Routes in Megalong Valley Crags

The dirty but decent looking crack. It will get better as it cleans up. Take small cams and a vision of what could be.

Face crack right of vegetated corner

Left arete of big wall. All ringbolts.

1. 20m (18)- Hard for grade for first two bolts, consider a big stick to stick clip 2nd ring. Then long pointless runout to 3rd ring. Belay from chains in cave and move belay 10m R to rings at waist level.

2. 15m (12) heave ho up and then L to arete and rings in cosy cave.

3. 25m (18) up arete to rings at top.

Can just rap to first chain belay ledge from top anchor with single 60m rope, and then on to ground.

1. 25m (16) Ringbolts on R side of arete. Ignore first set of DBB on pillar at 10m, these are for GL. Optional #1 cam eliminates runout to anchor.

2. 25m (13) Continue up arete to ledge below roof.

3. 25m (19) Through roof, then L across face to surf over exciting and exposed, leaning arete. Anchor well back on ledge (best to rap, not lower).

Climb corner 2m right of Mr. Big, traverse to Mr. Big P1 belay. Continue up right from belay to Mr. Big P2 belay

Take gear!

Line of RBs on the arete left of Cold Finger to DRBB.

Slab, right of Mr Big.

Add a grade or so if you stay on line.

Has an extra ring as a variant. (Long story). And shares lower offs with Cold Finger.

Arete on rings right of CA. Has lower offs.

Gently overhanging L hand arête.

Best of the short routes. Follows a series of subtle scoops up the nice orange wall right of the arete. Quite pumpy compared to the rest of the wall.

Dyno start off glued up sidepull then easily until it's not.

Start off block right of Oh! James. Nails thin crimps - most think this is a total sandbag.

Starts as for Plenty O'Toole, up and right. Needs a few bolts.

Extension of Plenty O'Toole.

The walking track arrives here.

The name is wrong

Furthest right of the bolted routes. Rightward trending line above where the approach track reaches the cliff. Grade 24 in the Carter guide. This is the only way of doing the excellent Octopussy extension.

Mega. The extension to Thunderball up the bolted crackline. 50m rope fine for lower-off.

The face right of Octopussy

Steep roof crack, starting in cave, finish to 'Thunderball' anchors.

Take gear!

Take gear!

Take gear! Pitch 1: 25m, 11 carrots. Pitch 2: 20m, trad.

Thin finger crack 10m left of The Phoenix. Has its own lower offs.

Soft for the grade, but very long and moderately bold. Wandery thin slab that rejoins The Phoenix at its crux (last 8m of climbing) to avoid the much harder direct finish to the top.

Originally led as one giant 50m pitch, it can be broken up into as many as 3 pitches if necessary.

6 draws + Full set of Wires + small cams (to green 0.75), and 1 x #2, and 1x #4/#5 (for The Phoenix).

From the GROUND, start up Firefly and continue past its anchors. Trend right to arete (#2 cam), then up trending left to semi-detached block (Quetzal Bolt #1), then trend right to thin flake system for a move or two, then back left, moving a few metres left at Quetzal Bolt #3), before heading back right past 2 more bolts to an anchor. Move right into The Phoenix, then up The Phoenix to top on gear.

The harder Direct Finish to Quetzal. Can be climbed from the ground in 1 (50m) pitch, 2 pitches, or 3 pitches as desired. Alternatively, it can be climbed as a rap-in, climb-out single pitch from the Quetzal anchor.

P1 - As for Quetzal to the 2nd set of anchors (before moving right to join The Phoenix).

P2 - Thin and techy moves up and slightly right past 3 bolts to the ledge, avoiding The Phoenix.

Long, sustained predominantly finger-crack climb with an exciting finish. Beautifully clean on good rock. Best done as one long 45m pitch (no rope drag). Bring the usually passive pro and doubles of cams 0.3 to 2, and singles 3, 4 and possibly 5. More small gear (0.3 and 0.4 or Aliens) keeps it sane. Be CAREUL of the loose blocks in the back of the off-width section. Crack completely re-cleaned October 2012.

A moderate-grade headwall pitch above The Phoenix, with WILD exposure! (Just forget about the average first pitch).

Can be climbed via the proper First Pitch, or can be easily abseiled into from the top. See notes for The Phoenix area.

