Nodes in Bard Buttress

Emergency Location information:Mt Arapiles, Bard Buttress Area Reason for closure, Numerous important cultural heritage sites are evidence of the significance Dyurrite for Wotjobaluk Peoples and the use of the area for thousands of years.

Reachy over the L side of the roof past a piton, then easily up a groove to a rap station.

Start: Start in a cave up near the top of the gully.

From the R side of the cave follow jugs out to the lip then a hard move to a break and straight up to rap anchor. There is good gear where you need it if you can stop to place it.

Note: The Rap Anchor in basically no existent and needs a new one!

Start: Start just R of DtL.

Committing roof then up to a ledge shared with 'Orpheus'. Now traverse R to a rap anchor (which may or may not exist or be useable).

Start: Start R of RT.

Individual pitch grades were not supplied - overall grade is 18 but some pitches may be easier.

Start: Start: As for 'Orpheus'.

1. 25m (18) Follow obvious and contrived line diagonally left, being careful not to step into gully.

2. 10m (18) Up hideous grovel on left end of 'Redd Tracy' ledge. Belay when possible.

3. 15m (18) Follow line up until it meets 'Directathal' and reverse first moves of this route to join Alis!

Later became Tony's Route (the present direct line), though 90% of it had been climbed in the 1960's as 'The Desired'.

Start: Start below the pitch 1 corner of 'Orpheus'.

1. 45m (19) Directly up into the cruxy corner, then continue steeply up direct crack to a small stance.

2. 30m (14) Much easier and less good climbing takes you to the Bard Terrace. Solo off left from here or climb the last pitch of Bard or the wide corner.

Start: Start 15m up the gully, at an orange ledge.

1. 18m (-) Traverse R on pale rock then up corner to belay at guano niche on the R.

2. 43m (19) Originally done in 3 pitches. Up the L-trending ramp (move R around a hard bit).

3. 18m (-) An overhang then up R.

4. 33m (-) 'Steep' flake on L then up loose ledges.

Left of Poppies' roof on the arete above Bard Terrace there are two options. This is the left one. The hard bit is the first roof, obviously, then doddle to the top.

Start: Start on the Bard Terrace above 'Eurydice' p2.

A fine old classic that has just about everything in its two pitches. A great line with a fiery first pitch in an excellent position.

On the E face of the Bard Buttress there's a guano-stained recess about 25m off the ground, with a crack leading down R to the ground. Start under this crack.

1. 33m (18) Up the crack to the niche past a very old BR, then head up and slightly R from the niche to a good ledge.

2. 32m (17) A tricky steep move gains the long R-facing corner. Near it's top move R then up to the Bard Terrace.

Ann Pauligk's mid 1970s ascent, first go, was the first Aussie female ascent at this grade.

Left of Poppies' roof on the arete above Bard Terrace there are two options. This is the right one. The hard bit is the first roof, obviously, then doddle to the top.

Start: Start on Bard Terrace above 'Eurydice' p2.

Up E until you have a roof on your right. Traverse R here, then up over bulge past BR and straight up to the nice ledge atop 'Eurydice' p1.

Start: Start as for E.

The steep sickle crack is a great alternative start for 'Poppies'. Finish up it.

Start: Start 2m R of E.

Overall grade is 23, but it's not clear how hard each pitch is.

Start: Start 2m L of P.

1. 15m (-) Bouldery flake, then up to ledge above flake.

2. 30m (23) Directly up the arete to Bard's 2nd belay.

3. 35m (23) Continue directly up arete to Bard Terrace.

Described separately so that 'Poppies' gets more notice as a great 19. Start a few metres L of The Bard and climb direct up the slick blank slab to join 'Poppies'.

Start as for The Bard, or by traversing easily R from near the base of Eurydice.

1. 35m (19) Wander up The 'Bard' slab, then continue trending slightly left over bulges (at one point entirely on loose blocks/flakes - you can avoid these by doing OPM). Belay a few metres R of Eurydice's 1st belay.

2. 35m (19) Punch through the low roof at a weakness 3m R of Eurydice, then diagonal right and blast up the great red wall, staying a few metres L of the main arete. Belay on the Bard Terrace.

Described separately so that 'Poppies' pitches 1 and 2 get noticed as a great 19. This pitch is all over after the start so it's not worth doing ... unless it's your best option to impress a hottie bumbly hanging around on Bard Terrace.

Start: Start on the Bard Terrace, a few metres L of the final pitch of Bard.

The middle of the face, kinking R at one point.

Start: Start on the back of the boulder at the base of the 'Bard Buttress'.

Borderline whether it deserves the "serious" tag, but the crux is quite tricky, with spaced pro. Then again, you've got plenty of clean air up there, and it's still a great route.

