Crag Guide for Fang Buttress and Surrounds

From the bottom left of the small wall, step up R then up the left hand line.

Start: Start up high in 'Major Mitchell Gully', above the massive boulder, and opposite 'Brontosaurus' (described under 'Dunes' Buttress).

FA: Paul Hoskins, Greg Pritchard, 1993

Up out to the RH arete, take this to the buckets, then go L and up seam to a block.

Start: Start 1.5m R of R.

FA: Paul Hoskins, Greg Pritchard, 1993

A sloping corner crack then jam through the overhang at the top.

Start: Start above 'Trench Warfare', under a little wall which faces 'Dunes Buttress' and is on the same level as the start of 'Thunder Crack' (which is described under the 'Bluff Major' section).

FA: Rod Young, Jeremy Boreham, 1977

Plenty of angst here.

Start: Start 10m up L from 'Trench Warfare'.

FA: Gordon Poultney, Donna Bridge, David Jones + 1, 1993

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to thrutch leftwards up the long diagonal, starting with a tricky traverse in from the L, and finishing rather strenuously.

Start: Start towards the uphill end of the wall, although quite a way down from the massive boulder which blocks the gully.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Tony Marian, 1980

Firedance

The subtle weakness in frictional rock takes tiny RPs.

Start: Start 20m up L from DT.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Keith Egerton, late '., 1977

Deeply Techo

Climb boldly to first bolt then traverse left to second bolt. Employ some inventive footwork to reach the alcove, a good rest and a nest of gear. Take a breath then move left and motor up on slopers to the top.

Start: Start as for 'Feral Chicken'.

FA: Mike Law, 1981

Feral Chicken

Climb warily to first ring bolt on good holds. Move right a move and up to (often seeping) pocket. Continue upwards via bomber gear to a horizontal. Move up past perfect wire slot, then head left into corner past large scar and some tricky moves on slopes to finish.

Start: Start 3m L of L.

FA: Mike Law, Chris Baxter, 1980

Fridge hugging.

Start: Start 2m R of FC.

FA: Gordon Poultney, Chris Shepherd + 3, 1994

Thrash up the steep flaring chimney, finishing R.

Start: Start under the chimney in the centre of the wall.

FA: Phillip Stranger, Chris Dewhirst, 1967

3m up 'Lennox', then head diagonally R to ledge, 2m further R, then up flake. Take lots of cams.

Start: Start as for L.

FA: Kieran Loughran, Chris Baxter, 1984

As for 'Slap Happy' to the ledge, then follow the bolts.

Start: Start as for SH.

FA: Chris Shepherd, Gordon Poultney, 1994

Slap Happy

Short crack, bulge past bolt and gain the ledge near the R end of The Philanthropist's diagonal. Continue straight up the thin crack above the ledge.

Start: Start 2m R of L.

FA: Chris Shepherd, Rod Young, 1980

Kincaid

A sweet slab.

FA: Mike Law, Chris Baxter, 1980

The L arete of the chimney, with a small yellow groove.

Start: Start just L of G.

FA: Dave Gairns, Chris Baxter, 1985

Gazollika

Start on the L wall, then the R. Bridge airily to an awkward and runout finish L around the roof.

Start: Start on the next buttress uphill from 'Morfydd', at a chimney with a square roof.

FA: Chris Baxter, Dorothy McManus, 1968

Pull up the buckety arete, then up the wall.

Start: Start just R of G.

FA: Paul Daniels, Maureen Gallagher, 1984

No Standing

Choose either crack (both tough), to follow the thin diagonal past an old piton.

Start: Start in the middle of the buttress L of 'Morfydd'.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Chris Peisker, 1979

Short groove with piton to join NS. Where NS goes L, step R and up seam.

Start: Start 2m R of NS.

FA: Paul Hoskins, Kim Carrigan, 1985

The line delineating the L side of the pillar is unpleasant and has a tough start.

Start: Start on the L side of the 'Morfydd' Pillar.

FA: Phillip Stranger, Chris Dewhirst, Keith Lockwood, 1967

Weakness with PR, to ledge. Either pike off L into the scrappy finish of 'Stillborn', or step R to finish up Morfyne's fine wall (the latter looks a much better outing).

Start: Start 1m R of S.

FA: Glenn Tempest, Carole Bradley, 1980

Morfyne

Close to 'Morfydd' at times, but still a very appealing wall.

Start: Start 3m L of 'Morfydd'.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Glenn Tempest, Louise Shepherd, Eddy Ozols, 1979

Morfydd

Not given many stars until recently, this is now widely considered one of the finest 19s at 'Arapiles'. It used to be 20 so don't expect a soft touch.

