Wollondilly River Valley Guide

Start: Corner crack immediately L of clump of trees. 1, 2, 3 Follow obvious crack/corner system - cannot remember much more about it.

Two top pitches compensate for the first. Start: In gully hidden behind large clump of trees.

1. 28m Up left crack to tree, then left.

2. 38m Corner crack immediately above gully.

3. 34m Corner crack then as will to top.

Details of route unknown except for diagram in B.Allens guidebook. It is probably that Orchgasm and Orchid Route are the same climb.

Follow grade rather than line. Start: Base of Orchid Gully - unmarked.

1. 35m Up corner 10 metres, traverse right then up. Pass two pitons on right to ledge.

2. 25m Up wall 7 metres, traverse right to arete and crack, up. Across to ledge.

3. 20m Up to steep crack, onto slab left of nose.

4. 20m Up corner, traverse to end of nose. Around corner and up.

Two interesting pitches -- top traverse induces concentration. Start: Diagonal crack left of Central Buttress.

1. 35m Right up diagonal crack - belay tricky.

2. 35m Left up diagonal crack into corner, up to small roof left across wall, around nose and up. RP's and hammer useful on wall.

Good climbing in a great situation. Start: In fig tree at base of Central Butress

1. 30m Up to top of tree.

2. 15m Up crack to bulge, left 3 metres, then diagonally right to crack and ledge.

3. 25m (crux) Up as you will.

4. 15m Up short wall then right to small ledge.

5. and

6. 40m Up to top.

Good looking crack, overgrown at present. Start: About 10m left of, and 7m down gully from Hercules.

1. 30m Steep wall and thin cracks to small ledge.

2. 30m Up to where cracks become choked. Up on blocks and flakes on wall to ledge.

3. 30m (crux) Crack behind to top of pinnacle. Crack above is strenuous.

A magnificent line. The only climb J.E. recommended in his keynote talk at Escalade. Start: THE corner in Square Gully.

1. 40m Up to roof, left to ledge.

2. 30m Up to overhang, over bulge then flaky rock and chimney to final roofs and corner to top.

Start: Crack about 10 metres to right of Hercules. Obvious crack/chimney for which I have no description as Keith cannot remember much about it. However, if you cannot find your way up this line you should not be here.

Too dangerous-----not recommended. Start: Middle of rear wall in Square Gully.

1. 16m Aid up to flake.

2. 8m Mixed climbing to large block/flake. N.B. This block moves!

3. 36m Up flake to slab and wall to ledge.

4. 8m Right to belay point.

The first climb on the cliff. Start: On right side of Square Gully.

1. 20m Dirty gully behind tree, then crack.

2. 30m Steep ramp.

3. 60m Chimney to right of steep crack.

4. 15m Dirty crack.

5. 25m (crux) Up easy gully to overhang.

Enjoyable wall and slab climbing up front of buttress. Start: Left end of Odyssey Buttress.

1. 25m (crux) Straight up to ledge, around to large tree.

2. 8m Back down and into crack to large blocks. 3, 17m Up crack, right onto wall, then up as will.

Easiest way up second biggest buttress. Two good pitches. Start: Middle of wall on Odyssey Buttress.

1. 30m (crux) Up wall heading left to tree.

2. 15m Layback up.

3. 18m Left of belay, up blocks.

4. 18m Up corner to ledge.

5. 18m Up overhang to op.

Two reasonably good pitches --- recommended. Start: Corner crack on right side of Odyssey Buttress.

1. 20m (crux) Up crack into corner.

2. 30m Up corner to large ledge. Climb as will OR abseil down gully to left.

Highly recommended. Start: On right side of Odyssey Buttress.

1. 25m (crux) Up steep thin corner.

2. 25m Up twin hand cracks.

3. 25m Up right side of pillar.

4. 25m Up corner.

Aka "Heart Of Darkness" From the second belay on Odyssey, crawl right and up the ridge and around to the second belay on Command Performance, through horrendous vegetation. Continue up CP.

First pitch O.K. Start: Corner hidden behind left side of third buttress.

1. 25m (crux) Straight up corner crack.

2. 25m Up and right to largish tree.

3. 30m Up behind tree OR abseil off.

First pitch is quite good. Start: Left side of third buttress.

1. 25m Up wall and crack.

2. 25m Past loose rock, then wall and slab. 3 and 4. 40m As for Wanderlust OR abseil off.

Short but interesting. Start: Second crack on third buttress.

1. 15m Up groove, then right, up wall to small stance.

