Vías como clásica en Blue Mountains

One of the all-time classic routes of the region, if not Australia. Fantastic climbing up the searing crack on a stunning wall. Rap anchors on ledge at the top of the first pitch. Start at the base of the mega obvious crack.

1. 22m (18) Blast up the crack, you won't get lost. This pitch is also known as Yorkshire Crack.

2. 10m (23) A rarely repeated direct finish to the route goes straight over the overhang above the first belay, passing some old carrots en route.

Starts at the obvious layback flake 4m left of On Edge. Most link pitch 1 & 2 and forego the final pitch, descending via lowers or onto ledge and sketchy traverse right (use a rope) to rap anchors on Angular crack.

1. 15m (17) Up sustained layback flake (big cams) to ledge (most link straight into 2nd pitch)

2. 15m (17) From ledge head right and up obvious crack through rooflet to lower-offs or onto ledge and carrot belay

3. 23m (??) Rarely done chimney pitch off to the left.

Lower-offs and new belay carrots added 2016.

Offers up a simmering dish of big exposure, good protection and easy moves. On nice sunny weekends there can be a queue so get in early! Sleepyheads starting at the crack of noon (which is bizarrely common) will also miss out on the cool morning shade and get smashed by the sun which blasts the route from midday onwards.

Sweet Dream is regarded as the best introduction to multi-pitch climbing in New South Wales - however a recent fatality from rock fall and serious accident involving belayer failure should remind climbers this is not a casual walk in the park. The advice below is relevant to any multi-pitch route - but is contained in this route description to make sure people read it.

Rock fall is a hazard on any outdoor rock climb - but it can be especially hazardous on Sweet Dreams due to multiple parties being on the route at the same time. The danger is mainly from the unstable hillside above the route when topping out - but loose rock can be found on any pitch. Wear a helmet (on the approach and even when queuing at the base of the route) and rig belays with long enough slings/rope that a belayer can dodge falling missiles without being chained down. Care needs to be taken by all parties who attempt this route. If you have a beginner in tow let them know to be careful around loose rock.

This route is mainly low angle and thus easily affected by rain and summer sun. Have the skills and equipment to abseil off the route if required. This includes taking tube style belay devices suitable for double ropes (a grigri will not work). All belays are fitted with double ringbolts suitable for abseiling. A 60m rope is required for retreat above pitch 2 - use the anchors on Saccharine Nightmare.

Although there are many bolts on this route - this is NOT a sport route (despite what you may have heard). A trad rack is required for pitches 2 & 5 and useful on other pitches (single set of finger to fist sized cams + a couple of large wires will suffice). Bolt brackets are no longer required on this route. Most of the bolts were placed after the first ascent.

The route is only grade 14 if you finish via the corner system & left finish on pitch 5. There are two bolted variants to this pitch (both around grade 17) that avoid potential loose rock in the corner. Local advice is to use these pitches in preference to the corner (this was the location of the rockfall fatality).

Start: After crossing the fixed wire walk another 40m or so to base of short scrappy looking right facing corner on right side of giant block. Up above is the vast black slab of the higher pitches.

1. 20m (14) Short wall past bolt onto ledge then left to chimney (bolt), up to ledge and DRB belay.

2. 20m (10) Trad protected crack to DRB belay in little alcove. Save a large cam for the last few metres of this pitch. Without trad you will be SOLOING this pitch.

3. 28m (13) Traverse up and right across slab past 6 bolts and couple of cam slots to DRB.

4. 25m (13) Up via very easy climbing and no protection to second set of DRB after about 8m (ignore these). Continue up wall (3 bolts & optional cam), then step right to crack above bowel clenching exposure. Belay on big ledge below corner at one of two sets of DRBs. The right one is best for the trad corner - the left is best for the bolted grade 17 variants. Either way - this is an exposed belay to rockfall - be prepared to dodge.

5. 40m (14) Up easy trad protected corner for 20m, move left a few moves when possible then continue up subtle trad protected corner for another 10m to low double bolt belay - or even better a massive tree belay another 10m up the hill. Technically this is called the 'Variant Finish' but is the common way this route is now done.

The three variants to pitch 5 off the ledge are described here - but also have separate listings on this website.

The Original Finish (14) - climb the same trad corner for 20m then traverses RIGHT onto a big ledge and cam belay near huge detached blocks (not recommended due to potential loose rock). Finish up via 10m (10) pitch up the chossy overhang above taking extreme care not to drop rocks on people below.

