Routes as sport in Southern Tablelands

Fantastic steep gymnastic climbing out of the initial cave then navigates some more tenuous climbing up several shallow tufas to the crux. Starts in the cave at the left end of the fixed rope and finishes as for the final 2 bolts of Sith Lord.

Fantastic rock and sustained. 12 bolts on the white wall.

Excellent continuous climbing that pushes a direct line up the centre of the South Wall.

The first 4 pitches of this route makes for a straight forward sports climb that is easy to get off in 2 raps if climbing with double ropes. Sport bolted over 6 long days.

1. (24) 25m Start as for ‘Andrews Arête’, hard start moves. (21 if you pull the first two bolts)

2. (21) 40m Continue up following the Siblings bolts until a small corner with a sapling and 'Lucky' bolt hangers. Follow bolts up and right to a bolt belay in pod.

3. (19) 30m Straight up the blunt arête to the green ledge, traverse right 5m to roomy belay with bolts.

4. (24) 25m Great face climbing to a hanging belay.

5. (26) 50m Up right on big holds to a thin punchy crux then continue up joining ‘Overture to the Sun’ briefly and a long runout on easy climbing to belay at the base of the orange wall to the right of the Siblings belay. Chain belay.

6. (30) 30m Orange headwall. Climb the blunt arête with great holds and follow bolts to a semi hanging belay.

7. (27) 30m Exposure at its best, continue up and pull through committing lip (crux) then up on good hold to finish at chain. Walk back to the car park up the hill.

Between Teflon and Olympus mons. Finish at Teflon anchor.

1st line of fixed hangers to the right of the start of strangeness

1. 36m (21) Really good climbing and worth doing as a single pitch. Follow up the Fixe hangers to chains (some long slings are helpful). Lowering off using al 70m rope will JUST make it down to the ground.

2. 35 m (27) Solid climbing that would give an impressive on-sight. Follow the steel to finish at a semi-hanging belay. Originally done without the last bolt.

3. -m (30) Sail out into the slab with solid sustained climbing on a long pitch.

The very appealing steep left-trending blunt arete just left of Fluidity. Looks great so we'll open the bidding at 2 stars. Higher or lower bids accepted! 30 the way Phil did it, but some better beta was later found.

Just left of the open project. The shortest route in the gorge but mega burly.

An awesome excursion taking the line of most resistance up the tallest section of the south wall. The route takes in some wild and physical territory as it journeys up the wall to its final crux just below the rim of the gorge. Starts on the clean section of slab a short distance right of the base of Red Supergiant and just before the base of the wall becomes a jungle. It is easily identified by the stainless steel fixed hangers meandering up the slab and into the steepness beyond.

1. 23

2. 24

3. 28

4. 27

5. 23

6. 23

7. 26

8. 29

9. 20

The malevolent Chimney between the Slow Twitch corner, and the obvious line of Sluj Gulpa. Mantel next to trees and step right back onto face and continue to the the ledge (runout to the anchor) bolt and FH

Straight up with difficulty down low then fly through the super roof

Start as for previous project. Head up to break then head right. Climb the sustained white face to underneath overlap. Break right through this and up powerfully to gain jug. Head back left and up to anchor.

2m right of MP Bouldery start.

More incredible limestone. Start as for the previous two routes for one bolt, then traverse left on FHs to groove - then up wall above. 60m rope will NOT reach belay - lower to fixed biners near cave then lower again.

Hard and sustained, start a few metres right of the overhang on bolts. Goes up 6 pitches and nicely run out at times. A small rack can lessen run outs.

Start: 4m left of DL. Up to 3rd BR, then move right and up past 5 more BRs (stay right) to chain. The last bolt is hard to clip, and is safe to skip on the RP attempt.

Start: Left of O, below middle of roof. Stick clip first BR, then dyno and slab up to roof. Out the lovely roof to double RB lower off just over lip. 7 RBs in total.

Obvious blunt feature, just left of CFH

Climb the first three bolts of Shot of Spirit, then head right, into Progress Comes to Shitsville finishing on the anchor of Death of a New Car Salesman.

quality climbing up a vague arete with ridiculously technical feet

Really good.

Starts half a metre left of Sarah Fieg's Route. Bouldery and direct up little prow. Shares anchor with previous route. There's also a LH finish along the lip of the roof to finish into Polenta Pumper.

Between 'Evolution Direct Finish' and 'The Other End of Evolution'. After freeing past the first three bolts on Evolution P7 take a long rest on the ledge, then head straight up past 9 more bolts.

