Ascents of The Governor

A mountaineering style adventure up through the highest and steepest part of Mt Barney's imposing East Face. This is a very sustained route with very few easy pitches. The individual pitches themselves are also sustained. This route has mega exposure, good falls, and a lot of rotten rock that should make your belayer shake in their pants. At the end of the Governor it will leave you wondering why on earth someone would bolt this line, while you nurse your very sore body.

At points this climb lacks line, but what ever the case it definitely required vision and effort to establish. This highest climb in Queensland is not for your average sport climber, and would best suit those with a sense of adventure and a taste for mountaineering.

I half jugged/climbed pitches 13-14 in the dark. The rest was done onsight, with a few dogs, and seconds thrown in.

Climb up to the right through the rotten rock. Difficult moves through the overhang with good falls, but more terrible rock. Clip a few more bolts and then straight up over a tricky mantle. Here you get the full exposure of the East Face. Continue up to the belay.

Traverse out and up to the right over delicate slabs. Just before the belay beware of the fridge size loose block. Try not to touch it as you climb under it. Small stance at the belay. This pitch requires a confident seconder as the falls would be very exciting for them. Its best not to link the next pitch with this one.

Death blocks, overhangs, and scrubery. Climb up to the roof and clip bolt just over the lip. Don't touch the loose blocks under the overhang unless you want to kill your seconder and yourself. Tricky moves over the roof and continue for a couple of bolts. When it starts to get too vegetated, bust a move out left through the overhang, past your last bolt. From here you should see the belay rings. A few more powerful moves will get you to the semi-hanging belay.

The first give-me pitch! Slight traverse out right through vegetation. Beware of ledge fall potential at a few points. The pitch ends at the top of the large centre overhangs a good sized vegetated ledge.

Nice slab climbing to the belay rings. This pitch finishes 2-meters below the bushwalking track.

Head out right around bulge. Climb straight over it if you're feeling strong. Move up over slab and into rotten vertical climbing to rings on a small ledge.

Starts nice and hard straight of the deck. Follow bolts up over multiple cruxes to rings on a very small ledge.

This pitch has good bolting, nice falls, and wicked exposure. Definitely a stand-out pitch. Climb up through some sustained and interesting vertical face climbing. As always on this route, beware of loose blocks throughout.

More tricky climbing that traverses out slight right to a large corner. Some crazy moves will find you on the other side. Continue straight up (next bolt is hidden) to belay rings. As you climb this pitch the Popes Nose bivey ledge is off to the right.

Hard moves straight of the deck, with ugly falls if you don't make it to the first bolt. Continue up through some interesting vertical climbing over broken rock. Surprise surprise, beware of more loose rock.

Tricky climbing up to a good belay stance.

Follow bolts through two overhangs and slabs in the middle. The first overhang can be easily avoided by climbing right. Belay at small ledge.

Traverse out and up to the right over delicate slabs. Just before the belay beware of the fridge size loose block. Try not to touch it as you climb under it. Small stance at the belay. This pitch requires a confident seconder as the falls would be very exciting for them. Its best not to link the next pitch with this one.

Climb up through the corner over a slight overhang. At some points you can climb out right to avoid the difficult parts. Continue to the top over lots of loose rock and vegetation. The next belay stance is a good size located underneath the summit overhangs.

This pitch continues up the rock cone then breaks right towards the main face and up a chimney. Beware of loose blocks within the chimney that funnel down onto the two pitches below. Near the top the route breaks out right of the chimney to a ledge with precariously balanced tree.

Pulled a hold and came off pulled about ten holds of this pitch

Hold came of along with ten others lol

Clean. A lot more difficult than it looks. Avoid the large loose flake to the left and below the belay station. Should've removed it.

Pulled on a draw as I was worried my dodgy footer would blow and send me to a ledgy fall. Vertical climbing was fun, apart from the choss.

Some great moves through the overhangs. Removed some big blocks.

Some fun climbing up to and through the chimney to a nice tree at the DBB.

Transferred onto Ash's rope when the rest of the team begun their raps off the climb.

Can't remember it, so it mustn't have been so standout for me

Pulled on draws through the overhang. Would be a nice pitch if it weren't for the deathblocks.

Linked up pitches 8 and 9.

Linked up. Not much to say. Good lunch ledge

Ash linked pitches 10 and 11.

Awesome fun stepping out into the corner and working your way up and out of it.

Destroyed me!

Absolutely spanked mentally at this pitch. Gave this pitch to Ash, who fought it awesomely Pitches 13 and 14 will be the reason that I will return to The Governor. Gotta prove to the mountain that I can better these crux pitches. Pitch 14 seems to have been bolted so that you can't dog through it easily. Bloody perfect, in my opinion - a final challenge at the crux pitch to test your mental strength when the top is close enough that you can taste it. Just to see how bad you really want it.

Runout, and mossy. But easy and juggy.

Bloody awesome experience. The overall route is great. Beware of the loose blocks throughout. A party of 2 is ideal. 4 is less than ideal. Getting enveloped in cloud at the crux pitches at the very end was absolutely surreal.

A good day out. Definitely get your adventure climbing head on for this one. Climbed with Tom Cramer. Mostly clean except for the Gr 22 pitches - felt hard at the end of the day - a couple of rests here and there. Wasn't as chossy as many trip reports would have had us believe. Left the Yellowpinch car park at 6am - climbing by 9am. 6.5 hours climbing.

Leads: P1 - Jayd. P2 - Tom. P3&4 link - Jayd. P5 - Tom. P6&7 link - Tom. P8&9&10 mega link - Jayd. P11&12 link - Jayd. P13&14&15 link - Tom.

linked pitch 8 and 9 together

dan linked pitch 10 and 11 together

dan linked pitch 13 and 14 together. fell because off holds breaking really chossy pitches