Nodes in Lower Blue Mountains

Be sensible.

full body crack climb and plenty of routes all you can top out on. careful of the opposing rock on the slab routes. lots of routes where small crash pad is all you need but some of the 'funner' climbs will require a couple for saftey.

nice looking boulder not many routes but great landing and top out

Start cling on the hugging rock and continue to the left, good landing

easy to moderate climbs to left of cave. would not top the cave the rocks ontop are danger.

Start 2 hands whiterock and go straight up

Start 2 hands on cave arete and continue up and over. careful of the tail bone breaker rock (nice flexible crashpad for first timer)

right next to the table top rock climb up these mossy rocks

A mini cliff made by dynamiting for the railroad. Very chossy but has some good problems for those who can handle the height.

A proper highball boulder problem. I recommend top Roping from tree above to work the high crux because if you fall from there you better have a lot of mats. VERY good climb but potential for injury if you fall from the top crux. The topout and walk off is achievable now that the choss from the jug over the top has been cleared away.

Start as low as you can finish middle ledge

small area just off m4 with variety of hard problems.

start twohands on sloper ledge, sideways-foot kneebar into dyno move and mantle to topout -->FFA:

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Sections of thin, technical slabbing. Climb direct up the line of the bolts (don't stray towards the crack, or too far right) with a few tough moves.

Needs lots of cleaning before FA is possible.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Route used to access top of cave for developing routes in the cave

A few metres right of Sahelanthropus. Hard, sustained first half, to an easier finish.

3D and technical through blocky steepness. Hard cruxes between good rests.

Belayer should pay attention during the moves between the first and second bolt, as they're hard, and a bad catch could be catastrophic.

Starts at the right layback flake -immediately left of Sahelanthropus. A briefly tricky move at the low roof leads to a stance, followed by a technical and strenuous finale up the overhanging blocky corner.

The grade is very much open for discussion. The moves suit me, and I did it quickly, but it is a very particular style of climbing.

The easiest route in the cave. A fun crux, but marred by a sandy cave at half height.

Up the left flake, around the sand-cave on the righthand side (seriously, stay out of the cave!), through a short roof-boulder, and onwards to a fun finish.

Stay out of the cave and climb the line of the bolts to earn the grade -it's more fun that way, anyway.

Be sensible.

Great beginner lead climb. Start on the super easy slab. Move into the cave arete with a committing crux for a beginner climb. Enjoy the exposure. Head up to the crack or slab headwall. Lots of options. Serves as a good tasting platter for different styles of climbing. Lacks the massive exposure of the other upper cliff routes. Top rope anchors and chains are accessible by rappelling down to the top of the climb. Two sets of anchors at the top, left set is better for top roping and rapping.

Be sensible.

An adventurous line offering panoramic views of Glenbrook Gorge and the Nepean. Mostly bomber but belayers beware loose rock. Bring ten draws including a few alpines.

1. 25m (16) Slab to hidden rail under roof, left onto ledge, behind boulder, up enormous flake to belay ledge.

2. 20m (18) Peculiar moves from boulder to face. Identify reliable holds and pull up and right through crux. Through gap then stem up final corner to ledge. Can belay here, but remain roped up for slippery scramble to rap chains a few metres above.

To exit walk down faint path on right starting about 10m away from cliff edge. Alternatively, a 70m dynamic rope reaches the ground from the rap chains with stretch - use a rope protector at the lip (same deal if top roping).

Closed Project.

Bolted. Closed Project. Contains some temporary bolts. UNSAFE. STAY OFF.

Be sensible.

Varied climbing, spectacular views. Bring ten quickdraws including alpines, and cams (.5,1,2,3) for pitches one and three. U-bolt anchors.

1. 17m (15) Scamper up to corner crack and stem or jam, placing cams. Veer left onto ledge.

2. 23m (15) Up onto horizontal band, traverse to nook, mindful of the arête. Optional belay. Mount and straddle the suspect feature.