Middle Bolted Variant (15-17) - climbs the wall just left of the corner past several ringbolts and then goes directly up the TRAD protected finish of the original pitch 5. This pitch is the easier of the two variants - it is possible to escape into the corner at one point which makes it more like grade 15.

Left Bolted Variant (17) - from the left DRB climb the subtle exposed arete past three or so ringbolts then join into the Middle Variant for a couple of bolts and then the trad finish. It is possible to traverse left at about 20m to the final belay of Saccharin Nightmare - and finish up that routes top bolted pitch (thus avoiding the trad finish of Sweet Dreams.

Start 1.5m left of the chimney (Valhalla).

1. 24m (13) Up crack then left up corner to ledge. DBB rap anchors.

2. 22m (14) Crack and corner.

Corner 2m left of SSCC1. Up corner through trees and continue up the corner behind the block above. 60m rope is fine for abseiling and lowering.

Take extra hand-size cams, plus a big cam for the top. The 2 bolt belay (carrots) is easily missed - look for them very close to where you top out.

Finger crack 2m left of Chastity. One hard move. Lower off shared chains on top.

The corner crack 4m left of Flake Crack.

1. 15m Up corner to chains.

2. 15m Left up corner and gully.

3. 22m Walk left, up into chimney.

Up past difficult mantle then up right to break. Traverse right to edge of arete then up to top passing several carrots on the way. Belay just below top out on stainless carrots. Belay leader from top belay to rap chains for Angular Crack.

Re-bolted with stainless glue in carrots in 2016.

Direct start is 24.

Start: Thin crack 6m left of 'The Bells of Rhymney',

Major corner crack and a popular all trad line. Beware, the route name is apt - there have been a couple of fatalities on this route. If in doubt don't run it out.

One of the best and most traveled easy routes in the mountains - great rock and exposure. Can be done as one big pitch with a couple of slings. Start on blocks at base of grey slab beneath Eyrie belay cave.

1. 30m (12) Slab past cams to ring bolt (possible belay), left to arete, past another FH and up to the unique bolted belay cave. 2 bolts plus single rack of cams (Camalot 0.5-4)

2. 15m (12) Out left hand side of cave via steep, exposed moves to FH. Up left side of arete and back onto main face to find old RB. Top out for carrot belay set back from the edge, or DRB on the boulder further back.

The first route at The County (16/6/79). Very popular, and very classic. The obvious splitter hand crack. New lower-off from shackle on tree at top.

The splitter line 3m L of Amen Corner, initialled "J". Where the crack forks at 15m, take the left option. Take a full rack. Lower off chains (which are a bit outdated).

Blocky corner 3m left of TW. More popular as a rap line than a route, and probably rightly so.

Classic roof traverse above great space

Start: Right hand corner/offwidth, as for A

1. 16m (14) Thrutch up chossy corner then up and left to belay at bottom of offwidth. Trad and manky carrot belay.

2. 24m (16) What you're here for. Up offwidth in left corner, carrot at top then traverse into space. Watch your helmet at the squeeze. Up at chimney, belay there on gear or at two carrots on ledge outside. Can abseil here with a 60m.

3. 10m (14) Up and crank over side of offwidth, tree belay

Start 2m left of Sincerity. The wide crack in the corner - take big cams. Double hangers with rings lower off at the top.

From the last ledge belay of Sweet Dreams take the left line of ringbolts up the blunt arete - either finish direct up the corner (trad) or traverse left at 15m into top pitch of Saccharine Nightmare (bolts).

1. 20m

2. 20m

3. 28m

4. 8m

5. 16m

6. 25m

The first route at Mt Piddington, and still one of the best. If you're at this end of the crag at the end of the day this route is a nice way to significantly shorten the walk out. It's not too hard to climb it with packs on, then do a 200m bush bash due east along the ridge to the firetrail. Start 17m left of 'Infidel' opposite the Cottage Boulder. It is the left most route on the slab. Now has a million bolts which didn't originally exist.

1. 30m Up slab to bulge, hand traverse around to the right and up to belay with an eclectic assortment of hardware.

2. Up slab, veering left and up. Pitches 1 and 2 can be run together if you have double ropes, or even on a single rope if you think about which bolts to skip and which to extend.

The offwidth 8m L of Eternity with an undercut start. Thankfully it doesn't climb like an offwidth! Best to finish after 18m by stepping L to the SSCC3 rap anchor.

Corner 4m left of N. Undercut start, then corner to cave (use high poor fixed pin and extra wires). Traverse left to ledge (poor piton + cams). Go left 2m up overhang (cam on left) and runout up wall to 2 carrot belay.

The arete right of CD. Many people traverse in from the left or right. 4 carrots plus medium-large gear.

