Routes in Australia for selected grade

Start off the flake then trend L to short L-facing corner. Up this then pass roof above just R of centre.

Start: About 2/3rds of the way up the 2nd gully is a flake resting against the wall.

R-facing corner 2m R of CTT's to ledge, then straight up.

Lovely rock and cute pro. Starts about 4m down and right of Pointy End. Climb up to and past the prominent white streak. Step left and up the line to the Pointy End bolts.

Very enjoyable with an interesting mix of styles. Starts 8m or so right of Making The Point.

1. 22m 16 Delicately right past BR and into the left-leaning groove. Follow this the straight up shallow flake-corner and wall to the prominent left-facing corner. Belay anchor at top of corner.

2. 10m 18 Straight up to the short wide crack just below the overhang. Move right through the overhang. Have a sit-down on the lip then move up to anchor. Best to belay and abseil rather than lower as the edges are very rough.

Quite committing. Starts 3m right of Zabriskie Delicately past BR (hard to see from the ground) and step right into the line which bounds the right side of the steep wall. Follow the line to the ledge and walk left to the Zabriskie bolts.

Good direct climb to top of cliff. Could be split into two pitches if so desired. Starts right of Point Blanc and left of a short left-facing corner further right.

Climb a faint vertical bulge in the cliffline and continue up the obvious short crack/groove. Pass the little rectangular roof on the right and bustle your way over the overhang above that guards the upper part of the cliff. Veer slightly right to finish.

To descend, scramble down the ridge towards camp then find a bollard to make a short rap into the gully towards the Voodoo buttress (sling needed).

Wall just right of pine and move left above flakes to finish straight up above tree.

A leftwards diagonal on the right wall of the gully.

Overhanging crack right of 'Triple Nipple'.

Centre of next water-polished area. Bouldery start eases.

Up until the obvious line veers left up to the roof. Climb the roof and finish straight up.

Start: Start as for 'Secret Police'

Layback corner then L into the "condemned cell", which takes some escaping! Great moves continue above, trending slightly L. Top anchor is several bits of rope/tat with a mallion. Walk over the top of the pinnacle, with a short down-climb to a rap anchor behind boulder.

Start: Start at the L-facing corner at the R end of the main face.

Start as for 'Death Row' Climb the initial corner on 'Death Row' and continue straight on up the line instead of stepping left into the condemned cell. Delicate, airy moves over a bulge lead to a corner system capped by a small roof. Bridge spectacularly through the left side, or more easily on the right. Continue up wall right of the arête to the top of the pinnacle.

Cute little thing starting 20m up right from 'Death Row'. Crack to ledge, then seam up grey face.

5 metres right of Black Box. Climb middle of orange wall using little pockets and directly up middle of slabby pinnacle although this is run out (easy escape left of right).

Steep deep wide crack. Overhangs more than most 18s! Can be bridged without much thrutching, but some large gear can be handy. Stays dry in light rain too.

Start about 20m up the gully R from CoC.

Start 8 metres left of Oceanoid, 1 metre right of the lowest part of the buttress, below corner leading to overhang.

1. 25m (18) Up vague corner to bulge, right around it and up to overhang. Traverse left then up easily.

2. 15m (18) Take right-hand crack through overhang.

Fantastic climb. The original route climbed the first pitch of Courage until above the grotty overhang and then traversed left. The route as described is vastly better. Start below the inset corner in recessed bay behind large Callitris pine.

1. 37m (17) Follow the corner for 17 metres, protection is spaced for first few metres. Move left at chalked-up weakness into a diagonal scooped line. Follow this to below roof and move left to terrace. DRB (35m rap to ground if required).

2. 30m (17) Pull through the first easy weakness on left side of overhangs. Traverse 3 metres right (stay low) and make an airy step across a gap. Take line leading straight up into awkward bottomless chimney. Easy chimney leads to large ledge, continue further 5m up to another large terrace. Scramble off left or climb short wall to base of French Crack.

An easier version of Courage. The right-hand inset corner.

Looks quite daunting for the grade.

Graunchy roof-crack at left end of terrace that Oceanoid Pitch 1 finishes at.

