Routes in Northern Tablelands

A classic.

Start: Opposite ‘Billericay Dickie’ on the left side of the gully (as you walk down) are some slabs facing out into the gorge. Start at the base of the obvious crack on the left side of the slab. Originally 20 M1 with a couple of points of aid, this was progressively whittled away by Stephens, then Bayne then eventually freed’ by M. Colyvan and E. Sharp I8/6/H

Up crack to where it thins down and goes diagonally rightwards, follow crack into gully and rap off chains atop of 'That’s Entertainment'. Al Stephens

Start: 7m right of S. A beginner’s classic.

1. 20m. Up slabs to the right of a large block, to a prominent horizontal crack.

2. 35m. Diagonally up corner/crack to top of large block, left and slightly down for 3m, then up wall to top.

Start: A ramp just left around the corner from Down On Creation. Scramble up the ramp to a short corner. Sustained and strenuous.

1. 10m Up the comer to a ledge at the foot of another ramp.

2. 20m (Crux) Up the ramp, continue left across a short slab, then blast straight up the crack, to the belay ledge of Wedding Bells.

3. 15m Straight up the open book corner crack (Crux pitch of Wedding Bells).

4. 30m Up corner cracks (last two pitches of Down On Creation).

Start: This is the easy-angled corner with a small tree at 2/3 height. (6m left of ‘The Joker’ and about 3m right of Polynesian Lady). Much more interesting than it looks.

The climb was originally graded 19 because of lack of protection near the ground. There is now a good wire placement about halfway between the ground and the small tree so perhaps there is a case for reviewing the grade.

Up corner with incipient crack.

Start: The most obvious looking line (thin crack) in the middle of the buttress.

An aid rest about two thirds the way up was eliminated during the second ascent by M.Colyvan and Al Stephens, Jan 1983.

Up thin crack and wall above.

Start: 2m right of ‘Occam’s Razor’.

Up crack to top.

Start: As for Pink Freud. Looks harder than 16 and probably is!

Up as for Pink Freud, left across wall using crack, step up and climb slabby arête.

Up easy crack to crux bulge, then carefully through the little roof

Start: At the left hand end of the bluff to the left of the northern descent gully.

Up corner into off-width, past loose block then through vines to ledge.

Abseil off or scramble to top.

Start: There are slabs opposite the Wollomombi Falls. There is a chimney left around from the slabs. 16m. Start in the chimney, straight up for 13m., then traverse left for 3m. Walk round to the bottom.

Start: 5m. right of Heave Ho.

Crank up onto slab and on to top keeping about 2m. left of the arête.

After the first carrot on GD continue up the arete on FHs and a finger and hand sized cam. Tree belay

Start: The crack 1m left of 'Social Misfit'.

Up the crack the step right to the flake and haul up the next wall (2 B.R.'s) on beutiful jugs, then up the final slab (B.R.) to chains.

Buy one of these and you get absolutely free, air-conditioning, cassette/radio, 12 months supply of petrol, a block of flats on the Gold Coast... .plus Tasmania!

Start: The most left-hand route on the cliff, 5m left of ‘Look Ma No Hands’.

Up the ledges (wire placements) to a bolt runner. Up the slab to the South coast of Tasmania (friends and small wires). Over the overlap via Launceston, then straight up past Burnie to a short steep wall, then to top.

Start down on very small ledge (build a semi hanging belay). Follow easy ramp slightly right to first rooflet. Short boulder through this and up easy slab crack into the big main roof. Bust out this through the lip turn (crux). Continue up pumpy headwall then tackle the final third rooflet boulder problem to topout at DBB.

Original aided at 20 M1 and exited left through vegetated alcove, must do third rooflet for the full tick.

Start: An off-width left-hand corner crack.

1. 15m Up off-width to tree.

2. 40m Up remotely thin cracks, right then left and out.

Start: The crack about 8m right of 'Magnifascent'.

Up the crack to overhanging section, then detour left up slab and crack to bush belay.

