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The North Cliff Guide

A Crag Guide gives an extensive view of all sub areas and climbs at a point in the index. It shows a snapshot of the index heirachy, up to 300 climbs (or areas) on a single web page. It shows selected comments climbers have made on a recently submitted ascent.

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Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Tim Mayer John Bignold Chris Sharples Angus M Jonathan Stables Cam Evans Cassper

The size of a person's name reflects their Crag Karma, which is their level of contribution. You can help contribute to your local crag by adding descriptions, photos, topos and more.

Table of contents

1. The North Cliff 20 routes in Cliff

Summary:
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F
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A
M
J
J
A
S
O
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D

Seasonality

Trad climbing, Sport climbing and Top roping

Lat / Long: -33.663956, 151.084882

description

Small north west facing crag that stays in the shade in the morning. The sun slants across the cliff but does not shine directly onto it in the afternoon, making a pleasant summer excursion with a wide view across the gorge. Best to leave a few days after some decent rain. Some coarse gritty rock and several open projects.

access issues

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/

inherited from New South Wales and ACT

approach

From Hornsby Heights, follow Galston Rd down towards the gorge. Stop before where the houses finish at house No.232 just before the speed camera there is a gate opposite signed "Berowra Valley National Park". Park safely and do not block the gate, to the right of it is a fire trail with a locked bar. Follow the prominent fire trail west following the power lines for about 700m until they cross the gorge at a bunch of 5 poles. The first pole of the set is # DU10106. Turn left down the trail a further 130m (at a right hand bend, youj can see the cave about 30m to thew left), then turn left into the bush at a cairn. After a few meters go left again there will be a cave on your left follow a faint trail along 40m then down 20m and left to the base of the cliff. Reverse or walk out right side of cliff then keep heading up hill and you'll come to the track turn right

history

Discovered in early 2013.

RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

There are a few boulder problems as you walk in that haven't yet been recorded.

2 Krystal Lovelong

Up wall on jugs past 1 bolt, 0.5-1 Friend in break, then up on thin moves past 2nd bolt. DRBB on top.

Set: A.Batey

FA: W.Davis, 2013

16 Mixed trad 9m, 2
3 I Hate Pikeys

Straight up slab moving right to finish at anchors.

FA: A.Batey, 2013

17 Sport 10m, 3
4 Red Light District

Layback, Stemming, a few finger locks and a fist jamb finished off with a cool view from the top. The corner crack system right of IHP. Good gear but a little damp deep in the crack.

FA: ABatey & 2nd C.Sharples, 20 Jul 2014

14 Trad 11m
5 Healthy Habits

Avoid the Red Light District by climbing the wall to the right on good edges and breaks. Cams in breaks or corner crack.

FA: Graham Dowden, 27 May 2018

14 Trad 11m
6 Climb Clean

No chalk. No bolts. No pro. Or a few bad cams and one micro-nubbin if you're bold. Some hard and interesting moves at the bottom and above. Top rope anchor from tree 5m back.

Start: The arete 1m right of Healthy Habits.

FA: Graham Dowden, 6 May 2017

17 Top rope 11m
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
7 Ghost busters

Start as for GOG. Up to roof then left out and up the slab. Lots of good cam placements, and 2 small nuts needed

FA: Timothy Mayer, 7 Nov 2020

17 Trad 15m
8 Ghost Of Galston

Starts 5m right of the corner crack in the centre of main wall. Start below small orange roof and follow the rings to the top. No lower-offs but DBB just back from edge (Large bolt heads only just fit standard brackets so take wires or belay off giant tree further back). Needs another ring or 2

FA: A.Batey, 2013

18 Sport 15m, 6
9 Forty Years at Galston

Crack at the left of the obvious roof. Hard start then easier up wall following line of blind crack. Protect with 20-40mm cams in horizontal breaks to top, make sure you get one in at the roof of the cave.

Equalised belay from two small trees, block and single ring. Also temporary screw-in bolt further back from the top.

FA: Graham Dowden, 23 Oct 2016

18 Trad 15m
10 Forty Years at Galston Variant Start

Start in the corner then traverse out under roof to lip.

18 Trad 18m
11 Boogie Til You Roof

Combination of jamming and jugs through the roof. Old-school hard-core coarse-grained rock needs more cleaning. DRBB on top right of crack.

FFA: Zuni Dierk & Mike Lester, 17 Oct 2020

21 Trad 10m
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

Three Cracks Roof

Clean loose blocks and trash from gully above before attempting any of these singular examplars of the roof-crack-climber's craft.

13 Open Project - Left Crack

Straightforward hand jam crack to start, then looks like horizontal finger-locking heaven on a sharply pointed stick followed by a sloping top-out. Invert feet at the lip for extra FA kudos.

TradProject
14 Open Project: Center Crack

Not very much to jam at all. Doable?

TradProject
15 Open Project: Right Crack

Might be possible to climb the lichenous wall using the thin roof crack for protection.

TradProject
16 The Traversing Sand Turkey

Something different Start in the corner to the left of KC. Move into horizontal crack and then head left following it around the corner and above the big roof and then head up to top once the crack runs out. Needs a clean and big gear.

FA: Timothy Mayer, 7 Nov 2020

21 Trad 12m
17 Junior Jam

The flared hand crack just left of "Baby's Crack". One serious jamb, then shared finish from the ledge with "Kindy Corner"

FA: Graham Dowden, 8 Oct 2016

10 Trad 8m
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
18 Baby's Crack

The finger crack at far right end of crag. A bit sandy, but not beyond redemption. Shared finish from the ledge with "Kindy Corner"

FA: Graham Dowden, 8 Oct 2016

8 Trad 8m
19 Kindy Corner

The corner ramp crack. Stay out of the left hand crack.

FA: A.Batey, 2013

8 Trad 8m
20 CLOSED Project - Chris & Adrian

Line of bolts up bouldery arête right of the sloping corner crack.

Set: A.Batey

SportProject 11m, 6
21 Needs Nuts Not Bolts

The crack on the right of the big nose. Straight up the orange corner and crack above, then right out the keyhole between the two giant stones. Protect exit through chockstones with 50-70mm cam and extend runners below to reduce otherwise excessive rope drag.

FA: Graham Dowden, 16 Oct 2016

17 Trad 8m
22 Chockstone II, Return of the Cowbell

Easily up twin cracks and exit via counter-intuitive move through twin chockstones directly above as for "Needs Nuts Not Bolts". Solid stoppers and cams all the way with a cowbell or large cam in the final split.

FA: Graham Dowden & Angus M, 23 Oct 2016

15 Trad 8m

2. Index by grade

Grade Stars Name Style Pop
8 Baby's Crack Trad 8m
Kindy Corner Trad 8m
10 Junior Jam Trad 8m
14 Healthy Habits Trad 11m
Red Light District Trad 11m
15 Chockstone II, Return of the Cowbell Trad 8m
16 Krystal Lovelong Mixed trad 9m, 2
17 Climb Clean Top rope 11m
Ghost busters Trad 15m
I Hate Pikeys Sport 10m, 3
Needs Nuts Not Bolts Trad 8m
18 Forty Years at Galston Trad 15m
Forty Years at Galston Variant Start Trad 18m
Ghost Of Galston Sport 15m, 6
21 Boogie Til You Roof Trad 10m
The Traversing Sand Turkey Trad 12m
? CLOSED Project - Chris & Adrian SportProject 11m, 6
Open Project - Left Crack TradProject
Open Project: Center Crack TradProject
Open Project: Right Crack TradProject
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