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Thorn Buttress 48 routes in Cliff

  • Avg. Height: 18m
  • Style: ?,Sport and other styles
  • Approach time: 20
  • Favorites: 2
  • Ascents: 548

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Description:©

A pleasant place to spent a summer morning as the cliff faces SW and provides shade until midday, and shade most of the day in winter.

Routes are described left to right facing the cliff.

Approach:©

From the Western end of 'Far Crag', descend the steep eroded track to the walking track along the creek. Head downstream for 50m and then cross the creek. The track goes up a gully and crosses some scree before arriving at the cliff.

Descent Notes:©

Popular routes have lower offs.

Ethic: inherited from Morialta

Morialta provides a place for both trad and sport climbing, some routes with great gear some with none. However almost everything can be toproped and most are serviced by ring bollards. The gully has been well established so the possibility of new lines is not really possible. New bolting is banned and any bolt repairs should be done in conjunction with the Climbing Club of South Australia

Some content has been provided under license from: © Cameron Roy (CC BY-SA 3.0 AU) © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU)

Routes

RouteGradeStylePopularity
1 * Breathless
23
Trad
2 Prickly Heat
13
Unknown
3 March Flies when You're Having Fun
16
Unknown 18m
4 Hakea

Start: The ragged corner 10M right of the blackberry filled gully.

FA: Dave McNamara, John Dutton, 1973

14
Trad 18m
5 Smash and Axe Demolition Company

Takes the line of bolts up the jagged arete just left of Gladiator's start. Re-equipped with a new lower-off.

21
Sport 20m
6 Barking Up Another Sacred Sight (sic)
18
Unknown 20m
7 Old Dog, New Trick

Straight up the layback flake to the chains (or beyond).

FA: Dave Nelson,

20
Unknown
RouteGradeStylePopularity
8 As the Crowe Flies

Bolts L of Gladiator, stepping into that route to finish.

FA: Tony Barker, John Marshall, 2005

19
Unknown 20m
9 ** Gladiator

Takes the overhanging line just left of the corner (marked). Climb through the overhanging start (crux) to a stance just under a small roof, then reach out right and climb into the opposing corner. Continue up the line to a layback finish and chains.

20
Trad 16m
10 * Gladiator Direct Start

FA: Col Reece,

22
Unknown 18m
11 * Direct Withdrawal

Climbs 'Gladiator Direct' into 'No Mustard' - thereby avoiding the contrived drop-down move. Very sustained. Recommended to stick clip the 1st traverse bolt from the ground prior to starting. Hard for the grade.

24
Sport 22m
12 No Mustard on Withdrawal

Climbs 'Gladiator' until into the corner, then drops down and traverses right across the lip of the Olympus roof via some pockets. Once at the arete, blast straight on up the face, finishing at chains.

24
Sport 21m
13 Olympus (Mmm, Nice Thighs)

Now superseded by 'Following A Feltch'. The original boulder problem start continuing rightwards past an old peg once through the initial roof.

FA: Stuart Williams, 2000

28
Aid 20m
14 * Following a Felch Is No Fun Part II

Climbs the initial boulder problem start of Olympus (V7/8), then breaks left through the main roof (instead of avoiding it - see 'Olympus') to join 'No Mustard On Withdrawal'

FA: Stuart Williams, 2000

29
Sport 20m
15 Minor Threat

FA: Sharik Walker, 2000

28
Trad 12m
16 Kiss My Brain
25
Unknown 15m
RouteGradeStylePopularity
17 * Hippy and a Wharfie
24
Unknown 22m
18 Pussycats and Crushed Kneecaps

Takes the line of ring bolts on the left side of 'Sardine', joining that route at its rest.

24
Sport 18m
19 * Sardine

Starts just left of the 'Terrathea' corner and climbs up to the big sidepull sloper and two good edges. Clip the next bolt and launch out left (crux) to a big crank level with the small roof (rest). Cut back right - then left - until below the final face (rest). Continue to the chain. This route can also be done by going direct through the roof (at the same grade).

22
Sport 21m
20 * Sardine Direct
22
Unknown
RouteGradeStylePopularity
21 * Terrathea

The good-looking corner crack just right of 'Sardine'. Cruxy start, then once level with Sardine's 2nd bolt, it eases off (but not completely). Best finished by traversing left to the 'Sardine' chains.

FA: Dave McNamara, George Adams, Doug Mclean,

18
Trad 20m
22 Terra Incognita

Climb the reachy boulder-problem off the deck just right of the Terrethea crackline via a big move to the dubious flat jug. Continue up to the 'shield' (which is living on borrowed time) - then onwards up the face.

22
Trad 20m
23 * Incognita-Japetus DF Link
22
Unknown
24 Two Hour Hole

Take 'Japetus' to the 'hole' - then launch up the left side of the arete past a small edge and a 'hidden' sidepull to the 'Japetus' break.

