Vie in Australia

Start at the beginning of the gully, in the gap behind Minstrel Pinnacle. Good tricky and enjoyable crack climbing, but with some questionable rock.

2m L of HITHP. One of the best grade 18's at the cliff. A little pumpy before the rooflet, but has some great moves for the grade and is very well protected.

Start 5m L of 'Desperation Wall'.

Very well protected climbing in good position for the grade. Grade 16 leaders love this route.

1. 35m 12 FHs to rap station (DBB).

2. 35m 11 FHs to rap station (Ring and chain). Use long draws to minimise drag coming under and around the rooflet

Two 60m ropes will get you back to the ledge at the start, scramble down from here. Alternatively, head up 3m from P2 anchors to bushy ledge and walk left to join up with the Caves Route.

A nice jamming session with excellent gear, starting out with hands and finishing with easy off width onto the ledge.

Fun little jug fest up the left side of the wall on a subtle arete. Starts 1.5m left of 'In Halen' at left edge of main wall.

Prominent black arete climb straight up the arete from the ground for a good time.

Up 4 bolts Lt of Grurper direct. Then traverse up and Lt past 2 more bolts to chains. DBB

Third line of bolts from the left. Rappel station at top.

Discontinuous cracks.

Start: Start just L of 'Revolver Crack'.

Up corner crack to delicate slab above. Finish at double chains.

Shared start with Pitang Pitang. Up the small arete for 3 bolts, then follow the ramp diagonally R to DRB lower-off with shackles. Likely to be stiff for the grade.

The left hand side of the boulder as you face it with your back to the cliff has 3 bolted routes. Whippersnapper is the RH route. Hard start, then up juggy wall and left to righthand anchor (clip and go).

A short powerful sequence starting on good holds at head height into a crimpy crux section to the big incut feature followed by some big moves to the top of the staircase.

This climb lies about 45m from the LH end of the cliffs. Follow 5 bolts up the overhanging arête to a lower off. Quite a pumpy little route. R.Parkyn, Aug 95.

A great wall route with excellent features. Juggy pockets to start, then a few tricky moves to gain big left facing flake. Also makes quite a nice trad route, throw a few extra cams in to protect the start.

Excellent climb with interesting moves. Follow the right arcing line. Originally graded 19, but a few people have suggested that it is a little bit easier than that.

Start 1m R of 'Play School', 1m L of 'Moonlight Dilemma'.

Retrobolted so now a nice easy beginner lead. 5 RBs to DBB.

Ring bolts to lower off on the undercut grey slab.

Several rings to lower off. If you want to access 'Sundeck' clip the lower offs and move past them to double U bolts at the base of 'Piccolo Luna'

Start: Start at inviting looking section of slabbiness.

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

Start 3m L of 'Asteroid Belt'. Marked "SE".

Follow 4 RBs, trending slightly right, to DBB. Rebolted 2014.

Start 2m L of 'Gravitational Equilibrium'. Marked "IJ".

Follow the crackline, zig-zaging a bit, clipping 4 RBs to the DBB. Rebolted 2014.

Possibly the best route on the wall. Not too cruxy, and long enough to get a good pump.

Start: 1m right of Unethical on the other side of the boulder.

Start of fin/jug and use crack to gain high edge. Up to finishing jug.

One of the few Werribee routes that deserves the star it was given in the printed guide.

Start 1m L of 'Barbara Streisand'.

Up to flake then straight up the middle of the face. Add points for style if you finish direct over the middle of the overlap, otherwise finish up Vulcan. Rebolted May 2023 Safer Cliffs Victoria

Step R to descend from Barbara's chains.

Right of Snooze. Pull over two bulges and onto the crack and slab. Romp up the nice looking orange rock to the anchors shared with Snooze. The route starts just left of the bush 2m up, watch the tree when lowering!!

A one move special, and a soft touch at the grade. Start at the obvious crack in the corner R of Humility. Up this with excellent protection to a ledge. Bumble easily to the top as for PA. Bolted belay anchor.

A scene of several serious accidents over the past years. The second route ever climbed at the cliff.

1. An easy hand crack leads to the first of several ledges. Up the line of least resistance to a dark, tight v-groove. Up this with much grunting and difficulty. The gear in the groove is excellent, although it can be problematic to place due to the tight nature of the chimney and the positions you can get yourself into! Gear belay on top of the pillar.

2. Up the beautiful hand crack to a ledge system. Up easily to DBB.

Rap to the ground on two ropes, or stop at the Impulse anchor if required.

Excellent sustained climbing up the line with great pro. A borderline classic. There are two striking cracks on the wall on the left side of Colosseum Wall - this is the left one.

Ann Pauligk's 1977 ascent was the first Aussie female ascent at this grade.

