Routes in Oceania for selected grade

A rough/crystalline, flaring, diagonal crack... hmmm! Starts at the double rap ring at the end of p1 of Manhattan Project.

1. Up face (FH) to the right-leaning flared crack. Up this and thin crack (many cams and wires) to where it peters out. Up bulge (FH) to a small ledge. Up short wall (BR) to gain another ledge. Follow this for approximately 20m until an exit is possible.

Climbs the left of two cracks splitting the central prow. Approach via 'Against The Tide' continuing rightwards down the sloping terrace to a two bolt belay. Bring a full set of wires, a double set of cams to 0.75 Camalot, and long runners. Double ropes recommended (two ropes required for rap from chains).

Starts a few meters right of Poison Bait. Great athletic roof climbing.

Hard start (dyno from cairn) into more dynamic climbing. 25M1 if clipping and pulling to first bolt.

An outstanding, sustained and varied free climb that challenges the full gamut of granite styles. This is a distinctly more approachable prospect than the other free routes on this end of the wall consisting of generally easier cruxes, fewer run-outs and less small gear. The route follows a logical line of features incorporating sections of the aid routes Knocking on Heavens Door, She, Clouded Queen, Ozymandias and Strange Ritual. Most pitches include a mix of natural gear and bolts. Take a standard rack up to a 3 Camalot including some micro cams, small and medium wires.

1. 27, 35m. Start as for Knockin’ on Heavens Door and Free Reign in right facing corner. Continue up this for roughly 8m then move slightly left and over bulge. Continue up the right facing features above the initial corner until it becomes possible to climb rightward across a sequence of underclings toward more sustained climbing and a mix of bolts and natural gear placements.

2. 27, 50m. Follow the obvious right facing sickle-shaped tips layback until it peters out and leaves you in apparent blankness. Solve the puzzle then continue for 30+ meters up the shallow open scoop with many block holds and carrot bolts.

3. 27, 40m. As for pitch 5 of Free Reign up interesting weakness’s past aid belay and fixed hanger then continue up slab and slightly left over small overlap with powerful, thin climbing past two more fixed hangers. Finally, step right into crack and chunky features that lead to large ledge system on Ozymandias original to belay with two #2 Camalots.

4. 22, 35m. As for pitch 6 of Ozymandias Original. Follow obvious crack to the left and up through steepness to the sloping ledge and triple bolt belay.

5. 27, 50m. Follow the traverse pitch of Ozymandias Original pitch 7 for approximately 5 meters until it becomes possible to climb straight up a series of positive cracks toward the large, steep right facing corner above. Continue up corner until it becomes a roof and it is possible to clip a fixed hanger straight out the roof. Climb past this and over the headwall for the last of the routes' difficult climbing. Enjoy the wild position and hard climbing beneath your feet! Once a large ledge is reached either belay from here to break pitch into two or pick your way through the wide climbing to the top of the cliff.

Start beneath the overhang. Head up and left using the left side, side pull and pull pull pull. Sharp, fine holds.

Location TBC... Stand start on the obvious jug loaf layaway. Long moves between good edges to gain the big horizontal holds at 4m. Part 2 continues to the top at V8/9, while a Vheavy sit start waits for they who can campus 1-6

A traverse starting at Stugang and then linking into Clutch-Boing Link.

Vertical seam into roof.

Sit start matched on good sloper rail and head up to the highest break and traverse it left. Top out as for Soul Surfer.

1. 40m (20) Climb one and a half pitches of "Machiavelli" to DBB on ledge.

2. 30m (27) The steepest route at Moonarie, classic moves the whole way. Climb up to carrot bolt below roof, then up and through double roof and arete above passing four bolts. Turn left onto the face and easier ground, up to DBB on big ledge.

Has been unnecessarily retrobolted by "Epicol" into a sport route.

Original bolts starting to show rust and age.

A few desperate bouldery moves.

Face 10 metres right of Use No Chooks.

The line just left of Killer Canary. Up corner crack via. stems and laybacks to a flared crack on the face. Awesome but runout climbing past fiddly gear leads to a short flared crack before joining Killer Canary after it's traverse.

Small offset Aliens pretty much essential to protect adequately.

You can start from the grassy ledge at wide 16ish but it's not that great, a small ledge about 12m up is comfy and avoids it.

Another superb line. The best 27 in the 'Grampians' - although most think its actually 28!

Start: Start about 8m R of After Midnight.

Start up Pig Igneous, but move right at the first bolt and climb the shallow groove above.

