The Fortress Guide

A Crag Guide gives an extensive view of all sub areas and climbs at a point in the index. It shows a snapshot of the index heirachy, up to 300 climbs (or areas) on a single web page. It shows selected comments climbers have made on a recently submitted ascent.

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Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Oliver Story Harrie Van de Linde Rat John Wilson Nicholas Reese Brendan Heywood Gavin Evans Dave McGregor Andrew Davies Matt Clark

The size of a person's name reflects their Crag Karma, which is their level of contribution. You can help contribute to your local crag by adding descriptions, photos, topos and more.

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1. The Fortress 24 in Crag
2. Index by grade

1. The Fortress 24 routes in Crag

Summary:

Seasonality

Trad climbing, Bouldering and other styles

Lat / Long: -35.461625, 148.960399

summary

A small area with excellent access but limited climbing. The routes are very varied in style and it's well worth visiting or stopping off as you trek up to Gibraltar.

access issues

Some of the crags in the south of this area (e.g. Cantaloupe Hill) were burned in the 2020 Orroral Valley bushfire. Please exercise caution in fire affected areas.

inherited from Gibraltar and Corin Road

approach

Park 1.6km up Corin Road opposite a gated track (GPS coordinates -35.4623325, 148.9689895). Walk up the track for 600m to where it steepens briefly, then turns left and flattens out (there's a gate in the fence on your right at this point). Follow the track as it circles to the right around the knoll that is The Fortress, until you reach the saddle with the mushroom visible right next to the road. (-35.4618267, 148.9603005) The track continues steeply uphill to 'The Jism' and 'Gibraltar Peak'.

ethic

The ease of access and signs of merriment seems to make people lose their morals here. A 'ridiculous number' of bolt belays and bolt runners sprang up around the time the 1996 guide was published, with old tree belays being cut down in the process. The most ridiculous addition was a set of metal steps left of 'Sentry Duty'. These have been cut off, returning The Fortress to the glory days of down-soloing a chimney to get off most routes. There was also some retrobolting, with bolts sprouting on 'Apprentice's Edge' and 'Scratched Record'. In the last case the climb was originally climbed with a tied-off abseil rope and first written up as having a bolt, although Richard Watts never got around to putting it in. The 'worst case', however, was at the top of the previously unbolted 'Blood on His Lips' where a golden 'carrot' style bolt appeared in the final slab, right next to a wire placement. Many of the new bolts have been pruned.

