Routes in Frog Buttress

The obvious 10m wide crack 15m left of the arête of 'Parasite Drag'. The wide upper half is protectable by RP's, if you don't have big gear larger than a #6. After the initial difficulties, scramble up over blocks to decent fig tree. Take care with the loose rocks.

Hard to stay out of Noose! Thin climbing up the arete. Up a short crack to the ledge, the piton fell out years ago, luckily small wires provide adequate pro. Tricky moves lead to the fixed hanger. Finish direct up a small corner.

The main crack splitting the pillar with a right trending diagonal. The difficulties lie in the first diagonal section, and getting established in the crack. The body crack can be avoided by climbing the face to the left.

Not the best climb at Frog! Climb the second crack right of Noose to a small ledge. From there go straight up with a desperate mantle to finish. Belay at the small tree.

Go up the twin edged corner to a stance on the large ledge. From there, strenuous jamming up the left facing corner to another ledge. Then easily to the rap chain.

Brilliant! A sustained and somewhat committing climb with a number of technical sequences. Start up EK and step R off the ledge to the FH. Continue up past a second FH and then run it out a long way to a piton under the right side of a tiny rooflet (can be backed up with a green Alien). From there, step left and up the obvious crack to finish.

Good face climbing but close to MP. A strenuous start up the thin seam just right of PT leads to a good stance. Up shallow corner and arete (crux) to finish up the widening crack. On the FA Kim did it on the gear in the seam, but it's easy - and much more sane - to lean across R and place a cam in MP before the crux.

A classic introduction to the fine art of hand jamming. A good safe lead if you are new to Frog. Climb the obvious crack to the right of DF, to where the crack ends. Step right and finish easily up the chimney. DRBB.

A good safe introduction to Frog at the grade. Climb the line R of MP past a shallow cave. Tricky moves around this lead to a chimney to the ledge. Most people finish the route at the rap chain on the ledge but you can continue up in the V-groove for another 6m to the top (not as much fun).

Makes a good second pitch to either of the two preceeding routes. Step warily off the ledge onto the right wall with a crescent moon shaped crack (watch the factor 2 fall off the ledge). Proceed up with much joy, and even more exposure!

A lot scarier now that the 1st piton has fallen out. Start up EL, but step R out of the cave, and up to a stance at a bolt (Hanger is missing). Go up to the eerie piton hole (gear possible), and continue up the arete to the second piton. Finish directly up the nose.

A great warm up climb. Climb the left wall with great hands and pro in the back of the off-width to 10m. Then at roof go out and up using left wall again. Good stance on top of pillar, more good gear and another off-width section to the top of this next section. Use a tree not far back from the top of the route.

Start up SAW, step left and up onto a ledge. From here either scramble off R, or finish up the easy corner of IB. Not very good.

Short but good. An interesting chimney and jamming problem featuring great protection throughout. A tricky move to exit adds spice to life!

Complete crap with a large ledge below very poor pro. If the kamikaze in you must do this, go up the ledges left of WA, and do a layback sequence up the friable flakes to the ledge.

A great little climb and a good introduction to sustained bridging. The obvious corner left of Tardis. A hard 1st move gets you to a stance. From there, keep going with constant surprises to the top. Excellent gear throughout.

Contrived to say the least. Climb the arete to the right of WA past a bolt runner, without stepping into either of the surrounding climbs. There are far better routes to be climbed!

Solid for the grade. Up the steep little corner, then take the left of the 2 grooves from the stance at 1/2 height. Be wary of filthy, loose exit.

Horrible. Looks a lot better than it is. The wide flake and crack to the left of Century.

A nice jamming session with excellent gear, starting out with hands and finishing with easy off width onto the ledge.

A bold lead. Thin, strenous and poorly protected moves feature throughout this route up the face just right of Century. This was graded 17 but if you go directly up the face it's easily 21. Maybe some holds have come off, it's not the best rock, and the gear is very poor. Easily toproped off the chains though.