Start: Start under the prominent line up the south face of the pinnacle.

FA: John Moore, Chris Dewhirst, 1968

Originally 22, but harder since a hold on pitch 1 snapped off.

Start: Start 5m R of 'Morfydd'.

1. 15m (-) Shallow groove to ledge then L and up to 2nd ledge.

2. 20m (-) Straight up face keeping L of arete.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Natalie Green, 1979

The retrobolt eliminated serious fall potential, making this route a must for confident leaders at the grade ... but don't expect to be sewing it up with gear every metre.

Start: The east face of the 'Morfydd' pinnacle faces the back of 'Fang Buttress'. Start under this face.

FA: Chris Dewhirst, Phillip Stranger, 1967

The Munchkins Stole My Water Bottle

Start: Start in the gully right of 'Bygone', below the crack near arete.

FA: Hoskins, Smith, 1995

Probably the most descended route at 'Arapiles' (by abseilers using Ali's rap anchor). May also be the least ascended.

Start: Start 5m L of Ali's.

FA: Steve Craddock, Bob Craddock, 1964

Climb the corner system, which these days is laced with long lengths of fixed chains to ease the way for soloing (this being the fastest way to get up to the 'Bluffs' climbing areas). If you do decide to solo up or down it, don't underestimate the polished rock and the deathfall potential.

Start: Start 15m R of 'Bygone', under the huge left-facing corner system, behind 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: The Craddocks?, 2000

Climb Ali's, then 'Bluff Minor'.

Start: Start as for Ali's.

FA: Bob Bull, John Fahey, Chris Dewhirst, John Moore, 1965

Climb the funky roof to the left of 'Nursery Rhymes' crack passing 2 bolts. Join 'Nursery Rhymes' on the arete and follow this to where it moves right. Move left instead passing a third bolt to gain an enormous hanging jug and a cramped rest. For full value avoid the temptation to bridge out left. From the jug step back right and crank a short boulder past a final bolt before finishing straight up the delightful headwall above. Bring a full set of wires to supplement the bolts.

Start: 1m left of 'Nursery Rhymes'

FA: Ingvar Lidman, 2010

Attack the awesomely steep arete just R of Ali's, starting with a roof crack, R to a bulge, the crack just L of the arete, R along a break and up the arete.

Start: Start as for Ali's.

FA: Mark Moorhead, Jon Muir, 1981

Directathal

Take the L leaning diagonal crack on the R side of the arete, then the arete.

Start: Start as for Ali's.

FA: Glenn Tempest, Mike Law-Smith, 1981

Start: Start as for 'Directathal'

FA: Ingvar Lidman, 2010

Up the diagonal crack of D then traverse 5m R to steep jugging.

Start: Start as for D.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Andrew Thomson, Kim Carrigan, 1978

Up the corner of S to ledge, then head up L on red wall.

Start: Start at Ali's.

FA: Craig Roberts, Ryan Robertson, 1986

Start: Start at Ali\'s.

1. 26m (9) Traverse 5m R then juggy corner and into cave on 'Orpheus' (which is described in the 'Bard Buttress' area).

2. 28m (9) As for pitch 5 of 'Orpheus' then traverse R.

3. 20m (9) 'Nasty' wall, then R, watch for loose blocks.

4. 16m (9) R, then over big block.

FA: Two South Australians, 1965

Follow S for 15m, then begin a long traverse. Pass 'Orpheus' and Eurydice's 2nd belay, and reverse THE traverse on Bard. Now downclimb the Bard.

Start: Start as for S.

FA: Chris Dewhirst, Chris Baxter, 1968

Straight up with terrible pro. Toproping recommended.

Start: Start in the middle of the grey wall L of O-W.

FA: Chris Shepherd, Mark Moorhead, 1981

Follow the BRs.

Start: Start just L of O-W.

FA: Martin Grulich, 1986

Orc-Wood

A tricky start, then it's easier to the halfway ledge (at which point you still have no pro). Follow the weakness just L of the R arete of the wall.

Start: Start around the back of 'Fang Buttress', just across the gap from Ali's.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, 1975

This length is surely overstated. Anyway, up the unprotected start of O-W to the ledge. Now go R and up arete to a ledge then do the top overhang.

Start: Start as for O-W.

FA: Keith Egerton, Phil Wilkins, Jane Wilkinson, 1983

The areteleft of Kamakaze

Take the middle of the face between 'Vaunted' and 'Kamikaze', with one bolt.

Start: Start just L of K.

FA: Jim Thomas, Chris Shepherd, 1983

Worth doing? Yes. Worth a star? hmm...

