Frog Buttress
Encyclopedia
Frog Buttress is a cliff on the north-west side of Mount French, in the Moogerah Peaks National Park
near the town of Boonah
in Queensland
, Australia. It became famous when local rock climbers Rick White
and Chris Meadows discovered it in 1968. Since then, 400 routes have been established by climbers including Henry Barber, Kim Carrigan
and Tobin Sorenson
.
The buttress is small by world climbing standards: 400m wide, 50m high in the middle, and 20m at its ends. However, it is formed of rhyolite
columns, with superb climbing up the many cracks, corners and aretes between them. Most of the cracks are smooth sided and parallel, necessitating the use of many spring-loaded camming devices and efficient crack climbing technique.
There are now over 400 documented routes with grades
ranging from 4 to 32 on the Ewbank Scale. The style of climbing is staunchly traditional
using natural protection, with very few sport
routes. There are bolts on faces and arêtes and in most cases climbers need to bring their own brackets. Top-roping is difficult due to the fragile clifftop and is considered somewhat unethical at this largely 'purist' crag. Historically, some climbs were initialled at the bottom for easy route-finding, although this practice is now discouraged.
Climbing is best in winter, as during the summer months it quickly becomes too hot to spend much time on the rock, and midday climbing is not recommended. A good strategy is to get in a morning climb, and then head off to the Dugandan Pub, about 9 kilometres away in Boonah, for food and beer.
There are (showerless) camping facilities above the cliff for $4.85 per night, but one needs to book ahead.
and Chris Meadows in 1968. The first climb done at the cliff was Corner of Eden (21). The name "Frog Buttress" refers to some condom packets they found at the top - at the time "French Letters" was a common euphemism. Local climbers including White, Meadows, Ted Cais, Robert Staszewski, Ian Thomas, Ron Collett and Ian Cameron ascended many routes over the next few years, often with the use of aid. Odin (19) was the testpiece, and Black Light (22) was a great achievement.
When Henry Barber invaded Australia in 1975, he arrived in Brisbane and missed his flight to Sydney. He spent his time making free ascents of many routes, and put up the crag classics Conquistador (21) and Child in Time (22). The locals were inspired by his free climbing talent, and repeated many of his routes in the next few years.
John Allen and Tobin Sorenson visited in the late 1970s, and made some typically bold ascents.
Climbers from Victoria put up many harder routes in the 1980s. Brown Corduroy Trowsers (28) remains the outstanding hard trad route.
Easier routes for the newcomer include:
It is widely considered that the high quality routes lie in the 19 to 23 grade range. Most beginners will find 'easy' routes very hard for the grade, but at the low 20s up, most routes are quite reasonable for the grade.
Moogerah Peaks National Park
Moogerah Peaks is a National Park in the Fassifern Valley of South East Queensland, Australia, located approximately 70 km south west of the state capital Brisbane...
near the town of Boonah
Boonah, Queensland
Boonah is a town in south eastern Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 2,285. The area produces vegetables for the nearby Brisbane Markets notably carrots, potatoes, and cereal crops. Beef, pork and timber are also produced locally.The town is positioned near the...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia. It became famous when local rock climbers Rick White
Rick White (rock climber)
Rick White was an Australian rock climber, best known for discovering and developing the rock climbing destination of Frog Buttress near Boonah in Queensland, Australia....
and Chris Meadows discovered it in 1968. Since then, 400 routes have been established by climbers including Henry Barber, Kim Carrigan
Kim Carrigan
Kim Carrigan was Australia's leading exponent of rockclimbing during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Carrigan put up several hundred new routes on crags around the country, in particular at Mount Arapiles, Victoria, where he was based for several years...
and Tobin Sorenson
Tobin Sorenson
Tobin Sorenson was an American rock climber famed for establishing bold first ascents on Yosemite big walls, in the Alps, Canadian Rockies, and New Zealand.. A California native, Sorenson honed his climbing skills in Tahquitz, Joshua Tree National Park, and Yosemite Valley.Sorenson is considered...
.
The buttress is small by world climbing standards: 400m wide, 50m high in the middle, and 20m at its ends. However, it is formed of rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
columns, with superb climbing up the many cracks, corners and aretes between them. Most of the cracks are smooth sided and parallel, necessitating the use of many spring-loaded camming devices and efficient crack climbing technique.
There are now over 400 documented routes with grades
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
ranging from 4 to 32 on the Ewbank Scale. The style of climbing is staunchly traditional
Traditional climbing
Traditional climbing, or trad climbing, is a style of rock climbing in which a climber or group of climbers places all gear required to protect against falls , and removes it when a passage is complete...
using natural protection, with very few sport
Sport climbing
Sport climbing is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors fixed to the rock, and possibly bolts, for protection,...
routes. There are bolts on faces and arêtes and in most cases climbers need to bring their own brackets. Top-roping is difficult due to the fragile clifftop and is considered somewhat unethical at this largely 'purist' crag. Historically, some climbs were initialled at the bottom for easy route-finding, although this practice is now discouraged.
Climbing is best in winter, as during the summer months it quickly becomes too hot to spend much time on the rock, and midday climbing is not recommended. A good strategy is to get in a morning climb, and then head off to the Dugandan Pub, about 9 kilometres away in Boonah, for food and beer.
There are (showerless) camping facilities above the cliff for $4.85 per night, but one needs to book ahead.
History
The area was first developed by the late Rick WhiteRick White (rock climber)
Rick White was an Australian rock climber, best known for discovering and developing the rock climbing destination of Frog Buttress near Boonah in Queensland, Australia....
and Chris Meadows in 1968. The first climb done at the cliff was Corner of Eden (21). The name "Frog Buttress" refers to some condom packets they found at the top - at the time "French Letters" was a common euphemism. Local climbers including White, Meadows, Ted Cais, Robert Staszewski, Ian Thomas, Ron Collett and Ian Cameron ascended many routes over the next few years, often with the use of aid. Odin (19) was the testpiece, and Black Light (22) was a great achievement.
When Henry Barber invaded Australia in 1975, he arrived in Brisbane and missed his flight to Sydney. He spent his time making free ascents of many routes, and put up the crag classics Conquistador (21) and Child in Time (22). The locals were inspired by his free climbing talent, and repeated many of his routes in the next few years.
John Allen and Tobin Sorenson visited in the late 1970s, and made some typically bold ascents.
Climbers from Victoria put up many harder routes in the 1980s. Brown Corduroy Trowsers (28) remains the outstanding hard trad route.
Routes
A striking aspect of Frog is that there are some climbs done there that are so incredibly hard and bold (read: death-falls) that they will only ever get ascents once in a blue moon if they ever do.Easier routes for the newcomer include:
| Witches Cauldron | 17m | 12 | Nice easy lift-shaft. |
| Electric Mud | 10m | 13 | A relaxing corner. |
| Shit Heap | 10m | 14 | This is the route for jamming practice. |
| Theory | 25m | 14 | A nice and varied longer route. |
| Electronic Flag | 40m | 14 | A long pitch requiring varied technique. |
| Mechanical Prune | 18m | 15 | An open chimney. |
It is widely considered that the high quality routes lie in the 19 to 23 grade range. Most beginners will find 'easy' routes very hard for the grade, but at the low 20s up, most routes are quite reasonable for the grade.