Routes in Katoomba Area for selected grade

Start at decent sized Angophora.

One of the best mini-multis for a quick, exposed and scenic adventure in the Blue Mountains. This route is highly visible to the tourist hoards passing overhead on the Scenic Skyway cablecar and nearby lookouts. On a busy weekend expect to be hassled and photographed relentlessly. There have been reported incidents of police meeting climbers on the top-out after tourists thought the climbers were stuck and rang 000.

This route can be done as a run-out sport route (bring 15+ draws) or a saner mixed route with the addition of a single set of cams from #0.75 to #3 Camalot. Long runners are useful to reduce rope-drag and for a thread on pitch 1. This route no longer requires bolt plates.

Start: Make your way to the lookout on the Prince Henry Cliff Walk directly below the Katoomba side of the Scenic Skyway. From the lookout the rap point is on the small but obvious rock platform 30m down and to the left. There is a well beaten dirt track leading to this spot (it's a popular Instagram selfie area)

There are 2 ringbolts to rap off hidden back from the edge obscured by some bushes. Do NOT rap off the 2 carrot bolts a few metres further left. Fix a 70m rope to these anchors and rap down to the major vegetated starting ledge. It is possible to rap and pull ropes if you build an anchor that gets over the top edge. 30m to the mid height rap chain followed by a 40m rap to the bottom of the route. Facing the cliff, the route starts on a ledge a few metres up and to the left of where you touch down with a single bolt belay.

1. 45m (22) A long pitch. After a very hard start move trend right up the ramp. Now climb up and up and up, mainly on jugs, but even so there is one unnerving run out section. A 60cm sling for an obvious thread can mitigate the runout. Eventually you come to the belay chain.

2. 30m (22) An excellent pitch with a couple of tricky sections to keep things interesting. Cams help alleviate runouts. Don't forget to smile for the cameras.

Mixed climbing masterpiece. The excellent final pitch can be seen easily from the lookouts on Cliff Drive.

Start: Huge right facing corner directly beneath Wollumni Look out. Best access is to walk-in via Furbers Steps, left at the bottom and follow track to HUGE boulder on left about 250m after crossing the creek. Head directly up the hill towards the cliff. The route has a substantial tree at its base that you use to get established on the rock and there is a NY cap with a rock on it at the base.

1. 10m (17) Mantle on to tree then up corner and slightly left to belay at twin breaks. Gear belay.

2. 45m (22) Head leftwards from the belay towards carrot and then up the awesome wall just in from the arete on great rock passing more carrots and good gear in horizontals just where you need it. When you arrive at a small scoop and ledge trend up and left to the arete and boulder your way through to the belay which is two carrots.

3. 20m (17) Walk 4m left on ledge to bolt above your head. Up passing one more bolt and slightly left to ledge below yellow corner. Not a load of gear. Single bolt and cam belay.

4. 40m (18) Up corner with limited gear but on rock that is better than it looks, then traverse right to chossy ledge. Up great juggy crack to mossy ledge. Single bolt and cam belay.

5. 50m (17) Corner, right at top (ignore rusty carrot out left) and up to huge tree below the lookout.

8m past Wollemi lookout, climb the fence and walk to the right below a small boulder to find the abseil rings above you. Abseil just left of the small tree (looking out) to 2 x rings 15m down, and keep on abseiling clipping some bolts along the way to keep in contact with the wall. A 60m rope JUST reaches in 1 abseil on stretch (tie a knot in the end). This is the last route off the right side of the small, exposed footledge.

Take at least 12 bolt plates, a single rack (BD 0.3 - 3) and some mid-sized wires.

1. From the belay, trend up and right over the void to a bolt, then continue upwards with 1 very hard move at 2/5ths height. Supplement bolts with cams and wires (good gear) as necessary. Belay on 2 x rings 15m down from the top.

2. Hard start, then up past carrots to roof. Hard moves to turn the lip (don't forget the hard-to-see carrot bolt on the lip of the roof, and the optional #3 placement just below the roof proper in the vegetation). Belay off abseil anchors well back from cliff edge.

A fantastic trad route up a very striking line. In 2020 a large box sized section of rock fell off at the start of pitch 3. The route has been re-established with the addition of a couple of bolts in this section. All other fixed gear was replaced in 2021.

The most straightforward way to access this climb is probably to go up the gully and fixed ropes as for Echo Crack and then wander right (facing the cliff) for 130m.

Bring a standard double rack (BD 0.3-3), one BD 4 & 5 and a few very small cams. And maybe some extras in the hand range if you want to be really comfy. Don't forget wires either, this route eats them!

Start at low angled black wall with vegetated crack 130m right of Echo Crack.

1. 25m (14) Scrubby crack to major ledge. Vegetated but mostly good gear and rock. Build belay in small alcove behind large block.