3. 10m (15) Stroll up to the crack for a bouldery finish. Fun problem, forgiving landing. Takes a .5 above the crux.

Walk off via faint trail heading right towards the Nepean.

Easy crack to sharp crimps (trim your fingernails!) then slabbing into reachy crux 2 and jugs to the anchor. Commit to a long move for crux #2. Keep left of the crack (following the bolts) for the true tick.

The start can also be climbed direct (through the rooflet) for some added gnarliness.

Be sensible.

A very cool climb reminiscent of 'the sisters of fatima' up at the dam cliffs. Great beginner to intermediate lead climb.

The beginner climb. Finishes at the ledge next to the cave.

Start up Charlotte's Climb and veer right on the ledge to climb the layback crack. DRB a few metres above.

A short pumpy crack which is just too tight for the casual hand jammer. A climb that your small hand friends can laud over you.

Easy looking crack. Don't be fooled! DRB anchors, can walk off.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Start by getting up close and personal with the arete at the right of the cave. Rest on the super cool double edged flake (that won't break. Don't worry. We already tried. A lot). Use all you guts to rock into the slab and turn on full slab cruise control to the anchors.

Accidentally bolted the wrong line but so glad I did! A great climb starting with a boulder problem and then slabby footers and balancy crimping. Two cruxs, one being right before the anchors.

UNSAFE - Needs second bolt moved to prevent a dicey fall. Several Key holds have broken so needs to be reassesed. Use 'Psych Out' start.

Several broken holds at the starting boulder problem have upped the direct start grade significantly, so it is now linked into the start of 'Psych out'. Downgraded to meet the new route. Will update when new beta for the direct start is sorted out.

Super easy flake to giant move (or dyno) then very technical pumpy crimping to the anchors. (Hint,theres a giant jug above the anchors).

Bolted. Waiting first ascent. Top section is crux.

Adventure up the most obvious line on the wall. So dicey. So trad.

Be sensible.

This standalone boulder sits right next to a lovely rock pool in Glenbrook gorge, making it a particularly fun Summer bouldering location. With soft sandy landings under the majority of the problems you can just show up with swimmers, chalk, and shoes for a day of sending.

ALWAYS CHECK THE SAND FOR SUBMERGED OBJECTS, IF EVER IN DOUBT BRING CRASH PADS

Awkward sit start on horizonal crack and straight up the most obvious holds to a mantle which forces you to spread your wings

Sit start, work your way up the diagonal crack and link to Wing It for the finish

Be sensible.

Stand start with a bit of technical footwork up to the start of "Avian Flew" after which you can enjoy an easy mantle. Requires plenty of brushing, chalk, and patience!

Spread your wings and fly! A run-up dyno, catch, and mantle to the finish line

Stand start at the obvious platform and go up and over. An easy breezy warmup which doubles as the downclimb for those less keen on jumping into the sand directly

Awkward sit start on the arete side pulls, throw a hand up to a comfortable crimp and link with Ducky Junior, because family stays together

Stand start in the corner, stay in the corner, and pray you're doing each press at just the right angle.

A nearly sit start on hidden sidepull crimp. Stick to that arete going up with big move after big move until a tricky mantle top out

Be sensible.

The little brother of Ducky Rock, boasting pleasant warm-up problems with soft sandy landings (always check for buried objects, bring a crash pad if ever in doubt)

A treat for beginner slab enthusiasts. Start far right and migrate left using FEET ONLY as if you were trying to crush the fingers of those on Join the Duck Side

Crimp into crimp into a slap over the top. Good fun, but bring pads to avoid a sore bum from the rock below :')

Sit start far right and use the slopers to traverse left before a reach over the top and a funky mantle

Be sensible.

Stand start on obvious crimp into a dyno on the shelf above! Big moves up and right onto a mantle finish

This crag has been moved to 'Lapstone Confluence' Area

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Be sensible.

Old school adventurous mostly-trad climbing on rock of varying quality. A few classics (Annelid Crack (Kippax Crack) in particular) combined with a quiet, majestic location and located 45min closer to Sydney than the main Blueys crags make this worth a look.

