Vie in Wollongong

As seen on "Comin At Ya Hyper" - climbing vid of the late 90's. Sit start from LH finger pocket/crimp and RH pocket, move right via small pockets (chipped) up the face/arete until you gain to micro crimps, feet up and funky mantle. Fingers of steel required!

Sit start from LH finger pocket/crimp and RH pocket, move up via small pocket and crimp to match the lip. Committing move out left and up to mantle.

Potentially already F.Aed in the late 90's

Straight up small crimps, big move to finish.

Start sitting at the obvious jugs on the LHS, move across the lip utilising various underclings in the roof to summit via the Big Book LHV. Funky, interesting and unlike anything else in the area that I know of!

Heinous line of crimps to mantle the face. Start at jug as for TBBBOE

Goes straight up the middle of the overhanging wall and tops out. Tough mantle. Sit start, from big hueco/pocket, move up the face to the lip, mantle and top out. The key is doing a pop move from the pocket/crimp to the side pull and get a toe cam in the big hueco.Spotter advised for topping as a fall from here will see you tumble down the hill.

The first king line completed! Bring your knee pads to make good use of the two rests because this is looong. Links Prehistoric Punk -> Renegades of Punk -> Nirvana -> Punk Soccer then escapes out the chimney.

A tad contrived for the sake of more problems. Stand start on the lowest footer with both LH & RH on sidepulls. Move up and right through a series of pockets & crimps to exit the same as 'Grace Under Pressure'

Obvious jug foot and all rock to the right of the break is OUT

Sit start LH undercling pocket & RH gaston crimp. Using the arete and other holds, move up and right into the crack and keep going up.

Sit start same as 'Gatekeeper'. Move up and left using heels and compression on the arete to the jug out left on the slab. Go up and top out.

Start low at Pull-kun, traverse left into Pullman, then join into Hail to the crimp.

Start on the rhs of the boulder at a big obvious jug. Move onto the roof jugs, go right hand to the lip, then move up to the good edge via slopers and mantle...

Start with left hand in nice undercling in roof and right on a decent pinch. Kick right foot up into the jug and you are away, head left to good 2 finger pocket/sloper at the lip and then mantle.

Dyno - grab jug rail at head height, smear feet and launch for hueco, top out. Maybe a bit harder for people under 6ft. Essentially climbs the wall left of GD without using the obvious holds on the routes either side.

Start up Pumprocker for a few moves, then head straight left reversing the crimp crux of Nirvana, and finish up the big undercling move of Renegades.

Start at the same big jug as Bored gecko. Go right making a massive move to traverse past the crack. Keep going right to Nidorian's knee bar and make another big move to big jug flake.

Kai Buckman

Dylan Hill

The central line through the best rock of the cave. Gymnastic climbing in the first half. Outstanding boulder problem after the ledge. Kneepad used on the first ascent.

To minimise rope drag double or triple length draws are recommended, as well as unclipping previous draws where possible.

Sit start on with RH on nice pocket, LH crimp, move straight up the undercling flake with some sick moves to a suprisingly easy top out. Be careful of the razor sharp pebbles!

Sit start on pockets, slap out left to slopers and then up and over with small crimp.

Start at the same jug as "the big book of slabs", then follow the crimp sequence around the lip and up onto the slab. Split from the "the big book of slabs" by moving right, away from the arete, to then mantle and top out.

Instead of moving right hand to the lip, go with the left to a shallow pocket then RH bumps up to the good edge and mantle.

Stand start on two good edges, high step to Gaston then lunge for that lip and hold the swing.

Deep lying start, through the hard stuff then all the way out the chimney

Pumprocker into Punk soccer. The full value

Basically the most obvious link from nidorans knee into pumprocker

Closed Project. Start as for PP up and into the roof. Traverse left and pull lip and link into putain . If ya wanna have a go just ask

Start at ledge above Da Vinci (fixed line to access from below). Up slab to crux (left sidepull to break) at start of steepness. Avoid going left into Coolcliff. Very good! Finish as per Coolcliff.

Extension of Honey. After resting on the ledge, continue through a perplexing bulge and roof above. Finish close to the top of the cliff. Amazing position and view at the top!

