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Herbaceous Gully

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Description

A great area, home to the super awesome corner crack Toll

Access issues inherited from Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are a World Heritage listed area. The Grose Valley, the cliffs around Katoomba and much of the Narrow Neck peninsula are part of the Blue Mountains National Park which is managed by the NPWS. The Western Escarpment - where most of the climbing is - is Crown Land managed by the BMCC. While the NPWS Plan of Management nominates several locations in the National Park where rock climbing is deemed appropriate, the majority of the climbing remains unacknowledged. To maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible.

Practically all crags are either in National Park or in council reserve: dog owners are reminded that dogs are not allowed in National Parks at any time and fines have been issued, while for crags on council reserve the BMCC leash law requires that dogs be on-leash.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Approach

The best approach is to do the Cave Climb rap and then wander around to the right (facing the cliff). This is super fast and straight forward, much easier than the non-trafficked and vegetated herbaceous gully descent.

Ethic inherited from Blue Mountains

Although sport climbing is well entrenched as the most popular form of Blueys climbing, mixed-climbing on gear and bolts has generally been the rule over the long term. Please try to use available natural gear where possible, and do not bolt cracks or potential trad climbs. If you do the bolts may be removed.

Because of the softness of Blue Mountains sandstone, bolting should only be done by those with a solid knowledge of glue-in equipping. A recent fatality serves as a reminder that this is not an area to experiment with bolting.

If you do need to top rope, please do it through your own gear as the wear on the anchors is both difficult and expensive to maintain.

At many Blue Mountains crags, the somewhat close spacing of routes and prolific horizontal featuring means that it is easy to envisage literally hundreds of trivial linkups. By all means climb these to your hearts content but, unless it is an exceptional case due to some significant objective merit, please generally refrain from writing up linkups. A proliferation of descriptions of trivial linkups would only clutter up the guide and add confusion and will generally not add value to your fellow climbers. (If you still can't resist, consider adding a brief note to the parent route description, rather than cluttering up the guide with a whole new route entry).

If you have benefited from climbing infrastructure in NSW, please consider making a donation towards maintenance costs. The Sydney Rockclimbing Club Rebolting Fund finances the replacement of old bolts on existing climbs and the maintenance of other hardware such as fixed ropes and anchors. The SRC purchases hardware, such as bolts and glue, and distributes them to volunteer rebolters across the state of New South Wales. For more information, including donation details, visit https://sydneyrockies.org.au/rebolting/

It would be appreciated if brushing of holds and minimisation/removal of tick marks becomes part of your climbing routine. Consider bringing a water squirt bottle and mop-up rag to better remove chalk. Only use soft (hair/nylon) bristled brushes, never steel brushes.

The removal of vegetation - both from the cliff bases and the climbs - is not seen as beneficial to aesthetics of the environment nor to our access to it.

Remember, to maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible or risk possible closures.

For the latest access related information, or to report something of concern, visit the Australian Climbing Association NSW Blue Mountains page at https://acansw.org.au/blue-mountains/

Tags

Some content has been provided under license from: © Australian Climbing Association Queensland (Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike 2.5 AU)

Routes

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Grade Route

Starts below the chockstone in the gully. Originally soloed!

Start: 18m right of 'Un Named Climb' (Dixon's Ladders Sth).

FA: K.Westren, 1960

Behind tree to arete and up to grassy ledge. 2). Up and around left to ledge, arete, right wall briefly, cave and arete.

Start: 6m right of the gully.

FA: A.Penney & G.Bradbury, 1979

Up to ledge. 2).Corner, or nose on right. 3). Corner or nose to bush. 4).Right wall or small corner.

Has a Ds. Wide chimney 7m right.

Start: 1m right of DoG. Chimney.

FA: R.McDonald & R.Buchanan, 1960

Up crack line to ledge. (Pitch 2 is a traversing aid bolt ladder which is best ignored)

Start: 19m right of CKS. Piton scarred crack.

FA: J.Ewbank & B.Smith, 1964

FA: Mikl Law, 2012

Pitch 1 is great freeclimbing. Up past Ubolt to gain crack.

Start: 10m right of PB below yellow left leading corner.

FA: A.Pavey, 1970

FA: Hugh Ward, 2012

Up onto ledge then right and up arete and wall to lower off under roof.

