Routes in Australia for selected grade

A mountaineering romp up a major feature.

Start: Squeezed in between 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'Pig Sticker'.

1. 15m (17 M0) Up slab just right of 'Pig Sticker' for 8m to base of wide left facing flake corner. Ignore this and step 2m right to steep left facing hand crack in corner. Up this for 7m to ledge and belay.

2. 40m (10 M0) Just like Peroxide Blonde but at one-tenth of the grade. Step around right up jugs to huge slabby arête. Up this arête staying as close to the left edge as possible for maximum exposure. The finish steepens slightly for full value. Walk off down via 'Echoes' Block.

Featured slabby climbing with a real granite feel.

Start: Starts 6m left of 'Pig Sticker' from the big ledge 6m up which is accessed by climbing up the tree leaning against the rock. Up the short corner-seam. Continue slightly R for a few metres then straight up slab to top. Protects surprisingly well with wires and small cams.

Great central line up wall. The original grade of 14 was definitely suspect - despite Nod having led it in sandshoes because he forgot his climbing shoes. Take slings for pro.

1. 12m (14) Right-facing corner at left end of 'Wire Guided' slab. First move off the deck is hardest. At top of corner a short chimney leads to a ledge.

2. 38m (18) Stand on rocking boulder and jump for a jug just left of the water channel bisecting White Wall. Pull onto wall and follow the channel all the way - sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right and sometimes in the middle. Some shorter climbers have had to resort to aid to start this pitch.

Shitty. Around 10m right from Chad are three blocky corners. Up the middle line, moving left to pull up the overhanging wall. Up via the ledges above.

Start: Starts perhaps 20m left of the tourist track, from the gigantic boulder lying against the cliff.

1. 20m (18) Up, tending left taking the line of least resistance to the big ledge.

2. 35m (18) Up cracks, then left and up the obvious wide line (via the juggy right facing grooves). The easy wall above to a big ledge.

3. 20m (18) Right for 6m then doddle up.

The balancy face on the far left of 'Moral Vandal' Block with a BR (no piking around the arete). Finish up the seam on the right.

Old school off-width.

Start: Starts 8m left of 'Civilian Casualties' at entrance of tourist tunnel.

One of the best jam cracks in the Stapylton area. A good old-fashioned line and the first climbed on the 'Hollow Mountain' side of Stapylton. It was written up by two other groups (including Noddy) before the real first ascent was discovered.

Start: Starts 15m left of 'Golden Showers' at landmark right facing corner crack.

Fairly good climbing but a bit contrived.

Start: Leave 'Echoes' a few metres past the cave and head straight up the wall to the right hand white streak to the summit.

The 'obvious' line that cuts diagonally across the wall right of 'Filtons Folly' via a 'blowhole'.

Start: Start 4m right of 'Filtons Folly' at small corner crack.

Fantastic features up steep wall.

Start: Start as for 'Echoes' at right side of sandy cave.

Anyone for repeating a Lindorff solo?

Start: 10m left of 'The Undertow' is a large block/boulder (the boulder up right from Golden Showers). 'Frelimo' takes the centre of the face which looks towards the picnic site.

This is probably the easiest route up the 'Red Wall' and it takes an obvious feature.

Start: Start 5m left of 'Fretilin' at the slender detached flake which had scared off numerous climbers for at least a decade. It took a couple of S.A. climbers to bag this much considered feature.

Confusing location! This is the original access description. Climb was not located by editor.

Start: Take the walking track to the top of the 'Sandinista' cliff. Walk about 100m left to another terrace directly above where the track starts to climb through the 'Sandinista' cliff. Start just left of of a left leading diagonal, which has an 'antler' at the top

Ring bolted sport route climbing the face just right of arete. This is the best way to get to the Upper 'Cut Lunch Walls' ledge. Tricky start up left facing flake, then easier grey wall to top.

The easy way to the Upper Cut Lunch Wall's fabulous sport routes. In reality its a four move boulder problem off the deck then grade 5 climbing from then on. Starts on small rock about 10m left of the Salad Abuse arête.

