Voies dans Binary Cave

The site of a bloody showdown of conflicting ethics, wherein fact and fiction have become conflated throughout history to produce an epic tale of Tolkienesque proportions. Finally put to a rest by a third party almost a decade after the conflict began.

Start at fused right-facing seam/corner/crack/roof thing. Bold-ish face climbing, with a couple of gymnastic cruxes. Be careful, as a fall or blown gear at a few points might lead to a trip to hospital. Bring a rack 0.3 to #2 (consider micros, depending on your definition of acceptable risk) and maybe a tin of spinach (or a joint).

Extension-Project (Trad) Macca: Continue up from the big block straight up the steepening with limited small to medium large gear options turn the lip and up 5m to belay on ledge. Good gear is available here but bolts might be placed to allow lowering or continue to top...

An exciting steep trad line that doesn't see much love. The first pitch has been freed recently, but the upper pitches probably haven't seen a repeat in decades. For the first pitch bring a full rack including micro cams and several long slings. Start at crackline through steep wall 3m left of Swinging in the Rain.

1. 25m (24) The double roof pitch. First roof is bouldery, the second is reachy and pumpy. Finish up fantastic easy corner to trad belay on shale ledge.

2. 27m (- M4) Very thin seam crack splitting roof above. Probably requires pitons. Might go free?

3. 40m (15) Easy trench crack to top.

Another old aid route through a big ceiling that has now been partially freed.

1. 25m (23) Chossy corner crack for 12m to large shale covered ledge and BR. Up short corner to roof, then traverse rightwards with difficulty (small cams) to lip of roof and easy crack finish and trad belay on shale ledge.

2. 10m (10) Corner to ledge. Best linked into next pitch.

3. 13m (23/M2) Up corner then right to prow. Overhung short corner (piton scars) and out hanging wall to juggy black stuff and up to ledge. Is being attempted as a free route by Macca (2013).

4. 30m (15) Long easy black wall of horror jugs.

Start at blocky black corner 25m left of TD. There is a rap anchor at the top of Pitch 2, so you can do it as a single pitch and rap. This avoids the vegetated upper pitches.

1. 10m (14) Up wall right of corner aiming for a small ledge below orange roof. Single old rusty carrot. Don't stop here - link this with pitch 2.

2. 8m (15) Traverse left to arete plugging good gear in the crack under the roof. Belay at rap chain (stainless).

3. 13m (-) Diagonally left to crack and old bolt belay. Mucho vegeteriano.

4. 10m (16) Crack to bolt belay.

5. 20m (-) Diagonally left for 8m then diagonally right to ledge and tree. Scramble off to the right.

A nice easy trad corner on the right side of the Binary Cave. Marked CCVS. There are now rap anchors added at the top of the first pitch. Be careful of some loose rock at the top.

Unlikely well protected trad climbing. Starts 6m left of Flash Flood. Weave up blocky steep stuff to under big roof. Swing right across break and up seam crack to topout onto shale ledge and single ubolt + trad belay. Long draws useful to avoid rope drag.

Proof no-one climbs trad anymore. Climb Torrential for 12m to under big roof. Place #5 cam in slot with long sling then committing traverse left under roof and up technical small corner on great rock to bolt belay on shale ledge. Double ropes or long slings make rope drag much more pleasant.

Popular, mostly due to the bolts, easy grade and the weather protection. The middle of the three mini-routes. Wall to fun flake feature, then up tricky wall to finish. Some loose rock at the top.

Has a reputation for being tough for the grade and having a tricky pocket sequence. Starts just left of Thumbs Up. Boulder though a couple of roofs to an easy head wall.

The cute little slab just right of free standing pillar.

Popular steep climbing. Climb up juggy cracks and flakes to the biggest roof at Binary Cave. Crank over this with a bouldery lip move then up great orange headwall. Two long draws in the roof help reduce rope drag.

Some funky moves and a great example of Bundy's creative vision to squeeze in another route! Up groove behind small tree. Swing through the roof and onto the face. Left, up and then back to the right crossing Middle Finger and on to orange headwall.

Upgraded in the 2019 guidebook. 5m left of MF, just left of small tree leaning against cliff. Steep juggy start up to big roof. Monkey across imposing roof flake then up super headwall.

As good as the other routes here. Up the juggy wall right of Thumbs Up crack to large shale ledge under roof. Clip roof bolt then hand traverse shale ledge left to join into Thumbs Up's roof crack section. Up crack for a move then hand traverse back right above dramatic roof then up great sustained orange wall.

First of the short sport routes just left of Thumbs Down. Nice wall to start then thin crimpy finish with a tricky to clip last bolt. Convince someone else to put the draws on first!

A bit squeezed in but has some great sustained climbing. Same start as for Flash Flood for a couple of bolts then take the next line of bolts to the left. Easily to small cave then punch out a committing move above it. Nice climbing to the top, staying just left of arête.