2. 20m Up twin crack then as you will.

Some interest. Start: As for Face Value but move right.

1. 30m Follow steep crack to ledge, then as for Face Value.

First climb on third buttress.

1. 30m Up 7m then right to thin crack then right to another crack then right to ledge.

2. 12m Onto pinnacle then wall left of detached pinnacle.

3. 15m Short wall.

4. 25m Tree and wall left of corner, up corner till right move onto wall, up to large block. Slab on left to finish.

Short but pleasant. Start: Crack on right side of third buttress.

1. 25m Up to roof, then right, up flake then to tree on left.

One of the better ways up the third buttress. Start: Corner-crack right of third buttress.

1. 23m Up corner-crack.

2. 15m Left into corner-crack, up to tree.

3. 23m (crux) Obvious corner.

4. 19m Rightish to crack, up to top.

A short but pleasant climb. Start: Left side of fourth buttress.

1. ? Left of two cracks to chimney and tree, then to ledge.

2. ? (crux) Straight up.

A pleasant companion route to Striptease. Start: Corner-crack at very top of Striptease Gully.

1. 30m (crux) Up small overhang and crack. Right to chimney. Up to tree.

2. 24m Scramble up to small corner, up, then left along crack to ledge.

3. 24m Up wall keeping to obvious crack.

Ho-hum. Start: Short crack on left wall of terrace.

Another ho-hum. Start: Curving crack at rear of terrace.

1. 15m Up crack then left easily to tree.

Harder than it looks. Start: Right side of Striptease Gully on Isolated Buttress.

1. 20m Up blocks to below tree, left then up crack to top.

Exactly. Start: Offwidth crack on left side of Isolated Buttress.

1. 30m Straight up.

Better than it looks. Start: Front of Isolated Buttress.

1. 42m Rightish up corner to blocks, up to tree right, then crack to tree to top.

A bouldery start. Start: 6m right of Hotchpotch.

1. 10m Up crack and corner.

Should be freed. Start: Thin crack on right front of buttress.

1. 35m Up crack.

A fair corner and crack. Start: Right side of Isolated Buttress.

1. 21m (crux) Up to tree.

2. 19m Crack behind tree.

The finish is tree-ific. Start: Right side of Isolated Buttress.

1. 30m Up corner, then rightish to tree belay.

Another ho-hum. Start: Right side of Isolated Buttress.

1. 15m Up crack then through tree.

Always in the shade. Start: Right corner in gully east of Isolated Buttress.

1. 20m Up corner and right ledge, then up to top veering left.

An easy way up the left wall. Start: Immediately above pool.

1. 40m Follow series of corners and ledges.

Grade is for when a drought is on. Start: Just follow the stream - it is the actual falls.

1. 20m Chimney through hole, up to ledge.

2. 20m Up to next ledge.

3. 20m (crux) Rightish then up. 4,5,6. 100m Easily up.

4. 15m Bridge onto block, right into corner and up.

Some enjoyable moves on steepish, black wall. Start: First crack on right wall in the black gully.

1. 42m (crux) Straight up.

2. 13m Left to abseil tree.

An enjoyable meander that stays just left of nose all the way to the top. Start: Crack immediately above the pool.

1. 20m Up corner to steep part, then left, up to belay.

2. 25m Onto block, then across to tree.

3. 25m Up as will to large ledge.

4. 30m (crux) Up cracks right on nose, then left and up to trees.

5. 5m Up to largest tree.

6. 25m Up corner above tree.

7. 20m To top as will.

The rock gives the climb its name. Start: Left side of Green Gully.

1. 15m Up crack to ledge.

2. 5m To top.

A very good climb. Start: The major corner-crack on right side of Green Gully.

1. 20m Up wide corner to ledge.

2. 30m (crux) Up great corner, belay at roof.

3. 30m Climb roof via huge wedged blocks to left, up weakness to ledges.

Top pitch is a good wall and crack. Start: On eastern side of Green Gully, the corner behind the tree.

1. 30m Up corners to largish horizontal tree.

2. 20m (crux) Crack left of tree - straight up.

Top pitch is enjoyable. Start: Left of nose on Flight Deck.

1. 20m Tight chimney to crack, up corner to ledge and tree.

2. 5m Across to trees.

3. 20m (crux) Rightish to small wall, up to corner, to double cracks, left to wider crack, then up.

A quick way to get to the Flight Deck. Start: Through the tree, high to right of pool. 1 and 2 Just follow the easiest way through the vegetation.

