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Descent track

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Description

These climbs are on or near the descent track from the lookout down to North Buttress.

©

Access issues inherited from Booroomba Rocks

As of May 2021, the crag remains affected from the January 2020 fires: https://canberraclimbing.org.au/access-submissions/booroomba-rocks-after-the-fires/

Ethic inherited from Booroomba Rocks

The ethic at Booroomba is generally staunchly traditional. Most climbing goes either entirely on gear or gear with bolts for those walls where there is insufficient gear to protect climbs. Climbs are occasionally rebolted, but retro-bolting would be considered vandalism of the lowest order.

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Some content has been provided under license from: © Canberra Climbers' Association (CC BY-SA) © ANU Moutaineering Club (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike)

Routes

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Grade Route

This climb is to your left and around a corner as you are walking downhill - you'll probably walk past it. It is 40m uphill from Bile. Start at the flake at the right end of the wall. Up the desperate flake then up the wall past a bolt, during the long and epic voyage to the top.

FA: Mike Law-Smith & Geoff Robertson, 1982

Start eight metres right of 'Bile' at the right-hand clean strip. Place some wires from the walk down track then scramble down a few metres and boulder out the start. Continue up the wall above.

FA: Mike Law-Smith, 1982

Quite good climbing starting at the block three metres right of 'Bile'. Onto the block and up the wall above passing a horizontal break, and keeping out of 'Bile'.

FA: Mike Law-Smith, Alan Wilkie & Paul Tatersall, 1982

The obvious steep, jagged crack, which often seeps green liquid. First pitch is now endowed with a thicket of teatree partway up, which will likely detract from the whole experience.

  1. 22 metres - Up the crack, with a difficult move to surmount the roof. Continue up the wide crack above. Scramble up to beneath a wall split by two left trending cracks.

  2. 13 metres - Move onto the ledge and then up the cracks.

FA: David Shirra & Bill Wilson, 1970

FFA: Bill Wilson & Dick Hain, 1973

A fun little route which finishes at the lookout. Previously top-roped by every man and his dog. Start on the big ledge 10 metres left of the top pitch of 'Bile', under a bulging wall. Up a short slab, reach up right and pull around the bulge to the flake, and up the poorly protected wall to the top.

FA: Paul Daniel & Phil Georgeff, 1986

The following two climbs are on a large boulder directly above the walk down track, about 35m down along the track from 'Bile'.

The sharp vertical crack with a small roof at half height.

FA: Mike Law, 1974

The prominent sweeping crack four metres left of Paranoid. Start left of the crack and climb to the cave. Gymnastically out then continue traversing right.

FA: Joe Friend (self belay), 1973

The deep cleft 20 metres left of 'Bile' (and above the 'Paranoid' boulder). The only difficulty is surmounting the dirt and chockstones.

  1. 20 metres - Climb the chimney passing the chockstone on the left. Step left then up a large flake to a platform on the right.

  2. 26 metres - Climb the scrub above, occasionally moving back onto rock.

FA: J Langford & Tony Wood (alt.), 1969

  1. 24 metres - climb the chimney, move left and up to the roof, left under this and up three metres to belay.

  2. 40 metres - Up right and into the gully which is followed to the top.

FA: Lincoln Hall, F. Muller & R. Carolane, 1975

The obvious dogleg crack six metres left of 'Hangover'.

FA: David Shirra & Andrew Bowman, 1971

More of a bushwalk than a climb. Start at a short crack 20 metres left of 'Vinegar Stroke'.

  1. 20 metres - Up the crack then walk right to an easy angled crack and climb this to a tree.

  2. 10 metres - Traverse right around the boulder then move left up a tight groove.

  3. 15 metres - Up the crack and chimney on the right to a ledge.

  4. 25 metres - Easy walking for eight metres then up a slab to finish near the lookout.

FA: John Hoskins & Tony Wood (alt.), 1969

A considerable improvement on the original.

4b. 30 metres - Walk left for 10 metres along a ledge. Climb the wall until able to move left into a corner then up this to a ledge. 5b. 6 metres - Up either the chimney or crack above.

FA: Tony Wood & R. McIntosh, 1970

Start 15 metres left of 'Recompense' at a short corner.

  1. 25 metres - Up the corner, right to a boulder and climb the crack.

  2. 15 metres - Crux. Climb the wall, traverse right then up to a cave belay.

