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Atlantis

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Description

Steep single pitch sport routes with rungs/ropes access and perched above a lovely bend in Hat Hill Creek. The cliff faces east - and is thus protected from the winter westerlies. The Upper Right Side Ledge easier routes come into the shade around 11am and are not bad on a hot day. The Upper Left Side Ledge routes get a lot more sun - until 2pm and are better for winter. This is one of the better wet weather options in the Mtns - even heavy rain is usually not a problem. Most of the best routes have now been rebolted (this area was once infamous for shite bolts). Some of the rock here is fairly fragile and sandy so take care on the less popular climbs. Most routes are belayed from narrow ledges where a slip unroped would be fatal.

Access issues inherited from 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/

Approach

Drive - From Blackheath drive east down Hat Hill Rd for 3.5km (past the new housing estate) and turn left at the next road - Godson Ave. Drive 350m and park in dirt pullout on the right at the road bend at GPS -33.6137, 150.3158.

Walk north down firetrail next to parking area. After 100m, look for for small rock cairn on left marking the start of the climber trail. Follow this 500m along flat ground then down open ridge and eventually down below first small cliff then right around the small cliff to pick up track again. Fixed ropes down second small cliff, then right under cliff and above Hat Hill Creek. Continue past first 3 routes for 15m to steel rungs. Can use fixed rope at crag to rap or as a backup when walking out. All up its no more than a 15 minute walk from carpark to first route.

Ethic inherited from Blue Mountains

Although sport climbing is well entrenched as the most popular form of Blueys climbing, mixed-climbing on gear and bolts has generally been the rule over the long term. Please try to use available natural gear where possible, and do not bolt cracks or potential trad climbs. If you do the bolts may be removed.

Because of the softness of Blue Mountains sandstone, bolting should only be done by those with a solid knowledge of glue-in equipping. A recent fatality serves as a reminder that this is not an area to experiment with bolting.

If you do need to top rope, please do it through your own gear as the wear on the anchors is both difficult and expensive to maintain.

At many Blue Mountains crags, the somewhat close spacing of routes and prolific horizontal featuring means that it is easy to envisage literally hundreds of trivial linkups. By all means climb these to your hearts content but, unless it is an exceptional case due to some significant objective merit, please generally refrain from writing up linkups. A proliferation of descriptions of trivial linkups would only clutter up the guide and add confusion and will generally not add value to your fellow climbers. (If you still can't resist, consider adding a brief note to the parent route description, rather than cluttering up the guide with a whole new route entry).

If you have benefited from climbing infrastructure in NSW, please consider making a donation towards maintenance costs. The Sydney Rockclimbing Club Rebolting Fund finances the replacement of old bolts on existing climbs and the maintenance of other hardware such as fixed ropes and anchors. The SRC purchases hardware, such as bolts and glue, and distributes them to volunteer rebolters across the state of New South Wales. For more information, including donation details, visit https://sydneyrockies.org.au/rebolting/

It would be appreciated if brushing of holds and minimisation/removal of tick marks becomes part of your climbing routine. Consider bringing a water squirt bottle and mop-up rag to better remove chalk. Only use soft (hair/nylon) bristled brushes, never steel brushes.

The removal of vegetation - both from the cliff bases and the climbs - is not seen as beneficial to aesthetics of the environment nor to our access to it.

Remember, 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 or risk possible closures.

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/

Tags

Some content has been provided under license from: © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU)

Routes

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Grade Route

The first few routes are on a grey slab that you pass on the approach track - just before the access rungs leading up to the main cave itself. You can actually climb any of these routes and belay at the top and bring up your second rather than doing the rungs.

Right of the slab routes. Very hard start for 19.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

The easiest route at Atlantis - about 3 grades easier than the "19". Pretty fun despite appearances. Left of the slab routes - with a couple of sinker pockets to start then a juggy flake and wall.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

Up the rungs, then traverse right along fixed rope on sketchy ledge (clip in!) to larger ledge.

Righthand route off the ledge. Belay off bolts to the left. Rebolted 2019

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

Great rock and cool roof move - one of the best here. Unlike most routes off this ledge, this one has a nice pleasant juggy start.

FA: S.Steward, 1997

Bouldery start

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

The most popular route at Atlantis. Starts at far right end of fixed ropes. Very featured rock reminiscent of Logan Brae.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

Stick-clip the high first bolt. Boulder through opening sequence then head out right and up the nice water washed rock.