Unrepeated and hard to grade, could be 26 if tall. 70m rope required to lower to the ground.

Crag classic beautiful overhanging prow. Is this the Illawarra or the Grampians?

Originally climbed direct all the way. There is new beta going right at the last bolt which is easier, but be mindful of the rope running across the arete.

Same as 'Beyblade SZN' until the mantle. Instead move up to the crimpy seams and top out.

Sit start as for 'Pull-kun', traverse left along the obvious horizontal crack using holds along and around, then finishing up 'Hail to the crimp'. Mega-jugs near the top of the boulder are out, as are the large face-pockets right of the final flake.

Sit start on the arete. Head up the arete. Originally a crouch start but goes as a sit start at the same grade.

Start at the jug as for TBBOE, but instead of reaching for roof jugs move right around the lip via good (but sharp) crimps, mantle and top out as for TBBOE.

Starting at the pump rocker finishing jug, trending up and right until finding a jug at the top of the bulg. Mantle up and left then finish up the committing slab.

[2012 Oct - RB's all the way] A route up a steeply overhung short wall on completely manufactured incut holds ... that appeared in the late 80's and were further enhanced by persons unknown sometime after 2010. Careful on the 2nd clip, ground fall might be possible.

(Hint - there is a bomber incut hold 20cm left and in-line of the lower offs)

Probably the hardest route on Mt Keira. Start 3 meters left of 'Great Balls Of Boogey Woogy'. Up the wall to horizontals then crank crank crank to the top.

3 ring bolts and an optional rusty dogger bolt plate at the crux to a new double ring anchor.

Start as per Tidal Flexing and join in to Jupiter. Maybe a bit harder and an ounce less classic than the proper start, still does some unique moves on great rock.

Brilliant rock on the lower wall. The slopey break above the crack can sometimes be damp and slippery, best to accept this as part of the crux..! Access by rapping down Coolcliff and walking around to find access rung to ledge. Start from belay on the left via fixed line over bushy gap (check fixed line is still ok) or do alternate start and traverse into the line (a bit harder than the original start).

Direct finish to Coolcliff, finishing at the anchor shared with the top pitch of Da Vinci. At the upper crux, Coolcliff original line goes right via the bomber hand crack. This direct finish goes left, avoiding the crack via some balancy moves on the streaked orange rock then up to the anchor shared with Da Vinci. Bit harder than the original. *

Start on the ground to the right of Da Vinci. If damp, start from ledge on Da Vinci and traverse in. Technical crux on slab section then up to steeper orange wall. Sustained, amazing wall.

Start either as per Iceburg or on the left (makes it an independent line). Straight up the middle of the wall! Great climb.

Start as for Ghost of the Coast/Sun Ghost for a few bolts. Then head left to join Hungry Ghost past an additional bolt. Pumpy first half.

Stand start undercling on the flake. Snake your way up and right through more flakes & sharp crimps to top out.

Recommended to do on rope first, landing is not ideal

Sit start at low crimp in the middle of the wall. Big move right to gain the crimpy ear, then join Pull-kun.

Sit start on jugs as for Keira Sutra, then head up and trend right to top out about 1.5 metres right of Book of Cracks.

Do Mr. Marsupial, but instead of topping out as for the V1, traverse the entire upper slab of the book boulder to top out as for TBBOE.

The problem follows the righthand side of the arete from a sit start to a highball topout. Sit start with your feet in the large hueco at ground level, hands on the positive edge. Make your way up the righthand side of the arete to the airy scary launch for the lip.

Practising the moves on top rope is possible using the carrots handily placed right on the top.

Dylan Hill

Sit start from big hueco/mega pocket, move left and up, top out.

Sit start on the arete. Up the lip to top out same as the next problem.

Straight up the slab located to the right of the punk cave.

Starts two hands on the undercling, using a toe hook off to the right makes the middle moves alot easier, finish at the jug rail at the top

Dylan Hill

Start at jugs just left of 'Bored Gecko' start, traverse left and up. The correct finish is to bunch up into the small cave matching the undercling.

Make use of toe hooks and it becomes alot easier.

One of the best aretes in Wollongong and a fine goal for the allround climber.

