Einträge in Big Top

A lovely sheltered little sport crag away from the crowds.

Huge bolted boulder to the right of approach track. Routes listed R-L, starting at the bottom.

Lower arete on the boulder. Bouldery start!

The line of bolts up theline of crazy non-holds, in the clean strip in the middle of the downhill face of the boulder. Bolted by Lee Cossey.

Start: Between TCC and ML.

An outrageous piece of climbing that will test your slab and arete climbing possibly more than any other route in the Blue Mountains.

Route to the right of the crack. Keep out of the crack!

The crack on the upper side of the boulder. Starts out as hands then quickly widens to offwidth (carrots protects the top part).

The routes to the left of where the approach track meets the cliff. Routes listed right to left (the order as you approach them). The first is about 40m left of the approach track

Leave the tree alone and head up and right through some rather sandy stuff.

Shares a start with NifotC. Head left around the arete and up.

Shared first three bolts with I've Got Three Buttocks (hard to cllip third bolt) then the right wall (past the tree on ledge). Take care with the clips above the upper ledge.

Shared start with Vertical Smile then left to the arete then up the gorgeous orange wall trending right to shared anchor. 3rd bolt is a hard clip.

Shared undercut corner start with YonX then traverse hard right (desperate lack of footholds) and up wall with several move hard moves.

On paper this appears to be the easiest route in this neck of the woods BUT the opening move is a real slap in the face. Bolted undercut shallow corner with low anchors. This route was originally done on trad in the 70s and finished off to the right onto the arete (old piton) right of Abso as a 35m pitch that topped out.

Blocky vague prow kind of feature up the centre of the wall.

Great sustained wall climbing without a nasty stopper move - the perfect warmup for the rest of the crag.

Left variant finish to JinX up the hanging arete. Very much a one move wonder that suits small fingers.

Trad route from the dark ages. Starts 20m left of the Case of the Smiling Stuffs on ledge 10m above the track and approached from the right. Impressive crack line climbing two bulges in one pitch.

40 m further left, at the start of the cave

Technical, varied and seemingly highly unpopular. Give it a go and see if it's good!

Info lacking on this. Roof crack down low that quickly finishes on ledge.

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Batman start!

Another old trad line only recently written up. Sustained climbing up rightward slanting crack on pinkish rock.

1. 15m Up groove then move slightly left. Up for a few moves then back right to crack through bulge. Follow crack to ledge.

2. 25m Move diagonally right a few moves up slab, then trend back left to ledge at base of obvious crack. Up crack to horizontal break. Traverse right and follow crack to small ledge below final bulge.

3. 8m Follow crack to small roof, climb it to reach jugs leading to top. Tree anchor.

Fun short route sharing the balancy slabby start of Hairy Vengeance then climbing the right wall with a ledge and bulge in the middle

Major orange corner crack that was the retrod by accident. Up past large triangular boulder into corner (high first bolt). Traverse right a bit onto face and up wall onto ledge. Traverse left and up landmark corner (much easier than it looks) and finish through overhung crack to lower-offs. Was originally led as an all trad route in the 70s (at grade 20) and then retroed in 2001. The original probably stemmed up the vegetated corner rather than climbing the face to the right that is now bolted.

A famous chimney slot problem - originally done on trad (at grade 20) and now retrobolted. Up ramp to base of chimney (optional belay). Squeeze upwards and be thankful it is no longer graded 17!

Keith can't remember anything about this!

Routes starting just right of where the approach track hits the cliff. Routes are listed from left to right as you approach them

Start: Left side of the arete following flakes. This is where the track from the road comes out.

extra ring added 2004

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Mixed extension to Once You Bolt Crack. Pass the anchors and 5 bolts get you through the crux, then gear to the top. Gear is quite specific. FA placed green and yellow aliens, single set of C4s from 0.5 to 2, though more could be placed.

A bolted crack!

This wall has been given the name 'The Chocolate 'Crackle' Wall'. Take care.

Technical, sustained slabbing the whole way. Tie a knot in your 70m rope.

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Start up the block just left of a bushy chimney thing for a few bolts. Then step R across the chimney and traverse 4-5m further R to bypass the band of vegetation. Then up the great arete to a really airy steep finish over the final roof.

Start: Start about 20m down right from where the track leaves the base of the big red wall.

The route is all too obvious - a bottomless chimney hanging over your head like gaping dinosaur jaws. A unique experience, not soon forgotten.

A few sandstone boulders a couple hundred metres past Big Top campground.

Doug McConnell