Routes as trad in Australia

Extension to Kundalini. Adds another 7m of hard climbing on thin crimps and pockets and a final jump to the ledge.

Hardest route in the Grampians?

Start: Link-up of Daniel Or-Tiger into Somoza via some mind-blowing climbing. Very sustained with a bouldery crux.

Demanding bouldery cruxes and intimidatingly huge dynos. According to Dave Jones, 'Malcolm only ever bolted this because he'd just done Mirage and thought he could dyno the full height of the cliff'. Start about 15m R of The Seventh Pillar, 2-3m R of Slytherin.

1. 28m (33) 3FHs (enormous dyno at 3rd, Rainbow Rocket -style), to gain THE break about 6-8m R of the Seventh Pillar bolt ladder. Continue up the desperate looking face past 3 FHs which trend R into a thin L-facing flake. Follow this to a chain below the main roof (30m rap).

2. 20m (32/3) This is the left-most bolted line through the major roof which extends all the way from The Seventh Pillar to Serpentine, halfway up Taipan. Another all points off dyno plus amazing water scoop/arete climbing, ending at the 3rd pitch traverse break of The Seventh Pillar. Nalle thought pitch 1 was a bit harder than this pitch, but maybe not by much!

3. 14m (29) Quetzalcoatl last pitch.

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.

Finally freed but still popular as an aid climb, hence double bolts at the top of the wall. The impressive overhanging crack on the valley side. Up the crack to the fork and take the right-hand crack to the top. Also popular as a commercial abseiling site.

The easiest line up a great, albeit only mildly overhanging wall. Probably the world's first 8b+ / 5.14a and ahead of its time in Australian terms - it took nearly ten years before an Aussie (Stuart Wyithe) repeated it!

Despite masses of beta available on the internet, it still sees very few quick ascents, hasn't been onsighted and is still regarded as somewhat of a testpiece with a redpoint crux far above the technical crux and accounting for many an accomplished climber.

Many argue the route is easier than when Wolfgang and Stefan Glowacz did it in the mid 80's due to the increased size of the crux glue hold (the notorious birdbath). For a while considered "only" 31, it seems to have re-consolidated at 32.

Start as for Punks in the Gunks. At its traverse, instead go up, L and up, up, up to chains at the top.

Mayan

An amazing effort by a relatively unsung local.

This completely natural (read, "not chipped or glued" like its famous sibling) has some genuinely difficult (as if the grade weren't required to confirm it already) slabby traversing early on before pulling into Punks, climbing it for a few metres before escaping out R to the arete.

Start beneath the R-leading arch, a few metres up L of PitG.

Dual Fuel? Jule Fuel? Who knows how it's meant to be spelt. The usual warning applies: there's only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads / Red Vinyl

Start as for Red Vinyl then link into Breathing Gasoline after about 9m. This eliminates the rest on Breathing Gasoline, making this route rather more sustained! For the record, on 26/4/09, not really knowing what went where, Mike Patz sent a similar link-up at the same sort of grade, this time starting up the first few bolts of Nomads then finishing up Breathing Gasoline.

A whole new route without a single extra bolt!

Start as for Red Vinyl.

Extends Red Vinyl to the lip. No more bolts, although it does now have it's own anchor. Make sure you clip the last bolt on Red Vinyl then drop back down right, up, then back left to the crux. You need an alert belayer once you're out near the lip.

Pat Turner's unrepeated line up the main Amphitheatre overhang.

Controversy, broken holds and a grade that would make this one of the hardest climbs in WA have meant this climb is more often talked about than climbed on.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/long-standing-trad-project-ticked/

The bolted seam R of Melodrama and L of Be There or Be Square, to chains.

"A fun day out"

1. 31 As for Teflon

2. 24

3. 28

4. 29

5. 27

Gorgeous and impossible looking line. Absolute world-class classic. Batman on fix rope to start DUB anchor. Stout start at finger lock in horizontal break below anchor, progress steep terrain on pinkie locks, flairy hand jam, pinch, etc to double crimp. Enter wild crux through 60deg overhang with four consecutive finger locks, crimp, pocket, small dynos, etc to uncomfortable rest in break. From there it's easy gr26 but so good to under roof. Climb easy but very exposed roof to tricky exit gr23. Walk off with a smile. Cleaning is best by climbing it again to DUB anchor under roof, clean roof and lower from anchor clean gear to start anchor.

Please be careful with cams, although the rock is solid enough and immaculate for fingers , cams could damage this gem particularly in the crux section. Don't use cams in the finger locks, protect crux in crack above crimps and run it out. Protection is great in smaller sizes where fingers wont fit.

