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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'.

Approach:© (mjw)

Routes to the left and right of The 'Gully'. Routes are listed LEFT to RIGHT.

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 Diversion

The following climbs are situated to the left of the gully coming down.

Start: Large crack/chimney inside the gully.

  1. 24m (11) Crack to cavern.

  2. 30m (11) Up chimney then right.

FA: W.Williams,P.Giles, 1972

11
Trad 55m
2 Roughly Yours

Start: Ramp. Then up.

FA: Graham ?,J.Wurth, 1972

14
Trad 61m
3 The Wages of Sin

FA: J.Smoothy,C.Martin, 1984

23
Trad 50m
4 ** Gently Mine

FA: L Smith, W Williams,

14
Trad 58m
5 * Divide and Dissolve

FA: C.Martin,J.Smoothy,G.James, 1985

23
Trad 45m
6 ** Pig Iron Slaughter

Rebolted May 2007

Start: Left side of the arete.

FA: A.Penney,J.Smoothy,L.Trihey, 1984

21
Trad 45m
7 ** The Gates of Janus

Start: As for PIS, right into corner and up.

FA: K Bell, H Bevan,

16
Trad 50m
8 * Took Crook

Start: Ledge 10m right of GoJ.

  1. 11m (20) Thin crack then left to mantle.

  2. 26m (20) Crack, overhang, right and up to cave.

  3. 27m (20) 'Steep' wall left of cave.

FFA: K.Bell,G.Mortimer,J.Morgan. (. B.Allen,W.Williams), 1972

20 R
Trad 64m
9 Sally

Start: Crack to the right.

FA: Graham.?,J.Wurth, 1972

15
Trad 43m
10 Kite Eater
10
Unknown 61m
11 Peppermint Pattie
9
Trad 61m
12 Charlie Brown
11
Unknown 55m
13 Pig Pen
9
Unknown 46m
14 * Freewheeling
17
Unknown 26m
15 * Shulz Sux
20
Unknown 50m
16 Craigs Effort
21
Unknown 25m
17 * Snoopy
14
Unknown 64m
18 Olympic Trivia
20
Unknown 20m
19 Professional Fat Lamb Man
18
Unknown 20m
20 ** Museum of Fire
23
Unknown 30m
21 Lucy
13
Unknown 64m
22 Woodstock
16
Unknown 76m
23 Schroeder
14
Unknown 90m
24 Realised Ultimate Reality Gumboot
19
Unknown 76m
25 Eeyore
16
Unknown 70m
26 Piglet
15
Unknown 79m
27 * El Matador
18
Unknown 92m
28 El Cid
14
Unknown 100m
29 El Zorro
14
Unknown 57m
30 Wizard of Id
15
Unknown 98m
31 King of Id
13 M2
Aid 60m
32 Fair Maiden Gwen
12 M2
Aid 60m
33 Rodney
14 M2
Aid 60m
34 Blanch
8
Unknown 46m
35 P.P.P.P.
13
Unknown 76m
36 Gronk
13
Unknown 70m
37 Kamikaze
18
Unknown 61m
38 Phillip's Climb
14
Unknown 55m
39 The Fruits of War
12
Unknown 36m
40 Bonnieville

Start: First pitch as for Manx.

  1. 6m (-) Up to ledge.

  2. 34m (14) Crack and groove (keeping away from Manx). Left to high ledge.

  3. 24m (14) Crack to top.

FA: G.Wurth,B.Postill, 1972

14
Trad 64m
41 Half Life

Right hand side of the gully coming down.

Start: Streno crack, overhung corner and roof to top.

FA: M.Law,A.Penney, 1977

21
Trad 35m
42 Thruxton

3m right of VHRD. The finger/hand crack now full of ferns. Best left that way.

  1. 27m (19) Corner to ledge.

  2. 30m (-) Thin crack, gully and out.

FA: B.Allen,W.Williams, 1972

19
Trad 57m
43 * Cow Chaser

Start as for Manx/Bonnieville then follow the carrots up the wall and over the boulder/roof at the top. Take small cams, a medium wire, and a #3 Camalot or similar for the start

FA: Paul Turner, R Bourne, 2004

18
Trad 20m
44 Vincent HRD

30m left of the 'Gully', on ledge.

  1. 30m (13 M1) Crack to ledge.

  2. 27m (13) Left hand crack,turn roof, left to ledge.

FA: P.Jenkins,K.Joyce,B.Postill, 1972

13 M1
Trad 57m
45 * Air2Spare

Easy climbing after an exciting rap in to a semi-hanging belay.

Start: Rap 35m off two rings in the overhang about 10m right (facing out) of the top of Goldstar. Clip in to carrots on the way down.

FA: Susan Hoernlein, Paul Turner, 2004

12
Trad 35m
46 Manx

Start as for VHRD.

  1. 6m (-) Up to ledge.

  2. 34m (14) Crack and ramp to ledge.

  3. 24m (14) 2nd crack from the right to gully and out.

FA: B.Postill,P.Edwards, 1972

14
Trad 64m
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