As steep as they come. Start below the "Beware of this Block" message. Tricky slabbing just to the left of the original start via sidepull edges and slot avoids the use of the suspicious block.

Some of the finest and most "out-there" arete climbing in the Blueys, with tonnes of exposure, and situated on one of the most sought-after bits of real estate around.

Access as for The Horror.

1. 15m (21) As for P1 of The Horror. This pitch can (and should) be linked into the next one (and was on the FA). 1 Bolt, 2 x #0.75, #1, #3, #4.

2. 25m (23) All trad! Up the face to gain hanging fused corner system, then sporty moves up linked corners, flakes and prows to semi-hanging belay on small ledge. #0.2, #0.3, #0.4, 2 x #1, 2 x #2, 2 x #3, 2 x #4, #5.

3. 32m (27) Hard, sustained, steep, scary. One of the best bits of arete climbing in the Blueys. Up the arete, though several rooflets, concluding with a wild finale to gain a cozy belay on a hanging prow. 8 Bolts, optional #0.5 near the top.

4. 35m (23) Very hard moves to gain the second bolt above the roof (its about gr21 if you pull up to the first bolt), then easier face climbing on gear to bolt near the top. Straight up the face from here, then -where it turns to dirt- truck right on obvious break (#2) to prow, and up this to anchor. 3 Bolts, Thread, #0.2/0.3, 2 x #0.75, 2 x #1, 3 x #2, 2 x #3, #4.

Frothy Thomson on the First Ascent of Darkest Congo

Pure slab in the middle of Alchemy Wall. 6 U-bolts + 1 or 2 small cams climb to first bolt. Crux begins at fourth bolt with flake. Thin moves up to flaring crack (can use wires to protect) and straight up to ledge. Place #3 Camelot in break, climb the final bulge to the top. Needs grade confirmation.

A link of Chaos Roof and Where Iron Crosses Grow. Start as for Chaos Roof. Up past the first few bolts to the roof and instead of pulling the roof move, step L and up into the roof of WICG.

Watch out for skating cams and feet on the slick rock.

Like its neighbours, a very rarely repeated route that drives straight through the belay of 'Common Knowledge'. 'Fantastic' position and great rock, but a ridiculously hard fingery crux that has baffled quite a few aspiring suitors. Two bolts protect the business.

Destroyed during earthquakes.

Climb the face just left of the arête. Technical face climbing on small crimps, arête is out. Place a cam in the horizontal break before the anchors for added protection at the final move.

Pitch1:15m, Pitch2:16m, Pitch3:40m, Pitch4:30, Pitch5:20m, Pitch6:25m, Pitch7:50m, Pitch8:35m, Pitch9:35m, Pitch10:20m, Pitch11:50m, Pitch12:35m, Pitch13:32m, Pitch14:40m, Pitch15:37m, Pitch16:27m, Pitch17:30m, Pitch18:22m, Pitch19:30m, Pitch20:40m, Pitch21:37m, Pitch22:20m

Outstanding arete with some very technical moves. Rebolted 2011 (thank goodness).

Start: 10m L of 'Clicke Crack' is the scarily exposed traverse which leads left to the main section 'Clicke Wall'. Start just L of the scary bit, under the L side of the obvious short arete.

1. 25m (16) As for "Buzzard Arete"

2. 25m (27) Move left into steep corner, up this to a hard traverse right with bolt runner, and out of scoop to another bolt on the face. Hard face moves past two horizontals lead to "Reality Factor", finish up this.

Top rope to clean. 45m rap to ground, 25m rap to belay.

Thin stuff.

Up 'Blue-Eyed and Blond' then veer left into the crack of Mysteries. Undercling the crack to gain gravelly crimps past two bolts, then easier ground above.

2 bolt boulder start to RS. Classic!!

"The best line in Australia...". Also notable for the fact that Nyrie Dodd's free ascent was the first Aussie female ascent of a grade 27.

The second pitch roof-crack could hardly be in a better position.

This is also a superb mixed climb at 20, M2 if the roof is aided. Sadly it is often under-estimated and the detritus of retreat is often evident. It is not a practice route.

The start is rather obvious.

1. 50m (20) Up wide crack. Belay at stance where crack ends, about 10m below the roof. A #5 cam is useful on this pitch.

2. 20m (27) Move R to gain nice rail that leads L to the back of the roof, and the start of the roof crack. Follow crack (at either 27 or M2) to the lip and then up to belay stance.

3. 40m (18) Ramble up to the top.

Thin and powerful. 6 rings and #3 Friend. Lower off last bolt.

Not including unclimbed projects, this is the hardest climb in Nerriga.

