Routes as sport in Southern Tablelands

Middle route up a series of orange scoops and edges.

Right most of 3 routes on the party ledge, past bulge on the prow and up to anchors of Django Unchained

Up funky corner via steep moves. Sorta tricky for 19 when you don't know the moves.

Up prow

Up white stuff to punchy crux, well actually tricky down low as well

First large rock cairn. Up toughish start to a series of stepped overlaps. Anchors halfway up wall at large horizontal break.

Django extension to the top of the cliff on perfect orange stone. Straight up from the anchors on D, then move leftwards around the blunt arete to anchors under the roof.

Start on the second large rock cairn. Stick clip first bolt (if you are scared, useless or don't feel like an honest challenge) for bouldery start. Up for two bolts, clip high third bolt, then drop down and traverse hard right into Agent Orange for a couple of moves then back left to 4th bolt. Tricky move up to small ledge on the left - then up nice wall for a bolt then traverse left into mini corner feature to rap anchors.

The logical (and better?) finish to Temple of Doom straight up the longest section of orange rock. Climb TD for 7 bolts then head straight up trending slightly right rather than traversing off left. Finish through bulge to anchors on small ledge under large roof.

Start up AO and pop up over the break and veer up and left. Heave up over the final bulge to anchors up high under the final roof.

One of the best routes here. Starts on the third large rock cairn. The usual bouldery start then easier ground to white rooflet. Tricky over this then beautiful waves of orange to low set of anchors. Mantle above optional!

Bit of move at the 2nd bolt, then long cruise to the top of the cliff. Still needs a bit of TLC to get an extra star

Vegetated, loose and with at least six mantles. Worst line of the crag.

Rad moves on slick white stone to the crux which is guarded by a bulge where the orange rock starts.

The perfect orange streak on a high ledge.

1. Up the common start and climb Simon's arete thingo to the break. Long sling here and walk across the ledge the belay.

2. Up the the bright orange scoops getting thinner as you gain altitude.

To get off lower both climbers back to the belay ledge and rap to the floor.

* ran out of glue, so only half the bolts are glued *

Beautiful steep arete up to short black headwall up high

Start up the communal rungs then follows the glass slipper for a couple of bolts before heading left.. Steep moves see you up a mini arete to where the route really picks up its heels. Place you 'hopes in slopes' with a big move from a small undercling.

Start up left side of glamorous and daunting 45 metre steepness trending right to super high dramatic finish

Fix a 60m rope, Rap from a tree at the top with the rock cain onto the balcony halfway down the wall. Make sure you keep kicking off the wall and clip a few draws to make it on the ledge. Tricky slab start then traverse left to steep jugs leading up to the fridge hugging crux. Awesome steep top corner finishes this route off with style.

Short, bolted boulder problem but the hold at the bottom and the cool rock made it impossible not to. Swing energetically from the pocket up to the white gold. Will it go through the roof, big guns?

Project Ryan and Matt. 3D, mad. Fun Short. Haters will have lots to moan about on this one. Love it.

Start on the cool ladder (unless you are right hard) Up the crack system to the face above. Reachy last move.

Start up the water groove to the tree, then crimp up past the hanging roots to chain.

1st line of fixed hangers to the right of the start of strangeness

1. 36m (21) Really good climbing and worth doing as a single pitch. Follow up the Fixe hangers to chains (some long slings are helpful). Lowering off using al 70m rope will JUST make it down to the ground.

2. 35 m (27) Solid climbing that would give an impressive on-sight. Follow the steel to finish at a semi-hanging belay. Originally done without the last bolt.

3. -m (30) Sail out into the slab with solid sustained climbing on a long pitch.

An old Andrew Bull/Tony Barton project cleaned up and finished by Graham Fairbain. Climb details to be verified. At least 6 pitches - crux pitch of 26/27. Sport route on fixed hangers.

Please note that the description and grades are preliminary only.

