Routes in Mackeys Lookout for selected grade

This route takes the prominent large slab at the far left of Mackey's Lookout Slabs (as seen from the road below). The climbing is good but the access is not.

Follow the walking track along the top past Mackey's Lookout, past the Stiletto Slab cairn, cross the creek and continue to the eastern most point (where the track swings back and passes behind a boulder). Bash down ridge for about 40 minutes until you come to the top of the slabs, then continue down the right side (facing out) to the base of the slabs (about another hour). The first pitch is on a lower slab just below the larger expanse.

1. 50m (15) Start is marked with a purple ribbon tied to a shrub. Good luck finding it! Up centre of slab past floating flake at 15m (2" cam below, nut above) then run it out (30m), to top of slabs and belay in bushes. Bash a further 15m through scrub and up chimney (grade 4), to wooded ledge. You are now beneath the main big slab.

2. 60m (15) Restart at hole 15m L of cave. Classic slabbing straight up to dyke (no pro), then up easily to L-leading trench. Belay on chockstone (body belay).

3. 55m (9) Up following L-leading line (good pro), then at 30m follow stylish R-leading dyke across the slab to belay at bushes above short overlap. Big dropoff on R.

4. 65m (11) Up thin seam 3m L of bushy line, then follow huge dyke upwards (L of distinct water runnel), to belay at flake below headwall.

5. 45m (9) R and up easily (no pro) to belay in trees at top. Bash up and R to track.

Start: Starts at the inverted V overlap with a small natural stair formation beneath L of centre of the slab.

1. 25m (15) Up the stair formation and around the bush, lots of friable flakes.

2. 55m (15) Follow the overlap to a bush on the lip. Onto the slab (past the 2 x BRs marking the start of 'A Fundamental Difference of Opinion'), along a thin vein above the lip, then L a few metres up an easy ramp. Up onto the slab and follow a faint crack up R to a small but distinct spike. Step R then continue up until you can move back L to an insecure belay on the L side of some large hollow flakes.

3. 50m (15) Across the belay flakes, up past some small flakes, L along a ripple for about 5m then straight up the slab to the vegetated corner.

4. 50m (15) Up to and delightfully along the undercling to the far side of the slab. Up to a ledge with a large tea-tree. The footpath is a short scramble up.

A good honest easy adventure route.

Start: From the gully left of Noblesse Obliege, below a small flake leading on to the slab.

1. 50m Up flake and follow water streaks to good crack near a small corner on the slab edge.

2. 45m (crux) Tend right to ledge and scoop with small bush.

3. 60m Up left of bush then right up water streaks to small stance at widening in seam.

4. 90m Up centre of slab to ledge below a large tree. Belays are scarce on this pitch, so a little simul-climbing is necessary (adequate pro).

5. 45m Up easily to interesting mantle at overlap then left to bushy ledge.

6. 35m Up crack, then water streak to small stance in seam on right.

7. 55m Directly up to belay at small overlap.

8. 35m Easily up to next overlap.

9. 55m Cruise slab following dykes to scoop (one cam in slot and small bushes).

10. 40m Walk to top.

Enjoyable slab climbing in a proud position high on Mackey’s. Pitch 1 is probably one of the best slab pitches at the grade at Buffalo, and pitch 3 pulls through a body-height overlap. 60m rope essential.

Start: most parties will approach this via the first 6 pitches of Good Luck and Good Management (and this might become the preferred finish to that route). When done this way, the combined route is 498m with pitches of 12,14,14,13,6,9,15,12,14,6. It would also be possible to rap in, but you’d need to scramble down the top slab to find the last belay bolt (SS FH in a good stance), then rap 58m to the bushy ledge, then 40m to the DBB, then 60m to the base, and retrieve gear on the ascent.

1. 60m 15. As for GLAGM pitch 7, start up the slab, move right to the crack, up this (cams). Then straight up the clean white slab, passing 5(?) FHs, to a DBB on a small stance just as you run out of rope.

2. 45m 12. Straight up over a small overlap (pro), then up the grey slab to a FH, then straight up over another small overlap and into the bushy ledge. One FH (and many small trees) for belay.

3. 58m 14. Up the slab past FH to the overlap (high FH hard to spot from below). Pull through this on good holds and follow the lovely dyke up the slab above (occasional pro and one or two FH) to DBB at a good stance just before you run out of rope.

4. 40m 6. Up easily to the top, or scramble off right.