The line of least resistance up the East Face of North Peak. A pleasant adventure climb with delicate slabs, decent protection, and runouts typical of SEQ adventure climbing. It is contrived to finish up the last pitch, and the natural top-out is to scramble right off of the major platform below the summit head-wall. This route would be a good introduction to Mt Barney adventure climbing if the last pitch is avoided.
Start at the obvious flat belay area below a wide corner system reached by hiking up Rocky Creek, following your nose and bush-bashing right off the track and towards the face when it feels right to do so. May take a bit of an explore.
70m (12) - Climb the face left of the wide, scrubby corner, passing intermittent diagonal seams to reach the obvious R-facing corner crack. Follow this corner to its end, on top of which is a comfortable grassy ledge with a shrub belay. Long pitch.
70m (13) - Climb directly up off the belay up some slabby moves with dicey protection. Continue up the slab, veering right towards the weakness in the centre of the looming head-wall above. Either small shrub belay or there is gear to be found.
Either scramble R off the large ledge to the shoulder of North Peak or:
30m (17) - Continue up the weakness that divides the summit head-wall. Climb the short corner crack through tough moves to a grassy ledge. Continue leftwards and up the next corner with Committing moves through the dirty corner. Good training for East Peak's East Face. Natural belay above.