Start at tree right of corner, using pocket then straight up to roof and traverse left under roof and up shallow corner to ledge. Technical corner work then follow line to crux moves at very top . . . 'Cull The Sac' variant. Climb past roof and up to ledge at half-height ~23. Sling-horn to lower, then flick it off to retrieve.

Magnificent. HB almost freed it (30M1 - 1 point) but it took another 15 years for Ben to finish it off, by the skin of his teeth. So far he's suggested "maybe 30, 31" for the grade - we'll go with the latter!

Start: 10m R of 'Pegasus'.

1. 35m (31) Hard moves take you R through the roof 10m R of 'Pegasus' to crux into bottomless corner. On up corner to belay.

2. 27m (-) Easy ground.

Some think it might be 30..

HB had previously dabbled in this vicinity while searching for a second pitch for Mirage, but after he declared the second pitch groove "impossible" nobody bothered with it for years. Luckily no one told Stuart, who sauntered in and snared one of Taipan's very best. Unfortunately the first pitch is ridiculously cruxy, so most people rap in to do pitch 2 only. Start as for Sirocco.

1. 35m (31) Follow Mirage for 18m to gain the hanging slab atop the steep white corner. Now doddle up L (ha ha) past bolts to the start of the groove, and more easily to hanging belay at chain (30m rap).

2. 25m (28) Amazing climbing up the line of shallow water scoops in incredible red stone, 7FHs to chain (25m to 1st belay, 55m to ground).

A fantastic natural line that was one of the 'last great lines' in the Grampians until Lee Cossey put a few days work into it and freed it in November 2015.

Start: On the right wall of the gully, about 15m L of 'Neptune' pitch 2, is this striking overhung curving corner/crack. Up tips finger crack to crux move from crimpy pinch to big huecos above the sickle, monkey right into the crack (drop the rope back to the belayer - or use double rope technique - to avoid heinous drag) and blast upwards to glory.

First ascent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCljblIsMYk

It doesnt get much thinner than this. the direct line up the blankish slab 5m left of Celluloid Heroes. The grade is height dependent.

Start R of Trojan below boulder. Up and traverse R and up. Direct start (bolted by Carrigan decades ago) remains unclimbed.

Given 31, but it's not that much harder then the original.

Australia's hardest pure jam crack. Purportedly quite exciting with proper hard moves above a ledge and limited chances to stop and place gear. One for the smaller handed folk.

Firetail

At the very top of The Gonk is a spell binding corner. From the top of The Gonk rappel from a double bolt belay onto a ledge which is the top of The Life of Meaning. The crux is well protected by cams and the second half of the route is sparsely protected with small wires and potentially ball nuts if you have them.

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.

The inverted squeeze chimney / bum-crack above the Camping Cave. Starting at the back of the cave, chimney up, invert from a fist jam, stick your feet up there and shuffle upside down to lip. Cut loose, work around lip, then cruise up offwidth vertical section. Has been done in various ways using the full range of offwidth techniques, needs a few 5 & 6 cams for roof.

Hardest climb listed at Tarana, maybe the hardest "wide" climb in Aus?

Three great pitches, varying in style. Start 3 metres right of The Birdcage.

1. 25m (24) A little sparsely bolted but well within the capabilities of anyone up for the next pitch. Trend right following 5 rings to the belay.

2. 12m (30) Very thin on beautiful rock. Up three bolts then right past another two, ignore the direct finish unless you are after a mighty challenge. Onto the grey rock and into belay cave.

3. 20m (23) Lovely way to finish it off. Follow rings up headwall and over the top to rap chain.

Elliot

An impressive effort – Malcolm, as is his want, made sure each piece of gear (except the fixed piton) was placed on lead. A few metres down left of the start of The Land that Time Forgot, there is a major gully. Follow the right side of this gully uphill, initially past a couple of sports routes (Valley of Fear and Jurassic Adventures) and onward about another 50m to a striking diagonal overhanging crack/seam. Follow the relentlessly overhanging pocketed seam; trad gear with one fixed pin to a double bolt anchor.

Starts as per PT moving right at undercling flake. Moves into PD for 10m then weaves up incredible thin face.

A popular steep powerful flake and pocket climb. One of the first routes of this style done in the Grampians. The climb eases up considerably in the upper half.

Start: Start 15m left of 'Sandinista' at the well chalked flake crack.

Un-repeated? Short, smooth and hard.