Variant to Air Malta overhang. Kia kaha is a Māori phrase used by the people of New Zealand meaning stay strong, used as an affirmation. The phrase has significant meaning for Māori: popularised through its usage by the 28th Māori Battalion during World War II, it is found in titles of books and songs, as well as a motto.

1. 30m (26) Amaze balls no rest till the end. Huge holds and huge moves.

2. 20m (27) Bouldery climbing to the crux tufa finish.

Next to trees near left edge of cave. Use your squiddy (or stick) to clip first RB, then bouldery, powerful moves to a good rest at 3rd RB. Hard moves to 4th RB then EZ steep territory to double RB lower off. 6 RBs in total.

From the anchors on 'Biafra', keep on truckin' past 2 more RBs thru the roof to finish on big jugs and lower offs.

Start off boulder 5m right of SFH. Thin bouldery start leads to pockets and a technical crux. Tend right at last bolt then up to the anchors just under break. The rock on this route is very grampiansesque ie fine grained and as solid as sandstone comes

Start 3m right of SFH start. Up through undercut and into groove. Continue up through bulge then tend right to the anchor as for CS but don’t stop here. Continue above anchor tending right into shallow corner and up to the top of the cliff if you can still hold on.

As for SS, then follow hangers thru thin white wall on right.

Starts under thin orange streak. Stick clip first bolt then boulder up to break. Head left through bulge to gain pockets. Traverse right then crank up orange streak to final bulge and anchors.

Steep wall to unusual finish. 4 bolts to chain anchor.

Flakes and edges

Through the roof to a sustained overhang. May need a supplemental thread

Rap into the 'Continuum' cave, and then a further rap down the orange wall to the right-hand belay. Up pumpy orange wall then through bulge to cave.

1. 15m (26) 9 bolts to ledge.

2. 25m (22) Same as 'Continuum' pitch 2.

This route starts 5 pitches up the wall! Best accessed by climbing all of Iron Curtain, then pitch six of Screaming Tribesman. Asteroids starts at this belay.

1. 30m (26) Climb directly up off the belay following 6 Us and 5 old fixed hangers to a two U bolt belay on foot ledge. The route follows some of the steepest terrain and huge orange tufa. By far some of the best climbing in the gorge at any grade. The initial three bolts is the crux but the whole pitch is very pumpy and sustained too! Well protected and easy to aid at 22/A1.

2. 35m (16) Traverse straight left for about 20m (passing a set of double FIXE hangers at about 10m before heading into vegetation), then staying close to the wall down climb a 5m corner, passing two FIXE hangers. Keep traversing left for another 10m along ledge looking for the double U bolt belay. To protect the second for the downclimb it's possible for them to clip the fixed biner on the top hanger and re-thread once on the ledge.

3. 30m (20) Climb past two FIXE hangers to a ledge the continue on rings to the double U bolt belay on a pleasant grey wall.

4. 25m (24) Great pockets and orange wall climbing with many bolts to a ledge and double U bolt belay.

5. 15m (20) Straightforward bolted climbing - at the top of the hard stuff you need to traverse left for about 4m then over a bulge past last bolt to double U bolt belay below large orange wall.

6. 45m (23) Well bolted sport climbing - mostly cruisy jug hauling then a tricky bulgy finish. Once you top out you can either belay off two FIXE hangers or continue up easy ledges and vegetation for another 10m and belay off trees.

Above this to get back to the car park walk left for 30m to the old Cooee lookout and old fences, then follow the overgrown green track to the car up the hill.

I reckon this new route by itself is two stars and combining it with Iron Curtain makes an awesome three star day of cranking! I can't think of many other sustained long routes in mainland Australia at that length? It's gotta be 350+ metres? Way longer than Evolution or Siblings.

Bring a helmet and don't expect pristine Euro limestone...

An old Andrew Bull/Tony Barton project cleaned up and finished by Graham Fairbain. Climb details to be verified. At least 6 pitches - crux pitch of 26/27. Sport route on fixed hangers.

Please note that the description and grades are preliminary only.

You'll need two ropes to get down. It is possible to retreat from any of the belays. The rap line, however, does not not follow the route directly (i.e., you can't easily stop at pitches 2 or 3 on the way down because the pitches above them traverse and they are steepish. So best not to leave stuff you want to collect on the way down at these belays (e.g., don't leave your extra clothes etc. in the hole!).

Start: Line of hangers to the right of 'Big, Dark and Mysterious'.

