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A Crag Guide gives an extensive view of all sub areas and climbs at a point in the index. It shows a snapshot of the index heirachy, up to 300 climbs (or areas) on a single web page. It shows selected comments climbers have made on a recently submitted ascent.

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Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Adrian Kladnig Mikl Law Lee McDougall Phil Ward Phillip Booth Sam Small David Muir

The size of a person's name reflects their Crag Karma, which is their level of contribution. You can help contribute to your local crag by adding descriptions, photos, topos and more.

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Table of contents

1. Slabs 68 routes in Area

Summary:
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Seasonality

Mostly Sport climbing

Lat / Long: -33.714044, 151.259174

description

As the name suggests not only is there plenty of slabby climbing to be had, but there's also quite a few roof routes in the cave at the end.

Bring Bolt Plates!

Most routes are sport - on a combination of bolts, fixed hangers and rings. Having said this there are a number of mixed routes, so check your guide before you set off - an occasional cam may be required. Most routes are equipped with lower-offs.

Climate / Conditions

The cliffline faces south and the sun moves pretty much over head. During the middle of the day you'll be climbing staring into the sun.

The cliff itself can be quite damp so leave a few days after rain for it to dry out. On a hot day it can be quite humid and mosquitos are ever present. Watch out for leeches.

The cave at the far end of the crag is permanently dry should it rain.

access issues

NOTE: When accessing 'Steep Side', please use the newly installed stile and do not damage the fence where it attaches to the rock. There was a recent encounter with Northern Beaches Council, so please exercise respect and discretion.

And don't park contrary to the signs in the RMS inspection bay.

© inherited from Narrabeen

approach

The Narrabeen Slabs climbing area is located on the Wakehurst Parkway 700m west of the turn-off for the Sydney Academy of Sport.

Described first from the Sydney side:- ABout 2km North of the traffic lights at Oxfoird Falls are 2 Heavy Vehicle inspection bay signs, parking just before the 2nd one near (but NOT blocking a locked gate) on the shoulder on the left. This is parking area B on the topo. To turn around, go up 200m to the RMS heavy vehicle area or the Academy of Sport.

Heading from the Narrabeen side you will pass the Academy of Sport; then after 500m a large layby on your right; then 200m further on is the access for the crag is at the locked gate on the right (just before the first sweeping lefthand corner). There is enough space on the road shoulder to park opposite the gate on the left side of the road. This is parking area C on the topo.

From the gate follow the well established track for 300m, then right and then up the hill.

RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

Left side

The first part of the wall that you get to, climbs left to right

2 Dunning Kruger Wall

Easy looking wall 10m L of where the track hits the cliff. Start behind a nice block for sunbathing.

FA: Michael Law, 2018

20 Sport 7m, 3
3 A spoonful of Sugar

Mantel start 1.5m R of Dunning Kruger Wall and right to seam.

FA: Claire Fox, 2018

16 Sport 7m, 4
4 Stiction

Cute boulder problem to start. Wall 4m R of where the track hits the cliff.

FA: Michael Law, 2018

22 Sport 13m, 3
5 Lindsay's easy warmup

Easy looking line 6m R of where the track hits the cliff. 3 funky cruxes. Up and left.

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2018

20 Sport 13m, 4
6 Son of a Bad Man

Start below obvious flake about 15m R of where the access track hits the crag.

FA: Chris Yeomans, 2005

24 Sport 12m, 4
7 Stan Lee Steamer

Thin seam about 10m of Lindsay's Easy Warmup, hard start then laybacks and face holds to avoid jams

20 Sport 12m
8 Hampsters

2m right of Son of a Bad Man. A great and varied slab. (rebolted 2018)

FA: Mikl, 1980

23 Sport 15m, 3
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
9 Some Girls Wander By Mistake

Start as for Kiosks. Step left as per Kiosks. Continue left then directly up via 2 rings and large pocket.