Start: The right hand hanging corner from the terrace above 'Gunboat Diplomacy' and 20m left of 'Guinea Pig Flake'.

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.

After the long years of Steve and others being spat off before Dave cleaned it up, it's apt that this genus includes the Spitting Cobra! The strongest line on all Taipan, this is the left-facing arete bounding the right side of the massive scooped out area right of Serpentine. It is more closely bolted than most other Taipan routes, although they're getting a bit the worse for wear. The whole thing can be worked from the ground using a 70m rope (but only just!). Start as for Serpentine.

1. 25m (27) Gain the arete and follow it, mostly sub-25 but with an insecure dyno past the 2nd bolt. Consider a cam before the (rusty) 1st bolt, not least to avoid knackering yourself if you come off the tricky next moves.

2. 15m (30) Continue up the arete with much better climbing. Unfortunately it gets increasingly guano-stained up high, so take a brush, but you can avoid the worst/highest section of guano by moving left before gaining the anchor (37m rap).

The "crazy linkup" of Lord of the Rings into Slinkin' Leopard.

Not his finest addition. Brutally hard undercling moves and very, very rarely repeated. Start as for Nose Job then bust left.

The prime line hereabouts. All the hard bit of India then step L and up the middle of the steep wall through the top roof to lower offs.

The master of combinations and permutations digs up another classic. This one links the "easy" bits of the two original routes.

Start as for Punks in the Gym, finish as for Pretty in Punk.

Power through the roof to the lip. The section after the roof was originally done by deviating R into the Low Down, then doing it's crux before continuing straight up. Has since been straightened out.

Start: R of Procol is a line of bolts through the ceiling.

Link Required into Requited.

Start up Very Anxious then before joining Anxiety Neurosis move L under the roof and blast through the roof and up the overhanging wall above staying between Kama Sutra and AN. Finish at AN p1 loweroffs or continue up any pitch above to the summit. FA early noughties IIRC ... clarification welcome.

Direct start to Moving Pictures past a rusty bolt or two.

Looks like 36! Originally led on preplaced gear, repeated placing the gear by Gareth Llewellin - a pretty bold lead. Start a short way uphill from the back of the D Minor pinnacle, and just downhill from the boulder choke. Glassy bulging seam. Rack: Mostly #1 RPs.

Climb all of 'Jet Lag' (via the original direct start) then launch onwards into a final boulder problem above the chains.

Start: Start as for JL.

A very impressive line blasting out the biggest part of this massive overhang, on beautiful red stone. The usual warning applies: there's only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads.

Start as for Nomads but stay on the hanging arete/nose, then follow the line of holds rightwards and outwards forever.

One of the best all trad lines in Australia. Brilliant pocketed corner on the best rock anywhere and an inspiration for all hard climbers. This was the first grade 30 in Australia done outside of Arapiles.

Start: The superb hanging corner about 15m right of 'Sandinista'. It finishes at the same point as 'Sandinista'. Gain access to the corner by stepping in from the ledge to the right.

Hard grit 'Grampians' style. Effectively it is a grade 30 solo. Repeated by UK grit master Ben Heason and confirmed at English E8 6c.

Start: Climbs the northern arete of the large boulder (Legolands bouldering area) which is directly opposite 'The Territorial Imperative'.

The obvious crack splitting the wall 5m left of Simply the Best.

Probably the best trad climb in Tasmania.

Absolutely mind bending trad line. One of the great routes of this genre in Australia and in a spectacular location. Access by an easy paddle from Brooklyn. First ascent done by Johnathon Clearwater on pre-placed gear. First ascent with all gear placed on lead by Simon Bischoff 2018 at grade 30.

The past horizontal roof crack through outrageous terrain. Turns the lip and continues up the headwall.

Two bolts up a very blank looking rounded arete/face lead to an easier crack.

Start up Angel Of Pain (26), then cross over Passchendaele (0.75 and 0.5 cam) and move left to gain the upper section of Legends Never Die. Super sustained with a desperate crux below the anchors on flailing arms.

Start up Augmentium and at the higher of the two traversing cracks bust out right via some committing moves.

Traverse R climbing past Simply The Best. Clipping the bolts on that route is a serious no-no. Continue to the flaring corner for the crux. Continue up the crack to the top.

You need at least a #4 cam for the bottom offwidth. The rest of the route takes all sorts of gear. Double rack from green alien to #2 camalots with a bunch of slings or just use two ropes.

