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:

Brendan Heywood Todd Free

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.

Table of contents

1. Cathedral Rocks 13 routes in Crag

1 Magic bean, 2 North side, 3 South side, 4 Woolpack rocks
Summary:
Trad,Boulder

Long/Lat: 152.231903, -30.439685

Approach:

From Armidale take the Grafton/Dorrigo Road for approx. 79km to the turn-off to the park. Follow the dirt road for 7km. to the Barokee Rest Area. Park here then follow the walking track for approx. 2km. to the walls of Cathedral Rock. All climbs, except 'Morlock', are on the sunny 'North side'.

The best time to climb here is autumn, late spring or on a still, sunny winter’s day. Take out all your rubbish and no fires please.

History:

Due to the popularity of other crags in the Armidale/New England area, Cathedral Rock hasn’t produced many new routes since its discovery as a climbing area in 1979. The history of this crag spans only two years. In the first of those two years, 1979, access to the cliff was more reminiscent of a minor bush-walk. For the second part of this history, 1984, access was greatly improved with a picnic/camping area and a pleasant track leading to the crag.

In 1979 Ed Sharp convinced Al Stephens that there was a huge amount of rock to climb at Cathedral Rock. In those days there was a locked gate at the aqueduct. Bushwalkers parked here and walked several kilometres down the road, then cross-country to the rock. Ed and Al, being very cunning, phoned the D.C.A.(who administer the Radar on Round Mountain) and convinced them to leave the gate open for them. They drove to the bottom of the hill (the site of the current gate) then walked across to the rock. After some exploring they found and completed 'Morlock' (14), a climb that goes from one side of the rock to the other. They realised the great potential of the place but didn’t return until several years later.

1984 was quite a huge year for Cathedral Rock. Stephens convinced Larry Dixon of the possibility of new routes waiting in the warm winter sun. Stephens led 'Soft Touch' (17), in May and they returned in June for Dixon to lead 'Day Dream' (12), while Stephens did the big chimney 'We Won’t Get Fooled Again' (16). Stephens returned the same month with Richard Curtis to put up two climbs on the isolated pillar to the left of the walk-in track. Curtis glided up 'Tontons Macoutes' (22) while from the same start Stephens went up, did a backward somersault off, then up again, 'Street Café' (21). In August Stephens led Brian Birchall up the chimney 'Instrument Of Revenge' (17). Paul (Animal) Colyvan got wind of the possibility of new routes and in December, with Birchall and Simon Gay put up the very scary and dangerous 'Cheap Regrets' (22). The same month Colyvan returned with Stephens and Dixon to do 'Bangin’ Beava' (24).

Well that’s it for now. There are still some cracks left but the best routes will be the walls and faces littered with chicken heads. Protection will require the use of modern technology. It’s all there waiting for you!

1.1. Magic bean 4 routes in Boulder

Summary:
All Boulder

Long/Lat: 152.249686, -30.441969

Description:

Walk along the track until the split, then head left for 50m then turn right and the magic bean is obvious and only 20m up hill from the track.

Hide
Hide
RouteGradeStylePopularitySelected ascents
1 * Hump

Up the left hump

V1
Boulder
2 Underbelly

Start with knees under the cave, mantle and up

V2
Boulder
3 *** Magic bean

Start under the bean as far back as possible, traverse through roof and up to right.

V3
Boulder
4 Magic project

Start at underbelly and link under through magic bean out other side.

V8
Boulder Project

1.2. North side 8 routes in Cliff

Summary:
All Trad

Long/Lat: 152.250722, -30.433291

Description:

As you approach the main cliff from the track, you will see a wide crack up high to the left of the track. This is the second pitch of Tontons Macoutes and Street Cafe. To get to the start, scrub bash across to the base of the pillar.

RouteGradeStylePopularitySelected ascents
1 Tontons Macoutes

Start: Below a crack with a 'rock cowpat' at about head height. The climb takes the crack which leads to superb climbing out left.

  1. 27m. (crux) Tricky move up over 'cowpat' and up the crack to a small roof. From here swing left to the V-groove. Up this to belay on ledge.

  2. 8m. Straight up the large corner/crack. Abseil off the back via a very large bollard.

FA: R.Curtis, A.Stephens,(alt leads), 1984

22
Trad 35m
2 Street Café

Start: As for T.M. The chossy crack, then move out right onto the wall. Stephens performed an excellent backward somersault, with pike, when a chicken head snapped off the slab. 22m. (crux) Up choss and good crack to small roof of T.M., then move out right and up juggy wall and fine short slab. Belay on ledge as for T.M.

