Routes as trad in Taipan Wall - South

The popular first pitch is a beautiful scoop of rock with a tenuous traverse and remarkably sustained climbing for the length of the scoop. The business is a little short to rank up there with Taipan's very best, but it's still awesome. Pitch 2 is rarely done but is an absolute blast. Start at the DRB atop Kaa p1, accessed as described above. (There is an old direct start with a couple of bolts (described on the Spurt Wall page), but nobody bothers with it).

1. 20m (28) This pitch is almost a sport route as it contains a few fixed wires to supplement the bolts, but most people also put in a few medium cams. It's a very popular pitch due to its squishy grade, and is many climbers' first 28. Step right past RB and up reachy wall past wires to big break. Swing over rooflet (wire) then traverse R across scoop. Pump up the subtle R arete of the scoop (2 RBs + wire) then a tricky conclusion up L to break. Clip-and-go lower-off (16m to ledge, 30m to ground).

2. 20m (26) Traverse 5m L from the lower off then up the red scoop (bolt, med cams) into cave above (optional 2no of carrot bolt plates on spacious ledge: pitch 1 originally went to here). Out right side of cave to top and lower off (80m rope recommended). Rebolted 2017. This pitch is most easily approached via Mr V.

A strenuous single pitch, mostly superb 22-23ish but with a distinct hard section. It takes the main arete-like thing bounding the L side of this large red scooped out section of cliff. Start on the elevated ledge, 3m L of the top of the boulder you scrambled up.

1. 28m (26) Easily up ramp/corner to break under roof. Scuttle R to strenuous roof flake (FH) and onto slab. A small arete (hangerless bolt) leads to the much steeper main arete with 3 FHs. A bomber titanium (!) piton plus a few small-med cams protect the roofy juggy finish to the rap station (30m to the ground).

2. 20m (-) Garry Phillips bolted an extension in 2006 (still a closed project). It's a V9-ish traverse R from the anchors to the black streak, then straight up the black streak to a fairly low anchor (45m to the ground). However this version is mostly redundant since the completion of Southern Delight and Trouser Snake.

The brilliant first pitch is one of the most popular at Taipan and was a very impressive effort by the young bumblies Jared and Simon. Often cited as the best 25 in Australia. Pitch 2 is far less popular, but still excellent. Start from the R-hand end of the ledge, 4m R of Anaconda's flake. Set a belay, or belay from the ground.

1. 28m (25) Pockets and mantles to ledge. Move R along wide break then slopes lead to a spike hold. Head R to arete then up to break. Blast up the R side of the groove above, finally trending L to a compact cave with DRB lower-off (28m to tree then swing back in to ledge (60m rope), or 38m to ground (70m rope)). A #2.5Fr is needed to eliminate nasty fall potential below the crux bolt, & most climbers also place 1 or 2 large wires & a #3.5Fr.

2. 15m (26) Bring a bolt plate for the belay setup; there's a carrot which lets you get comfy in the cave and spend less time stuck on the uncomfortable hanging belay. A techy big dyno to start, then some great technical moves up the vague arete. 4 bolts, trad, & rap chain (15m to 1st belay, 48m to ground).

Suffocatingly powerful. Usually led as one giant pitch. Start at large expanding left-facing flake 8m right of World Party.

1. 18m (21) Not a great pitch. Expanding flake (FH), then traverse left across break (FH) and up slab to chain belay (15m rap). A few medium-large cams are useful.

2. 30m (28) Straight up (2 FHs) to stance on the left, then rightwards out bulge with sustained endurance climbing up to big roof. Over 2 roofs into water runnel above (2 FHs), then head off left (but not into World Party) and up to anchors. 60m rope is enough to lower off to 1st belay, if belayer is on the 1st belay.

The stunning final pitch is one of the very best on the wall. Before you get there, there's a hard crux on the 2nd pitch. The hanging 2nd belay is best avoided by linking pitches 2 and 3, while pitch 2 is easily worked from the ground if you have a recalcitrant belayer. Start on the elevated ledge, 7m R of the top of the boulder and just R of the small tree, at a short fat flake on the slab.

1. 20m (21) A worthwhile pitch in its own right, although all the mantles are somewhat above gear. Up the slabby flake then 4m R along breaks. 3 slithery mantles lead to rap anchor on ledge (18m). Cams, med. wires.

2. 13m (27) Follow fused flake up L with increasing difficulty, then a draining fingery traverse back R to 3 bolt anchor (8m to 1st belay, 25m to base).

3. 20m (24) Brilliant. Tough moves out slopey 3m roof flake, past the only remaining original bolt - consider a small cam just below to back it up. Now blast up the very steep and very exposed water groove past 4 bolts and a spicy final runout. A wire can reportedly be finagled in on the top runout, but with all that air below your remaining energy is probably better spent in braving the final moves without it! DRB rap anchor (48m to ground).

