King Rat Area Guide

first accent

Rotten crack.

Start: Start off the ledge on the E side of the pinnacle.

Lean R and clip the BR on the unknown bolted line. Then go straight up.

Start: Start R of MC at jugs.

Bolted pre-86, and even then the 2nd bolt was poxy and the 3rd bolt hadn't been put in. Unsurprisingly this seems to have been completely ignored ever since.

The arete, veering L.

Start: Start where the E face meets the N face.

Try and find this one, I dare you.

Start: South of the 'Pimple', across the vegetated gully is a short grotesquely overhung wall and right of this a small wall behind a large boulder. On this wall is a big detached flake, forming a ledge. Start at the lowest point of the ledge.

Starts on left side of the wall immediately left of 'Bermuda Triangle'. Up to where a series of wedged blocks in a horizontal break leads right. Follow this rightwards until you are nearly at the BT roof then climb strenuously straight up to top using a series of pockets. - Fun!

The corner, then R around the roof.

Start: Start beneath the distinctive orange triangular roof towards the L end of the crag.

The weakness up the thin face.

Start: Start 6m R of BT.

Very contrived as it's much easier to use jugs just L.

Start: Start 5m R of T&Q.

Big L-facing corner with an attractive flake-crack in excellent orange rock. At a length of only 24m, the original probably finished at the ledge at the top of the left-facing corner/flake, and walked off left past the base of 'Bermuda Triangle'. However, it seems fairly obvious to do a second pitch up the short corner just left, then step right and up the orange crack above (this is shown in the topo).

Start: Start ~50m R of BT.

The corner on the R to ledge, then interesting curving corner.

Start: Start as for LHV.

If you can find this you're doing better than us. May be a repeat of final crack of 'Right Hand Variant'

Start: High on the broken cliffs right of Bermuda triangle is a curving offwidth crack which is almost impossible to see from anywhere. Find your way to the base of this.

The topo for this route and the next few is pretty much a guess. Left of the start of 'Ddark Ddigit' is a broken orange wall with an arete on the right hand side. Pitch one follows this arete.

1. 20m (14) Up arete.

2. 30m (14) Scramble up left to middle of wall. Up most obvious line.

Easy wall, orange rock, then L under overhangs to arete. Up it.

Start: Start 30m L of 'Light Fingered' (which is described on a separate page).

Easily to pillar then flake up R. L below bulge and up seam.

Start: Start at obvious slender buttress between DD and 'Light Fingered'.

Steep direct line with some brittle rock.

The vertical seam/crack on the right side of the pinnacle of A Sore Thumb, finishing up steep crack.

An obscure choice for this era when almost all the other classics of 'Arapiles' were still unclimbed! For over thirty years guidebooks placed this climb in the wrong gully. The good news is that no-one has missed it. Some awful rock.

Start a few metres right of A Sore Finger. There's a wonky letter S painted somewhere.

1. 22m (7) The loose juggy crack to a large ledge.

2. 32m (7) R and up loose dangerous rib.

3. 12m (-) Scramble off.

Up to cracks and up to the ledge below 'Urban Sprawl'.

Start: Start: On the left of the entrance to 'Hunger' 'Gully' is twin cracks through a

shallow prow.

The crack at the L end of the short overhung orange wall.

Start: Start at the top of a steep gully L of 'Light Fingered'.

Caveat emptor!

Start: Start in the cramped gully, up L of 'Hunger'.

Bridge, then into seam with 1 bolt and 1 piton. Double rings on ledge.

Start: Start on the R wall of the gully L of 'Light Fingered'.

The seam.

Start: Start just R of 'Hunger'.

sling anchor is death

Struggle up the good line.

Start: Start below the obvious grey wall just before the gully narrows below crack that widens.

Scary face with stacked blocks, then wall and arete.

Start: Start 2m R of LF.

Head R then up the chossy front-side of the prow.

Start: Start at the teetering stack on the R side of the gully, at the initials.

Start: Opposite VIMH.

If you want to know the actual name they gave it - which would make even Nowra climbers blush - you'll have to ask them yourself.

Start: 2m right of Nempnett Thrubwell.

Up following faint line to top.

Bridge up to gain flake and then follow it till angle eases. Up vague

arete to top.

Start: Start: 3m right of chockstone step in gully, below flake.

Bridge up to gain flake and climb up to roof. Swing through roof.

Start: Start: Three metres right again is another flake.

Anyone who isn't paranoid lacks imagination. A technical onsight lead. Continue down the gully past a short step. Directly under the narrowest part of the gully there is a shallow black corner which leans right and runs up to a series of roofs and overhangs. Directly above the start of this route there is a thin crack through a large overhang. The line shown in the topo is a guess.

