Routes in Arapiles for selected grade

The groove with snap-o-licious flakes and a tricky finish.

Start: 1m R of 'Working Class Hero'.

The least mossy line.

Start: About 3m right of 'Big Dog's Cock'

The crack 6m right of 'The Ghost of Melville', through overhang and up gulch.

Start 3m left of Tullah's Tease and up the bouldery start. Straight up through the middle of the orange face on ripper incut jugs. Stay in the middle of the face the whole way up. Protection is great all the way.

Think this is the front of the little buttress immediately right of 'Craddock Crack', starting as for 'Raiders of The Lost Crack'.

If you can find this you're doing better than us. May be a repeat of final crack of 'Right Hand Variant'

Start: High on the broken cliffs right of Bermuda triangle is a curving offwidth crack which is almost impossible to see from anywhere. Find your way to the base of this.

Up this.

Start: On the left wall of Buttress Buttress 'Gully' (Upper Hunger), right of the steep stuff, is a shallow groove.

It is not just the name of this one that is obscure.

Start: Behind the former routes is another broken wall. This takes the subtle arete just left of the central corner.

Cracks 2m R of Zeppo, 3m L of R edge of wall.

Companion route to Mesa. Start in chimney left of that route and follow the arete. Exit R to rap chain above Mesa.

Originally graded 6 via the ordinary chimney, and not highly rated. Now that the loose bits are gone, the start has been straightened out up the face off the boulder, and a lower-off has been added, this is one of the best easy grade routes in this part of Araps, with a wide variety of climbing.

Start: Start off the top of the big boulder on the ledge.

COntinue up gully for 12m, climb to ledge, L and up crack.

Start: Start at the bolt belay of 'Ckinarde' (the location of which is not provided...).

Start as for C.

1. 20m (11) Up C for 20m to the shelf.

2. 22m (11) R then through tricky overhang and onwards.

Named after the key that has "two sharp pitches". It is possible to escape from the first belay through the narrow cleft to the left between Piccolo Pipe and D Major Pipe.

Start below the major line capped by a huge chockstone on the right wall of the D Major pipe.

1. 25m (10) Bridge up slick groove splitting bottom half of the buttress and under the boulder. It's a good idea to belay on top of the boulder.

2. 25m (10) From top of the boulder climb steep juggy buttress to chimney finish. An alternative to this pitch is to climb the chimney to the left. This is very narrow.

Start at the first belay of Conifer Crack and climb the gully between the second pitch of Conifer Crack and the Red Wall. For the connoisseur of chossy gully routes.

Not a bad excursion to the top of the Organ Pipes from the Tremulo anchor. Bear in mind that it is little-travelled so treat the rock with respect and be mindful of climbers below. It's not actually the original finish of Tremulo, which continued up the gully above the anchor, but the finish of Humouresque. The climbing can be split in a number of ways, with best ledges at 30m and 40m. Continue up left buttresses from anchors at top of pitch one of Tremulo, passing the MCC gnome high on the buttress. Walk off.

Start at the right-hand toe of the wall, a few meters right of Alychne, at a seam in nice rock.

1. 23m Up seam to some ledges. Move left back onto front of buttress. Up little buttress (there are some loose blocks just to the left) to large ledge where an obvious big block sticks over the edge. Despite the alarming appearace from below, this block isn’t going anywhere.

2. 12m Go up from the left side of the ledge and continue up.

Toothless. Another easy line. Start left of With an F!

Up the black jugs.

Start: Start R of WW.

A linkup of Strife on the Gravy Train & Exploding Tomatoes. Start up SOTGT then move right and up into ET.

Body chimney right of Jackal.

The buttress with an overhang.

Start: Start in the gully R of The Hard Years.

This climb is on the north face of the buttress Climb the right hand side of the face.

Up Great Pissing Ledges stopping below small roof then step right into 'Hope'.

Finishes further left than the original

Climb crack, step out right onto face. Climb through roof and up.

Start: Start as for Gabriel's Oboe.

A separate buttress 12m right of Purity, 3m right of Beguiled. Appears to be rib on left edge of buttress with a bit of orange on it. Climb the face then move to the arete, through the overhang and easily on.

The diagonal line. Start 4m R of CS.

