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Black Cave All Bouldering 17 routes in crag

  • Grade context: AU
  • Photos: 15
  • Ascents: 1,518
  • Aka: Forty Basket Beach
17
BLDV
V1V2V3V4V5V7V9V11V13

Seasonality

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Summary

Only a few problems here; however what Black Cave lacks in quantity it makes up in quality of climbs.

Description

AKA Manly Cave AKA Forty Basket Beach

Access issues inherited from New South Wales and ACT

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/

Approach

Park on Beatty St and take a narrow walkway from about halfway down the street, with stairs all the way to the beach. Hang a right and then walk along the rocky shoreline a couple of hundred meters to the crag. http://youtu.be/5SUPg5N0hvw

History

History timeline chart

First climbed in 2007.

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Routes

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1
V2 ★ Diving into Shallow Water Boulder 2m

Stand Start on big undergoing on the far LHS of the roof. Climb straight up through juggy pockets and a high pinch. Don't underestimate the topout or the terrible landing.

2
V4 ★★ Dead Calm Boulder 3m

Stand start on big undercling on the far left of the roof. Climb rightward to top out on the nice sidepull feature. Tsz Ying Yau

3
V4 ★★ Left To Right Boulder 3m

Start with both hands inside the undercling on the far left. Then traverse left to right on the lip. The roof is out.

4
V6 ★★ Cruel Sea Reversed Boulder

If you're bored of cruel sea or Aquarius. Starting from the big jug left side of the cave, climbing back through Aquarius staying low on the lip, then with an easy finish up Cave party.

5
V5 ★★ Shrimpy Waters Boulder 6m

Start on the shelf. Big move to the hueco then top out via the elegant crescent shaped holds just right of Dead Calm. Reachy.

6
V12/13 ★★★ Deep Blue Sea Boulder

Crazy roof right on the waters edge of the ocean. Start from two good crimps at the back of the cave, followed by 8 hard moves in a roof to a cool headwall and top out to the right.

First boulder of the grade sent by an Australian woman - Amy Fenton in 2017. Amy suggested a downgrade, saying "The consensus probably sits at a slash grade (V12/13) but I am definitely no authority. Before Deep Blue Sea my hardest tick was V10 so the idea of skipping two grades and going straight to V13 didn’t sit right with me."

Aurel Gelot | Travis Bettison | Mattias Braach-Maksvytis | Amy Fenton | Sam Farrar

FA: Chris Webb Parsons, 2008

7
V13 ★★ Water Under the Bridge Boulder

As for 'Deep Blue Sea', once at the lip finish up 'Cruel Sea' Dylan Soin

FA: Dylan Soin, Aug 2021

8
V10 ★★★ The Plunge Boulder

Far right cave problem. Can be done in a number of different ways including a crazy dyno that could potentially send you rolling down to a rocky but somewhat refreshing swim in the ocean.

Mattias Braach-Maksvytis | Oliver Chen

FA: Mattias Braach-Maksvytis

9
V11 ★★ Plunge Pool Boulder 2m

The Plunge into Aquarius.

FA: Crag Care

10
V11 ★ Plunge Pool Variant Boulder

The Plunge into Cruel Sea.

11
V1 ★ Cave Party Boulder 2m

Start at the right side V5 and straight up. Heel hooked and feet off the adjacent rock for the full grade. Good warm up for the V4.

FA: unknown

Set: al bradley & Al Bradley, 15 Sep 2017

12
V2 ★ Lots of Seamen Boulder 2m

Fun eliminate. Start as for Cruel Sea and Aquarius using just the lip holds, then go straight up to the crimp and top out right.

13
V5 ★★ Right To Left Boulder 6m

Start Matched on the lower far right jug at the lip of the roof. The separated wall on the right is off.

Traverse using holds on the face above the roof in the reverse direction to the V4 ('Right to left').

Finish matched on the starting jug of the V4.

Phillip Booth

14
V5 ★★ Right to Left to Topout Boulder 6m

Same as 'Right to Left' but topout as 'Dead calm' / 'Aquarius' instead of finishing on the starting hold of the V4

15
V6 ★★★ Aquarius Boulder 7m

Traverse right to left as for Cruel Sea into the heuco, but then cut out the crux sequence by going straight towards the topout as for Dead Calm. Stay low all the way with the "upper V5 Lip" being out.

Kiu Hei Chu | Phillip Booth | Darien Winarso (No cut beta)

16
V7 ★★★ Cruel Sea Boulder 8m

A great Eliminate. Traverse from right to left using holds in the roof and on the actual lip only . Once you've dropped down to the hueco keep heading left to top out via the short wall on the far LHS of the cave as for DISW. The early topout directly from the Hueco is Aquarius V6.

Mauricio Chino

17
V1 ★★ Tom's pee corner Boulder 2m

Good route for touching rock. Located 20 metres down of Black Cave itself. Start with both hands on shelf. Climb vertically up towards the bar and top out above.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/416159651881811971/1110591306297782434/20230521_161022.jpg

FA: Tom C, 21 May 2023

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Sydney Bouldering Guide 1st Edition 2023

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.

-5% Buy
ⓘ
Sydney Climbing Guide Selected Crags

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.

Buy
ⓘ

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Nearby Icons

V4 ★★ Dead Calm
V6 ★★★ Aquarius
V7 ★★★ Cruel Sea
V10 ★★★ The Plunge
V12/13 ★★★ Deep Blue Sea

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Black Cave - Right to left.jpeg

Zeke Whitfeld at Black Cave - Aquarius sendie

Niko Eltarenko at Black Cave - image.jpg

Thu 25 May
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