Routes as trad in North West

Crack 1.5 metres left of 'Serious Young Lizards'

Main face of pinnacle about 15 metres left of Serious Young Lizrds. Grade is a wild guess as none was given.

Corner with ledge at half-height on south-east facing wall around left from 'Serious Young Lizards'.

Grade is a guess as none was given. Crack 3 metres right of 'Serious Young Lizards'.

The thin seam.

Start: Start on the right of the wall, left of little corner.

Takes a line of jugs.

Start: Start 1m left of TLL.

It is not just the name of this one that is obscure.

Start: Behind the former routes is another broken wall. This takes the subtle arete just left of the central corner.

Up middle of face.

Start: Start at the base of the pinnacle right of Two Years in a Shed in Norway.

From the base of the buttress L of Yasser. 3rd Pitch Steps down to the R and ascents short corner (this last pitch could be done in it's own right by rapping down 30m from the rap chains).

An enjoyable mixed trad and carrot bolt slab climb on good friction slab.

-Pitch 1 ~40m, grade 12: Start on the block 3-6m left of the descent line and head directly upwards to a double carrot bolt anchor. Multiple good pieces of pro along the way, no carrot bolts. Avoid using the bolt on Endless Summer which is 4-5m to the left.

-Pitch 2 ~40m, grade 14: Continue from double bolt belay upwards for 4-5m then ever so slightly to the left before heading back towards the short shallow let facing corner. From here head up and slightly back to the left until a ledge on which a natural anchor can be constructed in the crack. Again various trad gear available and without carrot bolts.

-Pitch 3 ~40m, grade 13: Head directly up from ledge past multiple carrot bolts and staying to the left of the darker moss, flattens out over the bulge to a double hanger belay.

-Pitch 4 ~30m, grade 13: Head up and slightly to the left on easy territory, staying well to the right of the vegetated crack. Over the lip and then on easy ground to the rappel anchors.

Start of the foot of the buttress, at pronounced water streak.

Starts at the L most black streak on the face 30m up the gully right of the toe of the buttress.

Clean rock and great 2nd pitch. From the base of peeping Tom, scramble down and R through scrub and down to the base of a large grey slab. Last pitch finishes L wards towards the abseil descent.

The lovely right-facing flake corner bordering the left side of the great blankish north-west wall. It's a pity that it gets heavily top-roped.

Climb the right-facing corner with hard moves past the little roof then keep cranking up slightly left to the top. Gear has a habit of unzipping on people; consider placing a directional at the start and being generous with the draws.

The nice face between 'Sickle' and 'Little Thor' gets classed as "serious" as it has seen plenty of groundfalls and a death. However, the pro is fine if you know how to put it in. Treat it as an exercise to see how much you can place.

Start 3m L of 'Little Thor', immediately right of 'Sickle'. The nice glassy face with small cracks for wires and hardest moves at top. Note the arete just to the R has been done at 18.

Impossible to get lost on.

Starts above the plaque on the north-west side of the crag. It's the obvious wide chimney, that narrows to a crack near the top.

Great beginner's route.

Start as for 'Sickle' and go up this a little way then step left to short ramp then up shallow corner. Climbing it direct is around grade 8, but has no protection.

Start 1m right of 'Sagittarian' and up poorly protected wall just right of the bolts.

Start up 'Slip Knot', then left across 'Sagittarian' to the arete, and a hard move up R to jugs.

Steep crack 6m left of 'Sickle' to break, then move R and up past a bolt, onto easier ground.

Very appealing rock.

Start: Under the nice bulgy orange buttress closest to the road and start up the left leaning crack only to break right almost immediately.

The rightmost deep gully facing the road.

Move left to the sparsely protected smooth wall facing the road.

Start: As for 'Deck Gully' but move left and up, finishing past the small overhang.

The undercut direct start to 'Marshmallow Sea' is definitely a little harder than the original.

Hard start, then easy climbing to the ledge.

A direct finish continues up the crack above this ledge at about grade 18.

Think this is the front of the little buttress immediately right of 'Craddock Crack', starting as for 'Raiders of The Lost Crack'.

Up 3m, left across 'Craddock Crack' to freaky block on arete, then up crack 3m left of arete. The RH Variant goes up the crack on the arete at grade 18.

