Ben Trovato Wall Mostly Sport climbing 36 routes in sector

The major exposed black arete on the right side of Ben Trovarto Wall. The line looks appealing, but even with considerable recent retrobolting (with permission from first ascentist) this route is still a bold and loose proposition. To do this all on trad like the original rock warriors would be quite the head trip. Wear helmets and take a double rack of cams from finger to fist size to supplement the ringbolts. Leave your bumbly partner at home.

1. 15m (16) A fun and popular sport pitch up the grey face at the base of the mega arete (about 20m right of the metal access rungs to Ben Trovarto Wall). Most parties rap from the ledge and climb something else - if you are a soft rock enthusiast continue reading... (and climbing)

2. 25m (19) Up the arete for a couple of bolts, then a vital #2 Camalot in a funny orange pocket then wall on left side of arete past several bolts and a couple of cams to belay on top of alarming detached block forming ledge. If you've survived the soft rock on this pitch you might as well continue upwards with a bit more air!

3. 40m (19) The money pitch - if your money comes rolled up and splattered with blood and drugs from a wild night out. Spaced cams up the narrow arete for 10m to first thankful bolt. Repeat this experience four times, being very careful with large loose rocks near the top. Belay at double rings on small ledge above roof. Either rap back to the ground here or top out via next mini pitch.

4. 8m (12) Jugs (and you) that may or may not stay attached to top of cliff and tree belay. Not much gear on this pitch.

This route originally traversed in from Colosseum Corner, possibly along the line now bolted as pitch one of Sublime & the Ridiculous, or along a lower break starting at Golden Giles. The exact way has been lost to antiquity. The described first pitch linking into the lower section of the arete direct was added by Monteith in 2010. The rest was retrobolted in early 2017.

Tricky slabbing and sustained face climbing up the orange streak between 'The Sublime and the Beautiful' and San Pornando. Once an intimidating mixed climb on carrots, it's now been retrobolted into a stellar sport climb. Linking P1 and P2 (requires a 70m rope) makes for a stunning pitch of Blueys face climbing.

Start: Starts 4m right of 'Colosseum Corner', slightly down the hill at belay bolt.

1. 20m (24) Tricky start through overlap, then easier climbing up to hard crux just below anchors (8 bolts + anchors).

2. 40m (23) Thin moves off belay, then up grey and orange streak moving slightly right through small overlap, then back left and up slab to anchors (9 bolts + anchors).

3. 10m (16) The easy, chossy final pitch up to shared anchors with TSATB or topout to Tree Belay (1 bolt + anchors).

Supa fun, big sporty jaunt. Starts as for 'Colosseum Corner' and traverses across Giles route to big belay ledge left of arete. Up thin face left of the arete. Take about 12 draws and slings and stuff for the belays. Can either top out (tree belay) or lower off down the route. A 70m rope will get you down in two rappels (using the Golden Giles pitch 1 anchor).

1. 20m (18) Rising to the right, and upto obvious belay ledge.

2. 35m (22) Launch up the thin wall. The money pitch!

3. 20m (20) Can be linked from the 2nd pitch. Up over small bulge and continue to final headwall.

Long sustained face climbing just right of 'Colosseum Corner' on ringbolts. The upper half follows an orange streak. Hidden lower-off anchors are tucked under the rooflet at end of this streak. Re-thread half way down or use double ropes to get off!

Start: Start as for 'Colosseum Corner'.

Australia's first grade 19! The major corner on the right side of the amazing orange wall. A trad classic, but it needs a bit (heaps!) of gardening, especially the top half which has even got major trees in the last 20m. Easily done in 2 pitches by linking pitches 1&2, and pitches 3&4. Or you can rap off after pitch 1. Add style points if you do it in the original fashion - with the rope tied around the waist and a total of only 9 pieces of lead pro.

1. 20m (19) Technical stemming corner with excellent protection. When the greenery gets too much, traverse left to belay ledge and DRB belay (shared with Ben Trovato). A direct on this pitch was climbed by Vertrees and Prior in 2013.

