Routes in Dome Wall

Start: On a small outcrop/bunch of boulders, above and downstream of Dome Wall. Start just left of the large roof.

Up groove to roof then up left onto lodge then up crack to top.

‘‘I’m no thickie”

Start: Below the obvious orange roof on the right side of the descent gully, as you walk down.

Up to cave, bridge to surmount roof, then strenuous jamming to top.

A classic.

Start: Opposite ‘Billericay Dickie’ on the left side of the gully (as you walk down) are some slabs facing out into the gorge. Start at the base of the obvious crack on the left side of the slab. Originally 20 M1 with a couple of points of aid, this was progressively whittled away by Stephens, then Bayne then eventually freed’ by M. Colyvan and E. Sharp I8/6/H

Up crack to where it thins down and goes diagonally rightwards, follow crack into gully and rap off chains atop of 'That’s Entertainment'. Al Stephens

Interesting and well protected climbing up the ‘Bang Bang’ wall. start: About 3m right of ‘Bang Bang’.

Up onto large blocks to clip the first bolt, then step right onto the slab, up and past another bolt to the crack of ‘Bang Bang’. Cross this and head straight up the wall past 2 more bolts to the top. Belay/rap chains in place.

Originally had two points of aid, the first being the second bolt. The aid was almost eliminated by Paul Bayne and was eventually freed by Giles Bradbury May 1983. It is now one of New England’s it most popular hard free routes.

Start: Sm right of ‘Bang Bang’ at rightward trending groove.

Follow groove right, then back left past bolt runner into corner, up to second bolt and on to ledge and belay/rap chain. Note that both bolts are usually clipped with wires first these days.

UNKNOWN? Not in orignal guide

This poor excuse for a climb should be cemented up... actually it’s probably a good route for visiting Queenslanders to do.

Start: About 10m right of ‘That’s Entertainment’ below big ugly 3 chimney.

1. 20m Up the cleft on the right wall as for ‘The Gremlin’, a tussle with chock stones lands one before the gates.

2. 20m Jump into bottomless cavern and squeeze upwards (usually) in total darkness to a sandy grotto.

3. 5m Several overhanging mud pull-ups to top.

A classic although is best to rap in from the top to avoid the horrid chimney leading up to it. Rap into semi-hanging belay from chain on top.

Start: as for ‘The Gates of Moria’

1. 22m Scramble up into chimney then to undercling leading past bolt, then up into layback then step right at arête to belay at chains at horizontal crack.

2. 15m (crux) Up face and arête to top past 3 bolts to chains.

Start: Rap into the ledge halfway up ‘The Gates of Moria’ from the chains on top of ‘The Gremlin’ buttress. The climb starts from this ledge and goes up the right wall of the gully.

Clip the bolt then an awkward move to start to pull across onto the wall. Move right and up to a second bolt then up to the small roof and around this past a third bolt, then follow the rightward trending seam up past another bolt to the arête. Easily to top. Chain belay plus a bolt down lower where the climb meets the arête.

3m left of Working Class Heroes up vertical crack and through shrubbery. Then continue up tiny tips crack. 1982 is complete guess for FA

A Classic looking crack.

Start: The obvious diagonal crack line on the left hand side of the terrace.

1. 30m (crux) Strenuously climb the diagonal crack, (After about 20m the crack rounds a corner and becomes vertical). Up for a few metres and belay in sentry box.

2. 12m Up open groove, small roof and easier crack to top.

Start: from the sentry box atop of pitch one of ‘Working Class Heroes’.

From the sentry box belay step left onto the wall and crack. A hard crank right, then back left overcomes the blank section.

A real grunt!

Start: The chimney to the right of ’Working Class Heroes’.

Scramble up gully to above tree and good ledge. Follow crack up left wall of chimney

Start: As for ‘Prehistoric Sounds’ to ledge above tree. Follow the off-width crack on the right up through a bulge and then more easily on to top.

A rather attractive wall. Double ropes useful.

Start: About 3m left of ‘Rise of the Bourgeoisie’.

Up slab to ledge then straight up wail above past bolt, then head diagonally right over easier ground, then up to a second bolt up and slightly left past two more bolts then run it out a little straight up the slab above. Easily up exit crack.

