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The North Cliff

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Description

Small north west facing crag that stays in the shade in the morning. The sun slants across the cliff but does not shine directly onto it in the afternoon, making a pleasant summer excursion with a wide view across the gorge. Best to leave a few days after some decent rain. Some coarse gritty rock and several open projects.

Access issues inherited from New South Wales and ACT

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/

Approach

From Hornsby Heights, follow Galston Rd down towards the gorge. Stop before where the houses finish at house No.232 just before the speed camera there is a gate opposite signed "Berowra Valley National Park". Park safely and do not block the gate, to the right of it is a fire trail with a locked bar. Follow the prominent fire trail west following the power lines for about 700m until they cross the gorge at a bunch of 5 poles. The first pole of the set is # DU10106. Turn left down the trail a further 130m (at a right hand bend, youj can see the cave about 30m to thew left), then turn left into the bush at a cairn. After a few meters go left again there will be a cave on your left follow a faint trail along 40m then down 20m and left to the base of the cliff. Reverse or walk out right side of cliff then keep heading up hill and you'll come to the track turn right

History

History timeline chart

Discovered in early 2013.

Routes

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Grade Route

There are a few boulder problems as you walk in that haven't yet been recorded.

Up wall on jugs past 1 bolt, 0.5-1 Friend in break, then up on thin moves past 2nd bolt. DRBB on top.

Set: A.Batey

FA: W.Davis, 2013

Straight up slab moving right to finish at anchors.

FA: A.Batey, 2013

Layback, Stemming, a few finger locks and a fist jamb finished off with a cool view from the top. The corner crack system right of IHP. Good gear but a little damp deep in the crack.

FA: ABatey & 2nd C.Sharples, 20 Jul 2014

Avoid the Red Light District by climbing the wall to the right on good edges and breaks. Cams in breaks or corner crack.

FA: Graham Dowden, 27 May 2018

No chalk. No bolts. No pro. Or a few bad cams and one micro-nubbin if you're bold. Some hard and interesting moves at the bottom and above. Top rope anchor from tree 5m back.

Start: The arete 1m right of Healthy Habits.

FA: Graham Dowden, 6 May 2017

Start as for GOG. Up to roof then left out and up the slab. Lots of good cam placements, and 2 small nuts needed

FA: Timothy Mayer, 7 Nov 2020

Starts 5m right of the corner crack in the centre of main wall. Start below small orange roof and follow the rings to the top. No lower-offs but DBB just back from edge (Large bolt heads only just fit standard brackets so take wires or belay off giant tree further back). Needs another ring or 2

FA: A.Batey, 2013

Crack at the left of the obvious roof. Hard start then easier up wall following line of blind crack. Protect with 20-40mm cams in horizontal breaks to top, make sure you get one in at the roof of the cave.

Equalised belay from two small trees, block and single ring. Also temporary screw-in bolt further back from the top.

FA: Graham Dowden, 23 Oct 2016

Start in the corner then traverse out under roof to lip.

Combination of jamming and jugs through the roof. Old-school hard-core coarse-grained rock needs more cleaning. DRBB on top right of crack.

FFA: Zuni Dierk & Mike Lester, 17 Oct 2020

Clean loose blocks and trash from gully above before attempting any of these singular examplars of the roof-crack-climber's craft.

Straightforward hand jam crack to start, then looks like horizontal finger-locking heaven on a sharply pointed stick followed by a sloping top-out. Invert feet at the lip for extra FA kudos.

Not very much to jam at all. Doable?

Might be possible to climb the lichenous wall using the thin roof crack for protection.

Something different Start in the corner to the left of KC. Move into horizontal crack and then head left following it around the corner and above the big roof and then head up to top once the crack runs out. Needs a clean and big gear.

FA: Timothy Mayer, 7 Nov 2020

The flared hand crack just left of "Baby's Crack". One serious jamb, then shared finish from the ledge with "Kindy Corner"

FA: Graham Dowden, 8 Oct 2016

The finger crack at far right end of crag. A bit sandy, but not beyond redemption. Shared finish from the ledge with "Kindy Corner"

FA: Graham Dowden, 8 Oct 2016

The corner ramp crack. Stay out of the left hand crack.

FA: A.Batey, 2013

Line of bolts up bouldery arête right of the sloping corner crack.

Set: A.Batey

The crack on the right of the big nose. Straight up the orange corner and crack above, then right out the keyhole between the two giant stones. Protect exit through chockstones with 50-70mm cam and extend runners below to reduce otherwise excessive rope drag.

FA: Graham Dowden, 16 Oct 2016

Easily up twin cracks and exit via counter-intuitive move through twin chockstones directly above as for "Needs Nuts Not Bolts". Solid stoppers and cams all the way with a cowbell or large cam in the final split.

FA: Graham Dowden & Angus M, 23 Oct 2016

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

Author(s): Mike Forward and Peter Balint

Date: 2023

With 2065 bouldering problems ranging from V0-V15 across 57 areas nestled around Sydney, the all new Sydney Bouldering Guide will keep you occupied for years to come. Just because we live in Sydney we'll try not to be biased but honestly this city has some amazing bouldering and usually not more than a few minutes off the road or some even near parks and train stations. There's no need to camp out and trek for hours to get to world class problems, they're right on your door step.

Authors Mike Forward and Peter Balint spent over 7 years putting this guide together and is the first new bouldering guide for Sydney in over 20 years. It's over 350 colour pages including 600+ colour photo tops, crag tops, amazing images and more.

Author(s): Neil Monteith & Simon Carter

Date: 2021

ISBN: 9780645299908

Featuring 1142 climbing routes located at 24 of the best crags in the Sydney area, this A5 size guide book is super user friendly with easy to use colour cliff topos and access maps. Covers sport and trad climbing at a variety of grades, something for everyone.

Accommodations nearby more Hide

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Sat 13 May
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