Routes as trad in Spoilt Brats Wall

One of the best routes at this grade in the whole Blue Mountains. Tackles the disconnected flake system up the centre of this awesome wall. Traditionally this route was led as a multi-pitch, with an initial awkward short trad pitch leading to a semi-hanging belay 10m off the ground. These days there is a bolted direct at grade 16 that allows pitches 1 & 2 to be combined when using a 60m rope and makes it 99% a sport route (compulsory #1 Camalot in the flake). No one does the garbage last pitch.

1. 12m (15/16). Original trad start climbs up little arete 2m right of small tree to crack, then left into short corner (small cams, wires). Traverse 4-5m L to double ring semi-hanging belay 8m off the ground. Sport start simply climbs face directly behind small tree past 3 bolts to join up with flake.

2. 25m (21). Follow the stellar flakes. One or 2 med cams up the initial flake, otherwise all ringbolts. Long runners vital to reduce rope drag. Most people lower/rap off from top of this pitch.

3. 10m (18?). Rarely done. The steep little headwall, might still have 1 rusty old carrot somewhere if it hasn't fallen out. Top out, walk off.

You need some trad for the section shared with SBaGA, after that it's all RBs. This route is set up to be done in 3 pitches, but is easily reduced to 2 pitches, or even just 1 pitch if you work out the admin (tie into both ends & drop one after the traverse, 70m rope minimum, 80m rope better). It's critical to avoid the rope-eating flake on SBaGA, if it gets your rope you can't continue (either a short roller draw on 2nd bolt above the flake, or heaps of extenders and back-flicking the rope).

It'd be good if someone could bring a spanner to remove the 2 ugly coach screws below the traverse.

1. 12m 15. As for SBaGA p1.

2. 20m 23. As for SBaGA p2 up the first flake plus 2 more bolts. Then break R into a devious traverse on spaced incuts across immaculate blankness, to DRB.

3. 15m 23. Continue up and left to a tricky steeper move right at the top of the wall, DRB. A 70m rope will be 6m short of reaching the ground; a re-thread part-way up pitch 3 (borrowing a bolt from Minor Threat) lets you clean the gear all the way to the ground (even if you dropped the rope out of the gear on p1&2).

The free version of Sisters of Mercy linking the initial flake of Spoilt Brats into the top headwall of Sisters of Mercy via a thin traverse left. Simply brilliant sustained climbing on incredible rock. Mostly all ringbolts - but requires a #1 Camalot for the opening flake and a #2 and #3 for the headwall. Now has it's own lower-off. Long runners useful.

Superseded by the Spoilt Mercy Linkup but listed here for historical value (and maybe the aid move can go free for someone so inclined?) Gain the ledge a few metres left of Spoilt Brats' 1st belay, either from Spoilt Brats, or by unprotected bridging for 8m up between the blank wall and tree (!). Follow three old carrots up the blank face (aid on the 2nd one to bypass blankness) then join into ringbolts up face left of Spoilt Brats.

Listed as "Sleepwalk for the Last Time" in the 2015 Carter guide, but that route was done 10 years earlier, is 5 grades harder, and it's traverse is 10-15m higher. Now listed separately as they sound like very different routes.

1. 12m 15. As for Spoilt Brats.

2. 20m 17. Traverse left along ledges, past ring bolts & cams, to the base of the arête/slab. Trad belay.

3. 15m Up the slab (trad). Walk off L, or rap off (30m).

This original version is mainly characterised by being a half-height traverse of the wall from Spoilt Brats left to the arête.

1. 12m 15. As for Spoilt Brats.

2. 45m 22M0. Follow Spoilt Brats pitch 2 up the initial flake, left across the face, and a couple of metres up the second flake (to where there used to be a piton). From here the 1996 description says "traverse L (#1.5Fr) & up (BR) to big #Fr break. L past #2Fr slot and up (big #Frs). Further L to arête and step down to stance and small/med #Fr". Presumably the BR is on Sisters of Mercy, and you can probably clip ringbolts as you cross the more recent sport routes. Sounds like the belay stance is around halfway up Shades of Grey or a bit left. The M0 indicates the leader sat on gear somewhere too.

3. 15m. Jugs up arete to the Smallpox ledge. Walk off L, or rap 30m now that there are anchors. The 1990s guide says the FA was by Martin & Peisker in 1984, but the 2000s Carter guides describe a lower easier version done by Martin & Smoothy 1990s (separately recorded here as "Sleepwalk for the Low Time").