Routes as trad in North West

Extension to Kundalini. Adds another 7m of hard climbing on thin crimps and pockets and a final jump to the ledge.

Hardest route in the Grampians?

Start: Link-up of Daniel Or-Tiger into Somoza via some mind-blowing climbing. Very sustained with a bouldery crux.

Demanding bouldery cruxes and intimidatingly huge dynos. According to Dave Jones, 'Malcolm only ever bolted this because he'd just done Mirage and thought he could dyno the full height of the cliff'. Start about 15m R of The Seventh Pillar, 2-3m R of Slytherin.

1. 28m (33) 3FHs (enormous dyno at 3rd, Rainbow Rocket -style), to gain THE break about 6-8m R of the Seventh Pillar bolt ladder. Continue up the desperate looking face past 3 FHs which trend R into a thin L-facing flake. Follow this to a chain below the main roof (30m rap).

2. 20m (32/3) This is the left-most bolted line through the major roof which extends all the way from The Seventh Pillar to Serpentine, halfway up Taipan. Another all points off dyno plus amazing water scoop/arete climbing, ending at the 3rd pitch traverse break of The Seventh Pillar. Nalle thought pitch 1 was a bit harder than this pitch, but maybe not by much!

3. 14m (29) Quetzalcoatl last pitch.

The easiest line up a great, albeit only mildly overhanging wall. Probably the world's first 8b+ / 5.14a and ahead of its time in Australian terms - it took nearly ten years before an Aussie (Stuart Wyithe) repeated it!

Despite masses of beta available on the internet, it still sees very few quick ascents, hasn't been onsighted and is still regarded as somewhat of a testpiece with a redpoint crux far above the technical crux and accounting for many an accomplished climber.

Many argue the route is easier than when Wolfgang and Stefan Glowacz did it in the mid 80's due to the increased size of the crux glue hold (the notorious birdbath). For a while considered "only" 31, it seems to have re-consolidated at 32.

Start as for Punks in the Gunks. At its traverse, instead go up, L and up, up, up to chains at the top.

Mayan

An amazing effort by a relatively unsung local.

This completely natural (read, "not chipped or glued" like its famous sibling) has some genuinely difficult (as if the grade weren't required to confirm it already) slabby traversing early on before pulling into Punks, climbing it for a few metres before escaping out R to the arete.

Start beneath the R-leading arch, a few metres up L of PitG.

Dual Fuel? Jule Fuel? Who knows how it's meant to be spelt. The usual warning applies: there's only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads / Red Vinyl

Start as for Red Vinyl then link into Breathing Gasoline after about 9m. This eliminates the rest on Breathing Gasoline, making this route rather more sustained! For the record, on 26/4/09, not really knowing what went where, Mike Patz sent a similar link-up at the same sort of grade, this time starting up the first few bolts of Nomads then finishing up Breathing Gasoline.

A whole new route without a single extra bolt!

Start as for Red Vinyl.

Extends Red Vinyl to the lip. No more bolts, although it does now have it's own anchor. Make sure you clip the last bolt on Red Vinyl then drop back down right, up, then back left to the crux. You need an alert belayer once you're out near the lip.

Magnificent. HB almost freed it (30M1 - 1 point) but it took another 15 years for Ben to finish it off, by the skin of his teeth. So far he's suggested "maybe 30, 31" for the grade - we'll go with the latter!

Start: 10m R of 'Pegasus'.

1. 35m (31) Hard moves take you R through the roof 10m R of 'Pegasus' to crux into bottomless corner. On up corner to belay.

2. 27m (-) Easy ground.

Some think it might be 30..

A fantastic natural line that was one of the 'last great lines' in the Grampians until Lee Cossey put a few days work into it and freed it in November 2015.

Start: On the right wall of the gully, about 15m L of 'Neptune' pitch 2, is this striking overhung curving corner/crack. Up tips finger crack to crux move from crimpy pinch to big huecos above the sickle, monkey right into the crack (drop the rope back to the belayer - or use double rope technique - to avoid heinous drag) and blast upwards to glory.

