Nodi in Preludes Wall

The grey wall R of Reaper Buttress. Easy access, full-time shade, some nice easy routes and intriguing pillars at the belay ledge all guarantee the popularity of this wall. However, beware the patches of spooky fragile rock.

Emergency Location: Mount Arapiles, Preludes Area

Start at the top left end of the wall, 3m R of the major chimney (Red Parrot Chasm - described on the Reaper Buttress page).

1. 30m 12. Up the wide crack then through sculpted territory, eventually stepping left to rap anchor on ledge.

2. 20m 11. Finish up the gross wall with no pro, or move L to finish up the chimney.

First pitch/rap off point is a little longer than the 25m mentioned in the 2008 Arapiles Selected Climbs guidebook. A 60m rope still easily touches ground though.

Start 5m R of Red Parrot Chasm on the juggy water-washed slab. Climb the white streak to a two bolt lower-off.

Start 1m R of SC. Trend a bit R to a smooth grey bulge with no pro (the gully just to the R is NOT an escape gully despite appearances). Walk R to the rap station at the L end of the Pillars.

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.

This airy arête can be a second pitch to Native Companion, or an alternative finish to Transylvania. It’s the prominently visible arête directly above Subliminal Cut.

From the first belay of Transylvania, move left and climb arête all the way.

Good fun with fairly good protection. Start 12m R of Subliminal Cut, just right of the large block leaning against the cliff, or under the block itself. Up the wall past the right side of the block. Smooth slab, crux, from ledge on top of the block (there is a wire but short people will have to get up to it) then easier ground up line of least resistance to the headwall. Step left and climb diagonally left to the rap anchors.

Start 3m R of the big block. Short thin seam and up to ledge.

Start 2m R of MG. Up the wall for 8m then step R across cleft, up past small overhang and the unprotected wall to finish.

The major skanky diagonal cleft.

A fine balancy slab which is harder for the vertically challenged. Start 1m R of Diagonal Crack.

The thin crack. After the crack eases the easiest finish is on the L, but pulling direct over the little overlap and up the short wall above is better.

Start 2m R of RS.

1. 25m (20) Boldly up the face to the cave.

2. 10m (-) Move L and up short face to the Pillars.

Start 10m L of Minstrel Pinnacle, at the easy crack just L of a perched block. Can be lead in one pitch at the same grade if you leave the crack and head diagonally R about 8m below the top of p1. However this increases the risk of a grounder on rope stretch when the second is on the crux start.

1. 25m (11) A tough start gains the deep crack, which is followed to a ledge.

2. 15m (8) Wander R along the ledge for a few metres to the next line, and head up this to the Pillars.

Start 8m R of D. The wide crack, then the roof and wall.

Start directly opposite the L (western) side of Minstrel Pinnacle, on the main wall. The crack for 7m to tricky roof. Onwards to ledge then steep crack. Step R across a gap then more easily.

Start at the Pillars (i.e. at the top of the previous routes). The overhang above the cave.

Start at the line between Stalagmite and Preludes. The crack to break, then tiny R-facing corner past a bolt. Continue past R side of prominent nose and up the buttress to ledge. Finish past a bolt through the pumpy overhang.

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

Start 1m R of Preludes. Up to small stance. A couple of commiting moves lead up to a bolt, then a slippery crux gains a shallow R-facing corner to rap anchors on the ledge. Lower off.

Alternatively at the top go up the finger crack of Stalagmite for a few moves and then right up the headwall. It feels a bit loose up there so take care and warn people below.

Thin and bold. Start R of Preludes, and directly opposite Scourge (which is on Minstrel Pinnacle).

Short crack, then trend R at bulge to large flake. Up L to 2nd bulge then roof.

Start as for Marginal Era but instead of traversing right, head straight up slab (limited pro). Climb R of chossy blocks to rap ledge.

Start R of A. The rib on the L of the smooth wall, past break, until it eases off. Now traverse R then go up.

Start on the featured arête just right of the overgrown corner crack down and right of the gully, opposite the broken east edge of Minstrel Pinnacle. Easy climbing leads to a distinct crux off a ledge. More easy climbing follows.

Start around corner from 'Frankenstein'. Up wall on left through steep bulge.

Start right of Smeg and the Heads just left of crack. Up wall to break then up more.

This is on the lower tier of the Minstrel Pinnacle. The obvious chimney.

Start about five metres right of Red Parrot Jism. Up onto slab then left into short crack. Up this to top.