FA: Chris Yeomans, 2004

22 Sport 14m, 4
10 Kiosks

Jump up on flake/slab to start and clip first RB and crux. Step left at second RB and continue straight up left of seam past 2 RB's and a Double RB Lower off

FA: Mike Law, 1980

22 Sport 12m, 3
11 Show us your ticks

Start as for 'Kiosks' The most sustained of all 'Kiosks' variants. After crux at start, continue straight up through line of 3 RBs to Double RB lower off.

FA: Craig Dungey, 2001

22 Sport 10m, 3
12 Elmo Needs Some Air

Start as for 'Kiosks' but head right. Past single RB and 2 cam breaks up to lower off

FA: Dale Tweedie & Chris Yeomans, 2004

23 Mixed trad 12m, 1
13 Iron Chef

Start 1m left of Into The Void at seam.

Desperate slabbing following the left hand line of a smorgasbord of carrots, fixed hangers and rings. Shares first ring with Into the Void.

FA: Chris Yeomans, 2004

23 Sport 13m, 5
14 Frantic

Start as for Iron Chef then head right after the fixed hanger. Shares first ring with Into the Void.

FA: Jeff Boyton & Gayle Matus, 2002

21 Sport 15m, 5
15 S.I.A.N.

As this climb is a rising traverse crossing most of the routes on the main slab it is best attempted on quiet days! Climb Into The Void to bolt 2, then right 10m to bolt 3 on Kicks, up Kicks and lower off. During the lower off unclip last quick draw on Kicks to make life much more pleasant for the second(!)

FA: Michael Combley & Kate Baecher, 2013

17 Sport 25m, 6
16 Into the Void

Start is marked ITV. Up past 4 carrots. Shares first ring with Frantic.

FA: Mikl, 1980

19 Sport 20m, 4
17 Mum's the Word

Second pitch of Into The Void. 3m right, onto clean wall and up.

FA: Rod Kotkis, Jeff Boyton & Nicole Dombrain, 1999

16 Trad 10m
18 Manic

Excellent climb with interesting moves. Follow the right arcing line. Originally graded 19, but a few people have suggested that it is a little bit easier than that.

FA: Jeff Boyton, Rod Kotkis, Edward Fairleigh & Nicole Dombrain, 2001

18 Sport 17m, 4
19 For the Good of the Claws

4m right of Into The Void. Thin. Up to new ring, then finish up Ag Science or Manic.

FA: Mikl, 1980

24 Sport 20m
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
20 Ag Science

Great climbing, wanders a bit. Reachy. 1m left of the seam in the middle of the wall. 4 BR's to DRB lower off.

FA: Mikl, 1980

16 Sport 18m, 4
21 Mental as Anything

Climb the thin seam using the bolts on Ag Science for protection. Traverse easily right and lower off the DRB’s of Technical Short Talk, or finish left as for AS

FA: Michael Combley & James Carpenter, 2012

17 Sport 12m, 3
22 Technical Short Talk

Easy if you're tall. Start is marked TST. Up corner to ring (shared with Kicks) then left across scoop (crux) and up to lower off.

FA: Mikl, 1980

18 Sport 16m, 5
23 Kicks

1m right of TST. Up the wall past ring (shared with TST) then right and up. Originally graded 20 with no bolts, someone bolted a 'new' route 30cm right of the original line!

FA: Mikl Law, 1980

19 Sport 12m, 4
24 Common Origin

Classic slab with balancey finish. Take a double set of cams and some slings (as there are a few placements in the same break) and a thin finger sized cam for the top. Up slight ramp to Ubolt, then hole, then carrot. Up wall past cams to DRB lower off situated 4 meters back on the next face (caution with drag), avoid the tree anchor as it causes wear.

FA: Craig Martin & John Davis, 1982

18 Mixed trad 15m, 2
25 Common Sense

Nice climbing, need to stay close to the Ubolts for the full grade. Climb up 4m R of Common Origin and 1m L of crack (TPI) to lower off above ledge.

19 Sport 12m, 4

Upper tier

The next two routes start on the upper tier/second pitch just above 'Common Origin'.