1. 20m (14) Follow aesthetic crack up to belay stance. DBB.

2. 30m Not really worth doing. Head right from belay stance over bulge. Up wall past two BRs to top. 50m rap to ground. BRs and anchor replaced August 2017.

The major splitter corner crack initialled "AC". Take a full rack, but you stll have to run out the offwidth! Lower off chains (60m rope will get you to the ground on stretch).

Pleasant arete. Most people start 1m R of the arête for a few metres, then move left. The gear is in some opinions "good, but spaced", but in others' opinions this route is quite dangerous to half height particularly now that the wire slots are getting worn thanks to the soft rock. Take a rack including a 4 Friend, and a bolt plate in case Rattler's top carrot looks tempting.

Classic face to the right of the Obituary. Quite unique rock. This is a mixed route, medium/large wires and multiple hand-crack sized cams required to back up the bolts.

Another old classic. Bring 4-5 bolt plates for the beginning of climb. The rest is trad pro. Abseil access from top chains is approx 50m to ground. Tie a stopper knot.

Start: 8m right of BPC. Has an alternate direct start 8m right up corner past old bolt.

1. 10m Up grey wall to small corner, right onto slab, traverse right to tree. Most parties skip this belay and continue up p2 to cave belay.

2. 15m Cracks (big pro) to cave. DRBB.

3. 25m Through the cave and hole, or corner outside to the top. DBB.

Climb can be done in 2 pitches if you begin at direct start. (No traverse, just follow straight up the crack to cave).

Replaced bolts November 2015

1. Start as for PIS, right into fantastic corner and up around the slight rooflet. Go left under bulge at top to anchors as for Gently Mine.

2. Not really worth doing. Head right from belay stance over bulge. Up wall past two BRs to top. 50m rap to ground. Rebolted August 2017.

A perspective from the one of the first ascentionist, Keith Bell. From a slight online interview conducted, Keith had the following to share with the world about the first ascent of this beautiful climb:

I was keen on Greek and Roman History/Myths and the Gates of Janus refer to a temple with two doors. I think they were opened when Rome was at war and closed in peace time. A Janus Head is also two joined heads looking in different directions. I think the name came to me because a) it sounds good and b) The climb lies at the bottom of an access gully.

Recently I wrote the following: By the start of 1970, a few climbing goals had been kicked and others had arisen to take their place. In the Warrumbungles, Howard Bevan and I had made the fourth ascent of Lieben, and the first ascent of the Gates of Janus at Mt Boyce. Rather stupidly this ascent was made in the first wear of my first pair of friction boots, a pair of RD’s that featured brown suede leather uppers and bright red laces. The rubber on the sole was case hardened and since it had not been roughed up made the layback up the corner a very slippery affair. The ascent was also cam and hexcentric free leaving the only large protection available, the extruded aluminium hexagonal chunks that were fashioned and sold by John Ewbank.

Blue Mountains trad multi-pitch classic (with zero bolts!). This is the major corner system just left of the steep orange buttress. Gets sun by 8:30am in winter. Original pitches are described here, but it’s better to combine pitches 1 & 2, and 3 & 4. Note that the topo above greatly foreshortens all but the first pitch.

1. 22m (17) Hard start to get out of shale band, then up narrow chimney and corner to stance below roof. You can throw your rope over the little tree 4 or 5 metres up and use it as a slightly exciting top rope anchor to mitigate the start being hard to protect.

2. 10m (17) Over roof and up lovely corner to belay either beneath block at stance with bird crap, or (better) on ledge 2m higher, left of block.

3. 25m (17) Negotiate blocks, then follow incredible steep corner and sloping shelf to belay in cave. The money pitch.

4. 6m (14) Traverse hard left and out to double carrot belay (taking care with thin ironstone plates). Watch out for abseilers! If you have linked the previous pitch into this one it can be worth building a trad anchor just below the top out to avoid heinous rope drag and then scrambling off (roped up) from here.

Get here early for this one.

Start: Wall to the right of OE.

1. 9m (-) Wall to ledge and triple bolt belay

2. 40m (10) Left up wall, slight recess and nose to tree belay.

Walk past DRP and continue past double rap rings on arete. 20m further is an old rap station made of old green tape tied off a gum tree. 5m further is a gum tree growing beneath some think brush. Sandstone block marked 'S' with cairn on top here. Scramble up through scrub for approx 10m then head right to find the line of fixed hangers.

1. 33m (8). Fixed hangers & Carrots. Up and right to cave on arete. Easy face climbing on easy angled slab, straight up with some beautiful views. Stay on route or risk hitting some chossy rock. Triple Carrot belay on ledge (admire old rusty belay in cave on your right.)