Yet another case of putting a route up just to get your name in the guide! The climb steps left at the ledge after RK corner, and has one hardish move to the chain on the tree. Good for a change of scene.

Absolute class! This fine sweeping corner is one of the best routes on the cliff. The climb offers magnificent bridging and laybacking, with strenuous thin hand jams and locks just to make your day! Superb protection the whole way settles the nerves... a little!

Barely separate climbing R of RK. On clipping the bolt, step down and R, then up on this flakes and holds to the top. Place pro in RK to keep it sane.

OK climbing up a steeper than expected line. 2 possible starts both feature poor rock and protection. Coming in from the left up past the hollow flakes and the rooflet or up the grotty corner to step in from the R on good holds. From here, up a crack system basically formed from wedged rocks. Not recommended to lead this.

Quite hard and technical. Crank up the initial corner, staying in the L of the 2 cracks. From there, a desperate few moves across and right lead to jugs and a widening crack. Easily to the top.

The crack 1m R of HDZ. Grunt up this on good gear to a stance and ledge at half height. Continue up the right face (completely unprotected), or alternatively finish up the easy corner system on top of HDZ. Star only applies for the "non-death variant".

Up the easy corner with good gear to be found. Pause for a moment to ponder the tricky exit move, flop onto the ledge and hoot for joy!

Climb straight up the arete immediately R of EM. One bolt shows the way. Protection can be found by stepping L and putting gear in EM (desperate). Delicate and fun climbing.

A great second pitch to GN. Starts about 10m R of the Rickety Kate pillar. Desperate moves off the ledge gain the first of 2 bolts. Delicate and technically challenging moves to the top, spacious protection!

Absolutely disgusting climbing up the chimney to the R of GN. Many loose boulders, crap moves and thick vegetation all make this an absolute joy on some weird and sick planet.

A crappy little wall with holds that occasionally stay attached! The short orange wall about 10m right of Moll has one bolt. Once above this, go up and right on good holds.

More dodgy moves up loose and dirty rock. The lichen and choss filled corner to the right of NN.

Despite the name, this is a good route to learn the basics of crack climbing. TR access can be gained by scrambling up from the left.

Squeeze behind tree above Shit Heap and up corner. Then exit Left and gully bash to the top. Grunty down low

Start up TSLD until the rest under the hanging arete. Plug in a nest of gear, whimper a little, then veer up and left running it out a long, long way until the horizontal break. Cry with relief, put in some 'thank god' gear, and continue easily to the top. Rap as for TSLD. Very run out.

Classic face climbing. The thin seam takes you to a good stance at half height. Up the strenuous corner and airily onto the face. Continue shakily on (mostly) good holds. Poor gear to start and a few further moments of fiddly gear and friable rock. Easily to the top. Rap chain on the ledge.

Quite good. Varied techniques are required to ascend this fine corner. Up the groove past a tree, then to an awkward constriction. Thrutch up this like a madman, or step onto the R face and skip the difficulties.

Not a beginner lead! Start at MP and veer right up the shallow seam. There are good placements to be found, but they are quite small, and a little fiddly. Continue up the face with quiet desperation and dodgy wires until the ledge comes to hand. Step L and finish up MP. The original route started up the thin seam on the R face, and was graded 22.

Disgusting leading up a crappy line to an even more grunty body chimney! Numerous holds and chock stones have fallen out of this route over the years, and the route has been reduced from one of class to that of complete infamy. Belay from MP chains.

Not a great addition to the cliff. Up Condor for a while (you have already been warned!). Step R into a horrible, groin-breaking, wide V-groove with not a lot of good protection.

Wander (probably roped) up gully right of Condor towards top of MPFC belay at base of left facing corner. Up this, then up finger crack and offwidth (which you can't see from the ground), left of the orange corner of Fawlty Towers. At ledge, step out right up finger crack. Scramble up to lookout to get off.

