Ascents in Northern Tablelands by Paul Frothy Thomson

Tough, bouldery moves on razor-sharp crystals. I couldn't link the last hard move to the easy top-out into it, though it definitely would have gone with more time (and skin). Thumb-wrap-crimp on a knife-edge crystal to start... now that's just awesome. The FA can go to someone else next year, I suppose.

Short, technical climbing on razor-sharp crystals. Kind of challenging and delicate.

A few challenging moves for the grade. Okay climbing. Not as good as Coff's Roof.

Down climbed to escape the boulder. Unmemorable.

A few features and not too hard. Newbie friendly.

Thinner than Stand & Liver, though no harder. Not a bad newbie boulder. Rock is a bit friable.

Really short, and really sweet. Like the crux move of a 19/20 Friction slab, without the boring other bits.

A bit sketchy in approach shoes, but an okay climb. The flake is totally bomber.

Repeat. Mmmm... Blueys Crimpers. Thin top section.

Repeat. Only one difficult move surrounded by jugs. A touch of committment is required.

Big move, and certainly committing as falling REALLY isn't an option. Might be easier than V2, JengA... But good fun.

Exciting though easy. Done with 2 pads and 2 spotters. No move on this is harder than a Grade 17 friction slab (V0-?) But the highball aspect makes it feel tenuous. Definitely a worthwhile addition.

Repeat. Wow, the SDS variant felt really easy this time (compared to last year) with good crack technique. I actually enjoyed this. The rock at the top is friable, but the climbing is easy by then.

A punchy move or two, easing off at the top. Good fun.

Good value traverse without the strenuous start next to it.

Repeat. A nice little mid-ball problem with a tough-ish start.

Not a bad little addition, with one exciting move.

Surprisingly worthwhile, and climbs a lot better than you might think. Quite long, without being highball. Fun!

Repeat. More afternoon bouldering. Didn't even think about the height this time. Friable rock, but fun. Make sure you start at the underclings at the left end of the flake for the full tick.

Repeat. Afternoon bouldering at Beulah.

Good, but more like sustained 18/19 for a friction slab (after the initial low-angle easy part). Scary because of the friable rock. Some varied moves make it worthwhile. It's a lot longer than you can see from below.

Another friction slab dog cleaned up. Incredibly tenuous to the second bolt (21), then sustained 18 (Tarana grading) to the top, with some wicked runouts on the way. Long, delicate, and awesome. My toes were screaming by the end of it.

Great to get back on this one for the tick. Done as a warmup, and other than a tricky start it went pretty easily. As I said a year ago, this is good in that it's much more varied than the other slabs around it, though not ridiculously hard. The start is a tough sequence, but it's great once you crack it. Enjoy!

Something of a two-move wonder, but they are some fun moves for this piece of rock. More sustained than Whale Ale next to it.

A one-move wonder, but still worthwhile due to the convenient location. I accidently finished up Invalid Whale last time I was here, so this time I did the route properly. I also climbed a newly bolted route left of this, which hasn't been added to TheCrag yet.

Repeat. To think that a year ago this was my first ever Friction Slab, and I spent about an hour on it complaining about how it was waaaaay harder than 16. How times have changed. A bit of convenient fun, and a nice intro to the delicate art of Friction Slabs.

Pure trad bliss, (it's amazing that this line even GOES on gear), marred only by being difficult to get off the top (especially if you want to do more climbing in the gorge). I rested on the last hard move at the top (crux) after attacking it the wrong way and pumping out. Surprisingly steep, great gear all the way, bomber rock, classy movement. Would've loved another shot for the tick, but it was just too hard to get back to the base of the climb with the time we had left.

A bit contrived, but it's amazing how much of a difference climbing a metre right of the original line makes. Took me a bit to figure out the tricky start, but then it flowed nicely. Perhaps better than Heavy Metal (original version). Don't fall clipping the 2nd bolt.

Short but interesting, and not too hard for the grade. Worthwhile.

So much like the Blueys that it brings a tear to my eye.

Not bad.

Bloody awesome. Not so much a highball boulder route, as a climbing route with no rope. A definite must do!

More features and diverse climbing than the other slabs nearby. Hard off the starting boulder, followed by cool mind-boggling moves, then a hair-raising traverse onto a JUG! Don't get suckered into climbing too high before the traverse, or you'll be unable to climb out of the position like I was!

Hard, but awesome. Clean to third bolt, broke a hold and cheese grated down the rock. Then up to clipping fifth bolt before bailing. Challenging and mind blowing!

Climbed it twice for a laugh. Quite fun and not too hard, but a bit dodgy on the loose rock, and SHARP!

Fun and a bit desperate, but pretty soft for the grade.

Not bad, not too hard.

A bit of fun.

Not too hard, but sketchy once you're established in the crack. Worth a lap for a laugh.

Not bad. Fun. Two laps.

Easier than the routes left of it. About as thin as you can imagine for the grade, but fun and safe.

Quite a challenging move from first to second bolt. A lot of fun and mind boggling for us bluey's slab climbers.