2. 55m (17) Step left onto ramp feature from the top of the block and then follow the vegetated crack up, up forever. Belay on big choss ledge.

3. 35m Follow bolts up wall then pace a crucial #5 & #3 cam in shallow jugs above last bolt, before traversing left to base of corner pedestal. Place a nest of micro gear here before mantling. Up long corner until you are 10-15m below the roof and build a belay at whatever stance you can find.

4. 25m Continue up corner with hard move at mid height to roof. Traverse left under roof on good holds, passing a weird triple carrot bolt belay and a few more bolts after this. Make sure to traverse a long ways left, around the arete, and don't go up the obvious, steep, vegetated crack. Once around the arete go up to ledge and set belay.

5. 30m (22) Good flake to blank corner with a bouldery move protected by bolts. Quest upwards with exciting gear to a small rooflet. Clip the bolt and do a hard move before stepping left into juggy corner finale. Belay off various trees.

   Walk off by going straight up the obvious ridge and then heading left once you get to the next cliff tier, which is the base of spooners lookout. Scramble up the creek for a short while, keeping on the right side as much as possible. Keep veering right as the terrain allows to avoid soggy creek catchment, and you will pop out where the paved spooners lookout threeway junction is.

A steep, clean, direct variant finish to Genghis Khan from midway through the Traverse on pitch 4 with some excellent rock and great protection.

1. As for GK

2. As for GK

3. As for GK

4. As for GK to triple carrot belay part way through the traverse.

5. 15m Clip bolt out left then up vegetated corner above to belay ledge. Mind the jumble of teetering boulders at next belay. It is not necessary to touch them building anchor or climbing, therefore unnecessary to trundle them either.

6. 25m (22) Continue up fine clean well protected corner. Plug something in and fire up fingers layback crux, passing a ringbolt eventually, and then finish up the final headwall, passing an obvious carrot (with a good small/medium cam slot just above it if you prefer). Then slightly right under small rooflet at top (#4 cam just before top out mantle).

   Belay off Mallee stems approx 4m from edge. Unlike GK, a few boltplates are still required for this climb to utilise triple bolt belay beneath pitch 5, though a small sling hitch may suffice on protruding carrot as there is one ringbolt now at belay.

Another (fairly average looking) variant to Genghis Khan. Instead of climbing the awesome finalpitch of the aforementioned route, instead traverse out left and head up the mossy, dirty face following the line of carrots. Finish up final corner as for Genghis Khan.

A classic katoomba cliffs trad route with great position and climbing. Most of the rock on this route is of descent quality with the exception of the shale band on pitch 3. Good gear (doubles BD 0.3 - 3, 1 x 4, Wires and Hexes), and only one move at grade 22 (most of the climbing is in the 19-20 range) make this a good introduction to Dogface free-climbing.

Access via Furber steps (or Golden Staircase) to landslide. Find Gorgon wall (next wall right of the landslide main wall, with huge stepped roof half-way up) then bush-bash up loose scree and vegetation until you are below Gorgon Wall.

1. Start up clean, wide crack with a small roof 6m up. Up crack with a hard start and tricky moves past the roof, then pleasantly up the corner crack to the ledge. 2RB belay.

2. Walk 20m right along the ledge, and belay off 2 glue-in carrots (back up with bomber wire if necessary).

3. Up flake (being careful on bad rock) to shale band. Carefully mantle to old bash-in carrot, then crux on bad rock, moving right to gain corner-crack and better rock. Continue up corner to semi-hanging belay 5m below roof. Okay gear can be found in the shale band on this pitch.

4. Stem corner to roof (bomber wire), then traverse right under roof (clip what pitons you can reach (3 possible), and supplement with gear after the 2nd piton). Continue under roof around prow for 2-3m, then up and back left to large belay ledge directly above the previous belay.

5. Delicately Up loose flakes to cramped belay in large horizontal slot.

6. Strenuously off the belay on dubious rock past bolt and gear to an awkward stance. Crux past 2 old carrots, then easily and pleasantly to the top of the cliff. Belay off bollards 8m back from cliff edge.

To escape, head up the hill to the cliffline. Traverse right under the cliffline to cliff edge at gully. Scramble up carefully, then back left under cliffline for 100m until you reach a short gully. Scramble up this, and continue up the hill to the main walking track. Head left on the track back to Landslide lookout, and then up the track to the road.

The line up the huge corner. Some loose rock. Bolt belays.

Start: Solo up the landslide over steep loose rubble and blocks till you reach the start of the rock and you should be at a crack that you can use for your first belay. If you aren't then head left or right till you are, or keep going up . . Belay from here.

Previously climbed back in the dark ages but un recorded. Has seen a lot of traffic. Good clean crack climbing

Follows a finger crack corner past some old carrots to a 2 bolt belay/lower offs

The crux is up high where the crack thins – if you climb the crack direct its around grade 23 however its slightly easier if you use the scoops on the right at grade 22.