Up and right through the overhang to the big ledge. You can also go straight up, of course, doing it the easy way. But, who would want to do it the easy way? The third bolt, hidden in a big pocket, is visible from the ledge.

Start: Start at left end of overhang below overhanging block.

A beautiful route on great rock. Start: 5 meters right of the corner - directly below the obvious butterfly feature high on the wall.

Quality sustained crimpy climbing. Start a couple of meters right of YWSYLS. Seeps longer than most climbs here after heavy rain.

The slightly overhung corner. Beware snapping holds especially on the poorly protected start.

Start: Just L of Melville's Cave.

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

ACCESS: To locate the base of this climb head left of Slider gully for approx 50m till you hit the obvious inlet in rock. Solo up rock and scrub for 20m till you hit the base of the wall. Move left up 4th class for 15m till you're just left of the white streak. The route is the first route directly left of the white streak. Look for the first bolt about 2 metres off the ground. The climb starts here.

ABOUT: A neighbour to the somewhat more adventurous Burning Man, this climb offers a long adventure route that is great for beginners or those looking for a cruisy day in the mountains!

Originally starting further left and higher up, the FA was lead on head piece trad placements in what can only be described as a solid "adventure"! However, the start of the original climb didn't allow easy access and a better way was sought. Eventually a 4 pitch variant start was found just to the left of Burning Man which met with the original line on the exposed south face ridge. The route is fully equipped however you will need to sling a boulder for the top of pitch 8.

Take 10 draws and a couple of extenders.

As this is a new route beware of loose rock.

RETREAT You can rap the route with a 60m rope from the top of pitch 7. It is not advisable to rap from pitch 8 - either scramble up loose rocky path to tourist track or scramble down LHS of buttress to pitch 7 anchors and rap. Complete final rap to the base from an intermediate rap anchor on pitch two.

1. 27m 17 Straight up past 7 hangers and 2 distinct cruxes, then move left through two more hangers to anchor.

2. 20m 10 Traverse up and left past 1 hanger & 1 rap anchor before climbing through scrub to base of wall.

3. 25m 12 Hard move off the deck, then follow easy ground up start of ridge.

4. 26m 12 Fun moves past the first hanger, then fantastic climbing up airy ridge to belay.

5. 28m 14 Up easy ground before trending right to anchor.

6. 28m 14 Straight up! Enjoy the funky moves over the pillar.

7. 28m 15 Head up past hanger, then scramble through a small patch of bush with option to sling tree (bolts follow after tree). Super fun moves up slab to final belay anchor.

8. 30m 15 Straight off the belay, look for secret holds. Climb with style past 2 hangers to the top of the buttress and carefully choose your belay.

To exit, continue up the ridge (being mindful of the abundance of loose rocks) for another 40m to meet the tourist track where hikers will ask about your adventure in awe.

Start 10m right of Melville's Cave. Climb the rotten crack and go through the overhang at the top.

Up the scoop.

There's not many roofs you can get a hands-free rest on. This popular testpiece is located 5m L of WOF and 1m R of arête below overhanging, triangular prow below roof. Up and out the prow (awesome jughandle threads) then move into roof flake while copping that rest with a styleboss leg-hook maneuver over the top of the prow. Clip RB on lip and then power up the wall above (RB) to ledge. Wade carefully through the lichen up and R to the recently installed rap station.

Start up slabby crack clipping UB before ledge. Lean out clipping second UB, then juggy climbing up the black featured wall past two more UBs before moving L to join MKK at its final bolt. Lower off as for MKK.

A very popular link-up test piece of the wall. Climb up Wailer to it's final bolt, traverse right and join into The Final Piece. Fire The Final Piece crux and add or skip the final piece of gear (if you dare the run-out). Absolute classic pumpy link-up.

[Dec. 2011 - all new steel ring bolts & lower offs]

Up the wall without deviation to the side (the middle of the wall between 'Iria' and 'Nursery') - a couple of fine moves . Pull onto wall using 3 finger pocket and clip the 1st ring, then a deadpoint to reach a nice flake. Move slightly left for toe hold and reach up for the edge, clipping 2nd ring. Up to ledge, clip bolt on very short block and reach up to the ring belay.

Layback corner then L into the "condemned cell", which takes some escaping! Great moves continue above, trending slightly L. Top anchor is several bits of rope/tat with a mallion. Walk over the top of the pinnacle, with a short down-climb to a rap anchor behind boulder.

Start: Start at the L-facing corner at the R end of the main face.

A route on this pinnacle for the mere mortal. A fun climb!

A strenuous and rewarding test piece jamming problem. Brilliant gear and tricky finger locks see you to a good stance at 2/3 height. Finish easily. Rap off DBB directly above the route.