First ascent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCljblIsMYk

It doesnt get much thinner than this. the direct line up the blankish slab 5m left of Celluloid Heroes. The grade is height dependent.

Start R of Trojan below boulder. Up and traverse R and up. Direct start (bolted by Carrigan decades ago) remains unclimbed.

Given 31, but it's not that much harder then the original.

An impressive effort – Malcolm, as is his want, made sure each piece of gear (except the fixed piton) was placed on lead. A few metres down left of the start of The Land that Time Forgot, there is a major gully. Follow the right side of this gully uphill, initially past a couple of sports routes (Valley of Fear and Jurassic Adventures) and onward about another 50m to a striking diagonal overhanging crack/seam. Follow the relentlessly overhanging pocketed seam; trad gear with one fixed pin to a double bolt anchor.

Starts as per PT moving right at undercling flake. Moves into PD for 10m then weaves up incredible thin face.

A popular steep powerful flake and pocket climb. One of the first routes of this style done in the Grampians. The climb eases up considerably in the upper half.

Start: Start 15m left of 'Sandinista' at the well chalked flake crack.

Un-repeated? Short, smooth and hard.

Start: The right hand hanging corner from the terrace above 'Gunboat Diplomacy' and 20m left of 'Guinea Pig Flake'.

1. 20m (30) An 8m direct variant to Venom pitch 1. As for Venom for 12m until established on the L side of the groove. Where Venom traverses R, continue direct up the L side of the groove past 2 RBs to rejoin Venom at the lower-off.

2. 20m (27) As for Venom pitch 2 until past the bulge and into the cave. Then take the L arete of the cave/scoop to lower off (80m rope recommended). Rebolted 2017. This pitch is more easily approached via Mr Que.

After the long years of Steve and others being spat off before Dave cleaned it up, it's apt that this genus includes the Spitting Cobra! The strongest line on all Taipan, this is the left-facing arete bounding the right side of the massive scooped out area right of Serpentine. It is more closely bolted than most other Taipan routes, although they're getting a bit the worse for wear. The whole thing can be worked from the ground using a 70m rope (but only just!). Start as for Serpentine.

1. 25m (27) Gain the arete and follow it, mostly sub-25 but with an insecure dyno past the 2nd bolt. Consider a cam before the (rusty) 1st bolt, not least to avoid knackering yourself if you come off the tricky next moves.

2. 15m (30) Continue up the arete with much better climbing. Unfortunately it gets increasingly guano-stained up high, so take a brush, but you can avoid the worst/highest section of guano by moving left before gaining the anchor (37m rap).

The "crazy linkup" of Lord of the Rings into Slinkin' Leopard.

Not his finest addition. Brutally hard undercling moves and very, very rarely repeated. Start as for Nose Job then bust left.

The prime line hereabouts. All the hard bit of India then step L and up the middle of the steep wall through the top roof to lower offs.

The master of combinations and permutations digs up another classic. This one links the "easy" bits of the two original routes.

Start as for Punks in the Gym, finish as for Pretty in Punk.

Power through the roof to the lip. The section after the roof was originally done by deviating R into the Low Down, then doing it's crux before continuing straight up. Has since been straightened out.

Start: R of Procol is a line of bolts through the ceiling.

Link Required into Requited.

Start up Very Anxious then before joining Anxiety Neurosis move L under the roof and blast through the roof and up the overhanging wall above staying between Kama Sutra and AN. Finish at AN p1 loweroffs or continue up any pitch above to the summit. FA early noughties IIRC ... clarification welcome.

Direct start to Moving Pictures past a rusty bolt or two.

Looks like 36! Originally led on preplaced gear, repeated placing the gear by Gareth Llewellin - a pretty bold lead. Start a short way uphill from the back of the D Minor pinnacle, and just downhill from the boulder choke. Glassy bulging seam. Rack: Mostly #1 RPs.

