Ascents in New South Wales and ACT by Josephine Roper having trad-cpr or ascent-date

Flash as gear beta was crucial. Would agree with the guidebook grade on this one too, it's not that hard, just kinda sketch at the start

first decent 21 on gear, pretty happy with it. Battled up the first crux but had a good rest and the second part went pretty easy with jams

bit dubiously ended up using a fist in Vitez for the start after many attempts to do it direct. Then basically did half flake and half wide crack at the top anyway. But there was a bit of new climbing in it.

Took the opportunity to try it following Cédric's send. Yep, it's hard!

The closest the Bluies has to Infinity?

fell near the start but not after that. but it's for sure a grade harder than the Kraken for me. Or is it just intimidating? One day.

Spent a while at the end of P1 before taking off my jacket and pulling out some sport climbing moves (but tree is in!) P2/3 we just followed a line of bolts straight up which didn’t really match the description and was a bit hardish for the grade; or maybe it was just the lichen. Last pitch is chill if you can offwidth and I wish I had led it.

What a great climb, should have got on it ages ago. Was going to link p1 & 2 but was so worked after the chimney I was going to need a rest on the ledge for 10 mins anyway. It is also a very comfy ledge and you can enjoy the chimney struggles from it. P2 surprisingly tricky even though it fits small hands well. P3 had a couple goes at the crux to find a sequence, think it could go next time.

Flash coz I did climb the first few metres last time. A bit more exciting after rain - all the good, protectable crack bits were dry but the ledges were muddy. P2 was probably the longest successful lead of my life, mostly getting on to the vegetated ledge - something like climb up, fondle wet ledge, downclimb, apply chalk, try another wet hold, that was a waste of chalk, downclimb, shake out calves, upclimb... eventually found a hidden root that seemed strong enough to pull on! On the plus side, the 'thought provoking' finger crack felt very easy after that, being all dry. Cedric was glad for the #6 on p3, that overhanging offwidth is wild! Took doubles, an extra #1, 2, and set of hexes, which all came in handy.

long warmup, forgot how offwidthy it is, should really try some of the variants I haven't done yet.

The sport warm up helps with this for sure, it’s really quite sporty. Nice to finally get it properly

P1 only, P2 looks a bit vegetated. Really great, love the layback/jams/corner swim

The drive out to Sahara Point (mostly, we stopped at the hill 1.5k away) was pretty stressful in a lil Impreza, and I was wondering if one climb was going to be worth it. But the extra fire trail walk + much more bushbashing than expected + climb and then do it all again to get out - was somehow more worth it!

I leave the details to unknown trad bliss but I do think it could be done in 1 pitch with a 70m rope, and that would be quite rad. And you could probably leave a #4 and #5 at home that way. Nor do you need doubles below #4.

We couldn't find any faint track to the cliff, maybe burnt out. Easier to just go to the carpark, follow the cairned track to Sahara Walls, then bash.

FINALLY. I swear that one move for me is one of the hardest crack moves I've ever done. Was super gripped for the rest of the climb as really didn't want to fall off and have to do it again

hard! we did as per the book, in left crack for a metre then swing onto face

had to make carrying gear out here worthwhile (the other nearby trad routes looked too fiddly to get to the start, when supposed to be trip leading).

17 in the book but maybe the last bit on the sandy rounded edges is a bit harder. I found some ok cams between the last bolt and the anchor.

Very fun, especially the finish - am I really supposed to climb onto this giant protruding thingy? Is there any more gear up there? Will we be able to layback the top? But it all turns up when you need it. Props to anyone that's done it on singles but I would not... perhaps my nut placement skills are a bit rusty!

Sam learns to crack climb! Took the flake option for this one just for completeness.

got an early start thinking it would be super hot again, instead we got rained off after the second pitch (so it was still good we got an early start). Couldn't do second pitch crux, Cédric's method was too wide of a reach. There is probably some way to find with time and brushing.

Happy I can fist jam now, don’t think I could have done this last year! ‘17’ in the same way Psychopath is 17: you’ll be proud of yourself. Unless you have really big mitts and it really is a hand crack. Basically walked 2 #4s the whole slab, #5 also handy, and some dodgy jug sling action for the top out.

Thought 5 carrots but also the first one was very hard to clip, maybe off line? or just short person problems. But that section would have been pretty scary without it. Traversed in from the left for the start.

Pretty cool morning. The third pitch is about as rad as it gets... for 5m pitches! Last is also rad in a weird way. First would be better if it wasn't sport, I should have put gear in the crack seeing as I'd fully racked up before realising. The actual crux bit wasn't really a highlight as it featured some scabby rock and we both had to rest before finding nasty little crimps to aid the thrutching. The bolt at the crux is probably good both because the rock is eh and because you could, if wanted, just aid through the move and have yourself a nice 18/19 multi.