FFA: G Smith, 1 Aug 2021

1st route on the ledge. Above and right of fixed rope. Rebolted July 2021

FA: J.Grant, 1998

Steep start on jugs then a bit of an odd section weaving left up a shield, then back right (mantle!). Now finishes direct to new seperate lower-off anchors (it originally traversed way off right into Gregs Route). Rebolted 2021.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

Shared start with Rooky of the Year then left line of bolts. Anchors on slab kill your rope lowering off.

FA: S.Steward, 1998

Good steep fun with a low crux. Belay off low first bolt, and stick clip 2nd bolt. At 4th bolt do a hard traverse right along break then up (Don't get suckered going straight up to razor jugs). Bolts are in good condition.

FA: L.Wishart, 1999

FA: M.Pircher, 1999

FA: M.Pircher, 1999

FA: M.Pircher, 1999

Access route to the mini routes above the big cave. Climb Hillbilly (24) then traverse right along break (grade 18) to small ledge.

FA: M.Pircher & S.Grkovic, 1999

The line straight up the middle of the overhanging amphitheater. A sustained pumper. Rebolted July 2021

FA: Derek Toulalan, 1997

Shares start with Forever Midnight Above small boulder to the left of the access point. Traverses left.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

Extension is open for takers.

FA: L.Wishart, 1999

Batman start. A few metres to the right 'She Male'. Near the right side of the cave.

FA: S.Grkovic, 2001

Steepness Plus. As for He Man but straight out through the roof. Great climbing through very steep terrain.

FA: S.Grkovic, 1999

Steepness. Good fun pumper. Start on the far left side of the cave just next to the rungs. Traverse to arete and up. Rebolted July 2021.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

A roped-traverse on some "exciting" rungs to gain the main ledge system. Belay on single bolt on the rock platform, delicately up the rungs and left along the ledge to the belay.

The 1st route on the high ledge - immediately above the end of the access rungs. Easiest way to do this route is to belay down at ground level - and lead the rungs then continue up the route. Two long sling down low required to reduce ropedrag. Finishes at same anchors as He Man. The route can be cleaned on lower off but the final swing is epic! Rebolted 2019

FA: M.Pircher & G.Trutnovsky, 1997

Warning - Bolts are in poor condition on this route.

FA: M.Pircher & J.Smoothy, 1997

Nice long pumper out the far right end of the belay ledge. Shares lower-off with Hysteresis. Rebolted 2018.

FA: M.Pircher & G.Trutnovsky, 1997

Belay on the larger ledge to the left. Rebolted 2017?

FA: J.Smoothy & G.Bradbury, 1997

Good long route on mostly big holds. Crux is somewhat reachy! Rebolted 2019.

FA: M.Pircher, 1997

A quality steep route with an intense opening salvo and an airy bulgy roof above. This is the left route off the shared start. Rebolted 2018.

FA: M.Pircher, 1997

Long steep pumper on aesthetic water-washed rock at the far left of the crag. Overhangs more than 5m, so lowering off requires a lasso from the belayer to retrieve the climber!

Access either from the belay on the main lefthand ledge (by a roped traverse crawling along the ledge to the belay), or by abseiling in from the top.

To find the top abseil, during the Atlantis approach, as the descent steepens near the end (just before the main atlantis cliff appears on the right), spot the major cairn made of 50 small-rocks to your right, and follow the terrace below it to the right for about 50m, looking for a cairn near the cliff edge which makes the top of the route. Rap off trees down to single-bolt above the route, and over the lip to the route itself. Bring at least a 50m rope.

Rebolted 2019, resolving the "death start" issues via a variant start.

FA: M.Pircher, 1998

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2019

ISBN: 9780958079082

The latest comprehensive, latest and greatest Blue Mountains Climbing Guide is here and it has more routes than you can poke a clip stick at! 3421 to be exact. You are not going to get bored.

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2019

ISBN: 9780958079075

Simon Carter's "Best of the Blue" is the latest selected climbing guide book for the Blue Mountains and covers 1000 routes and 19 different climbing areas. For all the sport climbers out there, the travellers, or just anyone who doesn't want to lug around the big guide that's more than 3 times the size - cut out the riff-raff and get to the good stuff! This will pretty much cover everything you need!

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