Routes in Mt Coolum

After climbing Stairway to Heaven go to the far left of the Morning Glory ledge. Straight up following the black streak. A bit steeper toward the end of the pitch. Lower off.

From UV belay station traverse left upward following the ramp. Once over the bulge it's easy climbing to the anchor. This large ledge give access to the Dawn Wall above.

Far left upper route. 7-8 FHs to DUBB. Access via Friends in High Places, then traverse L to DFHB on ledge.

Big holds to a rare crimp crux, then super horns into the sky. Joins BLD at its final bolt.

3 Fhs on far left hand side of cave, lower off single RB.

Tough little crux, great for improving footwork. Challenge your friction technique.

Start at RA's anchor. Steep stuff straight above the belay. Traverse L under roof to wacky slab and a rest above. Huge jugs and horns comprise the final third. 11 U-bolts to DUBB. Second to clean. Rope length warning: It is more than 30m from anchor to ground. Suggestion: leader lowers, rope toss to pull back to belay, second to clean, lower second to ground, pull rope to start belay, rap off.

Amazing climbing which is never too hard, but quite continuous! Start at the top anchor of FIHP. Step L, then three RBs to unique cave move. Thug R to jutting horn. Breach "slab" above moving L to find some harder moves. A traverse L, then finish on jugs. DUBB. Nine RBs. Lower-off into the ocean. Use 60m rope.

Start as for 'GR' but instead of going left at the crux head straight up. Bolting not complete. Please stay off for now.

A link up. Start as for Tropic Thunder clipping its last bolt then staying low traverse in and finish up Gasoline Rainbow.

One of the best link ups in the cave! Takes in a lot of climbing, and a lot of cruxes. Climb Tropic Thunder to above its last bolt, sticking the hard crux side pull, but instead of moving right to clip anchor, move left and finish up GR.

Climb FIHP to anchor, and then take a step right and climb straight up the overhung stemming groove to rooflet. Above this make a move to the right onto crimps with bouldery, spacey moves awaiting above. Anchor shared with NIHP on right over the top of bulge.

The only non-steep warmup here. Stickclip. Stemming moves up past 3-4 bolts until it slabs out, then head well left to double rings.

Climb this as one pitch from the ground. Climb FIHP, extending the last clip, and climb directly up the wall above past 5 RBs to wild conclusion which resembles mantling the end of a diving board.

Cleared for Take Off into the crux of Nuts, combines best of both routes.

Start up TDLW for three UBs, then trend slightly L past FHs up the ever steepening wall past some crazy looking horns and the odd dodgy aid bolt. The top horn (the biggest at Coolum) rings when you tap it! Ride 'em cowboy!

Coolum's highest route. Climb CFT and top out on the ledge. You might like to pull and re-drop your rope to lessen drag. Step right, and blast through steep but juggy terrain into the stratosphere. Some longer draws at certain spots will ease your pain. The final bolt (anchor) is just below the top of the cave and currently sports a leaver biner. You can just get down on a 60m from here, but back-jump to clean. (Was closed, but has been rebolted - 2015)

A new warm-up option. Up TDLW for four UBs. Instead of traversing right as for TDLW, go straight up past another three UBs into the cave. Finish atop the diving board (double U-bolts). Lower-off.

Climb Dave until you're at the double UBs above the diving board. Continue directly out the roof for some of the steepest climbing and THE biggest, craziest holds at Coolum. Finish at 'CFT''s anchor.

Like Woodridge, had a name change and a rebolt to hopefully generate more interest. Follow four U-bolts up deceiving slab before traversing/walking directly right past two FHs and mantling up into the cave. You'll need a seconder to clean this route.

Get safe at TDLW anchor and pull and re-drop your rope for a ground belay. From this point, climb up and out left on FHs and biiig holds to a confounding and onsight-ruining finale.

