Routes in Mt Boyce

Start just left of the corner with the slab - opposite the huge fallen boulder. The is an old "H" on the rock - probably the start of Haggis which goes up the slab to the right.

1. 15m (23) All sorts of technical balancing required to get to and past first bolt. 2nd bolt is a dangerous clip. Lots of fragile rock on this pitch.

2. 20m (24) Awkward move up and onto fragile flake, then traverse left and across the beautiful orange pockets to small ledge. Finish up grey wall above using the left of two rings. Belay on nice ledge below corner

3. 25m (20) Climb the beautiful corner, and or the arete to the right. Finish up grey jugs to rap anchor on the left just below the top. Two raps using single 60m rope will get you back to the ground.

An alternative finish to 'Licking Holes Creek'. Lots of good holds all facing the wrong direction.

Start: Start as for first two pitches of LHC.

Not too bad but pro is sparse.

Start: ? At the "H" at the bottom of 'Licking Holes Creek'.

The leftmost bolted route on 'Spoilt Brats Wall'. Stick clip the first bolt, the first hold is creaky. Trend left on overhung territory past 3 bolts then tech your way up the vertical face.

An absolute gem. As for SoG to it's 4th bolt (backclean or extend it), step right, then straight up technical face into a steeper finish, all on great rock. DRB lower-off.

Start as for SoG past it's first bolt then trend R through the low bulge to a notoriously tough mantel. The remainder is said to be (and looks) fantastic.

Superseded by the Spoilt Mercy Linkup but listed here for historical value (and maybe the aid move can go free for someone so inclined?) Gain the ledge a few metres left of Spoilt Brats' 1st belay, either from Spoilt Brats, or by unprotected bridging for 8m up between the blank wall and tree (!). Follow three old carrots up the blank face (aid on the 2nd one to bypass blankness) then join into ringbolts up face left of Spoilt Brats.

The free version of Sisters of Mercy linking the initial flake of Spoilt Brats into the top headwall of Sisters of Mercy via a thin traverse left. Simply brilliant sustained climbing on incredible rock. Mostly all ringbolts - but requires a #1 Camalot for the opening flake and a #2 and #3 for the headwall. Now has it's own lower-off. Long runners useful.

One of the best routes at this grade in the whole Blue Mountains. Tackles the disconnected flake system up the centre of this awesome wall. Traditionally this route was led as a multi-pitch, with an initial awkward short trad pitch leading to a semi-hanging belay 10m off the ground. These days there is a bolted direct at grade 16 that allows pitches 1 & 2 to be combined when using a 60m rope and makes it 99% a sport route (compulsory #1 Camalot in the flake). No one does the garbage last pitch.

1. 12m (15/16). Original trad start climbs up little arete 2m right of small tree to crack, then left into short corner (small cams, wires). Traverse 4-5m L to double ring semi-hanging belay 8m off the ground. Sport start simply climbs face directly behind small tree past 3 bolts to join up with flake.

2. 25m (21). Follow the stellar flakes. One or 2 med cams up the initial flake, otherwise all ringbolts. Long runners vital to reduce rope drag. Most people lower/rap off from top of this pitch.

3. 10m (18?). Rarely done. The steep little headwall, might still have 1 rusty old carrot somewhere if it hasn't fallen out. Top out, walk off.

This original version is mainly characterised by being a half-height traverse of the wall from Spoilt Brats left to the arête.

1. 12m 15. As for Spoilt Brats.

2. 45m 22M0. Follow Spoilt Brats pitch 2 up the initial flake, left across the face, and a couple of metres up the second flake (to where there used to be a piton). From here the 1996 description says "traverse L (#1.5Fr) & up (BR) to big #Fr break. L past #2Fr slot and up (big #Frs). Further L to arête and step down to stance and small/med #Fr". Presumably the BR is on Sisters of Mercy, and you can probably clip ringbolts as you cross the more recent sport routes. Sounds like the belay stance is around halfway up Shades of Grey or a bit left. The M0 indicates the leader sat on gear somewhere too.