Nowadays largely ignored but still worth doing in it's own right. Originally started by stepping off the pillar into the line but now incorporates the direct start from the ground. Where the connection moves left into 'Anus Horribilus', continue straight up via the traditionally protected arete.

Start 6m left of Eternity.

Easiest access is to rap down Date with Density and walk 100m west along the base to the start. Or, rap 2/3rds the way down Slipstream to the big ledge/scree slope, then walk 30m to the left (looking out) on slopey ledge to DUB at top of arete. 30m rap to DUB then 35m rap to ground. U-Bolts and gear.

1. 33m (23) Up left-facing corner (large wires, cams up to hand-size) for 15m past bushes. Hand traverse L along ledge to u-bolt, then diagonally left to arete and up to DUB. 7 u-bolts and gear.

2. 30m (27) Up stunning arete. 8 U-bolts. If you rapped the line put a 1m sling on the 2nd bolt when rapping the route so you can get out if you can't pull the moves. Or bring a stick up to the ledge, or just rap off and escape up Slipstream.

A frustrating crux. The prominent middle crack-line on the orange wall. Stepped corner-crack to ledge. Step right and up line to a slippery crack (awkward to clip FH on left). After difficulties step left and up steep wall.

"Power" your way along the slopey traverse line 4m down and right of "Cellular Destruction" to a bolt.

Now up past second bolt to letterbox slot (#0.75 BD cam or better, #0.1 BD cam in the smaller gap leaving space for your hands).

Up (being careful not to escape out R to the easier ground on the arete and incur the ridicule of the climbing community) into Cellular Destruction at the end of its traverse and finish as for it, complete with its hideous mantle.

The prow has been climbed direct after top rope rehearsal, with no gear after the ledge. Actually a pretty cool compression problem, with crux turning the lip. If climbing is re-opened here anyone who wishes to bolt it is welcome to do so.

Wonderful climbing based on the sharp, undercut arete right of Dance of Life. The crux is very hard, but very short. If you pull on the crux bolt it's an excellent 25M1. Take a full rack incl. 2 #3.5 cams, and 15-20 quickdraws.

Start directly below the impressive hanging arete which soars upwards from the R side of a large roof. This is just L of where the walk-in meets the cliff, and is where the track along the base balances along the top edge of a large smooth-faced boulder.

1. 35m (27) 10m easy grey slab, beware some friable rock, to desperate orange slab with a FH. Follow flakes to the steep groove on the R side of the arete. Crux past FH to break, then L and up L side of arete, 3½ cam & FH. At big break move R to belay in small cave.

2. 15m (24) On up face, veering slightly right-wards to top.

Powerful climbing with a truly evil start, up thin flake to overlap. Looks good, bolts may need replacing. The second pitch could be an anti-climax though.

Start: Start on wall left of prominent orange off-width corner at left end of crag.

1. 25m (27) Thin flake crack into shallow corner (4 FHs) and a grey scoop (BR) and one more FH. Step left and go up short wall to ledge.

2. 25m (17) The wall above, veering left.

The big time route of the quarry. First cleaned by Hill until he got bored with it and gave it to Ralph who finished the job. the climb was done over many weekends as the bumbling Ralph pushed the standards to the min. Apart from all this shit the climb is absolutely worthless and has the 'very' chopped look about it. if you want to fuck around for days trying to get up this mother then you're quite welcome to it, some of the locks are pretty sharp and there aren't many footholds on the whole climb so forget about good boots.

(1) The groove to the right of C. Climb the shallow groove on finger locks. As you would expect the runners are pretty tricky to get in and this will probably consume most of your time and flesh.

The face right of El Topo

2 Bolt Belay. Bring 1x #0.4 (x2 if linking P1 and P2), #0.75, #1, #4.

1. 30m (27) - 7 Bolts and a #0.4 Cam (to protect the final move to the anchor).

2. 20m (24) - 2 Bolts, #4, #0.4, Bolt, #0.75 and #1 Cam to anchor.

3. 25m (21) - 5 Bolts to anchor.

A proper long and overhanging monster. The money pitch is 65m long, and overhangs more than 20m!!! Surely there isn't much like that in the Blueys at the grade? Suffice to say, you will get pumped.

Rock quality is Bell-esque, so adjust stars accordingly.

1. 65m (27) - Intimidating! 11 bolts to join Gaze a Gazely stare just above the roof, then continue upwards forever. Strategic long/giant runners, and roller biners essential ! See Gaze for necessary rack for this pitch.

2. 10m (20) - 1 Bolt, to #0.4 and bolt belay.

