A remarkable orange face on the side of a giant semi-detached pillar topped by a vertical wall. Great climbing on every pitch, no shale bands and all good bolts. The cliff faces almost due south and gets no sun at all - maybe a smidge in the late arvo in high summer. However the first ascent was done on a very cold winters day - a day of fire and ice. Save this route for summer or pack a downie!
Minimum gear requirements - 18 draws, a few long runners and a single 70m rope + usual belay/self rescue gear. Walking out from the base of this route would be proper epic. The crux sections have closely spaced bolts but the route wanders around and is overhung so a confident second who knows how to use prussics if they fall is important! It's obligatory for the leader to be able to climb grade 24 above bolts.
Getting there:Approach GPS Tracklog. Google maps is your friend! Walk in from Bells Line Rd as for Yesterday's Groove area - but continue past this for 500m to top of next bare hillside to the east (-33.582515, 150.351859). Walk down vague ridgeline east then south (it gets more obvious you are on a ridge as you descend) for 150m to edge of cliff (and hopefully a nice lookout towards Banksy). Look for small landslip/dirt ramp to the right (looking out) located under short upper cliffline. Cross this dirt slope and scramble along lowest small ledge for 20m to (hopefully) find short black rope leading to rap bolts. This top belay/rap point is located at (-33.582515, 150.351859). It’s a 35 min walk from carpark. Rap down all the way to the ground as shown on the topo. This requires 6 abseils directly down the wall (sometimes not down the route). All raps are under 35m so a doubled 70m rope will suffice. Bring a couple of slings and biners to leave behind to extend some of the rap points for easier rope pulls.
The first pitch is pretty brutal, but can be avoided by not doing the final abseil, and instead just doing the easy traverse to gain the belay for P2.
28m (26)
A slap in the face from the very first move. Intense thin face climbing for 20m then traverse right along break for 8m to exposed hanging belay on right edge of wall. Ignore high anchor midway through this pitch - it’s only used for rapping in.
37m (25)
The best pitch. Bouldery arete past the first couple of bolts then long magical journey up heavily featured orange face trending left to semi-hanging belay in small cave. Long runners useful.
35m (23)
The blob pitch. Left from the belay then up the unique blobby ironstone rock that resemble tufas. When the good rock runs out undercling like a fiend and run it out into grey scary jugs. Belay on comfy large vegetated ledge.
35m (21)
Grey face that starts out pretty desperate and eases off in the upper half with a few spicy runouts. Belay on big ledge and walk across vegetated “bridge” to main cliffline. Have a snooze and a snack.
38m (24)
Corner for 18m to small ledge, take a breath, then up left on small holds to semi-hanging belay in alcove. 16 bolts.
35m (22)
Flakes and nigh footholds for a couple of bolts then easier ironstone jugs to the top. Theoretically could be linked with pitch 5 for an uber long 75m pitch if you carried 30 draws or so.
