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Bluff Major North Face 14 routes in Cliff

  • Avg. Height: 31m
  • Style: Trad,? and Top Rope
  • Ascents: 327

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Access Issues: inherited from Arapiles

State Park

Approach:

From the top of Ali's go L around John's Pinnacle then up the ramp beneath the West face.

Descent Notes:

25m abseil from the rap station above Missing Link.

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)

Routes

RouteGradeStylePopularity
1 Very Anxious

Sounds like it might be serious, or maybe it's just that Louise was having a go at Kim's psyche. Who knows.

Start: Start down L of AN.

FA: Kim Carrigan, 1984

26 R
Trad 20m
2 *** Anxiety Neurosis

Start: Start under the R side of the low overhang on the N arete of 'Bluff Major'.

  1. 20m (26) Head out left past a piton and a high bolt, then step down and left to arete and onwards to ledge.

  2. 20m (24) Great pitch up the arete past a few bolts, go L at the top.

26
Mixed 40m , 4
3 Anxiety Neurosis Original Line

As for AN but follow the original aid line and don't drop down to get to the arete. Bouldery.

Start: Start as for AN.

27
Unknown 20m , 2
4 ** Leaps and Bounds
30
Trad 35m
5 Leaps

Bolted by Kimbo decades ago, this long-standing problem succumbed to the short strong bloke with dreads.

Start: Start as for 'Anxiety Neurosis'.

FA: Davey Jones, 1998

30
Trad 35m
6 * Holy Moses

Up the face just L of the arete (the arete being p2 of AN). Then join a sickle with a fixed wire. Sparse pro.

Start: Start at the first belay of AN.

FA: Mark Moorhead, Kim Carrigan, 1981

26 R
Trad 40m
7 * Anticipation

Start: Start as for 'New Diocese'.

  1. 25m (22) Up ND for 6m then traverse miles left above the roofs to belay as for 'Anxiety Neurosis'.

  2. 20m (22) Step L and climb a thin seam which is just R of pitch 2 of 'Kama Sutra', and just L of 'Holy Moses'.

FA: Mark Moorhead, Kim Carrigan, 1981

22
Trad 45m
8 ** Bounds

Follow 'Anticipation' towards AN, as far as a ledge with a bolt. Now go straight up disconnected seams to a bolt then step L to bulging crack. Needs plenty of #3 RPs.

Start: Start as for 'New Diocese'.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Geoff Weigand, 1984

26
Mixed 35m , 2
9 ** New Diocese

Up to the top of the flake then step down and go L, and up a seam with tough moves into a R-leaning sickle. This line actually joins 'Preservative Added' about here, but next you need to trend L up the steep headwall.

Start: Start between 'Anxiety Neurosis' and 'Missing Link', where there is a short flake above a low roof.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Mark Moorhead, 1981

25
Trad 30m
10 New Diocese Direct Finish

Up ND but instead of trending R go up then L, boldly.

Start: Start as for ND.

FA: Roland Foster, Philby, 1984

26 R
Unknown 30m
11 * Preservative Added

An extremely rare case of Kevin aborting a ground up trad route in order to resort to a bolt placed on rap. But then again he was probably about 12 at the time so we'll excuse him this time.

Start: Start as for ML.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Jim Grellis, John Chapman, 1975

18
Mixed 30m , 1
12 * Missing Link Direct Finish

After the initial traverse, go straight up the whole way, finishing 5m R of the capping boulder.

Start: Start as for ML.

FA: Ross Cayley, Richard Chin, 1986

17 R
Unknown 30m
13 *** Missing Link

The low traverse makes it essential to use double ropes if you wish to avoid groundfall potential. After that the gear becomes more heartening, and the climbing is great.

Start: Start in the middle of the West face of 'Bluff Major', where the ground is at it's highest point.

FA: Reg Williams, Peter Jackson, Chris Dewhirst (1 aid piton), 1965

17 R
Trad 30m
14 Dead Eye Dick

Climb the RH line, descend the LH line!

Start: Start on the slabby wall opposite 'Missing Link'.

FA: John Moore, Chris Dewhirst, 1965

10
Trad 12m