Vías en Pierces Pass para grado seleccionado

Upgraded in latest guide. Start at the crack 1m or so R of Samson Gets a #1 and follow this up to the arete. Go around the arete and past one bolt (has a biner on it as of 04/18) to desperate, disintegrating and gripping crux sequence that gets harder every time someone pulls on. If you manage to old school your way through this, continue up the slowly falling apart crack to the ledge. Rap off the block above Samson.

Take at least 16 draws, a few slings, and prussiks for leader and second. Two 50m ropes suffice. All U-bolts. Pitches 2→4 are protected from rain.

1. 45m (20) Starts about 50m down L of Iron Throne at freestanding pillar (look for U-bolts). While the easiest pitch, expect some adventure. Climb chimney between pillar and wall to ledge. Left and left again past ledges (take care) and up negotiating some shale to major corner system with great rock. Up this, eventually exiting L and up ramp to belay (bolts placed high, extend to belay on ramp).

2. 25m (23) Slabbing up solid grey, then orange rock with delicate section up high, trending L to large belay ledge.

3. 25m (25) Directly right off the belay, then blast up the sustained orange wall on perfect stone. Pull on fixed sling to avoid a sandy mantle and gain the belay in alcove. Third belay bolt available for positioning extra bodies or kit.

4. 25m (25) Committing roof in an exposed position (hard to grade this pitch as it's really just a couple of steep moves through the roof then easier climbing). A couple of bolts lead to the roof (rig to minimise drag). Once through ceiling, easier climbing on large features and some sandy scoops to outrageous belay stance on the edge of the world. Leave the second rope fixed to the p3 belay to assist getting back in, or if your second isn't keen, it's possible to be lowered and clean this like a regular sport pitch. 15 clips.

Classic hairline splitter crack, with a mix of crack and technical face climbing. Visible on your left as you head down the main Pierces Pass walking track. You can access the top rap-anchors for Grasshopper wall via this route: Grasshopper Wall Top Approach GPS Tracklog. Bring a full rack from micro sizes to #3 Cam, with extra small-medium wires (and a set of larger RPs). Start directly below the main crack. 80m rope gets you to the ground.

1. 8m (18) - Short, dirty corner and face to ledge with 2 ringbolts. Harder than you want it to be.

2. 32m (25) - Low-angle splitter crack of varying sizes. Climb to the little rooflet with rings out left. Skip them and continue into the next section past the rooflet and wall above. Bring lots of wires on this pitch (including the small ones).

Climbs a rad orange streak in this grey wall next to Grasshopper, in a great exposed position. P2 and P3 can be combined for a long, continuous pitch of challenging face-climbing. Start as for Grasshopper.

1. 10m (15) Grasshopper P1.

2. 15m (23) 9 Bolts. Up Grasshopper for a move or two (until you can clip the bolt out right), then step out right and follow the line of bolts up the face, getting progressively harder all the way to the anchors below the small rooflet. This pitch can be combined with the next pitch.

3. 20m (25) 7 Bolts. A great technical pitch, but kinda wandery. From the belay, up reinforced flake system, and bust out left to bright orange streak (crux). Up this for 2m, then back right via hard moves on flakes to other orange streak. Up thin face to horizontal break, then up through a final thin sequence to the anchors.

Uber arete - probably the most striking, sustained and exposed in the Bluies (and that's saying something!). A recent rebolt and new direct start addition has pushed this back into popularity. Now all rings, no bolt plates necessary.

Fix a rope and rap 40m from cluster of bolts at the top of the arête to a small stance (double ringbolts) on the arête (about 5m below the original belay on the face).

Step around right side of arete off the belay. Up past 4 bolts to break. Truck around left side of the arête, then up past 2 more bolts (original route rejoins from the left here) and up 7 more bolts climbing on both sides of the arête as necessary. Be smart with runner length to minimise rope-cutting potential (https://vimeo.com/210809039) and drag.

It is still possible to climb the inferior original shorter version of the route by abseiling instead to a higher 2 x carrot belay on the face left of the arête, and starting up the brittle face via old carrots and fixed hangers, to join the arête at the 2nd ring on the lefthand side of the arête.