Useful Info: The lower section of the cliffline to the left and right of the first pitch of 'Annelid Crack' is the lower cliffline. Immediately right of the crack is I'd Rather be Cable Skiiing (16), 'New Sensations' (16) and 'Powder Finger' (21), continuing past many climbs to Tungston Tips (22) at the end of this wall. Immediately left of the Annelid Crack is 'Airstrike' (21), 'Flying Pickets' (21) and Tas (21).

Follow the lower cliffline downstream (east) past several more climbs and you will find 'Lady Killer' (21) marked in a small cave, with 'Three Cans Later' (16) and 'Mephisto' (22) above it on a small ledge. Continuing east you'll find a gully which leads up to the middle-section of the 'Main Wall'. Heading straight up the gully brings you to a cave cut from orange rock, with 'Kevin's Wall' (12), 'Kevin's Corner' (14/16), and 'Good Old Days' (21) immediately to the left of it.

Heading upstream (west) through the cave brings you to 'Fleet Street' (19), the clearly marked 'Dispute Chimney' (14), and the overhung 'Into the Void' (22). Continuing west through the next cave brings you to the end of this ledge, with the second pitch of 'Annelid Crack' (11) to your left, and the mixed crack climbing of 'Purple Maze' (15) just after the end of the ledge. At this point now you are also almost directly beneath Tunnel View 'Lookout'.

Heading back downstream to where you came up the 'Gully' and beyond, you will pass by 'Puddin Puller' (18) in an obvious square-corner, with 'Paradise' (17), 'Jerks in Heaven' (19) and 'East of Eden' (19) next to it. At this point the elevated section ends, and you can follow another path back down to the creek.

Continuing east along the edge of the creek you arive at the imposing 'South-Eastern Wall', with the roof-crack 'Wokker's Roof' (24) about 50 metres above. The climbing wall ends another hundred metres downstream, almost directly opposite where the train emerges from the tunnel on the clifftops opposite you.

Route descriptions here http://www.sydneyclimbing.com/xgo_glenbrook_gorge.html taken from 'Rockclimbs in the Lower Blue Mountains' (1994) by Harry Luxford and Bruce Cameron, and reproduced with permission by Peter Monks for Sydney Rockies. Other information from recent ascents and older guides.

Downstream (east) end of 'South-Eastern Wall'.

At the very left end of the main area/cliff, short grey and orange wall at middle of large rock platform, with broken blocks at start. Up wall, BR.

A variation to Orion done in the 60s: "A slanting crack, L to R in upper part forms a good variation ... Dougle and party." [JME 1967] also shown in topo [BA 1963].

1. As for Orion to tree belay.

2. Right of orange corner to cracks, up, then traverse right at break to twin cracks on headwall ending below Bendy Bloodwood.

One of the original 1952 routes at the cliff, about which early documenters were not kind "Up through chunder" [BA] and "Wander aimlessly upward, picking your nose and eating apples until you get fed up and come wandering back down." [JME].

It is actually a pleasant easy ramble with good protection and belays, and a great introduction to the gorge, although probably a modern grade 12-14.

Start: Below broken corner system on top of upper rock platform (-33.78069, 150.63075)

1. 20m Wall, ledges and short corners to solid Bloodwood (tree) belay on ledge.

2. 25m Corner-cracks to BBB (Bendy Bloodwood Belay) at cave. Easiest to rap off here.

3. 5m+ Short awkward corner then scrambling.

80's hardcore testpiece through wild off-width roof.

Start as for Orion at discontinuous corners on ledge above main walking track

1. 35m Spot the target roof 35m above, and make up a pitch trending towards it, following best rock, and avoiding choss and vegetation as much as possible. Belay from 1 x carrot bolt, wires and small cams (0.2 and 0.3) on sandy ledge.

2. 10m (24) Up past carrot to confront intimidating roof. Most of the gear is small (doubles of 0.3 to 0.5) with larger gear (3 - 5) only necessary if aiding the crux. Belay from tree right of top out).

