Help

Morfydd Wall

Seasonality

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Description

The long grey wall running along Major Mitchell Gully.

Emergency Location : Mount Arapiles, Morfydd Wall Area

Access issues inherited from Arapiles

Cultural heritage closures now apply to some parts of Arapiles. This advice continues to evolve and may not be fully reflected in this website; refer to Parks Victoria for details applicable at the time of your visit. https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/documents/management-plans/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park---aboriginal-cultural-heritage-protections---october-2020.pdf

Bird Nesting September-December Raptors usually nest on the following climbs in Spring : Cassandra, Eurydice, Harlequin Cracks, Revelations. Nesting usually finishes mid-December. There may or may not be signs in place at these times. Please keep 50m clear of these climbs if there appears to be nesting activity.

State Park - no dogs. No fires allowed Oct-Apr (inclusive).

Descent notes

Rap anchors above Feral Chicken, Morfydd and a couple of others. Or scramble down Ali's.

Ethic inherited from Arapiles

Mount Arapiles is first and foremost a trad climbing area. The few sport climbs tend to be in the higher grades where no natural pro is available.

Bolting, particularly retro-bolting, is discouraged and should only be undertaken after extensive consultation with the local climbers, first ascensionists, etc. Inappropriately placed bolts have been chopped.

Do not chip the rock.

Look after the park.

  • Stick to the paths.

  • Don't disturb the wildlife.

  • Routes near peregrine falcon nesting sites are closed in the spring.

  • Minimise the impact of your camping (fuel stoves not fires, take your rubbish with you, etc).

Tags

Some content has been provided under license from: © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU) © Cameron Roy (CC BY-SA 3.0 AU)

Routes

Add route(s) Add topo Reorder Bulk edit Convert grades
Grade Route

Start up high in Major Mitchell Gully, above the massive boulder, and opposite Brontosaurus (described under Dunes Buttress). May in fact be right up at the top of the gully on a small block when the gully is very narrow and further up than Brontosaurus (on opposite wall, but not directly opposite.) From the bottom left of the small wall, step up R then up the left hand line.

FA: Paul Hoskins & Greg Pritchard, 1993

Start 1.5 metres right of Rocky. Up out to the RH arete, take this to the buckets, then go L and up seam to a block.

FA: Paul Hoskins & Greg Pritchard, 1993

A sloping corner crack then jam through the overhang at the top. Start above Trench Warfare, under a little wall which faces Dunes Buttress and is on the same level as the start of Thunder Crack (which is described under the Bluff Major section). Easiest access is to rap in after getting to the top either by scrambling up the wall opposite Missing Link or by walking in from the Bluff lookout car park.

FA: Rod Young & Jeremy Boreham, 1977

Plenty of angst here. Start 10m up L from Trench Warfare.

FA: Gordon Poultney, Donna Bridge & David Jones + 1, 1993

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to thrutch leftwards up the long diagonal, starting with a tricky traverse in from the L, and finishing rather strenuously. Start towards the uphill end of the wall, although quite a way down from the massive boulder which blocks the gully.

FA: Kevin Lindorff & Tony Marian, 1980

The subtle weakness in frictional rock 20m up left from Deeply Techo. Lots of gear if you can hang out to place it; small wires are very handy. Start 20m up L from DT. Now has a rap anchor.

FA: Kevin Lindorff & Keith Egerton, 1977

Some nice rock and climbing in the shade and close to camp. The ledge below the crux slab makes it advisable to break into two pitches. Start as for Firedance.

  1. 23m 16 Up a couple of metres until able to move right onto the obvious traverse line which rapidly eases (make sure to protect the second ). After 10 or 12 metres of traversing right, move up right of a bushy crack and up grey wall (FH, tiny cams) to ledge below black slab.

  2. 10m 19 Off block up centre of black slab. Travel light, 2 FH and a wire or two. 30m abseil.

FA: Kieran Loughran & Steve Greig, 19 Feb 2018

Climb boldly to first bolt then traverse left to second bolt. Employ some inventive footwork to reach the alcove, a good rest and a nest of gear. Take a breath then move left and motor up on slopers to the top. Start as for Feral Chicken.

