Routes in Scarface Buttress

An amusing mutl-pitch trad adventure up a very scenic sandstone buttress. The first pitch is a bit scary, the second pitch steep and classy and the top pitches a mix of green and gold. Bring a double rack of cams from #4 Camalot to small finger size, a single set of wires and a couple of slings. You'll also want a single 60m lead rope.

1. 15m (21) Start at sandy corner 5m to the left of the rap route (when facing the rock). Belay on top of little rock ledge above ferns. Cautiously up sandy flake to base of fused corner. Bridge up this (fiddly but bomber trad) then hand traverse right to belay ledge and DRB belay. Don't forget the bigger cams.

2. 25m (22) The best pitch of trad near Sydney? From the ledge swing left onto arete to secret hold (and cam placement) then straight up to splitter finger crack. Follow weakness up overhung orange wall, traversing a bit right and then back left to a single bolt. After a cruxy move past the bolt traverse right a metre then another tough move to finish on small ledge on left and DRB belay. If you are keen you could link this into the next pitch.

3. 15m (21 A0) A bit dirty and scary. Right a metre onto face then up to horizontal. Trend left up dug out crack onto slab and up to DRBs and fixed rope. Hand over hand up this rope past blank slab and vegetated slope (!) to DRB on large terrace.

4. 25m (20) Up little corner then traverse right along airy horizontal past high RB and right again to little corner. Stem up this to large vegetated cave. Either bush bash right for 3m then wander up easy corner system to arrive at summit rocks or...

5. 8m (22) Belay in cave at 'hairy rock' DRBs then do the optional finish through juggy roof on left side of cave. Two RBs and tricky mantle out.

Bolted arete starting from ground level, directly below the rap route. Sandy breaks make this quite unpleasant unless you scrub in advance on the way down the rap line. Start off rock step above ferns. Up subtle arete then right under roof then up flake crack to small ledge, then up to main ledge. Clip single RB but belay on DRB on the left edge of ledge. #2 Camalot and wires are vital to protect the top bit of this pitch.

Splitter fingercrack on gorgeous orange rock on the right side of the main ledge, 2m right of Gravity. Overhangs at least a metre. Shared lower-off anchors with Gravity.

Four really good pitches, all different and all on good quality rock. Double set of cams to #3 camalot size and single set of wires. Some slings and double ropes are highly recommended for pitches 1 & 2.

1. 15m (21) Start up Stop the Bolts! choss for 5m to the base of the corner, then follow line of pockets horizontally left (RB) to vertical seam crack. Up this to small belay ledge under roof and DRB.

2. 17m (24) Bouldery hug move off the ledge and up to lip of roof (RB), now throw caution to the wind and climb the super exposed roof-flake right (medium cams) then up seam crack to jugs. Traverse left along horizontal then up and left past two RBs to ledge. Easily up corner rightwards to final hand traverse right to higher ledge and DRB belay. Double ropes for this pitch!

3. 20m (22) Pumpy! Great pockets to start up prow then a couple of reachy moves (2 RBs and small/medium cams) to mantle (RB) onto vegetated ledge. Solve the tricky mini slab above this for 5m to gain much larger ledge and DRB. Communication with belayer is problematic.

4. 14m (19) Short and fun. Left facing corner and seam crack above. Either lower-off single bolt at top of rock, or topout and bush bash uphill for 5m to DRB - then bush bash to top of cliff.

Nice orange rock and cool pockets. The bolted middle line on the main ledge, 4m right of Stop the Bolts! pitch 2. Faint flake weakness up face (3 RBs), then a couple of hand sized cams to finish up fragile flake crack. DRB anchors on the right, shared with Cuckoo Dove Crack. Might be 24 if you're tall.

Four really good pitches, all different and all on good quality rock. Double set of cams to #3 camalot size and single set of wires. Some slings and double ropes are highly recommended for pitches 1 & 2.

1. 15m (21) Start up Stop the Bolts! choss for 5m to the base of the corner, then follow line of pockets horizontally left (RB) to vertical seam crack. Up this to small belay ledge under roof and DRB.

