Routes in New South Wales and ACT for selected grade

Starts up the V chimney 3m right of VC. After 5m, step left to follow a thin crack around a nose, then back right to follow a hand crack to top. Tree belay.

Start: 2m right of ‘Capillary’.

Hand jam your way through the double roofs, then up slightly overhanging and loose wall to top (as for ‘Capillary’).

Start: This and the following 2 routes are on the uninspiring wall with the overhanging dinner plates.

Up finger crack then over roof with rings.

Rather awkward and strenuous.

Start: The first obvious crack in the descent gully.

Awkward fist jamming to top.

Start from the ledge which starts about 20 metres right of start for AC. The ledge is about 18m above stream level. "Like a drunken Viking, it could either do you in or fall down of its own accord." 1. 25m As for Ripsnorta. 2. 10m Right to flake and up to ledge. 3. 25m Up corner to unusual suspended block. Around this with care then right through roof and up to tree belay.

Start below major corner and overhangs of N Face.

1-4) Line

Currently the shortest route description in the Warrumbungles.

On the buttress just to the right. Up the ramp then up the thin overhanging crack to the top of the flake. Step down to join 'Side Effect'.

Start between Dihedral Corner and Reprieve at the right of the slab in the corner below the block overhang. Up the wall to below the second overhang, through it, then straight up.

Adds a great left leaning hand crack, and a bombay chimney to the best pitches of Dipthong. (or it could be the original if you take the route description with a lot of salt) Start 3 meters left of Dipthong at a slanted crack or chimeny

1. 10m, climb the dirty crack on the right or the chimney to a stance on a dirt ledge

2. 15m, climb the left leaning hand crack out to the arete before pulling back right and into the Bombay chimney to emerge on the ledge below Diphong's third pitch.

3. Finish up the fun pitches of Diphong

Up ramp corner system to ledge then thru roofs about a metre R of Emu's Paradise and up crack past ring at top (short draw or screwgate as it's a bit low) to an awkward topout.

Good trad route that got partially retro-bolted. The undercut fused crack on right side of wall, with a U bolt and old rusty carrot to belay off. Up crack (placing trad and ignoring retrobolt on right wall) to right side of cave. Finish up wide crack protected by fist sized cams. Belay off tree way back on other side of chimney gully.

Left hand variant to Brumby. Start as for B.

1. 38m (18) Up over fern? To shelf, left to mantle. Wall right of tree to block.

2. 22m (15) Left to bollard, up wall.

Felt harder than 18 to me. Start: Orange corner in left end of middle ledge on Raven Wall.

1. 20m Up cracks then left into corner.

Start: About 25m left of Mix Master on a boulder.

10m. Take the arête using the tree for protection but not for aid.

Originally done with a couple of points of aid. Joe Friend freed this in 1975 and added the last pitch.

Start: In the L side of Gorbag gully.

1. Cracks to roof, swing left through roof and up to belay.

2. Cracks, seam and slab to large ledge, or slab to the right (4 bolts) and leftwards traverse to belay.

3. As for pitch 2.

4. Up overhanging crack in the little headwall.

A juggy looking wall with poor pro up high. A large cam about half height, a 1/2 inch Hero loop over the chicken head and a small wire for pro.

Despite point perps affinity with exposure, this surely has to rank among the most wild. A rap in climb out a-fair that is every bit terrifying as it is genuinely great climbing, good gear and holds appearing from thin air. Rap down 15m off the most overhung point you can find (a couple long cracks in the #1-0.5 range provide anchors, think dropping a rock that will hit nothing for the point), to a nice ledge (get some swing going to land on it) with a series of chossy vertical cracks leading skyward (these are actually waiting for an FA but this is not what Desert Raven climbs)... Oh no, head up a couple meters before traversing hard left over space on the overhung and pocketed wall that doesn't seem to have any holds or gear up high. Save a crucial #3 for the last pocket and mantle up onto the slab moves at the very top of the arette to a small ledge where you can sling an amazing thread. Step a hard right and finish up the last 3m of splitter fist jams directly above your belayer, topping out next to your rap line. A single rack of cams from 0.3-#4 and a 120cm sling for the thread is all thats required.

