Noeuds dans Atridae

The big, prominent block up and left behind the camp ground.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles, The Atridae Area

The slabby wall to the L of the Flight Deck with a roof above.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles,The Atridae Area

It may be a grade-17 sport route but the runout above the last bolt (although easy) should not be taken lightly. As for 'The Last Disco Dancer' to its third bolt. Head up L (crux) to a stance on the arête. Continue up the slab to the ledge and lower-off anchors.

Technically interesting climbing up the wall L of 'Cassandra'. Clip the first bolt on 'Cassandra' then veer L and up past three more bolts. The crux moves are pulling past the final bolt into a bottomless crack/pocket. A few slabby moves off L gains the ledge and the lower-off anchors.

Beautiful slab into super steep roofing - great moves. Almost a sport route (take some small cams and there is a fixed wire) Start as for the The Last Disco Dancer and follow this to the roof (cam in slot here) head diagonally R through the roof past 2 UBS, crossing Pain Street (fixed wire and small cam) and continue R out the prow past 2 more UBs and some powerful moves to a lower off!

This attractive face has an unfortunate history of ugly bolting efforts. Originally festooned with hangerless machine bolts, a recent rebolting effort turned it into a highly unfortunate example of what ringbolts look like when they're not properly recessed.

Start: Start beneath the appealing orange face, only a few metres R of the arbitrary end of 'Lois Lane Wall'.

1. 22m (18) Straight up past 5 bolts, then follow the slight ramp up R (cams needed) to a lower-off where the arete meets the roof. The LHV (19) instead goes diagonally leftwards through the white rock to escape off left of the rooves.

2. 20m (18) Not as good as pitch 1 and rarely done these days. Up steep wall on the R for 7m then L to arete and up.

Slippery and technical. The pikers variant to 'Pain Street'.

Start: Start up 'Cassandra'.

While this is very nearly a sport route, it's important to place gear past the last bolt to avoid a nasty swing into the slab if you fall off the crux.

Start: Start as for 'Cassandra Direct'.

Through bulge, BR, tend a bit L but don't join 'Cassandra' until the diagonal ramp.

Start: Start 3m R of C.

Start: Start in the gully at the base of the arete R of 'Cassandra'.

1. 20m (20) Scary arete to Cassandra's anchor.

2. 20m (20) Steeply up arete until you have to go a bit left. Where this is in relation to pitch 2 of 'Cassandra' (or if there is any difference) is anybody's guess.

Start: Start in the gully R of PW.

1. 20m (15) Chimney to the ledge.

2. 20m (15) 'Small' crack to slopey ledge, R then back L via spooky block.

COntinue up gully for 12m, climb to ledge, L and up crack.

Start: Start at the bolt belay of 'Ckinarde' (the location of which is not provided...).

Up the middle of the face - no pro. Stay L of the arete (which is taken by the upper part of It'll Never Fly). It is 19 but probably no easier (!!) to take a flying leap across the chasm from Cassandra's 1st belay to the halfway break!

Start: Start on the R wall of the gully, opposite PW.

The open corner. Lots of chalk on the L wall

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles,The Flight Deck Area

Start as for Jetlag, 2m Left of the original but finish up HaGF instead. Still great climbing even though the Jetlag finish has been added.

Climb all of 'Jet Lag' (via the original direct start) then launch onwards into a final boulder problem above the chains.

Start: Start as for JL.

Start: Start left of the big corner of "Orestes", about 4m Left of It'll Never Fly.

Thin steep face then traverse left to arete. Up arete (#2 BD cam) to lower-off.

Start: Just left of 'Orestes'.

Climb It'll Never Fly almost to arete, then cut back diagonally right and up to another bolt (exciting) then up to anchor.

Start: As for It'll Never Fly.

You can climb all of pitch 1 and the good bit of pitch 2 in a single mega pitch, then step left to the anchor of 'Afterburner'. It's a great shame that this new anchor wasn't placed 2m to the R on the front of the arete, as this would have allowed the leader to clean their own gear, but as it is someone will need to second if you do this extended version.

Start: Start at the big corner on the Flight Deck.

1. 20m (23) Up corner to piton and continue stemming, after sustained bridging, to the big white blob of rock, hand traverse right past piton to belay stance and rap anchor. The loose LHV to this pitch goes L from the top of the corner to a ledge, back R over difficult bulge via shallow groove, then exits L.

2. 20m (19) From ledge move back left and up corner crack to top, walk off.

Start between 'Orestes' & 'Plimsoll Line'.