	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
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1	★ Flying Arkwright On the north side of the main outcrop. The rightwards trending crack which is undercut at the base and lays away left at the top. Camalots to #4 will make you happy if you're not a great fan of slinging chockstones. For the record, the arete right of this climb, with low chipped holds and one bolt is said to be a very old, abandoned Law-Smith project. FA: John Finnigan (solo), 1975	16	Trad 10m
2	★ Apprentice's Edge The arete between 'Sentry Duty' and 'Flying Arkwright' with a pretty slippery crux. Originally three bolts and six holds; now six bolts and three holds. FA: Mike Peck & Andrew Kean, 1986	24	Sport 10m, 6
3	★★ Sentry Duty One of the more worthwhile climbs of its height in Canberra. The crack, with a sentry box at half height, a few metres left of 'Flying Arkwright'. FA: Richard Curtis & Damien Jones, 1975	15	Trad 10m
4	★ Offwidth left of Sentry Duty As the name states. To get off, have to down-solo a chimney. FA: No details	16	Trad 10m
5	★ Variant off width - Sentry Duty Thin finger crack, left of Sentry duty off width start. Finish up offwidth or (or down limb start) NA: Harrie Van de Linde, 13 May 2023	17	Trad 5m
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	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
6	★ Mule The obvious chimney on the east side of main outcrop. FA: B. Aikman, 2021	14	Trad 8m
7	Fake Crack Good clean climbing, hidden in a short gully between boulders 40m to the right of the mushroom (as you look at it from the saddle). Follow the left-trending 10cm-deep V-corner to the top. Lower off. FA: Oliver Story, 2011	22	Sport 8m, 3
8	No Fat Chickens A slabby, mossy wall on the southern side of the main group of boulders with three bolts to a triple bolt belay. Other reports say it is harder. FA: Geoff Filmer & Damian Jovanovic, 1995	19	Sport 8m, 3
9	★ Scarpered The bolted climb left of 'No Fat Chickens', starting in a chimney and reaching the same belay, was never claimed by the first offenders.	17	Trad 8m
10	★★ Carnage The off-width come squeeze chimney 5m left of NFC. Sit start from back of cave. https://youtu.be/3k_6BLflhho FA: B. Aikman, 2013	V5	Boulder 7m
11	★★ Carnage (Stand Start) FA: B. Aikman	V3	Boulder 5m
12	Unworthy The slab with a single large home-made hanger in the chimney just south of the main boulder was unworthy of reporting by the first ascentionist, not surprisingly.		Sport 5m, 1
13	Anything'll Do On the biggest boulder. Start just right of 'Night Fall'. Up the slab and short wall on sharp holds past two bolts. Watch out as both the holds and the bolts may have fallen off... FA: Dave Sargent & Paul Mason, 1987	22	Mixed trad 10m, 2
14	Night Fall Starts on the large jammed boulders above the cave and ascends the slab and corner past two bolts - the first of which is quite high. A few nice balancy moves and it is all over. FA: Richard Watts (solo), 1983	18	Mixed trad 8m, 2
15	★ Mushroom Outing A little aid jaunt onto the top of the 'mushroom cap'. BYO hangers (and possibly nuts) for the bolts. FA: Greg Lane & friends	M1	Aid 5m, 3
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	Route	Grade	Style	Selected ascents
16	★★ Postern On a small group of boulders 30 metres east (towards Corin Road) from 'Sentry Duty'. Nice jamming up the right angled corner crack on the downhill side. Lower off. FA: Matt Madin & Richard Watts, 1981	18	Trad 10m
Handsfree The following problems are on the rounded boulder 30m north east of the main area just above Postern and BOHL Slab.
18	The Scoop	V4	Boulder 4m
19	★ The Nose	V3	Boulder 4m
20	Handsfree The balance problem up the slab just to the right of TN.	VB	Boulder 4m
BOHL Slab The following climbs are on the boulder 45m north of the Main Area.
22	Paternity Ward A waste of time. Up the slabby wall about 10 metres left of 'Blood on His Lips'. FA: Richard Watts (solo), 1983	16	Trad 7m
23	★ Scratched Record The wavy slab just left of 'Blood on His Lips'. A high first bolt and a good candidate for a stick clip. Belay on gear and walk off. FA: Richard Watts, 1983	23	Sport 10m, 2
24	★ Blood on His Lips A nice thin crack, undercut at the base. Don't worry at the wobbly starting block too much, and take RPs to protect the finish. FA: R Curtis & J Finnegan, 1975	16	Trad 10m
25	Flex Up the expanding flake three metres right of 'Blood on His Lips'. A hard start, then more easily up the flakes and slab to the top. FA: Richard Watts (solo), 1983	22	Trad 10m
26	★ Lats 5m right of Flex is a short bolted slab starting at a small alcove (gear belay).	21	Sport 10m, 2
**

2. Index by grade

Grade	Stars	Name	Style
VB		Handsfree	Boulder 4m
14	★	Mule	Trad 8m
15	★★	Sentry Duty	Trad 10m
16	★	Blood on His Lips	Trad 10m
	★	Flying Arkwright	Trad 10m
	★	Offwidth left of Sentry Duty	Trad 10m
		Paternity Ward	Trad 7m
17	★	Scarpered	Trad 8m
	★	Variant off width - Sentry Duty	Trad 5m
18		Night Fall	Mixed trad 8m, 2
	★★	Postern	Trad 10m
19		No Fat Chickens	Sport 8m, 3
21	★	Lats	Sport 10m, 2
22		Anything'll Do	Mixed trad 10m, 2
		Fake Crack	Sport 8m, 3
		Flex	Trad 10m
V3	★★	Carnage (Stand Start)	Boulder 5m
	★	The Nose	Boulder 4m
23	★	Scratched Record	Sport 10m, 2
V4		The Scoop	Boulder 4m
24	★	Apprentice's Edge	Sport 10m, 6
V5	★★	Carnage	Boulder 7m
?		Unworthy	Sport 5m, 1
M1	★	Mushroom Outing	Aid 5m, 3