LOCAL LORE
Jeremy Shepherd snaps a stunning sunset featuring Joey Curry on W.A classic Karma (24), Castle Rock, Western Australia. JEREMY SHEPERD
WORDS KRISH SEEWRAJ LEAD IMAGE BY JEREMY SHEPHERD, ARTICLE IMAGES BY KRISH SEEWRAJ AND SONJA MOHNEN
WEST COAST BEST COAST EXPLORING WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S SOUTHWEST COASTLINE In the southwest of Western Australia lies Busselton—a small coastal city known to local climbers as a gateway to a multitude of crags. All are relatively small, but aesthetically appealing and within an hour’s drive of the town. Mostly spread out along the rugged coast, each crag offers a different setting, atmosphere, rock type and a day or more of climbing. Visiting climbers often flock to the main cliffs of Wilyabrup, made famous by the iconic Steel Wall with its steep, finely featured face. Bob’s Hollow will give you a hearty helping of overhanging, strenuous limestone sport routes on epic flakes, pockets, stalactite and column features –it’s easy to see why it became a popular local alternative to Thailand during COVID. These locations can be crowded, especially on long weekends like Easter. But the hidden gems, in locations that you may often have all to yourself, are the focus of this article. Even though you may avoid the crowds at these crags, you are likely to bump into one or two of the local crew—the vast majority of whom are friendly, helpful and happy to have a chat and offer an opportunity to climb with them.
32 AUTUMN 2023