3. 15m. Jugs up arete to the Smallpox ledge. Walk off L, or rap 30m now that there are anchors. The 1990s guide says the FA was by Martin & Peisker in 1984, but the 2000s Carter guides describe a lower easier version done by Martin & Smoothy 1990s (separately recorded here as "Sleepwalk for the Low Time").

Listed as "Sleepwalk for the Last Time" in the 2015 Carter guide, but that route was done 10 years earlier, is 5 grades harder, and it's traverse is 10-15m higher. Now listed separately as they sound like very different routes.

1. 12m 15. As for Spoilt Brats.

2. 20m 17. Traverse left along ledges, past ring bolts & cams, to the base of the arête/slab. Trad belay.

3. 15m Up the slab (trad). Walk off L, or rap off (30m).

You need some trad for the section shared with SBaGA, after that it's all RBs. This route is set up to be done in 3 pitches, but is easily reduced to 2 pitches, or even just 1 pitch if you work out the admin (tie into both ends & drop one after the traverse, 70m rope minimum, 80m rope better). It's critical to avoid the rope-eating flake on SBaGA, if it gets your rope you can't continue (either a short roller draw on 2nd bolt above the flake, or heaps of extenders and back-flicking the rope).

It'd be good if someone could bring a spanner to remove the 2 ugly coach screws below the traverse.

1. 12m 15. As for SBaGA p1.

2. 20m 23. As for SBaGA p2 up the first flake plus 2 more bolts. Then break R into a devious traverse on spaced incuts across immaculate blankness, to DRB.

3. 15m 23. Continue up and left to a tricky steeper move right at the top of the wall, DRB. A 70m rope will be 6m short of reaching the ground; a re-thread part-way up pitch 3 (borrowing a bolt from Minor Threat) lets you clean the gear all the way to the ground (even if you dropped the rope out of the gear on p1&2).

According to Roger Bourne's website, but not mentioned in the guidebooks, this is accessed by abseil. Which is consistent with it being 20m long. And also would explain why those approaching from the ground via Infant Terror find it hard for 20.

Left hand route, the dirty arete.

Artistic. Lower off chains of Vampy.

Still has the tag, but has been freed at 26.

The very R end of the ledge - watch the drop below!

Needs rebolting.

Start: 'Flake' just inside 'Solo Gully'.

More like 'Arapiles' that the Blue Mtns. Very good sustained climbing in a creepy environment makes this one feel much harder than it really is. 'Excellent' on a hot day and has a viewing gallery on the opposite wall of the chasm.

Start at short steep corner/flake 5m up the gully. Follow the U-bolts. Supplementary cams (small and medium) are a comfort.

Right side of 'Solo Gully'. Overhang past piton. Then Wall to tree!

Overhang 3m right of 'Solo Gully'.

1. 10m (16) Left to ledge.

2. 15m (20) Up to orange scoop, then up.

Start: Ledge at bottom of 'Solo Gully'.

1. 35m (13) Traverse right, down, up to spike, then to high ledge and bollard near corner.

2. 35m (13) Return to spike. Then straight up...

Start: On a flat rock at the large eucalypt at the bottom of 'Solo Gully'.

1. 40m (15) Up 3m to carrot then traverse R 10m (small cams). Up to another carrot then R 10m to double rings on far side of ledge.

2. 20m (15) Awkward move up the corner and onto the left face. Up corner 2m (wires in crack) then move onto the right face at carrot. Follow carrots R across wall and up to cave. Double ring belay in back of cave or double carrots at the edge of the cave.

3. 20m (14) Follow the carrots to the left, don't be tempted by the ring bolts (those are for Shock and Awe). Scary move out of the cave to pull up onto the wall. Follow carrots straight up. Mid sized cams can supplement the carrots. Belay off big tree 10 back or double rings 5m over to the right.

Start: On grassy ledge 10m right of the gully.

Start: QUICK ACCESS TO P2: Climb spikes 20m left of Superbug/Firebug and then traverse left 15m to get to the start of P2.

ORIGINAL ACCESS:

Traverse in around ledge at the bottom of 'Solo Gully'. This is easy but a bit scarey. Can be protected with a couple of medium cams. Belay on double rings

1. 25m (22) Descend and climb out to arete. Ring just around the corner. Now traverse right and slightly downward on pumpy jugs to double ring semi-hanging belay.