Reddish corner crack western most point of the buttress. 1. 25m corner to BR, left face to middle of wall, past right hand FH to ledge, right to BR to ledge and DBB. 2. 20m to ledge, left of nose to ledge and FH, diagonally left up overhanging wall to TBB.

Deceptive and technical, but it joins 'Crackle'. The right line.

Start left of steps up roof. Swing through the left side of the roof then either continue to the top on unpleasant ironstone (as per the original "route"), or traverse the lip, or reverse.

Right leaning diagonal finger crack.

On the ledge left of the cave of Misspent Youth is a nice layback crack.

A serious lead.

1. 15m. Put your heart in your mouth and up you go! Place your first runner at the top of the layback and be sure to clip it.

A leftward rising traverse. Start up tree as for Inconsequential. After 4 th bolt on I cross to arête, across EE, traverse left around arête into corner ( GG) and continue left across face past 2 more bolts to next arête, then up to chain anchor. a #2 and 0.75 cam and extendable runners help. Abseil 20 m to ground or continue to top, joining Pitch 2 of IBE be a short corner at grade 12, gear to #3.

Outstanding climbing, probably one of the "Must Do's" at the crag, despite it's shorter length.

Stemming corner problem with small gear down low. 2 sets of nuts are worth considering, as is a #4 for up high. Follow the thin crack until it widens to off width, then look for gear and holds on the face. 2BB at the top of this pitch. A rope stretching 30m abseil to the deck.

An attempt was made on the corner above, but abandoned after 15m due to loose rock, reduced rock quality, and the proximity of more desirable climbing.

Start: The first crack line you come to.

Up wall to ledge, bridge right off tree to get into crack. Follow this to top.

Up slab to roof with a wire placement between the first and second bolts. Finish at DBB

The first pitch is rather dangerous with some loose rock on it. Take care with your placements.

Start: On the ledge up-hill and 15m left of 'Pin Up'. The thick flake; done in two pitches to reduce rope drag.

1. 10m (crux) Up crack and past flake and right to belay.

2. 10m Up corner crack to overlap and up right-hand crack to top.

Abseil off.

Start from the ledge which starts about 20 metres right of start for AC. The ledge is about 18m above stream level. In orange alcove about 15 metres right of CC. Rotten cave just left of start. Great climbing up an interesting line. Up alcove/crack, left around small roof (small wires needed) up good crack. Up nose/crack then left to black corner. Tree belay.

Start at R corner at base of S Buttress.

1-3) Corner to chockstone, then up nose. Regain corner after 10 m, then up to stance. L to nose, then face to loose ground (poor rock).

In many ways shorter than its 13 metres would lead you to believe, this route starts up an easy grade 9 arete, then becomes much steeper, moving out over a rooflet with little to do with your feet for the first move or two but paste them to the limestone and grunt your way up.

If you're feeling exceptionally lazy, you can just walk up the grass slope and completely ignore the arete! Bolt recently moved down so it's below, rather than above the crux. Ringbolt lower-offs. Update 2013-08: Lower bolt has had the hanger stolen, sole bolt is at the crux

Good jamming and bridging up the corner crack after a short graunchy start just left of the boulder jumble. Rap off a sling.

Shared start with the retrobolted Mr Poopypants then right and up orange groove (piton).

Climb the undercut nose on reasonable pro - mainly cams. At 10m from the top pro thins. Take cams to 3.5 and tricams. This was named after the movie, NOT the first assensionists.

Start at the protruding corner formed by the right wall of Reprieve and the left wall of Necromancer. The route crosses Necromancer and Clog Dance at half height.

1. 20m. Bouldery moves (crux) gain the short slab leading to the obvious rightwards crack-line. Follow this and some wall moves to a large belay ledge on Necromancer.

2. 5m. A short hand traverse breaks horizontally across the steep wall right of Necromancer to gain an obvious belay ledge, as for Clog Dance.

3. 25m. Step rightwards around the corner and ascend the steep wall and arete (crux), finishing up the easier slabs above.

