definitely 100% be on the itinery. Bicheno is by no means a destination of any sort for climbing, but the Tasman Peninsula, Freycinet Peninsula, Ben Lomond, and Federation Peak among others are worthy destinations. Here is one more shot from the boat. This is Cape Pillar

Edit: Here is what thesarvo.com says about Cape Pillar:
The Tasman Peninsular on Tasmania's east coast finishes in a spectacular sweep of vertical cliffs, the highest sea cliffs in Australia. The rock is Jurassic dolerite, the remains of a drowned escarpment, with kilometres of unclimbed columns, stacks, chasms and great walls rising abruptly from the deep ocean waters. Cape Pillar itself is quite extraordinary and descriptions such as "awesome coastal scenery, once seen, never forgotten", "one of the world's most fearful sea cliffs", "the scariest cliff in the known universe", "no equal anywhere in the southern hemisphere"...are all absolutely true.
klk

Trad climber
cali
  Jan 4, 2012 - 09:11pm PT
awesome.

that last boulder looks cool. and especially in that setting.
Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  Jan 5, 2012 - 01:59am PT


Nice. Moby Dick is one cool looking formation.

Any surf there?
dfinnecy

Social climber
'stralia
Author's Reply  Jan 5, 2012 - 03:07am PT
I'm not a surfer but over the last week we have seen loads in the water from the deck. Just near cape raoul there is an apparently good thick big wave break. I think there is a lot more, but bring a thick wettie,its cold water down here, about 16. No swimming for me
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Republic, WA
  Jan 5, 2012 - 03:39am PT
Stout Wally was hard to find but I finally spied it. Really nice pic of Cape Pillar.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Jan 5, 2012 - 11:09am PT
Thanks!
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