Straight up to Orestes' first anchor. Beware, this route is often slimy, and the pro down low is fiddly mediocre RPs. Originally had pitons, they were eventually replaced with bolts but those were ripped out by the ethics police, so good luck...

Start: Start at the thin left-facing corner 4m right of 'Orestes'.

There is good small gear and a peg at the start of Plimsoll to get going. Traverses right past a bolt to a rest then up past a second to a runout section. Airy.

The main wall of the Atridae.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles,The Atridae Area

Start: Start beneath L side of the face at short slabby chimney.

1. 20m (20) Easy chimney then more steeply straight upwards.

2. 18m (20) 'Steep' crack to ledge. Walk off R to the 'Muldoon' rap anchor, or continue up the wall at the back of the terrace with a little roof at 4m.

Climbing about three metres right of 'Tiresias' is really good fun and should have been only 18 but for one short hard section.

Start: Start as for 'Tantalus'.

Completely redundant by today's standards...but then again it was another era back then, even pre-metric.

Start: Start just R of T.

A variant finish to 'Hell For Leather' which is more sustained and improves the original.

Start: Start as for Hell for Leather.

As for 'Tantalus' for 4m, then move L and go straight up, ending in shallow groove.

Start: Start 10m R of T.

Start: Start 10m R of 'Tiresias'.

1. 12m (7) To ledge then R up ramp.

2. 23m (7) L, over crux bulge and into chimney to finish.

Tricky start then R through bulges, finishing just L of Muldoon's final arete. It's good to do in two pitches to reduce rope drag and to better protect the second from a groundfall off the bouldery start. Rather than the long scramble approach, you can also approach up the short tough finger crack a few metres L of the start of Muldoon.

Start: Start 2m R of Tantalus. Descend from DRRB at the top of Muldoon

Very unbalanced in grade with a hard start. The top wall could be a nice direct finish for 'Surface To Air'. Was a bit controversial in its day for no good reason other than who put it up.

1. 15m (24) Boulder past bolt and up to join Surface to Air. Belay to protect the second.

2. 20m (20) Continue up Surface to Air butthen take the wall up right into a groove and on to the jugs.

Muldoon, Curved Air and Fail Safe start at the base of the Atridae and climb the Main Wall.

The other routes are on the neighbouring buttresses- Iphigenia and Clytemnaestra.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles,The Atridae Area

Can be climbed in one pitch if you have a 70m rope. In that case minimize protection on the first pitch and extend as much as possible (sensible) to reduce rope drag.

1. Up corner then traverse left along ledge with committing move around arete up to belay. Gear belay.

2. Straight up off belay, trending vaguely right through juggy terrain. Up to DRB.

34m rap from double ring bolts above the climb - 70m rope or doubles required. Can be done in two raps using a 60 and the mid-station, or walk right and down the gully.

As for Muldoon for 10m to the cave, then steeply out to slot, and up L into crack. Best descent is to use the Fail Safe DRB, otherwise continue up Muldoon to its rap anchors.

Used to be desperate and dangerous with only a manky fixed sling for protection, and first you had to get to it. Recently retroed by the FA so it’s now popular. As for Muldoon for 10m, then climb R arete of cave past 3 RB to lower-off.

Mostly not new climbing, but its another great outing on this great buttress. Much of the climb may have been climbed on the first ascent of Fail Safe.

1. 28m (17) Up Iphigenia past first steep section to rest, go 3m L to flake in the middle of the wall and up this past overhang to small ledge.

2. 12m (18) Step right, up corner, then up line. Watch the rock.

Lots of good stuff on this route. The final tower is intimidating and bold on poor rock, but you can avoid this by stepping left and up to chains. Start as for Clytemnaestra.

1. 30m (17) Up initial chimney then the shallow steep groove on L, over 2 overhangs to ledge.

2. 15m (16) Start on the left, or with some bold moves on the right, to gain the slender tower above, brittle rock, to airy exit.

The slick chimney between the Iphigenia Buttress and the Clytemnaestra Buttress.

Overhang is a bit brutal but arete is nice. OK in one pitch with care with rope mgt on first, easy section. Start as for Clytemnaestra

1. 20m (16) As for Clytemnaestra Buttress until below the overhang. Now pull through the overhang at the deep crack just R of the arete. Belay at ledge just above.

2. 20m (14) Up the L edge of the buttress, with better moves and rock than on CB.

Start as for C.

1. 20m (11) Up C for 20m to the shelf.

2. 22m (11) R then through tricky overhang and onwards.

The area uphill and to the R of Muldoon.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles,The Atridae Area

Start R of Clytemnestra at a little gully heading towards Agamemnon. Take the thin crack on the L arete. Scramble off.

