Geryon North

[Ridge]

Hello - I'm thinking of heading up Geryon North sometime in the next couple of months. The few bits of information I've found about the walk indicate that it is pretty straightforward up until the the final ascent, at which point it becomes pretty scrambly and exposed.

I was wondering if someone who has been there before might give me some idea of just how difficult it is. For example, I've been up Mt Anne before -- would Geryon be more exposed/difficult than this? Fitness is not a problem, but I'm not a big fan of climbing around dizzying drops!

Thanks for any comments!

[Fin]

Hi Ridge, I was up Geryon North in Jan 2006. It is more of a challenge than Mt Anne, but not too much. There are a couple of airy bits with longer potential falls than Anne, but if you're comfortable with a significant drop off on usually only one side, then you'll be fine.

One spot has a sheer enough drop (300 - 400 m) into the Narcissus River valley on the (east) side and about 5-7 metres on the other side. I found garden gloves helpful in maintaining grip when climbing a roundish boulder, the only way forward. The usual 3 contact points on the rock/ground at all time is helpful.

Great views in all directions. My adrenalin was pumping so I didn't stay for long on top, just wanted to be hyper-alert for the descent. The two peak bagging points difference between Anne (6) and Geryon Nth (8) are warranted but I found Federation Peak (10) a month later not as much of a harder and further stretch from Geryon Nth.

All the best.

[Ridge]

Thanks very much for the helpful comments, Fin.
I climbed Mt Anne in 2000 when I was 16 with scarcely an increased pulse rate. However, when I visited the mountain again on a very hot day in 2006 after camping at Pandanni Shelf, I felt so much disquiet at the final ascent that I didn't go up. I'm sure that in the intervening 6 years, the climb had grown in my mind to become more difficult than it really was!

So I suppose I should really go and check out Geryon for myself before I imagine it into something impossible and psyche myself out again, if you know what I mean. Will let you know how I get on.

[tasadam]

Rather than tell you about Geryon, I thought it would be easier to show you. A link to a post I made for you in the gallery section -
viewtopic.php?p=1002#1002

Enjoy!

[Ridge]

Thanks tasadam! Very informative and impressive photos - looks like you had a cracker of a day. Sadly, I reckon I would probably get a bit too freaked out by some of those sections to get to the top. All the same, I will bear it in mind in case I ever review my policy on avoiding situations with a high likelihood of DEATH

[Tazlizzie]

Fantastic photos, thanks tasadam! The 2 of you must be very brave &/or very crazy, but I'm envious. I'm new to bush-walking & this forum but I have the bug. Cheers, Lizzie.

[pkbgr]

Have you considered Geryon South?

[Ridge]

Have you considered Geryon South?

Not really...I had read that Geryon South and the Foresight (little peak between Geryon N and S) were best left to rockclimbers. Is that a fair comment? Just out of interest, has anyone here been up Geryon South or the Foresight?

[pkbgr]

Geryon South was rated as more difficult then North on the older 1979 beak bagging list - 8 points compared to 6. This has now been reversed on the 2000 list - is it because the climb is actually easier? I know the foresight is a true climb and the full traverse of all three peaks a classic and quite difficult climb.

[Fin]

I haven't been up Geryon South yet, but a few others I know went up last year sometime. They camped at Cephissus campsite then 'walked' up gullies to get to the top. They had no ropes and double backed down a couple of 'dead ends' but said it wasn't too difficult. Two of the party (5 total) then went from the top across to the Acropolis, which, as pkbgr says, is more challenging.

It may be worth contacting a climbing club to get some more info as it seems a reasonably popular climb. There were a group of climbers on their way in to Geryon South when I was on my way out last Jan.

Just on the peak bagging numbers, there are a fair few peaks I would mark differently than the guide(s). I guess with 15 for both Geryons, it's a fair indication that they're a good challenge, but my current guide has 5 for south and 8 for north which seems too much difference from what I've heard and walked. It is an arbitrary number after all rather than a technical degree of difficultry. The latest 'Wild' has an article on someone about to get his last point.

[pkbgr]

I see that the Hobart Walking Club is doing a trip to the Labyrinth, including Mt Geryon, on 16-19 November 2007. So there's a good opportunity of going to this great peak (as well as some others) - should you be a member of the HWC.

[tasadam]

What got me looking at Geryon North this morning was a link I found in another topic to this peak bagging list -
http://www.freewebs.com/tasmanianmounta ... tainsB.pdf
It shows Geryon Nth as 5 and Sth as 8, it also shows the altitude of Sth being higher, which I did not believe based on me remembering the view from G North, and Sth definitely looked lower.
A link to my climb of G Nth (photos) - viewtopic.php?p=1002#1002
A link to photos of the summit cairn of G Nth with a southern view - viewtopic.php?f=28&t=1105&p=16242#p16242

[stu]

Some info on Geryon South here:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=696&p=15140&hilit=GERYON+SOUTH#p15140

re. Peak Bagging points - North = 5, South = 8 (from the 'official' HWC Peak Bagging list).

South is definitely a little harder technically, but similar exposure (which isn't that bad really as you are away from the massive & intimidating east face).
There are certainly a couple of spots on South where an unchecked fall would leave you in serious trouble
(think of an exploding hamburger pattie being rolled down a slab of rock ).
I probably thought it a little harder technically then Federation, but obviously much less exposed.
I found North Geryon pretty easy really & probably technically easier / less exposed than Anne.
Hyperion would sit between North & South technically to give another reference point.

Have fun
Stu.

[Amanda]

Hi Ridge

I went up the foresight a couple of Summers ago, it is definitely a climb! I don't think it can be scrambled up without ropes. But the climbing is not too bad - so long as someone was willing to lead up it most people could probably get up it. Lucky there's no points on it!

[Ridge]

Thanks for the continued interest and comments, everyone! This walk has slipped off my radar recently, but maybe I will get there sometime this summer. I'm abroad in a densely-populated country at the moment, and every now and then I catch a smell that reminds me of the Tasmanian bush and makes me look forward to coming home and poking about in the Tasmanian mountains.