Routes in Australia for selected grade

High traverse that circumscribes the wall above 'Deck Games'. The original purpose of the 'mystery' bolt.

Start at the top of 'Deck Gully' at the obvious traverse line. There is gear that protects the step out to clip the bolt. Scamper along the traverse line clipping a bolt on Gordy's route till you get to the front of the block. up and belay.

Start 1m right of 'Sagittarian' and up poorly protected wall just right of the bolts.

The lovely right-facing flake corner bordering the left side of the great blankish north-west wall. It's a pity that it gets heavily top-roped.

Climb the right-facing corner with hard moves past the little roof then keep cranking up slightly left to the top. Gear has a habit of unzipping on people; consider placing a directional at the start and being generous with the draws.

Bouldery start then move rightwards into the line.

Start at the vague line towards the L end of the wall.

Steep jugs, crack, face. Start R of OB, just L of overhangs, beneath small flake on bulge.

Start in V corner, soon moving left until under large jammed blocks. Pull through the bulge, then up vertical seam, then step up and left. Soon after, traverse left to the ledge with rap station.

The arete.

Start just R of 'Yakshini'.

Excellent sustained climbing up the line with great pro. A borderline classic. There are two striking cracks on the wall on the left side of Colosseum Wall - this is the left one.

Ann Pauligk's 1977 ascent was the first Aussie female ascent at this grade.

The corner then finish R.

Start 1m R of 'Tom Thumb'.

The wall right of 'Flavius Maximus'. This was also written up as 'Tribute To God' in the April 2009 Argus.

Over block to undercling, then straight up wall to top. Protection in crack on left of wall.

The usual claim of those who don't...

Start 8m R of FM. To break (wire on left), then right to bulge.

Lean R and clip the BR on the unknown bolted line. Then go straight up.

Start: Start R of MC at jugs.

The corner, then R around the roof.

Start: Start beneath the distinctive orange triangular roof towards the L end of the crag.

Very contrived as it's much easier to use jugs just L.

Start: Start 5m R of T&Q.

Easy wall, orange rock, then L under overhangs to arete. Up it.

Start: Start 30m L of 'Light Fingered' (which is described on a separate page).

Easily to pillar then flake up R. L below bulge and up seam.

Start: Start at obvious slender buttress between DD and 'Light Fingered'.

Bridge up to gain flake and climb up to roof. Swing through roof.

Start: Start: Three metres right again is another flake.

Anyone who isn't paranoid lacks imagination. A technical onsight lead. Continue down the gully past a short step. Directly under the narrowest part of the gully there is a shallow black corner which leans right and runs up to a series of roofs and overhangs. Directly above the start of this route there is a thin crack through a large overhang. The line shown in the topo is a guess.

Start: Continue down the wall from SSHSEBI5. The wall gets smaller and grey and then rises again with steep orange rock. On the left of this section is a line (starting just left of the hole) that goes up past a large pocket.

Up line.

Bouldery start.

Start: Start on L side of Slander Wall.

The nice thin crack on the arete, but don't reach L to make it easier!

Start: Start at the arete R of RT.

Climb brittle edges with minimal protection to the horizontal break (optional gear if you choose to head diagonally right from the initial jug to a shallow groove). Surmount the flake above the bulge, after which a few more moves will take you to the ledge.

Face, around L side of block, wall above.

Start: Start 1m L of R.

Overhanging flake on L edge of cave, then short groove.

Start: Start L of CC.

Up to the top of the flake, R, up.

Start: Start 2m R of BC.

Take horizontal weakness opposite 'Falsetto', then up.

Start: Start at the far left hand end of baby buttress at the back of the gully.

Bouldery start then up face to the spectators' gallery.

Start: Start opposite 'Cobwebs' and about 2m downhill.

The grey wall.

Start: Start at the top of the gully on the R side, 30m L of 'Entangled'.

Short flake, orange wall, tend L then back R. Very poorly protected and not the best rock.

Start: Start 5m R of TS.

More than popular One move wonder. Start: Start at far left hand end of ledge.

Pilot Error is graded as 20 in the Mentz & Tempest Arapiles Guide Book.

Crack over roof of cave between Pilot Error and Tarzan, then chimney.

Pull through overhanging corner to bomber locks in corner crack and continue up ramp to pedestal and juggy wall on left.

Start: Start just right of 'Tarzan'.

From the top of the curving flake step right to cracks and up.

Start at the base of the slim pillar at the back of the gully between Pilot Error Ledge and Lois Lane Wall.

1. 12m (19) Boulder up into the thin crack on the front face of the pillar.

2. 18m (19) Climb the fingery face on the R wall of the gully above the ledge, beware slightly fragile rock. Stay L of the arete up higher on glorious jugs, to chains (30m to ground).

Link up of Excuse me While I Belch into 2nd pitch of Lex Luthor. No stepping onto the massive chockstone. Do as one big pitch to get grade 20. Can lower off with 60m rope.