Step off the ledge where MPFC finishes, behind a large tree to an orange corner capped by a small roof at 5m. Traverse shakily R under this to a ledge. Balancy and technical moves upward bring a smile to your face!

The first bolted route at Frog! Kim Carrigan promptly skipped the bolt on the second ascent, reclaiming the hardness of Frog from the bolt-clipping infidels! Starts at the small crack 3m L of MPFC (although most parties start from the ledge above). Off-balance moves up the thin diagonal crack to an awkward move into a sentry box to gain a rest. From here, clip the bolt, step R, and blast straight up the face to easier ground.

Shaky climbing on friable holds. Up the bottom crack of YUTV to a ledge. Lean out R and clip the bolt. Step down and traverse out R to the arete. From here, bowel quivering moves lead past another bolt, and some questionable RP's to the top.

Thin, fingery and reachy direct start to BAN. Not the greatest but worth doing if you're in the area. Up the face 2m L of MPFC, follow the bolts.

Really good. The desperate blank V-groove once had a piton in it, although the "Ethics Police" removed it... 3 times! (It had been climbed for 15 years without need of a piton!) Despite appearances, the groove can be climbed quite safely using friction, prayer and a whole bunch of RP's and micro cams. Flop onto the ledge, whimper and gaze upwards! From here a magnificent corner featuring 3 cracks and classic climbing await you.

A variant finish to MPFC. Start up MPFC, from the ledge turn away from the amazing corner on the left and tear up the grotty crack on the right wall.

Complete crap. The horrible blank line 3m R of MPFC actually looks a lot better than it is (which is really saying something). Climb directly up the line over numerous loose blocks, piles of dirt and the bones of the last maniac who was desperate enough to lead such utter mank.

Some people really like this climb; I don't. Climb the shallow corner 5m R of DR2000 and then follow the line. Fiddly pro and dirty rock add to the experience. Belay either hanging from the tree (desperate but strangely cool), or get onto the ledge R of the tree and belay from there.

Tarzan was on drugs! The dirty groove past a tree to a ledge. Continue up the corner R of PC. Keep going up the mank until you want to either stop, or kill yourself from getting on such utter rubbish.

The crappy little arete in between TD and AG. It features one crotch destroying high step, and that's about it! Gear can be found in the corner to the R (AG).

The second masterpiece in the "lord of the crap climbs" trilogy. Up the corner R of BA. Continue up a broken and heavily vegetated line, with loose rocks thrown in for free!

Scott Camps summed it up best when he said "Let it be Forgotten". Up to a short tricky corner in the vertical jungle. It's so bad that it actually makes AG look like a good alternative!

Really good, but very short. Boulder up the shallow corner on small gear to the ledge. A few moves up the grunty corner take you to the next ledge. Carefully up loose gully to DMEG anchor or a short down climb to some rap trees.

Classic climbing. Start up Yokomo, and at the ledge take a deep breath, swing out onto the arete and up to a stance and a carrot bolt. The bolt looks to be in the wrong place, but is exactly where you need it! A high runner is possible in Yokomo to stop decking out. From there, fantastic and constantly absorbing climbing leads to the top. RPs are essential at the top.

Pretty tough little climb, but well worth it. Up the pillar to the perfect line. Blast up this to a desperate mantle onto the ledge. From there up easily.

Bridge the pillar and crack line up to a good stance. Step R into the crack and up. Brilliant jamming. Go R up the gully to the abseil tree.

Great finger locking up a thin seam. A little tricky to protect lay backing, but well worth the trip. Quite technical and strenuous.

At the ledge, keep going straight up the scooped arete, as opposed to stepping off R to the tree. Good for a change of scene, but that's about it.

The super thin finger crack to the right of DMEG. Short and pumpy, the difficulties are over within a few moves. Rap as for DMEG.

Hard to find. Starts high in the mank below (R as you face the cliff) the tourist lookout. Climb up a short crack on a small orange faced buttress. From the horizontal, launch directly up the face.