Classic guidebook-cover worthy wall climb with a hell of a lot of air below you on the runouts.

To rap-in - locate 2 rings a few metres further down the hill (east) from the Disco Non Stop Party arete. Fix a rope to rings and rap 50m down the route, taking the R fork (facing in, the L fork is for The Obvious Elbow (of Aristocrat Arthur Decanter), bouncing to stay in contact with the wall (and pre-placing a few draws to direct the rope) to a small ledge and semi-hanging 2 x bolt belay. You can also climb up to this ledge via the first couple of bolts of The Obvious Elbow (accessed via Thomson & Thomson Traverse) if you don't have a rap rope, or if you prefer to climb this as a 5m longer pitch from the most cushy ledge (and are sensible with rollers/extenders).

13 bolts, with an optional 0.3/0.4 cam in a slot near the top (to mitigate an exciting runout).

Very exposed route up a clean overhung wall - with zero vegetation or choss. Lots of bolts and air. Bring 20 draws (some long ones) and a 70m rap rope and 70m (or longer) lead rope. No bolt plates required. Only one belay is fully hanging. Route stays in the shade from 9am until very late afternoon (it's cold!).

Rap in as described above to big ledge. Pitch 3 of this route starts 5m left of the rap touch down point. For the final rap walk to far left end of ledge to double rings - rig 70m lead rope as a double rope rap - and rap 34m down face to small belay ledge just right of major corner and above amazing hanging vertical swamp.

1. 17m (21) From small belay ledge climb the right trending line across gorgeous waterwashed face to awkward mantle onto shale ledge. Some moves are pretty reachy. Semi-hanging belay. 9 bolts.

2. 17m (25) Pull on the first two bolts as aid then left leading line that gets harder the higher it goes. Lots of thin moves. Belay on left end of ledge at same anchors you rapped in on. 10 bolts.

3. 14m (22) Move belay 15m right to middle of big ledge (single low bolt to belay from). Climb short left facing fused corner, then jugs and short baffling corner to small ledge belay (DBB). 5 bolts.

4. 32m (24) Left off the belay past diving board and up through bulge and then long technical wall to under small overlap. Left under this then continue up short corner and wall above to semi hanging belay at tiny ledge. 15ish bolts.

5. 18m (20) Left up ramp and then reachy wall trending right to major shale ledge. Traverse 8m right (reversing the Thomson Traverse) to belay at double RB (where you rapped in from).

6. 30m (25) Little undercut rooflet to start then long grey wall about 10m right of I Have A Dream, finishing at anchors under small overlap. Lower-off back to ledge and walk off home. 12 bolts.

Some call this overhung crack splitting an amphitheatre the best multi-pitch trad route in the Blue Mountains. Every pitch is great and the access is surprisingly easy. It is however quite difficult to retreat once a couple of pitches off the deck due to the steepness. Bring prussics! This route was originally climbed ground up with an overnight bivy on one of the small ledges and with several sections of aid. Recent rebolting of the original aid bolts ladders has reduced the original bolt count by at least 3 - it's more airy but the bolts are better!

Access via the rap route described separately.

Double rack of cams, micros to Camalot #4, a single set of wires, #2 RP up, and 5 bolt plates does the trick.

1. 15m (19) The first 5m or so have average rock quality (1 carrot) then onto the slab with polished hard sandstone and RP seam. Ignore TBB below cramped little rooflet, and climb to DBB up and left with spacious foot ledge. Don't let the RPs scare you - it's not very hard.

2. 35m (25) Tricky moves at start past two RBs, right along break to rejoin the crack line and up into chimney, then steep cracks. Belay from good ledge on bolt and medium cams and wires.

3. 20m (23) Awkward moves to get established in splitter layback tips crack. Brief excitement leads to a good belay stance (RB, trad).