27 Burnt Out

Starts 6 m L of Wimples. Mantle to ledge with gnarly gum, past vegetation to short hand crack. Careful to protect the mantle.

FA: Jyah S & Declan Everett-Morgan, Jun 2019

17 Trad 10m
28 Wimples

Start on the small, steep upper cliff line above the slabs.

A steep second pitch to Common Origin. Lunge off ledge left of ring anchor, then trend right through scoop and up left past old carrots.

FA: Mikl, 1980

25 Sport 10m, 3
29 Dimples

Start as for Wimples.

Head right across the scoop and finish up the right side of the arete with no pro. Groundfall potential.

FA: Steve Kelly, 1998

21 X Sport 15m
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

Back to Ground Level

31 TPI

2m R of CS at crack. Up crack with some small wires. Good trad lead. Belay on large cams in break and back up to rings on left.

16 Trad 10m
32 Candlelight

Nice easy wall, start just right of crack (TPI).

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2019

13 Sport 8m, 5
33 Question Marks

Second crack on right side of wall,2m R of Candlelight up to break and lower off. Take care with the crucial wire on the crux.

15 Trad 8m
34 Krampus

Xmas route for people who can't use their feet. 9m R of Question Marks at highest point on track, slab and pumpy bulges above.

FA: Michael Law, 2019

22 Sport 12m, 6
35 Christmas Sweater

Ugly but fun. Thin wall just R of highest point of track 11m R of Question Marks, and pumpy bulging arete above ledge (either directly into cave, or walk into cave and shuffle out above lip).

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2019

20 Sport 12m, 6
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
36 Sparkles

Start in corner 10m R of Christmas Sweater on the ledge about 8m up (traverse in, or climb the first slab of Krampus or Christmas Sweater). Up corners

Set: Patrick Burr, 2019

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2019

18 Sport 10m, 5
37 Patrick project

On upper cliffline, wall 2m R of SParkles corner, heading right.

Set: Patrick Burr, 2019

Unknown
38 Long pockets, short arms

2nd pitch to Lunatic or Ambiguity effect. Wall and roof 4m R of Sparkles corner (right-hand line of bolts), Head rightwards on big features to roof, long reach to holds, up and rising traverse left to top and shared anchor with project on left.

FA: Michael Law, 2020

19 Sport 12m, 5

Block below

The following five climbs start on the block directly below Common Origin.

40 A

Starts in obvious corner. Straight up slightly overhung past a single BR, then directly up past 3 FHs right to lower off. Corner can be slippery when wet

18 Sport 10m, 4
41 So Familiar

Between A and Quick Fang Down The Parkway. Start on nice right hand pocket and move up to left hand side pull. Crux move is here then continue straight up to anchors for 'A'

19 Top rope 10m
42 Quick fang down the parkway

4m Right of 'A'. Start as for 'Trickles' to first RB then continue straight through crimpy features past 2 more RBs. Up onto final ledge and onto headwall.

FA: Chris Yeomans & Duane Maxwell, 2003

18 Sport 10m, 4
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
43 Trickles

Straight up and head right after first RB following the lip past two more RBs and crux mantling onto ledge. Finish as for 'Quick Fang Down the Parkway'

FA: Mike Law, 1980

22 Sport 10m, 4
44 Mega Ryuushi Requium Shoot

The roof in the cave to the right of Trickles, then along the lip to the fixed maillon. Back-jump or top out as for Trickles. 4 RB's.

FA: Darley, 2017

23 Sport 8m, 4
45 Roof Project (open)

Roof starting from the right corner of the cave and going along the lip to fixed maillon. Very hard.

SportProject 9m, 3
46 Roof Project Direct (open)

Direct finish to mega requium roof sushi (or whatever it's called) at last ring go direct over bulge

SportProject 8m, 2
47 Pigeonhole

A funky crux, locate the 3 pockets and go. Slab 10m L of Communal Nose

19 Sport 15m, 5
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
48 Communal Nose

8m right of Trickles. Pleasant right arete of the block, it's Narrabeen so there's one reachy move. Retrobolted 2019. Originally graded 4!