2. 26m (8) Left along ledge, then up and back to corner. It's possible to scramble off left here.

3. 14m (6) A fixed hanger, then medium cams/nuts. Up right crack. Belay off Rap anchors in Chimney. To get off here, rap to previous belay & scramble left or...

4. 26m (14) Alternate Finish. Chimney up abseil route, past anchor and up. Walk off as for Dirty Rotten Pig. Easy face climbing up the line of ring bolts just left (facing the cliff) of the first boars head abseil.

LOST FROM LEFT SCRAMBLE? If you're just climbing the bolted sections, here's how to get out:

Follow the line of bolts left, around the cliff, through the small forest and up onto the slab (about 15 mins). Look to your left and you'll see a set of staples in the boulder. Set up a hand-line from here using the bolts- left to the small cave, then around to the opposite side of the boulder, following the line of bolts along a high traverse, over a small gap, before meeting the main cliffline and short walk up to the carpark. You will not be able to belay due to the amount of turns so be careful setting this line up, and consider ways of protecting yourself. Tie the end off at the last bolt and use the standard 2 carabiners on safety to traverse, with draws at each bolt. Note- the exit can be much more daunting for a nervous beginner than the actual climb, but is a fun experience.

Stellar corner crack - one of the best easy cracks in the Mtns. Start under roof marked HD, up slab to bouldery move through roof (bolt) and then gear thereafter. Finish with airy traverse left and mantle up to ledge. There is double ringbolts above the route (awkward to belay from but fine for rap cleaning), or chain 5m to the left. Protected by #4 size cams and smaller - hexes also work fine.

A remarkable juggy headwall on the 2nd pitch. Start 2m right of AMJ below bolt at 5m. Single set of cams required.

1. 20m 2 bolts and spaced trad to double bolt belay.

2. 30m Continue up wall and slightly overhung orange jugs above (6 bolts).

Stunning technical arete 2m left of GW. Bolts are spaced and can be supplemented with cams (#2 & #3 Camalot).

Has seen a few fatalities, and not a great choice if its at your limit because you have to fiddle to get gear in the middle of the hardest climbing to protect a runout. A #5 camalot will help up high. Belay off UBs near the tree roots and on the boulder, not off the tree.

Classic. Take a full rack with heaps of wires. Lower-offs were added, then chopped, and are still absent as at Jan 2023.

Traverse left past single carrot to crack/flake. Climb directly up along the yellow rock to top. Belay in back of cave in pockets or top out and off trees.

Start: 7m left of the chopped steps in the descent gully.

The obvious crack - good intro to jamming

Start: To the right of E. Straight up nice slab aiming for the brief vague corner a metre or two right of the Eyrie's belay cave. Straight up this and into jugs above.

A link-up of Sweet Dreams into Saccharine Nightmare that creates a sport climbers version of Sweet Dreams - giving slightly harder climbing and a lot more bolts. You will still need a couple of cams for Sweet Dreams pitch 2.

1. 20m (13) Pitch 1 of Sweet Dreams (ring bolts + slings)

2. 30m (12) Pitch 2 of Sweet Dreams (cams - no bolts)

3. 30m (12) Pitch 3 of Sweet Dreams to end of traverse and double RB belay. Continue past the first set of DRB to the second set 8m further. (ring bolts)

4. 35m (17) Pitch 3 of Saccharine Nightmare (12 ringbolts)

5. 10m (14) Pitch 4 of Saccharine Nightmare (3 ringbolts)

Corner to the right of ME.

An olden day classic - historical!

Start: 20m right of FDds on smaller block down and right of the monster?

1. 35m (13) Wall to ledge below big block, left, then up to belay on top of block.

2. 30m (15) Big corner to block, move left and up to ledge or continue up crack.

3. 30m (13) Bulge, then into chimney and up.

Interesting historical note: the monster block that forms the first pitch used to be closer to the wall and higher up, but sometime in the 1970s it slid a couple of metres during a torrential rain storm. Many guidebook descriptions haven't been updated since the FA, causing confusion for many repeat ascentionists.

A light rack of cams (maybe BD 0.3 - 3) is more than enough to protect this. Most bolts are carrots

1. 18m (8) Up a few metres to bolt (used more to show direction than for protection). Up to vertical crack for pro and up bulbous wall (another bolt on right) to DBB at top of buttress. Walk up and right 8 metres to start of next pitch. DBB on wall. Many people don't find the start of this and have epics, walk 8m, find the DBB!

