Site navigation

A Crag Guide gives an extensive view of all sub areas and climbs at a point in the index. It shows a snapshot of the index heirachy, up to 300 climbs (or areas) on a single web page. It shows selected comments climbers have made on a recently submitted ascent.

At a minor crag level this should be suitable for printing and taking with you on a climbing trip as an adjunct to your guidebook.

This guide was generated anonymously. Login to show your logged ascents against each route.

Warning

Rock climbing is extremely dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. Users acting on any information directly or indirectly available from this site do so at their own risk.

This guide is compiled from a community of users and is presented without verification that the information is accurate or complete. By using this guide you acknowledge that the material described in this document is extremely dangerous, and that the content may be misleading or wrong. In particular there may be misdescriptions of routes, incorrectly drawn topo lines, incorrect difficulty ratings or incorrect or missing protection ratings.

You should not depend on any information gleaned from this guide for your personal safety.

For more information refer to our Usage policy

Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Niall Doherty Will Monks Brendan Heywood Mike Patterson Boyd Robinson Radka Ryan Whelan Tony Williams

The size of a person's name reflects their Crag Karma, which is their level of contribution. You can help contribute to your local crag by adding descriptions, photos, topos and more.

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

Table of contents

1. Reservoir Dogs 9 routes in Crag

Summary:
Sport,Top Rope and Trad

Long/Lat: 150.275598, -33.674533

Description:© (Niall)

This rap-in halfway ledge is situated between the Sunbath and Sporting Complex areas of 'Medlow Bath', with the Hydro Majestic dominating the skyline above. The cliff face is mostly dead vertical and contains six two-pitch bolted routes and one two-pitch trad outing, all just under 40m long. The large ledge, the area above and the climbs themselves feature spectacular views out over the Megalong Valley.

Useful Info: At the bottom of the steps look a few metres to the right to find a pair of fixed hangers at the top of a small gully. (The hangers are grey and can be difficult to spot). Use your own carabiners and slings on these to rap down the short 45 degree sloped gully then the cliff itself. A 50m rope is easily long enough. It is best to bring a rope for this purpose and leave it in place.

The route you rap down is 'Bohemiath'. If you wish to climb this route and not have the rap rope in the way you could rap from the top anchor of 'Stuck in the Middle with You', a few metres north - two rings a metre back from the cliff edge, set in a cavelet underneath a boulder.

The crag is in the sun from 1:00pm in summer.

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:© (Niall)

To find the crag follow the track down from Belgravia St past the circular sunbath itself to the lookout above 'Schwing'. Turn left and follow the clifftop path. (The crag is visible, 100m away to the south, from the next lookout).

From here the path goes in around a wooded gully then back out towards the cliff. It swings left with a thicket of banksias on the right. Where these start to open out there is an old indistinct set of man-made steps heading down to the cliff edge. If you get to where the path turns sharp left you have gone 10m too far.

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.

Hide
RouteGradeStylePopularitySelected ascents
1 I Don't Tip

Fully bolted low grade climb on stainless glue-in hex bolts.

Start: Starts 5m left (facing in) of KBSS. Look for the stainless carrot about a metre above eye height.

  1. 14m (15) Straight up, or (easier) up one move, left then up past 6BR to mantle onto large ledge. 2FH belay on wall.

  2. 22m (12) Up trending right on fragile large ironstones, moving right around blunt arete about two thirds way up. 7BR to 2FH belay on top. Notice the rusty carrot sticking out of the rock here with home made fixed hanger, a relic from a bygone age.

FA: Niall Doherty, Mike Patterson (alt), Josh Dodson, 2007

15
Mixed 36m , 13
Rob Barker 1 years ago

OS P1, 2nd P2. Loved the exposure on P2, yeah, i know it's like grade 12 but was the best pitch ...

Rod Smith 3 years ago

Me P1,Donald P2 (one-handed!)

2 * K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s

Seventies style trad. First ascent was even chalkless! (The leader forgot his chalk bag). One set of cams from yellow Alien to #4 Camalot and a set of wires will protect it. Substitute hexes for cams if you sport a toothbrush moustache and pony tail.

Start: Marked "KB".

  1. 20m (17) Enjoyable. Good quality but slightly dirty rock and thought provoking moves. Follow right trending seam over three bulges. Top bulge was passed by moving left and up on FA, but remember to protect your second! Above top bulge traverse easily right all the way to belay at tree.

  2. 16m (10) Slippery lichenous corner. Easy but poorly protected. Not worth the effort unless you are heading for the top anyway. Belay at large tree.

FA: Niall Doherty, Mike Patterson (alt), Josh Dodson, 2007

17
Trad 36m
Rod Smith 5 years ago

Led pitch 1 (17) trad. Pitch 2 is a scrubby corner. With Niall.

Niall Doherty 5 years ago

P1 good trad lead, best to bale off then.

3 Let's Get a Taco

Vertical face climbing with a bit of a layback section.

Start: Starts where ledge steps down, 7m left (facing in) of rap-in.

  1. 19m (18) Cruisy pitch at the grade. Up left side of overlap then left trending layback flake to face moves and mantle on large horizontal break. 7RB to 2RB belay/lower-off.

