Nodes in The Dam Cliffs

A peculiar area, so named because of the abandoned dam.

This is a great free swimming hole - where the water is cold and deep. It is a popular option in summer when the heat gets too much (or if you want to cool off after climbing at a nearby crag). The crag is on a reserve known as 'Dargans Creek Reserve' managed by a trust committee. Please Google search the reserve, if you are interested in what they do or possibly how to join.

TOILETS - due to the popularity of this Crag and the increasing toilet waste that is around the climbing areas, please use the toilet area down at the end of 'Shady Alley'. From the large cave, head out between the cliffs. Please bury and cover your leftovers.

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'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Deep Water Soloing on the 10m cliff in the middle of the Dam. Fairly juggy face climbing, and clean falls into the deep water.

Numerous different routes have been climbed here over the years, and there are a number of top-rope anchors above the cliff itself. No FA details known.

Climb out of the water about 4-5m left of the rooflet and head straight up with some reachy moves to follow.

ing 6m left of the RIGHT-side of the cliff, up out of water via iron-stone flakes, and traverse left staying beneath the rooflet and following the ironstone band all the way to the far left end of the face staying about 2m above the water the whole way.

Finish up the blunt arete via some technical moves to top out.

Starting 6m left of the RIGHT-side of the cliff, up out of water via iron-stone flakes, and traverse left until below rooflet. Up through rooflet on good edges to regain ironstone band, and traverse left heading upwards to keep hands on the ironstone edges. Crux (crimp ironstone edges and minimal feet) then when about 2/3rds across the wall, head upwards to top out left of the highest point.

Traverse in from the right hand side (about 2m below the top) and traverse across the entire face at its highest point.

Start from in in the water and go straight up. Dry a bit. And keep going up.

Start from the obvious spot under the rooflet and go straight up. A possibly reachy crux. Bring long arms

On the separate boulder opposite the main wall. Climb the middle of this slightly overhanging wall with some really cool moves. Go over the lip and top out for a full tick.

Short wall with 3 kid routes, Arete and some harder routes.

Left side facing in. DCarrotB's at top.

Middle climb on the wall. DcarrotB's at top.

Right side of wall, facing in. DcarrotB's at top.

Corner Arete. (Project till bolted). Top roped to see how it goes!

Open Project. Maybe trad, maybe sport?

This is the small wall covered in lots of pocket holes, just like an Aerobar chocolate.

Left most route (facing in) on this wall. Carrot bolt anchors at top. May also go as a Trad climb?

Route to the right of the mossy garden, 3m right of Old Trad (facing in). Carrot bolt anchors at top. May also go as a Trad climb?

Right most route (facing in). Carrot bolt anchors at top. May also go as a Trad climb.

The Big Boulder on the other side of the creek as you first walk in.

Carrots to top-out with 2 bolt belay.

Start from the top of a small boulder and traverse left then up into Wet Feet

Low angle wall on right side of entrance chasm into Dams Cliff area - on opposite side of Wet Feet boulder to the little creek. This climbs a slab then finishes up tapered tower of rock to lower-offs (than can be accessed by scrambling up grade 1 slab if you want to set-up toprope). 4 bolt plates required. First ascent & grade unknown.

Maybe it used to be mossy but it's pretty nice now with lots of traffic.

Shared first bolt with B1 then traverse left (over boulder) and up airy arete.

Far left end of wall. Mantle/chimney up to ledge then straight up wall to lower-offs.

If you've always wanted to tick 20 - this is your route. Slabby start to high first bolt, then jugs and an awkward finish.

Central line with a tricky middle section and slightly runout top.

Reachy crux. FH to start then trend left (RBs) to rope killing lower-off.

The super popular left side of the arete. All rings and lower-off at top (or top out to carrots).

This is the right side of the arete and is the best easy route at Dams Cliff with wonderful ironstone jugs. Carrots all the way to the top which requires a rappel or a walk-off...or very long extended top rope rigging.

Between unknown and jug city. Straight upwards and out. First ascent was a solo (in thongs)

Dirty route right of 'Jug City'.

Obvious gap between Hesitation and Unknown. Nothing too special. Full of dirt and moss. "Wonder if someone has gone up that before? Well, someone is going to have now"

SSGICs to top-out with 2 bolt belay.

The short face on far right side of Mossy Wall, directly opposite the creek from Wet Feet Boulder. Top-out to double carrots on the top for belay - then walk off.

Directly opposite Mossy Wall. A nice overhanging wall with awesome scoops similar but much better than Ladder of Gloom at Berowra

At the left hand end of Steep Wall on the face perpendicular to steep wall. Considered a grade 15 if you use the boulder to the left.

Right to left rising traverse just right of Ted Turd-Rossa and finishes at that routes anchors.

Wide trad crack on left end of the steep wall. Tree belay.

Far left end of the steep wall, just right of wide crack. Was originally graded 18 but a hold has broken so it's now crimpy desperation at 22. Rebolted 2019.

Rising linkup through all interesting features on wall.

Thin face climbing on good rock with reachy crux. Rebolted 2019.

Start 2m left of SOF. Up tending right then left through crux, to easy top section. Double fixed biners at top.

A great lead at the grade, up through scoop on jugs, RBs to top.

Bold start to gain slightly overhanging face then up scoops on rings to double ring lower off. Good fun at the grade.

Climbs the face between the scoops of the adjacent routes. At the 5th ring move right to join 'Lonely Thursday'.

Start: 1m right of 'A Tale of Two Cities'.

