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Steep Wall

Access: Dargans Creek Reserve closed until June 2024

As a result of the 2019 bushfires, a biohazard has been identified on the reserve. The removal of asbestos is being undertaken and is expected to continue for about 2 to 3 months with a finish date around June 2024. All visitors are asked not to enter the reserve while these works are being undertaken.

https://www.darganscreekreserve.org.au/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1cOp3owVSwGVrc_YQt-lqxTN8ghJHui79bKdwuDA_BT2Ic1WZ6DztPUs4_aem_AfNApoTZ-VkKXLG9VybhPvrzViphrFTHXSwneWuuWE5B-oinQD9G01HFSD_NvJkXjMY-ok59osrSFTRi2UrNscTG

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Created 6 weeks ago - Edited 5 weeks ago
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Description

Directly opposite Mossy Wall. A nice overhanging wall with awesome scoops similar but much better than Ladder of Gloom at Berowra

Access issues inherited from Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. 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.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

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/

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

At the left hand end of Steep Wall on the face perpendicular to steep wall. Considered a grade 15 if you use the boulder to the left.

FA: E Garnett, 1993

Right to left rising traverse just right of Ted Turd-Rossa and finishes at that routes anchors.

FA: D Barlow, 1993

Wide trad crack on left end of the steep wall. Tree belay.

FA: J Boyton, 1995

Far left end of the steep wall, just right of wide crack. Was originally graded 18 but a hold has broken so it's now crimpy desperation at 22. Rebolted 2019.

FA: F Lumsden & J Smoothy, 1993

Rising linkup through all interesting features on wall.

FA: Brad Thomas, 2004

Thin face climbing on good rock with reachy crux. Rebolted 2019.

FA: J Smoothy, 1993

Start 2m left of SOF. Up tending right then left through crux, to easy top section. Double fixed biners at top.

FA: J Smoothy & F Lumsden, 2000

A great lead at the grade, up through scoop on jugs, RBs to top.

FA: F Lumsden & J Smoothy, 2000

Bold start to gain slightly overhanging face then up scoops on rings to double ring lower off. Good fun at the grade.

FA: F Lumsden & J Smoothy

Climbs the face between the scoops of the adjacent routes. At the 5th ring move right to join 'Lonely Thursday'.

Start: 1m right of 'A Tale of Two Cities'.

FA: Ed Rutherford, 2010

Rings to double ring lower off.

FA: C Hale, 2000

Avoid the crux of Sloper Of Saddam by traversing in from the left beginning at the start of Lonely Thursday.

Boulder problem starting off to the right of the 1st bolt then nice scoop above. Rebolted 2019

FA: J Clark, 1995

Doesn't offer much independent climbing. Start as for Sloper for Saddam for a bolt then stick doggedly to the right side of the scoop past one new ring (out right), then past Lay La Kay's last bolt to shared anchor. Rebolted 2019

FA: J Clark & J Kurko, 1995

Right through opening bulge then left trending line up thin face to shared anchors with Aonang Aonang. Rebolted 2019.

FA: J Kurko & J Clark, 1995

Start as for Lay La Kay then trend right into Dictator in a Deerstalker. Bouldery start up and out of the roof on crimps. Then traverse right into Dictators in a Deerstalker avoiding the boulder.

Start on top of boulder as for War and Peace then go straight up. Bouldery moves on steep rock.

FA: Niall Doherty, 2009

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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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Tue 6 Jun
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