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Flying Fox Area Mostly Trad climbing 35 routes in cliff

35
AU
71013151719

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Description

Mostly old school run out trad from 1970 with a few newer routes, and sport lines described as being in "lower Pole 28".

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

From Bellevue Cres left down dirt fire trail to foot path and steps under power lines.

Descent notes

Descend shale below red overhangs marked by white painted arrow to blocks and gap at -33.67943, 150.27551

Scramble left through blocks and down loose path to tree for ~12m rap to bottom. Beware shute below is full of loose debris and rockfall.

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/

History

History timeline chart

Older route descriptions and "quotes' taken from George Owens (1995) Rockclimbs in the upper Blue Mountains, 2nd Ed. published by the SRC. Beware any mentioned ancient pitons and bolts.

A post-'72 Thrutch mentions Kim Carrigan and John Croker did Topaz (17) and Exodus (19) "before Kim went on to solo a new route Churl (16)". However these routes have not been identified and Kim did not recognize any of the old/new topos when asked.

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Contents

Routes

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1
14 The Underworld Trad 30m, 2

Start: Leftmost climb of cliff on left side of The Underworld

  1. 10m Vegetated dirty chimney.

  2. 20m (14). Up tight chimney then bash up gully.

FA: G. Owens, 1970

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2
16 M1 Cerberus Trad 50m, 2

Start: Corner marked C, 8m right of The Underworld

  1. 37m (crux). Corner into big left crack. Up to where corner and roof start, aid last 3m. Tension traverse left.

  2. 13m. Chimney, hole and corner to bush.

FA: C. George, 1970

3
17 Orpheus Arete Variant Trad 33m

A variant end to Orpheus Arete.

From Orpheus Arete anchor 1 move left and up weakness in centre of wall.

FA: C. George

4
15 Orpheus Arete Trad 57m, 2

Start: 30m right of Cerberus.

Old Description

  1. 23m. Climb big tree to small tree and onto wall. (Or perhaps watch someone else do it? - Ed.) Traverse left and up to ledge. Block and piton belay.

  2. 34m (15). Over lip, right onto arete and up to bush.

FA: C. George, 1970

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5
14 Embossed Carbuncle Trad 53m, 2

Start: 15m right of Orpheus Arete.

  1. 23m (14). Traverse left onto arete and up to block. Piton belay.

  2. 30m. Right and up through overhang. Left and up arete.

FA: C. George, 1970

6
15 Fibbertigibbet Trad 53m, 2

Start on big block 2m right of Embossed Carbuncle.

  1. 20m. Wall to piton belay.

  2. 33m. Wall and overhangs to bush.

FA: C. George

7
10 Who's Lead? Trad 47m, 3

Start: 5m right of Fibbertigibbet at corner vegetated with ferns, shrubs and trees.

#Historical This corner has returned to its naturally vegetated state and has no further need to be cleaned or climbed.

  1. 20m (10) Corner to cave and piton belay.

  2. 17m. Chimney and corner to piton belay.

  3. 10m. Chimney.

FA: G. Owens, B. Crouch & Robert J Smith, 1970

8
13 Time Out Trad 50m, 2

Start: 5m right of "Who's Lead?" at blunt arete marked TO.

  1. Arete (take care) to block and piton belay.

  2. 33m. Wall and easy overhangs.

FA: B. Crouch, Robert J Smith & G. Owens, 1970

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9
18 ★ Copernicus Trad 53m, 2

Start: Marked C at orange left-leaning corner. Originally 17 with "peg used for handhold", subsequently freed on the fine first pitch.

  1. 27m (17). Small left facing corner to bulge, left across to and on to ramp. Up roof to hand traverse left to arete and piton belay.

  2. 26m. Diagonally right toward gap in wall, up over bulge, slight right and up easily to bush.

FA: K. Bell & H. Bevan, 1970

10
17 ★★★ Tycho Brahe Trad

Not in 1992 guide, probably cracks in orange wall but have to ask Butch.