Abseil off rings where shrubs suddenly come close to cliff. Must be close to a nice cold fear, but now sports bolts though a few cams needed to #3.

Up the orange streak in the middle of the wall

2m left of Sunday the 13th. Little ramp to cave. Wall above cave. Looks very badly protected - was this actually only a top-rope route?

Start: 100m right of WC, past big cave, Up obvious right leaning orange crack to top.

The major splitter corner crack initialled "AC". Take a full rack, but you stll have to run out the offwidth! Lower off chains (60m rope will get you to the ground on stretch).

Climb the upper right wall of the key-hole past 2 carrot bolts

Good climbing in a grand situation! Start: Up ramp at base of buttress, to tree.

1. 20m Onto ledge then into corner, up to small ledge.

2. 20m Continue to larger ledge.

3. 17m Up to roof - poor belay!

4. 18m (crux) Out under roof then up.

Start: At the left -hand end of Central Bluff. A great little climb.

15m. Up corner and thin crack to top.

1. 27m to belay ledge (3BB).

2. 31m Exposed traverse right then follow the bolts up to tree belay.

Each pitch has 5 bolts. Descend from rap above Helzapoppin

The face 3m right of the 'Shower Recess'. Up to horizontal break (cam) then up steep wall past one or two bolts to a double bolt belay.

Classic of the crag. The overhanging nature of this climb will leave a leader digging deep as you go for the top. Start on left and step onto wall over perpetual puddle, traverse right into line and follow face and flakes up to large horizontal. Move R to double threads and blast for the top.

About 200 metres downhill and slightly easy (towards the hut) is an immaculate crackline on a smooth wall. Pull up on flakes and layback up the wide crack which narrows to hands at the top. Take some larger cams.

Good. The leftmost of three lines on the second block up the hill. Nice bridging with an occasional fingerlock.

Traverse the crag from left to right. Difficulty depends entirely on how far you go, and the height at which you climb.

The corner crack left of The Rough Diamond.

1. 20m. A hard start then up to the roof. Out and around left, then up hand crack to top, wall exit on right. Tree belay.

Initially led ground up, without pre-inspection. Start at the scoops about 10m right of Acoustic Corner at a small pile of discarded holds - don't be put off by these. Surprisingly well protected using natural placements throughout, take 2 sets of wires and a double rack of small to medium cams. Originally led in 4 pitches, though the below might be a better method.

1. Delicately through face moves past bolt to sling arch. From here the rock quality is very good. Follow the plumb line through shockingly good gear to 2BB on the ledge at 35m.

2. Continue on the plumb line through adequate (though fiddlier) gear to belay at small bulge just below the 1/2 way ledge.

3. Easily up to 1/2 way ledge to belay from large gum.

Descent: walk left to 2 RBB rap station, 32m rap to next station, then 35m to ground at the bottom of Road to Hell.

Start: Left of broken Glass’.

Up the curving, leaning crack

Classic slab with balancey finish. Take a double set of cams and some slings (as there are a few placements in the same break) and a thin finger sized cam for the top. Up slight ramp to Ubolt, then hole, then carrot. Up wall past cams to DRB lower off situated 4 meters back on the next face (caution with drag), avoid the tree anchor as it causes wear.

Start at large stringybark. Up past carrot and large bird's nest in alcove past overhang with broken holds to thin huge rings.

Nasty on the hands.

Start: The crack immediately right of 'Fugitive'.

Pull up to rest below obvious leftward trending crack. Up crack and step left to exit at top.

Start from the ledge which starts about 20 metres right of start for AC. The ledge is about 18m above stream level. Loose roof just right of normal start of Gormenghast, rotten wall below. Not recommended! Up crack with extreme care.

Slab climb past the two hex bolts on the slab, with 2 more bolts on the foot wall before the slab. Finishes at the main DBB anchors. Mixed climbing with RPs through the cruxes. Note- original name unknown.

Start 2 m R of Aladdin's Lamp at a small fig.

1. 45m (crux) Snaking crack, then tend R at 10 m. Through bulge at 30 m, then R up wall to narrow shelf. Traverse 5 m R to belay in alcove. Possibly break this pitch into two to avoid rope drag.