2. 17m (24) Bouldery hug move off the ledge and up to lip of roof (RB), now throw caution to the wind and climb the super exposed roof-flake right (medium cams) then up seam crack to jugs. Traverse left along horizontal then up and left past two RBs to ledge. Easily up corner rightwards to final hand traverse right to higher ledge and DRB belay. Double ropes for this pitch!

3. 20m (22) Pumpy! Great pockets to start up prow then a couple of reachy moves (2 RBs and small/medium cams) to mantle (RB) onto vegetated ledge. Solve the tricky mini slab above this for 5m to gain much larger ledge and DRB. Communication with belayer is problematic.

4. 14m (19) Short and fun. Left facing corner and seam crack above. Either lower-off single bolt at top of rock, or topout and bush bash uphill for 5m to DRB - then bush bash to top of cliff.

Four really good pitches, all different and all on good quality rock. Double set of cams to #3 camalot size and single set of wires. Some slings and double ropes are highly recommended for pitches 1 & 2.

1. 15m (21) Start up Stop the Bolts! choss for 5m to the base of the corner, then follow line of pockets horizontally left (RB) to vertical seam crack. Up this to small belay ledge under roof and DRB.

2. 17m (24) Bouldery hug move off the ledge and up to lip of roof (RB), now throw caution to the wind and climb the super exposed roof-flake right (medium cams) then up seam crack to jugs. Traverse left along horizontal then up and left past two RBs to ledge. Easily up corner rightwards to final hand traverse right to higher ledge and DRB belay. Double ropes for this pitch!

3. 20m (22) Pumpy! Great pockets to start up prow then a couple of reachy moves (2 RBs and small/medium cams) to mantle (RB) onto vegetated ledge. Solve the tricky mini slab above this for 5m to gain much larger ledge and DRB. Communication with belayer is problematic.

4. 14m (19) Short and fun. Left facing corner and seam crack above. Either lower-off single bolt at top of rock, or topout and bush bash uphill for 5m to DRB - then bush bash to top of cliff.

Weaves around the two monster roof sections on the left end of the cliff, with a lot more sideways climbing than up climbing. This route is mostly bolted, but requires a single set of cams for the upper pitches. A confident second is mandatory - bring prussics. Start about 40m left of Stop the Bolts! at ground level on top of triangular boulder. Look for ringbolts.

1. 25m (24) Scramble to top of pointy boulder, clip RB then bouldery move up arete to jug and RB. Traverse right along shelf and then up and right across juggy wall to break. Keep traversing 8m right to white rock and easy corner. At top of corner do one tricky move to large ledge under roof and belay bolts. This pitch is all bolts and if you pull on the first bolt it's only grade 18.

2. 12m (25) Short, steep, funky. Move belay 5m right to end of ledge and 2nd set of belay bolts. Mantle onto shelf and clip RB under intimating roof. Find mega jug under roof and lean back to clip 2nd RB over lip. Now reach to pocket on right and swing onto overhung prow with a hard move to get established onto face. Look for the awesome sneaky kneebar on lip. Up face (RB and #2 Camalot) to belay on mini ledge on right arete. It's possible to combine this pitch into the next pitch.

3. 17m (23) Left across face on desperate sloping crimps (two RBs) then up to major horizontal. Continue left then up crack through orange steepness to belay ledge at left end of massive roof. Medium and large cams needed for 2nd half of this pitch.

4. 25m (20) Look Mum - another traverse! Hard move to get past undercut start (RB) then traverse right for 10m (small/medium cams at waist level) above roof then up and right (RB) to vegetation band. Work right (RB) up mossy slab then negotiate plants to small ledge. Finish up slabby wall past 3 RBs to bolt belay in large cave. Exit via last pitch of Stop the Bolts! or Neanderthal.