The original line continued up the face of 'Terra Incognita' - however cutting back right at the good rest and launching up the direct finish of 'Japetus' Direct makes for a far better route.

24
Sport 18m
25 * Japetus

The original route. Now superseded by the direct finish.

Start: Takes the very overhanging arete from its base up to the 'hole', then tacts right around the steep arete and up to the big break via a good undercling. This original line then stepped left and finished up the 'Terra Incognita' face.

FA: Kim Carrigan (all on trad), 2000

23
Trad
26 ** Japetus Direct Finish

Originally established as a bold traditional outing by Kim Carrigan. Now retro-bolted with general consensus due to it residing in a largely sport-route populated area. Not surprisingly, it has now become one of the most travelled lines for its grade at 'Morialta'. Makes for a far better outing than the original. Once at the big break, climb straight up the continuation of the arete largely on its right border to finish at a chain.

FA: Kim Carrigan (all on trad), 2000

24
Sport
27 Japetus Extension

A boulder problem traverse link up into Japetus Direct Finish. Start (sit) left of base of Olympus - dyno rightwards and climb across cave to juggy traverse that leads underneath Sardine etc to base of Japetus. Continue up that route. Best done with a top-rope clipped in prior to embarking on the route itself. Basically a V5/6 problem into an existing 23.

FA: Dr G Hoffstetter,

27
Unknown 30m
28 * Japetus-Stench Connection

A more powerful version of 'Japetus'. Once at the large break, cut right up the rampline of 'Stench' and finish at that routes chain. Sustained.

23
Sport 20m
29 ** Japetus Right Hand

FA: Finish up black streak right of last bolt,

23
Unknown
30 * Stench-Japetus DF Connection

A worthwhile variant. Start as for 'The Stench' then once past its roof climb up to its good 'ear' edge and make a reach out left to the 'Japetus' undercling. Finish as for 'Japetus' Direct.

24
Sport 18m
31 *** The Stench Before the Storm

One of the best routes in the Gorge. Climb the roof right of the undercut arete (Japetus) via a large undercling. Get your breath back over the lip, then launch up and left (or go direct) to the obvious rampline. One final hard move remains, then large holds lead to the chain in a runout position (Cam optional).

FA: Stuart Williams, 2000

26
Sport 19m
32 Hyperion

Begin at the Overhung Corner / Protruding Buttress right of Stench Before the Storm's face. Continue up the wall on good holds.

FA: Colin Reece (Aid 14 M4), 1972

FFA: Kimm Carrigan, Gary Scott, 1979

22
Sport 19m , 3
33 October

Someone (J Marshall?) put up a climb at Thorn called October. Not sure exactly where. I'm calling it the newish bolts just R of Hyperion's corner. Maybe it's really the old line of bolts just L of Gladiator's corner which I've put on here as John's Climb?

FA: ?,

21
Sport 12m
34 Fenceline
14
Unknown 19m
35 Debut
16
Unknown
36 Hanging Foul
11
Unknown
37 Get Smart
21
Unknown 15m
38 Moss Wall
10
Unknown
39 Passing Shadows
17
Unknown 15m
40 Thorn In My Side
11
Unknown 12m
41 Numbats
12
Unknown 8m
42 Blessed Ignorance
20
Unknown 13m
43 ** Repetitive Strain

Sit-starts on the good edge left of the marked Olympus start (just right of 'Gladiator' Direct). Big move to the square jug at the start of Olympus, then reach right for underclings on the left edge of the small cave (feet on pillar only). Grab a positive edge on the lip, then dyno right to the large flared pinch. Swing feet onto the right-side of the cave and drop down to the finger jug at the start of 'The 'Warm Up' Traverse'. Has been linked into The 'Warm Up Traverse' & onwards up 'Japetus' Direct - which is worth 27 for effort!

FA: Dr G,

V6
Boulder
44 *** Repetitive Traverse

FA: Dr G,

V7
Boulder
45 ** Warm Up Traverse

Starts on the right side of the small cave at a jug and finger pocket (left of the start of 'Pussycats'). Traverse right past a large sloper and block undercling to a rest beneath the start of 'Sardine'. Keep traversing right via sidepulls to drop down onto the large jug at the start of 'Japetus'.

V1
Boulder
46 ** Warm Up Reverse

Climb The 'Warm Up Traverse' there and back.

V2
Boulder
47 Gladiator Direct

Takes the poor-looking rock immediately left of the marked Olympus start, joining the upper corner via a reachy and powerful sequence. Was the original line until the loss of some holds.

22
Trad 20m
48 ** Terrathea-Incognita

A really good combo route. Start as for Terrethea, but prior to its crux reach out right for the big flake of 'Terra Incognita'. Match this and continue up the line. Effectively dismisses the original 'Terra Incognita' reachy crux. Take some trad gear for the upper half of the wall - unless you want to scare yourself silly.

21
Trad