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Reservoir Dogs

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Description

This rap-in halfway ledge is situated between the Sunbath and Sporting Complex areas of 'Medlow Bath', with the Hydro Majestic dominating the skyline above. The cliff face is mostly dead vertical and contains six two-pitch bolted routes and one two-pitch trad outing, all just under 40m long. The large ledge, the area above and the climbs themselves feature spectacular views out over the Megalong Valley.

This area is located on private property owned by the Hydro Majestic Hotel. Access could be removed at any time. Please respect the land.

Useful Info: At the bottom of the steps look a few metres to the right to find a pair of ringbolts at the top of a small gully. Rap down the short 45 degree sloped gully then the cliff itself. A 50m rope is easily long enough. It is best to bring a rope for this purpose and leave it in place.

The route you rap down is 'Bohemiath'. If you wish to climb this route and not have the rap rope in the way you could rap from the top anchor of 'Stuck in the Middle with You', a few metres north - two rings a metre back from the cliff edge, set in a cavelet underneath a boulder.

A 70m rope is barely sufficient for rapping or lowering off the <40m routes, with some rope stretch required to get a toe on the deck. Tie knots in the ends.

The crag is in the sun from 1:00pm in summer and 11.00am in late winter.

© (Niall)

Access issues inherited from Medlow Bath

Many of these crags are located on private property - and could be closed at any time. Do not piss off local residents by parking cars at the end of Belgravia St - park back near the train line and walk 100m up the road.

The Belgravia St descent track and Devondale bouldering is located on private property (it is NOT owned by the Hydro Majestic Hotel). This property changed hands in 2018 for a cool $1.9 million, and the new landowners have not expressed concerns about the public on their land - yet. It is very important that this property is treated with utmost respect - and if you are approached by the owners then please be courteous. If they have concerns please get them to contact ACANSW.

Blue Mountains City Council is the land manager for The Block, Katoomba Bros, Sandpit, Valley Farm & Sooty Crag. Access to all these areas is via the private land mentioned above.

The mega lux Hydro Majestic Hotel owns private land that includes the Sunbath Wall, Reservoir Dogs, Sporting Complex, The Underworld & Pole 28. Access to to these private land crags is NOT guaranteed and could be closed at any time.

DJ crag is also located on private property - with the owner apparently living below the cliff itself.

Approach

To find the crag follow the track down from Belgravia St past the circular sunbath itself to the lookout above 'Schwing'. Turn left and follow the clifftop path. (The crag is visible, 100m away to the south, from the next lookout).

From here the path goes in around a wooded gully then back out towards the cliff. It swings left with a thicket of banksias on the right. Where these start to open out there is an old indistinct set of man-made bouldery steps heading down to the cliff edge. If you come across a wide circle in the middle of some cemented rock you've gone too far. Turn around and head back about 20 metres and you'll find the bouldery steps on your left. These steps are marked with a big cairn on their right. Walk down the short scrubby path towards the cliff top. When you walk out of the scrub turn right and look for the sloping gully. Here you'll find the rap rings facing you on approach.

© (Niall)

Ethic inherited from Blue Mountains

Although sport climbing is well entrenched as the most popular form of Blueys climbing, mixed-climbing on gear and bolts has generally been the rule over the long term. Please try to use available natural gear where possible, and do not bolt cracks or potential trad climbs. If you do the bolts may be removed.

Because of the softness of Blue Mountains sandstone, bolting should only be done by those with a solid knowledge of glue-in equipping. A recent fatality serves as a reminder that this is not an area to experiment with bolting.

If you do need to top rope, please do it through your own gear as the wear on the anchors is both difficult and expensive to maintain.

