Routes as trad in Desperation Wall

Start about 70m down right from the Caves Route at low angled wall. Up 15m of slab below a small buttress. Then up centre of buttress to finish at steelwood trees in a grassy area. The Caves Route is 10m left at this point.

Start about 10m right of Keloid at the foot of a scoop of easy angled slabs. This route is considerably undergraded and underprotected. Additionally, all former belays are now effectively absent. Proceed with caution, or better yet, not at all.

1. 36m Up the slabs and diagonally left across the top side of a gully. Continue on leftward trend until steepness eases to worn slabs. Continue on up to the left for another 4m into a gully and dodgy (e.g. non-existent) tree belay.

2. 18m Climb back down and traverse directly right along small ledges to piton below groove. Continue right and slightly down for 3m to twin pegs. Rusty and not recommended as a belay.

3. 29m (crux) Left a bit, then straight up to base of groove. Up this with adequate pro to sloping rock and tree belay. From here, scramble up and left to connect with Caves Route.

1. 40m Straight up to twin peg belay at the end of Wasp's second pitch

2. 29m Same as Pitch 3 of Wasp

Start between Wasp and Desperation Wall. This route is under-protected, beware!

1. 26m (crux) Up easy slab, onto wall and straight up, then trend slightly right over bulge, to peg, then straight up a right trending groove on the left side of the bulge, then slightly left of white streaks, hard move onto belay ledge.

2. 38m Climb directly up from ledge to find a peg at 12m, continue straight up to overhanging wall, then a short traverse left to the base of the groove and finish as per Wasp.

Start at the base of an impressive blank wall right of Line of Credit. This route climbs mostly solid rock but is runout in places. Various alternate finishes have been done.

1. 22m This pitch has very little protection. Straight up on nice rock for 8m, then traverse diagonally right with care on sloping holds to ledge and belay.

2. 17m Traverse left for 5m then up scary, thin wall with little pro with a slight right trend and up to small ledge. Bolt belay as described in previous topos seems not to exist any more, best to traverse up and left to DBB on Line of Credit.

3. 50m (crux) Straight up, then traverse right under yellow overhang, passing some rusted pitons en route. Continue up shallow corner where decent wires protect some tricky moves on poor rock. Skirt overhang on right to ledge and bush belay.

4. 25m Continue up into Cave 1.

Start to the left of Ishoni. Looks unlikely from the ground but is much better than you think. Starts off the left end of the ledge with easy climbing on medium sized gear then FH's up steep headwall. Absolutely outstanding after the start.

To start, skip the crack but and go right to through the steep bulge past bolt. Merge left with Straight to the Pool Room and finish up headwall.

A proud line. Start by scrambling up onto vegetated terrace 25m right of Line of Credit, then walk off left end of terrace 3m to tree. Belay out of wide crack. Double ropes essential. Up left around bulge, then up to first of three black FH's. Up and left to ledge (big gear). Right off ledge to horizontal break in superb marble-like stone, then back left to FH. A long undercling move, then up to last FH. RP's take you up the ever steepening wall, then a good wire and a thankful rest on easy ground. Slab to chains. Well protected with careful placements.

Start to the right of Ishoni. Cruisy but fun start then steep conclusion. Trad down low and two FH's higher up. Lower off.

First climb Ideas Man (crux) but continue past IM anchors for another 5m to a DBB.

P2) 14 - 40m continue up following line of least resistance passing one FH to DBB.

P3) 16 - 30m continue up faint features with gear and two FH to DBB.

P4) 10m either straight up to DBB or escape right to Zeitgeist anchors.

Groove/crack to its end. Up wall trending right to S crack and double hanger anchor with quick links. Small to medium gear. Well protected along the route and before the cruxes.

Start the same as for Black Orpheus. This climb ascends the wall directly to the left of Black Orpheus. A fairly comprehensive rack with a selection of wires, including RP's, hexes and cams from small to #3 Friends should provide plenty of protection.

1. 20m Climb straight up the first pitch of Black Orpheus to large ledge and natural belay.

2. 13m Step left from belay onto short wall above then easier ground. Follow the left trending ramp for a few meters then step up to a natural belay on a small stance. An escape right is possible onto Black Orpheus.

3. 30m Step left from the belay and climb obvious line above the loose blocks. Continue up the steep section (crux) staying right of a small tree to where the angle eases. Follow the easier ground to another natural belay a few meters left of and below obvious corner.

4. 40m Traverse right from the belay and up into the corner left of the chimney of Black Orpheus, follow this to where it widens into a grassy gully, then step right onto the wall and climb easily to a tree.

5. 10m Scramble up the slabs to another tree at the mouth of the big cave.

A great, easy 135m multipitch route although pro can be pretty sparse on p2&3 and non-existant on p5. A good initiation to what to expect from Tibro multipitches. Can be done in three pitches with 60m rope.

Start: About 50m L of Candy Mountain at big corner/gully, behind a rock apron. Marked 'BO' (very faint).

★★ Black Orpheus 10 - "BO"

1. 30m (7) Very easily up gully on solid jugs and good pro to big ledge and trad belay.

