Routes in Oronga Crags

Mostly trad multi up a series of splitter cracks. Rack - doubles from #0.3 to #3 Camalots and single set of wires. A few extra cams in the tight hand size could be handy as well a single #4 camalot. Belays are on small ledges. Rap in as for Sarlac.

1. 20m (17) Corner crack 2m right of the bolted slab of Sarlac pitch 1. At top of corner trend left to finish via last bolt of Sarlac. Belay off U bolts on big ledge.

2. 20m (20) Move belay 10m left to crack (trad belay). Layback or jam offset crack to "The Block" - don't worry its attached to the cliff with some creative engineering. Whimper around it then stem up amazing wave funnel plugging cams in the right crack. Belay on big ledge (U bolts).

3. 25m (22) The money pitch. Jam up stunning orange crack (wide down low then mostly tight hands/finger size). When crack evaporates at 15m traverse right onto bolted wall. Up this (crux) then trend left to small ledge stance in corner (U bolts). It is possible to break this pitch into two with trad belay above crack.

4. 30m (21) Stem up ugly rock to flake then traverse right under rooflet to ledge. Dawdle up easy ground to top and tree belay. 6 bolts - no trad on this pitch.

Spectacular overhung flake and corner straight up the guts of the wall. This is a rap in, climb out sport multi. Best approach is to take two 60m ropes. Fix one to the top anchor and rap down to ledge above pitch 1 (you will need to clip into several bolts on the way down to not get stranded in space). Then double rope rap from there to the ground and pull your rope. A 80m fixed rope MIGHT make it to the ground. Brings 18 quickdraws and prussics.

1. 17m (18) Grey slab starting at orange corner on right side. 6 bolts. Comfy belay on big ledge.

2. 28m (25) Technical face up a series of subtle flakes with mostly poor feet. Semi-hanging belay at tiny ledge. 11 bolts

3. 35m (26) Bouldery face straight off the belay, crux through rooflet then long endurancy flake/corner in a wild position. Belay on comfy ledge or link into next pitch. 14ish bolts.

4. 10m (17) Exit pitch up ironstone jugs.

Currently un-climbable due to approach ledge being off-limits due to rare plants. Batman to the first bolt then steep rising traverse right then blast up wall and overhang above. If you batman start from bolt 2 its a pumpy less sharp 24.

Far right end of wall. Up short wall to break. Steep punch to inverted kneebar rest. Boulder out the crux traversing directly left through steep territory before latching the final drive-by and topping out on the arete.

Jug pumper. Left trending start up feature to ledge, then overhung flake and long steep wall to anchors above horizontal break. Overhangs about 6m.

Bouldery left trending face above lower anchors then finish through steep roof (same last two bolts and anchor as Snowflake). Backjump to clean.

A long excursion through steep ground with a proper roof to finish. Take care clipping the 5th bolt - as there is potential to skim the small ledge below it. Finish on jugs just above the rap chain.

15m left of PZ. Three bolts up short wall to ledge, then slightly overhung wall above with twin flakes, through juggy steepness and final tricky wall to anchors under monster roof section. There is a bit of sandy choss about 8 bolts up that can be avoided by staying right of the bolts.

Mega pumper! Thug through steep ground above first set of anchors, then plough onwards up spaced jugs to hard finish. This is a full 35m, make sure your rope is long enough.

Best of the easier pitches. It’s steeper than it looks! Super sweet pumper 22 to the lower anchors (13 bolts - consider extending/backcleaning first 2-3 bolts off the ledge).

The crag classic and a must do. Don't be put off by the length and angle - it's all jugs! The top section is outrageous steep climbing up an airy prow on improbable jugs, past 6 more bolts (use extenders before, after and on the lower anchors). A prime source of drag for this pitch is bolts 4 and 5 (consider reaching down to unclip them as you ascend). Might be tough at the grade.

“Let the Buyer Beware”.

Starts 3m left of SV. Up past hard boulder problem to ledge. Easy climbing to cave, then another hard boulder problem out of the cave (easy for giants, nails for shorties - the grade is the median of both body types) to first set of anchors. 11 bolts.

Good hard moves and a stunning headwall. From the lower anchors, continue up with immediately bouldery moves, traverse left, up past flake, back right to centre of stunning headwall, then crux getting to the top of the cliff. Don’t be a softy, top the cliff (mega jug just above the anchors) for the true tick! 7 additional bolts. Extend a few for rope drag.

Links Sanction of the Victim P1 into Caveat Emptor Extension, to produce one of the most spectacular bits of climbing on this wall.

The best crag warmup. Juggy fun face for 20m to midway set of lower-offs. The bottom moves are quite reachy.

Drought, floods, 40 degrees and 10 degrees. All in one week. This extends the easy first half into a much harder and steeper top section with a spectacular finish. 70m rope required.

