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Grotto Wall 43 routes in Cliff

  • Avg. Height: 23m
  • Style: Mostly Trad
  • Ascents: 364

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Description:

The buttress directly behind Castle Crag.

Access Issues: inherited from Arapiles

State Park

Descent Notes:

Scramble down the back of the gully behind Grotto Wall (Pan Grove). 20m abseil from the rap station on the big chockstone.

Ethic: inherited from Arapiles
Well established

Mount Arapiles is first and foremost a trad climbing area. The few sport climbs tend to be in the higher grades where no natural pro is available.

Bolting, particularly retro-bolting, is discouraged and should only be undertaken after extensive consultation with the local climbers, first ascensionists, etc. Inappropriately placed bolts have been chopped.

Do not chip the rock.

Look after the park.

  • Stick to the paths.

  • Don't disturb the wildlife.

  • Routes near peregrine falcon nesting sites are closed in the spring.

  • Minimise the impact of your camping (fuel stoves not fires, take your rubbish with you, etc).

Tags:
Quartzite

Some content has been provided under license from: © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU)

Areas

Map Name Style Climbs Ascents Height Grade Band Topos
34Pan Grove Cliff All Trad 74831m
35The Bat Cave Cliff Trad,Sport 3010m

Routes

RouteGradeStylePopularity
1 Llareggub Variant

The line, moving L then up at half height. Rap off Llareggub's DRB anchor.

Start: Start 2m L of 'Llareggub'.

FA: David Shelton, Tim Day, Erik Lock, 1996

22
Trad 15m
RouteGradeStylePopularity
2 * Llareggub

Originally graded 12... things were different back then!

Start: At a little painted "L" about 10m R of the L edge of 'Grotto Wall'.

FA: Dave Neilson, Rod Harris., 1967

18
Trad 15m
3 Factoids

Climb the wall L of The Flue; either directly (reachy to hidden fingerlock), or by stepping in L from a few metres up 'Hot August Night' (thin and poorly protected). If you can manage one or the other, finish at rap anchor.

FA: Robin Miller, Mike Collie, Craig Nottle., 1983

21
Trad 15m
4 Hot August Night

Up 'Factoids' until rooflet, then step R and up blunt arete (pro a bit iffy). There is also a loose block up high, so don't go pulling it onto your belayer. Rap off as for 'Factoids'.

Start: As for 'Factoids'.

FA: Simon Mentz, Andrew Eastaugh, Louise Shepherd., 1992

21
Trad 15m
5 The Flue

The prominent gash at the L end of 'Grotto Wall'.

FA: Keith Lockwood, Garry Sudholz., 1967

12
Trad 30m
6 * Bastress

The arching grey buttress between 'The Flue' and the grotto is an enjoyable easy route.

Start: Below the grey buttress at a tricky run-out slab.

FA: Rod Harris, Dave Neilson., 1967

11
Trad 36m
7 Nothing

Pretty contrived.

Start: Just R of 'Bastress'.

  1. 25m (22) Take the seam up L side of orange wall through bulge.

  2. 10m (23) Move L across 'Bastress' to the steep orange wall (actually the R wall of The Flue). The original description mentions to take crack 'n ups... so have fun.

FA: Mike Law-Smith (pitch 1), Mike Law, Steve Howden (pitch 2)., 1982

23
Trad 25m
8 ** Body Recession

Climb past 3 bolts (and sometimes a fixed wire) to a lower-off.

Start: Bounding the L end of the grotto is an overhanging orange wall.

FA: Martin Scheel, 1989

27
Mixed 15m , 3
9 Heart of Stone

One of the Mount's best waterfalls after an extended period of rain.

Start: Deep in the back of the grotto beside a pile of skeleton bones.

FA: Bruno Zielke, Gordon Talbett, 1969

14
Trad 27m
10 Toad in the Hole

Climb the slab past 2 bolts to the chains.

Start: The back wall of the grotto is a short slab.

FA: Steve Howden, Mike Law, 1982

20
Mixed 12m , 2
11 Twenty-nine at the Quarry

Climb the slab R of TITH, clipping that route's 2nd bolt. Probably best to top-rope it from the chains after leading TITH.

Start: R of 'Toad in the Hole'.

FA: Charlie Creese, Robin Miller, 1985

21
Trad 12m
12 Catch 22

Up chimney then traverse R (pin) to corner. Up this then move R (crux) to finish.

Start: At the chimney at the R end of the grotto.

FA: Rod Harris, Dave Neilson, 1967

FFA: Nic Taylor., 1976

19
Trad 15m
13 Catch 22 Variant Finish

Keeps going straight up to access Toad's chains. Would've been done a 100 times before.

FA: Michael Hillan, Paul Badenoch,

18
Trad 12m
14 * Catch This

Up Catch 22 intil bolt on R can be clipped. Dive R for the catch, then layback the desperate flake to the arete and finish in the chimney.

Start: As for Catch 22.

FA: Mike Law, Ian Anger, 1982

23
Mixed 15m , 1
15 * Hot Coq

Up the orange wall past 5 inconspicuous carrots. Apparently, finishing directly past the last one is the most 'enjoyable' way to do the route.