Ryan Gaskon Open Project. Terribly thin line snuck between the classics. Start on horizontal break, clip bolt then boulder through tiny crimps and sidepulls, then dyno right to gain ledge. Continue easily up thin diagonal seam past 2nd break to top

Start as per Immortality (couple of small cams required) following it until the sloping ledge then continue straight up. Progressively harder moves with building pump culminating with an extremely thin crux at the last bolt.

Do a move or two as for 'Evolution' pitch 6, then trend R following the line of bolts up the left hand side of the big cave, eventually joining 'Jump Master' at the top of its first pitch.

Start: Start as for 'Evolution' pitch 6.

Reportedly freed by Derek Thatcher and Zac Vertrees. Start up Aesthetic Images to its 2nd bolt, then rising traverse left to gain line of bolts right of Candle Power. About grade 29.

Start: The arête at the left end of the Buttress, before the big chimney corner. Start up the arête, trending right past the hangers to the horizontal break (big friend). Step up and power up the yellow streak past more hangers to lower-off under the block.

"The hardest thing I climbed in the 80s": Law. Originally given 26, but "more like 28 now that no one climbs slabs". Brushed and rebolted 2016. One of the best hard lines near melbourne.

Start: Start 2m R of F.

Large roof doesn't even come close to describing this. Flake (peg) on right side of cave (facing in) to its end. Bulge, then line across ceiling to exit through left-most hole in roof.

Steep and very crimpy

Just another stunner

Left hand start to minimal tech.

Grampians wall climbing at it's best with distinct sections of increasingly sustained and technical climbing. Start at the corner 3m L of Forty is the new 23. Small gear required for the initial corner, and beware the top FH is very difficult to clip, add a long draw.

A ridiculously thin looking black streak.

Start: Start beneath the widest black streak on the wall, about 20m L of the arch, and a few metres R of where the raised ledge peters out.

1. [24] 32m

   Crank off cairn to the break, then traverse left for 6-8m. Up over bulges past FHs, to a slopey ledge (#3 cam). (Don't go diagonally up left from 2nd FH, there's no gear). Traverse left to short arête and up this (FH) to belay (25m rap).

2. [29] 40m

   This is why they rave about Taipan. Roof, trend right across scoop, hug up turret to horizontal break. Move left then weave up wall to the top. 8 FHs. Trad anchor, or lower 30m off the last bolt.

This famous line was the first route on the wall which cried out for the mythical fourth star. Now re-bolted by HB with 75mm ball head expansions (the original laser-cut fixed hangers remain), HB also put in an anchor 1.5m to the right (you still have to top out). PLEASE DON'T PISS ON THE BELAY LEDGE (bring a pee bottle for long belay sessions). Aiming left or outwards is NOT Ok, you WILL be pissing on other pitches and yes they do get climbed. Start on the cairn on the raised ledge, directly below the obvious huge arete of 'Naja'.

A 15m variant to the first part of the second pitch of Serpentine. Significantly harder than Serpentine. Pull through initial roof on Serpentine p2 then L via very thin moves to red jug on beautiful sheer hanging red face. Trend back R past 3rd bolt and up subtle arete. When the arete finishes trend L via more hard moves past 5th bolt, to rejoin Serpentine at the horizontal break.

Makes Rage an independent line to the top, providing another awesome pitch up the most majestic part of Taipan. Start as for Serpentine pitch 2. Follow Rage for 5 bolts then head left to wide runnel, follow right side of runnel to just below roof, span left across runnel, then up to roof. Follow right side of next runnel to top. Another variant has been bolted (see 41b in topo) which moves left after only 1 or 2 bolts of Rage and up the faint arete to join into Angst.

Starts as for Feather Boa until a few metres below the main roof, then go right through the roof and up the headwall for a few more metres to an anchor in the middle of nowhere where the holds run out.

The magical long sustained main pitch uninterrupted by rests is something special, even by Taipan's lofty standards. After some high profile spankings it seems to be settling in as being about a grade harder (not a grade easier!) than Serpentine, so Dave's original grade of 28 has been bumped up to a solid 29...and may not stop there!

Start in Lawrence of Arabia, about 6-8m R of Quetzalcoatl and 5-6m L of Scud Buster. It's best to fix a rope 8m to the ground so you can belay from the ground and jug/batman to start.

1. 47m (29) The gear (mostly FHs but some med. cams down low and a small wire up high) is a bit spaced but right where you need it. 'Steep' slab climbing (crux) up to the main roof. Bust out the roof, trend R a bit then up the sustained wall to the 3rd belay of The Seventh Pillar (45m rap).

2. 14m (28) Cute. Straight up the steep headwall above the belay.