This is an OK alternative to second pitch of Oceanoid if you've been here before. Start as for pitch 2 of Oceanoid through initial bulge then head up right to a chalked-up horizontal. Mantle onto the orange wall and continue up slab keeping left of Oceanoid. Finish just left of the bottomless corner.

Good start and bold finish but the middle bit is nothing to write home about. Start on the buttress between Five Fingered Mary and Hurricane Lamp Cracks below a crack through an overhang at 8 metres.

1. 43m (18) Climb overhang at 8 metres and continue up chimney-corner to large ledge.

2. 24m (8) The corner-crack and walls to ledge.

3. 30m (15) Sparsely protected wall above to the Tennis Court.

Takes the hanging buttress between Hurricane Lamp Cracks and The Shroud. The overhang on pitch 3 is exciting. Pitch 2 is best avoided while the block is in place. Start as for The Shroud.

1. 28m (10) As for The Shroud.

2. 15m (14) Seam between Hurricane Lamp Cracks and Fat Dude until horizontal crack leads right past a detached block to front of buttress. Up to good ledge.

3. 25m (17) Bridge deep line on right side of buttress (just left of The Shroud's third pitch). Traverse onto front of buttress, through overhang and up line. Avoid the top overhang (a big jammed block) on the right and continue to the Tennis Court.

If you only scare yourself on one route this year, make this the one. A fantastically scary (but safe) through a large roof a long way up the Pharos. The best grade 16 roof at Arapiles. Start from the right hand end of the large ledge at the end of Spiral Staircase's 2nd pitch beneath a crack through a roof. There used to be a 'map of Italy' hanging down, but that's gone.

1. 6m (17) Up to roof and out to stance and belay.

2. 24m (12) Step back left over the void and up. The top pitch of Spiral can be done to finish.

3. -m (-) A third pitch has been done by stepping across and climbing the wall left of the top pitch of Spiral. Eric Jones, Richard Smith, Paul Hoskins, sometime in 2001.

Start: Start just left of 'Lamplighter' at slick, wide, left-leaning crack.

1. 25m (17) Grovel along the crack. From ledge above go left and scramble up to higher ledge.

2. 22m (17) Up right-facing flake. Continue up to big ledge.

3. 35m (18) Starting just right of big roof go up on suspect rock and move right to arete. Follow nose up arete on right and then left, whichever is easier to dramatic mossy exit. This pitch used to finish up a deep line some way right of the arete.

Quite good climbing on the lower south-east face, the next little face up the hill from the Punks wall. Takes the face and then left into the prominent hanging corner. Double ropes help. Start on a small ledge below the middle of the face.

Up face a few moves then move right into left-leading diagonal and up to ledge. Traverse left, staying low, to below hanging corner. Move up to corner and then up corner/ramp a ways before finishing straight up to huge boulder.

The lovely thin crack.

A harder finish to "Beat Route". Up this to roof and pull over on brittle holds to right.

A good, varied pitch with an exciting steep finish that was originally dirty, poorly protected and with significant loose blocks. Now cleaned up and with a couple of tweaks to avoid runouts and loose blocks as well as a rap anchor. The thin crack section is a little contrived but keeps the line flowing.

Start as for Tamesis, the first crack system left of Vanoise.

Up the crack (originally climbed poorly protected face 2m to right) and at about 7 metres, instead of stepping left into the obvious continuation, follow thin cracks up the face to little step in the roofline. Swing right through this step (originally moved up left into next corner over dangerous blocks). Easily up for next 5 or 6 metres to twin cracks through top bulge. Initially up right-hand edge of right-hand crack then finish steeply between the cracks to anchor. 30m rappel.

Be careful with the rap – new 60m ropes doubled reached the ground with about half a metre to spare whereas an old 60m doubled was about a metre off the ground. Don’t rap or get lowered off the end of the rope.

Straightens out Agent Orange. At the roof corner, step left then up and into AO.

Little jam-crack on left.

Obvious traverse line.

Supposed to be good.

From loose block on ground, up to horizontal, step right and up shallow. left-facing corner.

Straight up to and through obvious weakness between Soggy Muffin and Lou will be pissed.

Up breaks then slab left of 'Prendergast' roof.

Start: Start about 6 metres left of the 'Prendergast' flake.

Quite sustained and poorly protected. Start 2 metres right of Hugh Goes West. Up to diagonal, then right along horizontal break, up and across to bottomless corner and climb this.