A good route for a belay slave. Soloed on first ascent due to impatience for a belay! Hard to locate for first timers. Thin face with three rings on east facing side of chasm 10m down and to the right of The Big Payback. Bridging against the back wall up high is to be avoided. Best way to approach is to climb the first half of Access Route. Lower off last RB or belay on ledge above on trad.

Start: Start about 50m right of 'The Snatch' below a buttress with an 'obvious' undercling flake.

1. 40m (18) Up to flake then up right onto top of buttress, then easy slab.

2. 20m (18) Shift belay to base of the corner up right, then climb corner.

A bit of faffing about to get climbing. Located on the far left end of the crag. To start the climb you need to rig a belay from ring bolts. Head down left side of void (facing VD Land) climb down trick void, bridge accross, clip bolt, unclip first bolt once the second is clipped, pull onto face and up left and up the orange wall.

Third route from the right on the wall on grey juggy rock - which actually isn't that juggy! Fixed hangers.

A bouldery start, eases to good holds.

Fun little jug fest up the left side of the wall on a subtle arete. Starts 1.5m left of 'In Halen' at left edge of main wall.

The 18 Varient -Was once dodgy piece of trad climbing - now retrobolted. Starts at the entrance to 'Tribute Wall', 10m before Jet. Boulder problem start then climbing eases quickly. There is an easier start to the right which makes the route a consistent 18.

Worthless sand climbing. Offwidth seam and crack on wall directly behind 'Raunchy Rooster' and near the tree scramble down descent from 'Tribute Wall'.

The prominent arete left of the 'Bad Moon Rising' corner with some amazing in-cut jugs. Climb the Bad Moon Rising corner for 5m, moving left onto the pedestal. Continue up the overhung face moving left around the arête, and follow the righthand crack to the top.

Slabby wall climb that is mostly trad. The first features left of the central blank section of the wall are two parallel orange overlaps. Climb the overlaps with pro on the left, to the crux bulge (BR). Follow the holds and gear up the slab above, staying just left of a small water groove. Takes wires, small-med cams and a bolt plate.

Face climbing with a mix of bolts and trad gear plus copious amounts of loose rock. Starts in the chimney at the far right side of 'Bad Moon Rising' wall about 10m right of 'Raunchy Rooster'.

"Please can I have another hit?". A classic sandbag for the belay slave. The scene of many failures.

Start: Chalked up mini route that finishes on ledge 5m left of 'Body Count'.

Start about 1m right of left edge of the yellow wall. Go straight the line of least resistance. Top roped FA.

Start 4m L of Continuar Sonriendo. Off boulder and straight up face, finishing L of the thin shallow crack.

L of Sunstroke, line of overhangs rise from R to top L. This climb takes the middle of the three breaks in the overhangs. Originally climbed by finishing up the twin shallow corners on the terrace above (add 10m).

Roof system with L leading diagonal. Good unlikely moves, follow the line all the way. Finishing easily - or surmount final roof.

Starts from the LH end of the main ledge (6m R of the wide crack). Up wall trending L then up to top.

Nothing to write home about, but nice trad / inconsistent crack line just L of roof/cave. Bolts on Pulled Out to start.

Climb the line 5m L of WR (8m L of major chimney / corner line) and about 15m R of the projects on the blank wall. Finish up R.

Good, but slightly contrived climbing on an independent grey buttress below and N of the Eastern Walls. Up short diagonal crack, then up the nice grey wall, keeping to the L for the best climbing. At the top is a nice surprise mini 2nd pitch (and topping out is a better way to descend).

"Because it's close to camp". 'Steep' trad. Good gear but some debatable rock quality at the start.

Start: About 3-5m right of 'Meanderthal Man'.

Steep fun spot. Starts at the far left end of the cliff in a scooped cave. Steeply up right, then back left traversing past the bolts on good holds to ledge/rest. Blast straight up to rap station passing one more bolt.

More good fun steep climbing on good holds. Starts 4m left of 'Poison Ivy' Steeply up past 4 U bolts to join Poison Ivy's rap station.

