A Day Climbing and Seeing Bunjil

Today we climbed with Mick and Sallee at Flat Rock. We went to an area known as Bellerophon Wall as the request was that the climbing should not involve a big walk before we started. This suited perfectly as the wall is no more than 10 minutes from the car park for the Flat Rock Picnic Area.

Mick started with Magic Mushroom and I led the climb next to that called Fungal Fantasies. The climbs were ok but be warned - protection for anchors at the top is a long way back from the finish! After Sallee and Sylvia had a run up each of these climbs (and Mick came up Fungal Fantasies) we moved into the corner to tackle Bellerophon with Mick on lead, and Matthew Flinders on top rope.

The description for Matthew Flinders was that it is not well protected and this is quite correct. Doing it on top rope there are some gear placements lower down but near the top there is none to be found. However, the climbing is pretty easy after where you could place last piece but that wouldn't make leading it any less scary.

After playing on top rope I checked out Pegleg, a nice looking crack that had options for feet and hands on either side. This climb is worthy of its two stars and was rated as the best climb of the day by all of us. I would highly recommend this climb to anyone climbing at that grade (16) as a lead or tope rope.

After dropping Mick and Sallee off at Mt Zero Cabins, and helping them procrastinate before they packed up for an early start to Adelaide the next day, Sylvia and I went home via Bunjil's Cave in the Black Range Scenic Reserve (Parks Victoria Brochure). (This is just outside of Stawell and is not to be confused with the Black Range State Park west of the Grampians.)

This part of the Black Range Scenic Reserve is set aside to protect an Aboriginal Rock Art site depicting Bunjil, the powerful creator god of south eastern Australia Aborigines (Kooris).

Bunjil is a principal legendary hero, the creator who provides for all and remains as a protector of the natural world, his people and their beliefs. Bunjil created the land and the water, the plants and the animals, the laws and religion of the Koori people. Bunjil remains the protector of the natural world, his people and their beliefs. When Bunjil finished his creation work he transformed into an eagle, flying high into the sky, where he still lives today.

Bunjil's Cave

Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Geotagging

A walk in the area around the cave takes you to the top of a small hill with great views across the Grampians - from beyond Mt William to Briggs Bluff. While walking you are moving between large egg-shaped rocks which appear to be made of different rock to anything else you will find around the Grampians region.

We did some road "adventuring" on the way home taking in some unsealed roads to find our way back to Halls Gap. This meant we got home well past "beer o'clock" and had quite a late dinner.