At many Blue Mountains crags, the somewhat close spacing of routes and prolific horizontal featuring means that it is easy to envisage literally hundreds of trivial linkups. By all means climb these to your hearts content but, unless it is an exceptional case due to some significant objective merit, please generally refrain from writing up linkups. A proliferation of descriptions of trivial linkups would only clutter up the guide and add confusion and will generally not add value to your fellow climbers. (If you still can't resist, consider adding a brief note to the parent route description, rather than cluttering up the guide with a whole new route entry).

If you have benefited from climbing infrastructure in NSW, please consider making a donation towards maintenance costs. The Sydney Rockclimbing Club Rebolting Fund finances the replacement of old bolts on existing climbs and the maintenance of other hardware such as fixed ropes and anchors. The SRC purchases hardware, such as bolts and glue, and distributes them to volunteer rebolters across the state of New South Wales. For more information, including donation details, visit https://sydneyrockies.org.au/rebolting/

It would be appreciated if brushing of holds and minimisation/removal of tick marks becomes part of your climbing routine. Consider bringing a water squirt bottle and mop-up rag to better remove chalk. Only use soft (hair/nylon) bristled brushes, never steel brushes.

The removal of vegetation - both from the cliff bases and the climbs - is not seen as beneficial to aesthetics of the environment nor to our access to it.

Remember, to maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible or risk possible closures.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Tags

Some content has been provided under license from: © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU)

Routes

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Grade Route
1 15 14m
2 12 22m

Fully bolted low grade climb on stainless glue-in hex bolts.

Start: Starts 5m left (facing in) of KBSS. Look for the stainless carrot about a metre above eye height.

  1. Straight up, or (easier) up one move, left then up past 6BR to mantle onto large belay ledge. 2FH belay on wall.

  2. Up trending right on some fragile ironstone, moving right around blunt arete about two thirds way up. 7BR to 2FH belay on top just right of a home made rusted fixed hanger from the past.

FA: Niall Doherty, Mike Patterson (alt) & Josh Dodson, 2007

1 17 20m
2 10 16m

Seventies style trad. First ascent was even chalkless! (The leader forgot his chalk bag). One set of cams from yellow Alien to #4 Camalot and a set of wires will protect it. Substitute hexes for cams if you sport a toothbrush moustache and pony tail.

Start: Marked "KB".

  1. Enjoyable. Good quality but slightly dirty rock and thought provoking moves. Follow right trending seam over three bulges. Top bulge was passed by moving left and up on FA, but remember to protect your second! Above top bulge traverse easily right all the way to belay at tree.

  2. Slippery lichenous corner. Easy but poorly protected. Not worth the effort unless you are heading for the top anyway. Belay at large tree.

FA: Niall Doherty, Mike Patterson (alt) & Josh Dodson, 2007

1 18 19m
2 17 17m

Vertical face climbing with a bit of a layback section.

Start: Starts where ledge steps down, 7m left (facing in) of rap-in.

  1. Cruisy pitch at the grade. Up left side of overlap then left trending layback flake to face moves and mantle on large horizontal break. 7RB to 2RB belay/lower-off.

  2. Pretty ordinary but interesting moves. Worth doing if you are topping out anyway. 5RB. 'Grunt' off belay then up past awkward move on left side of overhang. Up boulder with fantastic ironstone plates to 2RB belay.

FA: Niall Doherty, Anna Beardmore & Charlie Watts, 2007

1 19 19m
2 18 19m

Sustained crimpy first pitch, delicate second pitch.

Start: Starts at a small pointy boulder 3m left (facing in) of the rap-in.

  1. A long series of crimpy moves on a very slightly overhanging face should induce a bit of a pump! There is no decent rest until near the top. 7RB to a 2RB belay/lower-off at the big horizontal. (This pitch may end up being upped a grade. See what you think).

  2. Thought provoking climbing with a lot of small fragile ironstone flakes higher up and an exposed top out. 8RB to a 2RB belay in cavelet on top.

FA: Niall Doherty, Anna Beardmore & Charlie Watts, 2007

1 21 20m
2 17 18m

Starts at seam 3m left of Bohemiath and rap gully descent.