Starts just to the right of LCA. Climbs the exposed arete before heading straight up into the thin corner (don't climb left onto the massive horns if you want the full tick), finishing with a wild move to breach the shelf at the top. Belay from ground as for LCA.

Follow the jagged lip feature going across right. Finish as BBJ.

In the middle of the giant scoop make your way on some funky blob aiming for a horn at the lip. Follow the feature and finish BBJ anchor.

Start at the 'Nick' graffiti. Four RBs then finish up BBaJ. One big boulder problem with every move a hardie. The slot in the roof can be damp after rain and is completely frictionless. Deserves much more attention!

Up into the steep little cave, then across left to a hard move to gain the protruding jugs. Motor up the very overhanging arete on killer shark-fin jugs. Now rebolted with U-bolts.

Climb Hang Like a Fruitbat to anchor, but don't clip it. Instead head sharply left until you join into Beer Boob and finish. Have fun on the crazy upside down traverse.

Climbs the smooth wall straight above Fruit Bat.

Up the bulby horns out the roof to anchors. Feet more important than hands on this one. Ever so popular. Back Jump to clean and lower from second bolt.

Climb HLAFB and keep climbing out of the 120 degree roof following the natural feature. A hellish Rose move through the the roof allows you to get over the lip and clip the anchor.

Techy, pumpy, powerful, core intensive, la rose...it's got it all.

Start as for Three Men and a Ladder, finish at the anchor of Like a Bat Out of Hell.

Climb Guns For Show, Knives For A Pro to anchor and then continue onto Sideways Rain for an extra 15metres of pump. *Requires 2 ropes.

Climb GFSKFAP but then continue up through SEH.

Climb 'Like a Bat out of Hell' then keep going up Scrambled Eggs and Honey. Probably will require two ropes to ease the drag. Epic!!!

Starts a few metres right of Hung Like a Fruit Bat. Stick clip. Jump start, up, then across the roof and finish at HLAFB chains. Similar style to Fruit Bat, at a harder grade.

Ringbolts starting just R of TMAAL. A weird looking line which climbs really well. Make sure you bring your kneepads for this one. Popular.

Climb AKTF then keep going for another 3 bolts.

Batman start to the anchors of Sideways Rain then head left clipping the last two bolts of Bring Back the Kneebar before continuing straight-up for another 5 bolts to the anchor.

Batman start at the anchors over the lip above kneebar too far. Reach up and grab those starting slopers out left and start from there. Heads straight-up and finishes standing on huge ledge.

Even better than the original line!! The direct start of Kneebar. Extremely bouldery and powerful compression climbing which will make you beg for mercy!

Go from UFO all the way through to bring back the kneebar. Insane bouldering.

Mat Eaton's futuristic Line. One of the king lines of Coolum; it follows the line of ring bolts then climbs into the cave to the lower off anchors.

Start up Evil for 2 bolts before heading left.

Bolting not finished.

Start up 'Evel Knievel', head left at FH and across Esoteric Agenda, across Sideways Rain and finishing up at SEH anchors. Pumper.

Climb Evil for three bolts before trending sharply left for a burly traverse below SO (past the weird double bolts). Joins SO for its top two bolts.

Climb up and across Evel Knievel for about 7/8 bolts, until the obvious large break landing you at esoterics jugs. Finish up Esoteric Agenda, long slings will ease drag.

Start with the boulder problem of Evil. After the hard clip go left across a series of bulges. After some intricate betas and a few kneebars, you link into Esoteric Agenda under the top crux. Finish as per EA.

Epic power endurance test piece. One of the purest pieces of climbing in QLD for chur.

Do esoteric panties/evil agenda to the crux of esoteric agenda and then break left for a very hard 3 extra bolts of climbing until you reach sideways rains anchor.

The future.

Start up the first 3 bolts of Evil, then veer up and left for another 3 bolts before getting a weird ledge rest. A few more moves and you're done.

Defunct (was the batman start to SO).