Climb all of 'Jet Lag' (via the original direct start) then launch onwards into a final boulder problem above the chains.

Start: Start as for JL.

A very impressive line blasting out the biggest part of this massive overhang, on beautiful red stone. The usual warning applies: there's only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads.

Start as for Nomads but stay on the hanging arete/nose, then follow the line of holds rightwards and outwards forever.

One of the best all trad lines in Australia. Brilliant pocketed corner on the best rock anywhere and an inspiration for all hard climbers. This was the first grade 30 in Australia done outside of Arapiles.

Start: The superb hanging corner about 15m right of 'Sandinista'. It finishes at the same point as 'Sandinista'. Gain access to the corner by stepping in from the ledge to the right.

Hard grit 'Grampians' style. Effectively it is a grade 30 solo. Repeated by UK grit master Ben Heason and confirmed at English E8 6c.

Start: Climbs the northern arete of the large boulder (Legolands bouldering area) which is directly opposite 'The Territorial Imperative'.

Large roof doesn't even come close to describing this. Flake (peg) on right side of cave (facing in) to its end. Bulge, then line across ceiling to exit through left-most hole in roof.

Steep and very crimpy

Just another stunner

Left hand start to minimal tech.

Grampians wall climbing at it's best with distinct sections of increasingly sustained and technical climbing. Start at the corner 3m L of Forty is the new 23. Small gear required for the initial corner, and beware the top FH is very difficult to clip, add a long draw.

A ridiculously thin looking black streak.

Start: Start beneath the widest black streak on the wall, about 20m L of the arch, and a few metres R of where the raised ledge peters out.

1. [24] 32m

   Crank off cairn to the break, then traverse left for 6-8m. Up over bulges past FHs, to a slopey ledge (#3 cam). (Don't go diagonally up left from 2nd FH, there's no gear). Traverse left to short arête and up this (FH) to belay (25m rap).

2. [29] 40m

   This is why they rave about Taipan. Roof, trend right across scoop, hug up turret to horizontal break. Move left then weave up wall to the top. 8 FHs. Trad anchor, or lower 30m off the last bolt.

This famous line was the first route on the wall which cried out for the mythical fourth star. Now re-bolted by HB with 75mm ball head expansions (the original laser-cut fixed hangers remain), HB also put in an anchor 1.5m to the right (you still have to top out). PLEASE DON'T PISS ON THE BELAY LEDGE (bring a pee bottle for long belay sessions). Aiming left or outwards is NOT Ok, you WILL be pissing on other pitches and yes they do get climbed. Start on the cairn on the raised ledge, directly below the obvious huge arete of 'Naja'.

A 15m variant to the first part of the second pitch of Serpentine. Significantly harder than Serpentine. Pull through initial roof on Serpentine p2 then L via very thin moves to red jug on beautiful sheer hanging red face. Trend back R past 3rd bolt and up subtle arete. When the arete finishes trend L via more hard moves past 5th bolt, to rejoin Serpentine at the horizontal break.

Makes Rage an independent line to the top, providing another awesome pitch up the most majestic part of Taipan. Start as for Serpentine pitch 2. Follow Rage for 5 bolts then head left to wide runnel, follow right side of runnel to just below roof, span left across runnel, then up to roof. Follow right side of next runnel to top. Another variant has been bolted (see 41b in topo) which moves left after only 1 or 2 bolts of Rage and up the faint arete to join into Angst.

Starts as for Feather Boa until a few metres below the main roof, then go right through the roof and up the headwall for a few more metres to an anchor in the middle of nowhere where the holds run out.

The magical long sustained main pitch uninterrupted by rests is something special, even by Taipan's lofty standards. After some high profile spankings it seems to be settling in as being about a grade harder (not a grade easier!) than Serpentine, so Dave's original grade of 28 has been bumped up to a solid 29...and may not stop there!

