Vie come sconosciuto in North East

An outstanding, sustained and varied free climb that challenges the full gamut of granite styles. This is a distinctly more approachable prospect than the other free routes on this end of the wall consisting of generally easier cruxes, fewer run-outs and less small gear. The route follows a logical line of features incorporating sections of the aid routes Knocking on Heavens Door, She, Clouded Queen, Ozymandias and Strange Ritual. Most pitches include a mix of natural gear and bolts. Take a standard rack up to a 3 Camalot including some micro cams, small and medium wires.

1. 27, 35m. Start as for Knockin’ on Heavens Door and Free Reign in right facing corner. Continue up this for roughly 8m then move slightly left and over bulge. Continue up the right facing features above the initial corner until it becomes possible to climb rightward across a sequence of underclings toward more sustained climbing and a mix of bolts and natural gear placements.

2. 27, 50m. Follow the obvious right facing sickle-shaped tips layback until it peters out and leaves you in apparent blankness. Solve the puzzle then continue for 30+ meters up the shallow open scoop with many block holds and carrot bolts.

3. 27, 40m. As for pitch 5 of Free Reign up interesting weakness’s past aid belay and fixed hanger then continue up slab and slightly left over small overlap with powerful, thin climbing past two more fixed hangers. Finally, step right into crack and chunky features that lead to large ledge system on Ozymandias original to belay with two #2 Camalots.

4. 22, 35m. As for pitch 6 of Ozymandias Original. Follow obvious crack to the left and up through steepness to the sloping ledge and triple bolt belay.

5. 27, 50m. Follow the traverse pitch of Ozymandias Original pitch 7 for approximately 5 meters until it becomes possible to climb straight up a series of positive cracks toward the large, steep right facing corner above. Continue up corner until it becomes a roof and it is possible to clip a fixed hanger straight out the roof. Climb past this and over the headwall for the last of the routes' difficult climbing. Enjoy the wild position and hard climbing beneath your feet! Once a large ledge is reached either belay from here to break pitch into two or pick your way through the wide climbing to the top of the cliff.

A rough/crystalline, flaring, diagonal crack... hmmm! Starts at the double rap ring at the end of p1 of Manhattan Project.

1. Up face (FH) to the right-leaning flared crack. Up this and thin crack (many cams and wires) to where it peters out. Up bulge (FH) to a small ledge. Up short wall (BR) to gain another ledge. Follow this for approximately 20m until an exit is possible.

Fix a rope from the top of the first abseil in order to exit the route. From the chain at the top of the slab immediately behind (west) of the top of Queen Victoria pinnacle, abseil 40m to reach the notch behind the pinnacle. From the outer edge of the ledge on the north side of the pinnacle, abseil from the chain, down the route to a grassy ledge. Up the finger crack and seam, past a peg runner (not in situ) to the base of a corner. Up this and slab to the chain (belay).

Looks good.

1. 35m. Start as for Diamond Dogs Direct Start. Up DDDS to its fourth bolt then straight up, through the traverse line of DD, and the headwall above (fixed hangers) to a double ring belay.

2. 45m. Step L and up into a thin flake (bolts). From the top of the flake, hard moves right up a series of edges. Up leftwards (bolts) to drop down left around the base of blunt arete and up into the gully to belay.

On the L side of the arete. One carrot and two FHs.

Abseil from trad gear about 8m to the right of the anchors atop 'Glossop Skins', down over the traverse of 'The Initiation', to a semi-hanging belay off two bolts in a gently-angled scoop. Easy slabbing past a couple of bolts, then up through the traverse of 'The Initiation' (BR), to gain a rightward-leaning groove (wires and small/medium cams). When this fizzles out, head up via three bolts (crux) to the top.

Start 15m right of 'Glossop Skins' (and 15 down left of 'The Initiation'.

To access these next four routes it is worth doing a quick reconnaissance from the tourist lookout to locate the top of the buttress (down approximately west-southwest from the lookout) and the easiest way down to it. Scramble down then abseil from 3 bolts at the top of the buttress.

1. Starts a little L of Arachnophobia (which is the R crack-line). Up small corner then R at FH to horizontal flake/ledge. Up past 3 FH and a BR to the top.

Starts 8m L of White Chemical Dustbins, following some carrots.

Climbs the Redbacks wall to the left of that route; the 'hole' 2/3 the way up the wall is a landmark. Up past a few bolts.

Starts 5m R of the original first pitch (10m down L of the Initiation)

Start as for Twin Cracks. Climb the first (right) crack of Twin Cracks to a bolt runner. Step right onto the face and up past 5 more bolt runners. Abseil chains .

On the buttress down approximately north-easterly below Maharajah, this route starts 5m left of Contact Sport (which, in turn, takes the left arete of Compulsion). Up to the ledge at 4m. Boulder past the bolt runner to the small rising ramp. Move rightward up this to and past the final bolt on Contact Sport.

Start as for Maharajah LHV Start. Up corner-crack until able to reach L to the steep flake. Up this to easier ground, then into Maharajah.

The R crack-line. Up this. Where it finishes, step R past a BR then up past a FH.

