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Description:© (mjw)

If you do a route which tops out in this area, the quickest descent is the rap chains above 'Curtain Call' (30m abseil - one 50m rope will suffice but be ready for an easy downclimb and don't go off the ends of the rope!). If you are trying to access this abseil anchor from above, take EXTREME CARE. It is a very exposed 20m downclimb (grade 2?), and any fall would almost certainly end on the ground 40m below. Consider roping up for this downclimb, or even hiking back along the top towards Horne's Point for a safer descent. This abseil descent should probably be more safely equipped, if the ethics police can be convinced.

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 Infidel

Start: Corner 5m left again.

  1. 27m (16) Corner, roof and wall to rest. Wall and ramp.

  2. 25m (12) Up.

FA: J.Ewbank,R.Reynolds, 1967

16
Trad 52m
2 No Static

Start: 7m left again. Right of arete.

FA: I.Rath,N.Mahunt,V.Burke, 1986

15
Trad 45m
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RouteGradeStylePopularity
3 * Hocus Pocus

The first route at Mt Piddington, and still one of the best.

Start: 17m left of 'Infidel' opposite the Cottage Boulder. It is the left most route on the slab.

Now has a million bolts which didn't originally exist.

  1. 30m Up slab to bulge, hand traverse around to the right and up to belay with an eclectic assortment of hardware.

  2. Up slab, veering left and up.

Pitches 1 and 2 can be run together if you have double ropes.

FA: K.Westren, M. Hailstone, 1964

8
Mixed 49m , 15
4 Ra

  1. As for Hocus Pocus to top of initial slab. Over bulge, up slab to Hocus Pocus belay.

  2. Head diagonally right to top.

FA: H.Luxford, 1977

13
Trad 44m
5 * El Dingle

Start: As for Curtain Call.

  1. 24m (14) Up to ledge then delicately left on slab past two manky carrots.

  2. 30m (14) Left into gully then trend right up arete past bolt to rap station.

FA: J.Lawrence, J.Woods, 1965

15
Mixed 52m , 3
6 ** El Dingle Direct
14
Trad 33m
7 Slab Right of Withdrawal

Start: As for Withdrawal. Follow line of carrots right of the flakeline.

FA: Unknown, 2000

19 R
Trad 48m
8 * Withdrawal

Easy slab, slight corner, right onto slab. Up.

Start: 1.5m right of Curtain Call.

FA: M.Law, G.Harrison, 1979

20 R
Trad 48m
9 * Riding Shotgun

Start: 1.5m right of Curtain Call.

FA: A.Penney, L.Closs, M.Stacey, 1987

21
Sport 30m
10 ** Curtain Call

Start: Crack system to the left of Hocus Pocus.

FA: J Ewbank, J Worrall,

18
Trad 49m
11 Bumbly Bites Back

Start: 3m left of Curtain Call.

FA: C.Sloss, 1987

20
Sport 30m
12 El Bungle

Start: 5m left of CC.

FA: A.Penney, 1978

18
Trad 17m
13 Beginners' Steps

Scary!

Start: 9m left of 'El Bungle'. Dirty crack.

  1. 30m (16) Easy to steep wall, right to block.

  2. 22m (21) Wall left of arete, then around arete and up.

FA: Law,Grey,Smoothy, 1979

21 R
Trad 52m
14 * The Second Last Act

Start: As for BS.

FA: J.Ewbank,J.Moore,J.Worrall, 1966

22 M2
Trad 52m
15 ** Quits

Start: From BS anchor 1. Leftwards.

FA: M.Law, 1978

21 R
Trad 65m
16 * Stage Struck

Start: As for TSLA.

FA: S.Moon,G.Bradbury, 1985

23 M1 R
Trad 50m
17 * Wrapt

Start: 5m left of TSLA.

FA: M Law, G Bradbury, 1984

23 R
Trad 50m
18 * Sidetracks

Start: As for 'Solomon' for most of 1st pitch. Right to belay on arete. take care! Up the arete joining 'Quits'. Finish up Q.

FA: W.Baird, 1981

24
Trad 50m
19 *** Solomon

There's 1 bolt at the first belay and 4 on the 2nd pitch - so take brackets if you don't know how to use cams.

Start: Start approx 28m left of 'Quits' beneath major right-angled corner.

  1. 20m (15) Corner to belay on slab beneath main corner.

  2. 31m (20) Stunning orange corner then left around roof. Chossy easy corner above.

FFA: J.Friend,

FA: (J.Ewbank,A.Campbell), 1965

20
Mixed 61m , 4
20 * Tipster

Start: As for S, past diagonal crack (Gemini) on left. Step left and up. Slight left and up. About 5m left of the arete.