Start in Lawrence of Arabia, about 6-8m R of Quetzalcoatl and 5-6m L of Scud Buster. It's best to fix a rope 8m to the ground so you can belay from the ground and jug/batman to start.

1. 47m (29) The gear (mostly FHs but some med. cams down low and a small wire up high) is a bit spaced but right where you need it. 'Steep' slab climbing (crux) up to the main roof. Bust out the roof, trend R a bit then up the sustained wall to the 3rd belay of The Seventh Pillar (45m rap).

2. 14m (28) Cute. Straight up the steep headwall above the belay.

Start at a hanging belay in Lawrence of Arabia, about 15m R of the Seventh Pillar bolt ladder. Use fixed rope on Feather Boa to access.

1. 40m (-) Some very hard face moves past 2RB to gain a thin R-facing flake (The Great Affair takes the L side of the same flake/rib). Follow this up to the main roof. Move R then out the roof and up the wall above to finish roughly in the middle of the 3rd pitch of The Seventh Pillar. Takes the line of rusting FH after the roof. Possibly 33/34.

2. 14m (29) The headwall pitch past 3RB's, starting roughly in the middle of the third pitch of the Seventh Pillar. This pitch has been sent so knock yourself out.

A beautiful natural line but unpopular due to its rusting bolts and bizarre traversing.

Start at the first anchor of Sordid Orchids, on the guano-stained ledge. Drop down, traverse 4m right and go up flake to roof. Right below roof for 5m and over lip (crux). Traverse 5m right to finish beside Clean Sweep. Approx 5 bolts?

Start 5m right of Seamy Side. Follow black streak up thin crack through bulges. When crack ends at around the 10m mark, step left and continue up clean headwall to top. Descend off Seamy Side anchors.

You're Terminated Direct. Open Project. Direct start possible (will require a bolt) up the blunt arete between Dark Matter and A Taste of Honey.

Direct finish possible straight over bulge after 2nd bolt on You're Terminated. Would make the line completely independent of Lats in the Belfry.

Climb "High Dive" until its crux and continue up underside of arete past 2 bolts to join "Power Corruption and Lies"

Straightens out Slinkin'. Start as for Slinkin' but go direct and up to the end of the L-wards traverse.

Start as for Slinkin' Leopard, then head left after the crux "drive by" through punchy boulder (trad) then finish up Fortress.

Link Yesterday Direct into Use No Chooks.

Up Shadows and Light to its second bolt. Step right to the pointy jug, then straight up (dyno) into Elongate.

The finger shredding line starting just left of the start to 'Mind Arthritis', then taking the very bouldery wall above it. 2 hard 2-move boulder problems with a virtual sit down rest between them mars a route with one of the best positions at Arapiles.

The direct finish to 'Masada'. Instead of branching out left at the top of the groove, continue straight up through another boulder problem (as if the original crux wasn't enough!)

Once considered the hardest route in the country when introduced by Carrigan as Australia's first grade 30. Now considered a tad easier by modern standards. Start as for 'Trojan' and at its crux move left across the corner and onto the exposed arete. Take some deep breaths then get fired up for an intensely fingery experience above the flared layback, not to mention some acute footwork. At the top of the corner, make a move left to a jug and gain the finishing crack. A final tricky exit leads to the belay.

Originally bolted by Chris Shepherd, this link up was pointed out to Zac by Ingvar Lidman who promptly bagged the first ascent. Originally a sandbag at 29 ("more like 30 or 31," Zac) apparently a previously unused hold and an easier sequence has been found that makes it "only" 29.

Start up Masada, before veering L past a couple of bolts and some hard compression moves (crux) at half height. to the Judgement Day traverse. Finish through crux of Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death.

Up The Great Escape to half height, then R and up to lower offs.

After a few metres, break diagonally R and then power up past bolts to the lower-off L of Procol.

Start: As for 'Warmonger'.