Rap off 2 bolt belay.

2m right of Castaway and immediately left of a small overhang/cave.

1. 22 - Up steep corner to bush. Climb left of the bush to ledge then up steep finger crack to anchor. 2 bolt belay. Rap off or continue to pitch 2&3

2. 15 - Walk right along ledge to small eucalyptus tree. Climb short wall above eucalyptus tree to ledge. 0.75 cam and a wire in crack for belay.

3. 18 - Up steep leaning crack on good holds to ledge. Quite pumpy. Rap off

Start at corner capped by triangular roof left of main waterfall. diagonally right to bolt and up to ledge, then corner system up to right side of roof. Follow corner/crack up to end then left on sloping shelf past bolt (old belay) and up groove to ledge past old threads and traverse off left.

Obvious crack line angling into Catastrophe Corner, then taking right hand exit at top.

After trying the direct start at small roof, try increasing further left, but no further then the tree, until you can get established on wall. Either head up slightly to gear or traverse into line and some gear. Follow crack, a bit of gear to stonking Medium cams then slight runout up to ramp and gear. Join CC at the top but continue up and right to exit.

Wires and cams. Tree belay over the top.

Directissima. Frees bottom section of Solidfan and top section of 'Lunatic', 'Excellent' rock and climbing. Good pro - no need to rebolt.

Highball thinish crux up past reasonable bolt and missing rurp to good gear. Leftish past tree & piton (Original Lunatic Belay) and up to hollow flake. Take right line - Lunatic - up past pitons & gear then right to bolt and final moves up through scoop to belay on ledge. Excellent

Start: As for Solidifan below bolt.

Up to steepening, up then left to shale. 2).Right to choss corner, aid/free to large gear under roof, traverse left to arete. 3). Chimney.

Start: Weakness 3m right of TL.

Start: 14m right of TD. Grass shelf beneath the rooflet.

1. 8m (22) Follow bolts to rest, left and up to small cave.

2. 15m (19) Up to piton, traverse. Left and up to ledge. Right along ledge to stance. Up and right.

3. 10m (12) Up.

Start: 2m right of EJ.

Start: Right again.

A climb for the traverse connoisseur.

Start: Start as for 'Eve of Destruction'.

1. 20m (21) Up easy start of EOD to ringbolt. Up and rightwards on small holds to rightwards traverse line under big roof. Across this for 10m to comfy ledge belay (double rings)

2. 20m (22) Pumpy! Up and left across ironstone traverse line which gets increasingly steep until final climatic reach move at lip. Easily up wall to small ledge belay.

3. 30m (16) Straight up black slopers and short steep arete to juggy finish. Double rings.

Pitch 1 is great freeclimbing. Up past Ubolt to gain crack.

Start: 10m right of PB below yellow left leading corner.

3 pitches. Start 15m right of 8 Carat. Marked HO. The right facing corner with 2 fixed hangers to start.

Nice position, nice moves and a little tricky just to make things interesting.

A direct start to DKMS that starts from the ground.

Steep juggy start leads to a grey slab.

Ugly start then steep jugs to top.

Big left facing flake feature with a hard last move. Rock quality isn't great.

Thin face left of the vegetated corner. A bit different to most of the steep thug fests around this part of the world.

Topo notional - route not confirmed. [But if I was looking for a 100m arete, I imagine it would be here - Ed.]

Start: Rap 40m, 30m (chains), 35m (tree) to DBB.

1. (35m) 20 Slabby arete.

2. (25m) 22 Wall, left to arete, up to ledge, right and up to chain.

3. (40m) 21 Wall and arete.

Start 3m right of CDV. Hard overhung start though the bulge leads to easier fun climbing .

Stick clip FH. Climb through orange overhang up to jug; punch through crimps and on to an easy finish. If 22 is your limit, probably best you climb Beorn then equip the route or you'll hate placing bolt plates while crimping for your life. Long draw for the third bolt so you can clip off the jug before getting into the hard moves.

Excellent. A nice climb up grey and stunning orange rock. Start: At Angophora tree, up fused/thin corner to wall, RB. Up wall [4 RB’s] and orange steep slab to DFHLO below jutting roof.

First route at left hand end of the cave, past motorpussy

The obvious corner system. First route of the cliff, enabling top access. Ground up. Right of BTiLI. Up corner system to top then left. Don't go right.

Start as for RD but head left then up. Nice slab climbing, very similar in style to Shipley. Variant finish possible linking into RD.

A period of unstable air mass creates a big pump. Brilliant sustained climbing on waterfall washed rock. Stem up the steep corner (trad) and out the bulge onto the face above. Technical face climbing (bolts + cams in breaks) to top - bolt belay. Double set of cams (fist to finger), wires and some trad runners useful.