See if you can pick the theme running here?

Start: 4m Right of VIMH below an obvious corner.

Up corner to roof which is swung around to the right.

Start: Continue down the wall from SSSBI57. The wall gets smaller and grey and then rises again with steep orange rock. On the left of this section is an obvious leftward diagonal. Start below the right end of this diagonal.

Up to gain the diagonal which is followed until it seems to make sense to swing back right and up.

Start: Continue down the wall from SSHSEBI5. The wall gets smaller and grey and then rises again with steep orange rock. On the left of this section is a line (starting just left of the hole) that goes up past a large pocket.

Up line.

Up this.

Start: On the left wall of Buttress Buttress 'Gully' (Upper Hunger), right of the steep stuff, is a shallow groove.

Traverse both cheeks via the orange weakness at half height.

Start: Start up the L side of Bum Rock.

Mantle, bulge, and groove past oval shaped roof.

Start: Start 3m L of the bumcrack, er, central chimney.

Up L leaning flake, R to orange weakness through bulge, then L to seam.

Start: Start 1m R of GM.

Start 3 metres right High School Antics on left side of chimney. Stay on left side of chimney avoiding the temptation to bridge at any stage. Climb up to horizontal crack and into corner. Up to overhang and obvious thread through. Blast through juggy overhang and spare a size 3 cam for pocket in upper head wall.

Slab just L of small overlap then L to arete.

Start: Start 3m R of the bumcrack.

Loose flake then lichen. Reachy.

Start: Start 1m R of F.

Start 3 metres left of Pulling the Yorkshire Pudding follow first of two shallow right facing corners, step right to block and directly up to top of pedestal. Climb through small juggy rooflet above pedestal. Small good gear.

Up the hanging block just L of the hole, then L leaning groove.

Start: Start on the R side of the crag.

Straight up the slab and clean wall about 3m right of Pulling the Yorkshire Pudding.

Start as for Bottoms Up, moving diagonally right and up short grey wall to alcove. Straight up nice wall above, steeply at first. Juggy steep wall to the summit (originally done as a separate, 6m, pitch).

The central groove on the grey cliff directly behind Bum Rock.

Bouldery start.

Start: Start on L side of Slander Wall.

Finish up blunt arete.

Start: Start just R of WMWK.

The thin corner.

Start: Start just R of arete.

Climb the corner in centre of Slander Wall with two crack until it is less contrived to stay in the left one to ledge. Then up line just left of the arete above until large ledge at 45. Head right to scramble down near the chasm to base of I'm a Little Dinosaur.

This is the R corner of the alcove, once it is not madly contrived to stay out of Mouse Trap. Then up line on arete through friable rock.

The nice thin crack on the arete, but don't reach L to make it easier!

Start: Start at the arete R of RT.

The middle of the buttress, no wimping off the direct line.

Start: Start R of CLC.

The crack.

Start: Start R of CLCP2.

Up then step L and follow the continuation.

Start: Start 2m R of SL.

Up a shallow orange corner left of Prairie, continue direct through steepening and onward forth to walk off ledge. May have some suss rock, vegetation and lichen.

Probably worthless but no-one has definitely located it.

Start about 60 metres up King Rat Gully where the left side becomes a short juggy wall. Prairie starts at the steep line 2 metres right of a corner.

Up the crack on good holds until a ledge at 25m. Traverse off left along tis ledge.

From the ledge the preceding routes finish at, up the front of the pillar, through overlap and generally terrible rock.

Good face climbing past BR into crack.

Start: Go all the way up 'King Rat Gully' Left Fork, this is the last (leftmost) route on the small wall on your right.

Old James Falla project with 3 bolts. Don't know if it's been ticked but it's about 27.

Flakes to BR then R and up.

Start: Start 10m R of 'Feel It Closing In'.

A forgotten Gordy concoction. up face past 2 FHs then move right to vague arete past two more FHs.

Unprotected black streak, then corner.

Start: Start ~20m R of ALG.

L on shallow flakes then up past 2 FHs. If you go straight up before the traverse it's only 20.

Start: Start R of MRS.

Boulder into R-tending flake and up it to jugs.

Start: Start 4m L of BL.

This pair's additions at 'Werribee Gorge' see a lot more love than these obscure numbers.

Start: Start 10m L up the gully from IaLD.

Lovely positions up the prominent grey arete, starting on the R face at first.

Start: Start about 15m up the scramble of 'King Rat Gully' Left Fork. The start can also be accessed by climbing 'Scylla' or 'Charybdis' for 15m then walking L along the ledge.

Move R up the slabby corner then launch up the smooth face 5m R of IaLD. 'Small' gear is all that's keeping you off the slab at first.

