Routes as trad in NE Buttress Sector

Climb to the top of P3 on the Ross Miller Route and scramble 10m L to DBB, Joins the anchors of P6 RMR.

1. 25m 18 Climb up very poorly protected section of rock to a single cam and wire placement from here run it out to the anchor. Anchor has 1 fixed hanger and needs gear.

2. 25m 23 climb up bridging and jamming through rooflet on natural prow of all sorts for about 10m until the bolts (5) are reached then continue up to anchor

This is a modern incarnation of the historic North-East Buttress route. It does cross the original line in several places, although the original route remains largely undisturbed.

Access: From the old climber's carpark, take the right fork of the Tibrogargan track, heading north. Follow the track until you reach some chairs and a picnic table, after which you'll ascend some steps to find a small trail leaving the main track on the left. Follow this to the base of Candy Mountain. Around 15m past the right hand side of Candy Mountain is a vegetated weakness faintly marked NEB.

Start up easy buttress about 10m left of vegetated weakness. "Sbo" marking has disappeared, but the route can be identified by a fixed hanger just left of a small tree at around 6m in height.

Gear: Fully bolted route with some runouts, except for 20m on pitch 6. Single rack to #2 Camalot, focus on small wires and cams. All DBB for belays, some rust on mallions but still functional (as at Aug 2018).

1. 28m (10) Easy climbing up buttress (Grade 4) to FH at 6m (left of small tree), continue up into gully passing another FH to awkward DBB on R face.

2. 30m (13) Go left off belay to FH, follow line of FH and a wire just before DBB.

3. 30m (15) Straight up following the FH's to DBB.

4. 45m (16) Nice long pitch with FH and gear, with a tricky move around a smooth mottled rock section to DBB on ledge.

5. 20m (13) Easy climbing right off belay, following FH's into vegetated gully with a DBB or optional tree belay.

6. 30m (20 crux) Hard stemming moves with protection improving as you progress up the crack. When crack veers right 30 degrees, escape the nastiness by boldly stepping right onto the face, enjoying the abundant fresh air and with relief clip the FH, then past another to DBB (admire old belay hardware to the right from a bygone era).

7. 32m (16) Step left off belay under manky block to FH, then straight up following more FH's (passing rusted relics of the past) with a cruxy move near the top, DBB.

8. 32m (10) Scramble up to NE shoulder and belay on tree or walk right 10m to 5th DBB of Sunburnt Buttress and climb unprotected final pitch to DBB.

Descent: Tourist Track or Caves Route (4x raps), or as for Blabbermouth/Sunburnt Buttress. Do not use Caves route raps if you left shoes at the base of the climb as this variant requires a lot walking between rap points.

Access: From the old climber's carpark, take the right fork of the Tibrogargan track, heading north. Follow the track until you reach some chairs and a picnic table, after which you'll ascend some steps to find a small trail leaving the main track on the left. Follow this to the base of Candy Mountain. Around 15m past the right hand side of Candy Mountain is a vegetated weakness marked NEB.

Standard rack up to #3 Camalot, focus on small wires and cams.

Warning: 7th Pitch (crux) is dangerous and does not come recommended. It features a manky old bolt ladder which has not fared well after 50 years in a coastal climate. Check "Escape from NEB" or "Sideshow Bob" for bail options.

1. 20m (-) Easily up gully to tree belay

2. 28m (-) Up for 5m then right around the buttress below some loose blocks. Keep traversing around to the right, ascending slightly to gain a spacious ledge and natural gear belay.

3. 37m (-) Ascend right from ledge to short wall. Traverse this to the right and above peg in block. Now ascend tending right slightly up to tree belay.

4. 27m (-) Cross to the left on sloping ramp up to tree belay below buttress. Stance on spacious ledge.

5. 33m (-) Straight up on good rock to peg belay below steep wall.

6. 18m (-) Traverse right around buttress and up into a wooded gully, below a steep, yellow groove. Tree belay. You can escape from the route here by traversing left to meet Cave 4.

7. 37m (11 crux) Up wall on left, traverse over big loose block and then up to yellow patch below steep wall. Up bolt ladder with hard moves and death blocks galore, then traverse right below big block to belay. Buyer beware.

8. 33m (-) Pass under block traversing left, then straight up tending slightly right to small bush and ledge. Bolt belay.

9. 33m (-) Straight up past mangled bolt (useless) to second bolt. Delicate move past this straight up past two more mangled bolts. Gain easier ground. Tree belay.

10. 33m (-) Scramble out to left on sloping ledge which leads to NE shoulder.

Descent: Tourist Track or Caves Route (4x raps)

A traverse that deserves a description. First used by FA party of North-east buttress to escape the route before the aided crux section.

1. 30m (14) crux. From the "Crazy Crack" gully climb just above the DBB up the left wall (tree belay or DBB), avoiding the nasty loose block on the arete. Up and around the buttress with marginal protection and suspicious holds in a very airy and unstable scenario. Downclimb into a small vegetated gully with shrub (must not fall) and keep traversing left, on better rock, passing a bolt of the Ross Miller Route and reaching a second small gully. Break the traverse and belay from a small tree to avoid further rope drag.

2. 35m (13) Continue traversing left past 2 bomber placements (medium to small cam) and reach the broken pillar on top of cave 4 enjoying the massive exposure and unbelievable views. Place gear to direct rope and avoid running it through the death blocks. Carefully downclimb the lower part of pitch 1 of Prometheus 2 to the sign into the cave (tricky).