You'll need two ropes to get down. It is possible to retreat from any of the belays. The rap line, however, does not not follow the route directly (i.e., you can't easily stop at pitches 2 or 3 on the way down because the pitches above them traverse and they are steepish. So best not to leave stuff you want to collect on the way down at these belays (e.g., don't leave your extra clothes etc. in the hole!).

Start: Line of hangers to the right of 'Big, Dark and Mysterious'.

1. 20m (18) Start in short open corner and head up following bolts. A small/medium nut reduces the runout up the slab. Belay on bolts just below the first overlap.

2. 20m (23) Cruxy. Out roof (crux) and up slabby wall. Continue past rap anchor and two more bolts to bolted belay up under the second overlap. It may be more comfortable to belay at the rap anchor - it gives a better view of the next pitch.

3. 25m (26) Traverse left from the belay to the stalagtite and out the overlap. Into the corner to the right, up a couple of metres and head left and up following bolts. Belay in the big hole. Great climbing!

4. 45m (23) A great, sustained pitch. Out of the belay hole to the left and follow bolts up. At about the half-way mark is an obvious thread that may make the run out a bit more comfortable, it requires a 120cm sling. Where the bolts trend right, use a couple of long slings to reduce drag. At about 35m, clip a bolt to the right (long sling) and head up and left easily to the belay.

   Be cautious rapping from here - if you thread all three bolts the rope may not pull. Rap to anchor on ledge 10m left of the third belay. Rap again to station halfway up Pitch 2, and again to the ground.

5. 20m (25) Up yellow powdery corner system. After corner bust right to chains (don’t pull the block off!)

6. 28m (21) Continue up corner via some cool moves and terrible rock to finish at chains. Rap route.

Starts 5m left of Jewel Box

1. (25) 30m Sort of popular as a wet weather single pitch. Start on the grungy looking slab left of the corner to a 5m roof then pull the lip and pump on till the ledge. One of the best pitches from the gorge floor.

2. (24) 40m Continue up on bolts that snake around, take 2 long runners. Finish under the little orange roof.

3. (23) 15m A short pitch. Pull the roof then great sustained climbing till the semi hanging belay.

Hard and sustained, start a few metres right of the overhang on bolts. Goes up 6 pitches and nicely run out at times. A small rack can lessen run outs.

Fantastic rock and sustained. 12 bolts on the white wall.

Between Teflon and Olympus mons. Finish at Teflon anchor.

Three pitches of epic hard climbing - bolted ground up. Starts as for Finger Lickn' Good but continues up and left.

1. 60m (27)

2. 55m (32) Is this the longest hard pitch in Oz?

3. 40m (?) The crux pitch?

The left line. Sustained blocky edges and sidepulls with a rooflet in the middle. A bit dirty but good climbing. Needs more traffic!

The right line. 11 bolts.

The route is set up so it can be rapped in from the top with DRBB the whole way, bring 2 x 70m for this. It will provide access to a large section of this wall that has lots of rock. The 1st pitch and pitch12 (rap in).have been sent and are ok to climb, but rest is a closed project. Will be 12 pitches, equaling Red Supergiant one of the longest routes in the Gorge. Pitches 2-11 are currently being cleaned and bolted so stay off please.

1. 20m (22) Start as for Pulsar for first couple of metres then step right to smaller right facing flake and U-bolt. Up flake and wall above to small ledge and belay/rap anchors. This pitch is all bolts. 6 in total.

2. 40m () Bolted finger crack weakness just right of Pulsar corner then slab and back into trad protected finger crack to under bulge. Over bulge with difficulty (bolts) and up technical slab to right leading flake feature and juggier wall to belay ledge on the left and rap belay/rapp anchor. 11 bolts on this pitch.

3. 30m () Straight up slab above then trend left to arete. Up this onto wall with a hard move back left at the jugs and poor rock. A fixed sling helps a hard to clip bolt. Finish up juggy wall to large ledge and belay/rap anchors.

4. 15m () Easy slab up and left to base of monster tufa and headwall.

5. 40m () Stem up monster tufa right trending right then L to hanging belay, mega pitch. Will be hard!

