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Summary
Coastal mountain range sandstone climbing nestled in a wilderness area. Mostly single pitch with some longer multi-pitch adventures with spectacular exposure. Grades from beginners to expert.
Description
The Wollongong area encompasses the Illawarra coastal region from Helensburgh down to Lake Illawarra. The region, which has a population of over 300,000, is a popular getaway from Sydney with excellent beaches and a range of outdoor activities including rock-climbing.
The majority of the rock-climbing is along the Illawarra escarpment mountain range, with spectacular views up and down the coast. The rock is all sandstone and varies in quality but the popular climbing areas are generally of a high quality. Sport, Trad, and Bouldering are all popular and accounted for, as well there are two indoor rock climbing gyms – the venerable Hangdog Climbing Gym and the newer Dynomite Bouldering.
Visitors to the area will find any number of routes to their taste, from the easy and super accessible 'Mount Keira West face' single pitches to the more adventurous hard multi-pitch challenges off the spectacular escarpment cliffs.
Access issues
Many of the Wollongong crags are located in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area (IESCA). This region has had a chequered history in recent times, with large swathes of popular crags having to be closed after it was missed that a new NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Plan of Management (PoM - 2018) had incidentally banned climbing along most of the escarpment. After a lobbying effort and a stroke of coincidental good luck an amended plan of management has been published (2023), modifying the plan to allow rock-climbing “… on the west- and south-facing cliffs of Mount Keira and on cliffs north of Bulli Pass."
Access comes with caveats and all climbers should be aware that that “… new bolts or anchors may only be installed with NPWS consent, and park infrastructure such as safety railing may not be used as anchor points as they have not been designed for this purpose. NPWS will not install, assess or guarantee bolts or other fixed protection points. Participants in these activities are solely responsible for their own safety.”
Given the pressures many rock-climbing areas have been under around Australia and the plethora of access issues that have followed it is imperative that climbers respect and heed the access requirements. Access granted can easily be access taken, noting from the PoM: “Locations where rock climbing and abseiling are allowed may be reviewed and altered to address safety issues, risks to visitors or impacts on cultural values or environmental values. Temporary closures of rock climbing and abseiling locations may be applied to limit impacts. Permanent closure of sites may also be necessary. NPWS will consult with representatives of the local climbing community before implementing any permanent closures.”
Please refer to the ‘Ethic” section for more notes on how to be a good steward for the climbing community.
Approach
Wollongong is located on the East Coast about an hour South of Sydney, or 2.5 hours from Canberra. Road access around town and to most crags is good, although some areas require an amount of hiking to get in. Refer to sub-areas for details.
Ethic
The modern climbing scene and all the access issues that go with it requires modern ethic and all climbers should familiarise themselves with general good crag etiquette to ensure access is maintained into the future.
The following is a short summary for the area:
- The Wollongong area has a historical mix of sport, trad, and bouldering, with fully bolted sport routes emerging as the dominant form in the last decade
- Do not bolt or rebolt existing trad or bouldering routes
- No chipping of the rock to alter the difficulty of a route or create new routes. Loose or dangerous rock may be removed with careful discretion
- Top rope and lower-off through your own gear. Fixed anchor protection to be used for final lower off only to minimise wear
- Minimise excessive chalk usage and make brushing of holds a regular routine. Consider using alternative chalk colours to minimise visual impact
- Do not bush-bash new access trails, stick to existing marked trails where possible
- Do not remove vegetation, both from around cliff bases and on the cliff. Brushing down built-up lichen, dirt and chalk off existing routes is acceptable maintenance
- Do not leave rubbish or gear at the crag. Gear left may be confiscated by NPWS
- Respect any announced closures of tracks, cliffs and areas in the region
- Don’t play loud music at the crag, consider the amenity of nearby climbs and non-climbers alike
- Speak up against anti-social behaviour, unsafe behaviour, or other activities that threaten access – contact your local advocacy association - ACANSW
- Rebolting shall only be carried out by suitably competent and trained persons. The minimum standard is 316 stainless U-bolt or ring eye-bolts with pure epoxy glue. Refer to http://www.safercliffs.org
- Remember you are responsible for your own safety, and the safety of your friends!
Learn more at https://www.cliffcare.org.au/education
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