★★ Storms at Sea 21

Harder, scarier and simply much better than "Two Boys One Skyhook". Enjoy challenging moves, good gear, fearful exposure and glorious ocean views on this excellent route. This was the original vision for this wall first conceived back in 2016. Back then it seemed too hard, but with time all things are possible.

Recommended rack (in addition to anchor, belay and rescue gear): ten quickdraws, five bolt hangers and a set of camalots/friends from 0.3 to 4, with doubles of 0.5, 1 and 2. No nuts needed.

1. 20m (18) As for "Two Boys One Skyhook" but continue past the belay to another pair of rings on the orange face above and to the right.

2. 20m (21) Clip the carrot and then execute a tricky move (crux) to get up onto the face. Do your second a favour and put in a cam (and leave it in) so they don't have to do the crux without swing-prevention protection. Clip a carrot and step delicately left, then climb upwards (the #4 is useful here). Mantle into the choss break then step left, clip a carrot, then, from the arete, reach up and clip another. Step right onto the orange face again and then continue up to the small belay ledge via a tricky hand traverse.

3. 15m (19) Head upwards through some greenery and into the corner crack. Go up the crack and step right at the top to follow the crack around the edge of the "Sword of Damocles" block, and, with great relief, gain the double bolt belay.

4. 10m (17) Step left, then climb up some suspect rock onto a ledge under an overhang. Don't belay from the first set of double rings, but instead step left a few metres to belay at another set of double rings.

5. 15m (17) A tricky move to leave the belay ledge, then clip a ring bolt and climb up to the crack. Put a last piece in nice and high, then pull yourself over the edge then scramble to the top. Belay off carrots.

The modern climbing scene and all the access issues that go with it requires modern ethic and all climbers should familiarise themselves with general good crag etiquette to ensure access is maintained into the future.

The following is a short summary for the area:

• The Wollongong area has a historical mix of sport, trad, and bouldering, with fully bolted sport routes emerging as the dominant form in the last decade
• Do not bolt or rebolt existing trad or bouldering routes
• No chipping of the rock to alter the difficulty of a route or create new routes. Loose or dangerous rock may be removed with careful discretion
• Top rope and lower-off through your own gear. Fixed anchor protection to be used for final lower off only to minimise wear
• Minimise excessive chalk usage and make brushing of holds a regular routine. Consider using alternative chalk colours to minimise visual impact
• Do not bush-bash new access trails, stick to existing marked trails where possible
• Do not remove vegetation, both from around cliff bases and on the cliff. Brushing down built-up lichen, dirt and chalk off existing routes is acceptable maintenance
• Do not leave rubbish or gear at the crag. Gear left may be confiscated by NPWS
• Respect any announced closures of tracks, cliffs and areas in the region
• Don’t play loud music at the crag, consider the amenity of nearby climbs and non-climbers alike
• Speak up against anti-social behaviour, unsafe behaviour, or other activities that threaten access – contact your local advocacy association - ACANSW
• Rebolting shall only be carried out by suitably competent and trained persons. The minimum standard is 316 stainless U-bolt or ring eye-bolts with pure epoxy glue. Refer to http://www.safercliffs.org
• Remember you are responsible for your own safety, and the safety of your friends!

Learn more at https://www.cliffcare.org.au/education