★★★ Samarkand 25

Some call this overhung crack splitting an amphitheatre the best multi-pitch trad route in the Blue Mountains. Every pitch is great and the access is surprisingly easy. It is however quite difficult to retreat once a couple of pitches off the deck due to the steepness. Bring prussics! This route was originally climbed ground up with an overnight bivy on one of the small ledges and with several sections of aid. Recent rebolting of the original aid bolts ladders has reduced the original bolt count by at least 3 - it's more airy but the bolts are better!

Access via the rap route described separately.

Double rack of cams, micros to Camalot #4, a single set of wires, #2 RP up, and 5 bolt plates does the trick.

1. 15m (19) The first 5m or so have average rock quality (1 carrot) then onto the slab with polished hard sandstone and RP seam. Ignore TBB below cramped little rooflet, and climb to DBB up and left with spacious foot ledge. Don't let the RPs scare you - it's not very hard.

2. 35m (25) Tricky moves at start past two RBs, right along break to rejoin the crack line and up into chimney, then steep cracks. Belay from good ledge on bolt and medium cams and wires.

3. 20m (23) Awkward moves to get established in splitter layback tips crack. Brief excitement leads to a good belay stance (RB, trad).

4. 35m (22) The corner on good gear using crack and face holds. At a carrot at 3/4 height move up right (optional #4 Camalot in break) to thin flake and 2nd carrot, a sling on this second carrot keeps the rope from jamming in the flake. Climb to small ledge and then to ledge with short corner above. Tricky moves past one more carrot leads to big ledge and DBB. 4a. 8m (23) up the corner, traverse R to arête, up arête (one BR then a runout), to rejoin the original for its final two bolts. Lots of fragile rock (and exposure) on this pitch. Prussics!).

5. 25m (22) This would be a good rap-in and climb-out pitch in its own right if you aren't up for the rest. Follow left leaning crack until it peters out, step right then up scoop to fragile short headwall with 2 carrots. Take care mantling the grass and dirt slope (yum) and on the 10m scramble up to path. DBB.

6. 20m (22) The left side of the arête above the cave on Lunch Ledge (4m left of the bolted routes). Bold runout start off rock ledge with a key thread at 4m then easier and better protected above this. Most people skip this pitch and just walk off.

Although sport climbing is well entrenched as the most popular form of Blueys climbing, mixed-climbing on gear and bolts has generally been the rule over the long term. Please try to use available natural gear where possible, and do not bolt cracks or potential trad climbs. If you do the bolts may be removed.

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.

At many Blue Mountains crags, the somewhat close spacing of routes and prolific horizontal featuring means that it is easy to envisage literally hundreds of trivial linkups. By all means climb these to your hearts content but, unless it is an exceptional case due to some significant objective merit, please generally refrain from writing up linkups. A proliferation of descriptions of trivial linkups would only clutter up the guide and add confusion and will generally not add value to your fellow climbers. (If you still can't resist, consider adding a brief note to the parent route description, rather than cluttering up the guide with a whole new route entry).

If you have benefited from climbing infrastructure in NSW, please consider making a donation towards maintenance costs. The Sydney Rockclimbing Club Rebolting Fund finances the replacement of old bolts on existing climbs and the maintenance of other hardware such as fixed ropes and anchors. The SRC purchases hardware, such as bolts and glue, and distributes them to volunteer rebolters across the state of New South Wales. For more information, including donation details, visit https://sydneyrockies.org.au/rebolting/

It would be appreciated if brushing of holds and minimisation/removal of tick marks becomes part of your climbing routine. Consider bringing a water squirt bottle and mop-up rag to better remove chalk. Only use soft (hair/nylon) bristled brushes, never steel brushes.

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.

Remember, 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 or risk possible closures.

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/