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Access Issues: inherited from Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'.

Ethic: inherited from Blue Mountains

Mixed-climbing on gear and bolts has generally been the rule in the Blueies. Please try to use available natural gear where possible, and do not bolt cracks or potential trad climbs.

Because of the softness of Blue Mountains sandstone, bolting should only be done by those with a solid knowledge of glue-in equipping. A recent fatality serves as a reminder that this is not an area to experiment with bolting.

If you do need to top rope, please do it through your own gear as the wear on the anchors is both difficult and expensive to maintain.

It would be appreciated if brushing of holds becomes part of your climbing routine - do it with a soft bristled brush and never a steel brush!

The removal of vegetation - both from the cliff bases and the climbs - is not seen as beneficial to aesthetics of the environment nor to our access to it. Generally it's best to leave all this sort of stuff to the local climbers.

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

Routes

RouteGradeStylePopularity
1 Klaus's A1

Start: Ugly metal waste sticking out of the roof!

A1
Aid
2 Sprouts Mexicane

Sharp Jugs,

Start: Lefthand route on the main wall.

FA: S.Bell,C.Vandereydt, 1995

23
Sport 15m
3 * Sydney Rose

Steep power packet. All rings to lower offs.

FA: J.Smoothy, 1989

24
Sport 12m
4 ** Slipping on Something Comfortable

FA: M.Baker, 1992

27
Sport 25m
5 ** Eureka

FA: L.Trihey,J.Smoothy, 1989

23 R
Sport 25m
6 * Euchre

FA: J.Smoothy, 1989

23
Sport 22m
7 *** Lyptus

One of the best warm ups for the harder routes. Very popular. The fixed biners on the anchor are getting pretty rusty and are not in an ideal spot (they pinch the rope against the rock), so take some long draws for lowering off.

FA: J.Smoothy, 1989

23
Sport 23m , 8
8 *** Grape Hour

One of the best 25's in the mtns, enjoy!

FA: Mike Law,

25
Sport 22m
9 * Grape Power (Link-Up)

Links the start of 'Grape Hour' into the finish of 'Grey Power'.

25
Trad 20m
10 * Grape Power Plus

Start: As for VA. However, these days it is probably better to start as for GH and do it at nice 25. Climb through the right side of the scoop and do the direct finish and you just might get it at 26.

FA: J.Smoothy, 1989

25
Sport 20m
11 * Grape Power

Starts up grape hour and breaks right to finish at the grey power anchors.

25
Sport 20m
12 * Grey Power

Starts up veterans affairs breaks left and finishes at its own anchors.

FA: john smoothy, 1989

26
Sport 25m
13 ** Veteren's Affair

FA: G.Bradbury, 1997

27
Sport 20m
14 Dont Believe the Hype

Start up Veterans, into Onions, through Mudeye and finish up Dont Believe.

FA: N.Hoette,

30
Sport 25m
15 ** Anuerysm

A superb power endurance climb that links the start of 'Onions' into the upper half of Veterans Affairs. Start as for 'Onions' and thug your way to the second bolt, now move left and up via the 2 bolt link up. The moves through this section are strong but measured and help maintain that nice warm pump. Having now joined Veterans you punch through a couple of tricky moves before a good rest. The linkage crux now awaits somewhere ahead.

FA: Mark Ashmore, 2006

27
Sport 20m
16 ** Onions Original Version
26 M1
Aid 18m
17 ** Onions

from the ground

FA: G.Bradbury, 1989

27
Sport 20m
18 ** Onions (The Mega Extended Version)

This ones for those who like to get full value from their climbing experience. Having reached the anchors of 'Onions' keep chugging, move right and up and finish at the anchors of 'Don't Believe the Tripe'.

Kim Carrigan did the original extension before DBtT existed.

27
Sport 25m
19 ** Onions Direct
27
Unknown 30m
20 ** Mudeye

Links 'Onions' into Dont Believe...

FA: S.Atkins, 2000

29
Sport 20m
21 *** Don't Believe the Tripe

FA: S.Johns, 1993

29
Sport 30m
22 ** Mechanical Animals

Oz's first 34! Since relegated to a tame 33.

Start: Squeezed in between Dont Believe...and 'Tripe'.

FA: Ben Cossey,

33
Sport 20m
23 ** Tripe

FA: M.Baker, 1992

30
Sport 30m
24 Camel Toe

Start: As for previous climb. Then up.

FA: B.Littleford, 2006

29
Sport 25m
25 ** Green Eggs and Ham

Traverse. Back jump to clean.

Start: As for the preceding 4 routes but traverse the lip to the right.

FA: M.Baker, 1992

28
Sport 35m
26 Project - Zac

Project starting up Big Wednesday then heading left through roof, joins Green Eggs at the crux and finishing ...probably up Tripe but maybe Mechanical Animals!

Sport Project 30m
27 Project - Ben

As for Big Wednesday, then up through the bowl and into Tripe.

Sport Project 30m
28 ** Big Wednesday

Start: In the grotto about 6m to the right of Dont Believe...

FA: M.Baker, 1994

30
Sport 27m
29 Lee's Traverse

Up Big Wednesday then right and up.

FA: L.Cossey, 2011

Sport 20m
30 Offal

Walking past big wednesday about 80m

23
Sport 20m
31 Open Slather

Walk about 80m past big wednesday.

23
Sport 20m
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