Take the easiest way up the face. Start on the southwest face of the pinnacle (which faces into Central Gully). Short corner then (crux) traverse 4-5m L (nasty pendulum potential for the seconder), to gain the nice easy crack to the summit. There's also a more direct start about 6m further L which is a little harder and not as well protected, but with much reduced pendulum potential.

This is just the original first pitch of Dunes and should probably be deleted.

Variant first pitch that avoids the greasy start of the original, but is quite runout. Squeeze through behind the block L of the original start to a ledge. Up the L side of the block and up the slab with very little gear to join the original first pitch at the corner/overlap

Wonderful climbing up the right side of the Dunes Buttress, with virtually every pitch offering something of interest.

1. 35m (10) Up surprisingly tricky left facing flake/corner (consider starting up Dunes instead if this might give you grief). Continue up slabs above and belay below chimney around the corner.

2. 40m (9) Easily up chimney. Step across the void from top of chimney onto the face proper and continue up to large ledge (the Oasis).

3. 15m (1) Crawl R through hole, belay beneath chockstone in chimney on the other side.

4. 40m (9) Pull up onto the chockstone with difficulty. Follow the deep crackline above to the top (or for a slightly easier finish trend a bit left for the last bit).

A climbing route that follows Ali's, then goes up to the top of Bard Buttress. Not great rock but a great position. Start 10m left of Ali's.

1. 55m 8. Ramble up the slab for ~20m (minimal pro). Clip a bolt on Ali's, and cross to the R, over a small lip, onto a ledge at the base of ridgeline going up Bard Buttress.

2. 25m 10. Traverse R onto the arete/ridgeline, and follow the ridge to the top.

Not clear whether this is L or R of 'Thibenzol'.

Start: Takes the next pinnacle uphill (R) of Wizard.

Slabby start right of Minimus then the corner-crack to the top.

Climb the RH line, descend the LH line! Start on the slabby wall opposite Missing Link.

Start about 50m uphill from John's Pinnacle, under the obvious cleft in the south face of the Bluffs which divides Bluff Major and Bluff Minor. Up 4m juggy wall, go R underneath roof for 5m, then thrash up the obvious slot. Exit to the north onto Blockbuster Ledge.

Pitch 4 Variant: At the belay do not move right into the chimney. Instead step left for about 2-3m then follow an obvious line trending slightly left for a full 50m pitch. This is an obvious line that is quite prominent as a crack line on the cover of Louise Shepherd's guide book to 'Arapiles'

The first three pitches in particular offer superb climbing at the grade, while the final pitches provide an opportunity to explore those high balconies dominating the upper reaches of the cliff. The first two pitches are often combined.

While the first part of the climb only spends a small amount of time in the chimney, some parties have mistakenly climbed the chimney in its entirety. This is not a club that you should aspire to join.

Despite its enjoyable nature, there have been a number of serious injuries and a death on this climb. Here the start of the fourth pitch has been revised to reduce the danger of a long fall to the belay ledge.

1. 20m (10) Up chimney past a thrutchy section and belay out on the left arete. Many parties climb the rib left of the chimney instead (as per P1 of Monkey Poo), this is harder and less-well protected.

2. 20m (10) Climb wall past interesting move at 5 metres and continue to ledge on left. Some parties run the first two pitches together.

3. 35m (10) Delicately up smooth, sustained wall (there's a corner on the left and an unappetising chimney on the right). Make sure to place protection low down here as more than one good climber has smashed their ankles on the ledge after an unexpected slip. Continue up to ledge on right (old peg runner). Up arete to eventually meet chimney. Cross chimney and up 4 metres to big ledge.

4. 38m (8) The original start to this pitch, going up diagonally right from the belay was very poorly protected. Traverse 10 metres right along the ledge to a thin crack. Go up to meet the diagonal line then climb diagonally right just below the junction of grey and red rock.

5. 12m (9) Traverse right and climb a short, steep wall to a balcony belay.

6. 25m (8) Walk left along balcony and climb up second weakness.

7. 20m (7) Traverse spectacularly left to ledge, then scramble off

A significantly shorter, easier and more exciting finish than the original. The u-bolt is on Hot Lonely Planet. Pitches 1 - 3. As for Syrinx, belaying to the right of the large ledge, near the painted arrow.