Logically done as a two-pitch combo with "Marcia's Route". The initial wall is fingery and tiring to protect: small cams and beware of ledge-fall. Prominent black streak into a chimney-gully is harder than it looks. Descend via Bakers Delight rap.

Crack through bulge on right side of small face.

Line 2 metres right of 'Fantoochi'.

Climb wall and step right to tiny, left-facing corner which is followed until you can swing right to arete. Up.

Start: Start 1 metre right of 'Double Decker'.

Start as for crack attack then step L around corner to stance (no more bolt?). Up on the L of arete over sus gear to rail, move L and up.

Steep climbing up the corner left of 'Mr Hyde'.

The very technical, bouldery start was always a bit of a shock to people expecting a grade 14! The rest of the route is substantially easier.

Up flake, at top step right on orange wall and go up slightly right to easier finish.

Start: Start at right-facing flake right of 'Jeckle' and before the streak of Clap For Kiwis.

This beautiful thin crack is so good it just about rates three stars. Maybe if it was five metres longer?

Pull into the flake just left of the cherry ballart then continue up the face-crack.

Buttress uphill from Voidoid Pinnacle - opposite 'Totally Foxed!'

Right-leading diagonal. From almost at top of seam, step left and go up.

Start: Start under hanging flake on left side of face.

Short corner bounding right side of wall.

Start on south face of grey buttress opposite Crocks On The Rocks, immediately left of huge leaning tree against right side of buttress. Up then diagonally up left to small stance on left above overhangs. Finish steeply.

A route in its own right and not a great one at that.

Start: Start in gully below 'Voidoid' under huge chockstone.

Traverse high into line from left.

Delicate start 2 metres right of A Bit... leads to ledge at 15 metres Climb the arete at the L end of the wall to finish. A yellow Alien was essential protection.

Original route finished up buttress left of A Bit Of The Old One-Two.

Quite good with a surprisingly technical bulge.

The bulging crack 2 metres right of Nautilus and 2 metres left of the large tree. After the crack, go right through overlap and then back left.

Good technical start.

Start: Start 2 metres right of 'Jackass Crack', behind gum.

Up crack to overhang which is passed on left. Go right through overlap and then back left to easy finish.

Good rock, protection was thought to be a bit funky. Wall just right of Angel Black has a prominent flake starting a few metres up. Climb diagonally right up to flake and follow it.

Great, clean-cut corner just a few metres off the track. Take some big gear. Bolt anchor at the top.

Climb flakes 2 metres left of "Gwen" to overhang and finish up flake and wall above.

Crack and pod.

Start: Start just L of the L arete of the main face, just behind a pine.

Up 'Pibroch' for 4m then the groove on the L.

Start: As for 'Pibroch'.

Takes the seam immediately left of Miss Moneypenny, ie the left side of the Turquoise/Green Shirt wall. Best done as a variant finish to Miss Moneypenny as the start is undistinguished and poorly protected. Either climb the grey wall, moving left until able to chimney and then up to join MissMoneypenny below second bolt, or climb Miss Moneypenny to this point. Now, ignore the bolt and follow the line slightly diagonally left.

Consistent climbing for the grade. Starts 10m L of Turquoise, takes 2 #3 camalots (or equivalent), a #0.2 is handy to protect clip at second bolt. Up to lower off.

Good start and finish. Crosses Green Shirt and climbs the L seam and arete off the ledge. Runout up the slab above this. Start at south arete of buttress at a shallow orange corner.

Crank up the wall 2 metres right of Ephemeral.

Above Nexus there is a wall with no routes (until now). It faces the Pharos. Start in the middle of the wall. Head up rightish to small pod then back left above this and straight up to horizontal break. Take thin seam through headwall.

Start up the poorly protected seam of Tomorrow, then L and up (gear is good from here).

Varied and tricky. The crackline about 3m R of the arete (No Quarter). The initial seam is poorly protected and not super easy.

This is pretty good. Start a few metres down right of the boulder choke, opposite Pixies Delight. Move right on a ledge to base of diagonal flake/ramp (FH). Follow flake diagonally left until it runs out at FH. Move left to and up seams on grey face (this is just right of the crack and seams of Kempt) to the headwall. Up righthand crack moving slightly right then back left at top (careful with hollow block on left). Easy ground to anchor above Kempt.