Start: As for Heart Attack

FA: Mikl Law, 2012

Easily up to top of block to FH on the undercut wall to the left. Traverse left to a ring bolt then up the arete past another ring on the left (can confirm this will hold a fall...) to the crux just after you clip the final ring. From here easily up the arete to where it meets Tal, top out as for Tal. A 0.4 Camalot, and a set of nuts, as well as a couple of bolt plates are a must for the climbing after the last ring.

Don't forget you need a trad belay on top: 0.5, #3 Camalots and a few nuts will do nicely.

Start: Start at the block 6 or 8m left of Toll, at the ugly scratched X (not made by FA party).

FA: Hugh Ward, James Castrission & Luke Merrett, 2009

Another old classic. Start up the corner that becomes the classic Toll. At the first major ledge move diagonally up and left across face, passing weird home made hanger, to arete (belay possible here), then easily up to major ledge (good belay here). Continue up easy terrain above, heading up the grey wall that has the least undercut start just left of the orange overhang..

FA: Bryden Allen † & T.Batty, 1962

Warning Rock: Suggestion to add loweroffs to before final choss corner

1 15m
2 16 15m
3 16 20m
  1. 15m As for Tal to the first ledge. Best combined with pitch 2.

  2. 15m (16) Up awesome crack to ledge on left with questionable carrot and fixed hanger.

  3. 20m (16) Corner to roof, right under this, around lip and up into the chimney on suboptimal rock. Upon topping out you can either create a bomber trad belay in the major crack between two blocks or climb on top of these blocks and belay off two carrots. The trad belay is probably easier from a rope drag perspective.

FA: J.Ewbank & J.Worrall, 1967

Start: 3m right of Tal.

FA: M.Baker & I.Hofstetter, 1990

Wall to arete and up.

Start: 'Arete' 2m right of 008.

FA: M.Baker & I.Hofstetter, 1990

Crack and slab to tree. 2). Crack to cave. 3). Up to roof(piton?), down, across to crack, up to ledge. 4). Choss to recess, right and up. Take big pro.

Start: Corner 2m right of TF.

FA: J.Ewbank & J.Worrall, 1967

Up to ledge. 2). Corner on right, crack to right, back to corner, aid then left, left to stance. 3). Corner, right, under roof, around lip to metal thingy, aid chossy crack, ledge, then left to bush. Scramble off or finish as for TBoH.

Start: 6m right again. Corner.

FA: J.Ewbank & B.Shirley, 1967

Up to tree and bushes. 2).Cracks to bushes. 3).Corner, death traverse right to arete, to ledge. 4). Walk right, up steep corner and wall.

Start: Cracks 5m right of TPoA.

FA: K.Westren, R.McDonald & R.Boyd, 1962

As for EP 1& 2. 3).Choss corner, ledge. 4).Crack to ledge. 5).Right through scrub to belay. 6).Up to thread. Off right.

Start: From RP anchor 2.

FA: Bryden Allen † & E.Saxby, 1964

Climb tree to branch below corner, to rest, right to corner, up to ledge, choss corner to roof, right, up crack above roof then right to belay. 2).Up, right through scrub, to ledge, mantle to ledge, left & up to ledge. 3).As for EP.

Start: 18m right of EP.

FFA: J.Smoothy

FA: (Penney & Herbert), 1977

Up to ledge. 2).Crack on left to slot. 3).Left,slightly up to piton(!),up to shield, across left then up,veer left to small ledge,rest,Scrubby crack to wide point, step right & up to ledge. 4).Mantle to trees, to ledge. 5). As for EP. Take Care!!

Start: 25m right of the previous. Short corner.

FFA: A.Penney

FA: (Ewbank & Campbell), 1967

Arete 15m right of the Spider 1. 20m(20) Wall (cams) tending left to ledge. Left and up to horizontal break (medium to large cams). Left past bolt (crux), around into corner (place gear for second) and left and up to arête HDBB. Second can unclip the bolt after passing the crux. 2. 20m(17) Up to flake (cam) then arête (bolts on right wall). Left to stance DBB. 3. 25m(17) Right to arête (bolt). Over bulge then wall tending left (bolts) to ledge. Belay on good piton and cams. 4. 10m(12) Up to big ledge under overhang. DBB on back wall. Walk off right, up gully, right to track and up to Golden Stairs carpark.

M Payens C McGown 1996

FA: M Payens C McGown, 1996

Up right to corner ramp. 2).Left leading corner. 3).Up. 4).Overhang,left to ledge, up to tree. Off right.

Start: 40m right again near dead tree.

FA: Bryden Allen † & T.Batty, 1963

Up to crack, chimney to belay. 3).Traverse left around roof, up. 4).Right, crack to tree. 5). To ledge and off right.