1. 40m (7) Climb up above the arrow then right a little and up into juggy groove and up to a small ledge on the left at 20m (third belay of Headbanger). From the left side of the ledge continue left and up past a big bucket hold and a Ubolt through the exposed orange rock, toward a guano-stained ledge. Go left and up across the top of the major corner (airy) to a small ledge on Sunday Best. Much easier but more exposed than any other Grade 7 pitch at Arapiles. Do not underestimate it.

2. 20m (7) Continue left past large hollow block and up to evade the roof and join Pitch 7 of Syrinx to finish. Scramble off as for that climb.

Takes the vegetated trench.

A ramble up the northern aspect of 'Death Row Pinnacle'. The first pitch was the scramble down from 'Garden Gnome' before the rap anchor went in. Start from a ledge right of Death Row ’s condemned cell and a bit down left from 'Garden Gnome' .

1. 20m Up to a short right-facing corner, which leads to easy climbing up to the saddle between the main 'Death Row Pinnacle' and the summit of Garden Gnome. Belay at the Garden Gnome chains.

2. 20m Wall to the summit of Death Row Pinnacle.

Climb the chasm right of Spasm by following a finger crack on the left wall which leads up and right through a squeeze. Top out on the road side of Uncle Charlie's via some juggy wide chimneying. Walk off over the chockstone to the Pharos. Protectable, but a pretty tight fit with a harness.

Another great outing up the front of the Pharos. Start 9 metres right of Hurricane Lamp Cracks at the foot of a deep crack.

1. 28m (6) Climb the buttress on the left to a good belay ledge.

2. 22m (10) Traverse 5 metres right, stepping across a wide crack, then follow the steep, clean line on the right to another good ledge.

3. 25m (10) Step left and climb the front of the buttress to gain the deep V-line on the left. Pass the spectacular roof on the left and up to the Tennis Court.

4. 43m (8) From the top of pedestal climb tricky weakness left of red overhang. Up to subsidiary summit, step across gap, then up to summit. This is as for the last 2 pitches of Spiral Staircase and may be split as for that climb.

The line right of The Shroud and left of Spiral Staircase. The original line of Spiral Staircase went somewhere about the first pitch of this. The second pitch traversed off below the roofs to the line that is climbed now. Apparently originally climbed in the 1960s by Rob Taylor, who placed the pin. Start on the North east shoulder of the Pharos right of TS.

1. 40m (10) Wander up to pick up a little R facing corner 3m right of The Shroud. Follow this corner to belay 5m below roofs.

2. 30m (10) Right of the roof pitch on The Shroud is two bits of orange rock capped by roofs. Samos takes the thin patch of grey rock between them past an old, unnecessary pin through a break in the roofs. Then up wall on jugs to join Spiral Staircase.

3. 5m (-) Scramble up short wall as for Spiral Staircase.

4. 35m (-) Do the top pitch of SS.

A nice alternative for when the final pitch of Hurricane Lamp Cracks, The Shroud, and Spiral Staircase is too busy or too sunny. From the Tennis Court, walk around right, delicately around the arete (staying on belay probably advisable) to a large ledge where Braindrops P1 ends. Climb the middle of the right-hand wall, staying well right of the deep split that Spiral Staircase would have stepped over. When the wall becomes vertical, stay left for the easiest line, or move right towards Lady Dihedral to make it a few grades harder. Tops out at the summit.

Crack 5 metres right of 'West Coast Dogma'.

Obvious diagonal facing Huey.

From the highest point in the floor of the gully, scramble onto ledges then bridge up the chimney. When it narrows, head for and go up inside of chockstones. Belay on top of chockstones at rap anchor.

Corner on the right, branching slightly left to finish up the right-hand summit.

Start: Line R of 'Carnal Intent'.

A slightly bold first pitch and an exhilirating finish.

Start: The face just left of the 'Tiptoe Ridge' buttress is marked by the deep chasm of 'The Slot'. Start directly below this chasm.

1. 40m (9) Go up to bushes at 5 metres, step left and climb face just left of the gulch, delicate at first, until it eases to a good ledge.

2. 30m (5) Easy ground to below the orange overhangs.

3. 25m (10) Up to and under the overhang and traverse out left. Climb the overhang on large holds in an exposed position.

Start: Start at the right edge of the Pinnacle face below right-leaning flake/crack, about 10 metres right of 'Siren'.

1. 35m (8) Up to and over crack and up left line in wall to juggy ground. Continue up steep wall just left of arete to incut ledge looking out over 'Left Watchtower Face'.