Start between NPS and CitS at the base of the V-slot the trail goes up. No bridging onto the opposite wall! Bad old FH, and then the crack. You can add to the fun by finishing up Crows in the Snow.

Start on the L side of Collision Course Wall, at the top of the V-slot the trail takes, beneath a short L curving flake. Up flake for 12m to cave, then R and blindly through bulge to another cave. Finish up any other route to get off. Poor rock and gear.

Start just right of the U bolts - use the stick clip! Thin face climbing and a dyno, nice! Originally given 26 with fewer bolts and no stick-clip.

Direct finish to Gay Olympics through the roof past another FH on the lip, to loweroffs.

Start 5m L of Agamemnon. L-facing orange flakes 1m L of shrub, to striking large holes under roof. Move 1m left to breach roof at obvious under clings, then up face past old peg on the right, drift left and up till the arete is reached, then back right up face to rap anchors (30m).

An excellent birthday present from Glenn to Kevin; the best route on Collision Course wall. Climbs the wall between Collision Course and Female Friends. Take off a star if the bees return. Three bolts and some trad gear.

Either climb the pillar immediately right of Collision Course, or climb the start of Collision Course itself (better) to the horizontal ledge at about 10m.

From the right edge of the ‘holes’ recessed there, reach up to clip the first ring bolt. Straight up past this and the second ring bolt above. Continue up until able to reach right to clip the third bolt (on Female Friends). Up to the anchors (double rings) above Collision Course.

Reachy. An old route that starts as for FF to the 2nd FH then keeps traversing across to CC. Superseded by FF.

An exciting face climb that is very sustained. Start as for WoI, and move left at the FH. Up past 2nd FH then back R to a 3rd FH then loweroffs (30m).

If it weren't for the scrappy finish and the intermittent bee problems, this excellent traverse would get 2 stars. Start as for WoI then traverse the funky holes across the entire wall to the arete. Best to belay here due to drag. Finish easily up the front of buttress beside (or on) Clytemnestra Buttress, or move back R to the GG anchor.

Possibly the best crack at Arapiles. The diagonal elephant's butt crack is a classic of the genre. Start just left of Agamemnon and finish where that route does. Belaying off the rings is not ideal but there are some excellent features to sling.

A lovely cool chasm with a thrilling finish - a dramatic bridging sequence that is both run-out and exposed.

1. 15m (11) Up the blocky corner to big boulder choke.

2. 25m (11) Up wide chimney using face to the anchor (30m).

Start as per Agamemnon, finish last 5m up Electra pinnacle staying on the Northern chimney face. Small pro. Descent off the back or Rap down Agamemnon bolts as Electra chain is an awkward downclimb.

Start up inside the Agamemnon chimney, 1m L of a thin crack on the R (NW) wall. Tough move at BR then up L to short crack.

Start just R of M. Up the thin crack to PR, with difficulty to good flake, then another hard move up L. Move R to easier climbing.

Originally 18 - it's still solid at 19! The Pauligks' aid wasn't actually at the crux - theirs was an awesome effort for 1966. The appealing crack on the L side of the beautiful orange front face of the buttress. Follow crack till it finishes then step R and up Careful of the rock up higher.

Not as good as it looks unfortunately, and the bolts are hard to clip. Start a few metres R of E, and 1m L of T.

Great sustained climbing with great protection the whole way. Start a few metres right of Electra. Can lower off with 65m rope.

Up Telemachus's crack then straight up the arete above to stance. Step L below red patch and straight up the middle of the buttress to the top. Good gear at crux then run-out on easier ground.

Start around R from T. Rightwards crack to rest, L into hanging groove (BR), orange wall then L arete.

The start of Love That Pain, escaping up Necrophiliac. The rock is a bit dodgy at the start and the gear is fiddly but the climbing is OK.

...is another man's FA! Step across the block from the Necrophiliac anchor. Follow the dodgy rock across then up and over the overhang. Can belay using the Telemachus backup anchor bolt then rap from the Telemachus anchor.

Left curving crack with a few nice jams. Lower-offs (25m).

Start 1m R of Necrophiliac. The thin crack, careful of the loose block.

What's in a name?

Right of 'Cruxless Knickers' is a box corner.

Start 15m R of Necrophiliac. The crack R of a bush.

Up RftM then juggy traverse R around arete.

Great song, but the name is wasted on this route.

Walk up the gully R of the Atridae then back over the top to find a gully behind the Atridae. You are looking for the middle of a bulging orange wall on the "lefthand side" (whatever direction that may be!) of the gully, 30m up from a detached pillar.