Bolts are mostly rusty (still the case as at Apr 2023) and should not be trusted. Start 6-8m R of LC. Very bouldery past the first FH then continuous past 4 more FHs, then finish off to the right where Concise Exercise finishes. Lower off.

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.

Quite close to Nomads but it still looks great. The usual warning applies about having only a single bolt between you and the ground at times.

Start as for Nomads.

Break R from Nomads after the 1st bolt, then follow the line of holds 1.5m R of Nomads. It's a shame it finishes in the middle of nowhere at the last bolt a few metres before the lip. There's no anchor - either trust the ring or back-clean it.

Up EotE to bolt then up bulging line between EotE and GT to join Intergalactic Space Control near the top. Watch your back.

Excellent orange face with lots of tiny crimpers and several FHs. Bring wallnuts to size 7 to supplement the existing FHs. More bolts may be added later.

start 7m right of Cadence. Up to the carrot, then trend right to join Stigmatised.

The overhanging wall

THE line of the cave. Power Endurance.

Steep hanging corner in prow on flawless red stone. Drop the clutch! 3 bolts then trad.

Straightens out SC. Starts up SC, finishes up headwall of KP project.

Immaculately desperate corner crack with a powerful start. Begins from large shelf down low (climbers right). Up bouldery start and technical layback past bolt (using the slab on the left takes away a grade) continue up thin crack with technical feet and increasinly fleeting hands to the top. Plenty of bomber gear on solid rock. would strongly advise stick clipping the bolt.

THE line through the first major cave (which is not the camping cave). Funky, awesome, full body workout. Be wary of the old carrots. After the start, there is plenty of good gear. Rap station above lip.

This searing cracked arete is the best line at Asses Ear. Unfortunately hard trad routes are remarkably unfashionable and this has had minimal if any repeats. Start as for Triptych but instead of bailing off right at 15m keep climbing the crack direct. The crack fades and difficulty escalates at the top.

The well publicised left side of the arch is probably the toughest route in Summerday.

Start: Start beneath the L side of the arch.

A very tough face.

Start: Start about 15m L of 'Milupa', 10m R of 'Innocent Fool'.`

The popular first pitch is a beautiful scoop of rock with a tenuous traverse and remarkably sustained climbing for the length of the scoop. The business is a little short to rank up there with Taipan's very best, but it's still awesome. Pitch 2 is rarely done but is an absolute blast. Start at the DRB atop Kaa p1, accessed as described above. (There is an old direct start with a couple of bolts (described on the Spurt Wall page), but nobody bothers with it).

1. 20m (28) This pitch is almost a sport route as it contains a few fixed wires to supplement the bolts, but most people also put in a few medium cams. It's a very popular pitch due to its squishy grade, and is many climbers' first 28. Step right past RB and up reachy wall past wires to big break. Swing over rooflet (wire) then traverse R across scoop. Pump up the subtle R arete of the scoop (2 RBs + wire) then a tricky conclusion up L to break. Clip-and-go lower-off (16m to ledge, 30m to ground).

2. 20m (26) Traverse 5m L from the lower off then up the red scoop (bolt, med cams) into cave above (optional 2no of carrot bolt plates on spacious ledge: pitch 1 originally went to here). Out right side of cave to top and lower off (80m rope recommended). Rebolted 2017. This pitch is most easily approached via Mr V.

Suffocatingly powerful. Usually led as one giant pitch. Start at large expanding left-facing flake 8m right of World Party.

1. 18m (21) Not a great pitch. Expanding flake (FH), then traverse left across break (FH) and up slab to chain belay (15m rap). A few medium-large cams are useful.

2. 30m (28) Straight up (2 FHs) to stance on the left, then rightwards out bulge with sustained endurance climbing up to big roof. Over 2 roofs into water runnel above (2 FHs), then head off left (but not into World Party) and up to anchors. 60m rope is enough to lower off to 1st belay, if belayer is on the 1st belay.