A big airy adventure and the first route bolted at the crag. Starts about 10m from the left end of the wall, at short orange corner. The first 20m of this route is cruisy jugging to break (step R here to TPO anchor for a grade 15 warmup). Then a tough little ‘slab’ boulder problem, traverse slightly left and finish up baffling steep short corner. Longish draws required. Named after Neil’s 20 litre plastic barrel took flight during an epic wind storm and ended up down in the Grose valley!

Another full length route going all the way to the top. First two bolts of Barrel Blow then truck left over first rooflet, up easy juggy wall then two harder walls interspersed by a small ledge. Can be affected by seepage around half height.

A great combination of styles - from techy tricks to balancy moves to overhung jugs, this climb has it all. Feel the air around you when you step around the arête on to the face and from there the fun continues. Watch out for the goat!

Continue upwards from Sheep Go to Heaven for a powerful finale that features some unique bouldering for the bluies that will make you earn the wall!

Thanks, Wade for gifting me the route!

“Despite Neil being here first, in the absence of an organised governing body, I hereby declare this ‘crag belonging to no one’… therefore it is mine.”

The face just right of the far left arete. A long technical slab, with some dubious rock. Finish at lower anchors in the middle of the big roof. 12 bolts. If continuing up the extension, extend the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 9th and 10th bolts and skip the anchor.

Steep, intimidating, committing and mega. 3 stars for this section of the route, only 2 because of the lower half. Hard moves past the roof to gain juggy flake, then more hard steepness heading out to the arete. Climb the left side of the arete briefly (STAYING AT THE ARETE), then up to anchors. Wandering further left away from the arête is OFF ROUTE (you can have 24 if you do it this way). 7 more bolts, 19 in total. Consider extending 5th bolt.

A landmark feature, but the rock is average at best! Up the major left facing corner-crack between the choss-arete and STMLTS, with much loose rock on the right wall. Hard moves through the vegetation, up scary block of mega-choss, up off-width overhanging corner (with sections of choss) and finally up into roof to lower-off anchors. The theme of the day is choss! FA was done in a giant pitch (and not using any of the nearby bolts), but best to split this into two pitches at the interim belay below the giant choss-block (or just bring 3 x full racks #0.75 to #4 and lots of runners).

Climb STMLTS for 8 bolts. Trend diagonally right past a bolt and across the corner (just below big bush), continue right and onto prow. Up prow, then long crux trucking rightwards across the void to the arete, and up the square-cut overhanging arete to jugs. From there, head straight upwards (goes DIRECT at the 2nd last bolt up the blunt-arête via shallow pockets, no piking out to the right!), heading back left to anchors after the last bolt. 19 bolts total. Consider 2 or 3 extenders on the bolts where the route heads rightwards across the crack, and 1 extender for the bolt immediately after it.

Grey slab just left of the corner finishing at first set of anchors at little ledge. Interesting and quite technical moves for the grade. For those that like slab climbing!

From first set of anchors continue up slab above, just left of major corner (feels a bit contrived but the holds are there). Finish with an exciting traverse left and steeper finish. 60m rope a must and have plenty of draws on you.

Consistent climbing on average rock and a little pumpy. Worth jumping on if Spoke to the mountain is busy. Totally worth it for the extension. The ugly duckling of the wall.

Fairly straightforward climbing until the last couple of moves, which require a few tricks, depending on your height. Be sure your rope is at least 60m and you have plenty of draws on you.

Not listed in current print guide. Far right route. Little corner to start, through a roof then up reachy wall and jugs to first anchor of Skin in the Game (grade 23 to here). Continue up that route's extension for one bolt then take the right line of bolts through awesome steepness on flakes and pockets.

Starts in little alcove. Up and right through steepness to start - then wall to first set of anchors at 18m below shale ledge.

Continuation past ugly shale band keeps going up and out on mostly big, but spaced holds. Exciting big move to finish.

The central line up the guts of Capricorn starting with vertical face climbing and then kicking back into endurance pumping steepness with rad killer wasp pockets up top. Long draws useful. 20 bolts!

Not listed in current print guide. Short batman past vegetation band to start. Thin and technical with a great crimp finish to lower-offs halfway up the wall. It's possible to connect this into the Gary the Goat Extension for a full length route (grade 24).

Starting just right of Baphomet’s corner on right side of arete. Nice orange rock with great moves to lower set of anchors below choss band. There is a rung hidden in the vegetation at the start to keep your feet dry.

From lower set of anchors head right and through choss band then long rightwards trending pumper with a hard final move to anchors right at the top of the cliff. This is a FULL 35m, watch your rope length on this!

Left facing corner system on left side of wall then a steeper finish, with a heartbreaker last move. There is a rung at the start to keep your feet dry.

Quite different to other routes in this area. Sustained thin orange face left of the corner of Baphomet. After the first two bolts stay left of the next bolts up to the small ledge. Finish up steeper jugs. Macca the goat kicked Neil’s bolting gear off the top of this route.

Heaps good thin face climbing up an orange streak. The face and flake system just left of Cloven. The top crux originally went more direct up the orange rock - but after a key hold snapped its possible to climb slightly right of last bolt.