To escape, rap 45m from tree to big sandy ledge. From there, traverse left along ledge (looking out) until its possible to scramble down to the walking track.

Originally thought to be Stone Mason, but turns out it's not. Please claim if you bolted this route. 2 stainless carrots to ledge. Two further carrots to DBB. Really fun climb on surprisingly good rock. Could use a name, grade and info from FA.

Up 4 discreet carrots to DBB. Start left of first bolt. Reachy to ledge. Crux between 3rd and 4th bolt then jug city to the anchors.

Directly below MB, at a point on walker's track where it is necessary to climb to higher ledge, directly behind grass tussocks. Up wall with BR and good SLCD runners. Belay on ledge.

Start on left edge of ledge below Master Blaster Wall, on orange rock. Spectacular exposure.

1. 17m Up to traverse line, left above overhangs to PR. Poorly protected

2. 23m Left toward arete, up to AC, onto slab to top.

Master Blaster wall - black wall just left of 'Jack Murphy's Climb.'

Twin water-streaked black wall with large turpentine tree at middle of base ledge, start 2m left of tree, directly below triangular orange patch. Good route up impressive black wall. Long leadouts with minimum protection makes it a serious lead. Up wall to groove, left to line of holds, to detached block then to break, right to water streak (crux). Cams needed.

Up short overhanging groove to PR, join MB.

As for MB to horizontal break. No protection, exposed. Good climbing. Left and up thin wall/slab.

Broken system with corner, chimneys and crack, a proper 1956 adventure. "Probably the best climb in the gorge" quoth Bryden Allen in his 1963 guide, but Things Have Moved On, particularly the notion of what constitutes grade 12, so it's now probably 15.

Start: At a pinch between boulders with the small brass Jack Murphy plaque -33.78141,150.63045.

Route and pitches can be varied:

1. 30m Up the broken corners and ledges via bushes to tree on ledge.

2. 25m (crux) Extract body from short V chimney topped by chockstone into either burly layback corner or 80-150mm wall crack.

3. 25m More burly laybacking up chimney/corner with rounded edges.

4. 25m Straight up with more of same.

To escape, skirt the cliff heading west/north-west to find the anchors above The Venom (on a big, waterwashed ledge by the cliff edge -sometimes running with water). 1 x 50m rap gets you to the belay at the end of The Venom P1, and another 50m rap gets you back to ground-level.

Just right of Jack Murphy's Climb, just left of orange streak. Steep and exposed. Protection down low is inadequate. A serious and dangerous lead. Up rotten corner, right to ramp, use BR as hand hold, leave ramp to good black rock and 3 BRs to small chain belay at ledge. Abseil off tree.

A few metres left of TV. A short wander. Up black wall then left to tree.

Sharing a few sections of climbing with The Venom, this line launches up the steeper, blanker faces, while remaining stylistically similar to its elder sibling.

Bring a double rack #0.3 to #3, a single #0.2 and #4, and an extra #0.3. Bring 2 x 60m ropes if rapping off from the top.

This route seeps heavily after rain, and will remain wet even when the rest of the gorge is bone dry.

Start (as for The Venom) at prominent thin crack at right side of black wall, approximately 8m above the Gorge floor (can be accessed by an easy stemming corner).

1. 15m 15 - Up black seam as for The Venom for 5m to major ledge system. Rising traverse left until directly below major orange flake, then onwards and upwards to bolt belay. Bring the full rack for this pitch.

2. 25m 21 - Up thin flake (#0.3 on left) and up prow past bolt to thin rail where you'll find a crucial #0.3/#0.4 placement in a slot out left. Fingery traverse right, and up to sloper and bolt. Continue up vague corner system to steep finger crack (2 x #0.3). Up this to bolt, then turn roof on edges (slightly right of bolt) and up face (unprotected) to bolt belay (shared with the end of The Venom P1).