Start: Start as for IaLD.

Straight up the face squeezing between Dinosaur and Asteroid.

Start: Start as for IaLD.

Takes the slabby arete just right of the chimney-gully that Asteroid etc. step out from. Take some tape slings.

Basically a second pitch for 'Scylla'. Possibly poorly protected.

Start: Start at the ledge atop 'Scylla'.

An excellent approach for Dinosaur and Asteroid. The obvious thin finger crack in the dihedral. Eats up small cams

Start: Start just R of 'King Rat Gully' Left Fork.

A little extension to Scylla. Up Scylla until the difficulties ease, then step left to follow the flakes (instead of finishing up Charybdis). More sustained than the original finish.

Start: Start a couple of metres R of S.

1. 15m (15) The R crack to the ledge.

2. 15m (14) The wide crack in the L-facing corner above the ledge.

As for C for 10m then R and up arete.

Start: Start as for C.

Pull through the start of 'Luxury Item' then L along the horizontal line to the arête. Up the arête past a bolt to a ledge and double glue-in lower-off anchor.

Fiddly pro initially. Step R at 15m to find the rap anchor above 'King Rat'. Apparently the "awesome" continuation up the chossy headwall is yet to be done - knock yourself out.

Start: Start beneath the grey wall which separates 'King Rat Gully' Left Fork and Right Fork.

Climb Glory Rodent until through the crux. Traverse L to jug on arete and good medium wire above. Climb arete direct, watch out for rope drag or use doubles. Extra grade just for the extra effort required... it's not really any harder than GR.

The awesomely steep line is made easier by a few faceholds.

Start: The first steep line you get to on the L wall of KRGRF.

Another awesomely steep line.

Start: Start 4m R of GR. Clip piton at your own risk. Sharp.

Escapable but fun. Climb 'King Rat' to the thread. Reach up and R to gain big hold on the lip of the overhang. Pull straight through and climb the featured wall above to finish on the ledge. You may want to bring a few small wires for the upper orange headwall. Two U-bolt lower-off.

The rotten flake then the bulge to pull R into the flake, belay on R. Carrot has been replaced by a bolt

Start: Start R of KR.

Straightens out and significantly improves Kookenhagen. Easily up the line for a few metres then pull up left around the overlap past a bolt runner and up the line above (Kookenhagen stays lower and keeps traversing left).

Sustained face and crack with good wires.

Start: Start 3m R of K.

A "V", then a sickle. Dodgy rock and gear. Not worth a star.

Start: Start R of MW.

Fingery moves. The original crap bolts were replaced in 2003.

Start: Start R of FB, beneath the huge chockstone above the gully.

The main crack on the wall used to be very hard when it was graded 16! There are 2 odd chipped crucifixes at the base.

The blank wall right of 'Catcher' starting 3 or 4 metres right of that climb. 1 carrot and 1 FH. A hold may have broken and may be more like 27 now.

The start of this doesn't look too bad but the gully is woeful. Maybe would be better finishing up the arete on the left.

On a small grey wall 50m beyond Catcher to the R of the main gully. Up to a jug at 3m, 3m R of the block at the base of the wall. Arrange small wires, make a thin move and continue more easily.

The thin seam.

Start: Start on the right of the wall, left of little corner.

Takes a line of jugs.

Start: Start 1m left of TLL.

It is not just the name of this one that is obscure.

Start: Behind the former routes is another broken wall. This takes the subtle arete just left of the central corner.

Up middle of face.

Start: Start at the base of the pinnacle right of Two Years in a Shed in Norway.

Corner with ledge at half-height on south-east facing wall around left from 'Serious Young Lizards'.

Main face of pinnacle about 15 metres left of Serious Young Lizrds. Grade is a wild guess as none was given.

Crack 1.5 metres left of 'Serious Young Lizards'

Worth doing for the history. This climb came into existence while Kim Carrigan was attempting the first ascent of what would become Lord Of The Rings. When Kim announced that he was intending to call the climb 'Serious Young Lizards' a piece of extremely obscure rock was promptly found, climbed and given that name.

Grade is a guess as none was given. Crack 3 metres right of 'Serious Young Lizards'.

Eliminate with a bouldery start between the L edge of the wall (with the yellow mini-pinnacle) and the easy crack.

Crack 2m R of the L edge of the wall.

Line 1m R of Harpo (blinkers required).

Line 1m R of Groucho.

Crack 1.5m R of Gummo.

Cracks 2m R of Zeppo, 3m L of R edge of wall.

An obvious, the word is used loosely, corner.

The same party wrote up another climb here : Rat 9m 16 Climb the bulge 4 metres left of the corner, up the wall, and finish up the right-facing black corner. Sounds like it might be the same as 'Ratatouille'.