Start as for E. Bridge chimney for 8m then tricky face moves to join a wide L-facing flake/crack.

Technically interesting climbing up the wall L of 'Cassandra'. Clip the first bolt on 'Cassandra' then veer L and up past three more bolts. The crux moves are pulling past the final bolt into a bottomless crack/pocket. A few slabby moves off L gains the ledge and the lower-off anchors.

Start: Start in the gully at the base of the arete R of 'Cassandra'.

1. 20m (20) Scary arete to Cassandra's anchor.

2. 20m (20) Steeply up arete until you have to go a bit left. Where this is in relation to pitch 2 of 'Cassandra' (or if there is any difference) is anybody's guess.

Start: Start beneath L side of the face at short slabby chimney.

1. 20m (20) Easy chimney then more steeply straight upwards.

2. 18m (20) 'Steep' crack to ledge. Walk off R to the 'Muldoon' rap anchor, or continue up the wall at the back of the terrace with a little roof at 4m.

Start R of Clytemnestra at a little gully heading towards Agamemnon. Take the thin crack on the L arete. Scramble off.

Possibly the best crack at Arapiles. The diagonal elephant's butt crack is a classic of the genre. Start just left of Agamemnon and finish where that route does. Belaying off the rings is not ideal but there are some excellent features to sling.

Originally 18 - it's still solid at 19! The Pauligks' aid wasn't actually at the crux - theirs was an awesome effort for 1966. The appealing crack on the L side of the beautiful orange front face of the buttress. Follow crack till it finishes then step R and up Careful of the rock up higher.

Great sustained climbing with great protection the whole way. Start a few metres right of Electra. Can lower off with 65m rope.

"If you enjoy crumbling sea cliffs, you might feel at home on this" (Mentz-Tempest guide). Climb through moss to a ledge, to stand below the striking grey prow. Some gymnastic moves are required to get started, and if your second is not tall they will struggle to remove the gear you placed out of their reach at this point. Follow the line of pockets up, veering left at the end.

Start at the small flake but step L and then up.

Start: Start 2m R of CS.

Straight up the flake.

Start: Start as for V.

Start on the L to gain the diagonal.

Start: Start on the 3rd blocky pinnacle, opposite the 2nd pinnacle.

The face.

Start: Start 1m R of CRaCM.

Up FP to the PR then R and up mossy streak. Start as for FP.

Start 1m R of Private Detective. Go diagonally R, across Stentor pitch 3, and up arete. The Direct Start (18) starts 3m R of Stentor's 3rd pitch and goes straight up to the arete. Note the March 2004 route dubbed "Skin Flute" (14m 18) by Shaun Kratzer and Joshua Janes is almost certainly a repeat of this Direct Start.

Start just L of Lemmington. The shallow groove, becoming very contrived to stay out of Lemmington.

Has steadily increased it's reputation over the years, and is now considered by some to be one of the best 19s at Arapiles. Start in the chasm between the D Minor Pinnacle and the Piccolo Pinnacle, on the Piccolo side. Approach by going L around the back of D Minor Pinnacle. The logs and chain in the gully are for erosion control; they are not designed or to be used as belay anchors.

Start at the left-leading diagonal crack. Follow it into the easy chimney on Cadenza Direct and up to the sloping ledge. Traverse 5m right to a tricky exit.

Fairly good climbing culminating in the left arete of D Minor. The strenuous crux past the last bolt is a little contrived though. Start at a short diagonal finger crack 3m right of the Quaver chimney.

1. 20m (16) Up finger crack to ledge then diagonally left into Quaver. Swing up left onto slab and FH and go straight up thin centre of slab to the first belay of D Minor.

2. 10m (20) Up arete left of D Minor - clip the first bolt from up L then drop back down and climb the front of the arete direct.

The little flake 2 metres right of the bulging crack.

A short, hard avoidable crux set amid a lot of easy climbing. Start as for Keyboard.

1. 45m (12) Up Keyboard until just above tree. Walk left and climb flake line just right of gully. Step left to belay on huge chockstone.

2. 32m (19) Step back right and up steep line through rooflet and then easily up.

Funky climbing and route-finding. The moves up to the roof are committing. Start on the left side of the grey pedestal.

Makes a good change.

Fantastic climbing on gorgeous peachy rock, many climbers' favourite 19 at Araps. Chains at top (32m). Videos

This good crack system is the only surviving piece of a long-forgotten girdle traverse of the Organ Pipes. Perhaps it would have had more credibility if it had started with a tyrolean from the top of the D Minor Pinnacle.

Five old carrot bolts are scattered along the beginning of the route though most are near more reliable natural protection. The good climbing is over too soon and gives way to easy moves on dubious rock.

Start at a little corner below and right of The Wraith. Take care to set the belayer where they will not kick loose rock down the gully onto people below (or better yet, eliminate this risk entirely by starting up Low F instead).

The original approach to what eventually became Jen's Roof. Bridge up the gully left of Dirge then out right to short thin crack. From crack go right into Dirge and up this to roof on right. Hand-traverse right on the lip of the roof to where there is now a FH, then up steep jugs to chains.