1. 20m (18) Start in short open corner and head up following bolts. A small/medium nut reduces the runout up the slab. Belay on bolts just below the first overlap.

2. 20m (23) Cruxy. Out roof (crux) and up slabby wall. Continue past rap anchor and two more bolts to bolted belay up under the second overlap. It may be more comfortable to belay at the rap anchor - it gives a better view of the next pitch.

3. 25m (26) Traverse left from the belay to the stalagtite and out the overlap. Into the corner to the right, up a couple of metres and head left and up following bolts. Belay in the big hole. Great climbing!

4. 45m (23) A great, sustained pitch. Out of the belay hole to the left and follow bolts up. At about the half-way mark is an obvious thread that may make the run out a bit more comfortable, it requires a 120cm sling. Where the bolts trend right, use a couple of long slings to reduce drag. At about 35m, clip a bolt to the right (long sling) and head up and left easily to the belay.

   Be cautious rapping from here - if you thread all three bolts the rope may not pull. Rap to anchor on ledge 10m left of the third belay. Rap again to station halfway up Pitch 2, and again to the ground.

5. 20m (25) Up yellow powdery corner system. After corner bust right to chains (don’t pull the block off!)

6. 28m (21) Continue up corner via some cool moves and terrible rock to finish at chains. Rap route.

Start up left side of glamorous and daunting 45 metre steepness trending right to super high dramatic finish

Start as for Slow Twitch, then continue up corner to top. The line of the cliff. tenuous and weird

Start 3m left of DdF/CH/UD (stick clip advised to join DdF up till 5th BR then go straight ahead past another bolt to join CH.

Start as for UD (in the middle of the cave), up past a carrot and continue up to the 6th hanger (has mallion attached). Then move left to finish on chain shared with DdF.

last bolt in roof and anchors rebolted 10/02/2019 by Adam Kerz & Phill Lengyel

Up 'Quickie Quim Fill' and past crux till 4th bolt and camp out on the jug, then move left on great pockets clipping a bolt. Finally enter the crux on 'Suspended Animation' and up to new lower offs.

Pure Hill GOLD !! Start 3m L of TBDO (just around the corner). Hard moves to start with then sustained moves to double ring lower off. One of the best routes at MtA.

Start right of "The Big Day Out" - after a couple of bolts move left under the lip and continue as per BDO

The line of rings thru the overlap. Left of 'Manchester United'

Start up Chook, then move right before the break (long draw here) then pull on to crimpy headwall. Then easily up to anchors...

Excellent sustained route with a technical start and a pumpy steep finish. Climb Electric Gut Stick Gobblers past 4 RBs to horizontal jug under roof, then out right on reachy mega pockets through roof to final move left to big plate and anchor. Watch your butt on the last move, if you fall off you land on the nearby tree!

A expatriate Victarctican originally checked this line out. He had the vision but not the commitment and left the bolting for ‘an enthusiasts’. Start up the rope ladder about 5m left of big crack. Mantle onto ledge stance then head straight up steeply through first roof to wall then battle body tension through second roof to scoop and anchors on right (so they stay dry in rain) just under big cave.

Start as for SS, head left at 4th bolt, past project and up big holds to poor rest and crux at top.

Bouldery start to an almost thuggy bulge to balancy headwall

Back by popular demand at 25, could be hardish 24

Gritstone arete with poor feet. 2 bolts to the ironstone ledge. One bolt to sloping top.

Step across the void onto the wall, crank up the steep wall on crimpy pockets clipping a few carrots on the way.

Start as for DFDM, then head right past the large heucos and the roof

The arete with a hard finish

A steep arete next to the approach track.

The line with 9 bolts and a hard start. It is possible to avoid the start by traversing in from the right, in which case the route goes at about 23.

Rap in from 3-bolt anchor 15m right (facing out from the cliff) of the lookout.

1. 15m (25) 9 bolts straight up, finishing in small cave / overhang.

2. 25m (22) 10 bolts. Traverses a long way right. Ends at the lookout.

Fantastic sustained climbing on tufa blobs and flowstone - reminiscent of Kalymnos. Shares the crappy awkward belay and first couple of bolts with DS, then take the left of the two ringbolted routes. This is a full 30m pitch, with a 60m rope you will only JUST make it to the belay. Its much less uncomfortable to belay 5m lower, as for The Force, if you have a long rope and/or rethread.