2. 40m (12) Left of belay grunt onto wall (crux). Natural pro in crack or horizontal breaks up higher. Clip bolt on left. Then move diagonally right to small friend (#0) in horizontal crack and further rightwards on easy stuff to bolt (clip with sling to reduce drag). Up left clipping two bolts, steep tricky move (easiest if you move left). Easy 10m ramble with two bolts to DBB. Best to give your second a tight rope when they start the pitch.

3. 16m (9) Bolt on right shows the way, then up crack on left to belay. (Bolt and #½ friend or purple camalot.)

4. 45m (8) From right of the belay move up a few metres, then traverse left past bolt runner to arête/ridge. Up ridge 30m past 4 bolts. Walk across rightwards to bolt on little buttress. Over this and walk 10m+ (no bolt protection) and scramble through small bushes up easy crack into cave to DBB (at your feet).

5. 21m (12) From belay start to the right. Up wall trending left past 4 bolts. Climb onto large blocks at top. They seem OK. And traverse right passing bolt that protects the second to DBB.

6. 26m (8) Clip bolt on right of belay. Stand on rock thing and up. Follow ridge with a few bolts to top. DBB.

Nowadays the leader can clean their own gear off pitch 1 by finishing at the anchors of 'Skinless Chicken', on the arete.

Start: As for 'Solomon'.

1. 25m (19) Up Solomon's corner for 8m then take the left diagonal crack to blocks. DRB rap anchor.

2. 26m (19) Often not bothered with. Left up the blocks, right to arete. Up.

From the last ledge belay of Sweet Dreams climb the ringbolted face just left of the corner. At 15m this joins into top corner finish of Sweet Dreams (trad required).

1. 30m (16) Crack to ledge.

2. 28m (18) 'Steep' crack to top.

Just another stunning line from a golden era of Australian climbing. Quite a different style to some of the other old school Piddo cracks too - which might explain why it was bumpy Bryden who got the send. Start 60m left of Skypilot. You have to scramble up 15m from the track to the base.

1. 25m 21 Awesome orange corner crack to DRB (replaced 2013 - P.T)

2. 15m The chimney above is usually not done.

Start: Right of the arete. After hard boulder start it is much easier than it looks. Rebolted 2015, including a lower-off. Bring 5 bolt plates, wires, a sling for thread and a few cams including #4 camalot. Start is now protectable preclipping RB as wire placements have all blown.

Steep, thin and strenuous. The best thin crack in the mountains, maybe? Crack 4m right of BEC, to a lower-off. Take a single rack up to fist sized, plus plenty of extras in the tips-fingers range.

Up the crack as for Crackle then veer R under the roof. Dangerously underprotected through the middle section. A #5 camalot helps up high.

Start 4m left of Pharoah, just L of the arete. Arete (small-med cams, ringbolt), then right at the level of the tree to join Pharoah. Best to finish after 18m by stepping L to the SSCC3 rap anchor.

A bit of a classic. The subtle rounded arete with the cool vertical ironstone band in the bottom half. Despite appearances this is not a sport route - a vital 0.75" green Camalot (or equivalent) is required between bolts 1 & 2 (a retrobolt was added and then removed in recent years). This cam is not optional - it is a substantial ground fall if you skip it. Bouldery start (you can pre-clip first bolt off the ledge on the right if tall.) Bolt plates no longer required.

The 2nd pitch is one of the classic trad pitches in the Blue Mountains. A stunning orange corner and airy traverse under a roof with oodles of history saturating your sweaty palms.

Start: Approx 28m left of 'Quits' beneath major right-angled corner.

1. 20m (15) Corner to belay on slab beneath main corner (1 carrot bolt + trad for belay).

2. 31m (20) Stunning orange corner then left around roof. Chossy easy corner above. The crack takes plenty of medium cams and is well protected - there are 4 old bolts on this pitch but these should NOT be used instead of placing trad gear.

The excellent finger crack of J into the excellent handcrack roof of ME. Lower offs added 26/5/2012.

1. 15m As for Tal to the first ledge. Best combined with pitch 2.

2. 15m (16) Up awesome crack to ledge on left with questionable carrot and fixed hanger.

3. 20m (16) Corner to roof, right under this, around lip and up into the chimney on suboptimal rock. Upon topping out you can either create a bomber trad belay in the major crack between two blocks or climb on top of these blocks and belay off two carrots. The trad belay is probably easier from a rope drag perspective.

Start as for DD. Right a bit then up wall to hairline crack, up this to top.

"The first ascentionist deviated from the crack to the arete at one point on what is now considered to be the crux". Start 3m right of JC, below crack. Lower-offs at the top.