A superbly positioned bouldery little pitch. Start at the second belay of The Seventh Pillar. Blast up the surprisingly overhung headwall, trending a little R, past 2RBs and a medium cam. Lower off anchor. Rebolted 2018.

Same desperate start as for The 'Bolshevik' connection but at second FH go straight up past a third FH to thin crack.

Desperate start past bolt with insitu krab. After 2nd FH move left past another to finish as for Is Your Washroom Breeding Bolsheviks? The bolts are looking a bit cruddy.

One very, very hard move.. hence the name.

Originally graded 30, it has settled as a solid grade 28 and offers the longest piece of continuous steep climbing at Arapiles.

Start as for High Dive (although the FA started by traversing in from Belly Flop).

At the major horizontal break prior to its crux head left and launch up past cam slots to a piton, don't trust this (back it up !), but continue anyway through to "Power, Corruption and Lies" and another, even more horrible piton. Ignore this and instead, clip the 2 bolts and continue straight up to finish as for Cellular Destruction.

(Don't escape off R to the arete after the letterbox slot lest you be ridiculed by the climbing community)

AKA Straight Outta Wackford. As for Wackford Squeers Direct, then arbitrarily follow the difficult C-shaped sickle to the L in the upper section (rather than the obvious line of least resistance).

Surely one of the best route names in the country. Start 3m R of The Fortress. A slopey traverse R is protected by a bolt (stick clip). Up past two more bolts before heading L to the crack. Up more easily with trad gear and one more bolt to anchors.

One of the most significant additions to this wall in 25 years. Originally equipped back in the dark ages. Very hard wall climbing protected by a mix of trad, then bolts - but still very exciting. Starts as for 'High Mum' then when level with the large flakeline (below the notch), drop down to the left and gain 'Tjuringa Wall' proper via a heinious crux sequence past a bolt. Trend up and leftwards to the undercut horizontal and finish as for 'My Soul to Keep'.

It's hard to say which is less repeated - 'Tjuringa', 'Akakage', or this. Once you see the line, you'll know why. A massive traversing affair that starts as for 'Common Knowledge' 2nd pitch, but then keeps heading left (under Akakage) to a (hard) crux lip encounter (very old bolt) and an outrageous headwall finish.

Start: Start at the first belay of 'Common Knowledge'.

Stick-clip bolt, climb tricky start and straight up past several more FHs. Start about 12 metres right of Yesterday

Excellent sustained face that adds a hard start to 'Yesterday Direct'.

Start just right of Yesterday and climb past a fixed hanger to join 'Yesterday Direct', which continues up via two ringbolts to join 'Yesterday'.

Desperate.

Start as for "Spellbinder".

Go up Spellbinder for 8 metres to ledge. Move right, up short, left-facing corner and over bulge to bolt (#4RP placement en-route). Move right again then up to easier climbing. rap as for Spellbinder

Climb 'Shivers' until the 'Judgement Day' traverse line, then head straight up through the roof (bolt) and follow the seam, joining Shivers' 2nd pitch near the top.

Start: Start as for 'Shivers'.

Climb directly into Escape without bridging.

An amazing line through some steep bulges. It will work your shoulders and test your footwork as you try to unlock its hidden secrets.

Start on the R side of the awe inspiring blank bulging orange face. Up crack before stepping left into the difficulties. Finishes out right up easier ground to DRB.

Notable for an early send by Christine Gambert (FR) in 1986, when it was 29, likely the first female ascent at either grade in AU. Was also the first route in AU given grade 29, originally done by stepping L higher than is now the norm, but has slipped to 28.

Really fun arete slapping. Please do not climb this route during nesting season (August to December). Start beneath the hanging nose.

‘The archetypical wall of impossible-looking rounds’ – Louise Shepherd guide. Very sustained. Up arête 1m right of PV to prominent undercling, then reach to sloper. Crux moving past this to a small horizontal slot (bombproof double RPs), then onwards up slope-riddled slab. Traverse right to First Blood anchor.