Start under the obvious overhang in a thin crack, up into a wide invert crack and then traverse the horizontal crack to the arete. Place some good gear and quest up the sharp arete towards the bolts and crux.

All the gear is good and can be placed on lead. A #6 is needed for the bottom.

Worth doing if you have some skin you don't need! Start across the gully at the steep wall with the fallen boulder. Up onto the boulder then make a move to the pocket on the right, past the bolt. Crank left on crimpers and power to the diagonal flake. Crank up past the horizontals then onto the thin crack to the top.

Still on that damn toprope! Thin techichal face climbing. Start 2m to the right of Goo.

According to the old guide book this could be the hardest route on the West face. The middle of the roof protected by ringbolts, left of the line of rusty bolts placed by Bill James years ago and as an aid route. Follow the break right past the rings to gastone in roof.

Punch it out past ring to pockets on the lip. Crank to crimper around lip following flake. Finish at break (No DRB anchor), or proceed through Jungle Of Death! WARNING - there is no DRB anchor on this route

Pull up to the undercling slot in the roof then core your way left 2m to the lip. Struggle to clip the 3rd bolt then crank over the lip and up to the 2 rings passing alot of moss as you go!

Start: Start to the left of 'One Blank Wall' under the roof.

Up the first 3 bolts on wallyard grave, then go right across crack into lip of roof and trend up and right to double ring anchor. (An easier variation can be done by going up the crack another meter before branching right, but beware there is a funnel web in the good pocket

Original grade was 24 but we think it could be a couple grades higher. Old guide description is to traverse in from the right at the upper sand pit ledge, but it is more conventional and accessible to just start at the ground as per Fizzgig. At the traverse clip the first bolt of Cheap Wine, then head diagonally upwards to finish as per Cheap Wine anchor.

Named after the abundant Lambertia Formosa shrub, otherwise known as the Mountain Devil, which is common on the Illawarra Escarpment.

The species name of Formosa also comes from the latin word for beautiful, after the striking red flowers. The Mountain Devil also has a horned, hard spikey seed resembling a Devil.

This route reflects the striking, beautiful, yet hardened nature of it's namesake.

Pitch 1 (crux) - grade 25, is an intricate, steep and technical line up impeccable rock. Don't be put off by the appearance of the rock ! Its super solid impeccable quartzy rock.

Single rack, Nuts are optional, plus additional 0.2 and 0.3 cams (at least doubles but there are options for more), 2 x #1 and 2 x #2 cams and 1 x #4 . 1 U bolt mid-way.

Start up the major crack near the bolted belay at the start of Pitch 3 of Two Boys One Skyhook.

After about 6m venture right onto the wall on super solid rock past many breaks to reach the major break below a high under-cling flake in a shallow corner. Bold but safe moves to gain great gear and rest.

Clip the bolt and head up steepening wall. Pumpy sustained climbing up the wall and finger crack to the right side of the honeycomb cave.

Place a crucial 0.5 AND/OR 0.75 cam in the slot at the top left end of the roof.

Exit the cave from the right up and right onto the headwall, then head back left above your gear. Continue up the wall past chicken heads, threads and large cams - # 4 useful.

Tricky exit to reach the base of the large ledge. Save a #2 and/or #3 for breaks. Use the fixed rope over left to haul up over the loose ledge to double bolt anchor.

Pitch 2 - grade 24, follows an improbable line through the steepest, most overhanging and unlikely headwall on this main section of the crag.

The rock is different and somewhat sandy. While not quite as high quality as pitch 1, 75 m of free hanging exposure and spaced but bomber gear ensures it has its own merits.

Standard rack plus additional 0.2 and 0.3 cams and #4.

Tricky moves up the steep flake right of the belay.

Traverse right under roof #4 and up to U bolt.

Pysch up and launch around roof with strenuous and hard moves between breaks and great gear with a slightly runout but fantastic-protected finish.

Closed project stay off.

Nice orange rock and cool pockets. The bolted middle line on the main ledge, 4m right of Stop the Bolts! pitch 2. Faint flake weakness up face (3 RBs), then a couple of hand sized cams to finish up fragile flake crack. DRB anchors on the right, shared with Cuckoo Dove Crack. Might be 24 if you're tall.