The crappy corner to the right of TFYP is a close contender for the "worst route on the cliff" award. A single move among the bushes and mank may be found.

Crappy and dangerous. The corner found on the L side of the dark buttress to the R of DSEB. Up this and then traverse off L.

The R hand line on the same buttress. Disgusting, confused climbing that goes nowhere.

Why would you do this to yourself? Strap on a chainsaw, gloves and helmet... then thrash for glory up the line of least vegetation and mank to the top of the broken amphitheatre.

A revolution goes around and around, constantly smacking you in the face. Well named! A horrible moss-laden chimney at the start is a fair indication of the quality of broken rock and climbing that is to follow.

Left of Erg is a 5m block. Boulder the L arete of this to the top. Good climbing, but falling would not be pleasant.

One of the most impressive lines on the cliff. Bridge up the line until the pillar stops. Step into the crack and blast up the ever widening crack. Chock stones and large gear can protect the top body chimney adequately.

Brilliant, the way to go if you can climb the grade. Up the finger crack without bridging. Note: There have been several serious accidents on this route due to "perfectly placed" cams ripping out of the crack in the first 10m.

A good way to avoid the body chimney of Erg. Step L into a short finger crack and blast up this to the top. Quite good.

Classic arete climbing. For the original version, go up BL, step out L at the fixed hanger. Blast up the arete past 2 more hangers while your right arm gets the workout of the century! Finish up BL.

Not the original, but even better than Hard Nose. Step out L a little lower than the original to a square cut hold on the arete. Clip the carrot bolt and proceed to wobble up 4m of balancy desperation bringing amazing movement and positions to hand.

Brilliant climbing up an amazing line. A thin and bouldery start leads to a searing corner of unsurpassed quality. Thin hand jams and finger locks lead exhaustingly to a ledge. From there, continue easily to the belay tree.

Done by Coral Bowman (US) in 1976, when it was 21, likely the first female ascent at this grade in AU.

Bridge and jam up the initial corner (which is still a bit dirty) until it eases in the middle. Head up the chimney and exit left around the chockstones. The protection is fine if you take a 5 camalot. Rap from anchors above CIT.

Simply amazing. A tough start leads to one of the most sustained and awesome climbs imaginable. Take some microcams for the start. The climb itself is a contender for the best route on the cliff, regardless of grade.

Originally named "Dobrilla" by ML after a friend, a typo in the guide resulted in Debrilla.

An awesome climb featuring strenuous and unique movement to gain the top. Mixed wires and bolt protection lead the way, with a desperate arete slapping technique similar to bear hugging fridges required to gain the jug. Finish at DBB rap anchor at the top of arete.

A hardish move onto the ledge (step in from the R) gains a rest. From here blast up the unrelenting twin crack system until your arms and legs wish to explode! Gain a slight rest under a bulge, and then blissfully climb the single crack to the ledge. Take a few 3-4 camalots. Walk L through the cave/chimney to rap off as for BC.

Classic off-width thrashing up a glass smooth overhanging crack line... surprisingly unpopular really! Finish up a finger crack. It is very difficult not to step on or kick your gear out of place on the way up. Football jersey, jeans and knee pads are optional! Climbed by Ted Cais and Ian Thomas with one rest and avoiding the direct finish in July 1973.

Start up Venom and step R at 3m. Bridge up a slightly overhanging corner crack system to a ledge. Crank hard off the ledge to get up the next hand crack with some difficulty, then to a rest. Easily to the top. Bolt anchor/belay. Used to be graded 15!! Climbed by Rick White and Ian Cameron by aiding the start in Jan 1971.

Micro-arete 2m R of FM. One lonely rusty FH.

The disgusting body chimney R of FM. Destroy your body, grunting up this disgusting excuse for climbing, finish as for FM.

