Routes as trad in Northern Group

From belay chain on "Slinkin Leopard" step left then up through small cave, back right and up.

Start as for "Follow Your Nose" then climb straight up from horizontal on jugs to a crux mantle at top.

Very pumpy.

Start: Start near the top left end of the wall.

Harder and bolder than the original.

Start: Start 2 metres right of "Follow Your Nose".

Traverse as for "Follow Your Nose" and keep going, past "The Fortress" to a bolt on "Lord Of The Rings".

Start: Start as for "Follow Your Nose"

Two bolts left of fortress lead into FYN DS

A few pieces of gear required higher up. Sustained wall leftward past 2 bolts. At jugs, move right and up. (A pumpy variant is to go left instead and finish up Follow Your Nose).

Start: Start 6 metres right of "Follow Your Nose".

Start up Fortress to 2nd bolt, then right and up trying very hard to avoid going back L into the original (and better) version.

Start as for Slinkin' Leopard, then head left after the crux "drive by" through punchy boulder (trad) then finish up Fortress.

Straightens out Slinkin'.

Start: Start as for Slinkin' but go direct and up to the end of the L-wards traverse

Surely one of the best route names in the country.

Start 3m R of 'The Fortress'. A slopey traverse R is protected by a bolt (stick clip). Up past two more bolts before heading L to the crack. Up more easily with trad gear and one more bolt to anchors.

Brilliant route. Take small cams (00 Friend) + some medium cams (.3BD, .5BD, .75BD) for after the 3 bolts on the traverse.

Start: Start 4 metres down from "Slinkin Leopard".

The "crazy linkup" of Lord of the Rings into Slinkin' Leopard.

The original route on the wall is quite good but rope drag can be a problem.

Start: Start at obviuos weakness right of "Wackford Squeers", as for "Lord Of The Rings Direct".

AKA Straight Outta Wackford.

As for Wackford Squeers Direct, then arbitrarily follow the difficult C-shaped sickle to the L in the upper section (rather than the obvious line of least resistance).

Very hard crux down low after the pocket (which sadly was a chip ?). Use a short draw and/or a good belayer if this is at your limit as you will fall a few times here.

Continue straight up on the R side of the top bulge. There is a very good 3/4 cam placement in a key handhold here so perhaps best to carry it with you and place it at your waist after using it.

Soft for the grade and contrived, but the climbing is good.

Up Henre Bolte through its crux to the break, traverse L for 2m into the top section of Wackford Squeers and over the top bulge as for that.

Superb thin face-climbing. (#2 Wallnut after the first bolt, .75BD in the break after the 3rd bolt + a few more cams in the higher easier section to DBB) Start: Start just right of "Going For The One"

Some bouldery moves. There's a good plunge if you miss the final lunge.

Start: Start just right of "Henry Bolte"

A good easy route on a great wall deserves a star. Pitch 2 is really good and eats cams. Great on a warm day.

Start: Down and right of the other routes is a prominent crack leading to a bottomless chimney.

1. 13m (17) Crack and chimney to terrace.

2. 29m (16) Easily up on right for 3 metres to the big diagonal ledge/break. Traverse down left to the end of the break and step left onto the wall. Continue up steep, juggy wall right of "Going For The One".

Line of bolts to a lower-off right of "Barbed". Feel like it climbs a bit contrived by where the bolt placements are, but it's a fun little warm up for the main events up the hill. A cam is good for the top if you scare easily

Up for 2 metres then traverse right to pockets and up brushed wall to ledge. Rap as for "Gurtle Tier".

Start: Start 3 metres right of "Barbed" at a short, steep flake.

Cautiously up the grey pitted face trending R to join School for Scandal.

An unprotected, dynamic crux leads into School for Scandal.

Maybe 20m below Barbed and 10m up from the Clown a doglegged thin crack doesn't reach the ground. Up seam in grey slab until desperately thin moves gain crack. Rap anchor. Gear is rather sketchy.