  1. Technical climbing up to overlap, over this then straight up black face to ledge. 7 RB to twin FH and mallion anchor/lower-off at ledge.

  2. Jugs lead to orange left-facing corner. Around right of corner and up big ironstone edges to steep top out. 6RB and DRBB.

FA: Gemma Woldendorp & Natasha Sebire, Jun 2020

1 20 19m
2 18 18m

Enjoyable face climbing.

Start: Starts off a rectangular block and climbs the rap-route.

  1. Straight up with hardish mantle move above second bolt then a pull through a small overlap. 7FH to ringbolt belay at the big horizontal.

  2. Awkward start out of the break - best to start on left (facing in) of belayer - up a bit then move right of the bolt line to use the layback flake and ironstone jugs. 7FH to double ring belay at base of small rap-in gully. Best to bring up the second then belay each other on the scramble up to the rap-in anchors a few metres further up.

FA: Niall Doherty & Rod Smith (alt), 2008

1 21 20m
2 21 20m

A slightly left-leading line that tackles the central overhang at the top of the wall on its left side. All rings.

Starts at scoop 6m right (facing in) of Bohemiath (rap).

  1. A couple of sustained sections at the grade (crux pitch). Double ring SHB/lower off at the top of the pitch.

  2. Different style than P1 and not quite as difficult. Airy finish to belay on top.

FA: M. Franklin & A. Simson, 2012

1 18 20m
2 22 18m

Cruisy first pitch, tough second.

Starts 6m left (facing in) of MO.

  1. Pleasant climbing on good rock. 9FH to 2-shackle belay/lower-off.

  2. Tough off ledge then long series of thin moves on slightly overhung face. Trend right at top to finish on ledge. Scramble off to right. 6FH, 1RB to 2RB belay.

FA: Niall Doherty & Rod Smith, 2009

1 20 24m
2 21 15m
  1. Stick clip first ring to get through the steep sandy start to the jugs. Tricky move past 2nd ring leads to beautiful steep climbing on good holds. 11 draws

  2. Steep start to an awkward move with two pockets which leads to good moves on a seam. An exciting sequence brings you to jugs through a beautiful orange roof. Take extenders to reduce rope drag. 9 draws. This pitch can also be finished by traversing left under final bulge and up to Wake Up anchor.

FFA: T.Ezekiel & M.Wilson, Apr 2016

1 20 20m
2 21 18m

Excellent position and exposure. Good moves on beautiful orange rock with the steep crux move on the second pitch performed 80m above the valley floor.

Start: Starts off the boulder at the south end of the ledge.

  1. Start will require a jump for the vertically challenged or short of reach (like the first ascensionist). Afterwards move left then up, back right and up on left side of rounded arete. Third ring is set back and can't be seen from below. 9RB to 2RB belay/lower-off at big break.

  2. Big exposure but nothing too desperate. Another tough start if you're not tall - begin a metre right of the belay, then up and traverse left. Head up to the hanging buttress and go straight up the steepness, marvelling at the massive pile of bird poo. Pull on to headwall then up and left on deceptively tenuous holds. 2RB + 6FH to 2RB belay on small ledge just below main platform.

FA: P2 Niall Doherty & Rod Smith

FA: Niall Doherty (P1, P2) & Rod Smith (second, 2007

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2019

ISBN: 9780958079082

The latest comprehensive, latest and greatest Blue Mountains Climbing Guide is here and it has more routes than you can poke a clip stick at! 3421 to be exact. You are not going to get bored.

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2019

ISBN: 9780958079075

Simon Carter's "Best of the Blue" is the latest selected climbing guide book for the Blue Mountains and covers 1000 routes and 19 different climbing areas. For all the sport climbers out there, the travellers, or just anyone who doesn't want to lug around the big guide that's more than 3 times the size - cut out the riff-raff and get to the good stuff! This will pretty much cover everything you need!

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