Start at L-hand corner of alcove, 8m L of 'Sunburnt Buttress' before the ground drops away.

1. 28m (12) Up vague corner passing just R of a couple of bushes. After second one, go straight up to DBB. Most parties choose instead to climb 'Blabbermouth VS', which offers cleaner climbing and more protection.

2. 34m (16) Traverse out L (FH) for about 10m before heading up past more FHs. After last one, trend slightly R up to belay shared with 'Sunburnt Buttress'.

3. 33m (16) Step R 2m then up past 2 FHs. Up past lots of slots then more FHs to ledge (the 'Birdsnest' belay).

4. 20m (13) Straight up past 6 FHs.

5. 28m (14) Step L off belay. Up corner (FHs and gear).

6. 32m (13) Step L off belay then up trending L to finish at 5th belay of 'Sunburnt Buttress'.

7. 20m (10) As for last pitch of 'Sunburnt Buttress'.

Rack: to #3 friend.

Start at L-trending crack 3m L of 'Sunburnt Buttress'.

While this is nominally the variant start to 'Blabbermouth', it's so much better than the original that nearly everyone begins 'Blabbermouth' this way. Follow the crack, solid gear placements abound. Merges with the original a few metres before the DBB.

Start about 100m right from NE Buttress below obvious large chimney (10m left of the pillar with FH's). This route is loose and has tricky route finding.

1. 33m Up wall below chimney. Tricky move left around overhanging flake. Move up trending diagonally left until vertical ascent can be made to the base of the chimney. Ascend chimney (narrow and strenuous) climbing out onto main rock wall when chockstone is reached. Climb onto this chockstone and continue on to top of buttress to large tree belay.

2. 37m Vertical ascent for 8m then horizontal traverse right to seams. Straight up to a small niche/alcove then belay off natural gear.

3. 40m Delicate move out of belay up left. Ascend until short right traverse can be made to scunge-filled crack. Ascend vertically about 7m and then traverse left, up and out of crack. Tree runner. Continue ascent through scunge until a diagonal right traverse brings you to a large tree belay below a blank wall.

4. 37m (11 crux) Climb steep ramp in front of belay tree to tree runner and ascend onto vertical wall. Climb directly over loose holds, leading to a delicate traverse on small holds. Handholds around corner of bulge lead to wide shelf and tree belay.

5. 40m Straight up over extremely sloping horizontal strata to ramp. Follow ramp right until you get to a tree belay.

6. 37m Straight up over good holds to NE Shoulder.

Start at the 'Rock Garden' chimney at R end of alcove, 10m L of the 'Peeping Tom' pillar at 'Shadow Glen'. Marked with a small square.

1. 28m (18) Climb up the 'Rock Garden' chimney for a few moves then step R and follow line of FHs to DBB.

2. 34m (16) Follow FHs traversing L (line of FHs going R then up is 'The Chris Mann Route') across 'Rock Garden' to DBB shared with 'Blabbermouth'. End of this pitch is very run out without trad gear.

3. 25m (19) Straight up past 3 FHs then traverse directly L following more FHs to DBB. Due to traversing involved, the second needs to be confident.

4. 36m (16) Follow FHs L then up to DBB.

5. 45m (14) Gradient easing now. Well-spaced FHs (can supplement with occasional trad placement) to DBB.

6. 20m (10) Solo up short easy wall to DBB at top.

To start, climb the first two pitches of either Blabbermouth or Sunburnt Buttress.

1. 53m (21) Follow the first four FH's of SB until it traverses left. Instead of traversing, head straight up for three more FH's then traverse left below obvious short corner to FH. From here, go up passing five more FH's trending rightward. Belay is up and left from last FH. Taking half a dozen long runners is recommended to reduce rope drag on this long pitch.

2. 24m (19) Step left off belay then up passing six FH's. Eases off in second half.

3. 32m (14) Clip a FH then gradually join the 5th pitch of SB clipping it's last few FH's.

Pitch 2 and 3 have a couple of optional trad pieces. To finish, either continue up last pitch of SB (10) or rappel Blabbermouth (3x60m raps) or El Scorcho (3x60m raps)

1. 28m As for Sunburnt Buttress

2. 26m Start out left as for pitch 2 of SB heading for it's first FH. Don't clip it but go straight up instead. Follow corner feature passing four FH's and trad gear, stepping right at last FH to end up on ledge and DBB.

3. 47m Step left from belay (FH, use long sling) and continue left past another three FH's and small cam slot. Head straight up past abundant but sometimes questionable trad placements and some more bolts before joining up with the last three bolts of The Chris Mann Route after the angle eases.

1. 28m (5 bolts). As for Sunburnt Buttress.

2. 26m (6 bolts). Step right from DBB and up past several bolts and optional small cam and hidden wire out left (extend). Step right to clip another bolt then up trending slightly to the left to finish on ledge next to bush. DBB.

3. 45m (12 bolts). Step right from belay and head straight up past 3 FH's, stepping left around the arete at the third. Continue up arete passing assorted trad placements and bolts, finishing at "The Perch" belay.

Pitch 3 can be abseiled on a single 80m rope, otherwise you'll need to join two 50 or 60m ropes to abseil pitch 3.