Routes in Mount Piddington

The obvious crack starting in the cave.

Climb the wall on interesting rock 2m right of Yellow Crack past new carrots.

Top out and look for rings set well back from edge.

Start just to the right of Yellow Wall on the jug, move right then follow line of rings.

Short wall with carrots in the descent gully

Middle of the short black wall in the gully.

Scooped arete down from E.

The left hand line of rings through steepness from the belay ledge of TSL. Wandery. Good. Belay as for TSL off rings.

1. 15m (19) Lovely techy slab (with infamous reachy move) to comfy belay ledge. Stays damp after any rain.

2. 28m (20) Slabby arête then a runout into cave, lean carefully left out of cave for 3rd RB. Now fight the pump up the long sustained overhung headwall right to the last move. DRBB 2m back over the top.

Rightmost line of rings off the belay of TSL. Tree belay on top.

1. 12m (19) First pitch is described as not great and is quite vegetated at time of writing.

2. 30m (23) Second pitch is good (all rings now), and may be combined with the other 3 upper pitches previously described; in which case, traverse in right from the belay of TSL (a bolt would be handy, or swing across on your rap rope) and belay on the ledge below the climb (currently off an ancient FH, and the RB above it). Tree belay on top (same top-out as Much of a Muchness).

Start: Block in chimney 6m right of House of Meat.

1. 10m (21) Left onto wall with bolt, up to ledge passing two more bolts. Double bolt and cam belay.

2. 35m (22) Slab past bolts. Follow left arete to cave. Headwall, passing more bolts, to LHS of block. The variant finish to this pitch goes at grade 21. Step right at fourth bolt of P2, then follow the RH line of bolts to the hand/finger crack.

You may wish you were a magician at some point on this one.

Start: Chimney crack

1. 9m Up recessed ledge to thread belay.

2. 18m Up to ledge on left then ramp to small stance in recess above tree.

3. 18m (crux) Up inside of bottomless chimney 5m to ancient piton in bolt hole (!?) then back down and up outside of the now wonderfully protected hard bit.

Start: 9m right in chimney.

1. 15m (8) Wide easy chimney to small ledge and nut & thread belay deep inside cave.

2. 30m (12) Squeeze chimney "quite safe once it has been started" then easier chimney to sandy cave.

Start: Flared crack 4m right of Rimensky, marked.

1. 15m (-) Groove to tree? and piton.

2. 30m (18) Crack and chimney.

Start: Thin crack 4m right again, marked.

1. 21m (19) Crack then right to next crack to below the block. Turn arete and head left to tree.

2. 30m (18) Finish as for Lord Jim.

Two right staggered finger cracks, cracks run out at about 21 metres and you transition to an adjacent climb. [Route will be merged]

Start: As for TWL until it veers left. Up right side of arete and up.

Start: 4m right of TWL.

1. 27m (19) Up onto pedestal and up broken crack to main wide corner crack. A couple of BD#4's or similar Corner and crack to alcove below roof. Belay on wires or medium cams.

2. 27m (19) Up and R to lip, up crack then R and up past trees to ledge. Belay off small/medium cams or wires.

3. 6m (18) Undercut crack, probably dirty. Place a high wire, pull up into line, get a finger lock and top out.

Rings to the right of the arete, R of Berserker.

Start: 40m right of Beserker, beneath very broken roof and chimney, marked.

1. 12m (-) Crack to undercut chimney, corner. Right to anchor.

2. 15m (11) Chimney to roof, then short wall on right to tree.

3. 30m (11) Either gully and up wall with "wet moss and no holds", or easier crack on left wall.

Start: 20m right again.

1. 25m (18) Corner to pedestal.

2. 25m (20) Right to arete, down 3m then right into corner. Traverse under roof to next corner, then over roof to stance.

3. 30m (18) Crack to roof, right to arete, traverse to corner, up large flake to belay.

4. 20m (20) Right side of flake then up to tree?

Start: 5m right of M. Below obvious roof crack, marked.

The start of the first pitch was originally aided on the FA. The 1974 description read: "Flick nut 5m up into crack, climb rope then free to ledge".

But, the entire route has since been free climbed from the ground up.

Route Description:

1. 25m (18) Delicately stem up and under the overhang, trending right to just below the corner crack. Reach up into the hand crack (maybe grade 19 move?), pull the lip, and climb the corner to a ledge belay.

2. 20m (17) Battle with ferns up into the double corner to below roofs. Then, trend left over roof to Mirage belay 2.

