Self described as the Grampians’ most prolific and handsome boulderer and almost certainly the strongest man on Earth, Simon ‘Arnie’ Weill, will be running a tour of The Bleachers on the Sunday of the Festival weekend, an area he almost single-handedly developed. Take in the beauty and majesty of the man and his boulders, who put up such classics as Red Mist (V12), the Quickening (V9) and Korean Jesus (V5). Simon can give you the best (foot free) beta, plus, best of all, show you around a the more than a few new gems he’s added to the Bleachers in his attempts to make the Grampians Bouldering guidebook as out of date as possible.
Arnie on one of his brilliant Bleachers blocs, Red Mist (V12).
What’s your favourite first ascent at The Bleachers?
Probably The Siberian Candidate, it took me longer to do than Red Mist and was a real battle.
What’s the best easy problem at The Bleachers?
Art of Elsewhere (V4) or Anonymous Arete (V5).
What’s the scariest?
Definitely White Shadow (V8/26), it's high and sketchy and was a real throw back to the grit days.
What do you think will be the best thing that people will get out of The Arnold’s tour of the Bleachers?
Getting to spend a day with me should be enough, right?!? And being allowed to spot me for a day... Probably an understanding of how much fun doing new problems can be, as well as how much effort it takes to keep putting time into new problems time and again. People will also be blown away by how much rock there is at The Bleachers, so many more problems than when the guide first came out.
Tell us your top five FAs?
Red Mist (V12), The Bleachers
The Bakelite Concept (V11), Venus Baths
The Proud Highway (V5), The Tower
White Shadow (V8/26), The Bleachers
The Siberian Candidate (V11), The Bleachers