First climb on Flying Buttress. Kevin had celebrated his twenty-fifth year of climbing just two days previously. Start: Centre of lower wall - directly below obvious central crack and corner.

1. 35m Up corner-crack.

2. 30m Through the tree to slop then as will to base of main corner.

3. 20m Mixed tree and rock climbing to ledge with gum tree.

4. 20m (crux) Up cracks, then right up to large ledge.

5. 25m Rightish onto flake and pinnacle, back onto wall then up to large ledge. Around to the right of summit blocks.

6. 15m Up blocks to right OR straight up crack.

A varied and enjoyable series of corners and cracks up front of Flying Buttress. Start: Marked. At left sloping ramp, goes straight above marker.

1. 25m Up slab to thin crack and corner.

2. 30m To widish corner-crack then series of crack in steep wall.

3. 20m (crux) Easiest looking crack - slightly overhanging, up to tree.

4. 45m Series of crack and corners tending slightly left.

A way to Flight Deck. Original start corner/crack further left and down. Start: As for Flight of Fancy.

1. 30m Diagonally left to nose of buttress.

2. 30m Up as will.

Variety of pitches, including three "steps" at top. Start: Marked. As for Peewee - move left to original line, up cracks etc.

1. 35m Up to large ledge.

2. 18m Either crack to ledge.

3. 15m Corner to small tree.

4. 20m Corner-crack to ledge, slightly left, up to largish ledge.

5. 12m First of three steps.

6. 15m (crux) Second step.

7. 25m Third step - chimney.

A couple of very enjoyable pitches. Start: Marked. At 'open space' at righthand end of Flying Buttress - chose your own line through variety of cracks and corners. 1 and 2. 50m Choice of cracks and corners to ledge - wide corner plus 2 cracks in red wall.

1. 20m Left to small tre, up behind this, right past overhang then up to ledge.

2. 30m Right to main line - short wall then slabbish corner.

3. 15m (crux) Onto block then up crack.

4. 25m Up corner, on block, across to cracks, up.

A hard and varied route. Start: Obvious yellow ramp on right of Flying Buttress.

1. 10m Up to ramp.

2. 40m Yellow ramp to large block, up cracks to left.

3. 10m (crux) Finger crack in orange wall.

4. 10m Corner and cracks.

Easy way to top. Start: Left end of Nest.

1. 25m Up crack into corner then chimney.

Superb rock.

1. 25m Follow easy crack right of Sparrow.

Start: Right of Scallywag.

1. 25m To ledge, widish crack to roof, right, then squeeze to top.

Good climbing on good rock. Start: Obvious corner out of Nest.

1. 8m Crack and corner.

2. 17m Straight up.

Steep crack. Start: As for Leading Edge.

1. 15m Thin crack in right wall.

Flake is superb rock. Start: Corner below obvious flake and tree.

1. 15m (crux) Up to tree.

2. 15m Up flake to top.

A fair climb. Start: Diagonal corner-crack in right side of Nest.

1. 12m Up corner to ledge.

2. 18m (crux) Follow diagonal crack.

Two fair pitches. Stat: Right of Fools Errand. Cross over Fools Errand at belay.

1. 10m (crux) Up corner, left to block.

2. 20m Straight up to top of tower.

Pleasant first pitch. Start: Overhang behind tree.

1. 13m Up crack.

2. 14m (crux) Corner-crack at rear.

Good fun. Start: Crack opposite summit pinnacle.

1. 10m Up crack.

Felt harder than 18 to me. Start: Orange corner in left end of middle ledge on Raven Wall.

1. 20m Up cracks then left into corner.

Thin climbing on steep black wall. Start: Left end of Raven Wall, below overhanging gum tree.

1. 20m Up black seam past bolt.

More enjoyable than it looks - thankfully. Start: As for Wonga Crack.

1. 50m Easily up to tree, onto higher ramp, left to corner, then up to large ledge.

2. 18m (crux) Up orange wall, into corner, up to tree.

3. 18m Widish corner-crack, to ledge then right to back of ledge.

4. 20m Delightful chimney to top.

First climb on the crag. Part of first pitch has fallen down. May need re-grading. Start: Obvious crack in middle of wall.

1. 25m Up to, and around, bulge to top of block.

2. 10m Corner to ledge.

3. 15m To tree.

4. 25m (crux) Obvious crack to ledge.

5. 15m Up as will to top.

Two reasonable slab/wall pitches. Start: Immediately right of Wonga Crack.

1. 45m Up black wall to piton, slightly left to ledge.

