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Seasonality
Description
Generally, this area gets morning shade and arvo sun. More specifically: the Eyrie Wall gets sun from about 11am; Afghan Wall stays shady until about 1pm and the Girl in the Mirror Wall is shady until noon.
Access issues inherited from Mt Boyce
Allowed
Jan 2017:
Access to Mt Boyce from Station St Blackheath: Vehicle access IS permitted by climbers to the Mt Boyce car parks 1 & 2
Access to Mt Boyce from Fairy Bower Reserve, Mt Victoria: Vehicle or walking access IS NOT permitted. Do not walk or drive on the maintenance track between Fairy Bower Reserve and the Mt Boyce climbing areas. Climbers approaching Mt Boyce from this direction are asked to walk on the footpath at the right hand side of the track which takes them down to the climbing areas.
This is an existing agreement made in 2003 after discussions with the council, SRC and other interested groups. We are reminded that this agreement may change due to risks to members of the public on the maintenance track alongside the increasing number of works projects planned for the tracks. This message comes as the first of a number of upcoming works projects between 18 Jan and 9 Feb 2018, commences. Sydney Trains ask all climbers to adhere to the original agreement for access to the maintenance track.
Approach
5-10 min
Drive N along Station St from Blackheath for about 2km until you get to the signposted "Parking Area No. 2". Park here (having a bit of clearance helps to get into the carpark). Walk downhill on an obvious track for 5 minutes. The sport crag found on your R is Vambrace Wall. Walk another 50m down from here and you're at the top of Abseil Gully.
Descent notes
This is a rap-in and climb-out crag. Best idea is to bring a dedicated abseil rope to fix in place all day. A short rope (25m) is enough for the Abseil Gully abseil, but if you leave a rope here you need to get used to the idea that it will almost certainly get used by everyone else at the crag. If you plan to climb mostly on Afghan Wall or Mean Streak Wall then it's most convenient to fix a 50m abseil rope down your chosen wall. That way you don't have a long barefoot scramble and don't have to carry walking shoes up every climb.
Ethic inherited from Blue Mountains
Although sport climbing is well entrenched as the most popular form of Blueys climbing, mixed-climbing on gear and bolts has generally been the rule over the long term. Please try to use available natural gear where possible, and do not bolt cracks or potential trad climbs. If you do the bolts may be removed.
Because of the softness of Blue Mountains sandstone, bolting should only be done by those with a solid knowledge of glue-in equipping. A recent fatality serves as a reminder that this is not an area to experiment with bolting.
If you do need to top rope, please do it through your own gear as the wear on the anchors is both difficult and expensive to maintain.
If you have benefited from climbing infrastructure in NSW, please consider making a donation towards maintenance costs. The Sydney Rockclimbing Club Rebolting Fund finances the replacement of old bolts on existing climbs and the maintenance of other hardware such as fixed ropes and anchors. The SRC purchases hardware, such as bolts and glue, and distributes them to volunteer rebolters across the state of New South Wales. For more information, including donation details, visit https://sydneyrockies.org.au/rebolting/
It would be appreciated if brushing of holds becomes part of your climbing routine - do it with a soft bristled brush and never a steel brush!
The removal of vegetation - both from the cliff bases and the climbs - is not seen as beneficial to aesthetics of the environment nor to our access to it.
However, the fast growing scrub can conceal walking tracks in mere months, making remote and less popular crags slightly more difficult and fun to navigate to. Some appropriately discreet pruning is a far better alternative then track braiding (which causes far more damage).
However, do so only on Council land and definitely not in the National Park. Remember, to maintain access our best approach is to 'Respect Native Habitat, Tread Softly and Leave No Trace'. Do not cut flora and keep any tracks and infrastructure as minimal as possible or risk possible closures.
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JASON ANDISON on ★★ The Eyrie 12
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★★ The Eyrie 12 - IMG_0544.JPG
Dan Johnson on ★★ The Eyrie 12 - IMG_8602.JPG
Ronald Sandoval on Abseil Slab 7 - Top belay on the slab