Start as for School for Scandal but continue up and right to small corner leading into The Clown chimney finish. Rap as for SfS. Pro is a bit fiddly, take small wires and cams.

Not great. Well up the gully left of the main buttress, almost to 'Henry Bolte Wall', is a narrow chimney.

1. 12m (12) Struggle up chimney.

2. 36m (-) Traverse right onto easy-angled shoulder and on to nice layback crack on right. After this, move past large ledge and up corner to another wide ledge. An alternative is to move left at the start of the pitch and go up unleasant narrow chimney (grade 12).

3. 30m (7) As for final pitch of 'Beau Geste'

Pretty good climbing and protection. Start just right of second pitch of 'Barbed'. Access via abseil anchor of 'Not Invented Here'. Easily up to the big break. Straight up the short overhanging wall, 1 metre right of a left-leading diagonal line, to a good flake. Up 3 metres to top of flake, step right and up water-washed streak to little bulge and up to easier ground. Continue straight up through bulges at top.

Might seem a bit contrived to people too short to do the move past the bolt at a reasonable grade. Access via 25 metre rappel from anchor above this climb. Double set cams to #1 Camalot, plus 1 each #2 and #4. Easy up to the ledge-break and up the short overhanging wall 1.5 metres right of 'Serious Callers Only'. Reach straight up the smooth wall past the bolt then right a little and up on killer incuts to left side of the roof of 'Clear Conscience'. Swing right above overhang and go up to rap anchor.

Start at belay anchor for 'Not Invented Here' Up onto the big break and traverse 3 metres right to FH below short, shallow corner. Short jump or hard moves into corner and up to good stance. Up wall (2 FH) to roof then follow seam up steep wall above roof (FH) then final, easier bulge.

"An obvious leftward-curving line starting high up on the buttress, not far right of the all finish of 'Going For The One' ." The Carrigan guide (ad hence the Shepherd one) has it starting 2 metres right of pitch 2 of 'Barbed' but that doesn't fit the description of the start "under a tight, awkward roof". In fact it appears to be the huge roof-flake up high on the right, which is on the left of the final scramble section of 'Beau Geste' etc. Approach from the right under a tight, awkward roof and then follow the diagonal line over some steep walls and overhangs.

This pleasant, easy crack midway between The Clown and 'Court Jester' was probably first soloed by Louise to get access to the top of School For Scandal during her massive cleaning exercise.

Wanders up the left side of the buttresses. A bit scrappy but worth a look.

Start some distance uphill of 'Beau Geste', just left of a deep horizontal break.

1. 24m (10) An undercut start leads into a wide crack. At top, step right and up to ledge.

2. 10m (-) The crack above.

3. 18m (10) Pull up steep wall and continue upo crack and jug-strewn wall.

4. 20m (10) 'Layback' crack on steep wall up left to terrace.

5. 30m (12) Pull up on flat holds just right of undercut arete and then up to top. This is just left of Beau Geste's final pitch.

Not a bad pitch. Could be used as a start for 'Artificial Insemination'.

Crack about 10 metres left of Beau Geste, avoiding top overhang to right (dirty)

Another long ramble, about half of which are bits of existing climbs.

1. 40m Climb A Whale of a Time until level with the big terrace on the right. Step left and belay on the shoulder of the ridge.

2. 25m Diagonally left to the base of the left-leaning line (the right-hand line is Court Jester – steep and loose).

3. 25m Up left-leaning line, to finish steeply up right wall – highlighted by a classic mantelshelf and incut jugs.

4. 20m Easily up ridge to terrace.

5. 30m As for 5th pitch of Beau Geste.

Another pleasant ramble.

Start: At toe of buttress just left of "Beau Geste"

1. 35m (-) Follow prominent line until it fizzles out. Step right and up to good ledge. This pitch has also been climbed slightly to the left.

2. 25m (-) Up front right side of buttress, over overhang and nice wall then up next wall past ironstone jugs to spacious upper ledge. The first two pitches have been climbed as one but rope-drag is a problem.