2. 45m Down R, then finish as for Indigenous.

In many ways harder than The Roof proper, this route starts up the gully then left hand corner (alternatively up the left arete, then step around to gain the roof). Traverse right under the roof, then around the lip to the bolt. More smearing/oppositional holds required, and a little more skill and strength. This is also harder to protect than The Roof, as the bolt is further out. However, it will take cams, as long as you don't place them where your hands need to be!

15 metres left of 'Daylight Robbery' is a handcrack through a small roof. Up and through the roof, swim up the offwidth, then left up a curving ramp. Finish up a short mossy slab.

Thru roof and then scrubby crack.

Start: 10 m left of 327

Quite good, complete with overhead protection and escape jugs. This is the ramp/corner at the extreme right-hand end of the left wall.

straight up past single bolt

Start: Crack system to the left of Hocus Pocus.

2m right of Penguin parade (oceanward), up thin seam and past pod to slab moves. May feel harder on lead

The next arete right of SAND CASTLES. All natural pro, take a full rack of small sizes. An intense arete that becomes an easier wall. 2 bolt belay. This one for the purist.

Boulder moves up the steep arete, 2m R of Yosemite Corner.

Start about 50 metres to the right of Skyrider on the southern bluffs. Pleasant laybacking and hand jamming up the wandering crack which initially slants to the left and then goes straight up.

The short fist crack with a looser flake at the start, a few metres right.

Start: 5m right again.

The crack at right hand end of wall, at roof follow crack right onto arete and then belay at tree or fixed biners on ledge

Between East Gully and the Third Sister is a boulder with a detache flake which has a beautiful razor edge top

If you can find it, it's obvious where it goes.

1. 16m. Up the flakes.

Starts in the middle of the slab 5m right of "Grab The Gristle". Directly up with good gear in the breaks then punch through the overhang. Climb up then left to a tree belay.

Start: As for CO.

1. 30m (18) As for CO to ledge.

2. 25m (18) Slab, diagonally left slab to arete.

3. 35m (18) Up onto the slab, left of bulge and up.

Start: Left of ‘Seedy’.

Up twin cracks, difficult at top.

Start: At a layback crack leading to a large yellow roof approx 50m. right of Timeless Realm, and approx 5m right of Peasant Uprising.

1. 25m Up crack in corner to ledge below roof. At the fig tree move left 3m to a ledge below a chimney.

2. 30m Crux, Up the chimney then move left to the base of an off-width crack. Up off-width and jam above, move around tree and continue to a manky ledge,

3. 25m Up chimney/groove then crack , onto a ledge, then up off-width to top.

Start from the ledge which starts about 20 metres right of start for AC. The ledge is about 18m above stream level. Details vague but apparently goes through noxious roof 10m left of RR, then line obvious. Strong, independent line right of Eric Bloodaxe, with committing (unprotected) moves down low.

Start at prominent orange corner crack with large, white gum at top.

Up slab past SLCD slot and across to the R (long BR). Make your way back L under roof past nose (big SLCD) and up to the big hole (BR). From here zig-zag through break in wall past two BR's. Once on slab, follow breaks to chain belay. (BR's, #2.5 & ~#4 SLCDs & medium wires)

Bolted slab. 3 bolts + wires or cams to ringbolt anchor. Only use the slab and not adjacent rock features. Starting to become very polished with time, and limestone's not the most fun stuff to slab on in the first place! Expect to slip at least once.

Up Deep Sea Mullet for 8m then traverse left onto the sandy pocketed face.

The hand crack.

Another obscure route. Start at the thin corner eight metres right of Overhang Corner. Up the thin corner and over the blocks at the top.

Thin face to the left of the mini roof. Friable.

Start: 5m left of CC.

50m left of Tower of Power, a clean steep wall immediately right of the deep chimney (GGG). One bolt to start then up trending left through steeper terrain on good gear. DBB at the top.

Start 2 m right of the stepped low roofs at a sinuous line that heads up the right side of the inset pillar. Step a bit left to place a runner in the roof crack of D if needed. Chimney at top. Gear to # 5. Trad belay.