Start: The classic of the cliff. Many variants are possible. Start near the corner of Dreadnought at an old piton, a couple meters left of the orange column.

1. 30m. Straight up the steps. Belay on the most convenient ledge.

2. 50m. Continue straight up. You will eventually come to a slightly overhanging short crack corner. Up this, onto ledge then continue up to large ledge at the base of a layback crack corner. Belay.

3. 50m. Layback/bridge up the corner, then move across to the slightly vegetated wall above, and continue up the wall. Belay wherever convenient.

4. 35m. Continue straight up till you can move in right , behind a large block. Belay.

5. 30m.+ (crux) Up the steep wall beside the water course, picking the easiest line to the top. The exit is awkward and exposed.

Start: As for ‘Bleat’.

Up as for ‘Bleat’, right past tooth, then traverse past off-width of ‘Blurt’ and further right to hand crack to top.

Start: A crack at the right hand end of a smaller buttress, before you get to the main part of the cliff.

Up fist to offwidth crack and through slight roof to top.

Start: 1m left of Hangover.

Up hand/fist crack.

Accessed by abseiling 40m from the downstream end of the Orchidview Terrace.

First done from the ground up with several easy pitches to start. It could turn out to be pitches 5,6 and 7 of 'Facial Discrimination' but on the second ascent of SR a crucial hold was broken off (perhaps explaining the one grade difference).

1. Straight up to huge chockstone and belay as for Tiny Tips.

2. Straight up and move left into shallow corner after about 5m. Follow this to top.

Start: The obvious (?) crack. Richard got a little hot and sweaty while attempting this.

Up the crack through some vines to top.

Start: As for ‘Sticky Deposit’.

Up the left-hand leaning crack, along the flake, past bolt runner, into the scoop, then follow the seams in the final headwall to the top.

Interesting and well protected climbing up the ‘Bang Bang’ wall. start: About 3m right of ‘Bang Bang’.

Up onto large blocks to clip the first bolt, then step right onto the slab, up and past another bolt to the crack of ‘Bang Bang’. Cross this and head straight up the wall past 2 more bolts to the top. Belay/rap chains in place.

Start: 2m. right of L.R.T.B.M. is a large low- angled slab that goes through an overlap. Named after the very nasty wasps that used to live near the start of the climb. Nice moves through the overlap.

1. 36m. Straight up the slab, through the gap in the overlap, continue up, then move right to a groove and up this to a large ledge.

2. 30m. Straight up wall to top.

Start: Move round left of GMTTCOT, or a few meters right of Demon Dropout, at the base of a corner crack leading up to the obvious orange roof.

1. 25m Up corner crack with awkward exit left onto ledge.

2. 10m Traverse right to a ledge under an overhanging thin crack.

3. 28m (Crux) Avoid the thin crack by moving left onto face, climb face onto large ledge below open book corner. Either belay here or blast up open book corner.

4. 37m Move into hand jam crack with awkward orchids to bypass, then continue up finger crack in wall to small ledge- Traverse left to another crack, up this to ledge, then short, hard off width corner to finish.

Start: A couple of metres left of ‘Brijit’.

Up fingery crack start to hand crack and over some sword grass to top.

Start: 4m right of Solid Gold’.

Follow the crack to the top.

Start: 10m right of ‘Occam’s Razor’ on obvious terrace. Second crack from left on terrace.

Up thin crack to top.

Start: Somewhere (?) on a boulder 200 m downstream of Pink Freud.

A stellar test piece. Start 5m R of ST. Up the sustained finger crack to roof. Step R and bust straight up over the bouldery bulge through obvious features.

Start: 15m right of 'Cleaver'.

Up flared chimney, then scramble over blocks (10m), right onto large sloping ledge and up to top.

The climbs are described in an anti-clockwise direction when facing the falls.

Start: A crack on a wall in the watercourse below the pool. 15m. Up the crack

Start: On the right side of the arête, 3m right of Sticks and Stones.

15m. Up the arête to slab, then to top.