A rap-in, climb out sport pitch on steep featured rock. Neil spent 2 hours hiding in a cave during a thunder storm attempting to bolt this. To get to the rap point climb pitch 1 of Avian Abattoir to ledge. Move belay to 2nd set of anchors on right end of ledge. Rap off these anchors down overhung wall to hanging belay about 6m above the ground at super pockets. Climb pockets, left to flake then back right and up overhung wall to break. Reachy move to arete and up slab to anchors.

Every cliff needs a girdle. The second pitch on this one is amazing. The first is currently terrifying and needs a bolt to make it less poo in your pants scary. Bring prussics for leader and second. Start on the left end of Main Ledge as for Stop the Bolts! pitch 2.

1. 30m (22) Up Stop the Bolts! Pitch 2 for 5m until on lip of roof. Traverse left across orange rock, boldly around the subtle arete with feet right on the lip of monster roof and across the middle bit of Neanderthal Pitch 2 past one RB to blocky corner. Traverse left on small pockets (RB) to hanging belay on arete. Lots of medium/large cams and slings needed for this pitch. Rope drag and communication with belayer problematic.

2. 20m (19) Wild, exposed and well protected. Possibly the best pitch at Scarface. Drop down (?!) a metre into horizontal break (#2 camalot). Traverse the entire length of the wall (2 RBs + medium/large cams in amazing pockets) to left arete (RB), then up this to small ledge and rap rings. Either rap back to ground (33m) or continue up to next ledge with small tree 3m above to 3rd belay on Avian Abattoir.

Weaves around the two monster roof sections on the left end of the cliff, with a lot more sideways climbing than up climbing. This route is mostly bolted, but requires a single set of cams for the upper pitches. A confident second is mandatory - bring prussics. Start about 40m left of Stop the Bolts! at ground level on top of triangular boulder. Look for ringbolts.

1. 25m (24) Scramble to top of pointy boulder, clip RB then bouldery move up arete to jug and RB. Traverse right along shelf and then up and right across juggy wall to break. Keep traversing 8m right to white rock and easy corner. At top of corner do one tricky move to large ledge under roof and belay bolts. This pitch is all bolts and if you pull on the first bolt it's only grade 18.

2. 12m (25) Short, steep, funky. Move belay 5m right to end of ledge and 2nd set of belay bolts. Mantle onto shelf and clip RB under intimating roof. Find mega jug under roof and lean back to clip 2nd RB over lip. Now reach to pocket on right and swing onto overhung prow with a hard move to get established onto face. Look for the awesome sneaky kneebar on lip. Up face (RB and #2 Camalot) to belay on mini ledge on right arete. It's possible to combine this pitch into the next pitch.

3. 17m (23) Left across face on desperate sloping crimps (two RBs) then up to major horizontal. Continue left then up crack through orange steepness to belay ledge at left end of massive roof. Medium and large cams needed for 2nd half of this pitch.

4. 25m (20) Look Mum - another traverse! Hard move to get past undercut start (RB) then traverse right for 10m (small/medium cams at waist level) above roof then up and right (RB) to vegetation band. Work right (RB) up mossy slab then negotiate plants to small ledge. Finish up slabby wall past 3 RBs to bolt belay in large cave. Exit via last pitch of Stop the Bolts! or Neanderthal.

A rap-in, climb out sport pitch on steep featured rock. Neil spent 2 hours hiding in a cave during a thunder storm attempting to bolt this. To get to the rap point climb pitch 1 of Avian Abattoir to ledge. Move belay to 2nd set of anchors on right end of ledge. Rap off these anchors down overhung wall to hanging belay about 6m above the ground at super pockets. Climb pockets, left to flake then back right and up overhung wall to break. Reachy move to arete and up slab to anchors.

Reachy arete climbing on trad - grade may go up if you're short. May get a first pitch at some stage - at the moment it is a rap in climb out single pitch. From anchors above Kaboom rap down the right side of the arete to belay at base of corner at tiny little footledge ledge and single FH (back it up with muedum cams to the left). Traverse left onto overhung arete (small cams in horizontal) then reachy move up arete (#4 camalot in break) then run it out up lovely orange rock to big pocket (#5 camalot) then fun little pockets and finish left onto the arete to anchors.