Ascensions de Cornerstone Rib

This was really fun. Beautiful route, stellar position, just make sure to not leave your shoes at the top, otherwise you'll have to please bring them back to you. Thanks again boys...

Awesome day out! First half of the climb was amazing, filled with really cool positions. Second half was a bit choss, especially the last pitch, but you can't see the choss if it's dark! A bit of a sketchy and slippery descent down green glacier, would have appreciated a bolt for a traverse line down to the waterfall rap (creek was flowing) but made do with a few cams to get the leader down.

Absolute classic!

Number Two on the birthday link up with Bluff Mountain and Belougery - 15 hours 55 minutes car to car. Soloed to the base of the crux pitch then simuled to the top in one block. Even better than i remembered. This thing is all time! Descending Green Glacier took longer than the route and is kinda shit (but very pretty).

Wow what a day to remember for a mix of reasons. Started walking from pinchmans at 6am in the dark and collapsed at the car at 6.30pm also in the dark. Didn't have too much trouble with route finding the whole day. The climbing itself was average quality with some sections having some nice moves. Gear was good in most places other than crux sections. Quite a large amount of loose blocks on every pitch. As for the grade it felt much harder than 14 through the crux sections meaning we both felt very unprepared for the difficulty. BUT I am not experienced in multi pitch climbing and have never climbed in the warumbungles. All in all was an epic day up at big rock, what more could you want!!

Managed to not make it an epic, as a party of 5. We climbed in 2 + 3, worked well, enough room on the belay stances in general. We were overtaken by a party of 2, no issue with a bit of considered rope use. Walked out from Balor hut at 6am, started climbing at 7.30 (in the dark hard to stay on the track up and left after crossing the creek (find the cairns at the crossing), we ended up 30 meters below Cornerstone and had to scramble up, despite a reccie the night before). Topped at 15.30pm had a break and lunch. The descent very doable (it was dry), first a short abseil and a little scramble down the green track. Another short abseil (one bolt with homemade plate). Then a long walk/scramble down more green goodness to last tree (two jerricans of water there, one empty, the other broken but filled with disgusting looking water). From there down climb/walk/all fours to double bolt and chain anchor above waterfall (would hate to that part in the dark when wet). Instructions clear enough to make it with care to the last abseil (double bolt/chain) great views at last of the sun, and down to ledge. Walked off and found the track down just in the last light, walk out to the saddle and balor hut easy to find and fast.

An interesting day where we started with 5 and ended the day with 3 (no one fell off! 2 members bailed at the top of pitch III). We started at around 8am and returned at 11pm for a 15 hour day.

Initially this was climbed as 2 parties of 2 and 3. Marlee and Erika were the first party. I was with Anna and Jessie. We did not climb the pitches as numbered here. I will number the 'official' pitches in Roman and our pitches in Arabic numerals.

Excellent climbing. Loved the exposure on pitch IV! I would argue the climb is sandbagged because the move on pitch IV is harder than 14. Perhaps a grade 15/16 move? The rock quality on much of the route, especially the final 2 pitches is somewhat dubious, but good quality placements can be found with a little investigating.

Anna led the first 2 pitches (combined pitch I/II/III).

Marlee then made an attempt at pitch IV, but was a little spooked by the moves off a directional nut she placed and retreated. I then had to catch up so the full party was on the belay ledge. I led pitch IV (as pitch 3) while Erika and Jessie elected to bail due to anticipated time constraints. This later proved wise.

Rope drag was substantial on pitch 3 and 4, but otherwise uneventful. Anna led pitch 5 (combined pitches VI/VII) and earned the glory of summitting first.

Descent down the Green Glacier was confusing. Our beta is as follows.

1. Descend the gully until you find the rap chains.

2. Abseil off the chains for around 35m until the terrain eases off.

3. Walk down the Green Glacier for a while, navigating some steep bits.

4. Once the greenery ends, you should keep walking until you end up on a ledge with rap chains on the left side (facing out). This is beyond the tree with chains and containers of radioactive water attached.

5. Rap down to another ledge, follow the track into the trees on the right (facing out), initially down then up briefly until you see a cairn on a rocky outcrop. There should be some chains there.