Start: Start as for The Bard.

1. 24m (9) Climb the initial slab of Bard and the corner cracks then belay at the start of the R-leading ramp.

2. 20m (16) Pull up L from the ramp then traverse L above the bulge for 6m, then up the face a few metres L of the arete. Belay on the same ledge as The Bard's 2nd belay.

3. 27m (17) Up the line on the R side of the main arete for 8m to a small roof. Now launch up left via steep exciting climbing to gain the next line, which gradually eases. Belay under the obvious roof.

4. 12m (16) Step a bit R to get through the roofs without too much difficulty, to finish on the Bard Terrace.

Start at the R end of the base of the buttress.

1. 43m (12) Up the slab (some fiddly pro) to L facing corner. Up corner to ramp. Belay at top of ramp.

2. 12m (12) Move around the arete, then up. Airy traverse L around the arete (grovel across or grab the undercling, lean back and find good holds above), and across the front face to belay on the nose.

3. 20m (12, crux) Diagonally R across the face to a bottomless chimney. Belay at the top of the chimney.

4. 15m (12) Up the steep juggy line to the Bard Terrace.

5. 30m (12) Up the bottomless corner then R onto and up the wall.

Start: Start as for The Bard.

1. 34m (15) Up the initial slab of The Bard, but instead of gaining the ramp via the easy flake-corner on the L, step R and up a crack between The Bard and Wall Street to the ramp. Belay at the top of the ramp.

2. 25m (20) Take the line just L of the arete to a ledge. The face above has a tough committing move (although you can avoid it on the R), after which you move L and go up the arete. Move R at the scary loose blocks then up to ledge.

3. 14m (-) Climb the R crack (R of Bard p4) to the Bard Terrace.

Cultural heritage closures now apply to some parts of Arapiles. This advice continues to evolve and may not be fully reflected in this website; refer to Parks Victoria for details applicable at the time of your visit. https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/documents/management-plans/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park---aboriginal-cultural-heritage-protections---october-2020.pdf

Bird Nesting September-December Raptors usually nest on the following climbs in Spring : Cassandra, Eurydice, Harlequin Cracks, Revelations. Nesting usually finishes mid-December. There may or may not be signs in place at these times. Please keep 50m clear of these climbs if there appears to be nesting activity.

State Park - no dogs. No fires allowed Oct-Apr (inclusive).

Cultural heritage closures now apply to some parts of Arapiles. This advice continues to evolve and may not be fully reflected in this website; refer to Parks Victoria for details applicable at the time of your visit. https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/documents/management-plans/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park---aboriginal-cultural-heritage-protections---october-2020.pdf

Bird Nesting September-December Raptors usually nest on the following climbs in Spring : Cassandra, Eurydice, Harlequin Cracks, Revelations. Nesting usually finishes mid-December. There may or may not be signs in place at these times. Please keep 50m clear of these climbs if there appears to be nesting activity.

State Park - no dogs. No fires allowed Oct-Apr (inclusive).

Cultural heritage closures now apply to some parts of Arapiles. This advice continues to evolve and may not be fully reflected in this website; refer to Parks Victoria for details applicable at the time of your visit. https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/documents/management-plans/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park/mount-arapiles-tooan-state-park---aboriginal-cultural-heritage-protections---october-2020.pdf

Bird Nesting September-December Raptors usually nest on the following climbs in Spring : Cassandra, Eurydice, Harlequin Cracks, Revelations. Nesting usually finishes mid-December. There may or may not be signs in place at these times. Please keep 50m clear of these climbs if there appears to be nesting activity.

State Park - no dogs. No fires allowed Oct-Apr (inclusive).

Take a line just L of 'Eurydice' p2, with a steep flake down low then a loose wall above.

Start: Start at the first belay of 'Eurydice'.

Move up then follow the underclings R across 'Orpheus' to join the upper part of p1 of TD.

Start: Start up L from the start of 'Orpheus'.

Each pitch was established independently, and you can repeat them that way if you wish. Linking them into one route is the way to go, however.

Start: Start R of The Bard.

1. 30m (22) 'Wall Street' (*). Mossy start then jam through the roof, and doddle up the ramp to belay atop pitch 1 of The Bard.

2. 10m (22) Turning Point. From the top of The Bard pitch 1, step L and take the seam. Then blindly L around the bulge and up to the 2nd belay of The Bard.

3. 35m (22) Heavy Dudes (*). Work your way up the white groove R of 'Checkmate' pitch 3 and left of The Bard pitch 3. There's a loose block. At the bulge, awesome moves head L then up the leaning headwall.