FA: J. Smoothy & P. Butcher

11
14 Transvestite Trad 60m

Start 13m left of 'Psycho Arete'.

  1. 7m. Chimney to tree in corner on right.

  2. 13m. Corner to cave and piton belay.

  3. 40m (14). Overhang then slight right. Up easy wall to dead tree.

FA: G. Owens & G. Harrison, 1970

12
10 ★ Psycho Arete Trad 33m, 2

Start: Marked PA just left of arete below small corner.

Appeared to originally climb departed tree. Ascend corner or traverse in low from the right. Plenty of pro for the first 20m, thereafter plenty of jugs but unknown.

  1. Tree and arete to ledge.

  2. (10) Arete to former dead tree.

FA: B. Crouch, 1970

13
13 Megalomaniac Mixed trad 40m, 2, 2

Start marked M.

New description

Straight up from the mark to the lower gum with a lump on it. 5m grade 2 ledges then another 10m grade 3 jugs with pro past a block to a crusty carrot. Opportunities for pro now reduce with elevation. 10m to a wilted carrot, over which with a spicy mantle, then run it out to the tree. Short corner to cliff top.

Original description

  1. 20m bolt runner left and up small corner, right and up to block, piton belay.

  2. 33m (13) Up to bolt runner, slight right and up. Traverse left, mantle and up to former dead tree

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

14
8 Hair Trad 50m, 3

Start: 3m right of Megalomaniac.

  1. 23m (2) Easy wall and crack to block and piton belay. (Or maybe 3 Eucalypt saplings 50 years later.)

  2. 20m (8) Right-leading corners to tree.

  3. 7m Easy corner and slight overhang to tree well back.

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

15
8 Skinhead Trad 37m, 2

A varient start to Hair. Start 7m left of Riff-Raff.

  1. 13m Crack to tree.

  2. 24m Crack til it joins Hair.

  3. As for Hair or off right.

FA: G. Owens & G. Harrison, 1970

16
8 Riff-Raff Trad 33m, 2

Start 7m left of No Time Climb.

  1. 13m To gully/corner, bush belay.

  2. 20m (8) Gully/corner to tree.

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

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17
11 No Time Climb Trad 47m

Start 13m left of As You Like It.

  1. 14m (11) Chimney and traverse left to tree.

  2. 23m Traverse left and up bulge and gully. Walk off here?

  3. 10m Corner to walk down.

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

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18
12 As You Like It Trad 37m

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.

FA: R. Smith

19
18 As You Like It Direct Start Trad 10m

A variant start to As You Like It, start 2m right of it.

  1. Finger crack and reach to cave.

FA: B., J. Harrington & R. Taylor, 1994

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20
13 ★ Nymphomaniac Trad 43m

Start marked N, 3m left of The Homo.

  1. 20m (13) Arete and piton belay.

  2. 23m (12) Up arete to tree.

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens

21
12 The Homo Trad 40m, 2

(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.

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

22
12 Sultry Trad 40m

Start 3m left of Aquarius.

  1. "Straight up." (Owens)

FA: B. Crouch, 1970

23
8 ★ Aquarius Trad 30m, 2

Start 7m left of Deceptor Arete.

  1. 20m (8) Chimney tree to piton belay.

  2. 10m (8) Angled chimney and left side of block to tree.

FA: G. Owens, 1970

Descent Back to contents

Descend shale below red overhangs marked by white painted arrow to blocks and gap at -33.67943, 150.27551

Scramble left through blocks and down loose path to tree for ~12m rap to bottom. Beware shute below is full of loose debris and rockfall.

25
12 Deceptor Arete Trad 27m, 2

Start 13m left of old rap route.

  1. 14m Short wall to tree.

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

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

26
11 Blowfly Trad 27m

"Not great." (Owens). Start marked B, 3m right of old rap route.

  1. 10m Crack to cave and tree.

  2. 17m (11) Corner to left, up and out chimney, traverse right and jump (!?) to corner. Or ramp to right, through hole and up same corner.

