Routes in Blackwood

Furthest lefthand line of the cave.

Start matched a big sloper on the left side of the crag. Move out right to a big sidepull on the arete, then diagonally left to crimps in line with the arete. Top out.

Start as per Snakes Alive and then right hand up to the arete and top out. Originally done by putting the right foot high right (making it V6), however more cunning people (with amazing technique) worked out the left foot on the starting hold made it much easier.

Standing start with a good LH edge and thinner adjacent RH edge, then lock down to gaston the arete up and left. Match this and topout diagonally left via crimpers.

(SDS). Start under the roof beneath the start holds of 'Married to a Magpie'. Climb into the start of that problem (blind move LH) then bust up and right to a big sidepull. Topout.

Start as for Mach III, move RH into a hard gaston, then LH to the Bicep Buster sloper, RH out to the sloper of Magpie Has Landed, match this, then finish up that problem.

9 move power endurance line starting as for Mach III/Bicep Buster but busting left all the way across the Snakes Alive sloper.

Powerful two move problem starting off the sloper below the roof (centre of the crag) then busting LH up to a poor sloper-edge and RH to the Mach III hold (sharp sidepull). Top out.

Start on two small holds on the break (one being the right hand start hold of Magpie has Landed). Then RH to the sloper with the sharp crimp on it, LH to the slope with sidepull (intermediate) then left again to sloper. RH into vertical slot (sharp) then LH over the top to sidepull. Top out.

Silly name for a great problem squeezed in between The Magpie Has Landed and A Close Shave. LH on the triangular sloper, RH on the next small crimp, over the top with the LH to another small crimp, then RH up to 2 more small crimps before getting to the finish jugs.

Start as for Snakes Alive. Move RH to the good edge of Magpie Roast, then LH to a small undercut sidepull. Bump RH to the RH edge of Magpie Roast and move LH to its starting crimp. RH to the Mach III start hold, then LH to Magpie Roast R-hand edge. Bust a move to the Mach III sharp sidepull, then LH to the small edge above it and RH to the jug up right. Sequential, sharp and tough!

Brilliant climbing along a sustained and technical traverse. Do 'Snakes Alive', and at the big right hand side pull, continue low right thought the start of 'The Magpie Has Landed' Stand Start and finish up right of 'Warm Up 1'.

Start 'Very Low Traverse' into 'Bicep Buster' and finish as per route.

Sit start on the left hand entrance of the cave on the good side pull. Climb the diagonally trending feature and finish above the caves entrance.

The obvious sit start to 'The Kids Are Restless'. Start as for 'Black Hole' just inside the cave on the side-pulls. Move left to the arete and climb 'The Kids Are Restless' to the top. Finishes once established on the face. Jump down.

Start as for Fire play. Before finishing Fire play- reverse the exit sequence of Nightmoves, gain the knee bar rest, then finish as for Black hole.

Firestarter start into Head Like a Hole

Two move sit start to Fireplay's one move sit start ha ha. Start as for Burning Down the House and traverse horizontally left into Fireplay's start. Finish as for that. Now easier with new intermediates thrown in.

Start as for Firestarter, then traverse into Head Like a Hole reversing the Night Moves exit from the cave and at the knee bar rest change direction by hopping onto Black Hole Sun and finishing as per that.

Sit start with R+LH on good side pulls. Climb up into 'Nightmoves' underclings and climb this route backwards. Once at the blocky undercling Head up and right and finish matched on the black hole in the back right hand side of the cave.

Climb all of Black Hole, then back out via Nightmoves finish. 28-30 move marathon.

Start in the black hole at the back of the cave, climb into all of Nightmoves crux, then exit via Burning Down the House.

As for Black Hole Sun but takes the more direct Night Moves exit to finish.

Starts matched on the big undercling on the left hand side of the cave. Head left and finish on the headwall.

Burning Down the House to its 3rd hold, then press into a RH gaston into Nightmoves, gain its final kneebar, and finish as for that problem. Originally '5 until someone pointed out that Burning Down the House was about 3, if that!

(It's a line out of Burning Down the House). Links new territory straight into the Nightmoves crux, joining it at its crimper as a RH gaston. Start as for BDTH but with a RH on a slopey crimp in the middle of the wall. RH to gaston the Nightmoves intermediate crux crimp, then a very hard shoulder press into the remainder of the crux of Nightmoves. Finish as for that.

Start matched on BDTH undercling. Break up & right to flat slopey edge, then right gain into gaston press. Push up into bad undercling and cross LH to the good dish of Nightmoves. Finish in the black hole up and right. A unique sequence for this cave.

Nightmoves, finishing up Burning Down the House.

A Paul Kinnane vision of 2011/12 until Trent took the drivers seat. Starts in the back left hand side of the cave on left hand side pull (RH matched or below it). Move RH to gaston then pop again to a good edge and then left on a series of underclings. Head out the cave and finish on the headwall. Definitely nicer starting on the RH gaston - however description now reflects the FA. Guess everyone will have to do it again! Worth noting that the start hold did break around 2020 but still climbable via this method.

Nightmoves start direct to the black hole finish.

Stand Start on RHS of Cave on big undercling halfway into cave. Move into roof via RH ear and crimpy sloper of Nightmoves. Move into the good underclings of BDTH and finish as for Burning Down the House.