Steep fun sport, the hard bit is a bit short though. 1m left of 'The Joker' below 7 rings. Up the wall with ease to steep thin moves which give way to "Thank God" jugs a few meters before the top. 7 ring bolts & Double bolt / ring rappel station.

Not positively located. Possibly 'The Joker' is a repeat of this route. This is not a major attraction. Start at the white outcrop of rock at the base of the cliff half way along. Up the weakness veering right near top to easier ground.

The left-hand crack. A bit fierce.

Nice well bolted face climbing to chain clip and goes

From the creek follow the cliff along past a cave (20 minutes) and the first major descent gully (10 minutes) to a prominent left curving corner and roof line. This can (apparently) be seen from the camp site.

1. 30m (18) Surmount the initial overhang and move along the ledge to below the line. Follow the left curving corner line to a stance below the second (upper) roofs.

2. 20m (18) Traverse left 3m, then move up to a break in the ceiling above. Right around through this to the top. (Exit gully on the left.)

Hard to see why anyone would bother. Start at rap anchor of 'He who walks through Shallow Water'. Move left about 6-8 metres along large ledge to obvious crack around 2-3m from far LH end. up this with difficulty to very easy ground above.

Remarkably overhung off-width chimney a few metres left of 'Birthday Suit'

A definite V corner 30m left of Ke Bab. Great, sustained first pitch followed by experiential squeeze through big roof over chockstones. With any luck, there'll be something to rap off or meander to the top.

Obvious crack 5m left of Ke Bab.

Varied and sustained climbing. A 5-inch cam is useful at the technical crux even though it's not an off-width move and multiple 4-inch cams are handy on the wide flake. 40 metre abseil from top of flake. Best to lower the ropes inside the crack and start the abseil down the crack - throwing the ropes over the outside of the flake risks them catching on the opposite buttress and lands you in the middle of the unpleasant vegetation at the foot of the gully

An excellent climb that gets progressively harder. It starts at the overhung flake 6m left of SB.

1. 46m (10) Up rounded features to join the crack system, to belay on ledge above a tricky move

2. 20m (17) Move up, then right into finger crack, before gaining a ledge. Traverse left on this - with poor feet - to the flake. Belay at the left end of the ledge. This pitch has long been given the grade 15. It deserves an upgrade seeing that it is far more pumpy than any of the 18s at this crag!

3. 15m (12) As for 'Beeline'

First pitch is excellent and many parties abseil from that point. The route 'Up, Up and Away' was essentially a repeat of this climb. Start: 10 metres above ground-level where the track first meets the cliff.

1. 35m (18) Up past big blocks and flakes then thin seam. When the seam finishes, continue straight up, to the bolted belay just next to gumtree. This pitch is technically only 17 but the protection can be sparse.

2. 27m (17) Shift the belay a few metres left behind the big flake to below the right-hand of two crack-lines. Climb this crack then make a leftward rising traverse past the arete. Step around this arete to base of a big chimney.

3. 12m (17) Up the right-hand line in the chimney-gully and up a short, overhanging jam crack

On the L side of the cliff is a small but prominent buttress. The small hanging corner and roof at the front of this buttress. Up corner to roof [amazing pockets in LH wall]. Step R to arete and up to next roof. Step R, pull though roof and then boldly up on rounded holds to top. Scramble of L from back of buttress.

The top pitch is the main attraction. The final hand traverse is a beauty.

Start: On the R side of the 'Copacabana' buttress about 2m up from a yellow square.

1. 25m (-) Up to and up the big leaning crack to the ramp then move 5m up L to belay.

2. 20m (-) A few moves straight up then tend L to the top of the pillar.

3. 25m (-) Walk back to main cliff then up to a big ledge on the R.

4. 40m (17) Climb the corner to a ledge, up a little then follow the thin crack up R. Up the slab then the sickle to the roof. Hand traverse R into 'Inner Votion'. Up. In the interests of avoiding rope drag and maintaining good communications you might want to split this pitch at the top of the corner or a bit higher below the chimney.

The start of the traverse on the second pitch is a bit wild. Originally graded 13, I don't know what we were thinking.