6. 15m () From hanging belay head up and R to ledge

7. 20m () Easy crack then chossy easy corner going up and right to large dirty ledge. All bolts.

8. 40m () Up nice grey and orange rock to belay on small ledge below crack and corner.

9. 15m () Follow crack and corner to step up L at the top of corner to a sloping ledge and DRBB.

10. 20m (22-24?) Steep face on big holds and scooped pockets to ledge and DRBB.

11. 20m (23-25?) Some awkward chimneying and strenuous moves abound

12. 20m (23) Small holds to start on the arete leads to some stemming up the R leading corner to the top and the final moves of bliss to the top anchors MB, LD 21 June 2015.

13. 5m (1) Best to stay roped and sling around a tree to keep things safe.

The next line right with four spaced FHs. Apparently there is no rap anchor so after the last bolt and below the overlap traverse left a long way to rap anchors above Pulsar.

Up the slab past three bolts to ledge and tree.

An awesome excursion taking the line of most resistance up the tallest section of the south wall. The route takes in some wild and physical territory as it journeys up the wall to its final crux just below the rim of the gorge. Starts on the clean section of slab a short distance right of the base of Red Supergiant and just before the base of the wall becomes a jungle. It is easily identified by the stainless steel fixed hangers meandering up the slab and into the steepness beyond.

1. 23

2. 24

3. 28

4. 27

5. 23

6. 23

7. 26

8. 29

9. 20

Starts left of Nitro Express. From the river bed skirt up and along a ledge to near its end. All bolts and for Bungonia very clean with little loose rock.

1. 30m 23 Follow line of bolts on the right to an overlap at half height with a heinous mantle (crux) then trend up and left to DBB next to bushes. Missing first bolt but one can stick clip the second bolt from the ledge.

2. 20m 21 Follow bolts up and left across slab then up and through the short steep wall to ledge and DBB.

   Move to anchors on the left of the ledge

3. 60m 22 up left of first bolt then follow bolts right then up a long slab and an orange tufa 10m below the overhang. At last bolt traverse right to the anchor at the DBB on ledge.

4. 30m 25 the Money pitch. Climb up the slab till the start of the steep rock, 3 bolts. Climb the juggy run out to the first bolt on the left. Follow very steep ground to mantle the tufa blob!. Jump off the tufa and follow the bolts up right then left to the ledge above. Long draws can help with rope drag (The tufas to the left is a different alt finish)

5. 20m 23 Climb the steep chimney and wall to a ledge. Head right and up the gap between the trees to a DBB. Could use a bolt to climb between ledges but is only grade 10.

   Head right along this ledge to a DRBB 10m.

6. 60m 22 follow the bolts to face crux moves and then wander to the top on easier terrain and DBB. Rope stretcher.

Variant to Air Malta overhang. Kia kaha is a Māori phrase used by the people of New Zealand meaning stay strong, used as an affirmation. The phrase has significant meaning for Māori: popularised through its usage by the 28th Māori Battalion during World War II, it is found in titles of books and songs, as well as a motto.

1. 30m (26) Amaze balls no rest till the end. Huge holds and huge moves.

2. 20m (27) Bouldery climbing to the crux tufa finish.

This route starts 5 pitches up the wall! Best accessed by climbing all of Iron Curtain, then pitch six of Screaming Tribesman. Asteroids starts at this belay.

1. 30m (26) Climb directly up off the belay following 6 Us and 5 old fixed hangers to a two U bolt belay on foot ledge. The route follows some of the steepest terrain and huge orange tufa. By far some of the best climbing in the gorge at any grade. The initial three bolts is the crux but the whole pitch is very pumpy and sustained too! Well protected and easy to aid at 22/A1.

2. 35m (16) Traverse straight left for about 20m (passing a set of double FIXE hangers at about 10m before heading into vegetation), then staying close to the wall down climb a 5m corner, passing two FIXE hangers. Keep traversing left for another 10m along ledge looking for the double U bolt belay. To protect the second for the downclimb it's possible for them to clip the fixed biner on the top hanger and re-thread once on the ledge.