Middle of face left of ETL, through roof to narrow finger crack. Join Gunboat Arete at its last bolt to top out. Finger sized gear and a #1 cam.

Start: 30m right and uphill of 'Social Misfit'.

The left of two cracks. Up to tree belay.

3m left of Working Class Heroes up vertical crack and through shrubbery. Then continue up tiny tips crack. 1982 is complete guess for FA

A good route spoilt only by a chipped hold.Take 4 bolt plates, a 1½ friend and a 4 friend.

Start: About 4m left of 'Skid Row'.

Mantle up ledges, then delicately up the ramp, then straight up the water streak, finishing up the last moves of 'Country Bumpkin'.

Follow this down until you are looking down a gully, high up on the left hand wall of which is a large dead tree. Above this is the start of the climb. Abseil down from large block, tending left(looking outwards) around various trees. If you end up under a 3m roof tangled up in a tree you are in the right place. (To the left, facing the cliff, is a double roof. That is not the climb)

Helmet strongly recommended for belayer.

1. 25m Start short flakey offwidth, and up hand/fist jam crack to rest under roof. Place #3 camalot in vertical break, take deep breath, hang off knob, commit to rounded horizontal break (no footholds) 2-3m traverse to pair of nice arm bars and something for the feet. After pausing for breath, haul up into corner & a good no hands rest. Then up around a couple of blocks, slow down after these, as the natural momentum of the climb takes you past a good belay ledge to your left.

2. 20m Climb to right of trees, avoid large loose flake (the ugly chain here is to sort of stabilize the flake. DO NOT CLIP) , once above this, comfortable layback to bottom of 8m slab.(pleasant belay here if you feel like it) 4 bolts & comfortable edges, which diminish towards final body smear and top out.

Start: Some 30m left of ‘Deceit’ on terrace.

1. 7m Up crack to belay on trees.

2. 43m Straight up undulating rock to top (probably little or no protection).

Loudly marked 'D.D.D.' (Originally named 'Debbie Detour Direct').

Start: As for 'Debbie Detour'.

Straight up the line, ignoring the detour, and on to the Gnome tree.

Start: The edge of the Chimney/Passageway.

Layback the chimney and on up to top.

Start: Can only be done when the falls stop flowing. Left of Action is a rib, then a channel the main water course. Goldfinger goes up this channel, then swings right to join Action at approx. 2/3rds height. The grade may be much harder as no-one has yet done a second ascent. The original description, like this one, is very vague. Good luck.

1. 40m. Up the channel left of the rib.
2. 30m. Slightly steeper now. Sparse protection. Continue straight up choosing the line of least resistance.
3. 20m. Continue upwards till you are able to move right to join the last three pitches of Action. 4.5.6. 110m. As for Action.

Pertaining to champagne of high quality, not the nasty animal.

Start: The fine layaway crack left of ‘Bleat’ and 'Ambrosia'. (not the horrible offwidth).

Fine jamming and layaways to top.

This route was first climbed by Jill Kelman and Richard Curtis in 1976 but was not recorded because the prevailing ethic locally at the time was that a climb had to ascend the cliff from bottom to top to be a legitimate ascent. As Jill subsequently died in a European mountaineering accident I suggest that the climb be called Jill's Climb as it was a fine lead for the time. I mentioned this to Brian while he was still with us and the idea was received favourably.

Start: 4m left of ‘Pride of Errand’.

Good jams to slightly overhung top section.

Start: On the bushy ledge.

Bridge up the alcove.

Some people will do anything to see their name in print!

Start: The scrubby gully at the left hand end of the cliff, 3m left of ‘Hitman’.

Up twin cracks and mank.

Start: First good looking line on the cleaner rock.

Up fist/hand crack to top.

Mixed and varied climbing up the center of the main wall.

Start; From the descent gully go right to the bottom of the main wall. The clean layaway corner.

1. 20m. Up crack to join large crack on right, continue up to tree belay.

2. 10m. Walk right to tree and up thin crack below "cat's tongue block" to the ledge on right.

3. 20m. Up vegetated chimney/gully, right of belay and continue through fig tree to belay.