2. 13m (17) Up shale corner, step right onto arete and up front of juggy detached pillar to large belay ledge. (Memorial Direct variant 32m (~21). The obvious direct continuation of the 1st pitch corner. Instead of traversing left at greenery, simply plug in a nest of gear and launch up the corner and face options that deliver you eventually at some good gear and then up to the large belay ledge atop the original pitch 2).

3. 33m (19) Bridge and jam the corner. The original belay was a "bolt anchor 15' diagonally to right", but the tree is actually a lovely little belay spot.

4. 12m Corner to top, good tree belay.

"Cleverly found" indeed. Named "Bentrovarto" in guidebooks for many decades. However, Bryden says the name was contributed by his German climbing partner on the day, and agrees that using the correct Italian spelling is apt. A grand girdle adventure that spends as much time going across as it does going up! Originally done by starting up Colosseum Corner, it is 18 this way. But ever since the FA most people have climbed the crack 3m L of CC as the first pitch, which is 20. The rest of the route is many grades easier.

1. 20m (20) A great sustained pitch - well worth doing in it's own right to the first rap anchor. The steep thin crack eats medium wires (a triple set isn't excessive). Long thought to be a whopping sandbag at grade 18, but this was because the FA actually climbed p1 of Colosseum Corner. The FA of this pitch is unknown.

2. 27m (8) Traverse left and slightly up along the ramp the whole way, passing the RB anchors of 'Guillotine', 'Marxism', "Vespasian's Wall", miscellaneous ancient carrots, bomber trad, and at least one big loose block. Eventually, belay at Kizashi's DRBs, just before the ramp becomes an almost vertical corner.

3. 13m (14) Steep leftwards corner/ramp to another bolt belay.

4. 31m (-) To ledge, traverse left to nose and up to cave and old bolt belay.

5. 16m (-) Left to chimney, across to bolt belay.

6. 33m (-) Back right across gully onto right wall. Bulge to ledge, then left to tree.

7. 13m (-) Back of horrible chimney gully and up, or more pleasantly up the right wall of gully.

The first pitch is perhaps the best easy sport route on the wall and the second pitch is even better!! Link them together and you have one of the best pitches at the grade in the Blueys (needs a 70m+ rope, 23 draws, and a re-thread at the first belay when lowering off). The route name comes from the frightening flake that fell off when Neil was bolting the first pitch - which is now embedded in the ground at the base. Historically this route has a murky past - the first pitch had a couple of poorly placed rings in already, that Neil pulled out with his fingers (!), whilst the 2nd pitch had been half bolted with carrots by Giles Bradbury in the 90s but then abandoned.

Starts 4m left of 'Ben Trovato' at small tree.

1. 20m (22) Stem off tree for a few moves, then a bouldery pull onto the flake to reach better holds. Motor up lovely orange rock to anchor on small ledge. The start has been done without the tree at 23/4, but this makes the pitch less classic.

2. 28m (24) 'Fantastic' climbing. Loads of bolts. Pumper crux at the top and superb rock. WATCH YOUR ROPE LENGTH when lowering back to the belay.

Two pitches of wonderful wall climbing. First pitch is a good single pitch sport route with lower-off at 23, 2nd pitch is a much bigger and harder affair.

Start at the 2nd line of rings left of Ben Trovato's p1 crack, starting up tree.

1. 25m (23) One of the best pitches on the wall. Intricate face climbing finding a line of weakness amongst blankness. Walk out along dead tree for a few metres to gain first hand holds & high RB. Very hard move leaving tree (crux) or just batman up to horizontal break where the route used to start before the tree fell down.

2. 37m (28) Really awesome climbing on thin edges with a long vertical crux move to undercling a shallow flake! The rings aren't recessed but otherwise seem ok (as at 2015). Lower-off installed 2016.

Ewbank's original aid line turns out to be an absolute cracker of a free route. A very impressive orange face, originally established as a 2 pitch aid route via a bolt ladder up the guts of the wall to the top by John Ewbank in 1964. Mentioned in old guidebooks (including Ewbank's) as "Vespian's Wall" - but was surely meant to be named after the Roman Emperor who built the Colosseum. Soon after bolting it, Ewbank's anti-bolt sentiment kicked in and he chopped the bolts. Nearly half a century later, this free version lets you marvel at the relics. Start 5m left of 'Marxism'.