6. Rap down to the ground ~50m.

Great climbing, mega classic. Nicer to climb with cool temps

Awesome day out. Well paced and easy enough climbing but committing and adventurous. Lovely day out. Crux pitch is certainly exposed, climbing with a pack is never fun. Good day out! Linked the last two pitches into one. Baby's first trad anchor!

So stoked to tick this climb after first seeing this line on a bushwalking trip almost 3 years ago. We decided to rack up at the hut and departed at 7:15 with 2x sets of wires, cams 0.3-3 with doubles 0.3-2, some hexes and 16 alpine draws. We lost the track a bit when crossing the side creek as we were too far from the confluence but were at the base by 8:15 and climbing as a party of 3 by 8:30. Pitches 1-3 were combined into two pitches with minimal gear placed putting us ahead of schedule. P4 was the one to remember, traversing out onto the face to gain all that exposure, putting in some gear and trying to follow the path of least resistance up was a highlight. Michael bravely look the lead at P6 after lugging the backpack up the 1st 5 pitches for a 2:30pm top out. Leisurely lunch on the summit with the skinks and chatted to a hiker on the return to the hut for a 10.5hr day total. The descent took longer than expected however it was not helped by me tossing 100m of rope off the 1st 10m down climb/rap into a big tangle in the bushes below. The radios were very useful and our 2L of water per person was adequate.

What an incredible adventure! Excellent leads by Rory Hentshel and Michael 'Monty' Burns, with sherpa Jordy in tow! Crux pitch, slung horn, deep breath, traversing face left for a few m, climbing direct to regain the rib, MAGIC!!!!!!

Honestly this was an amazing adventure, completely lives up to the hype! It’s a great line, awesome position with nice climbing the whole way and solid pro.

Very cool descent through the Canyon too, although worth noting that the last abseil with a 70m rope only gets you to a small ledge approx 3m above the large one, requiring a largely safe but still exposed down climb

From Balor Hut, we had a 1hr approach (including some route finding), 5hr climbing, 45 mins at the summit, 2hr descent and 45 mins return for a 9.5hr day.

An excellent alpine outing. 10.5 hours car to car from Pincham Camp Carpark.

Probably wouldn't recommend this as anyone's first 14... Also wouldn't recommend doing it in approach shoes. There's fuck-all gear on it either so maybe don't bring the rack at all.

Simul-climbed pitches 1-3, first time climbing with progress captures. Bottom to top in 5 hours. Beautiful seeing the Green Glacier in daylight this time. Took a more left/arete route on the grade 12 pitch this time for better rock quality and easier climbing.

Lovely day out in a beautiful location. Left Melbourne lunchtime Friday, arriving at Pincham shortly after midnight. Departed from the carpark at 0630 after a few hours sleep and a much-needed coffee. Climbing was straightforward and enjoyable despite questionable rock but we were slowed somewhat by route finding to/from Dagda saddle and a wet descent. Led P1/2, 4, 6/7. Around 11 hours car-to-car then a few hours drive onwards toward Frog before a comfortable roadside bivvy.

Late start as we woke up at 7:30 due to the grueling hike the night before, trad gear is heavy!!! Nicole and I chose cornerstone and Yim and Rob went up Lieben. Talks from Yiom claiming he would climb so fast he would also get up cornerstone in the same day. The day was gorgeous with no clouds and pristine blue skies and thankfully cornerstone is in the full sun to make it warmer with that cold breeze constantly blowing. We scrambled up the first pitch and roped up at the base of the second pitch. There are some scary moves on the second pitch so I was happy to be attached to a rope. Pitch 4, the crux, and quite a few scary moves, thankfully Nicole found great pro and we had made some headway, although it was starting to get later than we had hoped. This being my first big trad multi I was quite scared to lead and so Nicole did most of the leads, I jumped in at the end and linked the last 2 pitches. A solid tree anchor at the top and we toped out with enough sunset to finish the rappels. Yim and Rob toped out at the same time as us, got down the mountain just as the dark was descending and walked back by our led powered suns, portable enough to be carried on our heads. Why did we decide to do phoenix the next day after we got back in the dark for a much shorter multi...

2nd time up Crater Bluff, beautiful feature! 2/3

Fond but sad memories from my previous ascent of this with Nick. Did it today from Blackmans camp with Dave and Jonty. The rocks average but the experience is great.