Start: Start in the middle of the slim S face of 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: Keith Lockwood, Murray Taylor, 1968

Up the middle of the face between K and DA.

Start: Start just R of K.

FA: Kim Carrigan, 1985

Trend up R almost to the arete, then up past a piton to an interesting finish.

Start: Start as for TO.

FA: Kim Carrigan, Barry Young, Simon Parsons, 1978

Ferrets and Berts

Climb the arete with one bolt and not much else pro. Deviating into XI briefly at half height to avoid the widow maker loose flake is sensible (but if you're leading this you're probably a bit short on sense).

Start: Start under the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress', between DA and XI.

FA: Mark Moorhead, 1981

XI

The gear is good from the crack up, but below that...

Start: Start 5m L of Fang, just R of the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: Mike Law, Peter Watson, 1976

Counting the Days

Originally given 25.

Start: Start as for 'Placements'.

FA: Roland Foster, 1982

Placements

Climb easy corner to ledge, then step right and ascend right-trending crack line/weakness via a series of sidepulls and gastons. Powerfully sustained at the grade and bombproof gear. Finish easily up right arete of the XI face (left of Fang).

Start: Start 1.5m L of F at the corner in the small alcove.

FA: Chris Shepherd, 1980

A favourite among those who like chest-beating about whether you can hand jam. To the rest of us it's a poxy one move wonder.

Start: Start under the dominant chimney on the L side of the E (main) face of 'Fang Buttress'.

FA: Peter Jackson, Chris Baxter, 1965

Strolling Direct Start

Obvious direct start (2 FHs) into 'Strolling', joining that route at its crux.

Start: Start 5m R of Fang and 5m L of 'Strolling'.

FA: Gordon Poulteney,

Hyperlink

Up SDS then head R past a new FH on the bulge (which nearly retrobolts Strolling) and finish up 'Ergonomics'.

Start: Start as for SDS.

FFA: Gordon Poultney, 2005

Strolling

Up the steep flake, traverse 5m L under the bulge to a bolt, then over the bulge and up. Pro is ok but quite tricky to get in on lead.

Start: Start 8m R of Fang.

FA: Mark Moorhead, 1981

Strolling Right Hand Variant

Up the steep face then move L below the bulge past poor PR (there's a good sneaky wire instead). Now pull over the bulge and, ignoring the new bolt of 'Ergonomics' on the R, trend L up the runout face to join the finish of 'Strolling'.

Start: Start 3m R of S.

FA: Chris Shepherd,

Ergonomics

Excellent long-overlooked addition that essentially is a direct finish to 'Strolling' RHV.

Start: Start as for 'Strolling' RHV.

FA: Dave Jones 2005; Dave Jones,

Wagalak

There's 1 or 2 old bolt holes 1 to 2m to the right dating from an unknown attempt on this great nose of rock.

Start: Start 4m L of 'Mantis'.

FA: Dave Jones, 2005

Mandible

Up Mantis to roof, hand traverse L to arete, steeply up arete.

FA: Will Monks, Andrew Duckworth, 2004

Climbable even in the eponymous weather...one of the driest routes at Araps!

Start: Start as for 'Mantis'.

FA: Will Monks, Peter Monks, 2009

Up Mantis to roof, start traverse L as for Mandible, but halfway to arete blast straight up orange wall and through steepest part of juggy top bulge

FA: Will Monks, Andrew Duckworth, 2004

Mantis

Up the slightly slabby face into the recess under the roof, then move R where it steepens to find the juggiest part of the overhang. Continue up wall above to ledge on left.

Start: Start at the pockety rock under the recess 12m R of Fang.

FA: Peter Jackson, Ted Batty, Bob Bull, 1965

Up to overhang at 4m, go L under it, then up. Has been done direct through the overhang at 21, by Col Reece, Greg Moore, 1979.

Start: Start 4m R of 'Mantis'.

FA: Mike Law, Glenn Tempest, 1976

Up slots to overhang, step L, then up wall trending R to gain arete. Skip the top overhang by traversing off left.

Start: Start 1m R of DB.

FA: Bill Andrews, Julie Tulloch, Roger Murphy, 1976

Stick clip bolt then up flake to jugs. At 2nd BR you can go straight up bulges or go L to flake and arete.

Start: Start by walking around the R (north) end of 'Fang Buttress' and going 20m up the gully behind.

FA: Mike Law, Steve Howden, 1982

Layback a pin-scarred flake with poor pro, then directly up wall above.

Start: Start 5m R of PK.

FA: Chris Dewhirst, John Moore, 1965

Instead of going L at small roof, step R around it and climb the R side of arete. (Belay on ledge to avoid rope drag.) The arete soon breaks out above the gully between 'Fang Buttress' and 'Bard Buttress'. Continue to summit of 'Fang Buttress'.