2. 25m (25) Crank and heelhook madly up to the horizontal break for a lie down rest in the slot. Thin and reachy power cranking gets you up the next blank section, then more easily up to the steep headwall. Straight up to double rings in the cave roof, or (the original line), traverse right and up to the Angels belay.

3. 25m (23) Move to double rings at the left end of the cave. Pull up through the roof crack and then onto the hanging orange wall. Up the wall diagonally right and then pull through the roof above to the left of the rings. Double rings belay over to the left.

Utterly absorbing climbing all the way with two tricky cruxes

Start: EASY APPROACH: Off the ledge at the bottom of Firebug. Stick clip first ring and batman up to spike. Up 6m to ledge and traverse left 10m.

Grey face with two bolts 6m left of Fire Bug. Double ropes or long runners useful to optimize the trad gear.

Blue Mountains trad multi-pitch classic (with zero bolts!). This is the major corner system just left of the steep orange buttress. Gets sun by 8:30am in winter. Original pitches are described here, but it’s better to combine pitches 1 & 2, and 3 & 4. Note that the topo above greatly foreshortens all but the first pitch.

1. 22m (17) Hard start to get out of shale band, then up narrow chimney and corner to stance below roof. You can throw your rope over the little tree 4 or 5 metres up and use it as a slightly exciting top rope anchor to mitigate the start being hard to protect.

2. 10m (17) Over roof and up lovely corner to belay either beneath block at stance with bird crap, or (better) on ledge 2m higher, left of block.

3. 25m (17) Negotiate blocks, then follow incredible steep corner and sloping shelf to belay in cave. The money pitch.

4. 6m (14) Traverse hard left and out to double carrot belay (taking care with thin ironstone plates). Watch out for abseilers! If you have linked the previous pitch into this one it can be worth building a trad anchor just below the top out to avoid heinous rope drag and then scrambling off (roped up) from here.

Arete 1m right of Firebug. Up Firebug for 4m then swing right onto the face below the nose. Either stickclip super high first bolt, or place two medium cams.

An even more airy finish to 'Superbug'.

Start: 'Superbug'. Continue 10m past the top of 'Superbug' to chains.

1. 30m (24)

2. -m (-)

Rap in to large ledge with chain. Climb up veering left to above Firebug. Follow rings to 2 alternative finishes.

Approach the top of Bronze Orange Bug/Bug Free, spot two carrots at ground level and scramble down 2m to U bolts. Rap from these and redirect ropes through the large stainless steel hook to maintain the arete to a semi-hanging double ring belay, well off the deck. Committing crux off the belay leads to many glue in carrots to top. Bring 12 brackets.

Unbelievably good fun with fantastic climbing all the way.

Start: Start as for 'Bug Free' at the ugly undercut arete.

An old aid route at 12m6 now freed grade at 25. A great mountains pumper, crux near the ground then great long climb on feature bright orange rock.

Rap-in climb out route. Rap anchor located in the cave about 10m right (facing out) of the top of Goldstar. Abseil 35m tending slightly left (facing cliff) clipping in to carrots on the way down. Double ring belay on a grey nose about 20m above ground. Take care not to abseil past the belay as ascent may be highly problematic and your rope probably won't reach the ground. Take medium wires, slings, large hexes, and a few medium cams. (Or just bolt plates and run it out).

30m left of the 'Gully'. 15m further left on the Goldstar ledge with a belay carrot bolt. Traverse out to the line and up to the stellar diagonal hand jam crack to the chain belay on Thruxton. One of the best single pitch trad routes at Mt Boyce.

3m right of VHRD. Belay 10m left of Goldstar on the ledge. 1x carrot bolt and small gear to set up a belay.

A great sustained layback corner, most people just climb the first pitch to the chain.

1. 27m (19) Corner to ledge.

2. 30m (-) Thin crack, gully and out.

Right of air 2 spare on carrots

Start as for VHRD.

1. 6m (-) Up to ledge.