Cliff splitter!! Gear up accordingly.

Start at parallel cracks 3 meters left of direct start.

The arete 2m left of Faith. Minimal gear.

Cruxy undercut start 5m L of the crack. A #5 camalot will help up high but its still not the safest lead.

The obvious crack starting in the cave.

Start 1m left of E. The start was previously described as "ungradeable" and the whole pitch is more like 15.

1. 8m (11) Crack to ledge with new DRBB directly above. Original route continues 5m up and right across grey slabs to R side of cave.

2. 21m (11) Corner to cave, left up to big cave. Traverse right (old BR) and up to ledge.

3. 21m (11) Left along ledge, up small black wall into gully filled with dead trees and dirt.

4. 23m (11) Up.

One of the Bluies crack classics. Orange corner 55m right of the waterfall. The first pitch is only adequately protected with small wires and should be treated with caution if this grade is your limit. The 2nd & 3rd pitches have plenty of gear!

1. 20m (18) Up undercut corner to break, left to first ledge, short wall and stance (trad belay). Small wires needed.

2. 25m (20) Slab to crack. Corner, around bulge. Crack to ledge. Left along the ledge to groove. You can skip this belay and link into the next pitch reasonably easily.

3. 16m (15+) Up the groove. 2x FH to belay.

Mixed route - bring cams.

3m right of VHRD. Belay 10m left of Goldstar on the ledge. 1x carrot bolt and small gear to set up a belay.

A great sustained layback corner, most people just climb the first pitch to the chain.

1. 27m (19) Corner to ledge.

2. 30m (-) Thin crack, gully and out.

Start: On a flat rock at the large eucalypt at the bottom of 'Solo Gully'.

1. 40m (15) Up 3m to carrot then traverse R 10m (small cams). Up to another carrot then R 10m to double rings on far side of ledge.

2. 20m (15) Awkward move up the corner and onto the left face. Up corner 2m (wires in crack) then move onto the right face at carrot. Follow carrots R across wall and up to cave. Double ring belay in back of cave or double carrots at the edge of the cave.

3. 20m (14) Follow the carrots to the left, don't be tempted by the ring bolts (those are for Shock and Awe). Scary move out of the cave to pull up onto the wall. Follow carrots straight up. Mid sized cams can supplement the carrots. Belay off big tree 10 back or double rings 5m over to the right.

Classic. The obvious wide corner crack.

Rack recommendation: A single rack of cams with #4. You don't necessarily need a #5 or #6. At the start, bump the #4 cam as high as possible (deep in the crack) and then as your next pro, see if you can find a thread runner (a pocket that you can sling around).

Either step R to the lower-offs of adjacent routes, or go to tree belay at the top then walk out to the road.

Whoopy!

Start 43m right of BO. Crack/groove system below a terrifying roof.

1. 30m (18) Up hand crack bypassing 2 small roofs (stick right) to belay in alcove at start of bomb-bay chimney.

2. 15m (17) Out bottomless/bomb-bay chimney to turn lip of roof then up slightly to small stance. Build a semi-hanging belay or continue up pitch 3.

3. 20m (19) Up crack to belay at tree.

4. 15m (8) To exit traverse right 2m then up corner and groove to large tree. Up easy slab for 5m to the top.

This is one of the best routes in this section of wall. Sustained, interesting climbing, well protected on carrots and a couple of trad pieces to lower-offs. Easier than CCC.

Start a few metres L of Flight Line.

1. Follow the stylish twin cracks up and diagonally left. Take 3 or 4 large (#4-5) cams or else the top is runout. Thread and Ubolt belay.

2. The original finish headed off right as for Gemini, but the best option is to finish up the second pitch of 'Cardiac Arete' for a real classic.

One of the best face climbs around. 4 rings, anchors and a #3 Camalot before the first bolt, up the glorious perma-chalked scooped red wall.

A great trad multi-pitch with only one short section of gardening down low. The upper pitches are in a fantastic position with great orange rock up a major crackline. Standard rack of finger to fist crack size cams and wires are needed, bring doubles of cams (or a rack of hexes and some gear placing nous) as you will need to use them to setup belays. Starts about 20m left of Cynics United and 40m right of the Binary Cave.

The start is fairly easy to spot. The first few metres are vegetated grasstrees - but then a stonker black juggy handcrack emerges.