Start: 1m right of 'CC'.

This baby offwidth was possibly first climbed by Bob Craddock.

The left-most deep crack on the roadside face.

Once graded 17! 21 for tall people and/or topropers. Fiddly to protect.

Start 7m left of 'Craddock Crack' and head up left leaning crack before moving back right.

Start 8m left of 'The Ferrets Are Coming', below a rock step. R up vague ramp then up.

Incorrectly labelled as 'Tonic' when first put on The Crag. FA details on this alternate finish for 'Pot Boiler' are unknown.

Start as for 'Pot Boiler' but continue heading right then up gross looking crack.

The chimney on the south-west side of the outcrop.

Start left of 'The Pleb'. Nice crack to ledge then bulge.

The short bulging crack on the right-hand side of the north-west-facing sheer orange wall.

From the finish of 'Problematic', traverse L across the top of the wall under small roof-line with a piton, 2 BRs (take brackets), then over rooflet and left past a slung knob for pro.

Start: as for 'Problematic'.

Bouldery crux. Up crack 2m left of 'Problematic' to bulge and bolt. Onwards.

Up weakness 8m right of 'Steps Ahead' to first bolt. Go slightly right to second bolt and hard moves lead to pin. Finish up right.

Left-hand finish to Sagittarian (Grade could be suspect ).

Straight up with terrible pro. Toproping recommended.

This looks like it has 2 or 3 bolts now?

Start: In the middle of the grey wall L of O-W.

Follow the BRs.

Start: Start just L of O-W.

A tricky start, then it's easier to the halfway ledge (at which point you still have no pro). Follow the weakness just L of the R arete of the wall.

Start: Start around the back of 'Fang Buttress', just across the gap from Ali's.

This length is surely overstated. Anyway, up the unprotected start of O-W to the ledge. Now go R and up arete to a ledge then do the top overhang.

Start: Start as for O-W.

Take the middle of the face between 'Vaunted' and 'Kamikaze', with one bolt.

Start: Start just L of K.

Worth doing? Yes. Worth a star? hmm...

Start: Start in the middle of the slim S face of 'Fang Buttress'.

Up the middle of the face between K and DA.

Start: Start just R of K.

Trend up R almost to the arete, then up past a piton to an interesting finish.

Start: Start as for TO.

Climb the arete with one bolt and not much else pro. Deviating into XI briefly at half height to avoid the widow maker loose flake is sensible (but if you're leading this you're probably a bit short on sense).

Start: Start under the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress', between DA and XI.

The gear is good from the crack up, but below that...

Start: Start 5m L of Fang, just R of the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress'.

Originally given 24 and one bolt - would have been very bold getting to the bolt. There are two ways to do it, some people find it easier to climb left of the bolts.

Retrobolted by the first ascentionist.

Start: Start as for 'Placements'.

Climb easy corner to ledge, then step right and ascend right-trending crack line/weakness via a series of sidepulls and gastons. Powerfully sustained at the grade and bombproof gear. Finish easily up right arete of the XI face (left of Fang). Alternative opinion: the gear is not bombproof! Small, fiddly gear through crux with decking potential if you can't place it. Good gear exists at the start and in the top diagonal.

A block came off the start of the hard section, not sure if this has changed the route.

Start: Start 1.5m L of F at the corner in the small alcove.

Obvious direct start (2 FHs) into 'Strolling', joining that route at its crux.

Start: 5m R of Fang and 5m L of 'Strolling'.

Up SDS then head R past a new FH on the bulge (which nearly retrobolts Strolling) and finish up 'Ergonomics'.

Start: As for SDS.

Up the steep flake, traverse 5m L under the bulge to a bolt, then over the bulge and up. Pro is ok but quite tricky to get in on lead.

Start: Start 8m R of Fang.

Original climbed bolt free but now it is possible to clip 2 of the bolts of Ergonomics.

Start as for Strolling then up and right from loose block past the broken remnants of an old PR (there's a good sneaky wire instead or clip bolt). Now pull over the bulge (again try to ignore the bolt) and trend L up the face to join the finish of Strolling.

Protection is adequate even without the bolts.

Be very careful of the massive every-so-slightly-loose block down low - you'll need to pull on it, but do not put gear behind it.