FA: Mike Law, 1981

Climb warily to first ring bolt on good holds (or stick clip if you're from NSW or like your ankles). Move right a move and up to (often seeping) pocket. Continue upwards via bomber gear to a horizontal. Move up past perfect wire slot, then head left into corner past large scar and some tricky moves on slopes to finish. Start 3m L of L.

FA: Mike Law & Chris Baxter, 1980

An unlikely sequence of good moves. After the original crux, continue straight up the wall to the anchors.

FA: Glenn Tempest, 7 Mar 2017

Fridge hugging. Start 2m R of FC.

FA: Gordon Poultney & Chris Shepherd + 3, 1994

Start under the chimney in the centre of the wall. Thrash up the steep flaring chimney, finishing right.

FA: Phillip Stranger & Chris Dewhirst, 1967

Good linkup of the start of Philanthropist into the finish of Slap Happy that avoids the desperately hard start of Slap Happy. Gear is pumpy to place on top wall.

3m up Lennox, then head diagonally R to ledge, 2m further R, then up flake. Take lots of cams. Start as for L.

FA: Kieran Loughran & Chris Baxter, 1984

As for Slap Happy (crux) to the ledge, then follow the bolts. Better than it looks and manages to stay out of Slap the Philanthropist. Start as for SH.

FA: Chris Shepherd & Gordon Poultney, 1994

Short crack, bulge past bolt and gain the ledge near the R end of The Philanthropist's diagonal. Continue straight up the thin crack above the ledge. Start 2m R of L.

FA: Chris Shepherd & Rod Young, 1980

Up the slab L of Kincaid to a desperate slap for a jug. Finish L of Kincaid if you can be bothered (contrived). Just toproped off the chains.

FA: Douglas Hockly, 2010

Start a metre right of the rock step and follow initial couple of bolts through crux sequence to ledge, step left on ledge and up through proud rock. Small wires and small cams.

FA: Hywel Rowlands & Glenn Tempest, Feb 2019

A more obvious direct version of Mr Happy. After the first two bolts of Mr Happy head straight up the wall via horizontal with small to medium cams to join the end of Kinkaid.

FFA: adam demmert, 22 Mar 2019

A sweet slab. Has lower-offs.

FA: Mike Law & Chris Baxter, 1980

The L arete of the chimney, with a small yellow groove. Start just L of G.

FA: Dave Gairns & Chris Baxter, 1985

Start on the L wall, then the R. Bridge airily to an awkward and runout finish L around the roof. Start on the next buttress uphill from Morfydd, at a chimney with a square roof.

FA: Chris Baxter & Dorothy McManus, 1968

Direct finish to No Place For Foxes. A little light on gear.

FA: Gareth Llewellin & Ben Carter, 8 Jan 2015

This bit of rock is getting more crowded than High Dive Gully. It would be surprising if any of the climbing is new.

Start up Kincaid then cross to steep juggy crack on the right wall. From the big ledge (belay possible) climb past the No Standing chains then centrally up headwall.

FA: Keith Lockwood & Norm Booth, 24 Jan 2017

Start below tiny steep corner in arete R of G. Pull up the buckety arete, up to ledge and up groove. Start just R of G.

FA: Paul Daniels & Maureen Gallagher, 1984

From the ledge on NPFF, head up intermittant flakes leading onto the right wall and up to anchor on NS.

FA: Wendy Eden & Douglas Hockly, 8 Dec 2015

Good climbing some dodgy gear.

Very good climbing. Choose either crack to start (both tough), then follow the thin diagonal line with good gear up to and past an old piton (pin can be backed up with modern small cams and isn't really needed any more). Start in the middle of the buttress L of Morfydd.

FA: Kim Carrigan & Chris Peisker, 1979

Short groove with piton to join NS. Where NS goes L, step R and up seam. Start 2m R of NS.

FA: Paul Hoskins & Kim Carrigan, 1985

The line delineating the L side of the Morfydd pillar is freshly cleaned. Desperate start protected by a 1 RP leads to sustained, thought provoking crack climbing. Traverse off to NS anchors.