Brutal climbing, sustained and difficult. Crank up the smooth line, all sorts of lay-aways and locks are required to grunt up this one. Fiddly microwires and microcams protect the crux. Continue up to anchor on Fat Mattress.

Desperate and grunty finger locking up a glass smooth corner then continue up to anchor of Fat Mattress. It can be made considerably easier by use of the "secret" foot jamming technique. Buy Rob a beer at the pub for all the info!

A good second pitch to the two previous routes. The ridiculously blank looking corner 5m L of KL with 2 pitons is where this mission starts! From there continue desperately until it is possible to wobble R to easier ground. Step L when able to, and finish steeply up the L side of the arete. Double ropes are thoroughly recommended for this lead.

Named "Forever Young" by Rob when he freed the line... although it had already been named Carrion Comfort by the FA party! A visionary effort by Rob Staszewski, and, for a long time, the hardest route put up by a local climber. Desperate locking and laybacks lead the way up the leaning corner. Great gear can be found, stopping to place it is the trick! Rap anchor. A test piece for any aspiring crack master!

Super thin face climbing up the shallow V-groove. A high runner can be placed by climbing up Inquisition and stepping across as high up as your ethics let you. Kim had 7 hex nearly half way up the route on the 2nd ascent. Top rope the initial section (achieved by using The Force/levitation), then go up the sustained corner.

Probably been done back in the dark ages when people actually tried Catcher in the Rye, but a great link up worth recording to promote it. Avoid the impossible bit of Catcher in the Rye by following Inquisition to the ledge then step left into the top corner of Catcher in the Rye. Great rock and climbing the whole way. Rap as for Inquisition (60m rope needed)

Really good climbing that deserves to be more popular. Follow the crack system to the large ledge. From here, blast up the off-width corner, stopping to wonder how people stay attached to WK! Step R up a face crack, to anchors on ledge (60m rope needed). Multiple pieces of 5 camalot size are essential to do this route safely.

Originally done as a second pitch to Inquisition in the Rye, the orange V groove above has some rather desperate moments.

An amazing, proud, inspirational line. The thinnest of cracks bisects this imposing face. Even the ants at Frog fall off this thin face! There was some controversy over the decidedly French style of the FFA, but no one can question the talent and skill required to ascend such an amazing line. Bolts and small wires can be found.

Start off the pillar below WK. Grunt up the initial off-width with a shaky cam keeping things sane. A line of bolts leads the way up this route with stunning positions and insanely classy movement throughout. The top section is quite run out, and very thin.

Straight up block below Whistling Kite using both aretes

A long sustained pitch up a striking line from the thin and steep start to old fashioned thrutching up the top third with good rock throughout. Quite a good route to go and beat yourself up on. Either climb down to the Whistling Kite chain or up and across to Blood, Sweat and Tears.

A classic grunt up a great line with a tree at half height. Quite strenuous and difficult in places, but excellent protection is available throughout. Head R at the top. Originally graded 15! Has been the scene of several serious falls.

Climb up Blood, Sweat and Tears until the tree. From the tree, step up and R to follow the increasingly difficult line. Excellent climbing featuring one hell of a sting in the tail!

Originally given 26 due to the direct start, however the description above outlines the variation which all (or at least most?) repeats have since utilised. Consensus has settled at 25 for this somewhat pacified version of the line.

The original start for Future Tense which grants the full 26 points if you're up for it! Take the desperate line 1m to the R of BST which is so thin and under protected that it has never (?) been repeated!

Quite challenging. A hard start to an off-width crack. From here blast up a pleasant finger crack taking a well-earned rest on a ledge. Jam up to a tree, then climb a fear-inducing face to easy finish.

With under 10 ascents in 21 years this is definitely a route not to be taken lightly! On one early attempt, Ian Cameron pulled off a 20m lead fall!!! Incredibly thin edging (to the point of requiring levitation abilities) up the steep face split by a micro seam. Micro cams and RPs provide adequate but spacious protection.