Start: On the right hand end of the terrace

1. 15m Up the hand crack to a ledge then continue up to a slight corner. Belay

2. 15m (crux) Up the corner and delicately onto slab when crack runs out, then easily to top.

Start: As for ‘Rise of the Bourgeoisie’.

1. 22m Up the hand crack and mantle onto the ledge. (Possible to split pitch and belay here to avoid rope drag and improve communication with second). From right hand end of ledge, climb the corner crack until it is possible to move rightwards around the rib to a terrace belay.

2. 15m Up rightward trending crack on right hand end of ledge. When crack runs out continue past bush and up grassy gully to belay below chimney.

3. 10m (crux) Up easy angled, rightward trending crack, then thin crack to top

Start: As for 'Rise of the Bourgeoisie'

1. 15m As for pitch one of 'Rise of the Bourgeoisie', belay on the ledge on right, below dome.

2. 15m (crux) Up thin crack splitting the wall below the dome then traverse out left and belay in groove.

3. 10m Easily up slab and crack to top.

A hard bouldery short route.

Start: From the top abseil down to the base of the chimney between the dome and the main cliff (on the left side). It is the steep slab just left of the chimney.

Up slab past two bolts

A superb line up the left arête of the dome, giving sustained hard climbing.

Start: At the base of the dome on the left side. Either Abseil in or do 'Labour Force'.

Up the left aide of the arête past a bolt runner then swing around right and up past three more bolts to top with another bolt at top. Tie off trees on mainland for anchor.

The arête between 'Corridors of Power' and ‘Bunker Hill’.

Start: On the right hand end of the ledge atop pitch 1 of ‘Labour Force’.

Step right off big block onto wall past bolt runner; up and across right to arête which is followed past 2 more bolts to top.

Start; The left hand crack on the little orange buttress down hill from ‘Billericay Dickie’.

Up crack, through roof to top

A waste of a good bolt. Start: Around left from ‘Pagan Paradise’ below a vague line a small roof.

Up through some crumbly yellow stuff to a bolt runner, through the small roof and up the wall above.

Hardly worth the effort.

Start: Left of ‘Pagan Paradise’ and about 2m right of 'I'm Laughin’

Up thin crack to ledge, clip bolt runner then a hard move out left to the arête. Continue up arête past another bolt runner to top.

Start: At the bottom of the V-chimney below the obvious roof about Om right of Dogmatic Demise’ on the extreme right hand end of the flight deck.

Up V-chimney, step left under roof, then follow crack through roof to top.

Start: The second crack along with a shark—edge finish.

Up fist crack to ledge on right. Then either directly up fine cracked corner (17) or off-width / fist crack (crux) to roof and exit on left.

Start: The third crack along, right of ‘Dogmatic Demise’. Up crack to top, coloured twin cracks (alternative finishes).

Start: 10m right of ‘Running on Empty’ on the ledge below the obvious sickle shaped crack.

Move left along ramp, up wall to crack, up this and more wall to top

Very sustained and hard crack climbing (mostly).

Originally aid through the first roof then a couple of rests up higher but was freed on it’s second ascent by Bayne and Colyvan with a bit of yo-yoing on 1/8/82,

Start: To the right of ‘Charisma’.

Through fists roof, up crack through second roof, up overhanging rightward trending crack past fixed wire then up wall to top.

Can you believe it, a really enjoyable off-width roof?

Start: below obvious leftward under-cling roof, left of 'Running on Empty'

Around roof then follow off-width and squeeze chimney to top.

Start: Abseil from marked tree 15m north of top of Dome wall down to ledge atop of 'Charisma'

Up the wall past 2 bolts to tricky exit up faint groove at the bead of wall, continue up slab to top.

Technical and sustained second pitch.

Start: About 10m left of ‘Charisma’

1. 12m Up slab trending right into corner crack and up to tree on large ledge.

2. 20m (crux) Up obvious intermittent cracks and into wide crack to top.

Start: The obvious hand/fist crack with a small roof just to the left of ‘Aisle of Deceit’

1. 10m Up crack through small roof to belay on left.

2. 20m As for final pitch of Bunker Hill’.

Start: At the base of the hand crack 2m left of ‘Pregnant Paws’

Rightward trending crack to small ledge, then straight up large ledge and tree belay Finish up 'Tipsy' or 'Bunker Hill'

On the ledge above ‘Drunk and Disorderly’, 3m right of the final bit of ‘Bunker hill’.