*Dodgy clip and go has been removed. There's a string of seized Mallions and an ok looking alloy biner on the anchor. If anyone is heading up to fix it, take WD40,long shifter and screwdriver, stainless mallions and either a short bit of chain or a couple of clip and go's.

Great tufa pulling. Very awkward belay on double bolts on orange slab at right end of fixed rope traverse. Traverse up and right across horizontal break and take the right of the two ring bolted lines. Big tufa feature for most of the way, then tricky orange face to finish. 60m rope WILL NOT reach the belay on lower-off. Its much less uncomfortable to belay 5m lower, as for The Force, if you have a long rope and/or rethread.

Very good, very pumpy. The original route on this wall. Start beneath the obvious roof at 15m and follow a line of stainless steel fixed hangers up square cut slopers. If climbing on Phantom Menace Wall you need to continue on easy ground for 10m (two bolts) to Big Greenie ledge and bolt belay. It's 30m from this high anchor to the ground.

Takes a line between 'Siblings Of The Sun' and 'Albino'. Start as for Siblings. All bolts, no gear or brackets required. Follow the Penumbra Variant from the top of Pitch 2 of Siblings. 'Medusa' starts from the tree belay between the two climbing pitches of the Penumbra Variant.

1. 15m (18) Trend up and right from the tree belay, delicately up the slab to the base of the short wall. Up the wall exiting slightly left to belay on the ledge (down and right from the Green Ledge).

2. 20m (24) Pull onto a ramp and follow it up and right. Follow bolts up the wall to a long move left to a good hold. Up again until the climbing eases at the base of a flake. Belay at the top of the flake.

3. 50m (25) Up the wall. Details to be advised.

4. 30m (24) From the belay head up gorgeous steep orange stone until a move right brings you onto a ramp. Care required, a lot of loose small stuff. Up the ramp for a few moves, then follow bolts right onto the wall and up shaley stuff until another big move right gives good holds. Belay on the edge of the abyss.

5. 10m (10) Scramble past a couple of bolts to the top.

Good, free of charge, training to reach flawlessness. As for 'The Other End of Evolution' to the top of the recess. Exit this to the right into a a narrower vertical scoop. Funky moves straight up more scoops and a flake until you pull over onto the slab. To finish either head straight up past two more bolts to anchor or diagonally right to Jumpmaster belay.

Starts left of Nitro Express. From the river bed skirt up and along a ledge to near its end. All bolts and for Bungonia very clean with little loose rock.

1. 30m 23 Follow line of bolts on the right to an overlap at half height with a heinous mantle (crux) then trend up and left to DBB next to bushes. Missing first bolt but one can stick clip the second bolt from the ledge.

2. 20m 21 Follow bolts up and left across slab then up and through the short steep wall to ledge and DBB.

   Move to anchors on the left of the ledge

3. 60m 22 up left of first bolt then follow bolts right then up a long slab and an orange tufa 10m below the overhang. At last bolt traverse right to the anchor at the DBB on ledge.

4. 30m 25 the Money pitch. Climb up the slab till the start of the steep rock, 3 bolts. Climb the juggy run out to the first bolt on the left. Follow very steep ground to mantle the tufa blob!. Jump off the tufa and follow the bolts up right then left to the ledge above. Long draws can help with rope drag (The tufas to the left is a different alt finish)

5. 20m 23 Climb the steep chimney and wall to a ledge. Head right and up the gap between the trees to a DBB. Could use a bolt to climb between ledges but is only grade 10.

   Head right along this ledge to a DRBB 10m.

6. 60m 22 follow the bolts to face crux moves and then wander to the top on easier terrain and DBB. Rope stretcher.

Starts 5m left of Jewel Box

1. (25) 30m Sort of popular as a wet weather single pitch. Start on the grungy looking slab left of the corner to a 5m roof then pull the lip and pump on till the ledge. One of the best pitches from the gorge floor.

2. (24) 40m Continue up on bolts that snake around, take 2 long runners. Finish under the little orange roof.

3. (23) 15m A short pitch. Pull the roof then great sustained climbing till the semi hanging belay.

Bit of move at the 2nd bolt, then long cruise to the top of the cliff. Still needs a bit of TLC to get an extra star

Straight up steepness to sting in the tail finish.

Crimping on wafer thin fluting. Roped bouldering with class moves.

Links Slow Twitch into the top pitch of Sluj Gulpa past 1 additional bolt and a techy boulder-problem to create a 38m mega pitch from the ground. Start up Slow Twitch, after clipping the last bolt (before the final desperate mantle) traverse up and rightwards towards the NEW bolt, keeping fairly high (you shouldn't be touching those Orchids) to join Sluj Gulpa P3 after it's traverse (where the climb begins to head up the flake/corner systems. Follow this to the top.

