Routes in Central Tablelands for selected grade

Up left side of small cave to face and shared anchors

Up arete and right to shared anchors

Up faint arete right side of buttress to shared anchors

Right side of slab to shared anchors

Straight up slab tending left to shared anchors

Up obvious crack line on arete.

1. 15m (12) Follow the right seam up the arete placing gear as you go, traversing left to tree and ledge beneath blank face.

2. 5m (6) Scramble up dirty gully.

Up crack as for the start of GEITM, follow crack rightwards to the top anchors of TWBT. Nice easy crack, plenty of pro and you can clip the first couple of bolts on GEITM if you want.

Juggy start to slabby finish.

1m right of Paperbag, Reachy start up juggy face tending slightly right to shared lower offs.

Sick of sandy slabs and ringbolts? Be a trad lad and try the finger crack between Yoda and Queen or Country. Jam through the bulge to join the arete, finishing as for Yoda at DBB.

The beginner climb. Finishes at the ledge next to the cave.

Broken system with corner, chimneys and crack, a proper 1956 adventure. "Probably the best climb in the gorge" quoth Bryden Allen in his 1963 guide, but Things Have Moved On, particularly the notion of what constitutes grade 12, so it's now probably 15.

Start: At a pinch between boulders with the small brass Jack Murphy plaque -33.78141,150.63045.

Route and pitches can be varied:

1. 30m Up the broken corners and ledges via bushes to tree on ledge.

2. 25m (crux) Extract body from short V chimney topped by chockstone into either burly layback corner or 80-150mm wall crack.

3. 25m More burly laybacking up chimney/corner with rounded edges.

4. 25m Straight up with more of same.

To escape, skirt the cliff heading west/north-west to find the anchors above The Venom (on a big, waterwashed ledge by the cliff edge -sometimes running with water). 1 x 50m rap gets you to the belay at the end of The Venom P1, and another 50m rap gets you back to ground-level.

"The rock .. is appalling and the climb unpleasant in the extreme." [BA]

Start: Just left of the scrubby line of recesses in the centre of the wall between "Jack Murphy's Climb" and Southern Cross.

1. 40' Up short wall

2. 50' Traverse left through scrub to beneath first overhang.

3. 200' "Up a set of appalling rock recesses such as you see before you"

Crack and wall climb. Up KC for 5m, traverse right onto wall, up as you will.

Small line up obvious features on the left side of the downside of Crèche boulder.

How do I delete this route???

Up the corner behind the boulder

This climb is a long way left of The Emu and was done by accident. It will be hard to find the start without a cliff sketch. Neither the less,the climb is reasonably direct going up a kind of natural gully for the first two pitches and then moving right into chimney/crack system that goes to the top. Pitches three onwards get harder and more exposed the higher you go. Access: Same as for The Emu, walk past The Dreaming and continue for several hundred metres until you reach the right gully of a big buttress. Start: At fist size crack and slabs.

1. 40m. Up cracks and steep slabs. Tricky move through overhang/crack to good tree belay.

2. 50m. Easy up middle of slab, trending right and up to tree at 30m. From tree climb rightwards up broken cracks for 20m.

3. 30m. Up into open chimney. Take time with belay on ledge.

4. 25m. Climb wall with hollow ledges following corner. Tree and crack belay on ledge.

5. 30m. Up to dead tree. Climb wall moving left following wide crack (exposed). 10m up through scrub to tree belay.

6. 25m. Short layback and up wall to tree belay.

7. 15m. Up short crack to conglomerate overhangs. Walk right and scramble to cliff top.

   Hayden Brotchie 10.8.96 (back-rope solo)

Not quite Sublime. Starts at right end of black dirty slab where the descent track flattens out to the shale ledge. Apparently an excellent hangover climb or relaxing afternoon, back in the day.

1. 17m (12) Up near dirt on good rock to tree.

2. 13m (12) Easily up to bush anchor.

3. 17m (12) Up broken rock slight left around overhang to dirt ledge. Traverse left around corner then scramble up and right to track.

Line of least resistance through a world of seething choss.

Start: Starts at chossy groove under big overhang 2m left of 'Choc Chip Chai'.

