Routes in Oceania for selected grade

Starts as first pitch of China Fingers. Blast directly up orange face and corner. Veer left on flakes to slight brown streak. Final boulder guards the anchor. Massive pitch.

Abseil down to double bolt belay. Pre or stick clip 1st bolt. Follow the arete the whole way up

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.

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.

"The hardest thing I climbed in the 80s": Law. Originally given 26, but "more like 28 now that no one climbs slabs". Brushed and rebolted 2016. One of the best hard lines near melbourne.

Start: Start 2m R of F.

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

Start: As for 'Warmonger'.

Two bolts up a very blank looking rounded arete/face lead to an easier crack.

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

Reportedly freed by Derek Thatcher and Zac Vertrees. Start up Aesthetic Images to its 2nd bolt, then rising traverse left to gain line of bolts right of Candle Power. About grade 29.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Do a move or two as for 'Evolution' pitch 6, then trend R following the line of bolts up the left hand side of the big cave, eventually joining 'Jump Master' at the top of its first pitch.

Start: Start as for 'Evolution' pitch 6.

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.

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

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!)

Straightens out Slinkin'.

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

The bolted groove and face. Go for it.

Alternate left hand start to 'Super C Ellery'

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?

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.

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

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

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.

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'.

The obvious crack splitting the wall 5m left of Simply the Best.

Probably the best trad climb in Tasmania.

Start: The arête at the left end of the Buttress, before the big chimney corner. Start up the arête, trending right past the hangers to the horizontal break (big friend). Step up and power up the yellow streak past more hangers to lower-off under the block.

Link Yesterday Direct into Use No Chooks.

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.

The past horizontal roof crack through outrageous terrain. Turns the lip and continues up the headwall.

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

Ryan Gaskon Open Project. Terribly thin line snuck between the classics. Start on horizontal break, clip bolt then boulder through tiny crimps and sidepulls, then dyno right to gain ledge. Continue easily up thin diagonal seam past 2nd break to top

Start up Augmentium and at the higher of the two traversing cracks bust out right via some committing moves.

Traverse R climbing past Simply The Best. Clipping the bolts on that route is a serious no-no. Continue to the flaring corner for the crux. Continue up the crack to the top.

You need at least a #4 cam for the bottom offwidth. The rest of the route takes all sorts of gear. Double rack from green alien to #2 camalots with a bunch of slings or just use two ropes.

Amazing arete with a peg and wire low down then the crux, then your on your own for the balancy stuff. So basically soloing. There is a sling and biner around a branch high in the tree for toproping / pro.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14058315@N00/2638157463/

Start up Angel Of Pain (26), then cross over Passchendaele (0.75 and 0.5 cam) and move left to gain the upper section of Legends Never Die. Super sustained with a desperate crux below the anchors on flailing arms.

Wandery start leads to some outstanding and unique climbing on the arete left of Norseman. Two bolts and pre-placed gear.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Left hand start to minimal tech.

Just another stunner

Start as per Immortality (couple of small cams required) following it until the sloping ledge then continue straight up. Progressively harder moves with building pump culminating with an extremely thin crux at the last bolt.

Steep and very crimpy

Absolutely mind bending trad line. One of the great routes of this genre in Australia and in a spectacular location. Access by an easy paddle from Brooklyn. First ascent done by Johnathon Clearwater on pre-placed gear. First ascent with all gear placed on lead by Simon Bischoff 2018 at grade 30.

unbolted face with DBB

Much more than your average crimp ladder, several aesthetic rails and unlikely kneebars guide the way through this sustained quest.

Start as per Brummel Hook and head 5m right at the second bolt. Sustained and technical face climbing leads to a vague 'letter box' rest, and a series of boulder problems above to an anchor underneath the big roof.

Nail hard extension above the scoop feature. A lot of the bolts are hard to clip until at your waist. Finishes at same set of high anchors at Climbalot.

As for Insane Funk and the Evil Grip but go right out of the hole at the third bolt across a few crimps back into Evil E rather than left into Funky Gripster.

Classic South Central climbing! Do the start dyno of Brown Badge, then head right past a couple independant bolts to join Spermies, and finish at its anchors.

You can keep your feet on if you are tall.

The line 4m L of Astro Boy. V6 start, then awesome climbing.

Arête next to Pyro. Start up corner then veer left onto arête, up to first Anchors. Very technical climbing with several cruxes. Put your thinking cap on.... (there's 2 crimps in the first Boulder that are quite often moist. be careful not to blow a tendon. once chalked up they stay dry.)

Powerfully across the roof, then blast your way up the arete to finish on the same anchors as 'Dirt Trawler Left Variant'.

