Ascents in Melbourne and Surrounds by Dave Scarlett

Nice and long, with a slabby, bolt-protected crux passing the obvious roof. The only runout section is the grade 15 start shared with Blind Sox, after that there's plenty of pro.

Runout start, with no protection other than a carrot bolt. Although you can get a small-medium cam in way out to the left after the carrot, and then an obvious micro-cam placement in the slab above. The corner crack looks wide from the ground, but doesn't actually need big gear - nothing larger than a #1 Camalot.

Varied and thoroughly enjoyable. Delicate and crimpy slab moves to start, with the lower crux being just reaching the first bolt. Eases off after the third bolt (but is run out), until the big horizontal crack, where a great hand crack continues to the top, with maybe 6m of grade 16 crack climbing. From the ground it looks like it's all over after the horizontal crack, but this isn't the case! Take finger to hand sized cams and nuts, with a BD #2 or #3 for the horizontal crack.

Nice, delicate slabbing past the ringbolts, then slightly easier slabbing through the fixed hangers above.

Very thin on gear. Micro cams useful for both the slab and the arete.

Very nice. A series of jugs all the way up, mostly just a slight stretch apart. Might be more difficult for shorter climbers. Amazing views!

Committing step from the bouldering slab up to the arete, and then delicate moves around the first bolt up to an annoying finish amongst the tree branches. Listed as 14 in Rockclimbs Around Melbourne, and is definitely not a 12.

Be sure to take slings - there's little if any other pro available after the 2nd bolt!

Tricky slab moves around the second bolt.

Bouldery start leads to a pumpy section with plenty of medium cam placements, then a rest ledge and bolt before the crux. It's wishful to think that being tall will make the "reachy" crux any easier.

Gets seriously difficult when you reach the bolt. Obscenely reachy and bouldery moves to gain the poor, mossy ledge above the almost featureless wall containing the bolt, then up, strenuously, on a combination of jugs and crimps. Large horizontal crack below overhang will take a BD #4 cam easily, or a #3 if you find the narrowest sections. Got through the reachy crux cleanly, after backing off and returning to the ledge several times, but then pumped out while approaching the overhang.

Very run out. No reliable pro before the rusty carrot bolt, and then not much before the end either. Ended up clipping one of the nearby bolts on Summer Breeze. Interesting bollard moves at the start though. Single fixed hanger at belay can be backed up with trad gear or a long sling or cordelette reaching to the Skippy bolts.

I think this and 'Flake of Fear' at Summerday Valley should switch names. Don't try to place any protection before the bolt - best case you will introduce massive rope drag, and worst case you'll fall, tear the flake off, and not only hit the ground, but also have the now-detached flake land on top of you!

Terrifying climbing up the paper-thin flake, followed by a nice, delicate slab traverse, and then a final loose finger crack to finish, which offers nice, secure finger-locks.

Warm up. Lovely and cruisy. Had never noticed before just how dodgy the bolt is. Looks like an 8mm (or thinner?) thread with a bolt plate fixed to it!

Difficult moves at the top of the crack getting onto the slab, then a good rest once you're above that, very delicate slabbing past the bolt, getting much easier towards the finish.

Surprisingly good, after I gave it a decent brushing. Somewhat similar crux to Wishful Thinking, but more prolonged, harder, and further from the bolt. (But still very well protected.)

Definitely felt closer to 16 than 13. Bring your micro nuts, you'll need them. After topping out, there are a series of cracks in the ground which are quite convenient for an anchor, as long as you bring hand-sized cams.

Terribly chossy and definitely not worth the two stars given in the guidebook.

Did this as the start to Pinnacle Traverse. A much more interesting option than just walking up the ramp to the right.

Slightly awkward but well-protected crux start, then into a chimney that shredded my knees. Painful, but fun.

Fantasic. Easy (grade ~15) layback slabbing for the first half, which then gets a lot more difficult (solid 17) at the top of the flake, in the form of a slab traverse - roof - slab traverse crux sequence. Excellent protection all the way, with gear from brass micro-nuts to Camalot #2. Found someone had left a sling (orange Rock Empire) and carabiner at the top, so rappelled down off that after thoroughly testing it.

Went fine until the crux (little roof), then found myself no footholds, and a crack that narrowed down so much I couldn't even get fingers in. Maybe need to jam below the thin section of the crack and reach right up over it, possibly in combination with a crimp out right.

Fantastic hand jamming crack, somewhat similar in style to Black Ian's Rocks. Don't even look at it if you can't jam. Gear was mostly cams around BD #0.75-1, no bigger than #2, plus large nuts.

Enjoyable and well-protected with small to medium nuts and cams. Tricky and slightly committing moves exiting the trench, and then again to gain the final ledge just before the top.

Felt more like M3 but was apparently originally graded M2 before it was freed. Mostly small to medium nut placements, many of which require a bit of thought, occasional cam placements, and a few (optional) hook and cam hook placements.

Small to medium nuts, small and micro cams, and one each hook and break placement. The crack didn't really seem suited to cam hooks, but ate offset nuts. Bailed off to the right at the horizontal break as the offwidth at the top needs at least 2 BD #4 cams, possibly something even bigger.

Gets a bit exposed/scary when you reach the chimney and find yourself suddenly over a very large drop!

Brutally hard (though very well protected) crux for a 17! Found myself laybacking on a hand jam, trying to get a foot up on the ledge. A BD #3 size cam was very handy immediately after the crux.

I'd say this is probably the worst way to get up the cliff, but then I haven't tried Locris yet...

Excellent! Finger to hand crack up the corner with surprising good feet on the right wall, traverse on wide horizontal crack (a BD C4 #4 size cam useful) over slab, then some awkward moves up after traverse, with a finger-sized useful in the end of the roof.

Not quite as good as I recalled, but still very good by Werribee standards. 10m of good jamming, then gets ledgy and easier.

Steep, finger crack finish adds a bit of value to the route.

Nice little route. Graded 13* in the Rockclimbs Around Melbourne guidebook, which seems more accurate than 7. Near the top, moved right to the last bolt on Wee Ripper and finished that route instead of the easy arete.

Nice moves, but no protection until near the top. Definitely not recommended for uncertain leaders!

Thought it was only slightly easier than Sze, but with much better protection opportunities.

Really not sure where I was supposed to be going here. Climbed left of the trench, then traversed to the right half way up (possibly onto Lola V?) and went straight up to the jugs over the lip of the crack where it curves.

Incredibly unique. Didn't bother placing any protection other than an anchor at the top of each pinnacle.

Nice little warm up route, with a centre section that's slightly strenuous for an 11. The undercling traverse was particularly fun.

Short, runout slab sections at the start and finish, with good gear and easy climbing in between.

Laybacking off jugs. Would be quite good if it weren't so short.

Short. Really short.

Solid hand jamming, though on painful rock, and only for about 5m. BD #0.75-1 down the bottom, then bigger (#2-3) up the top. Did it without the pocket on the right.

Fell from the upper section. Difficult and off-balance with poor feet.