Weaves around the two monster roof sections on the left end of the cliff, with a lot more sideways climbing than up climbing. This route is mostly bolted, but requires a single set of cams for the upper pitches. A confident second is mandatory - bring prussics. Start about 40m left of Stop the Bolts! at ground level on top of triangular boulder. Look for ringbolts.

1. 25m (24) Scramble to top of pointy boulder, clip RB then bouldery move up arete to jug and RB. Traverse right along shelf and then up and right across juggy wall to break. Keep traversing 8m right to white rock and easy corner. At top of corner do one tricky move to large ledge under roof and belay bolts. This pitch is all bolts and if you pull on the first bolt it's only grade 18.

2. 12m (25) Short, steep, funky. Move belay 5m right to end of ledge and 2nd set of belay bolts. Mantle onto shelf and clip RB under intimating roof. Find mega jug under roof and lean back to clip 2nd RB over lip. Now reach to pocket on right and swing onto overhung prow with a hard move to get established onto face. Look for the awesome sneaky kneebar on lip. Up face (RB and #2 Camalot) to belay on mini ledge on right arete. It's possible to combine this pitch into the next pitch.

3. 17m (23) Left across face on desperate sloping crimps (two RBs) then up to major horizontal. Continue left then up crack through orange steepness to belay ledge at left end of massive roof. Medium and large cams needed for 2nd half of this pitch.

4. 25m (20) Look Mum - another traverse! Hard move to get past undercut start (RB) then traverse right for 10m (small/medium cams at waist level) above roof then up and right (RB) to vegetation band. Work right (RB) up mossy slab then negotiate plants to small ledge. Finish up slabby wall past 3 RBs to bolt belay in large cave. Exit via last pitch of Stop the Bolts! or Neanderthal.

Start as per Displacment.. you need to go left to the arete to access the break, then trav back right into the route with thin cruxy moves around the middle of the wall.

Start from the ground, bouldery to ramp then head left to scoopy arete. Keep heading up to balance moves on the primo arete.

Shorter route to the left of Jupiter

Classic! Start from the ground OR from the ledge (DBB) depending on dampness. If from the ground, start via tree to get onto the wall to the right of the first bolt, traverse in to the arete and then up to ledge. Past huge layback flake to the awesome arete above. From anchor there is now a second pitch, grade 15 or so, pass 3 bolts to get to the top of the cliff and another DBB.

Double bolt belay. Sustained edges forming a cool sequence start this route until you reach a ledge, move right along this to mantle and then up. Theres a bit of a weird bit (bolt #5) where you can go left or right to get to the upper turret, and a hands free ledge. Move left to finish on the lower offs on the right side of the turret.

Start just left of the Bow Wave belay station. Climb the fridge-like arete then move past rooflet (big undercling) over the lip and up, staying about 3m left of the Titanical arete.

Nice, delicate and slabby. Start from ledge in overhung corner, careful of loose stuff on the ledge then up the beautiful compact wall. Join "Car crash" for the last 2 bolts.

A two-bolt variant to honey. After establishing on the face continue to the small arete. A few cruxy moves joins into Honey. Unrepeated and potentially solid for the grade.

An unusual route on a striking feature that covers some varied terrain. Start as for Moontower to get established on the wall, head left past a long move and continue onto the orange face. After a potential lie down rest, climb the beautiful streaked face.

This was the first route climbed in this section.

Start on the buttress right of It Don't Mean Lots Unless Its Got Pox at the thin seam. More of a top rope or boulder problem but was climbed like a route originally. The first version moves to the left and then back into the crack to gain the top. Bullen & Hill added a variant which forces you to only use the seam rather than the piking step out to the left. This one is HARD (26?).

Strenuous climb. Start 1m left of Ringwraith. Follw the overhung scoop out left along the weakness, passing ringbolts until back to vertical. Up wall to double ring belay. Unclear if this project was ever completed?