Up thin crack in the face then wall and slab to top with a bolt runner shortly after crack ends.

Historic, being the first climb on this cliff. (At the time the prevailing ethic was that a 'legitimate' climb had to start at the bottom of the cliff and finish at the top.) Contrary to the guide, the first pitch is well worth doing and is the equal crux. Exciting for a leader at that grade, but makes the climb very escapable. - Not one for sport climbers or those of a delicate disposition. Second pitch is a 'walk' and pitch 3 is a struggle.

Approach: If skipping the first pitch start pitch 2 from the Flight Deck. Otherwise - towards the lowest part of the centre of the crag look for a 'cave-like overhang'.

1. 17m. (equal crux) Exit the overhang and climb the crack to a ledge.

2. 15m. Easily follow crackline up left side of gully then step right onto ledge to below obvious crack.

3. 20m. (equal crux) Up crack to top.

A Mafia inspired enterprise by ‘Don’ Jack.

Start: On the ledge next to the start of ‘Tipsy’. Abseil in or get to the start via ‘Drunk and Disorderly’ or 'Pregnant Paws’.

Start up pitch three of 'Bunker Hill' for 2m then move left past bolt into the obvious overhanging Corner. Up corner to join 'Severence Pay' arête. Up this past 2 bolts to top.

Start: Up and left of ‘No Strings Attached’. Scramble across into corner, hand traverse under roof, around roof and up to top.

Start: Below crack with a large tree growing in it.

Up crack until it expires then step right onto ledge, up short slab to roof then step right again to another ledge. Up corner crack to finish.

Start: 1-2m to the right of ‘No Strings Attached’.

Easily up through blocks to tree; pleasant climbing through small roof to top.

A classic short jam crack

Start: right of ‘No Strings Attached’.

Small roof and then crack to finish.

An excellent climb with good protection, although it can be a little awkward to place.

Start: A thin crack in the wall 5m right of ‘Autumnal Beauty’.

Up past the bolt at 4m to a small ledge. Continue straight up the crack to just below the small tree. Traverse off left to the abseil tree.

Start: directly beneath the corner.

Directly up to the crux of ‘Autumnal Beauty’.

Step right below the roof and up to top.

A superb route originally done with a couple of points of aid below the roof, these were freed by M. Colyvan and P. Payne 2/8/81

Probably best done with the direct start.

Start: Just right of the abseil down, below a crack just left of the obvious corner.

Another variant: Step right below the roof and up to top.

Start: The same direct start as ‘Staggerlee’ added by the Killips.

Up offwidth chimney to ledge then straight up offwidth to crack going straight up to top.

This route originally started by scrambling up to the first ledge; however Bob and Astrud Killip added the direct start in April 1981.

Start: Just left of chains.

Up offwidth chimney to ledge, continue up offwidth then swing left onto ledge. Up easy hand and fist crack to top.

Start: Around to the right of the the base of La Cucaracha. (On the upstream side of the buttress).

Up thin cracks to join ‘La Cucaracha’ near the top, continue up crack.

A classic, intriguing and varied

Start: The crack/corner (leftward facing) around left from the chains atop of ‘Backlash’.

A thin crack, then a short chimney, out over a bulge, then a long traverse right and up easy crack to finish.

Starts at either JB or LC depending on your fancy. Unlike the first ascensionists it's best to break this route into two pitches to avoid rope drag and snagging ropes under sharp flakes.

1. (crux) (30m). Up to obvious overlap and traverse L through top/bottom cracks to beginning of vertical crack. build semi-hanging belay.

2. (15m) Up vertical crack and through off-width chimney to finish. Tree belay.

An absolute joy.

Start: As for ‘Eat it G-Man’.

Up the slab past two bolts, over a bulge, then up the open corner past another bolt to a short slab to finish.

A fall from the slab could be serious.

Start: 2m left of ‘La Cucaracha’ at a tree.

Up the first short slab heading slightly left to the ledge, then straight up the slab past a bolt runner to an overlap. Move left here and then pull up onto wall and continue up past 2 bolts to top.

Start: About 12m to the left of ‘Brut’, the obvious flake crack.

