North Face Cliff guide

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Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Lionel Terray Brendan Heywood Nick Clow Will Monks Brendon Flanagan graeme hill Graeme Hill Rod Young David Nott shaunm

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.

1. North Face 21 in Cliff
2. Index by grade

1. North Face 21 routes in Cliff

seasonality

Summary:

Sport,Trad

Long/Lat: 150.856189, -34.400023

Description:

Small area, harder higher routes than the West Face area

Access Issues: inherited from Mt Keira

NOTE: * MT KEIRA ROAD CLOSURE (council road works) * @ 25/3/13 update - Mount Keira Road will remain closed. WCC recently completed road works but geotechnical staff has found that another section of road has subsided - access only will be via Clive Bissel Drive or Picton Road (north access routes)

Mt Keira Summit is 1.2 hr drive south of Sydney CBD. The summit overlooks the city of Wollongong (9th largest city in Australia) and has superb views up the southern coastline.

Approach:

From The Mt Keira car park walk back down the entrance road for exactly 5 minutes (350m) . On the right - just as the road starts to turn left sharply - there is a rock out-crop , scramble up the rock steps and then:

head immediately down the steep slippery gully to the 1st wall.

head right across the top of the climbs to get to the climbs beyond 'Wallyard arete'

Ethic: inherited from Mt Keira

"The Big K" is worthwhile for a day trip from Sydney and a very good local cliff for those that live around the Illawarra - R.Young

.. and if all else fails, remember ... The Law of Gravity is STRICTLY Enforced

History:

G Hill, R Young, A Prehn, S Bullen, J Muir, B James, J Hoy

	Route	Grade	Style	Popularity	Selected ascents
Hide Hide Hide
1	Great Balls of Boogy Woogy The 1st crack in descent gullys right hand side wall. Natural protection. Up the crack with an interesting finish. - grovel , grovel FA: Jon Muir, 1977	17	Trad 10m		Ryan Whelan 4 years ago a bit sandy Nick Clow 9 years ago Nice quite technical crack.
2	Pakistan Probably the hardest route on Mt Keira. Start 3 meters left of 'Great Balls Of Boogey Woogy'. Up the wall to horizontals then crank crank crank to the top. Well its super hard now, as the brackets are super rusty - DO NOT CLIMB ! FA: Steve Bullen, 2000	26	Sport 12m
3	Fascination [Apr-2012 new lower off] Strenuous face climbing for last 2 bolts ! Start 2 meters left of Pakistan. Climb past the horizontals then follow the rings to the top. Plus has original top belay bolts. FA: Ant Prehn, Rod Young, 1981	23	Sport 13m , 7		Neil Monteith 4 years ago Fantastic unlikely blank balance crux. Rad! Ryan Whelan 4 years ago needs a clean
4	Nordwand CLOSED project [New - Sept 2012] Start on the rock platform, up jutting features to the 1st ledge. Bridge corners to get to 2nd ledge. Now it gets harder - grasp for pockets and thin footholds to reach the diagonal ridge... FA: , 2012	20	Sport Project 15m , 8
5	Deb-ut De-view [May 2012 - new Loweroffs and bolts] From the path - up the arete , pull up to the 1st platform then up the razor arete to the second platform. Hunt for the holds and smear up to the top. From the top you can also exit via Sand Pit Wall Exit route, thus making it a multi pitch route FA: , 2012	17	Sport 9m , 2		Brendon Flanagan 6 months ago Excellent climb with a nice bouldery start! Alanna 8 months ago Really short, difficult in places but it does have a nice view!
Hide Hide Hide
	Route	Grade	Style	Popularity	Selected ascents
6	Sand Pit Wall Entrance [May 2012 - Loweroffs and 2 ring bolts] The Opposing face of Nordwand. Step up on horizontals using crack for purchase. Reach to the ledge and walk left along the diagonal then pull up. Spread arms wide for flacks, watch foot placement, some of the small flakes are weak. From the top you can also exit via Sand Pit Wall Exit route, thus making it a multi pitch route. FA: , 2012	17	Sport 8m , 2		Brendon Flanagan 6 months ago Loved this climb and the crux (at the end) really made me think.
7	Sand Pit Wall One On the short wall starting from the halfway ledge (3m left of Debut Deview). Up wall past rusty bolt going left at top. Pro. = 2 rusty bolts FA: Graeme Hill, Steve Bullen, 1982	19	Sport 5m , 2
8	Sand Pit Wall Two The flake just to the left of Sand Pit Wall One. Up the wall. Sand Pit Wall Exit Lower Offs can be used from this route FA: Graeme Hill, Steve Bullen, 1982	18	Trad 5m
9	Sand Pit Wall Exit [May 2012 - Lower offs] Layback off crack , step up and then reach left and clip 1st bolt.	12	Sport 5m , 2		Lionel Terray 12 months ago needs traffic
Hide Hide Hide
	Route	Grade	Style	Popularity	Selected ascents
10	Fizzgig Thin face climbing. Balancy and technical. Start about 7 meters around from Fascination, at easy short arete under roof at the base of the cliff, OR solo up the corner to belay at wall. Up wall and flake. 4 rings to double rings at top. FA: Ant Prehn, Rod Young, 2000	24	Sport 15m , 5		Ryan Whelan 4 years ago cant link the last moves yet Ryan Whelan 6 years ago hard move at middle of the wall
11	Cheap Wine The traverse is spacey. Start as for Fizzgig. Up easy ground to steep wall (ringbolt). Traverse out left across wall just above the undercut roof (ringbolt). Up wall at left side of arete (ringbolt) to double bolt belay. FA: Rod Young, Ant Prehn, 2000	23	Sport 20m , 4
12	Bog Cog Start at the tree in the gully below Fizzgig top wall. Onto wall and traverse out left to clip 1st bolt of Cheap Wine, then straight up the middle of the wall between brackets past Cheap Wine and Fizzgig. FA: Steve Bullen, 2000	25	Sport 12m
13	Grot Heap Groove The corner about 5 meters past Fizzgig. Up the corner to the top. FA: Jon Muir, Graeme Hill, Ant Prehn, 2000	16	Trad 19m
14	Grot Heap Grave Up GH Groove for 8 metres. Step L on horizontal break to gain finger crack of WG. (GH Groove is now 'off'.)	19	Trad 20m		Nick Clow 9 years ago Start up GH Groove, step L on horiz. break to gain WG's finger crack.
15	Wallyard Grave The wall left of Grot Heap Groove. Up the middle of the wall finishing up the thin crack in the wall and top wall. FA: Jon Muir, 2000	22	Sport 20m
Hide
	Route	Grade	Style	Popularity	Selected ascents
16	Wallyard Arete [May 2012 - loweroffs and start ringbolt added] An excellent direct route with great views :-) The arete left of Wallyard Grave. Follow the arete and right wall past fixed brackets to reach top arete. Climb arete until forced back right onto wall (crux) and up wall past last bracket to lower-offs. - 5 Expansion bolts & 1 RB FA: Jon Muir,	21	Sport 20m , 6		Neil Monteith 4 years ago Sustained! Barndoored off crux arete, then stuck it next try. Ryan Whelan 4 years ago harder than i remember
17	Snakepit From the top of WGA rappel over edge to the right (facing out) to small ledge. Climb back up wall past rusting bolts. From the base of WGA walk around left and scramble up to next climbs at a crack with initials 'FOY' FA: Graeme Hill, 2000	20	Trad 6m
18	White Wings Start at FOY marked chimney. Up and onto ledge on right side of arete. Up the corner past ledges to the top. FA: Bill James, J Hoy, 2000	12	Trad 19m
19	Fountain Of Youth A chimney with an exciting finish. Initialled. FA: Bill James, James Hoy, 2000	14	Trad 15m
20	Teno Not Streno Start in the crack left of Fountain of Youth. Up the line. FA: James Hoy, Bill James, 2000	16	Trad 15m
21	Streno Not Teno Up Teno Not Streno and traverse left across wall past bolt and 2 brackets to another crack. Up wide crack to top. FFA: Brian Rattenbury, 2000 FA: James Hooy, Bill James, 2000	17	Trad 18m

2. Index by grade

Grade	Name	Style
12	Sand Pit Wall Exit	Sport 5m , 2
	White Wings	Trad 19m
14	Fountain Of Youth	Trad 15m
16	Grot Heap Groove	Trad 19m
	Teno Not Streno	Trad 15m
17	Deb-ut De-view	Sport 9m , 2
	Great Balls of Boogy Woogy	Trad 10m
	Sand Pit Wall Entrance	Sport 8m , 2
	Streno Not Teno	Trad 18m
18	Sand Pit Wall Two	Trad 5m
19	Grot Heap Grave	Trad 20m
	Sand Pit Wall One	Sport 5m , 2
20	Nordwand	Sport Project 15m , 8
	Snakepit	Trad 6m
21	Wallyard Arete	Sport 20m , 6
22	Wallyard Grave	Sport 20m
23	Cheap Wine	Sport 20m , 4
	Fascination	Sport 13m , 7
24	Fizzgig	Sport 15m , 5
25	Bog Cog	Sport 12m
26	Pakistan	Sport 12m

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Table of contents

1. North Face 21 routes in Cliff

2. Index by grade