This is not a full route, but confusingly an optional harder start to the previous couple of routes. Starts 2m left of Flash Flood at right side of overhung/cave. There is a hard/awkward move at the 3rd bolt before it links into the other routes.

Direct start links into LN, TV, S, or FF. 25m indicated height includes these 4 routes.

Both Jason and Macca eyed this line off, nether realizing the other wanted the first ascent. Jason got in first, bolting and climbing it, then Macca did the same route on trad and called it a different name. Confused? Everyone is! The route is the crack on the buttress 2m left of Hells Bells and currently also has ringbolts - although the first has been chopped.

Sandy horizontals jugs to get started with cool moves above the break. Right of small pillar, and just left of Whimsical.

Effectively a 2nd pitch to Digitalicious through the short steep roofs above the shale ledge. Short right facing flake, wall then long move through roof to jug. Hand traverse right then up steep wall above to crux section passing the final bolt. Mantle the lip to finish. Back-jump.

The left hand finish to Armistice Direct via an outrageous foot free hand-traverse along a series of incut holds across a blank orange shield. Finish with hands over the lip. Lower off large single U-bolt or backjump.

Whilst Bundy and Macca pissed around on their sport/trad project over several years Steve noticed the chalk Macca had left from trying the direct start and managed to bolt send this harder version in one weekend. It's the route between Binary Neil and Thumbs Out.

Looks as though it has a couple of impassable blank sections, but some focussed oomph will see you through, provided you have average or better wingspan. Very good climbing which deserves more attention.

Chris Beers

Short, but hilarious steep jugging up an overhanging prow.

Shares the first 5 bolts with the Project to the right, before breaking hard left.

Single bolt anchor. Backjump to clean.

"...to admit a kangaroo unreservedly to be a man would inevitably involve one in a number of distressing implications, the kangaroolity of women and your wife beside you being one example." -The Good Fairy (At Swim Two Birds)

Shares the first 5 bolts with "Is it About a Bicycle?" before breaking right. Gain the huge roof flake, then jug along with glee to the final, wild boulder problem to turn the roof. Single bolt anchor ABOVE the lip of the roof. Back jump to clean.

A surprisingly mellow undertaking despite the roofiness, with a funky gnarly move to gain the lip. Probably sub-24 but for the last move.

The secondmost route from the right, starting at a single bolt anchor, 5m left of the anchor for Constipation Chimney Variant Start. Mantle to ledge, then punch right to flake and up to rest. Then, truck right through roofiness, up to mushroom-jug, and onwards to ultimate finale.

Ideally, clip the anchor from the sloper jugs on the lip, but if they're wet, just do whatever works for you. Single bolt anchor. Backjump to clean.

Technical wall climbing up some great orange rock. Share the first three bolts of Birthday Bolts then take the left line direct up the steeper face. This was the first of the modern sport routes established in the Binary Cave, and kicked off Neil's tradition to establish a new route at this crag on every birthday. 3 years running so far.

The rightmost route on the ledge, starting at the first double bolt anchor, 3m left of the anchor for Constipation Chimney Variant Start.

Mantle onto ledge, then hard moves up flake to juggy steep climbing. Craft whatever rest you can, because the crux is clipping the anchors (though with a bit of funkiness, it can be made easier).

Resist the temptation to put a giant draw on the anchor, and step up to the challenge to earn the grade!

2 pitches. An easy first pitch, and a lovely hard pitch hidden up on the orange wall hanging above. Start 5 metres left of the mini-totem pole pillar.

1. 20m (17) Easy, peasy. A mix of FHs and ringbolts. You can lower off the big staple at the top of the wall, or much better, climb up to the ledge and do the second pitch. A rap anchor is 5m to the L, looking in, at the top of P2 of Hells Bells.

2. 22m (25) Steep with a low crux, then nice moves to the top.

Line of rings up dark orange wall 3m left of Thirty Three Years. Stick clip first bolt and campus the undercut start. Nice finish up steep prow, that is now a touch harder since a key hold fell off. The start of this route is shared with the next three routes as well.

Undercut start as for Flash Flood for a couple of bolts then slightly left and up the wall left of Stereo. A bit of a shutdown crux in the middle, that can be done slightly easier by climbing to the right of the bolts.

Go go stop. The best of the harder routes at the Binary Cave Steep bouldery start trending right to rooflet then straight up the gorgeous orange wall on small sloping holds to an easier finish.

A great wet weather protected slab climb! The right most bolted line on the wall. Start either via first few metres of the trad corner Constipation Chimney VS or boulder the start direct (grade 21?). A couple of clips are tricky if you are short. The bolts were a birthday gift from Vanessa and Ryan.

Start just right of Thumbs Down on sandy shelf. Right trending wall to big horizontal break. Swing across this then lean back and reach the big jug over the lip. Up featured wall above. Might be grade 23, especially if you are tall.

Really good sustained climbing that wanders around a bit to link a line above the overhung section. Start as for up Flash Flood (or Nice Day for a Disco), and then move left to the furthest line of ringbolts that traverses over lip of small cave, then climb up and right up the super headwall.