The Preying Priest 15

This route takes the prominent large slab at the far left of Mackey's Lookout Slabs (as seen from the road below). The climbing is good but the access is not.

Follow the walking track along the top past Mackey's Lookout, past the Stiletto Slab cairn, cross the creek and continue to the eastern most point (where the track swings back and passes behind a boulder). Bash down ridge for about 40 minutes until you come to the top of the slabs, then continue down the right side (facing out) to the base of the slabs (about another hour). The first pitch is on a lower slab just below the larger expanse.

1. 50m (15) Start is marked with a purple ribbon tied to a shrub. Good luck finding it! Up centre of slab past floating flake at 15m (2" cam below, nut above) then run it out (30m), to top of slabs and belay in bushes. Bash a further 15m through scrub and up chimney (grade 4), to wooded ledge. You are now beneath the main big slab.

2. 60m (15) Restart at hole 15m L of cave. Classic slabbing straight up to dyke (no pro), then up easily to L-leading trench. Belay on chockstone (body belay).

3. 55m (9) Up following L-leading line (good pro), then at 30m follow stylish R-leading dyke across the slab to belay at bushes above short overlap. Big dropoff on R.

4. 65m (11) Up thin seam 3m L of bushy line, then follow huge dyke upwards (L of distinct water runnel), to belay at flake below headwall.

5. 45m (9) R and up easily (no pro) to belay in trees at top. Bash up and R to track.

Climbing here varies from trad climbing, mainly up obvious lines and features, to sport climbing up slabs and sections of rock impossible to protect with natural gear. Of course, there are lots of climbs protected with a mixture of trad gear augmented with occasional bolt runners. Given that the trad ethic is still strong here, and the continuing need to minimize our environmental climbing 'footprint', please avoid unilateral decisions to retro-bolt and be restrained in using fixed protection when establishing new routes.