The Red Wall & Toccata Wall Guide

Start at the left side of the Red Wall. Bridge up gully (G String) to clip bolt. Up blunt arete past another bolt to join Wyrd, up corner and flake. L at bolt to jugs, up thinly past another (bolt, not jug) to rings.

Undercling past first roof and continue up crack for 5m.

Funky climbing and route-finding. The moves up to the roof are committing. Start on the left side of the grey pedestal.

Straightens out Wyrd with some committing climbing.

Makes a good change.

Fantastic climbing on gorgeous peachy rock, many climbers' favourite 19 at Araps. Chains at top (32m). Videos

This lovely wall was a very bold first ascent. Small wires (take extra #3 RPs) now give reasonable protection but sport climbers wouldn't want to be getting on this for their first trad 21. Start just right of Tannin. While sketching out with your modern gear, spare a thought for Ann Pauligk's 1977 ascent which was the first Aussie female ascent at this grade.

Start just right of Wraith. Great moves on thin face, cruxy past second bolt. Finish straight up or traverse L to finish up The Wraith or Tannin.

This good crack system is the only surviving piece of a long-forgotten girdle traverse of the Organ Pipes. Perhaps it would have had more credibility if it had started with a tyrolean from the top of the D Minor Pinnacle.

Five old carrot bolts are scattered along the beginning of the route though most are near more reliable natural protection. The good climbing is over too soon and gives way to easy moves on dubious rock.

Start at a little corner below and right of The Wraith. Take care to set the belayer where they will not kick loose rock down the gully onto people below (or better yet, eliminate this risk entirely by starting up Low F instead).

The original approach to what eventually became Jen's Roof. Bridge up the gully left of Dirge then out right to short thin crack. From crack go right into Dirge and up this to roof on right. Hand-traverse right on the lip of the roof to where there is now a FH, then up steep jugs to chains.

A good way to do the good bit of F Sharp from the ground. Start up Dirge for 8m, move left and up Low Note to the base of the diagonal, and follow this up L into the business of F Sharp. When it gets easy head R to the chains and lower off back to the ground. It's possible to clean your own gear (with admin), but much better to have someone second it.

It is possible to do a harder finish to Dirge by heading left before you get to the chains, traversing across the blank wall to join the final flake system of F Sharp.

Really nice climbing with an exciting blast up the finishing flake.

1. 35m 17. Go up onto a terrace a few metres above ground level in the gully just right of the Didgeridoo Pipe. Follow the crack up past the left side of the overhang at 25 metres and on up the flake continuation to chains (30m to gully).

2. 50m. Originally went to top but this pitch is rubbish so just rap off.

This is quite a good chimney and the rap anchor lets you avoid the cruddy finish. Start below the next buttress right of the Didgeridoo Pipe. Scramble up 6 metres into the gully on the left of the buttress then traverse right until below the chimney. Climb up into the chimney and follow it (originally climbed up the left edge of the chimney for a bit) past the roof on the left. Belay on left about 5 metres above the roof at chains. 30 metre abseil or continue up crud to the top.

A pointless variation on Bass Clef. Up Bass Clef to the chimney, step left and up the juggy arete just left of the chimney until able to bridge into the prominent line on the right wall of the chimney. Up this line then step right to the Tremulo bolts.

The late Dennis Kemp said that this was one of only two climbs that he had done at Arapiles that he would not consider repeating. Start just R of Bass Clef, directly below the chimney of Bass Clef.

1. 30m (17) Directly up thin lichenous seams to the base of the chimney of Bass Clef, then up right on black slab to the foot of a crack just left of Tremulo. Up this crack to a stance atop a short chimney. The abseil chain on Tremulo is just a step to the right, not that we're suggesting running away or anything like that.

2. 15m (-) Step left and climb front of buttress.

3. 25m (-) Up crest of buttress finishing steeply past gnome.

4. 5m (-) The crack behind. Rope drag could be a problem.