Up Credit Crunch, then join MSTK for a few meters, then into cheque your pockets.

A good aid climb turned into a great free climb. The first pitch is worth a star or two in its own right and is justifiably very popular with Taipan virgins.

Start 25m R of The Great Divide, and 8m R of The Chick is Trouble.

1. 25m (23) Up shallow orange flake/corner to the large deep break, then traverse 5m L to pocketed roof (an alternative but inferior start is as for TCiT). Over roof (RB) on pockets, then follow flakes up and L to a ledge and DRB (20m rap).

2. 30m (27) Some great moves in prime positions, but unfortunately not very sustained. Up to smooth wall, then step R to the desperate slabbing crux (FHs) to a good rest. Up the incipient crack to the bulge and over this with difficulty. Up and L to a good slot and up to another slot and then a fingery wall leads to the top. This pitch has 4FH's and a lower-off shared with Daedalus.

The name aptly describes the style of climbing at the quarry. Whilst cleaning this route Ferret was heard to mutter 'I don't like frigging climbs, I just do it out of habit.' This baby rears it's ugly bum with the major problem of not having any footholds where it counts, i.e. on the rock. Apart from that little drawback it's quite a good climb up a very thin finger crack, creeps with fat digits: better pound them down with a hammer or blow them off with explosives if they want to get up this unit.

(1) The next crack in the wall to the right of SS.

A good option if you think Father O eases off too much after its crux. Start as for Father O, until just past it's 3rd bolt. Now head up the R side of the scoop, through bulge past 2 FHs and 2 RBs (thin crux direct past 2nd RB - deduct a grade (and maybe some self respect) if you deviate L around this bolt into Father O) to break. Trend R from break to top. Take cams & wires. If that's not enough harder climbing for you then throw in the worthwhile direct start, from the middle of the belay ledge and heading up L (good tiny trad) to Father O's first bolt.

Variety! The famous HB dyno route as immortalized by Simon Carter's photos in the early 1990s. Take a full rack up to #2.5Fr, including Aliens, RPs, and sling runners (and/or double ropes) to minimise drag. Start as for Sirocco.

1. 35m (27) A great series of features. Follow pitch 1 of Sirocco to the horizontal. Swing R along this to tricky white corner and gain slab (FH). Trend R and up technical slab and finally the infamous big dyno between buckets (battered FH), to lower-off (25m, but a 60m rope barely reaches if it's still through all the gear so tie a knot in the end).

2. 35m 32. The daunting beautiful red wall above to a rap anchor at the top. Yet another contender for the best pitch on the wall. Renamed Orange Desire by Quentin; more like 33 according to Alex Megos.

Up to first bolt, up.

Start: As for LL.

One of the more varied bits of climbing around. Start up "beat up and thrown out" then follow the steel out right, pumpy and powerful to the top

bring one plate for the glue in carrot or improvise

The bolts were bad 20 years ago!

Start: 12m right of RTT. cairn.

Climb Cut Short for a few metres until you can gain the hanging orange/grey wall to the left. Up this on delightful incuts, slopes, razors, and pockets to gain a series of beautiful pockets above an orange overlap. Make a span leftwards above the lip to pick up a vertical seam through a bulge then stagger over this to join Tapestry at the end of its traverse. Finish up Tapestry.

Single 40m pitch overhanging ~12m, half on gear and half on bolts, starting from trad belay (BD #1 and #2) 6m left of the start of Two Nobodies.

Up flake feature past 5 bolts. Hard moves off #0.75/#1 cams, then 3 more bolts of punchy climbing to #1, #0.4 and #4 cams to major horizontal. 2 more bolts leads to the upper crux, rising traverse left across a weird hanging feature (avoid trending right into death choss). #2/#3 cams in break below the final roof, then punch out the roof and overhanging prow on amazing pocket jugs, protected by #0.3 and #0.5 cams, leading to final mantle and anchor.

Can escape the crag from here via P3 (22) of Two Nobodies.

Gear: BD #0.3 to #4, with doubles of #0.75, #1 and #2.

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper" (T. S. Elliot's The Hollow Men). Fantastic hard climbing. Big moves or big whippers! Stick clip the high first bolt and climb the awesome seam past another 7 or so fixed hangers. Bring trad for between the first two bolts (#0.4-#0.75 cams, small wires). Continue past the lower offs and top the cliff for full value - hopefully the anchor will be moved up next rebolt.