Follow corner on right arete of wall and through bulge.

The central seam, past a downward-pointing tongue of rock.

Awesome major corner that sees few ascents. Large gear is needed.

Start: Start below the corner forming the left side of the 'Slabocide' wall.

1. 15m (18) Wide roof and up to belay in gully.

2. 15m (18) Traverse out right across wall and go up.

Middle of face opposite 'Flash Gordon' and left of 'Haphazard'.

Climb the ramp just left of Haphazard for 7 meters to ledge, then climb wall directly with tricky moves at the top.

This is in the hanging gully between Lunatic and Blue Hawaii and is approached by scrambling down from Haphazard. Lefthand of two lines left of the original start to 'Lunatic', finishing up arete.

Thin crack below left arete of 'Future Past' pillar. From ledge above crack go up arete, finishing on right.

Next crack right of Sage with good holds around bulge.

Start below middle of orange wall 15 metres left of Lost In The Ozone corner and finish left of diagonal crack.

Beautiful climbing on good holds

Up slab to roof and through.

Start: Starts where slab is steepest just right of No Charlie.

"You can lead them to free beer but you can't make them climb." Greg might have more takers if the free beer was kept until after the climbing.

Start at 'Tiptoe Ridge' DS, but take short, wide right-leading diagonal through bulge.

The short orange wall just left of Bossy Mothers eases quickly (stay R of the loose juggy line). Easier climbing then continues up the pleasant slabby grey wall above. At the top move over R to the anchors above Bossy Mothers.

A good finishing pitch. Often done as a finish to 'Creon' but can be easily reached via the ledge system the crosses the face at 60 metres.

Good 2nd pitch with bold and committing crux well out from gear. (A couple of grades have been added to allow for this.) 'Hot Flap Direct Start' might be a better start than the current first pitch. Take doubles of all cams to #2 1/2 and three #2 TCUs or equivalent.

Start as for 'Hot Flap', below the flake marking the left edge of the 'Left Watchtower Face'.

1. 23m (-) Up to the base of the flake and step L. Follow thin cracks up the face and over a steepening. Follow easy ground up and move R to belay on L edge of the 'Left Watchtower Face' (1st belay of Hot Flap).

2. 35m (18) Move out R a few metres as for 'Hot Flap' and go up to a flake (if you get to a bolt you are about 3m too far R). Go up 5-7m R of the large chimney until the face steepens after about 20m. Get some wires in a flake then move L and boldly up (crux). Above the steepening, traverse 2m R below a thin overlap and then go back L and pull over the overlap. Easier ground leads up dirty groove to ledge on the 'Siren' traverse.

3. 20m (-) Up the corner above then directly up to a good ledge below the recessed wall L of 'Siren' Buttress.

4. 28m (-) An unpleasant crack marks the L side of the recessed wall. From below this crack move out L to an arete. Follow the easy but delightful arete to the top.

A logical but not very appealing start.

Marginal protection on first pitch. Both this pitch and the its next-door neighbour 'Puppet' On A String are very good pitches but possibly the most serious of their grades at 'Arapiles'. Still not sure if they deserve the skull-and-crossbones (have taken them off this climb) but they are very serious.

Peter Watling accidentally climbed this pitch in the 70's thinking it was 'Hot Flap' Direct Start!

1. 50m (18) Climb up midway between the black moss streaks to join 'Hot Flap'. Belay when rope runs out.

2. 35m (-) Up to Siren's corner and climb right wall to stance just below Hot Flap's fourth pitch traverse.

3. 35m (17) Up over traverse line then delicately up on black rock to two horizontal cracks. Step right to runners then back left and up impressive headwall to terrace.

4. 10m (-) Groove in final wall.

Another pitch in a similar vein to 'Sang Froid', possibly the scarier of the two. 'Argonauts' makes a good finish.

1. 50m (17)

2. 50m (18)

3. 10m

A good climb all of the way. Finishing up Tales Of Brave Ulysses makes it even better.

Start on a platform below a seam about 30 metres right of the left edge of the face and 20 metres left of a deep line (Driftwood).