A good solution to this buttress spotted by Jen Woods, going up to and left through the overhang. The route ties together bits of four other climbs, Humouresque, Bass Clef, Bag Pipes and Low Note, into something that is much better than any of the others. Start where you would scramble up to Dirge but stay at ground level.

Go straight up as per Humouresque to the base of a chimney (Bass Clef), then follow Bag Pipes up the arete between the chimney and the smooth face to the left. After Bag Pipes heads rightwards, continue straight up as the climbing gets harder towards the overhang (small wires). Go diagonally left through roof, bolt at lip, and finish as for Low Note.

Warnung Flora & Fauna: Skeleton Fork-fern (Psilotum nudum)

A direct start to the first pitch of Humouresque. Start 2m R of H. Climb to the right of the first FH to ledge. Straight up passing 2nd FH to join H at the bottom of it's crack. The first few metres of this is a lovely hand crack, and when it deteriorates into grunge you can maintain the quality climbing by drifting R up the clean thin yellow line into the last few moves of Tremulo. A worthwhile 19ish variant is to skip the hard moves at the first bolt by starting up Tremulo.

Really good climbing on the first 25 metres. With the abseil anchor the awful climbing above this can now be forgotten. Start at short chimney 5 metres right of Humouresque. Up chimney then on up the narrowing line finishing with some face moves just to the left. Chain anchor.

Not a bad excursion to the top of the Organ Pipes from the Tremulo anchor. Bear in mind that it is little-travelled so treat the rock with respect and be mindful of climbers below. It's not actually the original finish of Tremulo, which continued up the gully above the anchor, but the finish of Humouresque. The climbing can be split in a number of ways, with best ledges at 30m and 40m. Continue up left buttresses from anchors at top of pitch one of Tremulo, passing the MCC gnome high on the buttress. Walk off.

Good climbing with hard start and finish but gets few ascents and is sinking beneath the moss. The finish is quite scary. Start 2 metres right of Tremulo at seam.

Excellent climb for the grade. Absorbing from bottom to top.

As per the Old Green Guide: "DISCORD (140'):- A sustained and technically interesting climb with excellent protection. Grade:- Hard Severe

1. 40' Move right up the ramp leading to the base of Toccata and about 15' to the left of Toccata, traverse left a few feet to a good ledge and bolt runner. Climb the shallow groove with difficulty to a resting place and a second bolt runner. Move out right and attain a standing position on top of the obvious square block on the smooth face on the right. Move back left to a good ledge and bolt belay a few feet above the last runner.

2. 100' Step four feet onto the arête and go up to beneath the overhangs. Move back right to join the original line and fix the first runner of the second pitch. Continue in the same line, via a narrow awkward chimney, to the top.

Beautiful rock but a bit contrived. Start as for Discord.

1. 25m (22) Follow the line of Discord and continue up, keeping as far to the right as possible. At headwall step right to a bulging thin crack which is followed to a ledge. The direct start (23) climbs past a bolt to join this pitch. Graham Jones March 1986. There is a carrot bolt low down which looks like it might be the direct start. There is also a FH a good deal higher than the carrot whose role is not clear.

2. 20m (-) The crack above.

A stunning line on glorious water-washed rock. Protection is excellent despite how it may look, and huge camming devices are not essential. Take two ropes if doing the abseil. Start below the large smooth corner at the right end of the Organ Pipes.

1. 27m (15) Sustained climbing up the corner to hard moves past the little roof into a bottomless chimney. Up to a good ledge.

2. 23m (13) The lovely square-cut chimney. Rap off (45m) or walk up the gully to the top.

Makes a worthwhile route out of Yossarian. Right of Toccata is a crack up the left side of a short buttress.

1. Step right from the start of Toccata into crack and up to ledge. Follow seams up and right past small and fiddly gear. Where seam blanks out, step left and continue up to base of Toccata's chimney.