2. 22m (9) Climb up just left of arete to big ledge (Siren's second belay) and continue to next ledge on left a couple of metres further up.

3. 23m (5) Easy ground to ledge below headwall.

4. 30m (10) Step right, then steeply up on good holds. Up, tending slightly left.

The express route to Mr. Chicken!

1. 40m (12). Start as for Watchtower Chimney, but veer right and up on surprising jugs at the start of the slab (close to the end of the first pitch; this is particularly great for rainy days when the slab is wet). Belay from giant ledge.

2. 20m (8). Traverse slightly right, then follow the juggy staircase until you reach a roof.

3. 15m (10). This is the money pitch. Traverse around the roof and climb the blocks on the right hand side until you reach Mr. Chicken. There is good gear in the cracks.

Not a new route; just one of many existing variants to Arachnus. See FA notes for details.

Not too bad.

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.

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

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

On left side of arete of Lacuna is an undercut start to easy flake, then slabby wall and short corner to summit opposite Hurts Wall.

The major corner system.

1. 22m (10) After a hard start, go up easily to the next overhang, which is avoided by moving onto the right wall and up to ledge.

2. 38m (10) Traverse delicately left across corner to long flake on left wall. Up flake to ledge. Taking the corner directly is grade 11 : Garry Sudholz, Keith Lockwood, Norm Booth 05-10-1968.

3. 18m (10) Chimney-corner.

Lovely short crack on the left side of the 'Hurts' Wall.

Beneath Kachoong, R of ATOHDS. Up rib then corner to the belay for Kachoong.

They actually called it "About a Hedge-Whore beggar woman pretending to be sick with Saint Fiacre's Disease, and a long thick gut made by trickery came out of her bum", and then said "Don't blame me, blame Ambroise Pare".

Start: Start 5m left of chimney, right of low cave and actually looks quite nice.

Starts just right of Black Legend at the right-slanting line. This could be the ‘’obvious grade 6 crack’’ mentioned in the Black Legend description. Climb the right-slanting line for a few metres, step left at horizontal break and continue up the centre of the wall.

Stepped corner towards left side of Walkabout Wall.

Fantastic climbing. There is a variant start to the left at the painted initial "S" but the way described is better. Start below right-hand line up the sombre cleft, right of the initial "S".

1. 35m (11) Veer up left and climb orange corners, then left and up to tiny ledge. Step left then up steep, right-facing box-corner.

2. 8m (5) Either rap off (28 metres) or walk left along ledge and go up.

Fairly dramatic but not obviously appealing. Start as for Serpent.

1. 36m (10) Up Serpent for 25 metres then go diagonally right to a small ledge under a prominent white streak. Here you join The Fall of Man: step across gap above roof and up to big ledge.

2. 24m (11) Walk right 6 metres and finish up The Bishop.

This probably originally started in the same place as The Empire Strikes Back at the letter C, which is where we've placed it, but it would be more logical to start further right as for Behemoth.

1. 20m (12) Follow the difficult diagonal crack to box chimney. Traverse 3 metres right and climb wall to big ledge.

2. 32m (12) Scramble up gully for 13 metres, step left onto smooth grey wall. Traverse left to arete avoiding horrible loose block and up.

2 meters L of When Kim Was a Girls Name, up weakness to front of butress and R to finish a the top of WKWAGN

The original description : This is an easy route to find. Head out towards Goroke and turn back at Mitre. Look up at the north face of the mountain. Up high (left of the red wall that houses Pressure Pete) is a line diagonally right. Yep, that's it.

Start: Left of the red patch is a line going diagonally right.

Wander up this to top trying to find best rock.

Start: 8m left of 'El Posso', five left of Its the Tens (?where is that?), is a scrappy corner.

Start up gully and continue straight up to a belay ledge with conifer. Conitune straight up a square-cut chimney.

Start: Start at scrubby gully 8 metres left of Heart Full Of Soul. The gully leads past the right side of a bulbous nose.

Romp up to big ledge below the wall and then steep corner-crack on right,

Start: Start directly below the guano-stained orange wall.

Surprisingly pleasant.

Start: The chimney splitting the left outcrop just left of 'Alabama'.

Apparently there is (or was) a small vise hidden on this climb, which is the unpleasant-looking chimney.

Start at the same spot as 'Tobacco Road' and follow the corner system up the left side of the yellow buttress.