3. 25m (14) Climb prominent crack, curving right to arete. Climb arete and continue easily. Belay near top of major left-leading diagonal.

4. 20m (-) Broken corner to big ledge.

5. 30m (-) Top pitch of "Beau Geste"

A good pitch but a bit out of place with only easy options for approach and finish.

Start at second belay; this is also the second belay of "Beau Geste", at the top of the neat little corner.

Climb orange wall up and right to arete and continue up arete until it joins the original line (crack curving in from left) and eases. Continue easily to belay.

This great little pitch is not really more direct but it is a good finish to this route, especially if done with the Grade 17 variant, or to "Artificial Insemination". Tiny cams are essential.

Start: Start around left of the top pitch of "Beau Geste" at a prominent right curving corner. Climb the arete and face left of the corner.

A great adventure.

Start below major chimney on left side of cliff.

Note that numerous variants are possible, and have been done, from the middle of pitch 3 to the terrace at the end of pitch 4.

1. 50m (9) Up wall then chimney to terrace.

2. 13m (9) Just to the right is a short, right-facing corner. Up this and step right to belay.

3. 18m (9) Up righthand V-corner to roof. Move left under roof then step right and up to ledge.

4. 25m (9) 'Diagonal' up right (as for Tale Of Woe) to huge terrace.

5. 30m (7) Pull onto wall right of undercut arete, traverse right and go up on horizontal breaks approximately 6 metres right of arete. At ledge, move left and up. The fingery wall just right of the arete is Court Jester's finish.

A fairly good direct line with a few nice sections and an exciting finish around the overhang at the top of the face. Big cams needed on first 2 pitches.

Even better if finished via Noddy's face 'A Whale of a Time Direct Finish' around left of last pitch of 'Beau Geste'.

Start from the terrace, at the base of Beau Geste's second pitch corner.

1. 20m (13) Follow right-leading ramp, then wide crack to ledge. There other belay options higher, including a tiny stance just below the roof but this is probably the most convenient spot.

2. 25m (18) Continue up the line to the roof with a difficult section not far below the roof. Exposed moves out to and around the lip of the major roof-crack.

3. 30m (7) Final ptich of 'Beau Geste'.

Pleasant access route to the big terrace.

Blunt, slabby arete starting 10 metres right of Beau Geste.

Follow 2 corners to easy ground, aiming for large left-facing flake. Pass this on left and up.

Start: Start at short corner 2 metres right of 'BA Mosquito'.

A wonderful excursion all the way. Takes steep wall between Tale of Woe and Bung.

1. 45m BA Mosquito to terrace.

2. 50m Bridge up block then wall to Tale of Woe, which is followed for a few metres to a vertical line. Swing up this until you can trend a bit left to the next steep line. This leads direct to the terrace.

3. 30m As for the last pitch of Beau Geste.

A popular outing following the prominent diagonal line. Not really sure that it warrants a star though.

1. 30m (8) Follow the major left-leading diagonal from the terrace until it ends. Belay on ledge past first little cave.

2. 25m (9) Diagonally right, passing large roofs on the right, finishing over a little bulge.

3. 30m (7) As for the final pitch of 'Beau Geste'.

Looks great but is just OK.

Begin up Tale Of Woe then step right and follow sinuous line up and slightly left on wall.

Similar to Bung.

Start as for Bung but after stepping right continue straight up the wall rather than following line.

Climb Harlequin Cracks until it’s easy to move out onto the left wall. Follow arête, finishing up line past the left edge of the Harlequin Cracks roof.

The long corner of the first pitch is lovely.

1. 36m (10) Up line to ledge taking care with some loose blocks just before the belay.

2. 12m (8) Avoid the bottomless chimney (grade 12) by climbing the face out right up to the terrace.

3. 32m (10) The best line is to continue up the left-facing corner directly above. Alternatively, traverse 3 metres right to a shallow corner. Up this, loose blocks to ledge, traverse 5 metres right to another corner and up to top.

Start: Start as for 'Harlequin Cracks'.