Start from the big belay ledge down hill from Saxicoline. Stick clip the first bolt, climbing upwards to a good rest. The wall gets “off vertical”, as you make your way across the “shield” feature. Classic moves all the way, punching upwards to the high anchor.

Absolute class! This fine sweeping corner is one of the best routes on the cliff. The climb offers magnificent bridging and laybacking, with strenuous thin hand jams and locks just to make your day! Superb protection the whole way settles the nerves... a little!

A good introduction to lead climbing, 11 RBs lead to a pumpy and steep finish, mantle then a top belay.

Start: 5m L of LFTS.

Top-out at abseil rings 4-6. Headwall might be a bit stiff for the grade, use extenders on the last two bolts to reduce drag if belaying a second.

The easiest climb on the cliff. Wander up the line of least resistance to the right of RAA. It's also a good way to get to Plume Ledge quickly.

Crack to horizontal break, then go 2m right and up crack.

Start: 1m left of small cave on the grey wall just left of the descent gully.

Start 2m L of 'Lunar Eclipse'. Marked "EH".

Climb straight up right of the large loose block, then tend slightly left above this, to the DBB shared with SD. 4 RBs. Rebolted 2014.

[Dec. 2011 - ring bolt lower offs added] Run-out and slightly contrived but excellent. Tricky start onto thin wall and clip. Up the middle of (without pulling left onto the arete for a rest!). Up the easy ground (bolt) to pull over final easy overhang to lower offs.

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.

Marked DM. Climb starts approximately 1m left of "The Whorl". Very steep start off cairn into roof then up using handlebar hold then up the juggy arête. 3 ringbolts then right at top to shared anchor with The Whorl.

The steep orange corner facing L.

Start 0.5m R of OC.

Up the middle of the yellow and grey face to the right of the gully and 5 metres left of Kedumba Sisters.

One of the best sport route of this grade in the Grampians. Brilliant, but unfortunately it seeps very heavily after rain.

Starts just left of black streak on far left end of the Pocketed Wall. Scramble up and place a sling thread for safety before the first bolt and belay from there or else directly from the bottom. Rebolted 2023 (with a couple of retrobolts added in the final section).

Start 2m L of 'Pommy Bastard'.

Follow the line of 4 RBs to DBB. The crux is a difficult onsight but much easier on repeat.

Ringbolts starting just R of TMAAL. A weird looking line which climbs really well. Make sure you bring your kneepads for this one. Popular.

The curving corner just left of Boulder Bridge.

Climb left of the flake

Another crag classic. Made even more so after rebolting. Up through pockets then 'blank' wall to finish. Start: 1m right of 'Natasha'. Anchor added on slab on left.

The steep and sustained L-facing corner. Great.

The first climb on the cliff. This is the lefthand route starting off the boulder, above the 'historical' graffiti! The direct start has been done!

1 metre right of 'Summer Breeze', 5 bolts with a balancy start up to DBB. Crack at the top takes a cam around Camalot #2 size if you'd like to avoid the very slightly runout finish. Make sure to extend anchor if toproping.

This route links the start of Ernest in Africa into the top of Chase the Lady. High first bolt, can be accessed along the ledge from Madge.

Great beginner's route.

Start as for 'Sickle' and go up this a little way then step left to short ramp then up shallow corner. Climbing it direct is around grade 8, but has no protection.

Regularly recommended to those who can't jam. Start 3m right of Pedro. Layback and jam the water-washed corner, with technical moves L around the roof.

The leftmost route on the wall. Follow the U bolts left toward the arete and then back slightly right to the anchors.

Quite good. The abseil route comes down the first pitch so watch out for traffic and don't monopolise the bolt anchors if the area is busy. Start at a wide crack just left of the block leaning against the cliff.

1. 20m (11) Up crack and bulge then dicky moves past bolt to ledge and bolt anchors.

2. 40m (10) Steep groove on left then up wall, veering right-wards to finish.

Start: Start 2m L of Visions Of A Transmitter below the tree at 5m. A superb climb up an exposed face crack which is easier than it looks. Climb the juggy face for 40m until the final crack section makes things a little tricky. Belay off chains. The protection is good, but because the rock is a bit weak, be sure to place a lot and make sure it's bomber. Rap off with double ropes or walk off the summit.

Start: Start from the olive tree. Up the open corner. Great introductory route.

The gear is good from the crack up, but below that...

Start: Start 5m L of Fang, just R of the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress'.

Steep power packet. All rings to lower offs.

Really fun punchy little climb. Starts on the left side of the big hanging down boob/udder at the back right side of the cave. Stick clip the first bolt as a tumble down the slope will make the walk out very unpleasant.