Rings to double ring lower off.

Avoid the crux of Sloper Of Saddam by traversing in from the left beginning at the start of Lonely Thursday.

Boulder problem starting off to the right of the 1st bolt then nice scoop above. Rebolted 2019

Doesn't offer much independent climbing. Start as for Sloper for Saddam for a bolt then stick doggedly to the right side of the scoop past one new ring (out right), then past Lay La Kay's last bolt to shared anchor. Rebolted 2019

Right through opening bulge then left trending line up thin face to shared anchors with Aonang Aonang. Rebolted 2019.

Start as for Lay La Kay then trend right into Dictator in a Deerstalker. Bouldery start up and out of the roof on crimps. Then traverse right into Dictators in a Deerstalker avoiding the boulder.

Start on top of boulder as for War and Peace then go straight up. Bouldery moves on steep rock.

The boulder on the other side of the creek from Gulf War Wall

Cross the creek at lower level. DRB at the top. This and the next route have a lower off at the top.

Start: Step over creek and up crack/boulder feature then up the face above to the lower off.

Start as for UTC, at the 2nd bolt step R and follow the Tufa like Ironstone features up the wall to its R, keeping L of Enviro Vandal. Finish at the anchors as for UTC.

Committing first move over creek to gain boulder and clip carrot bolt. Follow carrots up right hand end of boulder. Rap off double fixed carabiner belay.

Description updated 2014-04-26 to match 2010 Guide. Routes for this area were previously incorrectly labelled.

Climbs the face to the R of Enviro Vandal past the weird flakes ironstone and gluin carrots

The overhanging wall that is an extension of Steep Wall.

Start on top of boulder as for Dictator in a Deerstalker but step immediately right, then up.

A link up. Fun, bouldery and a step up from War and Peace if you are walking up that easily. Start as for WMD past a few bolts them go L and up into WaP joining it after the starting moves. Follow it to the top.

Technical and powerful climbing directly up the wall to the L of 'Radio Baghdad'.

Start: At bottom of boulder WAP starts off.

War dogs - A derogatory term sometimes used to describe non-military individuals who make money off the periphery of war.

I bolted neither line and claimed the link for myself, such is the way in war.

Start up WMD and head right at the 3rd bolt to join Radio Baghdad taking in the hardest two boulders on the wall!

Red RB's following hueco system, leaving top hueco on it's RH side to clip before joining last RB of Voice of America then DRB belay. Best backjump to clean. Start: Just right of WMD.

Hard bouldery climbing at the top may be harder now, as it has lost the edges on the crux holds which made it alot easier. Start as for Voice of America. Up the lower wall past a RB to the break. Step L 2m and make a big past an undercling to another bouldery move L to the start of the scoopy holds heading up the highest part of the wall. Watch the wall behind you.

Another link up, starting up Voice of America and linking into Radio Baghdad

Steep climbing straight up the guts of the cave on shiny new RBs to anchors. Bold cruxy climbing in an awesome location. Back Jump to clean (beware the wall behind you). Rebolted 2008 Ramset 101.

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'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Up 'Siesta' to the lip then go diagonally L across the face to the anchors of Nobody's War. No harder just a pumpier longer finish.

Start: As for Siesta

The first line of ring bolts right of the Voice of America shared start.

Linkup. Start at Siesta (first two clips) then traverse break right to third, then up over lip as for Sister Rosa to anchors. Great sustained climbing at the grade.

Bouldery powerful start, then mantle to break, odd move through roof then up.

RBs have replaced expansion bolts used previously!

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'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Up mossy, chossy scoop on poor pro trying not to kill the lovely orchids. Top out to belay off old carrots a few metres back.

Start: Behind huge tree.

Bouldery moves to get established then climb right edge of mossy scoop clipping bolts on right.

Start: 1m right of AE.

Balancy start then up and right a bit on ironstones.

Start: At bottom of passage between main face and huge detached block, just before it opens out into cave.

This is a training wall for Lead Climbers to practice clipping and re-threading. There are also 2 bolts at ground level to practice re-threading, just to the right.

A 15m high wall with vertical to overhanging routes.

Follow closed seam/crack up steep wall. Start at left hand end of the wall.

Immediately right of Constrictor

Follow R bolts up and diagonally L to the low anchors R of The Constrictor, crossing the project. 3m R of the Project

Up the nice orange wall.

Start as for Poison then traverse right via a hard move then big tricky moves between jugs for a pumpy finish.

Boulder out the thin flakes for the direct start.

Info as of 4/2016 - This is an old crag (pre-2001), with 2 old ring bolted routes, by yet unknown persons? More recently (2004-8?), 2 other routes have been bolted, by yet unknown persons? CAUTION - this crag has some very unstable rock in places and some 'dubious' ring bolts. Please take care if climbing here, until some cleaning and re-bolting can be done.

The warm up route. Shorter line of bolts, 8m right of the arete, facing in. DRBB at top.

Longer line of ring bolts, 4m right of arete, facing in. DRBB at top.

Arete climb. First bolt is VERY high. Must stick clip. Great varied rock type, good fun arete. WARNING: potential dangerous bolts on this route - some appear to be falling out of holes. Only a single bolt lower-off - do not trust this single bolt.

Line of ring bolts on left side of west wall, up black streak. Step up on small ledge, belay from ground. Good tricky crux just after the break, then easier finish to top. Chain anchor at top. Easy to set up for top rope. WARNING - dangerous ring bolts! Best to setup top rope, rap in and decide if you trust them, before leading.