Start: At the R edge of the grotto, 2m R of Catch 22/This.

FA: Nick White, 1992

27
Mixed 15m , 5
16 Aussie Drivers

Head straight up. Maybe move L to rap off Hot Coq's anchor at the top?

Start: 4m R of 'Catch This'

FA: Michael Collie, Michael Totterdell, 1983

20
Trad 12m
RouteGradeStylePopularity
17 Passion

Use pocket to get past the arch and then continue up to bulge (bolt). Pull through this (crux) and then ramble on to the top of the crag.

Start: About 8m L of 'Boomer'.

FA: Mark Moorhead, Lincoln Shepherd, 1983

22
Mixed 25m , 1
18 A Lusty Sequel

Climb the face L of 'Boomer' to the top of the crag. Wander off L to Pan Grove or 'Celeste' rap station.

Start: Just L of 'Boomer'.

FA: Craig Nottle, Michael Collie, 1983

18
Trad 45m
19 Valm

Start as for 'Boomer' and head into the gulch. Trash up this to the top.

Start: About 10m R of the grotto is a deep chimney/gully.

FA: Colin Lindorff, Bill van Muirs, 1970

15
Trad 30m
20 Boomer

An ancient route with complicated FA details... if you want the full story then look in Noddy's guide. Chris and Sue Baxter climbed the wide crack option on pitch 1 on 8/5/1983.

Start: Below the gaping chimney/gully starting halfway up the cliff.

  1. 24m (15) Up to the overlap (peg), where hard moves past this on the left leads to chimney/crack. Best option is to take the wide crack on the right past a bulge, or continue up chimney to ledge on right.

  2. 18m (15) Continue up the steep crack (on the L) to ledge. Belay here, then scramble up and L to get off.

Start: Original description says: "half-way up Boomer's 1st pitch, direct variant leaves gully for the wide crack on R wall." hmmm...

  1. 25m (15) This probably means: climb Boomer's first pitch.

  2. 18m (14) And then finish up 'Squeaker'.

FA: Col Abbott, Jenny McMahon, 1965

FA: Chris and Sue Baxter, 1983

15
Trad 42m
21 * John and Betty

Popular sport route.

Start: Below the orange wall near the highest point of the arch, just R of high gully

FA: Kieran Loughran, 1992

23
Sport 23m , 5
22 Amazing Lace Direct Start

Thin and poorly protected climbing leads to the original route. Finish up that.

Start: Just L of the original route.

FA: Chris Shepherd, Steve Moore, 1980

21
Trad 23m
23 Amazing Lace

Climb into the 'line' from the R (contrived), and up wall to John and Betty's rap station.

Start: R of 'John and Betty', and just L of 'Squeaker'.

FA: Steve Moore, Chris Shepherd, 1980

21
Trad 23m
24 Squeaker

Another early climb. This one is supposedly better than it looks.

Start: About 7m R of 'Boomer'.

  1. 23m (14) Up groove, then bridge scrubby chimney. Belay as for 'Boomer'.

  2. 18m (14) Finish up the RH crack past a few dodgy blocks at the beginning. Descend as for 'Boomer'.

FA: Possibly John Moore and Chris Dewhirst, 1965

14
Trad 41m
25 Thingummyjig or Something Similar

Up black face to little overhang (crux, small cams) at 3/4 height.

Start: A few metres R of Square

FA: Dennis Kemp, Dave Mudie, 1987

18
Trad 38m
26 Tich

Up wall, passing roof on the L to big ledge at 30m. Walk off here, or take optional finish up V-chimney.

Start: 5m R of 'Squeaker', below prominent ceiling/nose up higher.

FA: Digby and Alison Gotts, 1971

17
Trad 40m
27 Rites of Passage

Can be used to access 'Golden Oldies' Wall, if you're into that sort of thing.

Start: 5m R of 'Tich' at foot of slab.

FA: Chris Baxter, Dave Gairns, Jack Lewis, 1986

19
Trad 25m
28 Captain Vomit

The LH diagonal.

FA: Craig Nottle, Michael Collie, 1983

18
Trad 20m
29 Lord of the Ring-Holes

The RH diagonal. After the corner, move R through bulge and up to overhang above.

FA: Craig Nottle, Michael Collie, 1983

20
Trad 25m
30 Sir Francis Goose

Up groove to bulge. Take the line L of the overhanging nose on massive jugs.

Start: 3m R of LOTRH is a groove.

FA: Craig Nottle, Michael Collie, 1983

19
Trad 25m
31 Chairman Meow

Climb the wall 2m R of SFG, trending slightly R. Take the line R of bulge.

FA: Craig Nottle, Michael Collie, 1983

18
Trad 25m
32 A New Fridge

The beautiful, but "all too short" thin crack starting well up the face.

Start: Start just L of 'No More Gaps'.

FA: Kieran Loughran, Meg Sleeman, 1998

17
Trad 10m
33 No More Gaps

Follow cracks up R-wards to a bold finish up the R arete of the gully face.

Start: Start in the gully around L of 'Argyle Street' at a grassy patch.

FA: Kieran Loughran, Meg Sleeman, 1998

16
Trad 12m