2. 34m (14) Crack and ramp to ledge.

3. 24m (14) 2nd crack from the right to gully and out.

Start: First pitch as for Manx.

1. 6m (-) Up to ledge.

2. 34m (14) Crack and groove (keeping away from Manx). Left to high ledge.

3. 24m (14) Crack to top.

Start as for Manx/Bonnieville then follow the carrots up the wall and over the boulder/roof at the top. Take small cams, a medium wire, and a #3 Camalot or similar for the start

1. 30m (16) Crack to ledge.

2. 28m (18) 'Steep' crack to top.

Rings and bolts right of Goldstar

Right hand side of the gully coming down.

Start: Streno crack, overhung corner and roof to top.

Situated to the left of the gully coming down.

Start: Large crack/chimney inside the gully. Marked D.

1. 20m (11) Up crack and left to cavern.

2. 15m (11) Up chimney then right to ledge. Up 5m wall to top. Traverse around boulder and walk off.

Start: Ramp. Then up.

1. 20m (14) Follow aesthetic crack up to belay stance. DBB.

2. 30m Not really worth doing. Head right from belay stance over bulge. Up wall past two BRs to top. 50m rap to ground. BRs and anchor replaced August 2017.

Up left side of arete. Take small cams and a set of nuts for the bottom, 4BR's at top. DBB.

Rebolted May 2007

1. Start as for PIS, right into fantastic corner and up around the slight rooflet. Go left under bulge at top to anchors as for Gently Mine.

2. Not really worth doing. Head right from belay stance over bulge. Up wall past two BRs to top. 50m rap to ground. Rebolted August 2017.

A perspective from the one of the first ascentionist, Keith Bell. From a slight online interview conducted, Keith had the following to share with the world about the first ascent of this beautiful climb:

I was keen on Greek and Roman History/Myths and the Gates of Janus refer to a temple with two doors. I think they were opened when Rome was at war and closed in peace time. A Janus Head is also two joined heads looking in different directions. I think the name came to me because a) it sounds good and b) The climb lies at the bottom of an access gully.

Recently I wrote the following: By the start of 1970, a few climbing goals had been kicked and others had arisen to take their place. In the Warrumbungles, Howard Bevan and I had made the fourth ascent of Lieben, and the first ascent of the Gates of Janus at Mt Boyce. Rather stupidly this ascent was made in the first wear of my first pair of friction boots, a pair of RD’s that featured brown suede leather uppers and bright red laces. The rubber on the sole was case hardened and since it had not been roughed up made the layback up the corner a very slippery affair. The ascent was also cam and hexcentric free leaving the only large protection available, the extruded aluminium hexagonal chunks that were fashioned and sold by John Ewbank.

Start: Ledge 10m right of GoJ.

1. 11m (20) Thin crack then left to mantle.

2. 26m (20) Crack, overhang, right and up to cave.

3. 27m (20) 'Steep' wall left of cave.

Start: Crack to the right.

Possibly the route marked with a square only.

Start 10m left of Charlie Brown on slabby face - very faint square and PP just visible on rock.

P1 - up slab to large ledge with dead trees (30m) P2 - up face on jugs to top. (30m)

Take care on the top pitch, rock quality is iffy

A slab with little pro. Start on wall 10m left of Pig Pen

P1 Up wall and slab to large ledge (30m) P2 Up on jugs o top (24m)

Marked PP.

P1. Overgrown Chimney to ledge.

P2. Up left from ledge, then trend right along slab following the crack to top. Walk out.

Take lots of slings. All natural anchors.

A super fun and technical little route around the corner from the main stuff. Mostly carrots but take a no. 2 or 3 camalot for the start. DBB at top.

1. 30m Start at crack and up to bolt.

2. 20m

Marked S.

1. 18m

2. 15m

3. 30m

1. 34m Up the corner then into the chimney.

2. 30m up arête.

1. 15m

2. 18m

3. 37m

Left of the two bolted routes on this wall. Lots of bolts. Might be a project. Looks hardish.

Right of the two bolted routes on this wall. Lots of bolts. Might be a project. Looks hard.