Start: Start as for Fear Of Praying.

FA: Cameron Millsom, Simon White, Hillary Little, Patrick Over, 1997

As for 'Mantis' to the recess under the roof, now take the left end of the overhang and up the corner above, rejoining 'Mantis' near the top. There is a piton somewhere on this.

Start: Start as for 'Mantis'.

FA: Phillip McMillan, Rod Young, 1979

Up crack following big holds to ledge then take headwall.

Start: Start 5 metres up right of Wizard below short crack thingy.

FA: Smith, Pritchard, Hoskins, 1995

A Bit on the Side

Not much pro.

Start: Start below left arete of Orc-Wood Wall.

FA: Hoskins, Smith, Pritchard, 1995

The full description provided is "Right of Mantle". Hmmm. Maybe a repeat of Downward Bound? Maybe somewhere else entirely? Who knows.

FA: Richard Smith, 2006

Not clear whether this is L or R of 'Thibenzol'.

Start: Takes the next pinnacle uphill (R) of Wizard.

FA: Keith and Tim Lockwood, 1995

Traverse left towards arete and then swing back right and up till arete can be reached again.

Start: Start left of 'Pulpy Kidney'

FA: Hoskins, Bride and Wilkins, 1995

A girdle of the 'Plaque' outcrop...good luck at getting past the topropers.

Start: Start on the far L.

FA: Matt Taylor, Peter Megens, Peter Cyganowski, 1977

Start 2m right of the crack at the far left and straight up.

FA: Mike Law,

Start 2m right of the crack at the far left. Veer right and up the face.

FA: Mike Law,

Start left of the plaque. Smooth start then into the groove.

FA: Mike Law,

Actually 18M1 because you use the corner of the plaque. Then up.

FA: Mark Moorhead, Chris Shepherd, Jon Muir,

The bulging crack just right of the plaque.

FA: Bob Bull, John Fahey,

The line between Minimus and Camelot.

FA: Mike Law,

Slabby start right of Minimus then the corner-crack to the top.

FA: Phillip Stranger,

Maximus

The thin wall 2m right of Camelot.

FA: Peter Watson, Peter Megens,

Start left of the cave (as for Dramp). Up the face.

FA: Nick White and Dave Mudie,

FA: Kim Carrigan and Greg Child,

Start left of cave (as for Dramp). Left from the bottom of the cave an up a thin seam.

FA: Col Reece,

Dramp

Start left of cave. Follow the chalk into and out of the cave.

FFA: Henry Barber,

FA: Jphn Fahey, Peter Jackson,

FA: Henry Barber., 1975

Sonic Boom

A more compact little orange overhang you will not find. The steep section offers great moves on surprisingly good holds and is soft at the grade ... if you don't plug gear in the key holds.

Start: Start 5m R of 'Dramp'.

FA: Mark Moorhead, 1981

Up to crappy old FH then trend L into SB.

Start: Start 2m R of SB.

FA: Tom Greenwood, Terry Tremble, 1989

As for FoF to piton, then L to seam.

Start: Start as for FoF.

FA: Kim Carrigan, 1984

Downgraded to 21 by Simey, so you can probably expect it to be reachy.

Start: Start 5m R of SB.

FA: Nic Taylor, Kevin Lindorff, 1975

Start: Start 2m R of FoF.

FA: Martin Lama, Graeme Smith, 1991

Worthless pro!

FA: Andrew Thompson, 1975

Angry Little Man

Short steep face, finish L as for Loboff.

Start: Start just R of D.

FA: Graham Jones, James Falla, 1986

Up then traverse L across lip.

Start: Start 4m R of ALM.

FA: Kevin Lindorff, Nic Taylor, 1975

1m left of decent route

1

Traverse R to L

1(b)

The Continuation of the traverse (1) on the wall facing the creek

2

Very Steep Arete at far L

3

Steep arete facing the creek

Steep groove, mossy top

Up just L of arete. mossy at top

Tenuous smooth wall just L of jugs

L leaning line of jugs to topout

L leaning line of jugs to topout

Up jugs by pockets

9

Sit start. Up then a few moves on the lip of the roof

10

Sit start. Opposing side-pulls through middle of the roof

11

Sit start. R hand on sloper and L hand on Gaston. Through R side of roof

12

Sit Start. Start under R of roof then out and up seam and slab

Rounded arete on good holds

Krondorff

This high face has a bolt on top. Start just L of tree and go up and right. Other high problems exist on this wall

oops

it can be set up as a toprope as you cant lead it, one bolt on top.