FA: Phillip Stranger, Chris Dewhirst & Keith Lockwood, 1967

Just right of Stillborn, head up past pockets to intermittent crack. Written up as finishing L into the scrappy finish of Stillborn, or step R to finish up Morfyne (much better).

Note: The added bolts have been removed as there is good gear now with modern gear, (especially near the pin which should not be trusted by it's self), but can you hang on to place it. The high bolt on Morfyne should also be backed up.

FA: Glenn Tempest & Carole Bradley, 1980

Close to Morfydd at times, but still a very appealing wall. Start 3m L of Morfydd.

Note: the top bolt should be backed up; easy to do in the horizontal just below.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Glenn Tempest, Louise Shepherd & Eddy Ozols, 1979

Not given many stars until recently, this is now widely considered one of the finest 19s at Arapiles. It used to be 20 so don't expect a soft touch. Start under the prominent line up the south face of the pinnacle. Rap anchor at the top.

FA: John Moore & Chris Dewhirst, 1968

This is really Visual Laxative VS, joining VL immediately after the first bolt and retroing the crux.

FFA: Enga Lokey, 8 Aug 2016

Accidentally retroed but probably benefits from it as it might now actually get climbed. Start 5m R of Morfydd. Shallow groove to ledge then L and up concave face (crux) to second ledge. Weave R then L through juggy overhang then R up seam to finish L of arete. Some loose feeling rock.

FA: Kim Carrigan & Natalie Green, 1979

As for Visual Laxative to the first ledge, then dodge the crux by going straight up the flake to the second ledge.

FA: Oz & Douglas Hockly, 2015

The retrobolt eliminated serious fall potential, making this route a must for confident leaders at the grade ... but don't expect to be sewing it up with gear every metre. The southeast face of the Morfydd pinnacle faces the back of Fang Buttress. Start under this face.

FA: Chris Dewhirst & Phillip Stranger, 1967

Start in the gully right of Bygone, below the crack near arete. Looks rather serious.

FA: Hoskins & Smith, 1995

Hello!

First time here?

theCrag.com is a free guide for rock climbing areas all over the world, collaboratively edited by keen rock climbers, boulderers and other nice folks.

You can log all your routes, connect and chat with other climbers and much more...

» go exploring, » learn more or » ask us a question

Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Simon Mentz, Glenn Tempest

Date: 2016

ISBN: 9780987526427

This selected yet in depth guide, in its third edition in 2016, is a must for first timers or regulars to the "Pines". By Simon Mentz and Glenn Tempest. It features 1200 routes over 23 different areas as well as bouldering, history info on flora and fauna, plus heaps more.

Author(s): Gordon Poultney, Simon Carter

Date: 2013

ISBN: 9780987087461

444 of the best routes on the best stone on earth? Yes Please! Who has time for all those other wondering pitches anyway when Gordon Poultney and Simon Carter have picked out the classics and printed it in a pocket size handy guide with string attachment. You'll take it on the multipitches, you'll take it to read in the toilets, you'll take it everywhere!

Author(s): Lindorff, Goding & Hodgson

Date: 2011

ISBN: 9780646529387

Get ready to fully experience the rock climbing scene in Victoria with Sublime Climbs, a comprehensive guidebook authored by Kevin Lindorff, Josef Goding, and Jarrod Hodgson. This full-color, 380-page book covers the best climbing locations in the region, including Mt Arapiles, Mt Buffalo, and the Grampians. It features descriptions of over 700 routes, topographic maps, and breathtaking images. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the sport, Sublime Climbs has everything you need to make the most of your climbing experience in Victoria and experience all of it's classic routes.

Accommodations nearby more Hide

Share this

Photos Browse all photos

Upload a photo of area

Fri 2 Jun
Check out what is happening in Morfydd Wall.

Get a detailed insight with a timeline showing

  • Ticks by climbers like you
  • Discussions of the community
  • Updates to the index by our users
  • and many more things.

Login to see the timeline!

Deutsch English Español Français Italiano 한국어 Português 中文