3. 30m (20) Climb past two FIXE hangers to a ledge the continue on rings to the double U bolt belay on a pleasant grey wall.

4. 25m (24) Great pockets and orange wall climbing with many bolts to a ledge and double U bolt belay.

5. 15m (20) Straightforward bolted climbing - at the top of the hard stuff you need to traverse left for about 4m then over a bulge past last bolt to double U bolt belay below large orange wall.

6. 45m (23) Well bolted sport climbing - mostly cruisy jug hauling then a tricky bulgy finish. Once you top out you can either belay off two FIXE hangers or continue up easy ledges and vegetation for another 10m and belay off trees.

Above this to get back to the car park walk left for 30m to the old Cooee lookout and old fences, then follow the overgrown green track to the car up the hill.

I reckon this new route by itself is two stars and combining it with Iron Curtain makes an awesome three star day of cranking! I can't think of many other sustained long routes in mainland Australia at that length? It's gotta be 350+ metres? Way longer than Evolution or Siblings.

Bring a helmet and don't expect pristine Euro limestone...

Between 'Evolution Direct Finish' and 'The Other End of Evolution'. After freeing past the first three bolts on Evolution P7 take a long rest on the ledge, then head straight up past 9 more bolts.

A harder exit to Evolution, without the bushwhacking. Start with the bolt ladder on the last pitch of Evolution (aid 3 bolts or free at grade 24), then head diagonally right past a bolt into a scoopy recess. From the top of the recess exit left through the overhang, then straight up to pull over onto a slab. Continue straight up and then left to join 'Pumpmaster'. A couple of long draws on the bolts in the recess help reduce rope drag.

Good, free of charge, training to reach flawlessness. As for 'The Other End of Evolution' to the top of the recess. Exit this to the right into a a narrower vertical scoop. Funky moves straight up more scoops and a flake until you pull over onto the slab. To finish either head straight up past two more bolts to anchor or diagonally right to Jumpmaster belay.

Excellent continuous climbing that pushes a direct line up the centre of the South Wall.

The first 4 pitches of this route makes for a straight forward sports climb that is easy to get off in 2 raps if climbing with double ropes. Sport bolted over 6 long days.

1. (24) 25m Start as for ‘Andrews Arête’, hard start moves. (21 if you pull the first two bolts)

2. (21) 40m Continue up following the Siblings bolts until a small corner with a sapling and 'Lucky' bolt hangers. Follow bolts up and right to a bolt belay in pod.

3. (19) 30m Straight up the blunt arête to the green ledge, traverse right 5m to roomy belay with bolts.

4. (24) 25m Great face climbing to a hanging belay.

5. (26) 50m Up right on big holds to a thin punchy crux then continue up joining ‘Overture to the Sun’ briefly and a long runout on easy climbing to belay at the base of the orange wall to the right of the Siblings belay. Chain belay.

6. (30) 30m Orange headwall. Climb the blunt arête with great holds and follow bolts to a semi hanging belay.

7. (27) 30m Exposure at its best, continue up and pull through committing lip (crux) then up on good hold to finish at chain. Walk back to the car park up the hill.

An alternative way to get to the top of the spike and the first belay of Siblings of the Sun. Great climbing and eases off a lot after the first bolt. The route takes the sharp bolted arête 5m left of the corner crack of Siblings pitch 1, starting on its right side then switching to the left.

Takes a line between 'Siblings Of The Sun' and 'Albino'. Start as for Siblings. All bolts, no gear or brackets required. Follow the Penumbra Variant from the top of Pitch 2 of Siblings. 'Medusa' starts from the tree belay between the two climbing pitches of the Penumbra Variant.

1. 15m (18) Trend up and right from the tree belay, delicately up the slab to the base of the short wall. Up the wall exiting slightly left to belay on the ledge (down and right from the Green Ledge).

2. 20m (24) Pull onto a ramp and follow it up and right. Follow bolts up the wall to a long move left to a good hold. Up again until the climbing eases at the base of a flake. Belay at the top of the flake.