1. 27m (12) Bridge around grasstrees then up bomber handcrack (jugs abound) then bushbash up easy vegetated ledges for 10m to large ledge. Belay off finger crack sized trad gear in crack just right of arete with old piton at the base. (A cleaner alternative is to do the first pitch of Cynics United and walk left)

2. 27m (16) Clip the manky piton (good wire and small cam around corner) and do a tough reachy move onto the arete. Up the face with distant pro for 8m to horizontal break (there is a good #0.75 and #0.5 camalot placement at 4m and a large nut placement at 6m). Traverse right slightly along this break to gain the vegetated crack on the right above overhung corner. Up this crack on good cams to belay on large ledge. Trad belay. This pitch can also be climbed via the Trojan (23) variant start, which climbs the tips crack on the right side of the arete into the top section of the original pitch.

3. 13m (16) Crux. 'Steep' orange corner crack to lip, then juggy corner to cave and trad belay. You can easily join this pitch into the next one (use lot of extenders).

4. 20m (15) Continue up the crack that turns into a rightwards leading ramp that eventually ends with a steep mantle onto a good ledge and tree belay (can be backed up with #2 camalot).

To exit walk up the hill to small cliffline. Follow this cliffline right for 100m or so to below tourist lookout and short gully that goes under metal bridge.

Solo of course!

Start: The offwidth. Would be nice with a lower off.

"The climb that Ikara is famous for and the only one that most people have heard of!" - A.Penney 1982. The painted initial is mistakenly a ‘K’, but it is definitely Caladan with a C, a reference to Frank Herbert's Dune series.

Start at major corner below crack 33m right of T. Anchors replaced 2022. A 60m rope will just reach, tie a knot in the end!

The attractive flakeline. Good...but not much gear where you need it.

Left of Grey Slab ledge starting down on the main track. This is a mixed route that requires cams (BD #0.5, 1, 0.4). Careful of the half-tonne block perched at halfway.

Start 4m Right of 'Sparrow'. Take 4 bolt brackets and medium cams.

A pure old school trad classic.

Start: 6m right of MM at centre of big block below overlap.

1. Block, around overlap, up wall to ledge. Stroll left to big corner.

2. Up, just right of corner for adequate protection (including new FH next to mild steel heritage bolt and plate); middle below block for a few pieces; or right for not much. Double bolt and chain belay.

Rap or walk off right. P2 can be done by itself.

One of the very best moderate cracks in the Bluies. Some connoisseurs even prefer this to the mighty Janicepts. It is likely that this is the reason you came here.

Start a couple of metres to the right (facing in) of the rap line. The obvious corner crack!

1. 15m (21) Up corner to roof and left to comfy belay. Often seeps.

2. 30m (21) Three dimensional joy. Stem, chimney, pirouette, and jam to glory.

An unlikely trad route up an arete and thin crack. Well protected despite appearances.

1. 15m (10) Pitch 1 of Fer De Lance to belay on ledge at DBB

2. 20m (19) Out right to arete (sling jug!) then up incipient seam that eats wires to ledge. It's possible to rap off here from ringbolts above Giggles.

3. 15m (19) Up the short steep crack on right (unpleasant one move wonder) to top - Taipan Variant is a much better finish.

Starts on right side of high ledge, just left of the corner crack (Second Thoughts). Up wall past 1 carrot and a few FHs to DRB on ledge. This is a sport route if you are comfortable running it out at his grade - otherwise, place a couple of medium cams in the breaks.

On the Block opposite 'Misjudgement'.

"Cleverly found" indeed. Named "Bentrovarto" in guidebooks for many decades. However, Bryden says the name was contributed by his German climbing partner on the day, and agrees that using the correct Italian spelling is apt. A grand girdle adventure that spends as much time going across as it does going up! Originally done by starting up Colosseum Corner, it is 18 this way. But ever since the FA most people have climbed the crack 3m L of CC as the first pitch, which is 20. The rest of the route is many grades easier.

The pitches are difficult to accurately and independently describe because of the way this route has been retrobolted by the other multis on the wall. The feature is very obvious and the line easy to follow so just belay where is comfortable and makes sense. The only tricky bit of route finding is at the end when you go round the corner on the left side of the main face into the gully and then across it, but as long as you remember to do that you should find the belay okay. From here it is a bit of a no gear choose your own adventure situation to the top.

1. 20m (20) A great sustained pitch - well worth doing in it's own right to the first rap anchor. The steep thin crack eats medium wires (a triple set isn't excessive). Long thought to be a whopping sandbag at grade 18, but this was because the FA actually climbed p1 of Colosseum Corner. The FA of this pitch is unknown.