Start: 125m right of LLL. Corner with parallel crack 1m right.

1. 22m (16) Corner (or crack?) to ledge and tree anchor.

2. 33m (16) Awkward strenous bulging chimney to corner, then "classical" chimney.

Variant start to Shugar.

Start: Broken crack on face 9m right of N.

1. Up crack to Shugar belay 1.

Start: Curving crack 5m right of "Xenon's Son".

1. 30m (-) Gradually widening crack to block, arete, slab to roof. Delicately traverse right to top of chimney.

2. 15m (18) Left corner.

Start: 5m right again.

1. 24m (-) Bridge to attain chimney.

2. 16m (18) Right corner.

Not sure of the grade on this.

Start: 'Arete' right of GM.

63m right of GM.

Start: Wide crack just left of corner.

Start: Corner 8m right of GC.

Start: 'Arete' (carrots) 30m left of Voyage for Two.

1. 30m (23) Right and then left side of arete. Bring #3 and/or #5 cam for the runout.

2. 20m (24) Arete and flake, right to small roof, up then back to the arete and up.

Variation of JoJ second pitch.

Start: Straight up the arete to anchors.

Start: 40m right of B.

1. 20m (18) Undercut ferny crack to short crack on left.

2. 20m (-) Right across wall to 'Cripple Corner' anchor 1.

3. 20m (-) Finish as for CC.

Start: Thin corner crack 13m right of GY. Can be done in one pitch.

1. 20m (18) Short corner right then over to belay.

2. 20m (-) Right crack leading left, then up.

Start: 20m right of CC.

1. 35m (22) Finger crack to ledge. Then hand crack to stumps.

2. 40m (-) Past scrub to roof, carefully left to corner, further to end of roof. Up.

Needs a rebolt!

Start: 'Arete' 4m Left of Voyage for Two.

1. 27m (26) Up right to arete, then left. Up wall and groove.

2. 23m (22) Groove, right around bulge, up wall and corner as for VfT.

3 pitches rebolted 2004

Start: 'Arete' just right of Pussy Strut. Start in thin crack right side of the arete. Ring bolts.

Pitch Descriptions:

1. 15m (24) Climb the face around the crack.

2. 15m (25) Up arete.

3. 25m (23) Delicate moves up the slab to top.

Start: 6m right of Voyage for Two.

1. 40m (22) Corner to ledge on right. Left to narrowing crack. Left to ledge.

2. 20m (22) Corner to ledge, crack through overhang. Up.

Start: 22m right of BA.Corner.

1. 30m (-) Ledge, wide crack to ferns (?), right and up to ledge.

2. 20m (21) 'Layback' and wall.

Start: 100m right of DS.

1. 30m (16) Roof capped corner to arete. Left to mantle, up to traverse. Right and up to tree?

2. 25m (11) Pinacle and wall, crack.

Start: 7m left of the chopped steps in the descent gully.

The obvious crack - good intro to jamming

Start: 3m right of TBC. One old carrot 6.7m from the ground.

Start: 1m left again.

Start: 1m left again. 'Diagonal Crack'.

Start: 5m left of T. Distinct lack of pro and goundfall potential. "Kill you without trying, that's ... accuracy" - The Cure

Start: Arete 3.5m left of A. One ring replacing original carrot 7m from the ground.

Start: Up the crack to the right of GU.

Start at parallel cracks 3 meters left of direct start.

Start: Right side of the arete left of GU. Has been rebolted with a direct start.

Start: Short chimney 2m left of S. No pro!!

Start: Nth facing wall 30m down from 'Last Chance'.

Start: crack 3m right of SO.

Start: Traverse line 1m right of H.

Start: Blunt arete 8m to the right. Solo!

Start: 5m right of BU. One of the bolts is hidden inside the large half-height break.

Start: Blunt arete 2m right of TLNW. Nice enough climbing but sketchy old fixed gear and negligible trad.

Start: Thin orange diagonal crack 4m R of SSD. Re-bolted December 2015. Take bolt plates, wires & small-med cams. Lower off.

Start: 1m right of Z.

Start up arete under fixed hanger between Pandemonium and Hot Water, finishing up HW.

Start: Chimney 1m right of P.

Start: As for HW. Chimney and corner.

Start: Left arete directly below G.

Up grooove 3m right of Doughboy

Start: 11 left of P.

Right arete of slabby face past 3 rings and 2 glue-in carrots.