Batman start from 3rd ring bolt of EWNP. Climb officially starts from the two closest holds to the 3rd bolt (funky jam RH, layaway LH) long steep moves up and left to Space Oddity anchors.

Climb Evil, but veer left before cave and up the face above encountering some bouldery moves.

Prime to fifth clip then across the top of evils rest cave and back into no pants. Creates a sustained link with new upper crux.

The 70 degree overhung madness that rears above the walking track. One of the best steep routes in Australia.

Amazingly this was the first route to be equipped at Coolum (2 bolts); it was then extended another 2 bolts and attempted by various suitors over the next 15 years. In early 2008, Adam Donaghue refreshed the hardware & added two extensions, beginning both from a batman start on the U-bolt (Ground Control 28 going L and Major Tom 30 going straight up). Lee linked up the boulder problem start with Major Tom and Evil Wears No Pants was reborn as one of Queensland's 'King Lines'!

What a thrilling route! Start as for EWNP, traverse slightly right at the second bolt, then ascend past 3 new bolts before re-joining EWNP. This avoids the no hands rest on EWNP, resulting in a more sustained route of continuous climbing.

Start up Thiller, climb across to 'Bite The Hand That Feeds' and to the chains.

Up Thriller till the second last bolt and then step right into friction addictions hard ending. Super pumpy classic.

Was previously known as 'Motor Finance Wizard project'. Start up Thriller boulder, but instead of cutting left into Evil at the ledge, head right and up the blankish face. Huge throws on slopey holds guard the crux. The top is exciting and ever so pumpy.

Bouldery start on tiny slopers and a shallow hueco. Once over the lip do Friction Addictions

4m R of Evil Wears No Pants. Futuristic. Two hard boulder problems to classic upper wall. Finishes at anchor on right shared with Gladiator.

All the moves had been done but no one was able to take care of this one until a climber from Scotland, Robbie Phillips visited Queensland. He sent the route on his last day in the country thereby establishing Queensland's current hardest Sport route.

Bouldery start trending left on line of weakness, before joining into BTHTF at the bolt below the headwall (ignore bolts out right which need to be removed).

Robbie re-named "Taking Care of Business Project" to "Haggisaurus Rex" due to the Dinosaur skin-like nature of the rock and the fact that Robbie only ate Haggis the whole time he was in Australia to maintain his Scottish Highlander Powers! Rumour has it they shipped 70 whole Haggis' to Australia just for Robbie..."

Start-up Gladiator, after the crux, climb leftwards on to Taking Care of Business variation, at last jug enjoy a hard low traverse left into the crimpy ending Friction Addiction. This route is fantastic with a great mix of climbing and is a classic link-up well worth doing.

Fantastic climbing on solid rock with exceptional moves. Start at the same point as Taking Care of Business and head right onto a small shelf – slightly tricky. Then head directly up into the obvious feature, semi-dangerous clip (ground fall potential). This is followed by some tricky moves to a cruxy dead point and easier head wall.

There is a bolt under the lip over the right side to protect the start.

A visionary route by Frey Yule and a brilliant gift to Coolum crag – thank you Frey for all your great routes at the cave!

No sure if it goes. Start The Seam and stay in the it all the way. Two more bolts allow to link directly to the upper wall of Spoonman.

Start slightly left of Knifey Spooney. The fainted crack feature on that compact wall. This line link into the crux of Spoonman. Probably the hardest climb in Queensland at the moment.

To reach full mastery, keep on going past the Knifey Spooney anchor.

Bouldery start left of Screaming. Control the move to the knife hold and link into Spoonman.

Knifey start, at the spoon continue straight up into the orange scoop on its own set of anchors. One of the more direct climbs at coolum, multiple cruxes and doesn’t let up until you clip the chains.

Combines the cruxes of three routes. Start off Knifey Spooney, then into Spoonman and finally veer left into Iron Man. Lots of fun bouldering with good rests in between.

Climb Spoonman and step left at the anchor. Keep going up to link with some good rock. Finish at Camp III.