FA: W.Baird, 1982

22
Trad 45m
21 Orion

The face left of 'Solomon' pitch 2 and right of 'Tipster' with a few old carrots. Why the route description is never put between those routes is anyone's guess.

Start: Start as for 'Solomon'.

FA: M.Baker, 1989

25
Trad 56m
22 ** Gemini

Nowadays the leader can clean their own gear off pitch 1 by finishing at the anchors of Skinless Chickens, on the arete.

Start: Start as for 'Solomon'.

  1. 25m (19) Up Solomon's corner for 8m then take the left diagonal crack to blocks. DRB rap anchor.

  2. 26m (19) Often not bothered with. Left up the blocks, right to arete. Up.

FA: J.Ewbank,J.Worrall, 1966

19
Trad 52m
23 ** Skinless Chicken

The right side of the arete- Flight Line for the masses.

21
Sport 27m , 9
24 ** Flight Line

Start: 6m left of S. Left of the arete to arete. Up.

FA: W.Baird, 1982

22
Trad 54m
25 * Mossy Rections

Start: 1m right of 'Genesis'. Bolts.

  1. 25m (24) 8 carrots to ring anchor.

  2. 25m (24) Left and up wall past 3 bolts.

FA: J.Smoothy,M.Law, 1989

24
Mixed 50m , 11
26 ** Genesis

Best option is to link this into 'Cardiac Arete' for a real classic.

Start: Twin cracks.

FA: J.Ewbank,J.Worrall, 1966

16 R
Trad 58m
27 * Fibrillation

Start: Corner directly under CA.

FA: W.Williams,G.Wurth, 1986

18
Trad 40m
28 * Cardiac Arete

Best option is to start up 'Genesis' and finish up this route.

Start: Left of 'Genesis' at short wide crack.

  1. 20m (17) Crack, arete to 'Genesis' belay.

  2. 18m (17) 'Arete' with bolts.

FA: D.Fletcher,W.Davenport, 1970

17
Trad 38m
29 Kokoda Trail

Start: Short chimney and gully to top.

10
Trad 35m
30 Cheese'n'Chalk

Start: 6m left of KT.

FA: M.Law,J.Smoothy, 1978

16 R
Trad 28m
31 Pkea

Start: As for CnC. Trees, gully etc.

FA: W.Williams,I.Peterson, 1971

13 R
Trad 33m
32 * Absolutely Curtains

Start: Thin corner.

FA: G.Child, 1978

22
Trad 18m
33 Fat Freddy

Start: 8m left of AC.

FA: G.Weigand,B.Jenkins, 1980

13
Trad 15m
34 Zot

Start: 2m left of Pkea.

FA: G.Weigand, 1980

19
Trad 45m
35 Babylon

Start: 9m left of Z. Scrubby chimney.

FA: W.Kilham,B.Smith, 1964

10 R
Trad 41m
36 Easy Street
17
Trad 40m
37 Evans

Start: 11m left of B.

FA: A.Campbell,B.Osbourne,J.Pickard, 1966

13
Trad 52m
38 * The Coffin Climb

Start: Thin chimney in corner left of E. 3 pitches. Take Care!

FA: J.Ewbank,D.Moss, 1966

11 R
Trad 64m
39 The Sexton

Start: 5m left again. 2 pitches.

FA: J.Ewbank,J.Worrall, 1966

16
Trad 55m
40 The End

Start: 48m left of Sexton. Scrubby corner.

FA: J.Ewbank,C.Monteath, 1970

18
Trad 55m
41 The Last Act Direct Start
14 M3
Trad 25m
42 The Last Act

Start: 'Small' corner right of 'Encore'.

FA: J.Ewbank,P.Giles,V.Kennedy, 1969

17 M2
Trad 70m
43 Applause

FA: G.Bradbury, 1983

20 R
Trad 40m
44 Encore

Start: 4m left of TLA. Corner.3 pitches.

FA: J.Ewbank,V.Kennedy, 1968

18 R
Trad 60m
45 ** One Up for the Wogs

Start: Roofs 10 m before the waterfall. Through low roof with piton and gear to ledge. Up and left into the line and up to chimney then through and right to the top

FFA: One of the Cosseys,

FA: J.Ewbank, B.Allen, 1969

FA: Macciza. free with rests., 2006

23
Mixed 70m , 1
46 The Masterpiece

This route will take you back to the Hornes Point descent gully!

FA: J Ewbank, J Worrall, 1967

20 M4
Trad 850m
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