4. 35m (22) The corner on good gear using crack and face holds. At a carrot at 3/4 height move up right (optional #4 Camalot in break) to thin flake and 2nd carrot, a sling on this second carrot keeps the rope from jamming in the flake. Climb to small ledge and then to ledge with short corner above. Tricky moves past one more carrot leads to big ledge and DBB. 4a. 8m (23) up the corner, traverse R to arête, up arête (one BR then a runout), to rejoin the original for its final two bolts. Lots of fragile rock (and exposure) on this pitch. Prussics!).

5. 25m (22) This would be a good rap-in and climb-out pitch in its own right if you aren't up for the rest. Follow left leaning crack until it peters out, step right then up scoop to fragile short headwall with 2 carrots. Take care mantling the grass and dirt slope (yum) and on the 10m scramble up to path. DBB.

6. 20m (22) The left side of the arête above the cave on Lunch Ledge (4m left of the bolted routes). Bold runout start off rock ledge with a key thread at 4m then easier and better protected above this. Most people skip this pitch and just walk off.

Climbs a great wall with an inspiring seam. Two awesome pitches, two nice ones and two easy chossy ones. Take 16 draws. Starts 30m right of Burgermiester, up a gully, below a left facing corner. It is possible to traverse left at belay 3 to escape, but you will need 3 bolt brackets.

1. 40m (22) Layback corner. 12 ubolts

2. 40m (25) Follow amazing seam to belay on right (the 2 belay rings are widely spaced due to hollow rock). Crux is at low roof.

3. 30m (21) Follow seam onto large ledge.

4. 30m (18) Easy choss, out left and back right to hanging belay.

5. 45m (23) Up sustained wall trending right. Very crimpy!

6. 10m (10) Up easy ground past a UB to ledge.

Obvious roof crack 5 metres right of Bunny Bucket’s pitch 6 start. Use the first 3 bolts of BBB’s pitch 6, climb up to ceiling and then traverse right (size 6 cam to protect) to enter the roof crack. Requires two 5s and one 6 size cams.

Climb easy face and finish at trad belay on obvious ledge (BD 2 and small wires).

Rope drag is manageable on a single rope with 1-2 roller carabiners and several long slings.

Rappel from trad anchor to clean face (60m rope is fine). Re-lead and then back clean roof and traverse.

A monster sport route, with great exposed arete climbing on every pitch bar one. If you want to do the full route, rap in via Mirrorball and walk along base of cliff past Bucket Bunny and Hotel California' You can also just climb the last 4 pitches if you rap in down Yesterday's Groove. Equipped on a rainy night, the bolts seemed too far apart in the light of day, thus 4 more were added after the first ascent! If it's been raining avoid this route for at least a few days as a temporary waterfall blows onto the arete at pitch 5. Bring 20 draws, prussics or an ascender, double ropes and enough time!

Start: Starts aprox 100m right of 'Hotel California' below major arete.

1. 15m (21) Little corner then right onto rounded arete. At ledge walk right and step across gap and up short chossy crack to belay under main arete.

2. 17m (25) Bouldery and powerful. 'Monkey' over roof and swing left across lip to gain arete. Up this to comfy belay ledge.

3. 29m (25) Up arete with devious moves for 15m, then traverse right onto face away from arete for several metres, then trend left back onto the arete at flake to finish. Bolts up the arete direct are an open project. Belay in large slot under roof.

4. 25m (23) Thug over roof and up aretes to belay on vegetated slope at DUB.

5. 50m (5) Scramble up hill side to 7m fixed rope. Hand over hand or prussic up this (rope was installed in 2010 - stay roped up and take care!) and continue up vegetated hillside to arrive at base of upper wall.

6. 35m (23) Face to major arete with offset seam on the right side. A pumper! Hanging belay in little cave.

7. 25m (22) Technical arete on small ironstone edges. Hanging bolt belay or link into the next pitch for full value!

8. 18m (22) Up the wall and then left to arete and up to large cave belay. A little bold. You can bail from the end of this pitch by scrambling up the gully to the left (roped).

9. 17m (24) Bouldery. Crawl right through cave and peer around lip to find hanging belay bolt. Re-position belay. Rightwards up face on crimpers, then back left up pumpy wall to easy death by ironstone.