Start at a hanging belay in Lawrence of Arabia, about 15m R of the Seventh Pillar bolt ladder. Use fixed rope on Feather Boa to access.

1. 40m (-) Some very hard face moves past 2RB to gain a thin R-facing flake (The Great Affair takes the L side of the same flake/rib). Follow this up to the main roof. Move R then out the roof and up the wall above to finish roughly in the middle of the 3rd pitch of The Seventh Pillar. Takes the line of rusting FH after the roof. Possibly 33/34.

2. 14m (29) The headwall pitch past 3RB's, starting roughly in the middle of the third pitch of the Seventh Pillar. This pitch has been sent so knock yourself out.

A beautiful natural line but unpopular due to its rusting bolts and bizarre traversing.

Start at the first anchor of Sordid Orchids, on the guano-stained ledge. Drop down, traverse 4m right and go up flake to roof. Right below roof for 5m and over lip (crux). Traverse 5m right to finish beside Clean Sweep. Approx 5 bolts?

Start 5m right of Seamy Side. Follow black streak up thin crack through bulges. When crack ends at around the 10m mark, step left and continue up clean headwall to top. Descend off Seamy Side anchors.

You're Terminated Direct. Open Project. Direct start possible (will require a bolt) up the blunt arete between Dark Matter and A Taste of Honey.

Direct finish possible straight over bulge after 2nd bolt on You're Terminated. Would make the line completely independent of Lats in the Belfry.

Climb "High Dive" until its crux and continue up underside of arete past 2 bolts to join "Power Corruption and Lies"

Straightens out Slinkin'.

Start: Start as for Slinkin' but go direct and up to the end of the L-wards traverse

Start as for Slinkin' Leopard, then head left after the crux "drive by" through punchy boulder (trad) then finish up Fortress.

Link Yesterday Direct into Use No Chooks.

Up Shadows and Light to its second bolt. Step right to the pointy jug, then straight up (dyno) into Elongate.

The finger shredding line starting just left of the start to 'Mind Arthritis', then taking the very bouldery wall above it. 2 hard 2-move boulder problems with a virtual sit down rest between them mars a route with one of the best positions at Arapiles.

The direct finish to 'Masada'. Instead of branching out left at the top of the groove, continue straight up through another boulder problem (as if the original crux wasn't enough!)

Once considered the hardest route in the country when introduced by Carrigan as Australia's first grade 30. Now considered a tad easier by modern standards. Start as for 'Trojan' and at its crux move left across the corner and onto the exposed arete. Take some deep breaths then get fired up for an intensely fingery experience above the flared layback, not to mention some acute footwork. At the top of the corner, make a move left to a jug and gain the finishing crack. A final tricky exit leads to the belay.

Originally bolted by Chris Shepherd, this link up was pointed out to Zac by Ingvar Lidman who promptly bagged the first ascent. Originally a sandbag at 29 ("more like 30 or 31," Zac) apparently a previously unused hold and an easier sequence has been found that makes it "only" 29.

Start up Masada, before veering L past a couple of bolts and some hard compression moves (crux) at half height. to the Judgement Day traverse. Finish through crux of Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death.

Up The Great Escape to half height, then R and up to lower offs.

After a few metres, break diagonally R and then power up past bolts to the lower-off L of Procol.

Start: As for 'Warmonger'.

Bolts are mostly rusty (still the case as at Apr 2023) and should not be trusted. Start 6-8m R of LC. Very bouldery past the first FH then continuous past 4 more FHs, then finish off to the right where Concise Exercise finishes. Lower off.

There's 1 or 2 old bolt holes 1 to 2m to the right dating from an unknown attempt on this great nose of rock. Start 4m L of 'Mantis'. It's almost a sport route but you need a few med. cams before the bolts.

Quite close to Nomads but it still looks great. The usual warning applies about having only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads.

Break R from Nomads after the 1st bolt, then follow the line of holds 1.5m R of Nomads. It's a shame it finishes in the middle of nowhere at the last bolt a few metres before the lip. There's no anchor - either trust the ring or back-clean it.

Up EotE to bolt then up bulging line between EotE and GT to join Intergalactic Space Control near the top. Watch your back.

Amazing arete with a peg and wire low down then the crux, then your on your own for the balancy stuff. So basically soloing. There is a sling and biner around a branch high in the tree for toproping / pro.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14058315@N00/2638157463/

Excellent orange face with lots of tiny crimpers and several FHs. Bring wallnuts to size 7 to supplement the existing FHs. More bolts may be added later.

start 7m right of Cadence. Up to the carrot, then trend right to join Stigmatised.