The arete off the left bumcheek of Bills Bumhole. Up the steeply overhung juggy arete to where it eases off and the holds run out (the sphincter?!? LOL). Nice tech moves up to belay double rings

Start on the face right of warhol. climb up a few meters and transition to the right side of the arete. grit stone style climbing up to the shared anchor with warhol. (Keeping on the left side of the arete the whole way would be excellent and exciting / hard 27? Open project)

Start 2m left of MgTO3. Pull hard onto wall and move left towards the arete. Thin moves then easier to the top.

The small roof with an old bolt on the lip. Up to roof and traverse left to ledge then escape.

Originally lead in 3 pitches. Recommended to rap in 10m left of the main South Lookout (at the double rings at the small lookout). THE line of the cliff, splitting the roof almost under the south face lookout. Original access is a walk in from the South Face.

1. (18) Up the easy dubious (seeping and loose sand) rock to beneath the 5m ceiling crack.

2. (24) Saunter out the ceiling to an off width move around the lip to a hanging belay.

3. (21) The thinner crack above to the top.

The wall left of Grot Heap Groove. Up the middle of the wall finishing up the thin crack in the wall and top wall. This route has been retro-bolted with 4 additional rings and is now a sport route.

Thin face climbing. Balancy and technical. Start about 7 meters around from Fascination, at easy short arete under roof at the base of the cliff, OR solo up the corner to belay at wall. Up wall and flake. 4 rings to double rings at top.

Four really good pitches, all different and all on good quality rock. Double set of cams to #3 camalot size and single set of wires. Some slings and double ropes are highly recommended for pitches 1 & 2.

1. 15m (21) Start up Stop the Bolts! choss for 5m to the base of the corner, then follow line of pockets horizontally left (RB) to vertical seam crack. Up this to small belay ledge under roof and DRB.

2. 17m (24) Bouldery hug move off the ledge and up to lip of roof (RB), now throw caution to the wind and climb the super exposed roof-flake right (medium cams) then up seam crack to jugs. Traverse left along horizontal then up and left past two RBs to ledge. Easily up corner rightwards to final hand traverse right to higher ledge and DRB belay. Double ropes for this pitch!

3. 20m (22) Pumpy! Great pockets to start up prow then a couple of reachy moves (2 RBs and small/medium cams) to mantle (RB) onto vegetated ledge. Solve the tricky mini slab above this for 5m to gain much larger ledge and DRB. Communication with belayer is problematic.

4. 14m (19) Short and fun. Left facing corner and seam crack above. Either lower-off single bolt at top of rock, or topout and bush bash uphill for 5m to DRB - then bush bash to top of cliff.

Nice shorter route that finishes abruptly at DBB.

Sweet arete, starting on comfy ledge and crux right at the very top. Rap in from two horizontally placed Ubolts placed at chest level on small arete, about 5m past the big gymea lilly.

Lovely technical arete on top quality orange rock. 20m further along the ledge from rap anchors above Busted is another set of rap anchors set on a horizontal ledge. Rap down keeping rope to the north of the arete. Belay on small ledge. Climb arete, finishing out left of summit block.

A much gawked at feature from the train line below. This climbs the center of the major orange wall. First five bolts is technical reachy face climbing, then left and up short corner and major flake feature. The rock quality deteriorates in the top half. There are double U-bolts at the top of the cliff - rap from these (extend them with slings if you want to pull your rope down) to double U-bolt hanging belay about 5m above the jungle. You will need to clip into a couple of bolts on the way down to stay connected to the wall. The route is protected by bomber new U-bolts, unlike other routes on this wall!

Bolted by the famous Rod Young. The Willson brother's battled it out for the first ascent.

Pull through the finger intensive crux boulder problem with technical heel hooks to rest. Easier but delicate climbing up the right side of the corner to the anchors.

Classy face climbing! Start as for Under the Weeping Moon, then climb the face just to the right. Incredible rock reminiscent of the Wimmera. Finishes at the first set of anchors at the ledge. Bakes in the sun. Unrepeated I believe.

First and most accessible route in the roof. Juggy start leads to a tricky mantle. Rest up on the ledge and fire a boulder above. Clip the left bolt after the ledge to avoid a potential swing onto the ledge.

Start just right of tree, 2m left of Dreg Mix. Follow the 4 RBs to single bolt lower-off at top. Some nice sequency moves through crux! Originally graded 26, so treat the grade of 24 with some skepticism.