1. 25m (25) Possibly the best single pitch on Bentrovarto wall. Tiny hanging arête to start then right and up amazing sustained wall with crux near the top. Clip the first bolt with a stick, or off a kneebar in the break. Ignore the manky chain at 20m and continue another 5m to a new anchor.

2. 33m (-) Project, please stay off. Steps right to the flake/corner left of the guano, then takes the orange streak above the guano.

25m (25) Possibly the best single pitch on Bentrovarto wall. Tiny hanging arête to start then right and up amazing sustained wall with crux near the top. Clip the first bolt with a stick, or off a kneebar in the break. Once p2 is open, p1 will be a 33m pitch incorporating an extra 8m of easy ground up left from the current anchor (1 extra bolt).

Another sustained outing up a slightly overhung wall. Up for 8 bolts then traverse hard left across wall to finish up 'Kizashi' to it's lower anchor.

Starts 15m left of 'Colosseum Corner' at line of leftward leading rings.

Roughly translates as "something great is coming". Thin seam crack that gets harder the higher you go. Never fear, there are no jams - it's all face moves and chicken wing gastos. Starts on the right edge of small chossy cavelet in the middle of 'Ben Trovato' Wall. Finishes at first set of double U bolts 3/4 of the way up the wall (extension is 29).

Ignore the first set of anchors and keep on climbing up the ever thinning seam crack that eventually fades to crimps. Mega. (There is also a couple of bolts above the extension on the juggy grey slab above to reach the main ledge - but no pitch above these.)

A long second pitch above Kizashi Extension - starting on the halfway ledge, 2m right of the vertical corner pitch of Ben Trovarto (right in the dead center of the wall). Can be approached by climbing pitch 1 of Guillotine, Marxism or Vespasian's then traverse left along ledge to double bolt belay. The route climbs a long sustained face with a slight left trend - to eventually join into the finish of Sadmastication Pitch 3 for the last couple of bolts. Use a long sling on the first 'shared' bolt to avoid rope drag.

Links the start of 'Kizashi' into the finish of Sadomastication at about the 8th bolt. Very sustained steep wall climbing with a punchy reachy finish. Watch your rope length for the lower-off.

Another direct multipitch straight up the middle of the wall. The first pitch is one of the best harder routes at Sublime Point, featuring sustained thin crimping. Starts at FH on left edge of little overlap at ground level.

1. 27m (26) Very sustained face climbing that took Neil several years to do. The red and black face with shallow pockets and flakes.

2. 20m (22) This pitch is best done by moving the belay 10m left to 'Microdermabrasia', or doing a runout climb up to join the pitch at the third bolt. Out right, up a bit then back left to belay on comfy ledge. Contrived in the middle.

3. 25m (23) Right most route off the high ledge. A bit of a pumper with big exposure! Fantastic big move to finish.

Shorter and less sustained than other routes on this section of wall. Step left off block and up face between Sadomastication and Microdermabrasia to premature low anchors. The bolted extension to the ledge is grade 25.

The epic 5 bolt extension past the lower anchor to finish up Sadomastication for last 2m. A great mix of crimps and sidepulls with an ever increasing pump to the very end. Hard 25 or easy 26.

One of the most obvious 'lines' on this wall and the first route bolted by Monty in the Ben Trovarto Renaissance period. Three sustained pitches up the guts of the left side of the wall with comfy belay ledges and phat ringbolts. Pitch 1 can be done alone as a great single pitch 23 if you want to lower off.

1. 30m (23) Straight up to the base of the right facing and left leading big flake. Follow this to final tricky layback finish. Best to extend bolts on the right of the flake (60cm+ draws), so that your rope isn't pulled in over the sharp-ish edge of the flake. Belay on big ledge at giant staple bolt. Best to rap rather than lower from here if only doing this first pitch.