3. 50m (25) Up the wall. Details to be advised.

4. 30m (24) From the belay head up gorgeous steep orange stone until a move right brings you onto a ramp. Care required, a lot of loose small stuff. Up the ramp for a few moves, then follow bolts right onto the wall and up shaley stuff until another big move right gives good holds. Belay on the edge of the abyss.

5. 10m (10) Scramble past a couple of bolts to the top.

Just left of the corner. Water washed rock for a few bolts then left and up to anchors. Has been rebolted - new shiny FHs. Some are already loose and required finger tightening (2016, still true in 2019).

Starts half a metre left of Sarah Fieg's Route. Bouldery and direct up little prow. Shares anchor with previous route. There's also a LH finish along the lip of the roof to finish into Polenta Pumper.

Very good, very pumpy. The original route on this wall. Start beneath the obvious roof at 15m and follow a line of stainless steel fixed hangers up square cut slopers. If climbing on Phantom Menace Wall you need to continue on easy ground for 10m (two bolts) to Big Greenie ledge and bolt belay. It's 30m from this high anchor to the ground.

Just left of PP. Bolted by George Fieg in the 90s, now an open project. Attempted by Lee Cossey - so probably quite hard!

Just left of the open project. The shortest route in the gorge but mega burly.

The very appealing steep left-trending blunt arete just left of Fluidity. Looks great so we'll open the bidding at 2 stars. Higher or lower bids accepted! 30 the way Phil did it, but some better beta was later found.

Link Nails into Ben's RHV Project.

The RHV of Ben's project.

Start at ground level a few metres right of Lee's project.

Start at ground level, under the subtle left-facing "flake"-type feature.

Short access pitch to reach Jabba the Slut & Death Starred starting at rap anchors above Polenta Pumper on Big Greenie ledge. Old FH, sling around tufa and new FH through steep bit. An orange fixed line hangs over the lower part and then heads left via the start of The Force.

A fully bolted rising traverse with a fixed rope starting as for Wicket for one bolt then heading left along a series of ledges and slabby chimneys. This route is used to access the various belay stances for routes in the centre of Phantom Menace Wall. The rope in the upper half (beyond Attack of the Clones) is old - treat with massive caution!

Right line of bolts off the ledge above Wicket. Flowstone corner and face to luscious ceiling and punchy pocketed finish. There is a single rap ring under the roof to aid cleaning the route.

Jabba the Slut, stopping at the ringbolt under the roof. A good warm up if you get dragged up here on a 5 degree day.

Amazing limestone features. Left line off the ledge climbing the flowstone corner (take care with the stalactite) then climb left onto the prow on mega buckets and then up the steep headwall with spicey finish. Neil managed to drop a large rock on himself whilst bolting this - lucky it hit his body not his head.

Belay from double bolt anchor 8m along the Access Traverse route, below the orange left facing chimney. Up chimney for a move (clip first bolt inside chimney with a long sling) then FHs out right and up crozzley grey slab then amazing overhung tufa groove and flowstone wall to final tricky bulge.

Great tufa pulling. Very awkward belay on double bolts on orange slab at right end of fixed rope traverse. Traverse up and right across horizontal break and take the right of the two ring bolted lines. Big tufa feature for most of the way, then tricky orange face to finish. 60m rope WILL NOT reach the belay on lower-off. Its much less uncomfortable to belay 5m lower, as for The Force, if you have a long rope and/or rethread.

Fantastic sustained climbing on tufa blobs and flowstone - reminiscent of Kalymnos. Shares the crappy awkward belay and first couple of bolts with DS, then take the left of the two ringbolted routes. This is a full 30m pitch, with a 60m rope you will only JUST make it to the belay. Its much less uncomfortable to belay 5m lower, as for The Force, if you have a long rope and/or rethread.

*Dodgy clip and go has been removed. There's a string of seized Mallions and an ok looking alloy biner on the anchor. If anyone is heading up to fix it, take WD40,long shifter and screwdriver, stainless mallions and either a short bit of chain or a couple of clip and go's.