3. 20m 17 - Shared with The Venom P2. Straight up nose above belay (#4, #0.4, #0.3) to bolt. Traverse straight left past another bolt, then up onto ledge system. Rising traverse left past #0.4 and #0.75 to bolt belay.

4. 30m 22 - Up seam past #0.4, #0.5 and #0.75 to bolt and rooflet. Gain the ledge, ignore carrots heading out left, and instead head right to bolt. Step out over the void, then crux moves straight up face to gain break (#0.3, #0.2), then upwards to gain ledge (#0.3, #0.4). Traverse right to bolt belay.

5. 15m 20 - Tricky moves (and gear - sneaky #0.4 slot out left) above the belay to gain stance under the roof. Blast out the roof crack slightly right of the belay via #2 and #3, and up crack (#0.5) to top out. Belay off #2 and #1 cams.

To escape, find the bolts above The Venom (up and right from where this route tops out -on the other side of the waterfall) and abseil 50m to the belay at the end of P2, and another 50m to the starting ledge.

A surprisingly modern outing for the time. This route attacks the most visually striking part of the gorge (the bit you froth over on the train from Lapstone to Glenbrook), weaving a route up the best rock and climbing.

Bring a double rack #0.3 to #3 and a single #4. Wires are also useful. Bring 2 x 60m ropes if rapping off from the top.

This route seeps heavily after rain, and will remain wet even when the rest of the gorge is bone dry.

Start at prominent thin crack at right side of black wall, approximately 8m above the Gorge floor (can be accessed by an easy stemming corner).

1. 40m 18 - Up black seam, then onwards between breaks to ledge with tree. Continue up weakness past carrot and prow to gain crack system to take you to bolt belay.

2. 20m 17 - Straight up nose above belay (#4, #0.4, #0.3) to bolt. Traverse straight left past another bolt, then up onto ledge system. Rising traverse left past #0.4 and #0.75 to bolt belay.

3. 30m 21 - Up seam past #0.4, #0.5 and #0,5 to bolt and rooflet. Gain the ledge, then continue up and left past 2 x carrots to crux. Committing moves up the face (#2, #1, #1, #0.5) to ledge. Traverse hard right via an assortment of gear to bolt belay.

4. 15m 18 - Tricky moves (and gear - sneaky #0.4 slot out left) above the belay to gain stance under the roof. Traverse hard right to right-facing corner (carrot) and up this (#3, #4) to top out and bolt belay.

To escape, abseil 50m to the belay at the end of P1, and another 50m to the starting ledge.

Corner 5m right of TV, immediately below a pair of Angophoras. A fair climb following the longest natural line on the cliff.

1. 10m Up roof.

2. 20m Up to roof, along roof to alcove, into layback corner, up right to ledge.

3. 20m Follow easiest line heading to base of black chimney. Belay.

4. 40m Into chimney/crack, good exposed climbing to top.

5. 10m Broken rock to top.

"The rock .. is appalling and the climb unpleasant in the extreme." [BA]

Start: Just left of the scrubby line of recesses in the centre of the wall between "Jack Murphy's Climb" and Southern Cross.

1. 40' Up short wall

2. 50' Traverse left through scrub to beneath first overhang.

3. 200' "Up a set of appalling rock recesses such as you see before you"

Up short overhanging groove to PR, join MB.

Route descriptions can be found here: http://sydneyclimbing.com/Glenbrook+Gorge.html (Route Descriptions taken from 'Rockclimbs in the Lower Blue Mountains' (1994) by Harry Luxford and Bruce Cameron, and reproduced with permission by Peter Monks for Sydney Rockies.)

Subtle line with good positions. Start: as for Jerks 1n Heaven. 1: up past BR, left to PR, continue left to base of grooves and up to ledge. Abseil off as per Puddin Puller.

A good climb, but not much protection. Start: arete between Paradise and Puddin Puller. Start off fused pedestal which is on ledge above track. 1: up past BR, arrange protection in comer of Paradise then continue up blunt arete, big SLCDs desirable.