1. 13m (12) Choss for 7m then dawdle left on small ledge and around nose into corner. Onto ledge and up to block. Old bolt belay.

2. 10m (14) Wall to cave and old double bolt belay.

3. 20m (14) Overhang on left and wall.

Appallingly chossy corner that joins into the first pitch of 'Defaecation' after the traverse.

Start: Marked DDS. Starts 10m left of original route.

Another major line of least resistance and most vegetation from the Rhum Dhu pioneers.

Start: Start as for 'Kedumba Gambit'.

1. 50m (12) Climb first two pitches of 'Kedumba Gambit'. [Apparently to avoid hardcore roof corner / crack]

2. 17m (-) Scrubby ledge left to tree.

3. 10m (-) Yummy chimney.

4. 20m (-) Continue up the chimney to tree.

5. 10m (-) Continue up chimney to cave and tree.

6. 13m (-) Right crack. "Wriggle into crack on the right crack and thrust upwards." [BA] Appears to be hideous barely navigable offwidth.

7. 15m (-) Up.

A major old-school line of little modern merit.

Start: Start at big black wall or small wall to its side.

1. 30m (-) Up to first ledge 2m right of corner.

2. 13m (-) Diagonally left and up to ledge.

3. 30m (-) Traverse left to corner and up to ledge.

4. 20m (12) Chimney to cave on left.

5. 17m (-) Up, ignoring the scrub on the left.

6. 13m (-) Wall on right.

7. 13m (-) Traverse left and up chimney.

A nice easy trad corner on the right side of the Binary Cave. Marked CCVS. There are now rap anchors added at the top of the first pitch. Be careful of some loose rock at the top.

"A good climb up a steep direct line." [JME]

Start: 300m left of landslide at crack running right to the top of a broken black wall.

1. Wall and scrub to tree belay at base of crack.

2. (crux) Wall to top of chimney, around overhang into crack above and tree belay.

3. Over overlap up rotten rock to rock belay.

4. Crack and chimney-gully to tree belay on ledge.

5. "A small cliffline above provides interest."

Exit route used to get out of Butterbox Canyon that doubles as the access to the bottom for all of the climbing routes. One short (~12m) section of technical climbing (or an abseil when descending) that is massively overbolted.

Stiff moves for the original grade (8) especially with a pack on and canyon gear. The traverse on a sketchy ledge that leads up to the climb has also been bolted. Bolts can be used to rig a traverse line.

Verbatim description below from Bryden Allen † 's 1963 Rock Climbs of NSW.

A magnificent climb up the centre of the face of great variety. Standard: Mild Severe.

Start: There is some scrambling at the start and the climb is by no means easy to find. The diagram gives the rough area and it is a fairly obvious line of weakness. It is best approached high on the right.

1. 20' Start in the corner with short wall on the left. Up the wall (tricky if wet) then around to the left, piton belay.

2. 30' Up the crack ahead and out into scrub.

3. 120' Up through scrub a walk around to the left along a sandy overhung ledge.

4. 80' Belay (piton) below a vertical corner with a rectangular block blocking the start. Up over the block then up the corner and then the right hand face.

5. 110' Up the magnificent wall on the right traversing to the middle. Tree belay.

6. 20' Farther up then back into the gully.

7. 90' Up the gully till one strikes bush. Push on and just .before one sneaks off to the left there is a bolt belay on top of yellow rock.

8. 70' Traverse left and up till confronted by a short yellow wall, up (easier than it looks) and a bolt belay on top.

9. 100' Walk left 100 feet, belay on yellow block.

10. 60' Sneak up the overhang.

11. Walk up the grass then the 10' remaining little wall.

#Historical Topo notional, route not confirmed. 150m

"Details are forgotten." [BA] "A fine climb." [JME] Description below from Owens, copied from JME.

Start: At steep corner on the next prominent buttress east of Boars Head 420m left of Devils Hole.

1. 23m, up and right to top of buttress.

2. 35m, left to corner and up.

3. 33m, up and right to chimney.

4. 25m, chimney.

5. 36m, up gully and scramble off.

Start: At crack 3m left of "Bloody Mary RHS".

1. 18m Crack to ledge.

2. 17m Roof and chossy crack above.