I wonder if you could link the 3rd and 4th pitch? The leader might feel a bit alone as they tackled the beak...

First trad 20. Slightly better at crack climbing than when I started trying it

Today felt like the start actually could be 18, and there was much yiewwing about how great this climb is (sorry to the Woronora residents). Perhaps the person who chalked the fuck out of the start crack yesterday created the sendie conditions, or I was just fresh

low key groundfall from slipping just before reaching the carrot, on wet feet and soapy hands. got back on but had to aid past the carrot eventually, lowered off the next break for rope gun Nat to take over.

Will definitely come back under better conditions. The lesson of the day was that I really really need to refill my chalk bag.

bailed at the carrot on lead attempt. gear did not look good afterwards for how badly I was slab climbing. A #4 might be handy. The climbing is good, feels longer than most routes at this crag, but I'm really out of practice at trusting gear in shallow sandy breaks.

What a spectacular climb and position. I don't regret going up, even if it meant topping out at 7pm Earlier start next time though!

Was pretty tired and just aiming to make it up by pulling on things at various points, could definitely do it cleaner, except the little offwidth/face climbing bit near the top of pitch 4, which I found very difficult even after bailing back to the anchor and letting Dick lead it. May have just been exhaustion, not sure.

After Cedric sent on my gear, too hot to lead it again

A bit contrived since you seem to need to use the arete but also definitely stay right of it, but fun.

Awesome. First half was very confident jamming, the right leaning diagonal bit not so much... reverted to the sport climber's toolkit of laybacking, crimping, and whimpering on ledges about being unable to get re-established in the crack. XD

good if you like face climbing I guess, roof move was my favourite. Climbs are surprisingly clean for how little traffic this crag seems to be getting.

Took a while to find the start but pretty sure we ended up on the right line - everything matched after P1, which as James says was mostly offwidth, not matching tight crack or hands, and we had to wonder if the right side of the pitch has slipped downhill about 30cm (the whole pillar is just a bunch of blocks trying to fall apart as far as I can tell). Fortunately or unfortunately, James is not a quitter and went on a bold lead with shitty gear on the sides of the crack and at one point a #4 taped to a 4m long stick to push it into the top of the offwidth section. On the plus side the pitch is probably easier now (if you had the right gear) as I seconded it cleanly, but really not great rock quality.

We thought it would get better from there, but nope it gets worse. P2 was a nightmare, really hard to find anything solid to touch. After P2 we bailed through the cave/chimney system inside the pillar to the top of the notch with the main wall. I think this means we followed the line of Josh's Big Trad Line, but ticking here as this is what we intended to climb.

Enjoyed the lower half but stumped by the crux. No feet...

See below... if you don't find an obvious trail turn off, do not go bashing down a gully (that turns out to be one gully to the south, and a jungle) 😅 The actual route is quite clear and we saw all the fixed ropes except the first one mentioned.

Great climbing, because it's a few degrees short of vertical it has some proper finger and toe jamming while still at a moderate grade, which seems rare in the Bluies. And I like hard sections with good stances in between. Thought I was going to lose it a few times with slipping feet, and one stuck cam to clean, but all just worked out somehow.

Think we took single 3-5, double 1-2, triple 0.3 - 0.75.

Love that it has compulsory jamming but also sometimes big face holds, great if you're still not a real crack climber and need a break (me). 4 x #2s, 3 x #1s was good.

Really fun steep moves out of the roof, but sparse gear and crap rock all the way up

Lot of bolts. Seemed easy. But I do like corners and chimneys

great route. just punted the crux as usual

very tough off-fingers size. better when I stopped trying to get hands in there. Nat does this thing ever dry up or do you just start up Septic Penguins?

lol finally

Fell at the low crux this time, too much seeping on the left wall [and other list of excuses so long that getting on the climb at all was really the mistake]

Great climbing, not in a hurry to lead it though. We only found 2 carrots too

Really great. Especially for small hands, 22 in the new book is overkill IMO. Got over the overhang and in reach of the ledges but a bit tangled up with the limbs. Had battled too much earlier and had nothing left to give to sort it out.

A friend recommended belaying under the roof for an awesome scenic spot, and I impulsively decided to just link from the ground to there. For no good reason I thought the roof crack was finger sized and it wouldn't matter that I had to put every larger piece into the 40m of crack before. Alas, it is #3/4 sized and the small gear anchor I found was quite low and awkward. Still a lovely ledge to hang out and eat some lunch. Would do 2 pitches to the roof next time. A little wet deep in the chimney today but nothing we needed to use.