2. 25m (25) Balancy start then blast straight up the gorgeous orange wall above with final death by crimp section. Belay on ledge at double rings.

3. 30m (24) Pumpy conclusion up the steep wall and corner above with a baffling reachy thin section down low. Either lower off the double rings just below the top or dirty mantle out to belay from a tree.

Start 2m left of Microdermabrasia. Up face for a several metres, then left to big flake feature then back right and up to join Microdermabrasia about halfway up the wall. Finish as for that route.

Sustained thin face left of the Microdermabrasia flake with a left trend. At about 15m it meets the Exile pitch 2 traverse. From here go up via Exile for a couple of moves then take the left trending ringbolts finishing at double double lower-off (this is not a typo!). A more logical (and easier) finish is via Exile.

A sustained multi-pitch up the far left end of the wall, just before the fixed rope scramble. All pitches are well bolted, but higher up there is some loose rock.

1. 20m (22) The holds get smaller the higher you get. At the last bolt drop down and bail left onto arete for a move before going up and right again.

2. 15m (23) Whacky traverse right on bizarre scoops for a several bolts to meet up with Microdermabrasia and then up (crux) to easy ground and belay on small ledge. This can be linked into pitch 1.

3. 25m (22) Through funny upside down corners (past fixd sling) and then follow the bolts and groovy features to belay ledge.

4. 20m (22) Stellar orange rock up thin face to the belay.

5. 5m (18) Optional short pitch to top out if required. Move up and left of final anchors past 2 bolts to big tree belay.

Some good pitches if the greenery gets cleared.

Start: This route actually starts back down on the access track to 'Sweet Dreams' (20m below 'Ben Trovato' Wall). Starts about 10m right of the cable traverse to 'Sweet Dreams' at vegetated corner.

1. 30m (-) Green corner of sorts to ledge and tree. You can skip this pitch by walking up to the base of 'Ben Trovato' Wall and walking L along the wide ledge to the crack.

2. 40m (17) Crack splitting the left side of 'Ben Trovato' Wall, to chimney. Over roof, right onto wall, up through trees then into bottom of gully.

3. 33m (-) 'Gully' to crusty bolt belay on left.

4. 13m (-) Right and up to dead tree.

5. 16m (-) 'Gully' as for 'Ben Trovato'.

Wanders all over the place!

1. 30m (-) As for pitch 1 of 'Electra'

2. 33m (-) Walk left along ledge to belay below corner.

3. 33m (14) Straight up corner/groove, bolt runner at 25' , bolt anchor at ledge.

4. 13m (-) Traverse right across wall, up and right to block.

5. 23m (-) Keep traversing right across wall, down and around nose to dead tree.

6. 62m (-) Finish up last 3 pitches of Bentrovarto or 'Electra'

Right facing arête above the right end of the cable traverse to Sweet Dreams (directly below Cloudheat - see topo) Climb the left side of arete, then switch to right side for techy finish.

Start up the line of bolts just above the access rope to gain the upper ledge at the left hand side of Bentrovato Wall at the first belay bolt. Clip the starting bolt from higher up on the ledge further to the left. Climb the corner-feature and the black shield of rock using the arete as necessary during the crux section. Try and stay off Electra/out of the Gully as much as possible.

A good little warm-up - but a little sharp. In the middle of the orange wall is a line of scoops that doesn't quite make it to the ground. Start about 4m to the left of these scoops. Now trend right to the scoops and up them to first set of lower-offs.

Nail hard extension above the scoop feature. A lot of the bolts are hard to clip until at your waist. Finishes at same set of high anchors at Climbalot.

Pumpy and long. Starts 3m right of the leaning steep corner on the terrace, at low FH for belay. Nice orange wall for 3 RBs to huge dyno move, then a couple of long moves until a move left into the corner for a couple of metres. Finish right out under bulge and up orange wall.

Steep exposed climbing. Starts off far left end of ledge - about 5m left of Cloudstreet. Across jugs to reach corner, up this for a few moves then over bulge and face left of arete. Finish up exposed orange face above with lots of reachy horizontal pulls