Up flake crack, swing right when crack runs out; slab climbing to terrace.

Start: About half way between ‘Agrippina’ and ‘Brut’.

Straight up wall which steepens at the top past four bolts, moving off left or’ the slab at the top.

Pertaining to champagne of high quality, not the nasty animal.

Start: The fine layaway crack left of ‘Bleat’ and 'Ambrosia'. (not the horrible offwidth).

Fine jamming and layaways to top.

This route was first climbed by Jill Kelman and Richard Curtis in 1976 but was not recorded because the prevailing ethic locally at the time was that a climb had to ascend the cliff from bottom to top to be a legitimate ascent. As Jill subsequently died in a European mountaineering accident I suggest that the climb be called Jill's Climb as it was a fine lead for the time. I mentioned this to Brian while he was still with us and the idea was received favourably.

Start: As for ‘Bleat’.

Up as for ‘Bleat’, right past tooth, then traverse past off-width of ‘Blurt’ and further right to hand crack to top.

The line ‘Bleat’ should have been.

Start: As for ‘Bleat’. Up diagonal crack as for ‘Bleat’, then right around spike and through tree and up off-width to top, with little protection.

Some aid rests on the first ascent were eliminated by M. Colyvan, B. Birchall and B. Sharp 15/3/81

Start: The obvious rightward leaning off-width. Up crack to large spike, then swing left and finish up the final section of 'Brut'.

Classic thin face climbing.

Start: About two metres left of ‘Ambrosia’.

Clip fixed wire with a stick then over bouldery start to the finger crack. Up this to a bolt then continue up wall past another bolt to a third bolt. Move left and up to a fourth bolt, then left and up again to chain on top.

“Food of the Gods” - an Armidale classic.

Start: About 15m right of ‘Bleat’ a short ramp leads up right to a fine crack. Up ramp into vertical crack; fine and technical climbing to top.

Start: From ‘Master Blaster’ follow the gully down to the very bottom of the cliff and turn right (facing gorge).

1. 12m (crux) Up fingery crack, walk right across large ledge. Up wide crack and follow easy flake (ignore grass filled off-width) over block to large ledge.

2. 25m Up sore fingery cracks to ledge at base of ‘Bleat’.

Start: Right and up from 'Inner Limits'; obvious straight thin crack.

Up crack to ledge below ‘Bleat’.

A lot harder than it looks.

Start: At base of orange cracks to the left of chimney/culvert.

Easy climbing to hand jam crack. Awkward and strenuous from there to top.

Start: The wall 3m right of ‘Master Blaster’.

Up the wall to the ledge, follow small ledges and good holds to the main crack, up this to top.

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An excellent flake crack on pitch two

Start: As for ‘Biggus Grippus’,

1. 27m As for pitch one of ‘Grave Reservations’.

2. 37m (crux) Follow crack right for a few moves then up the thin crack leading up to a roof. Go right around roof and follow the flake crack up rightward to another roof. Move up around roof then more easily to top.

One-point of aid near the top of P1 eliminated by Colyvan & Bayne 25/7/81.

Start: As for ‘Biggus Grippus’.

1. 25m (crux) Up chimney as for 'Biggus Grippus' then follow thin crack line on the left to ledge.

2. 25m Up ramp on right and careful climbing over large loose block into fine corner crack. Finish as for ‘Biggus Grippus’.

Start: Chimney to the right of 'Master Blaster'.

1. 25m Up chimney, then crack to smell ledge. Move right to small ledge and belay.

2. 25m Up crack, move right to face and delicately move left again a little higher.

Start: 2m right of ‘Grave Reservations’, the overhanging orange Corner.

1. 20m (crux) Tip overhanging corner, then move left mid up groove to ledge.

2. 20m Up corner then gully to finish as for Grave Reservations.

Unfortunately the first pitch is the only worthwhile bit of climbing on this route. Perhaps if a rap station was put in after the first pitch it might get more ascents.

Start: About 5m right of ‘Female Frenzy’ is a short rightward diagonal finger crack.

1. 17m (crux) Up diagonal, then continue up through some manic to a ledge.

2. upwards going rightwards where possible to avoid the mank. It finishes on a treed terrace on the right.

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A classic case of fine crack climbing.

