Ascents in Lower Cliff

2 attempts on top rope, neither of them clean. After getting a look at the dubious mid-crux gear (from Smash Hits, next to it) I wasn't confident about trying to lead-it. The best I managed was with 1 fall at each of the 2 top cruxes. Sustained, strenuous, boulder-problem crack-climbing with powerful moves off finger-locks. 3 prominent and varied cruxes. Bang on at "old-school 25". This is NOT the "crazy sandbag" you might expect.

Wow! Dream send! Repeating this rarely climbed hard-trad testpiece of the era of Wolgan hardmen has blown my mind! 1st lead attempt, with pre-placed gear (8 bits of gear and 3 bolts) in part because the MISSING PITON on the middle (hardest) crux means the moves are done well above a single #4 wire in marginal rock to stop a 10m ground fall. I would be willing to do placing gear now, though! Boulder-problem lower crux; techy, strenuous trad-pro middle crux, and powerful fingery trad-pro top crux.

Flashed using the original M0 rest with a tonne of beta from Neil. Amazing featured climbing that keeps getting harder and harder all the way to the final boulder problem at the top. Quite run-out (5 bolts -2 close together- and 1 piece of gear in 30m is exciting), and the crucial #3/#4 cam down low protects a monster ground fall, but the stunning climbing (which would be a borderline megaclassic elsewhere) makes it all worthwhile. A rarely climbed masterpiece of technicality.

FFA. With Neil Monteith. 3rd shot (including the flash of the 23M0 variant). First Recorded Free Ascent eliminating the pre-crux rest for very hard 24/soft 25. Might have been done before, but no information is online or in the guide to the contrary. An intense route to fully free as it only gets harder all the way to the top, with the final boulder problem coming well above the last bolt. An unnecessary runout to the anchors keeps the heart pumping.

Made it clean to the crux, with the help of a beautiful knee bar rest at half way, the #4 cam slot is great, then fell at the long deadpoint move to a flat edge. After numerous attempts at the ultimate crux above on sharp tiny crimps, I bailed, before I lost too much skin. Fantastic route though! Tough crux, but I can see it is possible!

I did the first ascent in summer 93/94 with Linda belaying. There are 14-16 'carrot' bolts with no hangers. One of the bolts in the middle section is probably too high and a bit hard to clip. Best to just do the move or rap in and pre-clip all the gear. The rock is fantastic in the middle sections up the flakes although I broke a hold above the little roof. If there's 2 bolts clip both

fine bridging, w-ad

very good except for the super dirty last 5m where you are pulling on grass to reach the tree!

Good corner crack which becomes steep for a few moves, but the top slab is very dirty!

Take plenty of small-med wires+small cams for that first pitch. Did P1 and bad light stopped play.

Sustained and enjoyable with good section of crack climbing.

A bit dirty down low. The double bolt belay is above the break. Lovely second pith with lots more carrots than are in the guide.

A fitting and enjoyable first climb in the Wolgan for a student following his teacher's footsteps Marty Doolan and a great way to access the upper cliff of Old Baldy. Great climbing through the second pitch.

Couple of holds came off close to the crux so had to have a sit and re-evaluate my life choices

some sweet jambing, w-ad

Eat more beef you bastards

awesome

would be mega if cleaner at top. awesome line and moves with sustained jambing and exposure. I split the first pitch to retrieve my cams, then joined the second. excellent square-cut holds on the wall can help.

A fabulous wall in the Wolgan. On the first ascent I went up the arete on the L and came back R but most people go up the corner and move L, although this is not really protected. Carrot bolts. One's a over-hammered and you'll need a prepared wire to clip it with. Rap chain at the belay.

Awesome climbing with some funky positions through steepness. Playing in the infamous sandpit (lie-sand-der) wasn't so bad, but the full-on run-out squeeze chimney to the top was a bit intimidating. Very trad.

2nding Neil (who did this as a monster 58m pitch). Could be Classic... but due to lack of repeats its quite dirty at the moment. The middle-section is damn hard at the grade, but brilliant pure-trad style techy jamming. The run-out upper dirty off-width and shale-ledge topout detracts from perfection.

Pitch 1 OS - Great crack climbing minus the sand cave. Glad I didn't read Heath Black ascent, I was stuck in the off-width contemplating my demise before face climbing around it on the right. Pitch 2/3 Clean 2nd - Still good climbiing for a while before it got dirty.

Amazing route! As good as Sizzler! One sustained 60m pitch of sick, steep handcrack to the top of lower baldy. Face splitter. Sensational. One of the best routes on Lower Baldy. Tree belay then easy scramble up to upper baldy.

awesome climb but it was very sustainedly hard - due to the 60m pitch length rope stretch was also crazy so i probably did this route 3 times as i fell quite a few times. But great practice for some good jams!

this was sick. very varied!

Awesome varied jamming up a proud line

Great route and would be mega-classic if not for the run-outs on small ironstone edges (makes it a bit more exciting!). The jamming section was sustained and brilliant. I ended up leading the last 10m because of rope drag.

Great climbing! Double #2 and #3 recommended.

Excelent technical face climbing! 7 bolt plates, dbl rack .5 - #2 friends, 2 smal- medium nuts. Lower off from chains. 60m rope just gets you down.

Good climbing, average bolts, very dirty, needs own direct start. Was considering leading it until the dirt factor became obvious

Good climbing, but again dirt factor and rock quality a bit off putting. There’s a fresh sling around abseil tree