Start: 'Arete' 2m left of LC.

Start: 1m left of TK.

Start: The middle of the wall.

Start: 2m left of S.

Start: 2.5m left again.

Start: 4m left of GA.

Start: Chimney with block, cave and roof. 3 Pitches.

Start: 10m left of TFH.

1. (14m). Mantle and squeeze behind the tree to crack/flake. Up ramp to ledge.

2. (23m). Either up layback flake (as in Blue Mountains guidebook; not a grade 12 move), or traverse right and mantle onto ledge (also not a grade 12 move, but easier than the flake). Up, then traverse right along ledge.

3. (13m). Scramble up.

Straight up from WYL initials. Step right into Masochist corner for a few moves then left onto face and up headwall to lower offs . Watch rope length. (Alternately just climb the thing on trad as a variant to Masochist as was the custom 30 years ago, recently revived by Macca)

Start from the massive initials and left along ledge and up past bolt to fist-sized cam break (ignore old bolt in scoop on left). Up easier ground past good runners to big ledge. Poor sling then big cams on lip and fixed hanger. Pull lip, good sling runners, then left up wall past 2 bolts, more slings another 5m then easiest to move left to Merlot Madness rings,

Harder and better than it looks.

Start: Left of WYL at MM and CH initials.

Straight up wall with carrots, FH and small/medium cams to DRBB.

Start: 7m left of WYL, just left of CH initials.

Traverse left about 4m and up past 3 bolts (last on ledge) then overhang and straight to top, or Merlot Madnesss DRBB lower off at 28m.

Start: Vegetated chimney marked C.

1. 21m Up broken chimney with good jugs and diverse gear to ledge and trad belay shared with Chimney and Wall.

2. 18m Up same corner as Chimney and Wall then squeeze chimney to top.

1m left of Gog.

An easy classic. Take wide gear for the top pitch.

1. 12m (8) Up chimney 1m left of Gog to bushy ledge. Fun climbing with good pro.

2. 24m (8) Corner then wall and ramp on right. Alternatively, finish as for Cider in bottleneck chimney above.

Good but take care!

Start: 2.5m L of C&W

1. 15m (19) 'Steep' orange wall to ledge under roof

2. 25m (17) Directly up through roof and up wall above

Pleasant

Start: Start as for Maranatha

1. 15m (19) As for M for 8m then left up slab to ledge

2. 25m (16) Diagonally up ramp to wall & up

Better than it looks!

Start: 15m left of 'Corinthian', marked with evident ‘A’ with a faded ‘BV’ above it.

1. 21m (13) Through choss, over bulge & up slab to ledge.

2. 15m (13) Left & up wall to cave, bush anchors on left

3. 13m (13) Up corner to tree belay. Use slings as ropes are ring barking.

Exit: From tree head up faint trail to meet access path which leads to decent gully.

Exposed but retro'd. 50m rope ok if belayer is on block as base

Start at 'S' (for the Spartan)

1. 21m (21) Up right hand corner and up left into corner

2. 24m (21) Right to cave, hard move to arete and up

3. 12m (-) Up off ledge to obvious topout

Classic roof traverse above great space

Start: Right hand corner/offwidth, as for A

1. 16m (14) Thrutch up chossy corner then up and left to belay at bottom of offwidth. Trad and manky carrot belay.

2. 24m (16) What you're here for. Up offwidth in left corner, carrot at top then traverse into space. Watch your helmet at the squeeze. Up at chimney, belay there on gear or at two carrots on ledge outside. Can abseil here with a 60m.

3. 10m (14) Up and crank over side of offwidth, tree belay

Hostile, good second pitch

Start: At yellow crack on opposite wall to Spartan (8m L)

1. 25m (19) Up easy but soft yellow cracks, out left & diagonally up to ledge with bolt anchors

2. 25m (18) Hand traverse left to scoop & up

As for the Plunge but traverse right and up through roof

Interesting and varied wall climbing. Start on arete left of a rotten groove (original route) beneath a big, black wall. 70m rope is fine for lower-off. Loose bolts have been replaced (2020).

1. 15m (13). Bolts right of Valhalla, up scoopy arete.

2. 15m (19). Bolts up right side of arete. Lower offs on both belays.

3. Finish up "Vinyl Idyl"[15381421] if you must. 2BR top belay (no option to lower off this pitch).

Start from DBB above the top of "Cartwheeling"[15381121]. Follow left arete up past 5 bolts and a ring to DBB on top.