2. 45m Up Wonga Crack to rising traverse line - across this.

A good first pitch then easily to top. Start: Marked. Fairly obvious leftwards slanting weakness leading to thin crack.

1. 25m (crux) Up wall to ledge.

2. 10m Right, then corner to shrubs.

3. 35m Corner and crack.

4. 20m Up as will to top.

Enjoyable slab/wall. Start: Thin crack and weakness about 20 metres right of Wonga Crack.

1. 30m Follow line to tree. Either abseil off OR up as will to top.

Very enjoyable slab and corner. Start: Marked. As for Dance Of The Butterfly, but moves right at 7 metres.

1. 40m (crux) Up 7m, rightish to small tree, slightly left, up to ledge.

2. 40m Corners behind blocks, then corner and crack in black wall.

Third pitch provides interest. Start: Easy looking crack at right end of Raven Wall.

1. 10m Up to tre.

2. 15m Up corners to largish ledge.

3. 10m (crux) Orange corner.

4. 45m Left to crack, then to corner, to top.

An enjoyable, easy climb. Follows grade rather than line. Start: Corner just into gully at far end of wall.

1. 25m Corner-crack to ledge.

2. 10m Left over block into wide corner, to ledge.

3. 35m Left around nose to crack, to corner, up to top.

Start: Short corner on lower right side of buttress. Route follows easiest line up the buttress - that is all I can remember about it.

A long, fairly easy chimney. Start: Gully separating Middle and Bowerbird Buttresses.

1. 13m Chimney past two lots of blocks.

2. 20m Up to large blocks.

3. 35m To blocks, through at rear, up to grassy slope.

4. ? Up grassy gully to top.

Good climbing in a grand situation! Start: Up ramp at base of buttress, to tree.

1. 20m Onto ledge then into corner, up to small ledge.

2. 20m Continue to larger ledge.

3. 17m Up to roof - poor belay!

4. 18m (crux) Out under roof then up.

Superb line. Start: The orange crack system with small overhang. Giles does not remember much about the route, so I cannot give you a description.

A wandering route. Start: Middle of front of buttress.

1. 6m Scramble up to blank corner.

2. 10m (crux) Up then into crack in right wall, to slopey ledge.

3. 40m Right to widish crack, up, then diagonally left, up corner to tree.

4. 24m Up twin cracks.

First climb on Bowerbird Buttress. Follows grade rather than line. Start: Right end of buttress. Large flake and weakeness to tree.

1. 18m Up to large tree.

2. 18m Crack to nose, then left to largish ledge.

3. 20m Left into corner-crack, to tree then right to corner.

4. 20m (crux) Up corner.

Thin and steep. Good looking line. Start: As for Sericulus.

1. 18m Up to tree.

2. 35m (crux) Thin crack then wall and over block.

3. 15m Thin black crack and small roof.

Will be reasonable climb when fully cleaned. Start: Corner left of Silvertail.

1. 30m Leftish up corner to below tree, then left into smaller corner-crack, to tree.

2. 35m (crux) Left into crack, to wall, to corner, to slight overhang, to ledge.

3. 10m Up corner.

Second pitch worthwhile. Start: Just left of Silvertail.

1. 30m Leftish up corner to tree.

2. 30m (crux) Into corner-chimney, to ledge, across and up to chimney.

3. 10m To top.

Should be a good beginners climb when fully cleaned. Start: As for Main Route.

1. 30m Leftish up corner to tree.

2. 10m Rightish across chimney to crack and flake, up to tree.

3. 20m Left to corner crack.

A first rate crack and climb. Start: Obvious hand size crack.

1. 42m Straight up.

Looks harder than 20. Start: Corner right of Silvertail.

1. 50m Up to roof, thin crack and pockets to tree.

A good first pitch, the second is a shocker. Start: Thin crack in wall 10m left of Condor Corner.

1. 15m (crux) Up thin crack, 2 rests.

2. 45m Up wide crack in orange wall.

An interesting first pitch. Big gear needed. Start: Obvious, largish corner on point of Peregrine.

1. 40m Straight up.

2. 15m Up again, widish bulge.

Looks a bit scrubby. Start: Corner right of Condor Corner.

1. ? Up corner to tree.

2. ? Right, up rubbish, or escape right.

A bit of a grunt.

1. 40m Crack/chimney between wall and left side of protruding buttress.

Top section is worthwhile.

1. 40m Widish crack/chimney on left of protruding buttress.

First section OK.

1. 40m Double crack on front of protruding buttress.