1. 15m (18) Take short orange corner just right of main line. Step right at roof and up to peregrine ledge. Seam to right of corner is also grade 18 but mossy)

2. 33m (-) Pull over into line above and follow all way, with slight step left half-way up, on orange rock.

Very good, but beware the runout halfway up the 1st pitch. Some say that the poor protection is not a problem given the straightforward nature of the climbing. However there is also the case of a leader who backed off this and went on to 'Orestes' for his next, successful, climb.

Start 4m L of 'Salami'.

1. 35m (17) Not well protected through half height, although technically not too hard. Crack to ledge at 3m. Take fading crack then face to a ledge. Traverse 2m R to huge flake, then meander R over blocks to belay at the top of Salami's chimney.

2. 15m (16) The crack up the middle of the buttress between 'Salami' and 'Salami DF', with a fun roof. Belay on terrace, or continue up easy ground for another 15m.

A variant that links P1 of Calabrese into P2 of Salami.

1. 35m (17) Up Calabrese P1 until the comfy ledge at about 20m (optional belay, as for Calabrese). Instead of stepping right to the flake as for Calabrese, continue up the thin intermittent crack, to join the sharp undercut flake on P2 of Salami. Once past this, build an anchor.

2. 20m (-) Dawdle to the top.

1. 36m (11) Monster left-facing corner to ledge on right.

2. 15m (9) Move left under overhangs to a sharp, undercut flake. Up the flake to ledge.

3. 30m (10) Either scramble up to the right or, from left side of large, scrubby ledge an undercut start leads to shallow, right-facing corner.

A good finish for 'Salami', starting from the first belay.

Climb steep cracks and corner above the first belay.

This monster corner-chimney is not only good fun, but benefits from coming into shade early in the day, but last pitch is in full sun. Great 1st and last pitches with some scrap in the middle.

1. 36m (11) As for Salami P1.

2. 11m (5) traverse, through crack to the right to belay.

3. 10m (1-2) scramble up to small boulder next belay.

4. 15m (6) up small face to the right, follow up and around left to overhang and ledge.

5. 25m (12) from end (rightmost) overhang, crux first move out over the overhang for an awesome finish.

Walk off the back to finish and down trail to left.

From 'Salami', move right onto wall at horizontal break. Up past bolt then up and left to crescent-shaped ledge. Up this past two carrots then hard moves up right. Rap rings.

As for IM, then take extended leftward finish up the mighty headwall. 30 metre rappel.

Start: Start as for 'Industrial Muscle'.

From conifer below 'Salami' climb face on right for 2 metres. Traverse right to weakness in bulge, then straight up.

Prominent broken diagonal right of 'Salami'.

Start at short red corner some metres right of 'Salami'.

1. 30m (12) Follow red corner then taverse right across mossy slabs to base of diagonal. Belay a few metres higher.

2. 23m (12) Take the diagonal, ignoring branch on right wall to big ledge.

3. 15m (12) Follow either of 2 short corners to next ledge.

4. 23m (12) The diagonal continues to tricky exit above 'Salami' Corner.

Takes the prominent roof.

Up clean flake and over roof.

Climb middle of face right of 'Goonkachoong'.

Good corner.

V-corner a few metres right of Goonkachoong.

Old Paul Hoskins project re-equipped and sent. Ultra-smeary!

Start: Start on left side of 'Mysteries Wall' proper.

A fingery and scary start and exciting finish up the headwall.

The original route followed the line L all the way, but a far better finish is to step airily R off the sloping ledge and up the headwall at a fairly solid 19 (as described).

Large cam/s size 4 or 5 could be handy at the bottom and small ones stepping off the ledge.

Start to the left of the major crack on the left side of the wall.

Traverse right into the left-curving crack and follow it past a bulge. From just past overhang move out right onto face and up.

A direct on Rosshalde. Up the slippery seam past 2 bolts, follow Rosshalde to the roof and then R and up past another 2 bolts. Take lots of long slings or double ropes. After the first 2 bolts there are good small wires where Rosshalde traverses in but they are hard to see, and after rain the placement sometimes fills up with sand - a nut key may be handy to clean it out as they are pretty crucial. Might be 23.