Bust out L from SI at 5th bolt. Great rock and good sequences have quickly made this a popular tick at the grade.

Climb Spoonman and after the crux, at the large jug rest, continue tending leftwards up 5 new bolts, staying off the route to the left. The route finishes on a single hanger with a ring just below joining Spoonmonster.

Note: I opted to not climb to the Spoonmonster anchor as the rock quality is poor, sharp and dusty and adds nothing to the route in terms of difficultly or quality.

Starts up Spoonman. Once you hit the arete head left below Ironman to join Gladiator.

Links the start of Knifey Spooney into the finish of Wholly Calamity. Some great moves down low to an easier finish than Spoonman. Take a long draw for the bolt before Spoonman crux, and another long draw for the bolt above Screaming's horns.

The must-do crag classic, featuring the biggest and most aesthetic horns and jugs on the wall. When this was first bolted, there was nobody strong enough to climb it. Oh how things change!

Up to anchor of SI (600mm sling), then head left on tricky slopers before joining into the last part of Spoonman.

Traverse left across the blankness in the middle of screamings crux. Finishes up Spoonman. Fun.

SpoonBaby across into Iron Man, avoids the good low knee bars on Spoonman. Should prove sustained.

This is the extension to Screaming Insanity. No harder, just pumpier! Three more bolts keep the lactic levels up.

Climb Screaming Insanity, but instead of clipping anchor traverse right and join onto Crouching Tiger, Hidden Climber.

Starting as for SI, step R on ramp and then blast the line above. Wear a shirt. You'll see.

Climbs Crouching Tiger until you notice a series of horns on your right. Traverse diagonally up to reach the crux of Kept Man. Up and PAST the chains of Kept Man/COD for another 3 bolts to the double rings right under the roof (Camp II/ Gothic Architect ).

Antoines right hand line of bolts above gonna fly now.

Start with the boulder problem SI, and then ramble easily up R to belay on a cool ledge in a really good position.

DM with a batman start to the third bolt.

Climb DM to access. Belayer can either belay from there, or the ground. Climb starts steeply directly above. A few bolts trending up and left to chains.

Traverse right onto exposed arete from the anchor of DM. A couple of funky throws and you're ready to clip the chain. Best to belay from the ground.

From Kept Man Belay station. Keep going and traverse into the massive roof. Finish at a picnic table ledge (aka camp III) over the lip.

Start right of Sceaming for some Mad roof climbing, join into 4 metres for the finish.

Steepest route in Coolum. Start in back of cave R of SI. Stick clip first 2 bolts. Finish L of final bolt over the mantle.

A short bouldery route traversing the lip of the cave from right to left. This route consumed Ross' life for a time.

Separation thru to demolition mans anchors. Out there.

Starts up 'Eight Minute Abs' to first bolt then traverses left on flakes, finishes up 'Separation Anxiety'

Eight Minute Abs from the batman start. Mostly jugs with a bit of spice at the end.

The left trending line that starts left of WOC. The first half dozen moves make up the crux and are extremely bouldery requiring some strong core work to a huge bucket. From there it's a 45 degree wall with mostly big moves to big holds and a tricky finish to finish near the top of Demolition Man. Make sure you mantle the ledge at the anchor to get the tick! Anchor has been placed too low.

Linkup - Climbs Eight Minute Abs past the anchor into Call of Duty, via a 60cm sling on the first COD bolt

Start as Eight Minutes Abs. Join into Weapon of Choice and finish it.

Climb Bloody Weapon until anchor, then veer left and finish up COD.

The line starting at ground level, 10m L of the R end of cave. Stick-clip the very high first ringbolt. Probably the most beta intensive route here. At least seven kneebars.

Logical finish for WC. Cruxy ending on the upper arête (intended finish which was graded at 28). The right variant finish from the base of the arête has become the new ‘normal’ way graded at 27.

Climb Weapon of Choice and make your way into Renewable energy.