More incredible limestone. Start as for the previous two routes for one bolt, then traverse left on FHs to groove - then up wall above. 60m rope will NOT reach belay - lower to fixed biners near cave then lower again.

Really good.

Fantastic steep gymnastic climbing out of the initial cave then navigates some more tenuous climbing up several shallow tufas to the crux. Starts in the cave at the left end of the fixed rope and finishes as for the final 2 bolts of Sith Lord.

The left most line of bolts is a project, probably about 29.

A good face climb on bolts.

The first route on the left just off the red track. Was looking like a nice easy line ground up bolting untill the rock turns to choss.

A nice tufa route in the middle of the wall. It has some hidden good holds.

3 metres left of Gilding lily. A variety of interesting hold types makes this an enjoyable moderate for the gorge.

A good warm up on bolts with some tufa up high. Start 50m upstream from the intersection of the Red Track and the bottom of the gorge. Depending on the level of water in the lagoon, and the state of the deposited silt and rocks, you might get your feet wet. The expansion bolts and dodgy anchor on this route could do with replacement - treat them with caution.

To the right of Gilding The Lily. Finishes just under the roof at half height.

Closed project, partially rebolted.

Rap into the 'Continuum' cave, and then a further rap down the orange wall to the right-hand belay. Up pumpy orange wall then through bulge to cave.

1. 15m (26) 9 bolts to ledge.

2. 25m (22) Same as 'Continuum' pitch 2.

Rap in from 3-bolt anchor 15m right (facing out from the cliff) of the lookout.

1. 15m (25) 9 bolts straight up, finishing in small cave / overhang.

2. 25m (22) 10 bolts. Traverses a long way right. Ends at the lookout.

Up following the bolts.

Start: Look for the double ring bolt belay down from a dead eucalypt 30m right (facing out from the cliff) of the lookout. Rap down to a ledge and double ring bolt belay.

Up the face then continue right to the base of the arête. Up the arête to double rings. About 6 bolts.

Start: Starts from the top of the gully. Double rings at base.

Start as for 'Siren', but up the left-hand line. Ring bolts & FHs to the same DRB as 'Siren'.

Rap down to the double bolt belay. Good climbing on pockets and jugs. The furthest right line of bolts (facing the cliff).

The line with 9 bolts and a hard start. It is possible to avoid the start by traversing in from the right, in which case the route goes at about 23.

The next route down and left. This line of bolts finishes through a blank overhanging grey arête which looks virtually impossible and hasn't been climbed. The bottom 20m is good in its own right.

A steep arete next to the approach track.

5m right of the arete project is another punchy little sport route.

Left line on the slabby arete down and left of the cave, sharing the first two bolts with Unknown 1. Stick clip the 1st hanger and a bit run-out on the slab. Single carabiner lower off (second anchor bolt needs a hanger).

Righthand line up the pumpy arete, sharing the first two bolts with Finger Pockets. The grade is a bit of a guess. Single lower off and requires a careful down climb to clean due to dramatic swing possibility.

Juggy, left-trending line of holds, starting just right of the through-the-cliff cave on its eastern side (climber's left). Difficult start for the grade, even if the tree is 'on-route'... Great variety through the pitch and rewarding views. Good rings at the top. Can be top roped.

Ascends the western side (climbers right) of the walk-through cave, starting on its right.

Start on the face and right side of the arete, behind a large tree. Very high first bolt - stick clip recommended. Upper third is a bit odd... Nice climbing to be had direct up the bulge, but the third bolt is actually hidden down and right behind a small bush and the route finishes with a traverse across to the rings on Angry Ants.

Starts at twin cracks. Crux is high above the third bolt as you move up to the rings.

Mount a small ledge and move up and left to the first bolt. Follows the crack on the righthand side of the arete for the central third, then nice moves out to the right across the face and up to lower offs.

Start with big moves straight up arete. Starting up crack is only grade 15.