4. 25m. Traverse left along treed ledge to belay below two converging cracks with a large block wedged at top.

5. 15m. Up right hand crack, under block to belay atop the block.

6. 25m. (crux) Up to base of off-width then up thin left crack up to ledge and ramp to belay under small roof/cave.

7. 10m. Up through roof and follow crack left to large ledge and tree belay.

8. 50m. Leftwards up ramp over blocks and continue to start or rock ramp, then right to good ledge.

9. 30m. Move right and around corner to intermittent crack system. Follow this to obvious ledge.

10. 10m. Follow ledge left and up dirt slab to base of off width immediately right of huge orange roof, then left to tree belay.

11. 15m. Up small corner and crack trending left to diagonal crack and under cling and roof to top.

Start: Right of Hang Ten and left of the fig tree, a slabby wall leading to low angled cracks. Shares the upper section with Deviant Death. (Take a #4 Friend).

Straight up wall, then to the top of the flake crack. Move right approx. 2m. then straight up to thin, steepening crack corner. Step left into wide crack/cave, jam up to bush/vine, then pull over the bulge/roof and straight to top. Tree belay,

The most obvious looking line, a wide crack with a difficult start. Start below and right of overhanging flake. Move through and up. Exit R and finish at shared DBB.

Start: In the small alcove 15m left of ‘Higher Purchase’.

Follow the rightward leaning crack to offwidth and up to top.

Originally had two points of aid, the first being the second bolt. The aid was almost eliminated by Paul Bayne and was eventually freed by Giles Bradbury May 1983. It is now one of New England’s it most popular hard free routes.

Start: Sm right of ‘Bang Bang’ at rightward trending groove.

Follow groove right, then back left past bolt runner into corner, up to second bolt and on to ledge and belay/rap chain. Note that both bolts are usually clipped with wires first these days.

Start: 15m. right of T.S. slabs that lead to a crack.

1. 39m. Up slab and crack to the first major ledge.

2. 21m. Straight up wall to top.

For several years this was considered one of New England's best routes.

Start: On the slabs to the left of Wedding Bells.

1. 45m (Crux) Trend left on slabs to beneath converging cracks. Up left side then into squeeze position. Up onto ledge, then up coarse crack to the top of a huge flake against the main wall.

2. 43m Up thin diagonal crack, trending right. Keep going to a roof, then short off-width/chimney to top.

Start: 2m left of ‘Polynesian Lady’ and immediately left of small roof.

Up to the left of roof to off width corner. Continue to top

Start: A short jam crack at the far left hand end of Dead Heroes Buttress.

Up crack, then move right to finish up as for ‘Long Haired Lout’.

Start: 2m right of ‘Redemption’ on terraces

Up wide crack to top.

Start: The climb faces Hope Buttress. 2 BRs and wires.

Swing up to the ‘bucket’, clip the FH, then move up (crux) to the next FH. Mantle over the bulge to lower offs, optional grassy top out.

Start: At the bottom of the descent gully at the left end of the cliff. Scramble up to ledge left of big chimney with tree.

1. 20m Up crack corner to, traverse right to chimney, up this to ledge and tree belay.

2. 20m From tree scramble right up cracked wall to obvious crack. Up crack to top.

Start: The right-hand side of the large pool. A short face.

20m. Up and slightly left to the top of the short face.

A speleological encounter of the squeeze kind Start: Around the corner from "Raspberry Jam"

Easy crack/face for about 3m then 5m up chimney, the first move once in chimney is the crux if you're over 5'.

The inset corner inside the deep trench half way along Rockpool. A canyoning experience. Abseil down trench to water level and climb out with horizontal chimney moves to finish. Tree belay.

A death-trap, full of loose, crumbly rock.

Start: The left-hand crack in the chossy alcove immediately right of 'Portable Rip-off.

Awkwardly up hanging channel and up crack, keeping to the left.

Another good slab spoilt by a chippie. Take 4 bolt plates and #2,#3,#4 friends

Start: Left of ‘Country Bumpkin (about 15m), the water streak slab.