Coner and ramp to bush(!) 2). Up to traverse line, left and up onto block. 3). Up and right on jugs. Take great care!!

Start: 2m right of SoT.

Solo!

Start: 3m right again.

Corner to ledge. 2). Aid ladder then free. Take care!

Start: 12m right of SW at scrubby corner.

Aid to overhang, over, up to corner then ledge. 2).Up cracks to corner end. Aid, then free to ledge.

Start: 1m right of LE.

Up corners and ledges, traverse right to small gully, up to roof. 2).Corner, over roof, onto ledge and up to tree. Finish up 'Pawn Wall'.

Start: 20m right at right curving crack.

Start 7m right of FI. Take care as it's poorly protected.

1. 30m Up to ledge then left to ease in overhang, up, gully to ledge on left.

2. 22m Right across gully and up.

3. 22m Slab. Direct finish

Nice crack, slab and nose. Start: As for JH arête, at small tree, crack system 8 M L of JH arête.

1. 30m (12) Up a few moves of JH, BR L to base of crack and up with good pro and climbing. Up to DBB and cam. (Old BR off route found here?)

2. 15m (12) Right 3m from belay to nose, up as for JH.

An interesting route with lots of little corners!! Better than it looks. Start: Yellow crack 15m right of DOC.

1. 12m (12) Up corner with good cams move R to tree on ledge.

2. 28m (12) Up orange weakness on left, up corners and up left to cams/belay at base of hanging corner of TBC.

3. 15m (6) Up scrambling left to small wall and tree belay.

Beautiful wall climbing, good rock but poor protection.

Start: 7m right of The Oracle on black wall above rise in track.

1. 30m (crux) Up wall to bulge, slightly right over bulge and up wall above to block belay in gully.

2. 9m Up wall on left of gully to tree belay.

An average black slab.

Start: Arête/slab right of rap route, finish at rap anchors.

1. Up to ledge and right side of black arête and BR’s, left near top, over bulge BR. TBB.

A beautiful crack and an interesting chimney.

Start: 5m right of Sagittarius in red crack capped by small overhang.

1. 24m (crux) Up crack to overhang, traverse right 2m, mantleshelf onto ledge, up chimney onto scrubby ledge on right (tree belay).

2. 12m Traverse right to, and up, corner (tree belay).

2 metres right of Mañana. Long, easy, and popular.

Start 10m left of Centaur.

1. 20m (12) wall and thin crack.

2. 33m, gully to right.

Start as for Pure Spirit.

1. 8m Corner to tree.

2. 17m (12) Corner and slab to tree.

3. 30m Ramp to path. (Owens 1995)

This climb is now mostly dirt and vegetation, interspersed with moments of below average rock and pro.

3a. 10m (16) Escape the Dihedral Of Dirt via short ironstone wall with crack at base.

A variant start to Nymphomaniac. Start 13m left of it at orange chimney/crack marked A.Y.L.I.

1. 13m (6) Crack, out of cave and up to arete, to piton belay 1 of Nymphomaniac.

(They certainly don't name 'em like they used to! - Ed.)

Start 2m left of Sultry.

1. 18m (12) Wall and slight overhang to bollard.

2. 22m Up and left, easier rock and corner to stump.

Start 3m left of Aquarius.

1. "Straight up." (Owens)

Start 13m left of old rap route.

1. 14m Short wall to tree.

2. 13m (12) Up tree, onto wall, up arete.

Start at corner 10m right of The Great Escape (clearly marked).

1. 13m, corner, out on to wall and up crack, piton belay.

2. 20m, up, traverse right and up arete to tree belay.

3. 17m, crack through overhang then easy wall.

(Looks like a decently-protectable crack - Ed '19)

A variant start to Red Crack. Start at chimney 1m right of White Wall (clearly marked).

1. 23m, chimney to piton belay in roof.

2. 13m (12) chimney to Red Crack belay 2.

Start: 150m right of access gully, marked with faint MOT chip. Small right leaning corner with twin trees on ledge at 25m.

Corner and layback.

Start: 66m right of 'Calm'. Marked with giant KA. Horribly broken chimney with what looks like better crack to left.

1. 17m (11) yellow corner, traverse left to chimney, right to crack.