The R crack.

Start: 10m left of the large block that leans on the main face.

1. 20m (19) Up slab.

2. 20m (18) Up wall to ledge.

3. 15m (17) Up arete

If you climb with double 50's you can abseil straight off the rings. A 50m rope reaches the ground.

Protection is generally reasonable but pitch 2 is sparsely protected.

Start below the right-leaning flake that leads into the chimney marking the left edge of the 'Left Watchtower Face'.

1. 24m (8) Up and over right-leaning crack at 5 metres and continue to juggy ground. Belay on right arete.

2. 30m (13) Step right onto main face and climb diagonally right on clean rock past 2 bolts and belay at third bolt.

3. 32m (14) Traverse right and go up to big ledge below Siren's corner.

4. 50m (13) Go up Siren's corner for about 25 metres then traverse right along weakness to bolt, or climb diagonally right to the same point. Either belay at the bolt (bad idea) or climb over horizontal breaks then up right to good ledge. Note that originally this pitch traversed from the bolt over to what is now 'Antigone'.

5. 35m (12) Go right along ledge to left-leading diagonal crack that leads up through the summit roof.

Start of the left hand end of the cave. Carrot to belay from. Climb finishes at first DRB. The second set of anchors is for the other routes.

On the left side of the arete. Plenty of bolts. Plenty of jugs. Good beginner lead climb.

2m R. Stickclip first bolt. Independent (and tricky) start up black wall. Once through, romp up to rest ledge. When ready, tackle the headwall.

Start up Bondage and Discipline until the roof. Then climb straight up on good but well spaced holds (a little harder if your short) & finish at General Benefit chains.

Hard start. Up steep wall past five U-bolts, keeping R of bulge at the top, to double U-bolt belay. Holds have broken off the start, increasing the grade from 18.

Start 10m R of RS at the right side of roofs. 6 Ubolts to lower off.

Tricky stuff up and around the arete. Probably best to finish on anchors as for GGG. 3 new RBs

Start: On rounded arete

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.

Start 2m L of 'Interstellar Journey'. Marked "SC".

Easier than 'Gravitational Equilibrium' and much easier than 'Worm Hole'. Follow the bolts, traversing R at the top to the 'Interstellar Journey' DBB. Rebolted 2014.

A very long, sustained, bridging classic that requires a three-dimensional approach. The polished corner facing north (morning shade). If you have only a 50m rope belay in the alcove 3m off the ground to make sure you don't run out of rope. There is a rap station on the L when you get to the ledge (50m). Be careful of the large loose block at the belay. It seems well keyed in but treat with caution. Use similar caution with a few other blocks envcountered during the pitch.

If you only have a single rope, you can do two abseils (2x30m) from the DRB to the left atop Antiques Roadshow. Please don't use the old exit left up the gully to Flinders Lane as it acts as a funnel for rocks onto the climbs below. Consider Kestrel Alternate Finish as an easy way to get to Flinders Lane.

As 'Boogie Knights (Original)', but exiting right of the horn via jugs as on 'Sloper-Dan Milosevic'. Significantly easier finish than the original.

Start: Sit

Mauricio Chino

The obvious line up the scoops immediately above the trad grade 10 corner at path level. 12m as a sport route from the scramble onto block, about 20m from path level including easy corner (no bolts till ledge). Plenty of bolts on headwall and good climbing.

The wide crack just R of the arete. A better jamming testpiece than The Rack. There's good gear but beware that cams have a habit of skating out of the polished rock so avoid flaring or merely parallel placements.

This is not a well protected route. There have been a number of accidents on it and there are better choices if you are looking for routes of this grade (Electric Lead, Electronic Flag, Devil's Wart) Up the first corner to a ledge. From here, most people step into the middle line under the R edge of a huge chock stone-like flake. Up this with increasing difficulty to rest. Alternatively, you can go up SC for a move or two and step in L. From here, blast up the chock stone filled corner, and then easily to the chains at the tree.

M5, R6, M6, R7, L3, R4, M4

Nice, juggy warm up.

Starts 3m right of the trench ('Locris'). Follow the FH, then up to anchor. 5th bolt added Dec 2016 on request of FA.

1. 10m. Scramble up to the ledge on the NE side of the Moai.

2. 20m. Climb the corner onto the pedestal then up to the bolt. From the bolt move right 1m then up via a flake. Trend rightward to another bolt then straight up. Use the anchors of 'Ancient Astronaught' to belay/rappel (a single 50m rope doubled just makes it down). Take a small selection of small to mid-sized SLCDs.

Note: the first bolt is currently loose, the rap chains seem pretty lightweight.

R.Eberhard, R.Parkyn, Aug/94.