Thin stuff.

Up 'Blue-Eyed and Blond' then veer left into the crack of Mysteries. Undercling the crack to gain gravelly crimps past two bolts, then easier ground above.

The most attractive climb here. The start requires some small micro cams to protect adequately. If you're not confident at the grade it is recommended to rap in to pre-place or double check the first bits of gear. It is a good idea to anchor your belayer until a few pieces are placed as the consequences of a fall are very serious.

Start below vertical seam that crosses a diagonal line (Mysteries) a few metres up. Traverse R to single bolt, up past desperate crux then easier ground. Lower offs at top.

The diagonal crack leading left into 'Rosshalde' is slick and fiddly to protect but good fun higher up.

1. 15m (23) Take the diagonal crack into 'Rosshalde' and belay under the roof.

2. 20m (21) Up to roof, traverse out right to Model Phantom and up steep face.

Nice rock and good climbing but it's not worth doing as the other routes are far more logical lines. Start up 'Mysteries' diagonal, when you reach 'Blue Eyed and Blond' follow it up and right, then keep traversing right. Up higher go right and left a few more times to ensure you've got the most out of the wall, then traverse with your hands on the top and downclimb Rosshalde.

Climb directly past two bolts into 'Modern History'. Either finish up that climb (as originally done) or continue straight up and into Blue Eyed and Blonde.

Start: Start just right of 'Mysteries'.

Ramon

Serious unprotected overhung arete right of 'Historic Events'. A rope would serve only to stop a plummet all the way down the gully below.

Hard dyno up the overhanging line onto the wall. Rather than following easy crack (Gardener's Delight), go left across wall and around arete to finish up flat-tops.

Start: Start at the cave about 3 metres right of 'Historic Events'.

Start up the second pitch of Gardener's Delight and finish up Spanish Eyes.

Start at the arete 3 metres right of the cave of 'Spanish Eyes', the start of the second pitch of Gardener's Delight. Pull up onto wall and drift right and up sharp arete. The wall between this climb and Gardener's Delight has been top-roped from the rappel rings.

Nice line with fiddly pro.

Thin line up face just around right of Cundall's Arete.

The first route established on this wall. One bolt. Hard start from pockets leads to an easier mid-section.

Nowadays largely ignored but still worth doing in it's own right. Originally started by stepping off the pillar into the line but now incorporates the direct start from the ground. Where the connection moves left into 'Anus Horribilus', continue straight up via the traditionally protected arete.

Good route but runout.

Start: Slab route immediately right (around corner) from Pooh Sticks.

A few jugs then run-out to first RB, which is clipped while leaning well L off poor handholds and facing a possible groundfall. There's another RB then DRB lower-off.

First pitch doesn't get a lot of traffic so can be dirty. Great second pitch.

Start: Start at the rounded arete, about the same place as Eeyores Thistles.

1. 26m (12) Diagonally up wall to short left-facing corner. Up this, over the small overhang and up the line to the terrace.

2. 18m (11) Pull up onto the undercut wall 3 metres right of the cave (Spanish Eyes starts at the cave) and traverse left to the prominent crack. Up this to finish right of the overhang.

A fun novelty, involving some airy bridging between two aretes.

The arete left of Mohawkman, pulling onto the pinnacle for the final moves.

2 rings plus a handful of cams to summit loweroff.

Start: Lefthand slab route on detached wall just right of Gardener's Delight.

The natural line on the face, avoiding the hard bits of the other two routes. Quite sustained. Take a few cams with a couple of #1 and #3 in the mix.

Has a ring with a hard clip for the hard start then drops off several grades. Summit loweroff. Righthand slab route with hard start just right of Mohawkman.

Looks good but poorly protected, somewhat contrived and generally not much fun. The best bit is that the first ascent team got to the top, found they were on a pinnacle and started bemoaning that they would have to leave gear behind. Then HB poked his head over the top on the short side...