There's 1 or 2 old bolt holes 1 to 2m to the right dating from an unknown attempt on this great nose of rock. Start 4m L of 'Mantis'. It's almost a sport route but you need a few med. cams before the bolts.

Wagalak's chains unfortunately were a retrobolt of this route. But on the upside, if you lower off the chains this is possibly the best wet weather 19 at 'Arapiles'. Start as for 'Mantis' and climb it until 2m below the roof. Now traverse left along the break for 8m to the arête (where you will now find Wagalak's chains). Finish straight up the nice cracked arête. Unless you like ropedrag, use double ropes or split it into two pitches at the chains.

Climbable even in the eponymous weather...one of the driest routes at Araps! Start as for 'Mantis' and climb it for about 6m. Now step L onto the steep orange left wall and up this over the bulge (grade 23 climbing with dicky gear) to the break (the traverse on Mandible). Continue up Mandible or Preying.

Up Mantis to roof, start traverse L as for Mandible, but halfway to arete blast straight up orange wall and through steepest part of juggy top bulge

Up the slightly slabby face into the recess under the roof, then move R where it steepens to find the juggiest part of the overhang. Continue up wall above to ledge on left.

Start: At the pockety rock under the recess 12m R of Fang.

Up to overhang at 4m, go L under it, then up. Has been done direct through the overhang at 21, by Col Reece, Greg Moore, 1979.

Start: Start 4m R of 'Mantis'.

Up slots to overhang, step L, then up wall trending R to gain arete. Skip the top overhang by traversing off left.

Start: Start 1m R of DB.

Stick clip bolt then up flake to jugs. At 2nd BR you can go straight up bulges or go L to flake and arete.

Start: Start by walking around the R (north) end of 'Fang Buttress' and going 20m up the gully behind.

Layback a pin-scarred flake with poor pro, then directly up wall above.

Start: Start 5m R of PK.

Instead of going L at small roof, step R around it and climb the R side of arete. (Belay on ledge to avoid rope drag.) The arete soon breaks out above the gully between 'Fang Buttress' and 'Bard Buttress'. Continue to summit of 'Fang Buttress'.

Start: Start as for Fear Of Praying.

A girdle of the 'Plaque' outcrop...good luck at getting past the topropers.

Start: Start on the far L.

Start 2m right of the crack at the far left and straight up.

Start 2m right of the crack at the far left. Veer right and up the face.

Start left of the plaque. Smooth start then into the groove.

Actually 18M1 because you use the corner of the plaque. Then up.

The bulging crack just right of the plaque.

The line between Minimus and Camelot.

Slabby start right of Minimus then the corner-crack to the top.

The thin wall 2m right of Camelot.

Start left of the cave (as for Dramp). Up the face.

Start left of cave (as for Dramp). Left from the bottom of the cave an up a thin seam.

Start left of cave. Follow the chalk into and out of the cave.

A more compact little orange overhang you will not find. The steep section offers great moves on surprisingly good holds and is soft at the grade ... if you don't plug gear in the key holds.

Start: Start 5m R of 'Dramp'.

Up to crappy old FH then trend L into SB.

Start: Start 2m R of SB.

As for FoF to piton, then L to seam.

Start: Start as for FoF.

Downgraded to 21 by Simey, so you can probably expect it to be reachy.

Start: Start 5m R of SB.

Start: Start 2m R of FoF.

Worthless pro!

Short steep face, finish L as for Loboff.

Start: Start just R of D.

Up then traverse L across lip.

Start: Start 4m R of ALM.

Reachy over the L side of the roof past a piton, then easily up a groove to a rap station.

Start: Start in a cave up near the top of the gully.

From the R side of the cave follow jugs out to the lip then a hard move to a break and straight up to rap anchor. There is good gear where you need it if you can stop to place it.

Note: The Rap Anchor in basically no existent and needs a new one!

Start: Start just R of DtL.

Later became Tony's Route (the present direct line), though 90% of it had been climbed in the 1960's as 'The Desired'.

Start: Start below the pitch 1 corner of 'Orpheus'.

1. 45m (19) Directly up into the cruxy corner, then continue steeply up direct crack to a small stance.