Squeezed in! A Taipan slab route with a crimpy crux down low. Starts 3m right of World Party, just left of small bush growing out of horizontal crack. Boulder up tenuously onto orange slab and good pocket (FH). Step left slightly and climb slopers directly to join World Party at large horizontal. Traverse right across this for four metres to short vertical flake. Arrange pro and balance up flake onto slab (FH). Finish up slopers (FH) and over final committing bulge to ledge. Rap chain (18m).

Ho hum, just another fantastic Taipan route. You'll be shaking on the slab section! Continually bouldery climbing split by good rest stances. Start as for Venom on the ledge 15m off the ground. Traverse right as for Kaa pitch 2 (small-med cams), past the black streak with 2 FHs (don't clip them, that's Rattler), almost to Kaa's second bolt (don't clip this either!). Straight up grey streak above past 6 FHs and a fixed wire up high. Route finishes in large cave at rap rings (35m to the ground). You need a 60m rope to (laboriously) tramline back to the belay, or a 70m to lower off to the ground.

Totally classic ... but it's hard to give the third star when it's only an 8m variant of the first pitch of Mr Joshua. Unfortunately the bolts are getting rather rusty after only 10 years. Start as for Mr Joshua. At the post-crux horizontal break of Mr Joshua's first pitch, (after the 6th bolt) step left and climb left side of scoop past two FHs to rejoin Mr J at it's last bolt. Lower off (28m to tree then swing back in to ledge, or 38m to ground).

Wanders around like crazy in order to follow the 'weaknesses', but still worthwhile. Nearly all the bolts are in poor condition - please contribute to rebolting. You also need a light trad rack. Start at ground level at the prominent left-leading flake that is located towards the right end of the Spurt Wall bouldering traverse, directly below Venom.

1. 25m (23) Average. Climb the flake to gain a ledge, then move off its left end past a FH (rebolted 2011) then up face and right along ledge to DRB (placed ~2005, 14m rap).

2. 25m (24) Move up and right past FH to a horizontal break. Traverse right (med. cam) and up past FH to another horizontal (cams). Right again beneath FH in steep territory (incredibly awkward to clip from below, incredibly bold to clip from above), then make a hand-traverse back left just above FH, and onto ledge with DFH (25m rap possible).

3. 15m (24) Step R, up to roof, then L to FH. Dangle out R through overhangs past 2nd FH, ignore 3rd FH, and trend R to a delicate last move onto the terrace and DFH (35m rap). A harder alternative (25) is to head straight up past the 3rd FH (see 62a on topo).

4. 15m (23) Pull up to diagonal ramp and follow it up L to spike/jug on arete. Up steep face, moving L to faint groove (wire), to rap anchor back over the clifftop. The 50m rap straight to the deck is not recommended due to rope drag. Instead, lower back to the 3rd belay, then rap 35m off Rattlesnake Shake's DRB.

A rising traverse line across a major feature linking Anaconda into Mr Joshua. Start at rap chain at end of first pitch of Anaconda. Climb Anaconda's 2nd pitch for 3 bolts then scuttle right (2 UBs) into white cave. A good alternative is to head R from Anaconda's 2nd FH and heelhook up the diagonal bulge (pre-extend the 1st UB). From the cave, go-go-gadget span between scoops to reach juggy flake. Swing across this (large wires/cams, or just run it out) then up final scoopy headwall (UB) to join Mr Joshua pitch 1 at it's last bolt. Backclean, or get some idiot to second then rap off (38m).

Nothing flash by Taipan standards, but certainly recommended for those at the grade wanting a taste of the fabled Taipan. Follow World Party for 8m to horizontals. Traverse R along horizontals until 4m R of Constrictor, to finish up short flake onto slab and mantle to the 1st belay ledge of Anaconda and rap chains (15m).

Start on the elevated ledge, 4m R of the boulder and 2m L of a small tree. The wall between IF and WP, then finish up IF past it's last bolt. If you're not as long and strong as Rhys, its still a good 26M1 by pulling past the jump. The extension out the scoop/roof to the lip has 2 very old bolts in it and is an open project.

1. 20m (30) An 8m direct variant to Venom pitch 1. As for Venom for 12m until established on the L side of the groove. Where Venom traverses R, continue direct up the L side of the groove past 2 RBs to rejoin Venom at the lower-off.

2. 20m (27) As for Venom pitch 2 until past the bulge and into the cave. Then take the L arete of the cave/scoop to lower off (80m rope recommended). Rebolted 2017. This pitch is more easily approached via Mr Que.

Start up Constrictor's slab past the bolt, then (instead of traversing the break R as per the original) continue straight up following the chalked slopers of World Party's first pitch to ledge and lower-off.

The easiest way to do Venom p2. Climb Mr J until 5m above it's crux, then take the jug traverse R to join Venom p2 and follow this to the top in one mega pitch from the ground.

2 bolt boulder start to RS. Classic!!

This linkup provides an easier way to do Tourniquet p2 as a single monster pitch from the ground. Climb Mr J p1 to it's 2nd last bolt, slopy traverse R to middle of black streak (cams), spicy up black streak into the spacious cave. Join Tourniquet pitch 2 up the arete.

Right hand variant to Mr J.