2. 27m (8) Traverse left and slightly up along the ramp the whole way, passing the RB anchors of Guillotine, Marxism, Vespasian's Wall, miscellaneous ancient carrots, bomber trad, and at least one big loose block. Eventually, belay at Kizashi's DRBs, just before the ramp becomes an almost vertical corner.

3. 13m (14) Steep leftwards corner/ramp to another bolt belay.

4. 31m (-) To ledge, traverse left to nose and up to cave and old bolt belay.

5. 16m (-) Left and around corner on ledge (crawl??) to chimney/gully. Cross the gully to ledge and single carrot and trad belay.

6. 33m (-) Back right across gully onto right wall. Bulge to ledge, then left to tree. Basically no gear, often wet, harder then you want it to be.

7. 13m (-) Back of horrible chimney gully and up, or more pleasantly up the right wall of gully. Also basically no gear, often wet, and harder than you want it to be.

Same start as Rickapoodle. Up Crack to a stance and then traverse left to the second line of bolts Rap off rings on the right side of the cliff. Take cams and some wires.

One of the best routes at this grade in the whole Blue Mountains. Tackles the disconnected flake system up the centre of this awesome wall. Traditionally this route was led as a multi-pitch, with an initial awkward short trad pitch leading to a semi-hanging belay 10m off the ground. These days there is a bolted direct at grade 16 that allows pitches 1 & 2 to be combined when using a 60m rope and makes it 99% a sport route (compulsory #1 Camalot in the flake). No one does the garbage last pitch.

1. 12m (15/16). Original trad start climbs up little arete 2m right of small tree to crack, then left into short corner (small cams, wires). Traverse 4-5m L to double ring semi-hanging belay 8m off the ground. Sport start simply climbs face directly behind small tree past 3 bolts to join up with flake.

2. 25m (21). Follow the stellar flakes. One or 2 med cams up the initial flake, otherwise all ringbolts. Long runners vital to reduce rope drag. Most people lower/rap off from top of this pitch.

3. 10m (18?). Rarely done. The steep little headwall, might still have 1 rusty old carrot somewhere if it hasn't fallen out. Top out, walk off.

Start: Crack system to the left of Hocus Pocus.

30m left of the 'Gully'. 15m further left on the Goldstar ledge with a belay carrot bolt. Traverse out to the line and up to the stellar diagonal hand jam crack to the chain belay on Thruxton. One of the best single pitch trad routes at Mt Boyce.

Up the L corner of Bernutts Block to top of block, then short crack to tree.

Start 4m L of C (marked below fixed hanger). Stick clip fixed hanger then thin balancy moves up and slight left to hand traverse ledge. Hand traverse left past bolts and up to medium cam placements on arete, then easily up and right past another cam to cave and rap chain.

Direct line above 1st half of Psychopath. Start as for Psychopath.

Take a small friend for the top and a bolt plate for the first clip, it's rings after that. Hard first move, then some cool and unusual climbing. Definitely worth taking a small rack to the crag. Start: A couple of metres left of the arete - SDS.

Thin corner 2m left of Prologue.

1. 8m (15) Up to tree.

2. 21m (15) Left side of groove to bush.

3. 18m (15) Left and up to bollard.

4. 13m (-) Up.

Take large cams. Start 3m R of PBF.

A good summer adventure as it stays shady until early afternoon, but there is (was) clearly nothing wrong with a winter ascent! The first ascent was made in 13th July. Gear: 1 set Cams #0.3 – 4, wires, 4 brackets, 8-10 quick draws, 4 slings.

1. 50m (14) As for pitches 1 and 2 of 'Sweet Dreams' with 1 BR at the start and 1 BR just before the double rings in corner. Caution: Massive rope drag!

2. 20m (14) Ignore bolts out right on Sweet Dreams and climb the corner direct (past an old rusty bolt 8m up) then continue on easy grey wall right of corner to large ledge and single rusty BR and small tree. You can belay here (with a bit of jiggery pokery - or link into next pitch).

3. 20m (15) Up slab above ledge then into vegetated corner (you can stem around the worst bits) to a short chimney (fixed hex with orange sling in the back of corner and an old shitty BR towards the front). Some people belay here but it is much nicer to continue up for another 5m onto large loose rock ledge on the right. Trad belay on medium cams and wires.

4. 15m (15) Traverse horizontally right with epic exposure and good cams to base of black corner and trad belay. You can join this pitch into the next pitch.

5. 25m (16) Up the sandy corner and at top exit right onto ledge (poor pro) and scramble up vegetation to tree belay.

Start: Left of arête, marked. Straight up past very little protection.

Great sustained mixed route. Starts on left end of the small wall. Has an extention above the ledge all the way to the top (21).