1. 30m (crux) Straight up the water streak, easy at first then hard after last bolt. #2&#3 friends for belay.

2. 10m Move left 5m then up last moves of ‘ Country Bumpkin’

Start: Below the left side of the giant flake / block.

1. 20m. Diagonally right up crack and pull onto ledge.

2. 16m. Easily right across ledge and up jamb-crack.

3. 13m. Up crack on left then up scalloped wall to large ledge with trees (the Sundeck).

4. 30m. Left along ledge over blocks, to offwidth and into flaring roof (crux) then up to trees at top.

Start: At the very top of the cliff above the finish of ‘Use Your Face As An Ashtray’

Up wall to right of crack to huge flake, around flake to top.

Start; Corner off-width just right of 'Gnome Tree'.

Strenuously up off-width to awkward exit onto ledge.

Start: The diagonal seam to the right of the passageway as you walk out.

Follow the seam out to the arête, then up the arête to the top.

Start: Moving left from Goldfinger the next obvious feature is a major corner. This is the start for Slippery When Wet (goes diagonally right) and Toecap. Dangars Falls dries completely usually once a year. This climb, like Goldfinger, can only be climbed when completely dry.

1. 33m. Up rib (15m) then traverse right (6m.) and up to ledge below steep wall (rusty piton).

2. 18m. Diagonally up and right, then traverse right and up corner with thin crack to very large ledge (another rusty piton).

3. 22m. Diagonally up and right, then straight up to belay in small corner (yet another rusty piton).

4. 28m. Diagonally up and right, then straight up corner, then right onto nose, then right into second corner, up corner then traverse right to belay on ledge 6m. left of Action.

5. 30m. Diagonally up left across slabs then to base of wall, traverse left and down slightly, then up fine, left diagonal crack to belay in sentry box.

6. 23m. Up diagonally right crack line, then diagonally right again to corner, left around projections.

7. 18m.The line of least resistance to top.

Start: About half way between ‘Agrippina’ and ‘Brut’.

Straight up wall which steepens at the top past four bolts, moving off left or’ the slab at the top.

Start: At the far right on the main part of the breakaway. 2m right of ‘Twist’.

Up crack, around flake, then up to top.

Start: As for S.W.W. The rib. Avoid any yellow rock ! Its rotten...Variant starts are possible to the left.

1. 45m. Up left of rib, then onto rib, up slabs to wall, traverse 5m. to left, then up corner to large ledge, then scramble easily up to ledge below steep wall.
2. 40m. Diagonally left onto slabs, up slabs to obvious corner.
3. 45m. Up corner, traverse left along ledge to belay stance.
4. 40m. Rising traverse to right (poor protection), then to ledge.
5. 30m. Up wall and scramble to top.

Start: About 12m to the left of ‘Brut’, the obvious flake crack.

Up flake crack, swing right when crack runs out; slab climbing to terrace.

Start: The first good-looking short hand-jam crack.

Follow crack to top. Tree belay, rap off.

Start: 2m left of ‘Hitman’.

Up a little slab then up the arete using the left hand edge. Two bolts and some wires provide the protection.

Start: Fist crack a few metres right of ‘Navvy’.

Up the crack.

Start - Abseil from the gum tree at the bottom of ‘Orchadia’ for about 40m to ‘Broken Terrace’. Scramble right (facing cliff) past the obvious line of ‘Surprising Rising’ to the obvious corner crack, overhung at its base.

1. 30m up awkwardly into layback crack and up this to top.

2. At back left of the bushy terrace is an easy ramp leading diagonally left. Climb to top of this and traverse left to end of ledge.

3. (exit) Downclimb for a few feet until it is possible to move left to beneath a small overhang. Climb this to the Orchidview Terrace.

Start: 15m. right of S.I.G., a scoop leading to an arête. Another excellent climb. Unfortunately some of the organic substances have grown back and needs occasional harvesting. Great fun! One B.R.