2. 25m (10) Up rocky corner/slab (right of ledge) Then left to mount short wall (crux), onto slab & up this gully (R) with a couple of bushes offering protection to big ledge & bush belay.

   max on ★★ Black Orpheus 10 - Crux of pitch 2

3. 25m (4) Climb up edgy slab in an exposed position with minimal protection until it curves back left & you reach a tree-lined ledge above. Scramble up L to the top of the ledge. Originally, the belay made use of the "Zombie Tree", however it is preferable that modern ascents make use of gear in groove about 5m above to establish a belay and protect this historic but weary flora from further abuse. You can choose to run pitch 2&3 together, beware that you may be out of earshot of your belayer. This pitch requires a cool head: exposed pitch & minimal pro!

4. 32m (10) Run-out start, then bridge up chimney (crux), which is better than it looks (very good gear), at top LH side of chimney, traverse L along the rising ledge and into corner, follow this up right over blocks to top of gully & crack & tree belay.

5. 23m (3) Up very easy blocky slab (no gear) to big tree in Cave 3. (Some choose to run pitch 4&5 together, on a 60m+ rope, be aware you WILL be out of earshot.) Finish up the 'Caves Route', or descend via rap station at mouth of Cave 1. Alternatively, you can climb (on belay) over to the chains on Zeitgeist & abseil down this to get back to the start of the route.

An easy but badly protected outing. A great adventure for the discerning choss jockey. The FA was completed (just!) in two pitches (running 1-2 and 3-4 together). Note that this was not at all comfortably done on a 70m rope - if you're going to do this as two pitches I would only recommend doing so on an 80m rope.

1. (4) 20m - First pitch as for Black Orpheus

2. (14R) 50m - Instead of mounting the short wall as for Black Orpheus, head right just under the steep wall and trend right and slightly up over occasionally horrific rock (only real landmark is a grassy tree ledge you traverse about 5m above) with a healthy dose of airiness to ledge at start of white and black streaked slab and up this for 15m to tree belay on left.

3. (10) 40m - Up right easily to tree (sling) then straight up over rotting rock to mount bulge, then trending up and right to big tree belay just below obvious chimney

4. (4) 30m - Up and right into chimney and finish in cave 4 as per Prometheus

Start 7m left of Orpheus. A fine route, avoids rubbish. Pro and rock good except a small patch on Pitch 2.

1. 50m Up grey prow, over flat topped pillar. Trend slightly right to tree.

2. 40m Following left-trending diagonal crack to tree at 25m. Before tree, up on good clean rock, then trend right to shallow block corner left of wide crack.

3. 50m Up corner then directly up to belay in bowl below cave. Tremendous pitch!

4. 10m Scramble up to cave.

Start about 20m right of Black Orpheus. Fairly contrived.

1. 25m Up an open rock gully to a tree belay.

   Bruce Schneider on ★ Orpheus 10 - Orpheus pitch 1

2. 29m (crux) Trend right over a horrendous flake, then diagonally up right, to tree belay.

3. 27m Up slab trending right for gear, or straight up (very run-out), to a line of small steelwood trees. Left along dirt ledge to the face right of Black Orpheus chimney & tree belay. This ledge is the same as the end of BO pitch 3.

4. 28m Up onto the wall right of the chimney. Traverse rightward around to rubbly gully. Up this gully (LHS is the better option), to a tree belay.

5. 40m Finish as for the fourth pitch of Prometheus 1 up in Cave 4.

Climbs the white streaked slab 3m L of prominent corner, just L of Prometheus I. Crap pro, good rock.

Climb the prominent corner you pass on you way to the start of Prometheus I. Good gear and ok climbing but you end up climbing through an unpleasant bush to top out, hence the name. Continue up or scramble down Prometheus I. Named but FA not listed because it has probably been climbed heaps of times since the 1960s!

Start: Prometheus I.

There are a plethora of variants to Prometheus I, this one is an easy stroll up the mountain, to Cave 4. A tad thin on gear on p2.

1. 53m 4 - Same as Prometheus pitch 1,but continue left, following the natural weakness & gully, to a small dirt ledge & bushes. Trad belay.

2. 30m 4 - Continue left, following the line of weakness, then trend up & right, around the Steelwood trees, to a tree belay.

3. 40m 4 - From the belay, head for the right side of Cave 4, into the fern gully, then up the left side of this into Cave 4. Belay from Cave 4.

A good way up to cave 4 and beyond, not as clean and classy as The Caves Route but a nice change of scenery.

Start about 50m right of Black Orpheus, in a gully that is accessed by scrambling up just before the track drops down and starts heading around the northern side of the mountain. This route has many variations - this description is only one of them.

1. Scramble up the gully, left of Candy Mountain, then up right, into the prominent corner and follow the apron right towards Ross Miller Route until a ramp is met on the left. Scramble up this ramp to a corner belay below the first bolts of the Ross Miller Route.

2. Climb the left leaning gully, to a prominent steelwood tree. Belay from here.

3. Traverse right and diagonally up, following a line of small trees (slings) to a ledge, below a steep short gully. Belay from solid tree or gear.

4. Move left and up (grade 2) or climb the gully directly to avoid rope drag, heading in the direction of cave 4, either stop at the ledge at the bottom of the ramp in front of cave 4 or continue up to the prominent tree on the ramp. Find a suitable tree to break the pitch.

5. Continue up and towards the right side of cave 4 (facing cave) into the gully/chimney, with a cruxy move to top out into cave 4. This pitch can be done without rope. The most popular escape is the Cave 3 traverse (grade 2, now bolted, with anchor), on the left far side of the cave, to join Caves Route, or keep scrambling to the right and in the upper cave 4 to the start of Prometheus II (marked). Due to the weakness of the trees on this route, abseiling is not recommended.