  2. 17m (17) Pretty ordinary but interesting moves. Really only worth doing if you are topping out anyway. 5RB. 'Grunt' off belay then up past awkward move on left side of overhang. Up boulder with fantastic ironstone plates to 2RB belay.

FA: Niall Doherty, Anna Beardmore, Charlie Watts, 2007

18
Sport 36m , 12
Boyd Robinson 3 months ago

Nice and different route for the wall, good warm up! Didn't bother with the second pitch s'posed ...

Jason Lammers 5 months ago

Hopped up with one leg, P1 - great P2 - crap

4 Stuck in the Middle with You

Sustained crimpy first pitch, delicate second pitch.

Start: Starts at a small pointy boulder 3m left (facing in) of the rap-in.

  1. 19m (19) A long series of crimpy moves on a very slightly overhanging face should induce a bit of a pump! There is no decent rest until near the top. 7RB to a 2RB belay/lower-off at the big horizontal. (This pitch may end up being upped a grade. See what you think).

  2. 19m (18) Thought provoking climbing with a lot of small fragile ironstone flakes higher up and an exposed top out. 8RB to a 2RB belay in cavelet on top.

FA: Niall Doherty, Anna Beardmore, Charlie Watts, 2007

19
Sport 38m , 15
Jason Lammers 5 months ago

Hopped up with one leg, P1 - crimpy goodness P2 - death by iron stone

Tim Haasnoot 6 months ago

Done as 1 pitch, morning warm-ups.

5 ** Bohemiath

Enjoyable face climbing.

Start: Starts off a rectangular block and climbs the rap-route.

  1. 19m (20) Straight up with hardish mantle move above second bolt then a pull through a small overlap. 7FH to twin-shackle belay/lower-off at the big horizontal.

  2. 18m (18) Awkward start out of the break - best to start on left (facing in) of belayer - up a bit then move right of the bolt line to use the layback flake and ironstone jugs. 7FH to 2FH belay at base of small rap-in gully. Best to bring up the second then belay each other on the scramble up to the rap-in hangers a few metres further up.

FA: Niall Doherty, Rod Smith (alt), 2008

20
Sport 37m , 14
Jed Parkes 6 weeks ago

Just did first pitch, felt more like 21...

lucky chance 12 weeks ago

Super hard for a 20, more like 22. Its difficulty is only surpassed by its awesomeness, mega face...

6 Flex Time

Starts at scoop 6m right (facing in) of Bohemiath (rap).

P1. A couple of sustained sections at the grade (crux pitch). Double ring SHB/lower off at the top of the pitch.

P2. Different style than P1 and not quite as difficult. Airy finish to belay on top.

FA: M. Franklin, A. Simson, 2012

21
Sport 40m , 16
7 Wake Up and Apologise Pitch 1

FA: Niall Doherty, Rod Smith,

18
Unknown 27m
Taib 1 years ago

Easy climb on good holds

Mike Patterson 3 years ago

Knocked off some loose stuff.,.

8 * Wake Up and Apologise

Cruisy first pitch, tough second.

Start: Starts 6m left (facing in) of MO.

  1. 20m (18) Pleasant climbing on good rock. 9FH to 2-shackle belay/lower-off.

  2. 18m (22) Tough off ledge then long series of thin moves on slightly overhung face. Trend right at top to finish on ledge. Scramble off to right. 6FH, 1RB to 2RB belay.

FA: Niall Doherty, Rod Smith, 2009

22
Sport 38m , 16
lucky chance 12 weeks ago

Super easy for a 22, perhaps this should be swapped with Bohemiath, even the route descriptions w...

Evan Wells 3 months ago

I really enjoyed this climb, not sure why you would do any of them as multi-pitch though? Great (...

9 ** Mr Orange

Excellent position and exposure. Good moves on beautiful orange rock with the steep crux move on the second pitch performed 80m above the valley floor.

Start: Starts off the boulder at the south end of the ledge.

  1. 20m (20) Start will require a jump for the vertically challenged or short of reach (like the first ascentionist). Afterwards move left then up, back right and up on left side of rounded arete. Third ring is set back and can't be seen from below. 9RB to 2RB belay/lower-off at big break.

  2. 18m (21) Big exposure but nothing too desperate. Another tough start if you're not tall - begin a metre right of the belay, then up and traverse left. Head up to the hanging buttress and go straight up the steepness, marvelling at the massive pile of bird poo. Pull on to headwall then up and left on deceptively tenuous holds. 2RB + 6FH to 2RB belay on small ledge just below main platform.

FA: P2 Niall Doherty, Rod Smith,

FA: Niall Doherty (P1, P2), Rod Smith (second, P2), 2007

21
Sport 38m , 17
Jed Parkes 6 weeks ago

Big moves on big holds, not as good as 'Like a Cut Snake'

lucky chance 13 weeks ago

Really nice, was raining but the climb was dry...

2. Index by grade

Grade Stars Name Style
15 I Don't Tip Mixed 36m , 13
17 * K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70s Trad 36m
18 Let's Get a Taco Sport 36m , 12
Wake Up and Apologise Pitch 1 Unknown 27m
19 Stuck in the Middle with You Sport 38m , 15
20 ** Bohemiath Sport 37m , 14
21 Flex Time Sport 40m , 16
** Mr Orange Sport 38m , 17
22 * Wake Up and Apologise Sport 38m , 16