  3. 30 metres - Climb the corners to the right (as for 'Recompense Variant Finish')

FA: Peter Mills & Lincoln Hall (var.), 1975

To get to the following three climbs continue past 'Plutarch' to where the track descends steeply beneath an orange wall. Turn right and scramble uphill until you reach a left facing black corner with an orange wall on the right.

This and the following climbs can be accessed by continuing past 'Plutarch' to where the track descends steeply beneath an orange wall. Turn right and scramble uphill until you reach a left facing black corner with an orange wall on the right.

Thin and technical bridging straight up the obvious corner.

FA: Roark Muhlen & Matt Dunstan, 1979

Originally done with a large cairn (pyramid) and stick to avoid the start, as well as a rest on the third bolt. Start five metres right of Apparitions of a Film Star, below the steep orange wall. The first two bolts are badly positioned. Climb past the first bolt with minor difficulty, then cruise to the top.

FFA: Tony Barten & Mike Peck, 1987

FA: Gordon Poultney & David Graham, 1987

Originally called Tranquility, but Phil decided this wasn't his style. Start at a crack four metres left of 'Apparitions of a Film Star'. Onto the flake pinnacle then up the crack.

FA: Phil Cullen & Mick Lithgow, 1979

The obvious line on the well hidden wall about 20 metres above the top of 'Apparitions of a Film Star' (the start is marked). Up the flake-formed crack then traverse right to a short curving crack which leads to a mantle and slab to finish.

FA: Peter Mills & John Smart, 1981

The following climbs are reached by walking up from the 'North Buttress' track, left of 'Apparitions of a Film Star'. A slab steepens to a wall which is capped by the two twin overhangs of 'Morsehold Direct' and 'The Fourth Problem'. 'Three Problems' and 'Tree Problems' ascent the broken cliff to the right, while 'Dance Crack' climbs a vegetated buttress to the left of the main wall. The climbs are described from right to left. Frankly, you would have been better off staying on the track down to the 'North Buttress' proper...

Discontinuous. Start from the first belay on 'Three Problems'.

  1. 10 metres - Up the rightwards slanting crack and around the corner to another large ledge. Scramble up a vegetated gully for 10 metres.

  2. 15 metres - Up the slab at the left end of a steep wall, then a ramp to the top.

FA: Ian Taylor & Tony Wood (alt.), 1975

Start 15 metres right of 'Morsehold', immediately right of a flake pinnacle.

  1. 15 metres - Climb the crack to a large ledge.

  2. 30 metres - Walk left for seven metres and climb the obvious crack to a ledge, then the ramp on the right, moving back left to a chock filled crack. Up a gully.

FA: Lincoln Hall & Bill Wilson, 1973

Climbs the slab and wall to the left-hand overhang. Start at the right-hand end of the slab at an easy, dirty corner.

  1. 45 metres - Wander up the corner for 10 metres then back left to the pillar formed crack. Up this, pulling through a steep section to a stance, then a short crack to belay under the large overhanging corner.

  2. 15 metres - Traverse left across the slabs and finish up a grotty overhanging pile of blocks.

FA: John Hoskins & Bob Watt, 1970

No current description available.

FA: ??

Nicely exposed, although a little mossy. Climb through the roof to a block belay.

FA: Ray Lassman & Norm Booth, 1974

Pumpy. The best way to finish 'Great Moments in Cricket'. Out under the roof (crux), 10 metres right of 'Morsehold Direct Finish', then up the corner.

FA: Rick McGregor & Bryce Martin, 1977

The crack. Descriptive buggers, these guidebook writers, eh?

FA: Dave Sargent & Mike Law-Smith, 1995

A good position. Start from the finish of 'Morsehold'. Up the flaky orange corner, then the diagonal crack.

FA: John Stone & John Carlson, 1980

FFA: Richard Watts, 1984

Scary! Start on the slab two metres right of 'Dance Crack', beneath the 'Morsehold Direct' roof. Up and through the overlap with trepidation, then up a thin line through a tree to the 'Morsehold Direct' roof/cave to finish up this or 'The Fourth Problem'.

FA: Peter Mills & Phil Cullen, 1970

Well it's not that bad. Start as for 'Dance Crack' and reluctantly move onto the right face after a few moves. Cruise up and right across the easy slab, then finish up a steep jam crack.

FA: Tony Barten & Joe Lynch, 1984

The crack six metres right of 'Roderick', just right of a wet slimy wall. Up the crack system as you will, finishing right.

FA: Ray Lassman & R. McIntosh, 1971

The short, wet, hanging chimney bordering the southern end of the 'North Buttress'.

FA: Graham Gorricks & Graham Still, 1969

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