Assistance is Futile into Animal Mother then all the way to Call of Duty’s anchor. Long draw on Crazy Horny's anchor and enjoy.

Short, powerful, technical! Bust through the crux of calamari then head left on bad holds. Wrestle the bulge and traverse to finish at the anchors of Spider Pig. Bonus points if you find the bat-hang rest.

Steep grey wall among the trees 20m L of CDD. Take care on the loose shale above a big drop as you round the corner. Tom

Started at grade 28, quickly went to 29 and may see another advance yet. Either climb with second bolt clipped, or use locking biners on the first (a backclip would see two people go to the valley floor!). Climb up and gently rightward to roof. Head around the lip and hit the accelerator. Traverse left above the lip, up several metres and then break right and up until your forearms resemble base ball bats and you feel like if you fall you will land in the valley way below. Use a minimum 70m rope or you may well land in the valley.

Power endurance classic on Bare Rock's finest black rock. Start 2m right of the project.

Visioned by Gerard Chipper in the 90’s? Equipped by Jarrod May in 2003. FA Jarrod May 2003. Once described as ‘looking like a pile of horse cum, but actually climbs really nice’

Start just R of the two wooden posts. Once was an aid route called 1914 (25M0). Start was aided to the jug, then traverse right and up through the layback as for Bare Essentials - thus avoiding the actual climbing of both routes, to finish as it does today.

Start at Ring bolt above graffiti, in front of tree 3m left of Daily Grind. Easy start to powerful edge climbing, standing on some super small holds.

The first route you get to, up the arete and right at the top. Pretty wild...

Short bouldery route starting just right of ‘three daggers’, finishes up Hercules.

Start 3m L of Grazed Anatomy at ringbolts. Throw, pinch and scream for three bolts. After that, finish up Grazed Anatomy.

The bolted line left of Defrag. Boulder to the large undercling feature. after a shake, get horizontal out left, pull the lip and truck back right to the common anchor.

The longest and hardest Link-up of them all. Climb The Expedition, but finish up Overseer Right Hand Variant. Adds a resistance crux that's a heart breaker...

Start at the base of the wall to the right of Heisenburg Corner. Traverse to arete, head up and come back onto the face to reach the roof. Around this and continue up the face for a rather long way. Probably the line of this sector.

' My first real project I suspect. Gonna take some time!' yep , three years and one week.. from the ground climb tck , clip high bolt on arrete , sit on the ledge and pull the rope through then up heading right after hands free rest on arette. A 80cm sling above kneebar rest and two more on traverse /crux were used. A grade 30 move or two on a grade 25 route. Would be very soft for tall people. Happy to downgrade if anyone repeats it clean from ground and dissagrees with 29.

Unless you're short!

The very appealing steep left-trending blunt arete just left of Fluidity. Looks great so we'll open the bidding at 2 stars. Higher or lower bids accepted! 30 the way Phil did it, but some better beta was later found.

Just left of the open project. The shortest route in the gorge but mega burly.

Sustained crimpiness up microscopic edges. Fixed hangers up beautiful wall 3m R of Little Thor.

Tara Sutherland's Jan '98 ascent was the first Aussie female ascent of a grade 29, followed shortly after by Megan Osborne.

Up pockets and through roof to ledge. Full body climbing through the next steep section to ledge. A lower angle final third caps things off. Take a couple of long slings and kneepads.

Yes it's a another mega linkup. Procrastislider to Slider's 2nd last bolt. Then across the wall to the deadpoint (2nd last bolt) of Howler, then right to the last bolt of Wailer and finish up Dr Pinocchio. Superduperpooperpumper!!!

There are three routes that share a common start marked by a small 'dry stone' platform with an undercling horn above it. Boulder up the side pull feature to attain a good break. Traverse left and up through some difficult moves, then continue up for more of the same.

Like the great man, it's a journey that keeps you engaged right to the anchors. Climb 'One Eyed Undertaker' and exit top of crux into the small corner on the left. Head on up blunt arete to chains. Shown as route 19 on the old ACAQ route database topo: http://www.climb.org.au/upload2/1038.jpg.

Climb to ledge. Move left to imposing black wall. Traverse left on knob style holds. Then up menacing headwall with just enough holds. Upgraded to reflect difficulty.

An awesome excursion taking the line of most resistance up the tallest section of the south wall. The route takes in some wild and physical territory as it journeys up the wall to its final crux just below the rim of the gorge. Starts on the clean section of slab a short distance right of the base of Red Supergiant and just before the base of the wall becomes a jungle. It is easily identified by the stainless steel fixed hangers meandering up the slab and into the steepness beyond.

1. 23

2. 24

3. 28

4. 27

5. 23

6. 23

7. 26

8. 29

9. 20