  1. 8m. As for pitch 2 of Tontons Macoutes, The wide crack/corner. Abseil off large bollard at the back of the pinnacle.

FA: A.Stephens, R.Curtis, 1984

21
Trad 30m
3 Instrument Of Revenge

Start: The chimney approx. 10m. left of 'We Wont Get Fooled Again'.

  1. 30m. Chimney then jam to the top.

FA: A.Stephens, B.Birchall, 1984

17
Trad 30m
4 We Won't Get Fooled Again

Start: A left facing chimney that gets wider higher up.

  1. 35m. Easy chimneying leads to harder chimneying at half height. Pro is spaced out on the top half. Take large gear.

FA: A.Stephens, L.Dixon, 1984

16
Trad 35m
5 Bangin’ Beava

Start: The crack 2m. right of the big flake on the overhanging wall.

  1. 25m. Up overhanging crack (crux) , move into crack on left, and up corner, step right to a big flake. Up flake to belay on top of it.

  2. 15m. Up crack on left and step right and easy ground to top.

FA: P.Colyvan, A.Stephens (alt leads),L.Dixon, 1984

24
Trad 40m
6 Day Dream

Start: Up on a ledge on the right-hand end of the main cliff, past Bangin Beava. A great introduction to hand jamming.

  1. 20m. A short chimney section leads to a classic hand crack.

FA: L.Dixon, A.Stephens, 1984

12
Trad 20m
7 Soft Touch

Start: Start in a gully at the right-hand end of the main cliff, just left of 'Cheap Regrets' 5m right of 'Day Dream'.

  1. 22m. 4m. Up the gully, then step left around the tree, then up the diagonal crack, with a short delicate slab finish.

FA: A.Stephens, L.Dixon, 1984

17
Trad 22m
8 Cheap Regrets

Start: Just left of Soft Touch, a rounded lowangled arete, harder than it looks. Take a sling for a nubbin runner. A very serious lead.

  1. 20m. Giggle at the grade and motor up to a stance above steep section. Shake shit from your pants and go for the top. Stop shaking and set up a suss belay.

FA: P.Colyvan, B.Birchalll, S.Gay, 1984

22
Trad 20m

1.3. South side 1 route in Cliff

Summary:
All Trad

Long/Lat: 152.250559, -30.433915

Description:

On the Southern side there is only one route to date. This is 'Morlock'. It follows a crack that goes from the Southern side of the rock to the Northern (main cliff) side. The potential for many other routes on the Southern side is endless. However you’ll need electronic technology to protect most new routes.

RouteGradeStylePopularitySelected ascents
1 Morlock

Start: Best do this in summer. A chimney with a chockstone at about half-way. I can’t remember where it starts. Not far from the Western end of the cliff.

  1. 40m. Up twin cracks then left to base of chimney. Out and around a squeeze then deeper into chimney. Up the crack deep in the chimney (crux) , move up to and squeeze inside the chockstone, then up to belay where chimney becomes horizontal.

  2. 23m. Follow the horizontal chimney through to the other side of the mountain.

FA: A.Stephens, E.Sharp, 1979

14
Trad 63m

1.4. Woolpack rocks 0 routes in Sector

Description:

A bit of a long walk in but has some cool granite features not seen anywhere else in the New England. Best approached from the Native Dog campground on the Guyra - Ebor road.

History:

A couple different groups have spent time working stuff around 2010-2011 but not much recorded.

2. Index by grade

Grade Stars Name Style Area
12 Day Dream Trad 20m 1.2. North side
14 Morlock Trad 63m 1.3. South side
16 We Won't Get Fooled Again Trad 35m 1.2. North side
17 Instrument Of Revenge Trad 30m 1.2. North side
Soft Touch Trad 22m 1.2. North side
V1 * Hump Boulder 1.1. Magic bean
V2 Underbelly Boulder 1.1. Magic bean
21 Street Café Trad 30m 1.2. North side
22 Cheap Regrets Trad 20m 1.2. North side
Tontons Macoutes Trad 35m 1.2. North side
V3 *** Magic bean Boulder 1.1. Magic bean
24 Bangin’ Beava Trad 40m 1.2. North side
V8 Magic project Boulder Project 1.1. Magic bean