Access as for Gaia and White Knuckle Days or by using a sizeable gumtree a little further northward along the gorge rim. Best to leave an abseil rope in place in case retreat needs to be sounded. Start approx 20m right of Gaia (and a few metres around right from the start of White Knuckle days) at a 2BB.

1. 15m (21). Step right into thin crack and up to the belay ledge.

2. 35m (24). Out L (BR), then slab up following 4 more BRs, tending slightly rightward on some beautiful, if disconcertingly polished, rock. Belay off abseil tree.

An exceptional first pitch - sustained, varied and continuously engaging. Access via 80m of abseiling from the top of Gaia (there is a new set of rap chains at the top showing the way. The 80m can be broken into two abseils by using the new belay station 40m down on Gaia, though a single 100m static rope makes life easier and provides a retreat option if required). Starts from the double carrot bolt belay between Gaia and Statute of Limitations (see p112 of the 2006 comprehensive Mt Buffalo guidebook).

1. 45m (24) Follow the bolt runners up the shallow closed corner, trending a little leftward at a couple of overlaps, to join into the top section of the first pitch of Gaia. A carrot bolt then another FH as for Gaia lead to a 2FH belay (up right from the last FH runner, on a blunt nose).

2. 35m (21) Step right and easily up to the base of a slightly overhanging open-book corner (the original belay spot for the top of Gaia’s first pitch). Up this (a few medium cams – gold, red, green and purple Camelots or equivalent - can be placed). Continue straight up via 2 FHs – one at each of two short, steep bulges - to belay at the abseil chains.

Access via a 75-80m abseil from chains. This rap station is located beside a huge gum tree that leans out precariously (and no doubt is destined to fall into the depths of the gorge under its own weight), on the rim of the gorge around about 50m (?) around northward and down a little from the north edge of the top of the Queen Victoria buttress. This rap station can be used to access Wall to Wall, Send out for More Pizza, Gaia, White Knuckle Days and Statute of Limitations. The abseil can be broken into two, utilising the double bolt belay at the top of the first pitch of Gaia and WKD. There is now a bolted, independent, direct start to the original version of Gaia, as well as an extra bolt in the top of the first pitch, and two bolts in the top pitch. This new reincarnation provides a more even, sustained, but less death-defying route than the original. The first pitch, in particular, is one to savour. Start at the double hangers, mid-way between the original start of Gaia (in the corner) and White Knuckle Days.

1. 40m. 24. Up via 3 fixed hangers to the steepening. Continue on via 3 more fixed hangers through the crux section, then a high carrot and a more recently added higher fixed hanger to reach the new belay station up right on a blunt nose (the original belay was a further 8m or so up at the base of a short overhanging corner).

2. 35m. 21. Up to and up the overhanging corner crack (takes a few medium cams), then straight up via two bolt-protected bulges to the rap chains.

The prominent right-leaning crack-line with an orange right wall. 15m down L of the original (corner) start of Gaia.

1. 35m (crux). The crack.

2. 50m. The slab on the left.

Climbs the left arete of Compulsion. Slick/polished so best avoided when it is in full sun. Start immediately left of the arete at the left-leaning flake/seam. Up this, then past a fixed hanger and 3 more bolts.

Start up Maharajah LHV start, reach left as for Ravi Variant. L past BR to the arete, then up the right side of the flake. Slab past 2BRs to the belay on Maharajah. Finish as for Castles in the Sand to summit chains. Abseil 25moff the back.

Start from a small ledge (single bolt plus wire belay) below the small corner just up L from the original (corner) start of Gaia. Approach via a 50m abseil from gums close to the edge at the top of the buttress. Alternatively, abseil as per the access to Gaia.

1. 25m (crux). Up the elegant thin corner then the little roof to tea-tree.

2. 25m. Up with increasing ease.

Brilliant hand jamming! Start 60 m below Wilkinsons Lookout on grassy ledge. Curving hand crack ....

Start on a detached block about 5m left of Pussy On the Prowl. A flake came off at the start, probably adding a grade or two.

1. 25m hard slab start, easing off after the steepening. Belay under the roof

2. 25m Traverse right of the belay, steep move past a fixed hanger to overcome the roof. Up slab past another bolt.

The top half of this route was destroyed by the Sep 2021 Earthquake, See route 'shake and quake" for the new re-established route.

From VCC 2008 update: "Improved route description from Ian Anger: "It’s a line from a Cold Chisel song: They’ll transplant his arse on his shoulders". The buttress between Kraut and Talbingo. (1) 55m (22) Head up the centre of the slab past 2 BR to RHS of the steepening. Pass bulge via 3 BR then paddle up easily till it’s possible to dive into the crack on L and belay off cams. (2) 40m (20) Dive out of crack and head straight up past BR above ledge."

Reasonably well protected for a Buffalo slab. Rap in from the anchors directly down from the exit of the gulch. The corner of The Viking will be visable to your left.

Climb the fist/offwidth crack on the flake left of Glace to a small ledge. BR off the ledge, and follow bolts with homemade hangers(!) up slab (retrobolted in 2010).

Up RHF corner crack and ramp to small ledge and follow bolts with homemade hangers(!) straight up slab (retrobolted in 2010).

The flake-crack on the outcrop below Paradox.

1. Up past 2 BRs then natural gear.