A 60m rope will NOT lower back to the ground from the anchors. HOWEVER, if you are working this route, you CAN lower to the ground from the LAST BOLT with a 60m rope.

A fantastic route up a superb line. 3m L of QQ. Stick dip first bolt, batman up to obvious jug, then up the crimpy wall to the crux past the last bolt.

Up Quickie for the first 4 bolts to the cauliflower finger jug for the clip of the 5th bolt to the right. Trend up and right, negotiate the bulge then towards the arete to DRB LO

Stick clip first FH. Up wall and clip 2nd, nice rest here b4 a very large reach move to 3rd FH. Continue up head wall past more FH's to chains in cave. New RB's where you need them.

From the anchors on "The Nose in 4 Minutes" , keep on going thru overhung territory and up to anchors on left.

Clip one of the double rings of LHDLD as a BR and pump right to the anchors. If you clip a long draw at the anchors or stand in the tree you haven't done it

Graeme reckons it 22, but the locals reckon its aleast 24. Start: Left of PCtS, below round feature.

Up into closed corner and up. Move left and out to double RB on LHdlD.

Tricky moves on sandy holds to exit the first cave then a powerful move above the third. Straight up on jugs to the anchors.

The bolted finger crack.

Climb drank the slab to anchors (don’t clip last bolt if you can avoid it to reduce a little rope drag). From ledge lean out and clip first bolt just below the big break. Traverse out easily then mantle onto break and reach back into overhang. Continue up seam and wall through two rooflets. A good airy pumper that has a bit of a reputation but the climbing is great. A climactic battle.

Start as for SFH. Climb past 5 bolts to rightward traverse as for CS. Keep heading right to large break then head up through roof to headwall and all the way to top off cliff. There are lower offs near top of cliff or you can top out and use carrots to bring a second up. A good option for this route is to do a two rope jig ala HB on 'Welcome to Barbados'. Climb on one rope to the ledge rest then clip the second rope into a couple of draws and jettison the first. Saves you dealing with rope drag. A 60m rope will just get you to the ground (with stretch)if lowering off but definitely tie a knot in the end of your rope!

Nice extension to California Sunshine. First moves are the hardest then it gets easier, phew!!!!!

The little techo arete just left of 'Candy'

Start 5m right of ornage wall. Long, sustained and good.

As for "LP" and then move right after 2RB. Continue direct to anchors.

Climb EA and punch out the corner of the roof. Up thin head wall to big fat U lower off.

Start: under the 'column' of rock below bulge. Up column to break then through break past thin moves and some problem solving to jugs. Tend right on slopes and pockets to anchors.

2m Left of MP. Easy start then move through bulge to pocket. Head slightly left and up nice featured wall to anchors. Hard !

The direct finish 2 smiley face, continue up the rounded arete.

The extension to 'Caffeine'. Goes to top of cliff.

The first route you come to after walking down the descent gully. Way out there moves above the bolts. Take a big pair of knackers with you on this fun jaunt.

Left end of the wall facing the road. Start at the series of shallow huecos

right of PBC, into the right side of the dish and up

Up wall to stance under roof. Through roof and past the cave tending right then finishing left

Desperate dirty and disgusting, Wall and roof directly beneath The Gym. 4 bolts.

Revamped as a sporty on brackets

Right line of bolts off the ledge above Wicket. Flowstone corner and face to luscious ceiling and punchy pocketed finish. There is a single rap ring under the roof to aid cleaning the route.

Just left of the corner. Water washed rock for a few bolts then left and up to anchors. Has been rebolted - new shiny FHs. Some are already loose and required finger tightening (2016, still true in 2019).

An alternative way to get to the top of the spike and the first belay of Siblings of the Sun. Great climbing and eases off a lot after the first bolt. The route takes the sharp bolted arête 5m left of the corner crack of Siblings pitch 1, starting on its right side then switching to the left.

A harder exit to Evolution, without the bushwhacking. Start with the bolt ladder on the last pitch of Evolution (aid 3 bolts or free at grade 24), then head diagonally right past a bolt into a scoopy recess. From the top of the recess exit left through the overhang, then straight up to pull over onto a slab. Continue straight up and then left to join 'Pumpmaster'. A couple of long draws on the bolts in the recess help reduce rope drag.