FA: B. Crouch & G. Owens, 1970

27
15 ★ Contemplation Trad 40m, 2

Start 2m right of Blowfly.

  1. 10m scrubby crack.

  2. 30m Bulge, up crack and wall to tree.

FA: P. Edwards & G. Owens, 1970

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28
7 Inexperience Trad 40m, 2

Start: Marked I, 47m right of Contemplation at chimney/corner visibly separated from cliff at top.

Deep chimney with more dirt the deeper you go, and little pro toward the light.

Old Description

  1. 27m (7) Chimney to piton belay.

  2. 14m Easily up chimney and gully.

FA: G. Harrison & G. Owens, 1970

29
16 M2 Delilah Aid 40m, 2

Start: Unmarked, 2m right of Inexperience.

Old aid crack jammed with ferns with no tree to bridge. Probably now unclimbable apart from potentially run-out arete.

Old Description

  1. 27m (crux) Bridge tree, aid bulge, up (traverse back to left to protect second), then right to arete and bollard.

  2. 13m Up, traverse 6m left, up and right around top. Easy to piton belay.

FA: G. Owens, 1970

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30
20 Crankenfurten Sport 23m, 10

Start: At crack right of Delilah.

Sport Route: 10 bolts to lower-off. A funky and gymnastic route with a thoughtful crux. Starts at a flared groove in the yellow wall.

Up groove for several metres then onto left wall, up through thoughtful blocky bulges on nose (after clipping 6th bolt, unclip 5th for less rope drag) then aesthetic grey & orange face to lower-off.

FA: Tom Hepner, 2010

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31
19 R ★ Home Birth Babies Trad 40m

Start: Unmarked, 4m right of Crankenfurten. No doubt already climbed.

Easy 7m crack then hand/fist crack 10m to ledge under chimney. Top is somewhat vegetated chimney, or climb grey walls either side to tree belay.

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32
18 ★★ Something Borrowed / SB Trad 40m

Start: Marked SB.

This may have been mistakenly-labelled as Spellbound at Valley Farm.

Twin hand cracks and flared offwidth squeeze leads to open-bottom bomb-bay chimney. Up this then escape left up jugs to tree belay.

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33
17 ★ Easy To Be Hard Trad 40m, 2

Start: At steep orange corner 10m right of SB.

  1. 20m (17) Steep orange corner and squeeze/offwidth to ledge with trees. Take several 10-60mm cams and trend right below first small tree to arete to avoid compost. Rap off big tree or ..

  2. 20m (9) Low angled ramp, veg and easy corners and wall to top.

FA: Graham Dowden & Rene Provis, 17 Oct 2020

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34
CC Trad 25m

Start: Marked CC.

Broken orange overhang with flakes and cracks, that continues up through grey juggy wall above.

May have been a few moves of aid in the thin crack? Cram it with small stuff and soldier up, or lay away the flake.

35
9 Easy Day Trad 40m

Start: Grey-green corner marked ED 20m right of CC.

  1. 40m Up chimney/corner to ledge. Smaller chimney and easy overhangs to bollard.

FA: B. Crouch, 1970

36
11 Escapism Trad 46m

Start 27m right of Easy Day below short corner near forked tree.

  1. 46m Into corner, up to ledge, step left then up weakness to tree.

FA: B. Crouch, 1970

End of Flying Fox Back to contents

Continue right facing cliff to Three Brothers descent gully.

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Blue Mountains Climbing Guide

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.

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ⓘ
Best Of The Blue Blue Mountains Select Guide

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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17 ★★★ Tycho Brahe

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Rene Provis on ★★ Something Borrowed 18 - SB Rene Rope Solo 1

Rene Provis on ★★ Something Borrowed 18 - SB Rene Leading

Rene Provis on ★★ Something Borrowed 18 - SB Rene Cleaning

Rene Provis on ★★ Something Borrowed 18 - SB Rene Rope Solo 2

Fri 2 Jun
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