Start: Start as for AP

1. 22 - 30m Climb Archimedes' Principle to belay of first pitch then continue along break to Pythagoras' Theorem. Either belay in corner or climb down to Pythagoras' Theorem first pitch ledge. 1 bolt

2. 27 - 50m Continue along obvious traverse line from Pythagoras' Theorem with mostly good holds but poor feet, all the way out to join Vegie Maths at the head wall (2nd last bolt of that route) and follow this to the top. 7 bolts

Adam Demmert and John Schmit climbed pitch 1 in 2009. The Adam and Malcolm did the second in 2014

Mega line right through the guts of the wall with a bold right leading finish. The reachy start still stumps Malcolm. He can do the rest at 26...

10 meters R of the fixed walking rope. Up the amazing crack to a rest, then up the hanging groove. Wires and friends up to #3.

Start as for Cliffhanger. Continue straight up passing a bolt. At the roof reverse Curtain Call for 3m. Gain the headwall above via a neat pocket sequence (crux) passing two bolts.

A boulder problem traverse link up into Japetus Direct Finish. Start (sit) left of base of Olympus - dyno rightwards and climb across cave to juggy traverse that leads underneath Sardine etc to base of Japetus. Continue up that route. Best done with a top-rope clipped in prior to embarking on the route itself. Basically a V5/6 problem into an existing 23.

Access is via the Main Face rappels. Alternatively you can rap the route, but you’ll need to bring plenty of spare biners, as the belays are all double FH.

Note that you can’t French free a lot of the hard pitches, and the escape from the base is not pleasant.

1. 50m (27) 'The Drowning Pitch'

2. 20m (21)

3. 45m (24) 'Crazy Sex Pitch'

4. 45m (26) 'Balls in a Juicer Pitch'

5. 35m (23)

6. 15m (24)

7. 50m (25) 'The Golden Corner'

8. 30m (20)

9. 20m (20)

Climb the right leading sickle/crack on the steep orange wall to the left of Thesinger. The top of the climb is equipped with chains for descent. Can be climbed with a full set of standard rocks.

Splitter steep finger crack on the right side of 'The Prow'.

The stunning final pitch is one of the very best on the wall. Before you get there, there's a hard crux on the 2nd pitch. The hanging 2nd belay is best avoided by linking pitches 2 and 3, while pitch 2 is easily worked from the ground if you have a recalcitrant belayer. Start on the elevated ledge, 7m R of the top of the boulder and just R of the small tree, at a short fat flake on the slab.

1. 20m (21) A worthwhile pitch in its own right, although all the mantles are somewhat above gear. Up the slabby flake then 4m R along breaks. 3 slithery mantles lead to rap anchor on ledge (18m). Cams, med. wires.

2. 13m (27) Follow fused flake up L with increasing difficulty, then a draining fingery traverse back R to 3 bolt anchor (8m to 1st belay, 25m to base).

3. 20m (24) Brilliant. Tough moves out slopey 3m roof flake, past the only remaining original bolt - consider a small cam just below to back it up. Now blast up the very steep and very exposed water groove past 4 bolts and a spicy final runout. A wire can reportedly be finagled in on the top runout, but with all that air below your remaining energy is probably better spent in braving the final moves without it! DRB rap anchor (48m to ground).

Old Paul Hoskins project re-equipped and sent. Ultra-smeary!

Start: Start on left side of 'Mysteries Wall' proper.

Start up 'The Honeymoon is Over' then clip a bolt way out R. Swing R to the nose and up the wall past a PR.

Start as for Lunatic, continue up the arete and then tend R. Has it's own chains. 27 in both current guidebooks.

The thin crack with face holds left of the overhanging offwidth. Nice moves on good holds (about 22) lead to a ridiculously thin boulder problem finish and DBB.

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

Start: As for SDS.

Start on small extruding block passed when climbing DBMP. Up jugs passing wires to large horn and a FH. Out past 2nd FH then over lip to final bolt (use 80cm sling). Up slab to summit. Do not place gear on slab and do not second this climb due to knife blade edge on lip.

A good trad pitch on perfect rock with ample protection and amazing movement.

Frees the old aid climb "Information".

1. Start up the off width corner, 'Oleo' and then traverse left along the finger crack that trends slightly downwards. Perfect gear all along the crack although hard to place on lead in many places so running out the cruxes is the way to go. Technical movement on bad feet and flaring, slopey finger locks along almost the whole route is the name of the game. Finish at the far left arête and do the second pitch from there.

2. From the far left arete, continue to follow the rising crack traverse to the far left of this wall and top out to the summit from there. Technical, balancey movement for the grade and good small cams for protection. Trad belays.

Start up Fortress to 2nd bolt, then right and up trying very hard to avoid going back L into the original (and better) version.