Some bits of this have been swapped with 'Brandywine' to improve that climb.

Start: At the chimney referred to in the access details [Brandywine]

1. 28m (18) Up chimney to overhang on the L. Traverse L under the overhang to the arete. Up obvious line of weakness to bushy ledge.

2. 30m (16) Climb bulge behind ledge. Traverse L past bush to the second crack L of the chimney corner. Up to awkward exit.

A grand excursion through intimidating roofs.

Start: The start is marked by a small square 15m left of 'Epaminondas'. With grade 17 traversing required on two pitches, the second climber needs to be every bit as confident and competent as the leader.

1. 40m (10) Up the front of the buttress to a commodious ledge beneath the obvious corner.

2. 30m (17) Up the crack then right to the seam. Follow this to the corner. Climb the corner to the roof then hand-traverse right to a small ledge and semi-hanging belay.

3. 30m (17) Continue up right to an awkward exit into the V-chimney.

An interesting excursion which can be split into 2 pitches of around the same grade. Instead of traversing R at the start of P2 of Epaminondas head straight up the obvious crack through the overhang. Continue up and R to the thin R curving crack which joins Epaminondas at the chimney.

Magnificent face climbing up buttress R of 'Epaminondas' that delivers more than appearances would suggest. Pitches one and two are both very good, although the first pitch is undoubtably the highlight. After these 2 pitches it is possible and preferable to move L and finish up 'Epaminondas'. [Pelopidas was the right hand man of the Theban General Epaminondas]

Start: Scramble to ledge 5m up and R of 'Epaminondas'. At the left hand end of this ledge is a rounded flake.

1. 40m (18) Climb the flake, then lurch L around the bulge. At this point the route shares a few holds of Epaminondas, before veering R ward to hand traverse R below green lichen streak and up thin crack.

2. 25m (17) Pass the first bulge on the R, then tend back L to follow crack feature in slightly rotten rock. When the crack finishes, stay on the face to go straight over bulge to good ledge.

3. 25m (-) Up R then steeply around R side of roof to ledge on R.

4. 20m (-) Up easily

If you skip the top pitch and scramble off left this turns into a really good grade 14. There is a large corner system on the left side of the main slab. This climb is to the left of this on an arete and starts on a terrace a little way up the descent gully.

1. 35m Head up the right edge of the wall and step around the arete to belay under the roof.

2. 35m Climb up awkwardly through the weakness in the roof and then move right to belay at a corner.

3. 15m Climb the crack to a ramp.

4. 15m (Crux) Take the steep crack and then move right to the arete and continue up.

At the left side of the slabs is a corner. Climb up a seam and then reach left to the bottom of the corner. Climb the corner for a few metres then move right to a face crack. Head up to the roof at the top of the slabs then move left on pockets through the roof. The abseil is 35m from a tree.

Up wall 4 metres right of The B. Desh Memorial Buttress and immediately right of a substantial conifer. Pull through overhang two metres right of the pale slab at 7 metres, on BDMB, and up to distinctive left facing flake. Up right to climb right wall of BDMB’s final corner. Move right up ramp near the top to avoid a loose block.

Takes the front of the main buttress. Start in cav e 4m up right of Exit Stage Left.

1. 20m (crux) Go up and right onto the front of the buttress. Up left over bulge then easily up to stance.

2. 5m Up

Launched in wet conditions which considerably softens the rock. Better in the dry.

1. Start 10m right of Ripples under the line of bolts. Follow the bolts to the DBB (6FH, 30m, 11)

2. Straight up the steepening face. A couple of small-medium cams can be placed before reaching the line of bolts. Move right once you’re on the big ledges to make a thin face move (crux) to finish at DRB (8FH, 30m, 17)

About 30m down right of Silk Road is a short corner with FH. Up past FH (crux) to ledge, then straight up middle of wall to DBB/rap station.

Start 10m left of HCP. Straight up crack and then follow through steepening above. Hard bouldery start and disconcerting finish.