2. 13m Chimney and crack

Start: At break in overhang 10m right of 'Knees Also', marked T.

1. 17m Left to tree then easy slab to block.

2. 13m To right.

Start: Chimney 33m right of 'Us'.

1. 20m chimney, squeeze right to ledge of piton.

2. 6m Up and out of chimney.

Start: At base of chimney 13 right of 'Tanglefoot'.

1. 13m chimney to tree.

2. 17m gully then left and up easy mossy corner.

3. 13m Easy chimney.

10m right of Gallows Humour. Stump and wall right of corner

Finishes up the black arete that can be seen from the walking track on the way down. The climb is probably now lost in a sea of bolts.

Starts on detached block 6m right of Honeycomb.

1. 11m Up flake to ledge. Traverse 6m right to belay.

2. 35m Traverse 3m to large block, climb bulge above trending right on four points of aid (since eliminated by others?). Up wall above on good jugs rightwards towards a good ledge - belay to the right.

3. 42m Move right and up to small corner level with big cave on arete. Climb bulge and move right to arete. Airily up the Arete to top.

One of the best and most traveled easy routes in the mountains - great rock and exposure. Can be done as one big pitch with a couple of slings. Start on blocks at base of grey slab beneath Eyrie belay cave.

1. 30m (12) Slab past cams to ring bolt (possible belay), left to arete, past another FH and up to the unique bolted belay cave. 2 bolts plus single rack of cams (Camalot 0.5-4)

2. 15m (12) Out left hand side of cave via steep, exposed moves to FH. Up left side of arete and back onto main face to find old RB. Top out for carrot belay set back from the edge, or DRB on the boulder further back.

The first climb at Mt.Boyce.

Start: 6m right of BS.

1. 27m (12) Corner to lip, left and up to second lip.

2. 27m (12) Slightly left through bulge to top.

Rap-in climb out route. Rap anchor located in the cave about 10m right (facing out) of the top of Goldstar. Abseil 35m tending slightly left (facing cliff) clipping in to carrots on the way down. Double ring belay on a grey nose about 20m above ground. Take care not to abseil past the belay as ascent may be highly problematic and your rope probably won't reach the ground. Take medium wires, slings, large hexes, and a few medium cams. (Or just bolt plates and run it out).

Start: 9m right in chimney.

1. 15m (8) Wide easy chimney to small ledge and nut & thread belay deep inside cave.

2. 30m (12) Squeeze chimney "quite safe once it has been started" then easier chimney to sandy cave.

Start: 10m left of TFH.

1. (14m). Mantle and squeeze behind the tree to crack/flake. Up ramp to ledge.

2. (23m). Either up layback flake (as in Blue Mountains guidebook; not a grade 12 move), or traverse right and mantle onto ledge (also not a grade 12 move, but easier than the flake). Up, then traverse right along ledge.

3. (13m). Scramble up.

Chimney system just right of Messiah's Exit. Enjoyable climbing that is mostly well protected (particularly if you sling the tree... twice). A cool outing for a hot summer day.

Aid at M3. Start 5m left of M. Sebco's finest hour: probably never repeated, and with good reason.

1. 15m (-) Aid roof, up the scrubby wall to ledge.

2. 15m (12) Up right through jungle to join OU.

The wide broken chimney 10m left of K.

1. 12m (12) To ledge and tree.

2. 33m (12) Bridge tree to traverse left, up left past scrubby ledge.

3. 13m (12) 'Gully'.

Ferny chimney!

Walk right (facing out) from bottom of ladder, through some bushes to a short wall to the right of a scrubby corner. Up the right wall past 2 carrots and trad gear.

Start: Left of arête, marked. Straight up past very little protection.

Start marked

Start at the cave marked for Master Plan. Head left on the ledge, then wander up and left to the arête above Ferro Pro. Continue up this to the top

Short crack on wall inside gully.

"Um, yes I did it. But I didnt think it was worth writting up!" RT

Start: Rightward leaning corner 25m right of EC.

Start: 20m R of Silly Chimney, L of tree below single carrot on wall. Straight up following carrots (one FH) to lower offs.

Just L of arete, 5m L of Rotating Toothbrush. Up past two bolts to rap station.