A good way to do the good bit of F Sharp from the ground. Start up Dirge for 8m, move left and up Low Note to the base of the diagonal, and follow this up L into the business of F Sharp. When it gets easy head R to the chains and lower off back to the ground. It's possible to clean your own gear (with admin), but much better to have someone second it.

Start: In the middle of the wall right of Blue Chev' is a thin line.

Up this.

Start: Start right of Starsearch, under where the half height ledge ends.

Continue up the gully to below the middle of the righthand wall. The line in the middle of the wall, with a reachy finish.

Try not to pike right.

Start: Line 2m right of 'Cellulite'.

As for W but then follow the R crack to ledge. Step up R onto R wall, over roof into steep groove/crack.

Start: Start as for W.

A traverse of Brick Wall. A strange concept that has been superseded by Brickeasy. Start as for Brick Dust

Up Brick Dust for one move, then r across Squeakeasy to easier traversing.

Some people find this quite hard - but it's not 20!

Start 5m R of Squeakeasy.

Polished face to pedestal, L into the line which is quite steep over the bulge, then the corner. At 25m walk 5m L to Squeakeasy's rap anchor.

Boulder the start.

If you enjoyed Golden Fleece, you want to do this too. A little bit more tricky. Start 1m R of Golden Fleece. Up the little pillar - or step into it after a move or two. Up the thin cracks to join GF at the ledge, then up and slightly right.

Start 6m right of Jason. Up past horizontal, then the groove, and head R after bulge. The hanging block at the end of the crux sounds pretty hollow.

The wall just right of Dylan.

The wall then the arete, starting around right of Anteus.

The line on the front of the pillar - no piking L or R. The pillar was first climbed via the crack at 16 in 1975.

The R crack.

The curving corner.

Start: Start at the middle of the wall.

The thin crack in the front face of the block.

Start: Start beneath the small block below 'Paladin'.

To ledge, then committing to gain the hanging corner on the arete just R of the top of 'Die Loaded'.

Start: Start at the top of DS.

Up the thin diagonal to a break then traverse off R. The DF goes straight up from the horizontal at the same grade.

Start: In the Gravy Train 'Gully' is a thin diagonal crack.

... gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove.

Start just L of The Hard Ears.

Up over a bulge.

With every ascent we'll throw in a free pump!

Start: Start in gully underneath the best part of the wall.

Yet to be determined whether it actually lives up to the impressive hype job, which goes like this: "That's the best move I've done in my life" - James. And: "This would be an OK route if it wasn't for the second pitch which makes it fantastic!"

Start: Start. Left of 'Shattered' there is a diagonal seam/crack (L-R). Right of this a thin crack allows runners. The crux is getting from the runners left and up into the line. It is possible to start to the left if you don't want any gear. As it is the upper part of the crack is a bit go-ey.

1. 10m (20) Up to gear, step left and up into line then follow line up left, laybacking at will. When it's all over you can step left to a small stance on the arete.

2. 15m (20) Climb the fantastic arete. Pull through first roof on left and then up to and through second roof. You can scramble off left from the top of the first pitch, or from below the final roof.

Later ascents have confirmed that they were on really excellent drugs. The climbing is rubbish.

The R-leaning sickle.

Start: Start on the L side of the orange/red face.

Poor pro. The flake then the fused corner, and L at roof.

Start: Start 3m R of AitDZ.

The thin crack.

Start: Start at the R end of the wall.

An excellent route with hard bits down low and up high. Start below the major crack on the right side of the wall, 2m L of the Droop Street arete. Move up to the seam to a tricky move, then enjoyable climbing follows to a solid finger crack at the top.

As you walk off the top of Mari Buttress you pass under some large boulders. This route takes the twin cracks just up from the small climb down. Up righthand crack. Climb both to little roof. Step back into righthand crack to top. The hardest move is the first one. Up to the roof, step left onto the foothold and crank.

From the corner of John's Corner, step left then head up wall past bolt. The best way to do the route.

Heading left around the pillar, up undercut corner on left side of Gelf icon then up face.

On the East face (the one facing camp), left of the Gelf icon and corner of CoPLI is a line through a bulge. Be warned about rock and gear.

Start as for F. Traverse L past F and up the Intransience face (see the Cecilia Wall area).

Start at the far L end of Skyline Walls about 20m L of Copyright. Take the crack on the L side of the gully, finishing up the Intransience face.

Start just R of F. The steep flake and shallow groove just R of the gully, with sparse microwires.

Start as for Copyright and continue up crack direct to top half of Bootleg.

Start just R of Copyright. Step across the gap and gain the large pockets. Climb past the thread to jugs, then trend leftwards up the face to join the steep flake. Finish up this. Bit Torrent is better.

Starts 2m right of Non Stop (as for Cuddly Fat) at faint corner. Up this to jugs, right slightly, then cut left up red scoop and through final roof. Belay available in cave.