Nodes in North Face

Small area, harder higher routes than the West Face area

Wall and arete right of GBOBW.

The 1st crack in descent gullys right hand side wall. Natural protection. Up the crack with an interesting finish. - grovel , grovel

Probably the hardest route on Mt Keira. Start 3 meters left of 'Great Balls Of Boogey Woogy'. Up the wall to horizontals then crank crank crank to the top.

3 ring bolts and an optional rusty dogger bolt plate at the crux to a new double ring anchor.

[Apr-2012 new lower off] Strenuous face climbing for last 2 bolts! Start 2 meters left of Pakistan. Climb past the horizontals then follow the rings to the top. Plus has original top belay bolts.

Start on the rock platform, up jutting features to the 1st ledge. Bridge corners to get to 2nd ledge. Now it gets harder - grasp for pockets and thin footholds to reach the diagonal ridge. Slap direct to the anchors with a huge lunge off the ridge gaston, or pike right and use the arete if you are not tall enough.

[May 2012 - Loweroffs and 2 ring bolts]

The Opposing face of Nordwand.

Step up on horizontals using crack for purchase. Reach to the ledge and walk left along the diagonal then pull up. Spread arms wide for flacks, watch foot placement, some of the small flakes are weak.

From the top you can also exit via Sand Pit Wall Exit route, thus making it a multi pitch route.

The following 3 short routes plus the start of Bog Cog are up the small intermediate landing area above Sand Pit Wall Entrance.

On the short wall starting from the halfway ledge (3m left of Debut Deview). Up wall past rusty bolt going left at top. Pro. = 2 rusty bolts

The flake just to the left of Sand Pit Wall One. Up the wall.

Sand Pit Wall Exit Lower Offs can be used from this route

[May 2012 - Lower offs] Layback off crack , step up and then reach left and clip 1st bolt.

[May 2012 - new Loweroffs and bolts]

From the path - up the arete , pull up to the 1st platform then up the razor arete to the second platform. Hunt for the holds and smear up to the top.

From the top you can also exit via Sand Pit Wall Exit route, thus making it a multi pitch route

Thin face climbing. Balancy and technical. Start about 7 meters around from Fascination, at easy short arete under roof at the base of the cliff, OR solo up the corner to belay at wall. Up wall and flake. 4 rings to double rings at top.

Original grade was 24 but we think it could be a couple grades higher. Old guide description is to traverse in from the right at the upper sand pit ledge, but it is more conventional and accessible to just start at the ground as per Fizzgig. At the traverse clip the first bolt of Cheap Wine, then head diagonally upwards to finish as per Cheap Wine anchor.

The traverse is spacey. Start as for Fizzgig. Up easy ground to steep wall (ringbolt). Traverse out left across wall just above the undercut roof (ringbolt). Up wall at left side of arete (ringbolt) to double bolt belay.

Up the first 3 bolts on wallyard grave, then go right across crack into lip of roof and trend up and right to double ring anchor. (An easier variation can be done by going up the crack another meter before branching right, but beware there is a funnel web in the good pocket

The corner about 5 meters past Fizzgig. Up the corner to the top.

Up GH Groove for 8 metres. Step L on horizontal break to gain finger crack of WG. (GH Groove is now 'off'.)

The wall left of Grot Heap Groove. Up the middle of the wall finishing up the thin crack in the wall and top wall. This route has been retro-bolted with 4 additional rings and is now a sport route.

Many of the Wollongong crags are located in the Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area (IESCA). This region has had a chequered history in recent times, with large swathes of popular crags having to be closed after it was missed that a new NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Plan of Management (PoM - 2018) had incidentally banned climbing along most of the escarpment. After a lobbying effort and a stroke of coincidental good luck an amended plan of management has been published (2023), modifying the plan to allow rock-climbing “… on the west- and south-facing cliffs of Mount Keira and on cliffs north of Bulli Pass."

Access comes with caveats and all climbers should be aware that that “… new bolts or anchors may only be installed with NPWS consent, and park infrastructure such as safety railing may not be used as anchor points as they have not been designed for this purpose. NPWS will not install, assess or guarantee bolts or other fixed protection points. Participants in these activities are solely responsible for their own safety.”

Given the pressures many rock-climbing areas have been under around Australia and the plethora of access issues that have followed it is imperative that climbers respect and heed the access requirements. Access granted can easily be access taken, noting from the PoM: “Locations where rock climbing and abseiling are allowed may be reviewed and altered to address safety issues, risks to visitors or impacts on cultural values or environmental values. Temporary closures of rock climbing and abseiling locations may be applied to limit impacts. Permanent closure of sites may also be necessary. NPWS will consult with representatives of the local climbing community before implementing any permanent closures.”

Please refer to the ‘Ethic” section for more notes on how to be a good steward for the climbing community.

[May 2012 - loweroffs and start ringbolt added]

An excellent direct route with great views The arete left of Wallyard Grave. Follow the arete and right wall past fixed brackets to reach top arete. Climb arete until forced back right onto wall (crux) and up wall past last bracket to lower-offs. - 5 Expansion bolts & 1 RB.

From the top of WGA rappel over edge to the right (facing out) to small ledge. Climb back up wall past rusting bolts.

From the base of WGA walk around left and scramble up to next climbs at a crack with initials 'FOY'

Start at FOY marked chimney. Up and onto ledge on right side of arete. Up the corner past ledges to the top.

A chimney with an exciting finish. Initialled.

Start in the crack left of Fountain of Youth. Up the line.

Up Teno Not Streno and traverse left across wall past bolt and 2 brackets to another crack. Up wide crack to top.