Help

Seasonality

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Description

This area is a mixed bag of features and styles including one of the best problems in the gorge at the grade: Evan's Stone

Access issues inherited from Upper Gara Gorge

Gara gorge is part of Oxley Wild Rivers National Park and access is open:

http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/Oxley-Wild-Rivers-National-Park

Approach

Cross the river, then follow the track right (east) for 200m until the track curves away from the river. About 10m after a National Parks information sign titled 'One Scheme Two Flumes' take a little track to the right towards the river for about 50m.

After the grassy area on your left, the first problem you come to is Evan Stone, an obvious problem with a left leaning rail. The rest of the problems are further east parallel to the river.

Ethic inherited from Upper Gara Gorge

Basically, the climbers of Armidale are a pretty laid back, free thinking group and as long as you don’t go out of your way to put people’s noses out of joint you’ll be amazed at how helpful they can be. The quickest way to piss people off is by ripping off projects. There are a few devoted locals making an effort and putting up quality new climbs. A lot of time, hard work and even money goes into their endeavours (cracks can be projects too) and there is too much unclimbed rock around to justify destroying someone else’s motivation. Any routes marked as such or not in the guide should be left alone. The simple courtesy of asking first may save you from being stripped naked and being staked out for the crows to pick your eyes out. If putting up new routes is your thing then please feel free. The only request is that you avoid placing hangers or conspicuous bolts around the Gara Boulders as we are already viewed as an environmental menace by the NPWS - bolting in National Parks is actually illegal.

Tags

Some content has been provided under license from: © University of New England Outdoor Club (Creative Commons - Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike)

Routes

Add route(s) Add topo Reorder Bulk edit Convert grades
Grade Route

As you approach off the walking track, this is the first prominent rocks you come to off to the left. After a flood it is often filled with debris, but it all lightweight wood and is easily unburied.

Delicate start up a rounded rail. It looks scary but gets better and easier and the fall isn't as bad as you think. V5 is for the 2 crimp moves into the rail, but if you start on the rail it's much easier.

A crimpy contrived line up the arete without touching the right rock.

The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.

The Evan's Stone block is split in two forming a small cavern. FC is burly offwidth roof traverse through this underground crack. Sit start at the far end on double knee bars, traverse right and finish by touching the tip of the large hanging chockstone. A wild and unique fight awaits you.

FA: Ben Vincent, 8 Jan 2021

As for FC then keep thrutching past the chockstone and up into daylight without stemming on the other side.

FA: Ben Vincent, 28 Mar 2021

A weird twisted column of rock, about 20m south of Evan's stone towards the Holy Land and next to a pool of water.

Up the curvy arete

FA: Ben Vincent, 28 Apr 2020

SS at the L-H end of the slabby wall. Up sharp side pulls to meaty undercling. Delicately up slab to glory rail and top-out.

FA: Ben Vincent & Alan Ezzy, 16 Jan 2016

Sit start obvious slab crack 3m left of L.A.S

FA: Ben Vincent & Phil Bell, 16 Jan 2016

Up the corner 1m R of L.A.S Elevator. Stand start on block

FA: Ben Vincent & Phil Bell, 16 Jan 2016

Start on burly undercling, then choose your own adventure through the mixture of differ holds: crimp, pinch, jam, slopers up to the right trending horizontal rail

Stand start left on the pinch, right on tiny crimp, then up onto the right trending rail.

FA: Brendan Heywood, 4 Oct 2021

A fun warmup slab

A large flattish boulder almost always covered in pine needles

Start down in the slot. The lower harder start should go too

As for Warmup then traverse left for 2m without any arse dabbing

A lower sit start on good holds, either through a slimper or dyno to freedom.

Start matched on corner, throw heel on and up

On a large block closer to the water from Evan's stone. A fun long traverse along slopers

Stand start on rail, one move. Possibly a very hard lower start

Join our select group! Drink the Kool-Aid! Start on the rail but avoid the flat top out and stretch way out left to the side pull, right heel hook, then match and work your way left up along the lower rail.

FA: Ben Vincent, 16 Jan 2016

Sit start and head up over the prow.

Sit start on undercling, one mover to edge then top.

Okish crimps, meh footers, dyno to sloper lip

FA: Alan Ezzy, 16 Jan 2016

Easy jam or layback crack

Start on the odd undercling and up the rail

Stand start up face and using the right arete

Up the face using the left arete

Up face and right arete

Up the easy corner crack

This sick little cave is about 10m towards the creek from Rubik's cube, and needs fairly low water levels.

Squat start on good left hand and rail, slapping up to jug then hard top out. Needs a quite low water level.

A jumble of big rocks with a few sneaky problems hidden under them

Start at back and move through the roof and anything goes using both sides.

Start jammed low in the back, move through the perfect hole jam and out without touching the right side

Jam in back, roof moves out right side avoiding left side

Instant classic: Sloper start, up through crimps to sloper, then zig zag to compression moves to top.

FA: Ben Vincent & Brendan Heywood, 13 Feb 2022

Awesome but probably an acquired taste. Lie start in the offwidth, traverse left then reach up to slimper, then mantle right and to top. The offwidth can be done with a variety of techniques and is a perfect place to practice hand stacks.

FA: Ben Vincent & Volodymyr K, 13 Feb 2022

The wall facing into the water. And assortment of higher, sketchier and offwidth lines

Committing solo up the wavy slab to the mega feature. Psych yourself and crimp your way up and out.

FA: Ben Vincent, 31 May 2020

Delicate crimp slab and mantle

FA: Benji Dutaillis, 31 May 2020

Up the offwidth / arete

Only just qualifies as a route, or a very sketchy boulder. Up the nice jam crack

On the ledge 5m right of the Death Roof. Up a thin side pull weakness

About 5m further right, lie down start inside the off width and chicken wing your way to freedom!

FA: Brendan Heywood & Ben Vincent, 13 Feb 2022

A bit silly. Directly right of the Death roof and behind the side pull problem. Traverse through the tunnel on the finger crack, then at the end reach up to the jug and mantle without touching either side.

Sit start contrived mantle and then up the weakness avoiding the right arete. Or it flows nicely if linked from The Sickle

Low hard sit start through sickle shape then up avoiding right edge. Ideally link into The Hammer

Hello!

First time here?

theCrag.com is a free guide for rock climbing areas all over the world, collaboratively edited by keen rock climbers, boulderers and other nice folks.

You can log all your routes, connect and chat with other climbers and much more...

» go exploring, » learn more or » ask us a question

Accommodations nearby more Hide

Share this

Thu 30 Nov
Check out what is happening in Evan Stone area.

Get a detailed insight with a timeline showing

  • Ticks by climbers like you
  • Discussions of the community
  • Updates to the index by our users
  • and many more things.

Login to see the timeline!

Deutsch English Español Français Italiano 한국어 Português 中文