1. 50m (17) Hard start into crack. When crack peters out step up to thread in flake at 10 metres (this bit is shared with 'Oedipus' Rex). Delicate climbing to left-leading diagonal flake line. Follow these, then straight up to join 'Hot Flap'. Belay on small ledge when the rope runs out.

2. 50m (16) Up to the 'Siren' buttress and take the left-hand line up the front of this (right-hand line is Tales Of Brave Ulysses). This pitch can easily be split into two as on the first ascent.

Good long climb but the middle section is nothing special.

Start on a platform below a seam about 30 metres right of the left edge of the face and 20 metres left of a deep line (Driftwood).

1. 30m (17) Hard start into crack. When crack peters out step up to thread in flake at 10 metres (this bit is shared with Creon). Get some runners, don't rely only on the fragile-looking thread, then traverse right under bulge, veer up right for 4 metres then straight up to belay at old bolt. Not a lot of good protection after the thread.

2. 45m (13) Up broken area to big ledge and on up to 'Rotten Row'.

3. 42m (14) Climb black bulge then smooth wall to bolt. On up face to left end of sloping ledge and up left to bigger ledge.

4. 30m (16) Step right and up small, left-facing corner to the roof. Take flake through ceiling with hard move at lip. Easily up. Original finish took steep flake directly above belay (17) and then up through overhangs.

A strange, unbalanced climb. Few people will do the climb as a whole, using the initial chimney as the start of another climb or doing the final, evil chimney after starting up something else.

Start: Start at the deep chimney line that is the major feature of the 'Left Watchtower Face'.

1. 60m (13) Up the deep line to large ledge. Either a 60 metres rope or a semi-hanging belay at some point is required.

2. 16m (18) Walk 30 metres right into the chimney and belay. Climb the glass-smooth chimney (big cam).

An enjoyable combination pitch (Watchtower Chimney and Radio Days) which has already become quite popular. Climb Watchtower Chimney's initial crack to the traverse. Move 2m L to the ancient carrot bolt. Straight up the crack above (Radio Days) to a narrow ledge. Directly up the wall above (avoiding the easier climbing up the arete on the L) to the big ledge and lower-off / rappel anchors.

Start: At foot of Chimney on 'Watchtower Chimney'.

1. 27m (18) Climb past left side of horizontal overlap. Up wall then veer right. Up wall and over horizontal flake near arete. Traverse right to below orange corner.

2. 28m (18) Up wall on left of corner, over bulge, then up.

One move wonder, but not a bad way to fill time if you're queueing for Arachnus (lower off a trad anchor after 25m then retrieve it on your way up Arachnus). May be easier for tall people. Start as for Arachnus, but take thin, left-leaning crack over crux bulge.

An obvious link pitch but it doesn't justify the voyage required to do it. Climb Watchtower Crack until level with the Skink traverse, then climb towards the arete and finish up Arachnus.

A technical, exhilarating route. A great contrast to its companion climb. The majority of the route remains in the shade until late morning. Start as for Watchtower Crack.

1. 25m (12) Pitch 1 of Watchtower Crack.

2. 40m (18) Pitch 2 of Watchtower Crack to cave, continue up to below the overhang. Traverse out right on fantastic horizontal break. Tricky moves gain sickle shaped line, then move up about 6m to a stance spanning the corner, which has some good wires and is surprisingly comfortable. Don't be tempted by the piton of Gollum a few metres higher, you are much better off where you are.

3. 42m (17) Follow the flake line, which eases towards the top.

Normally done as part of Gollum and is described as the first pitch of that climb.

The original finish of Brolga and the best way to finish the climb, if the rap route is not in use. Probably grade 18 if the final bulge to the rap anchor is taken direct or about 14 if taken further left. At end of Brolga P2, up and left to join Fly lichen Eagle.

Another clean streak that is proving popular. Start 10m left of Panzer.

1. 30m (18) Climb bulging wall to easier ground. Move back L and straight up through weakness in undercut bulge. Belay as for Panzer.

2. 30m (16) Up Panzer's corner crack then traverse L following the flake. At the top of the flake go straight up and belay in V corner. The flake section at the beginning of this pitch was first done by Ed Neve, Peter Megens, Garry Wills as a variant to Panzer. 27-04-1980.

3. 20m (8) Scrabble to the top following crack up and L.