Start: Down right of the 'Mohawkman' face on a narrow south-east face just left of a wide crack.

Climb wall just left of wide crack and go up to ledge on the left. Step up and right into left facing flake-crack and follow it.

Sustained face climbing, spoiled a bit by the big ledge at half-height. Wires and cams up to #1 plus #3.5 cam.

Start at black face just right of 'Beached Wails'.

Up face past 2 FH then move right and up to ledge. Step back up left onto the face, up and left to middle of face. Up past FH to break, step left and up to anchor. Some people have had trouble pulling the rope so be careful where it runs over the edge.

Good first pitch but be careful to avoid the dangerous hollow flake immediately left of the start.

Start: Start below a crack about 10 metres down right of A Goat\'s Song.

1. 12m (19) Climb past the bolt to the crack, avoiding touching the flake that is on your left. Finger-crack and thinning seam to large ledge.

2. 18m (14) Move right and up to next ledge. Climb the wall to ledge with abseil anchors for A Goat's Song.

The good section hardly makes up for the horrible start and way off.

Start: At lowest point on wall.

Better than AGFTG despite sharing the start and much the same finish

Start: As for A Gift From The Gods.

1. 25m (19) Up the mossy slab then take orange diagonal on the steep wall just right. At the top of the diagonal, step right and up through overhang to ledge.

2. 25m (-) Line on right wall of gully.

Start: As for A Gift From The Gods.

1. 25m (18) Diagonally right up moss to ledge. Climb wall above a faint rock scar, thence up left into lichenous weakness and back right to stance.

2. 25m (-) Straight up, heading right at top.

Not worth the star. Protection is a bit fiddly to get though it is good on the hardest moves.

Start: Originally started as for A Gift From The Gods but is better as for 'Dingbats'.

1. 20m (17) Go up to ledge. Step right and go straight up compact orange rock being careful not to stray right into 'Dingbats'.

2. 30m (-) Up slightly left on good rock to easy finish. Better would be to traverse easily right for 10 metres to the Shiraleee abseil anchor.

Start: 4 metres left of 'The Shiralee'.

1. 20m (14) Straight up then step left to gain ramp leading diagonally right.

2. 30m (14) Step left and climb bulging groove on good rock.

Tenuous climbing into the orange scoops that would have been very scary before microcams. Deserves to be climbed more often and might be now that the abseil anchor has gone in

Put up in a rainstorm during which a child almost drowned in Central Gully!

Start: Start below line of orange scoops.

1. 25m (15) Climb easily up just left of the smooth face to orange rock and up into the line to the overhang. Traverse right and then back left above the overhang to rap-anchor.

2. 30m (9) Abseil off of follow jugs up the line.

A direct start and finish to 'The Shiralee' makes for a very good climb. Take some tiny cams and a #3 (blue) Camalot in your rack.

Start at short crack 6 metres right of 'The Shiralee', up blank wall past pocket (crux and no gear) to crack in overlap then up wall. Quite good climbing on spaced gear. Traverse R to chains on I Am An Expert on Bananas

Takes the deep crack not quite reaching the ground right of Crumpet then step left and up wall past 2 bolts. Traverse off to anchor on Banana Expert

Take right hand line through overlap right of Tallness (the flake on left line is hollow), up past bolt through bulge then easy ground to nice wall. Step left and finish as per Tallness past 2 bolts. Traverse R to chains.

Up black and orange clean streak left of Cold Episode of Influenza, 2 bolts plus gear, take micro cams and a 3 camalot. Rap anchor.

Takes the low angled groove at right end of wall. Shares anchor with I am a Banana Expert.

The Beatuitiful Possiblities of the Northern Group! Ok, maybe not quite, but it is a delicate line up the front of a buttress. Gear is fiddly. Up seam right of Cold Episode, continue up front of buttress and through overlap at top. Traverse to anchor on Banana Expert

Up wall left of easy crack, past 2 bolts and small bulge. Take a 2 RP.