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Whale Boulders

  • Grade context: AU
  • Ascents: 57

Seasonality

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Summary

Seaside bouldering

Description

An awesome spot to escape the summer heat with afternoon shade and the sea breeze. The best time to climb is in ‎between mid to late afternoon and sunset as this avoids the direct sun and most of the pedestrian traffic. An excellent ‎area for beginner and intermediate boulders with many boulders in different styles. Bring a brush as it can get very ‎sandy. Problems are listed west to east. ‎

Access issues

Inherited from Cape Solander Kurnell. Officially rock climbing is not allowed in this National Park. Keep a low profile, do ‎not use ropes or bolts, do not abseil, do not go in large groups, avoid disturbing any wildlife or birds, take any rubbish ‎‎(yours and others) with you and avoid climbing here during public holidays. The boulders are all located on the intertidal ‎platform and some areas are inaccessible during king tides or large swells. ‎

Approach

Located in Kamay Botany Bay National Park in the suburb of Kurnell. Pay your $8 national park fee and park in the ‎Commemoration Flat Carpark. Walk down to the Whale Sculpture then walk east along the rock shelf.

It is also possible ‎to access this area via “The Step” near the Inscription Point car park. ‎

History

History timeline chart

First climbed during the 2020 and 2021 covid lockdowns. ‎

Routes

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Grade Route

Sit start on good holds. The mantle is suprisingly spicy for something only 1m off the ground.

FA: Arden Burrell, 2024

Just to the left of Foam Ball. Another sit start with a mantle to finish

FA: Arden Burrell, 2024

Sit start holding the lower portion of the ledge and facing towards the whale statue. Heel hook and rock over to the good jug, then easy moves to the top. Great warm up.

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

Its v0 starting from the ledge. V2 for the sit start in the cave with the underclings and feet on the small step. The undercling Variant adds a huge dino to start.

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

Same sit start as Into the Channel. Traverse hanging under the ledge until the ledge juts out. Then climb out to the top. For optional style points, toe hook and a knee bar to get out from under the ledge.

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

Same sit start as Into the Channel. Traverse hanging under the ledge for the entire wall topping out via the large bulge just before the end.

Video of Arden Burrell

FA: Arden Burrell, 10 Feb

Huge cave project that links the entire wall. Longer than many shire sport routes. Guess it will be a v4 range.

Warning Rock: Key hold boke

Huge dino from the start holds to the lip, or static it with a bat hang.

2024 update: A recent storm broke the left pinch. This means the dyno got way bigger and harder. The problem itself is still be possilbe, but the grade will be way harder than v3.

Orirginal: Match start with bad feet, Deadpoint to a pinch then dino to the top.

Starts 1m to the right of Hang 5 on sharp edges, feet on holds in the roof of the cave. Follow the line between the soft and hard sandstone topping out to the right of Hang 5. An extra pad or two is a nice to have as the top out is exposed, and the extra padding is nice incase you go over the falls.

FA: Arden Burrell, 5 Mar

Start hands matched on the bulge, then straight up the ocean side face. Top out on solid holds. Most of the problem can be campused for those who like that sort of thing. The rock on the problem is bomber, but gets soft and crumbly about 1.5m to the right. Don't traverse to the right.

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

Starts matched on the sloper with bad feet, then straight up. Bring a brush, this one gets very sandy after rain.

V1 with sit start, v0 without.

Start hands matched on undercling under the arête, feet on the adjactent wall. Then use the arête to move up and top out.

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

Open Project. Start left hand in the slot crimp, right in the sloppy gaston. Body tension and terrible feet up to get to the four finger pocket then desperate moves to the top. Humidity can make this almost feel impossible.

Start on the under cling, then move to the crimps to do a big huck to the lip. Height will affect grade on this one.

Start on under cling/sidepull thingo, finish on massive jug.

Follow lip around to top out. Going off memory of there being holds, go try it out.

So many potential very hard hard problems.

Open Project. An incredible line of rock with tiny holds. The difficulty is so far beyond anything ‎I’ve climbed that I don’t even know what grade it will end up. Bring your pro climber mates and ‎give it a go. ‎

Open Project Traverse

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

FA: Arden Burrell, 2021

Open Project. Really Scary and the rock is very fragile. Needs to be very dry or holds will break.

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Mike Forward and Peter Balint

Date: 2023

With 2065 bouldering problems ranging from V0-V15 across 57 areas nestled around Sydney, the all new Sydney Bouldering Guide will keep you occupied for years to come. Just because we live in Sydney we'll try not to be biased but honestly this city has some amazing bouldering and usually not more than a few minutes off the road or some even near parks and train stations. There's no need to camp out and trek for hours to get to world class problems, they're right on your door step.

Authors Mike Forward and Peter Balint spent over 7 years putting this guide together and is the first new bouldering guide for Sydney in over 20 years. It's over 350 colour pages including 600+ colour photo tops, crag tops, amazing images and more.

Author(s): Neil Monteith & Simon Carter

Date: 2021

ISBN: 9780645299908

Featuring 1142 climbing routes located at 24 of the best crags in the Sydney area, this A5 size guide book is super user friendly with easy to use colour cliff topos and access maps. Covers sport and trad climbing at a variety of grades, something for everyone.

Accommodations nearby more Hide

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Mon 29 May
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