FA: Craig Martin & Russ Davis, 1982

13 Sport 15m, 6

Right slab

The following climbs start back up at main wall, at the very right hand end of the slab.

50 Non Sequitur

Wall 8m R of Xmas Sweater with a thin finish.

FA: Mikl Law

20 Sport 10m, 4
51 Stupid Valley

Nice wandering face around seam, direct start possible but not nice.

17 Sport 10m, 4
52 Ambiguity Effect

Technical wall left of Lunatic, lots of options, all confusing.

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2020

20 Sport 12m, 5
53 Ambiguity Aversion (linkup)

Climb the crux of Ambiguity Effect, clip its 3rd bolt, and then traverse right and up to a fully Bayesian end up Lunatic.

FA: Gabriele G, 2020

20 Sport 18m, 6
54 Lunatic

Thin slab to juggy overhang.

FA: Rod Kotkis, 2001

18 Sport 19m, 5
55 Fat, Sallow and Drunk

3m right of Lunatic. Up middle of slab and steep wall above. 26?

FA: Mikl, 1980

25 Sport 20m, 5
56 Muscoviet Mosquito

3m R of Lunatic. Follow the slab up and over a small roof finishing up obvious flake and R edge of blunt arete.

FA: Chris Yeomans, 2004

18 Sport 15m, 5
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

The roof

58 Colonial Mentality

The corner crack at the far R end of the main slab.

FA: Craig Martin (solo), 1984

8 Trad 10m
59 Born Under Lunges

2m R of CM. Up overhanging nose to lower offs.

FA: Craig Martin & SID, 1984

18 Sport 12m, 2
60 Teckity

Wall 2m R of Born Under Lunges. Think tall on the last move.

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2019

Set: Jeffrey Crass, 2019

20 Sport 14m
61 B

Warning Rock: Loose rock

Start marked '20'.

Up short wall then swing left to nose and up airy thin head wall.

21 Sport 18m, 7
62 C

Start as for B. Steeply up to roof, then out roof to chain lower off in break (Chain lower off is safe and in good condition but poorly set up.) Or continue up Unfair Dismissal

18 Sport 8m
63 Unfair Dismissal

Worth doing for the hero shot on the lip. Start as for C to rest above chain anchor, then out and up right side of arete. last ring just around on left but use hidden pocket on right. ANchor around on left. Backjump to C anchor

20 Sport 15m
64 Marco Polio

Juggy roof left of Surfboard, start up C then right, or up Fake Nowra, or up Surfboard. Punch out under fin roof to rest, then (ignore the printed guide) and traverse left along lip and up left side of arete above.

FA: Michael Law, 2020

23 Sport 15m, 11
65 Fake Nowra

Harder start to Marco Polio. Up C to first bracket, then traverse R to ring and up to join Marco Polio

FA: Michael Law, 2019

22 Sport
66 COVID

A good juggy roof. Start up C to the 3rd hanger, then right in cave (high Ubolt in roof, use a longish draw) and continue to join Surfboard out to the lip. SLap the bolt on the lip and backjump. Or finish around the lip as for Surfboard.

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2020

19 Sport 10m, 7
67 Surfboard

Start 2m right of C on scooped arete in cave. Up arete and out past dodgy looking (but very solid) surfboard. Hard move around lip and up.

24 Sport 15m, 4
68 Surfboard Soft Start

Up Rebound to the second bolt and traverse into Surfboard (18 to this point). Finish up Surfboard to the lip (19) or to the top (21).

FA: Jeffrey Crass, 2020

19 Sport
69 Rebound

Short fun bulges about 3m R of Surfboard. Out on R side of Surfboard thru roof to lip and backjump. Or finish up Surfboard on slab.

FA: Michael Law, 2020

21 Sport 3
70 Stroof

2 stacked boulder problems about 4m R of Surfboard. Cut loose on black jug on lip then backjump.