This climb is just above the left end of 'Skydiver' wall. Could be worth doing for the shade. After scrambling up the chimney just R of 'Purple Denotes Bruising', but before getting to 'Catcher', head up chimney/gully on the R to a yellow groove on the L wall.

Steep groove, delicate slab. Start on the L end of Skydiver Wall, just L of a nose. Had a lower-off added around 2003 (which appears to have been removed).

Climb brittle edges with minimal protection to the horizontal break (optional gear if you choose to head diagonally right from the initial jug to a shallow groove). Surmount the flake above the bulge, after which a few more moves will take you to the ledge.

A heady lead. From the ground, the upper half of this route may look like a straightforward pleasant crimp ladder, with its rows of appealing parallel horizontal edges; it's best not to expect the route to deliver on that expectation.

Straight up well protected wall. Start 1m R of Even More Moves.

After some powerful moves off an undercling, a fixed hanger is soon within reach. Siddle up and rightwards (to another fixed hanger), then finish up the seam.

Face, around L side of block, wall above.

Start: Start 1m L of R.

The crack, moving R at overhang.

Start: Start just R of C-O at the obvious offwidth crack.

It is possible to climb into Retardation but you can suspend the disbelief and stay on the wall. The climbing sends you rightwards after that anyway.

Mistakenly named Austisticus Spasticus in Simey and Glen's guide. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6isXNVdguI8

Start beneath high ring bolt and follow right-trending overlaps to a diabolical crux level with the bolt. Turn your mind insane and follow the seam to its end, whereby a worrying reach out to crimps and a sidepull leads you to easier climbing above. Take small thin (0.5cm) slings to wrap around nubbins en-route and a large one for the jug further up. Make sure you don't fall off past the bolt!

Start: Start 2m R of R.

Stick clip U-bolt. Take a running jump off the end of the ledge and leap for the jug. Simultaneously, get your belayer to take in about 5 metres of slack however seems apt. Then climb the crack.

Start: Start off the R end of the ledge.

Originally supposed to stick-place a #2 hex to protect the monster jump-start. As usual there is more than one level of shade here. Originally the nut was placed and then used for aid to place a backup. Finally Mikl has put in a sensible bolt.

Start: Start as for TOR.

A classic piece of Mike Law funkness. Start left of 'Skydiver' beneath the bolt and try your best to get off the ground and reach the sanctuary of the seam above (crux). Once into the seam, continue up the obvious line (grade 23 this section) via technical face climbing and more bolts. Pull through the top bulge on slopers and finish easily.

VS to SM starting from the right past 2 FH's.

Up the corner, moving out L about halfway - this can be done higher or lower, as shown in topo. Then up face to ledge with rap anchor.

Start: Start 3m R of SM beneath appealing orange corner.

Link up of Skydiver to Sustained Metaphor. Start up Skydiver until the horizontal weakness at about 8m. Go L along this to the groove on Sustained Metaphor, and up this to the top. Great sustained climbing.

Start: Start 1.5m R of S.

1. 18m (23) Up the RH corner, then 2 bolts to double bolt belay.

2. 12m (21) L almost to arete, then up just R of arete.

Up BM to it's first bolt. Head right to another bolt, some hard moves and finally BM's anchor.

Overhanging flake on L edge of cave, then short groove.

Start: Start L of CC.

Louise's description is worth repeating in full! "Why pay a shrink to talk about your problems when you can do a new route and tell the whole world for free?"

Start: Start in the cave L of CC.

The bolts flex alarmingly and need to be replaced.

Traverse L along break to BR. Presumably you go up at some point too.

Start: Start 2m L of CC (the original contrived start was further L in the cave).

The steep thin crack and direct through the overhang.

Start: Start on the back face of the Pinnacle (near the R end of 'Skydiver' Wall, described in 'King Rat' Gully).

More like a RHV than a separate route...

Start: Start as for CC.

As for EE but span L to the jug on the prow and up the prow to finish.

Start: Start as for CC.

The arete, on the R at first then on the L, with suss rock.

Start: Start R of EE.

The face - take care with delicate rock.

Start: Start 1.5m R of R.

The next line of holds up the face.

Start: Start 1.5m R of DF.

Up to the top of the flake, R, up.

Start: Start 2m R of BC.

One of Araps' earliest routes.

Start: Start beneath the front face (the one facing Dec Crag).

1. (6) Up the chimney to large ledge on the left

2. (11) Up the crack

Follow Lizard Procrastination to the ledge below the final overhang. Head up and right on juggy wall to ledge on right arete. Step back left and up steep juggy crack to top.