Looks appalling. Even ten bolts wouldn't make this safe. Up the centre of the black streak 10m left of 'Killer Wolf' through two overhangs and finishing up right of the small bush at two thirds height.

Named after the Malvern Road, Prahran share house that lasted 10 years. The best of the easy trad routes of the cliff. Head diagonally

right on big horizontal breaks to vertical reachy transition. Up easily to top and tree belay. Bring lots of cams. Rap off tree above Push It Upstairs.

The crack splitting the middle of the cliff, where the grey and red walls meet. This was reached by scrambling down from the top around the left side of the cliff.

Face climbing on good rock. 5m R of Suez Crisis is a R leading orange seam. Start up the seam, move L onto a ledge. Up face past 3 FH. Up R of third FH to finish up R leading crack. Easily L and through break to top. Take medium cams for the climbing above and below the bolted section.

Just R Bon Mot of is an intermittent R leading crack which is steeper and much better than it looks. Up the crack, good steep moves with some amazing holds and excellent protection [cams to BD4]

Up weakness just L of JAS, then delicate traverse R across slab and up crack above (direct might be possible if not seeping).

Attractive corner / flake line about 10m L of the main waterfall. Rap from block at 25m (sling), or continue to the top.

To the R end of the upper tier is a steep offwidth in the corner... Luckily this climb takes the arete on the R (starting just R of it).

This starts on the right-hand side of Split Pinnacle.

1. 20m Climb up the steep wall, then move left at the break in the ceiling and head around onto the arete, then go up to a stance below the roofs.

2. 15m Traverse to the left over a flake to a chimney through the roof, then climb this.

About 1m right of The Silent Miaow is a thin crack with a steep start. Climb this, then head up the easy line on the right arete of The Silent Miaow. Finish up some jugs to the abseil tree above.

Start as for Old Tech, then continue up the crack on the right edge of the buttress. Abseil from a tree at the top.

25m right of the main section of cliff is a closed corner. Climb up this to a cracked bulge.

Climb the crack in the middle of the orange wall left of Speed Of Light.

Start as for Space Cadet, then move 2m left and up the thin crack.

Right of the main orange wall there is a separate block with an arete. Climb the jam crack just left of the arete, and the slab above.

Fun little slab route on good clean rock. Left of the main buttress is a recessed slabby wall with a distinctive crack at its R hand side. Face L of crack past 2 FH to ledge with FH. Belay [back up bolt with small cams at back of ledge]. Walk off to R [belayed] and descend gully

Some nice slabbing on both pitches. Just R of JJ. P1 (30m, 17, 2 bolts) Up over bulge past 2 bolts [take flat hangers] and on more easily, but a bit runout, to belay as for JJ

P2 (35m, 17, 3 bolts) Up thin crack as for JJ past FH, up R onto ledge. Move 2 meters R until under short crack starting 5m up. Up to and up crack then continue up clean streak above past 2 FHs. Cross the bushy diagonal line and continue up the streak to DBB. Abseil descent.

An atrocity - don't do it. The buttress R of the gully R of Hariri has an orange and grey streaked overhang across its front, with an obvious central line starting above the overhang. Start at L side of buttress. Up short crack and filthy slab to below L edge of overhang. Up short flake and over L end of overhang to traverse awkwardly R to central line, up this. Abseil from trees or scramble down into awful gully on L of buttress.

An OK sort of slab adventure with adequate protection. At the very RH end of the cliff where you first arrive when walking in.

P1 (25m, 16) About 15m L of the major gully corner formed between the slab and the large steep buttress. Up the cleaned slab to FH, a few meters above the bolt there are some knobbly holds which take a cam around 2BD size, up and R above this to the large tree.

P2 (25m, 8) Step R and up thru juggy break in overhang. Follow the easy diagonal crack Rward to below the attractive L curving corner.

P3 (25m, 17) Up corner and out L to FH. Thin moves up to and over bulge. Step L and climb head wall.

Up the left arête of the downhill face of the boulder via 5 FHs. 2FH to belay.

Start as for Gravitrix. Up to clip Gravitrix’s first FH, then straight up past two more FHs to belay off rings.