FA: Eugene Mak, 2020

24 Sport 8m, 3
71 IHOP

Big roof 6m R of Surfboard, crank out to black fin on lip then backjump

FA: Michael Law, 2019

Set: Michael Law, 2019

23 Sport 8m
72 Bandy Rabbit Roof

Flakes 5m R of IHOP, Right end of cave. Stickclip first bolt. Finishes on black fin at end of IHOP, backjump to clean

Set: Eugene Mak, Feb 2019

FA: Eugene Mak, Mar 2019

22 Sport 5m
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
73 Sweet Mercury

Good crack climbing in 2 sections. The first crack 5m right of the cave. Thin hands to cave (you can stop and practise a trad belay here), then bulging hand and fist crack past ridiculous bolt near top.

FA: Craig Martin, 1984

20 Trad 18m
74 Shivering Jemmy

Short thin layback seam 10m right of Sweet Mercury and the big cave (but at ground level). Up layback seam (stickclip Ubolt?) and slabs past a good sling and another Ubolt to technical crack, then to lower offs.

FA: Craig Martin & SID, 1984

20 Mixed trad 20m, 1

2. Index by grade

Grade Stars Name Style Pop
8 Colonial Mentality Trad 10m
13 Candlelight Sport 8m, 5
Communal Nose Sport 15m, 6
15 Question Marks Trad 8m
16 A spoonful of Sugar Sport 7m, 4
Ag Science Sport 18m, 4
Mum's the Word Trad 10m
TPI Trad 10m
17 Burnt Out Trad 10m
Mental as Anything Sport 12m, 3
S.I.A.N. Sport 25m, 6
Stupid Valley Sport 10m, 4
18 A Sport 10m, 4
Born Under Lunges Sport 12m, 2
C Sport 8m
Common Origin Mixed trad 15m, 2
Lunatic Sport 19m, 5
Manic Sport 17m, 4
Muscoviet Mosquito Sport 15m, 5
Quick fang down the parkway Sport 10m, 4
Sparkles Sport 10m, 5
Technical Short Talk Sport 16m, 5
19 COVID Sport 10m, 7
Common Sense Sport 12m, 4
Into the Void Sport 20m, 4
Kicks Sport 12m, 4
Long pockets, short arms Sport 12m, 5
Pigeonhole Sport 15m, 5
So Familiar Top rope 10m
Surfboard Soft Start Sport
20 Ambiguity Aversion (linkup) Sport 18m, 6
Ambiguity Effect Sport 12m, 5
Christmas Sweater Sport 12m, 6
Dunning Kruger Wall Sport 7m, 3
Lindsay's easy warmup Sport 13m, 4
Non Sequitur Sport 10m, 4
Shivering Jemmy Mixed trad 20m, 1
Stan Lee Steamer Sport 12m
Sweet Mercury Trad 18m
Teckity Sport 14m
Unfair Dismissal Sport 15m
21 B Sport 18m, 7
Frantic Sport 15m, 5
Rebound Sport 3
21 X Dimples Sport 15m
22 Bandy Rabbit Roof Sport 5m
Fake Nowra Sport
Kiosks Sport 12m, 3
Krampus Sport 12m, 6
Show us your ticks Sport 10m, 3
Some Girls Wander By Mistake Sport 14m, 4
Stiction Sport 13m, 3
Trickles Sport 10m, 4
23 Elmo Needs Some Air Mixed trad 12m, 1
Hampsters Sport 15m, 3
IHOP Sport 8m
Iron Chef Sport 13m, 5
Marco Polio Sport 15m, 11
Mega Ryuushi Requium Shoot Sport 8m, 4
24 For the Good of the Claws Sport 20m
Son of a Bad Man Sport 12m, 4
Stroof Sport 8m, 3
Surfboard Sport 15m, 4
25 Fat, Sallow and Drunk Sport 20m, 5
Wimples Sport 10m, 3
? Patrick project Unknown
Roof Project (open) SportProject 9m, 3
Roof Project Direct (open) SportProject 8m, 2
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