Start: From N anchor 1.

FA: J.Ewbank & E.Saxby, 1964

An boy! does she need it.

Start: From N anchor 1.

FA: T.Batty & K.Westren, 1962

As for QD to piton past nose, ledge. 3).Traverse left to inset ledge below hidden corner, up, step right, up, walk off right.

Start: From N anchor 1.

FA: J, P.Leicester, T.Silvers & R.Walker, 1985

Up wall - safer on the arete 3m right! - traverse to arete, up to big ledge. 2).Corner to roof, hand traverse left, mantle, up crack onto grassy ledge. 3).Corner, chimney, up to ledge, left under roof, corner.

Start: 50m right of N near fallen tree.

FA: B.Osbourne & R.Reynolds, 1967

As for D to arete, up slightly,traverse right to corner and tree. 2). Slab to below corner, up to ledge beneath overhang,Left, over bulge and up to tree. 3).Up, right to QD anchor 2. Up.

Start: As for D.

FA: Ryan & Fennemore, 1964

Up to tree. 2).Chimney to ledge. 3).Black wall and crack. Take Care!

Start: 150m right of FM at chimney 10m left of obvious corner/chimney.

FA: A.Gordon & G.Owens, 1964

Aid crack to bolt, right to crack, aid again then to ledge. 2&3).Wall and scrub. This may have been freed!!!

Start: 25m right of IO.

FA: W.Williams & B.Mattick, 1970

First pitch supposedly reasonable.

Start: On left side of large corner containing "Big Willis's Chimney"

  1. 13m Wall to RB then left to BB.

  2. 30m A few delicate moves then more easily up.

  3. 30m Broken rock to top.

FA: J. Ewbank & A. Campbell, 1964

"A very classical chimney struggle"[JME]

Start: Below thin black chimney facing south.

  1. 12m Easily up to base of chimney.

  2. 25m "Uncomfortably" up chimney to past chockstone to another chockstone belay.

  3. 10m "Worm up slanting chimney, aim for the sunlight, exit out of hole." [JME]

  4. 10m Easily left and off.

FA: B. Willis & D. Pearce, 1959

Start 130m right of BWC.

  1. 12m (crux) Grovel up to ledge.

  2. 25m Up scrubby corner on right to large ledge.

  3. 19m Up slabs to top.

Start: At dark corner about 50m right of Pawn Capture. Scramble up to tree anchor.

  1. 12m Traverse right to historic 1962 Bloodwood stump, then hand traverse right and mantle to knob anchor.

  2. 19m Steep wall to tree belay on wide ledge.

  3. 15m Easy slab to top.

FA: K. Westren & E. Field, 1962

Perchance one of the examplars of the Neck 70's aid renaissance, both in quality and name.

Start: At overhanging right leaning crack about 30m left of Diamond Spray waterfall.

  1. 27m Blades, Arrows and bolts to narrow scrub ledge below open book corner. Rap off, or ...

  2. 15m Traverse right through scrub to finish just left of waterfall.

FA: A. Penney & G. Herbert, 1977

Start: About 70m right of Diamond Spray waterfall (across narrow shale ledge to wider ledge, and back left to open book corner...)

  1. 25m Chimney and face to ledge.

  2. 34m Up and left through small overhang on right. Wall climbing diagonally left to to bushy ledge.

  3. 30m Easily trending right.

FA: E. Reid & J. Coe, 1972

Start past waterfall at corner under overhang.

"I feel I must rate Crud Climb as .. the most worthless climb in this [1967] guide .. the firm favorite, certain to win by a lead of 1 furlong, 80 yds." [JME]

  1. 12m Up corner to below overhang.

  2. Scramble left then right to up to main ledge.

  3. Walk right for 300 yards, almost to next waterfall, then scramble up short grassy gully to top.

FA: K. Westren, D. Tanner & I. Logan, 1962

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2019

ISBN: 9780958079082

The latest comprehensive, latest and greatest Blue Mountains Climbing Guide is here and it has more routes than you can poke a clip stick at! 3421 to be exact. You are not going to get bored.

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2019

ISBN: 9780958079075

Simon Carter's "Best of the Blue" is the latest selected climbing guide book for the Blue Mountains and covers 1000 routes and 19 different climbing areas. For all the sport climbers out there, the travellers, or just anyone who doesn't want to lug around the big guide that's more than 3 times the size - cut out the riff-raff and get to the good stuff! This will pretty much cover everything you need!

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