2. 30m (14) Much easier and less good climbing takes you to the Bard Terrace. Solo off left from here or climb the last pitch of Bard or the wide corner.

Committing roof then up to a ledge shared with 'Orpheus'. Now traverse R to a rap anchor (which may or may not exist or be useable).

Start: Start R of RT.

Start: Start 15m up the gully, at an orange ledge.

1. 18m (-) Traverse R on pale rock then up corner to belay at guano niche on the R.

2. 43m (19) Originally done in 3 pitches. Up the L-trending ramp (move R around a hard bit).

3. 18m (-) An overhang then up R.

4. 33m (-) 'Steep' flake on L then up loose ledges.

A fine old classic that has just about everything in its two pitches. A great line with a fiery first pitch in an excellent position.

On the E face of the Bard Buttress there's a guano-stained recess about 25m off the ground, with a crack leading down R to the ground. Start under this crack.

1. 33m (18) Up the crack to the niche past a very old BR, then head up and slightly R from the niche to a good ledge.

2. 32m (17) A tricky steep move gains the long R-facing corner. Near it's top move R then up to the Bard Terrace.

Ann Pauligk's mid 1970s ascent, first go, was the first Aussie female ascent at this grade.

Up E until you have a roof on your right. Traverse R here, then up over bulge past BR and straight up to the nice ledge atop 'Eurydice' p1.

Start: Start as for E.

The steep sickle crack is a great alternative start for 'Poppies'. Finish up it.

Start: Start 2m R of E.

Overall grade is 23, but it's not clear how hard each pitch is.

Start: Start 2m L of P.

1. 15m (-) Bouldery flake, then up to ledge above flake.

2. 30m (23) Directly up the arete to Bard's 2nd belay.

3. 35m (23) Continue directly up arete to Bard Terrace.

Start as for The Bard, or by traversing easily R from near the base of Eurydice.

1. 35m (19) Wander up The 'Bard' slab, then continue trending slightly left over bulges (at one point entirely on loose blocks/flakes - you can avoid these by doing OPM). Belay a few metres R of Eurydice's 1st belay.

2. 35m (19) Punch through the low roof at a weakness 3m R of Eurydice, then diagonal right and blast up the great red wall, staying a few metres L of the main arete. Belay on the Bard Terrace.

The middle of the face, kinking R at one point.

Start: Start on the back of the boulder at the base of the 'Bard Buttress'.

Borderline whether it deserves the "serious" tag, but the crux is quite tricky, with spaced pro. Then again, you've got plenty of clean air up there, and it's still a great route.

Start: Start as for The Bard.

1. 24m (9) Climb the initial slab of Bard and the corner cracks then belay at the start of the R-leading ramp.

2. 20m (16) Pull up L from the ramp then traverse L above the bulge for 6m, then up the face a few metres L of the arete. Belay on the same ledge as The Bard's 2nd belay.

3. 27m (17) Up the line on the R side of the main arete for 8m to a small roof. Now launch up left via steep exciting climbing to gain the next line, which gradually eases. Belay under the obvious roof.

4. 12m (16) Step a bit R to get through the roofs without too much difficulty, to finish on the Bard Terrace.

Start at the R end of the base of the buttress.

1. 43m (12) Up the slab (some fiddly pro) to L facing corner. Up corner to ramp. Belay at top of ramp.

2. 12m (12) Move around the arete, then up. Airy traverse L around the arete (grovel across or grab the undercling, lean back and find good holds above), and across the front face to belay on the nose.

3. 20m (12, crux) Diagonally R across the face to a bottomless chimney. Belay at the top of the chimney.

4. 15m (12) Up the steep juggy line to the Bard Terrace.

5. 30m (12) Up the bottomless corner then R onto and up the wall.

Start: Start as for The Bard.

1. 34m (15) Up the initial slab of The Bard, but instead of gaining the ramp via the easy flake-corner on the L, step R and up a crack between The Bard and Wall Street to the ramp. Belay at the top of the ramp.

2. 25m (20) Take the line just L of the arete to a ledge. The face above has a tough committing move (although you can avoid it on the R), after which you move L and go up the arete. Move R at the scary loose blocks then up to ledge.

3. 14m (-) Climb the R crack (R of Bard p4) to the Bard Terrace.