P1 - 20m (15) The Access Pitch. Start at the bolt at the end of the fixed rope traverse (8m RIGHT of The Phoenix abseil anchors). Up to first bolt (some loose rock) via corner system, then traverse left on HUGE holds but with amazing exposure past 5 more bolts. After last bolt (long sling), climb delicately up past scarily loose rock to belay below headwall).

P2 - 25m (21) The Money Pitch. Up flake, hand traverse left, then up past 8 bolts with monsterous exposure but no really hard moves. Belay on obvious rap anchors back from edge, or lower off. Some choss still to go, but 90% good rock.

EXIT: Directly BELOW the belay at the start of the headwall are 5 bolts that can be used to redirect the abseil rope BACK under the rooflet to the anchors above The Phoenix. Alternatively, top out and bring up your second, and walk directly up vague trail to rejoin the walkdown track.

Relatively easy climbing, in an outrageous position, marred by some rubbish rock on the arete.

Bring 1 x 0.75, 2 x #1, 1 x #2 and 1 x #3 camelots, 6 draws + anchors.

1. 20m (15) As for Archeopteryx Pitch 1. Start at the bolt at the end of the fixed rope traverse (8m RIGHT of The Phoenix abseil anchors). Up to first bolt (some loose rock) via corner system, then traverse left on HUGE holds but with amazing exposure past 5 more bolts. After last bolt (long sling), climb delicately up past scarily loose rock to belay below headwall).

2. 25m - Up flake, then hand traverse left. After 3rd bolt, keep going left past 2 more bolts to overhanging arete. Climb arete past 0.75/#1, #2, #1 and #3 cam placements on monster jugs (peek-a-boo) and some suspect rock to top. Bring up second and walk up to anchors above Archeopteryx P2.

EXIT: Directly BELOW the belay at the start of the headwall are 5 bolts that can be used to redirect the abseil rope BACK under the rooflet to the anchors above The Phoenix. Alternatively, top out and bring up your section, and wall directly up vague trail to rejoin the walkdown track.

From first belay on Archaeopteryx head up corner for a few metres then traverse across past thread to main crack line directly above Phoenix and up it. May need a bolt at top to avoid runout finish.

Everything has a cost... choose wisely. Various options on this climb...

Starts at obvious overhanging corner left of cave in upper wall.

Up corner and arête to ledge then left slightly and up wall via crack, scoops and horizontals, finishing on the face or in corner as you prefer ..

Double rack to 3, triples in medium sizes, plus some small cams. Nested gear helps at times.

On the upper wall, left of the cave. Overhung corner as for The Fee then arc right to alcove and finish up thin crack as for Nix. Original version of route before direct finish found. Great finish after doing The Phoenix.

Standard rack cams and wires with doubles in small sizes, plus extra small Aliens/C3/X4s and largely RPs or similar small wires.

Upper wall left of cave, takes the right facing shallow corner below upper thin crack.

Start to right below corner, up to horizontal, small cams, then left into corner. A few small wires and cams help you up the corner, then large cam before small roof and to alcove. Right into thin crack with small gear and up. Easing towards top. Looked like it would need bolts but in the end it was nix ...

Standard rack cams and wires with doubles in small sizes, plus extra small C3/X4s and RPs or similar small wires.

The obvious, large undercut arête.

1. 23m (18) Start around left on easy block. Traverse right to arête and first bolt. Then up via 6 rings and medium cams to DRBB. (The direct start is about 20,)

2. 6m Ugly thuggery through overhung mess. 5 bolts, no lower off.

Start at arête 30m R of Shazzam. Jump to jug, then traverse immediately right. Up through bouldery section (crux), then left to great climbing up arête. Mostly bolts plus cams (one large ~4, one small ~0.5). No lower-off - top belay. Note: Descent for this and other routes is by rapping from rings above Bam ba Lam.

Same start as BmaP but continue on straight up through great face/slab climbing easing significantly towards the top. No lower-off - top belay.

4m R of arete. Batman start, then up through orange rock, through rooflet to great, reachy crux. Follow the blockish arete before joining tFoWF for the last bolt or so. No lower-off - top belay.

Batman start 6m right of BmaP arete. Straight up via hanging undercling feature on right. No lower-off - top belay. (It's possible to start this route from the ledge at the top of Woah Black Betty. Traverse in under the little roof. Bolt. Grade 19.)

The obvious corner. A bit grovelly to start, but then decent. Take 2 decent sized cams. DRBB.

Begins at top of WBB. Step right a few metres and up the tough first wall / corner (crux). Then step R and over easy nose and then up easy ground.