2. The wide crack of Yossarian looks rubbish. Just finish up Toccata.

A hard few moves on the crux but a bit disappointing overall. Start on the grey buttress just right of Toccata.

1. 13m (10) The buttress to a small stance about 6 metres below and left of prominent roof.

2. 35m (17) Up diagonally right from 2-3 metres to an awkward mantleshelf then an unlikely traverse back left to a thin crack. Go up into a wider, bottomless crack just right of 'Toccata'. The easiest way off is probably to scramble around (roped) to the abseil anchors on 'Toccata'.

The rightmost of the twin cracks on the big block in front of Toccata. Walk off behind.

Hardly a recommendation.

Lovely corner on the second pitch. Scramble up the gully right of Toccata under a chockstone to below an easy wall. Could also start as for Yossarian but it doesn't add much value.

1. 13m (-) Climb up to Yossarian's first belay then move right and up to belay on the obvious block below the right side of the prominent roof. You could also do the direct start to Deflated which is just a few metres to the right.

2. 35m (15) Difficult move up to right side of roof (RPs essential) then continue up corner.

Essentially a nice variant finish to Sonatine, sharing that climb's crux. 35m abseil descent.

1. Start as for Yossarian or Sonatine or other approach to the first belay of Sonatine at the huge block.

2. 25m 16 Step off the block into a shallow orange groove (as for Sonatine, crux, RPs essential). Move into the righthand groove and follow it direct. (Sonatine is the corner on the left).

Dirty. This and the next two climbs were named in honour of Chris Dewhirst's inglorious attempt at hot air ballooning at 'Arapiles'.

Start: Start at the short, easy corner.

1. 15m (-) Up the easy corner and follow the ramp to belay on ledge at top left, just right of Sonatine's belay. All very easy but a rope might be called for.

2. 35m (11) Step up and right onto wall and then take line going straight up.

Good steep finish. Will clean up well with traffic. Originally started as for 'Deflated' but the direct start also described is much better.

Start: Start at the short corner as for 'Deflated'.

1. 15m (-) Up short corner and left up ramp to ledge at top left. Or Direct Start (11): About 8 metres left of the corner, 5 metres right of chockstone at an obvious mantle move on the smooth wall. Up the smooth wall, the wall behind can help but is not necessary, no protection for first 5 metres then head slightly right to big ledge.

2. 25m (13) Step right off detached block on right edge of ledge and up wall to finish up right-hand crack on steep wall. Left-hand crack is 'Alychne'.

Quite dicky on the initial face and protection on the middle section is not the best. A good climb which would improve with traffic (or a concerted cleaning effort). Originally done in two pitches but much safer to do as one.

Start at the small corner as for 'Deflated' etc.

Up corner, step right onto face and up seam to small stance. Slightly left and up into shallow groove (several #3 RPs useful) and finish up right arete.

The Alychne is apparently a line of zero luminance (Talbett was an optometrist). This climb isn't that bad but gets very little traffic; the mossy appearance, fiddly protection and indirect line tend to put people off. Double ropes are very useful.

Start 2 metres right of the short corner, just left of an easy, grotty crack.

Up slab to a ledge at 5 metres. Up through a weakness in the bulge (crux) and on to a small stance. Traverse easily left about six metres with poor protection (many RPs) to a crack. Move up into this and then go diagonally left and finish up the left-hand crack up the steep, juggy headwall.

Start at the right-hand toe of the wall, a few meters right of Alychne, at a seam in nice rock.

1. 23m Up seam to some ledges. Move left back onto front of buttress. Up little buttress (there are some loose blocks just to the left) to large ledge where an obvious big block sticks over the edge. Despite the alarming appearace from below, this block isn’t going anywhere.

2. 12m Go up from the left side of the ledge and continue up.

Above 'Toccata' there is a small bowl ringed by cliffs (The Cirque of the Climbables). On the right wall there is potential for some new routes. Start in the middle of the wall on the black rock, go up then slightly right into line and to top.

Start: