West Face All Trad climbing 11 routes in sector

A classic climb up a steep, exposed wall and slab on good rock. An excellent intro to climbing at the Warrumbungles. Can be climbed in two pitches.

Scramble up to below the red-brown wall in middle of W Face, between prominent buttress and Abseil Gully (10 m L of Abseil Gully). Start just left of the 'V'

1. 15m To prominent ledge.

2. 35m Up close to corner for 10m and then head diagonally right to belay on Tourist Traverse. Some parties stick to the corner cracks.

3. 30m Step left to avoid small overhang. Up, superb climbing with good pro. Belay on block to avoid severe rope drag.

4. 15m Easy slab.

Start 3 m L of Abseil Gully, below bulging rock.

1. 22m (crux) Up R over bulge. Up.

2. 10m Up to belay on Tourist Traverse ledge.

3. 33 m Up until angle eases. Thread belay.

4. 15 m Easily to middle peak.

The route of the original ascent of Belougery Spire by Eric Dark and Osmar White in 1932, interpreted from a description of the FA in Walkabout 1-4-36, which said'...one pitch is a three· hundred-foot traverse across the face of the mountain on a ledge from a foot to three feet wide, with sheer rock wall above and a drop of a thousand feet below'. This clearly describes pitches two and three of this route.

Start: At the far right hand end of the Halfway Ledge below the obvious, vegetated gully.

1: 20m As for pitch one of Abseil Gully. Up corner/gully to chains on right.

2: 50 m Traverse left across the middle of the face on the big ledge (tending up at the end) and into the vegetated gully.

3: 40m At very end of ledge is a fine chimney, which leads to the famous 'Anti·Marilyn' squeeze hole. It is not really tight although presumably Marilyn couldn't do it. It is possible to climb around to the left of the squeeze hole too.

4: 20m Easy climbing to the summit.

Start: At the far right hand end of the Halfway Ledge below the obvious, vegetated gully.

1. 16 m From L end of corner· gully go up to tree on R.

2. 5 m Crack above. Small tree belay.

3. 22 m Traverse 5 m L. The little overhang requires some cogitation. Up past tree. Finiish up R side of gully. Belay off descent anchors on L. Scramble to top.

This route was once thought to be Eric Dark's and Osmar White's original route to the summit. This is almost certainly not the case. However, since this route is already well known as Dr Dark's Chimney it is probably less confusing to retain this name as a tribute to Eric Dark's achievements in the Warrumbungles. From the top of the water-worn gully that leads to Half-way Ledge on W face, turn R up steep, vegetated gully. Many parties prefer to avoid this gully by climbing first two pitches of If the Spirit Moveth.

1-2: 60 m Scrubby gully on R, carefully, to large ledge at base of slabs leading up to chimney. Belay off bush.

3: 25 m Diagonally R up slabs to short crack. Crack to ledge below main chimney.

4: 35 m (crux) Chimney to where it opens out. Belay.

Easy scramble to S summit.

Shares start of If the Spirit Moveth (same first two pitches), continues to Doctor Dark's Chimney belay ledge, then goes L of Doctor Dark's Chimney and up wall.

Follow track to W Face. Continue along track behind detached pinnacle and scramble up first narrow gully to narrow ledge.

1. 35 m Up small ramp, then up over small overhang. Meander up to tree belay. Scramble to ledge and follow track L along cliff line. Track dips to a narrow belay stance about 5 m past bottom of dip (near finish of Doctor Dark's Chimney pitch two. Vertigo is round comer to L.)

2. 40 m Steep slab (adequate pro), tending slightly R, to small overhang. Poor rock. Overhang (crux), then easier climbing for about 20 m to small, vertical crack.

3. 15 m Scramble to top, with belay tree for Doctor Dark's Chimney visible on R, at end of chimney.

A fantastic varied crack high up on the west face of the spire. It provides a superb low(er) commitment but engaging approach to the south summit pinnacle on the spire. Excellent protection, clean rock and stellar crack climbing which all in one combo is a rarity in the Bungles. Stays in the shade till after midday (1 to 2pm ish in September).

Start on the upper ledge system (above and south of the Vertigo ledges) reached via pitch 1 and 2 of Dr Dark's Chimmney (the scrubby gully accessed from the base of the Abseil Gully), or pitch 1 and 2 of If the Spirit Moveth (and No Birthdays on Pluto).

Done as one 50-55m pitch to the summit. Start 10m right (facing in) from the slab pitch (pitch 3) of Dr Dark's Chimmney. From the broad ledge below the slabs, solo easy ground up and right to a good belay stance in the grassy recess below a chockstone belay. The finger crack through a small bulge (crux) can be seen 8m above.

The crack eases and widens after the crux bulge and after 25-30m arches left to join Dr Darks Chimmney for the final 20-25m. Belaying once the Chimney is reached would also be an option.

Led ground up by Rick with Peregrines buzzing about in magic conditions.

Originally done in a combo with the first ascent of Fan Tail.

When done as a combo with either Fan Tail, or Meet Me At The Crux, it provides an excellent contemporary and engaging route to the summit. The scrubby gully and halfway ledges provide easy access and bail options for lower commitment on shorter days.

The following two routes, one a variant of the other have only vague route descriptions. They start at the top of the first gully that leads up to Halfway Ledge on W Face. The upper pitches of both climbs lie R of Doctor Dark's Chimney; the first follows a wall and a rib, the second a gully.

Start where access track reaches SW Arete.

1. Up gully above. Traverse to nose.

2. Continue up nose on gully side. Walk to top of pinnacle.

3. Traverse R under Doctor Dark's Chimney.

4. Exposure increases dramatically as you traverse R across a difficult nose. Veer up at about 45 degrees to base of rib.

5. To S summit.

Attributed by Bryden Allen in 63 to Davis and Pettigrew. Description is from an earlier, more detailed record.

One of many variants on If the Spirit Moveth. Variants are possible up to the foot of Dr Dark's Chimney, and from there on to S Face. A better description might read 'Up SW Arete to foot of Dr Dark's Chimney. Traverse R to face. Up'.

Start above access gully on SW Arete.

1. 18 m Up corner on R, traverse L. Up to large block, then grassy ledge.

2. 12 m Mantelshelf, then up to tree belay. Walk to foot of Dr Dark's Chimney.

3. 24 m Traverse R. Up to tree belay in gully.

4. 30 m (crux) Up in gully, then R. Up to R past jug. Thread belay near tea-tree.

5. 36 m Up to rib. Up rubble, then chimney to bush belay.

6. 30 m Easily up.

This route and Missing You Marcelle provide a direct start to the upper Halfway Ledge at the base of Vertigo, as opposed to the scramble approach up the lower part of the Abseil Gully.

While the previous description suggested the route starts from ground level, it is more likely that it starts at the top of the large lower (first) main vegetated ledge that is reached after the scramble up and over from Belougary Pinnacle as per the access to the Halfway Ledge. They likely climb the wall left of the water-worn gully below the Halfway Ledge and Vertigo. During a new route ascent on the lower west face (from ground level) no bolts or easy grade 10 lines from ground level were found which indicates the higher start.

Start somewhere left of the beginning of the water worn gully used to scramble up used to access the Halfway Ledge, the Abseil Gully and Vertigo.

1. 13m Walk L along rotten ledge. Round corner to bolt, then up.

2. 32 m Up gully on L, finishing on R to Half-way ledge.

Finish up route of choice. The topo line is a guess. Please update this if you confirm it.

Excellent climbing. Start as for West Face Direct Start.

Steeply L up line of steps to old bolt, then R to stance. Wall above to tree belay.

The topo line is a guess. Please update this if you confirm it.