1. 10m At the scoop, move right diagonally, via a short crack, to a group of small trees below the arête. Belay.

2. 35m Jug-haul up the arête , step right and continue up a crack which blanks out. Continue up the arête to a stance and a bolt, Clip it! (Stepping left off the arete here incurs instant disqualification, and an appearance before the Ethics Committee). Exciting layaways (crux) then lead to easier ground.

Grovel chimney up to the real start. Easy jams. Good short warmup route

The second line you arrive at when walking into 3rd breakaway. Starts in thin obvious line above a ferny natural spring. Strenuous fingery moves, jamming and technical bridging. Plug away up twin cracks and use double ropes for peace of mind. Big tree belay 10m from edge. A hard route for short arses.

Start: 2m right of ‘Sticky Deposit’.

Up fiercely overhung water streak, then up groove, trend right up slab to ‘Higher Purchase’, up this to top.

‘‘I’m no thickie”

Start: Below the obvious orange roof on the right side of the descent gully, as you walk down.

Up to cave, bridge to surmount roof, then strenuous jamming to top.

Start: 15m right of F.F. near the right hand end of the cliff. A block that has a crack going up both sides, take the left-hand side side.

15m. Up slick groove and crack on left.

Start: At the base of short twin cracks to the left of D.D. An early classic but a little overgrown today.

30m Up twin cracks onto ledge, up chimney in corner and exit left. Continue on to suitable belay.

A single aid rest was eliminated on the second ascent by J. Lattanzio and M, Colyvan, Feb 1982.

Start: About 1m right of ‘The Removalist’.

Up thin crack and wall to a better crack above which joins up with the top part of ‘The Removalist’.

Start: 1m right of ‘Toedance’.

Up the thin finger crack.

Start: 25m right of ‘Occam’s Razor’ a large pillar leans back against the main wall.

Start up either of the two cracks for 3m to chimney in behind the pillar.

Start: At a slab at the base of the crack.

Up slab to overlap, (crux) then up crack to top.

Start: about 30m right of the northern descent gully, two chimneys intersect at right angles.

Up chimney intersection, then up the thin crack, traverse right across slabs to tree.

Abseil off or scramble to top.

Start: Just left of Klettercide (?) , the middle of the wall.

20m. Up fine line in wall to top and then right to tree belay.

Start: Just right of the sting. Not really recommended. The first pitch has no runners on hollow rock!

1. 36m. (crux) Up short corner (on hollow rock and no runners) then step right and straight up to belay ledge as for The Sting.

2. 30m. Straight up wall and slab to top (as for The Sting).

Left of the HR start is a thin seam to 2/3 height then 3 FHs to the DBB over ETL. Lots of RPs and microcams

A real gem, with a secret jug to dangle off and pose for photos.

Start: Corner crack 10m right of 'Portable Rip-off.

Jam and bridge up crack to belay off gum-tree further back.

“I’m a country member.” - “Yeah I remember”.

The direct line to the layback of ‘Country Bumpkin’.

Start: A few metres right of ‘Skid Row’.

1. 30m Straight up to layback flake via 3 bolt runners. Up layback to tree belay on ledge (take care the tree is dead!).

2. 10m (crux) Straight up slab past two bolt runners, and wall to top.

A more direct finish to the original route. The chimney left of No Frills.

From the top of Geronimo pitch 3. go directly up the off-width squeeze chimney, to some mank, then up crack on right to bulge. Through bulge and on to top.

Start: 1m right of ‘Post Crypt’ corner. The first water streak.

Straight up the water streak past 4 bolts, using a few edges on either side till the last bolt, then padding to the top. (#2 & #3 friends for belay in alcove). Walk off left.

Sustained and varied climbing up a steep wall. This climb has a reputation for not having many repeat ascents - not for want of people to try it!

Start: 8m right of'Shady Lady'.

Up thin seam trending left to rightward trending crack, some exciting moves up to leftward groove past one B.R. to top.

Start: the first route on the wall as you come out of the passage.

Up the wall passing a bolt then up cracks to top.