Start: At the bottom of the slabs quite a way right of ‘Uncertain Future’ .You can either walk across from the previous routes or walk down from the top via the upstream descent gully.

1. 15m Up chimneys and wide cracks

2. 15m More of the same

3. 10m Up rightward trending diagonal behind bush.

4. 20m From open slabs, up right hand flake then up left to small ledge.

5. 20m Across wall on right to tree, then right under roof; off-width and fig tree on right.

6. 20m (crux) Out under roof to lip and up to one inch cracked roof, then up to scooped ledge.

7. 10m Steep crack to slab and -jut to left.

A variant to ‘Face Value’.

1. 15m As for ‘Face Value’

2. 15m As for ‘Face Value’. belay under overlap.

3. 10m (crux) Move left, under-cling then jam to large ledge.

4. 25m Up easy looking chimney and exit onto the Flight Deck.

Start: As for ‘Overkill’

1. 20m As for Overkill’

2. 20m (crux) From belay head out diagonally left onto wall (no protection) and up to horizontal crack, lip past bolt runner to top.

Another classic from the same team that gave you ‘Prehistoric Sounds’.

Start: At the extreme right hand end of the terrace that ‘Biggus Grippus’ finishes on.

1. 20m Traverse right and up to a good stance below roof. Move up diagonally right past bolt runner to roof then around right to ledge. Bolt and nut anchor.

2. 30m (crux) Follow flake crack to top.

On the pinnacle opposite ‘Overkill’, above ‘Face Value’. Abseil in from the top of the pinnacle to the belay stance below the crack on the downstream side of the pinnacle.

Climb the crack moving left past the bolt to the second crack, and on to the top.

Wide bridging and swiveling.

Start: below prominent chimney.

1. 15m Up chimney to shut down roof affair, past side.

2. 20m (crux) Wide chimney to large blocks on North side.

3. 6m Cross link boulder, then to top.

Start: To the right of the chimney; on the wall.

1. 10m Up to flake then jam onto chock stones.

2. 20m As for ‘Swivel’

3. 6m As for 'Swivel'

Start: In the chimney on the NW side of the northern half of the King Pin.

Up in three way chimney and onto large chock block. Diagonally up around leftward spiralling traverse to top of blocks.

Start: This route is on the slabs between The Flight Deck and The King Pin.

1. 12m Wander up to roof.

2. 18m Through roof, up leftwards and over to the Kurrajong tree, then up offwidth to top.

Start: On the very lowest 'mini-buttress' way down the hillside below the Kingpin, on the face facing the river. The climb is the thin intermittent crack on the left front of the buttress. (left - facing the rock).

1. Up the crack to the top.

Line following the system of layback cracks and under-clings on the downstream end of the slabs. Originally done with one or two points of aid in the top corner hut was freed by A. Legler and Ed Sharp in October 1980.

Start: At the far left of the slabs.

1. Up wall, traversing left at about 10m to gain a large ledge? at the base of the first layback crack.

2. Up flakes to small ledge.

3. (crux) Up cracks to fingery corner then exit to tree.

Start: At the right-hand end of the main slab/wall.

1. Up to a small tree at 3m then swing left on jugs. Continue going upwards along the thin crack. Clip the first bolt then step up and right onto ledge, then step up and left to second bolt, then straight up the slab/wall past a third bolt to a belay ledge double bolt belay).

2. Up slabby wall via three bolt runners to small tree, then sharp crack to belay.

Start: The seam/corner that goes straight up above the start of ‘Iron in the Soul’.

1. 35m Up corner system to belay on ledge with bolt and nut.

2. 15m (crux) Up corner to bolt. Step right and up slab past another halt to top.

There are a couple of spots on this route where a fail could be nasty.

Start: On the ledge 2m right of ‘Short Back and Slides’ at about half height.

Easily up to overlap, step right and up to bolt runner then continue to top, moving slightly left near the top.

Start: The next line right of 'Short Back and Slides' at ground level.

Up hand crack which splits into two finger cracks below a tree, continue to blocky ledge. Scramble up corner then right then up.

Start: The very clean crack system 3m right of ‘That Slick Little Crack’.

Juggy corner to ledge past bolt to bulge (crux).Over bulge past two bolt-runners, then crack to slab finish.

Details unknown, mentioned in 'Screamer' issue 9, 1981