Vias em West Face

Starts 60m down past the Mr.Busy pillar. About 15m below right of Reflections.

This route has some poor rock and an abundance of loose blocks and detached flakes due constant north sun exposure. The crux at 30m on first pitch is protected by a single carrot bolt and the belay consists of 2 FH. The second belay is a rusty piton + gear in the crack behind.

The whole route can be rapped, but the tape on the anchors will need replacing. A better option is to exit to the tourist track = an easy scramble or a short bush-bash through thick scrub on the right will lead to the faint knob track.

You will need 2x60m ropes to rap this route. Can be lead on a single rope, if walking off.

About 20m right of Mr. Busy Pillar, just as the cliff-base starts to descend (towards the original start of the Alpine Route/NW Track, which is ~40m away), you can scramble up through several ledges and bushes at grade 1 or 2 to reach a large ledge system. Bushwalkers have placed tape and a track is starting to form.

Follow a track along the ledge system southwards, exposed in a couple of places, to join-up with the Alpine Route. At the junction, this alternate track is more prominent than the original Alpine Route / NW Track.

Follow the Alpine Route up to the Tourist Track.

This route is an easy solo down-climb too.

2016 route description: 230m from the base of the mountain to the top of the shoulder.

Start: Starts about 400m R of Mr Busy pillar near the southern end of the west wall. The beginning of the route is painted with a very small WB mark. Up zigzagging over easy rock for 70m or so and bush-bash up through low scrub and over bands of rock to find the line of least resistance to reach the big ledge below the rock face (this is the ledge that serves the Underworld routes). Walk to the right at the end of the ledge, the first pitch was marked with a white arrow but we think is now worn off.

1. 30m Up a gully to a vegetated area. An alternative to this section is to chimney up a fissure 7m to the left, walk up and right for about 20m, then up into another vegetated ledge to the base of a clean rock face with a tight chimney on the right and a gully on the left. A distinctive feature here is a white triangle on the rock just few metres above. Tree Belay.

2. 30m Climb the gully on the left up to a ledge then keep on going up a chimney with a hard move past a slabby wedged block to a bulge. Belay on gear below the overhangs (2 big hexes and a #4 cam).

3. 10m Traverse left past a rusty piton and downclimb with care to a gum tree at the base of the main chimney leading to Shell Rock. Belay from the gum tree. Short pitch to avoid rope drag.

4. 20m Up the dirty small chimney with hard moves below a twin groove gully. Tree and gear belay.

5. 29m Up the left groove (choss and mud), cross over and in through the front door of Shell Rock. Belay slinging doors and features.

6. 20m Out the back door of Shell Rock then up and into a broken chimney and slightly right on thin slabs to a ledge and Belay Chains.

From here bush-bash for another 20m or so to the top of Beerwah west shoulder and walk along the ridge, skirting left around the knob and across to the hikers route. The old description can be found on the Qurank guide.

Alan Frost, Dave MacGibbon 1956

15m right of Mr. Busy on the slab. The left facing corner. Up this, continue up the line to tree belay.

Starts 60m right of Mr. Busy Pillar, 2m right of Break of Noon at the half chimney (S26 53.768 E152 52.870) and it's the easiest route to the summit from the west side.

Originally on FA, this route was climbed on trad gear for 3 pitches at grade 10, straight up on clean rock from the chimney at the start. Later on, several bushwalkers have bypassed the roped section on the right and placed tape on trees to mark the way. Now is a defined route. Past the initial bypass, the track rejoins the original route and is well worn all the way to the tourist track. A nice steep hike if compared to the horrendous scrub bash of the first ascent. Some isolated sections are still hard (about grade 5) and the rock can be friable and slippery.

1. 110m in 3 pitches of soft rock grade 6 to 10 easy ascending traverse starting through the chimney of a leaning pillar (crux), up and to the right, to a final belay at S26,89742, E152,88223.

2. Pack ropes and gear and begin a nasty steep bush-bash, left along the base of the lower shoulder on mank until flat clean rock is reached (the bivouac S26,89745, E152,88183).

3. From here head up to the summit on easier terrain following the northern base of the lower peak (the knob), through bush until you join the hiking route. From here you can reach the summit in 5 min.

10m down R of Summer Daze, up the crackline (small gear), past some small saplings, passing 2 carrots, continue up the slab, passing another BR, move R & up, passing another 3 BR's to TB.

3m R of Dicky Knee, up fused cracks, (hard start) passing 2 carrots, to left facing corner, then gear (hexes + cams) to TB.

3m R of Hoover's Knee, start below FH (secure belayer), up fused crackline, past the FH & 3 carrots, then small gear past left facing corner, to TB.

Up the rh side of the slab on thin holds, passing 2 fixed hangers, step up & left, using undercling, to 3rd FH on face, thin crimping to 4th FH, then easier ground to RBs.

Committing start up the lefthand side of the slab to first FH at 10m. A small wire below this is possible. Balancy move to 2nd FH, up slab, passing 3rd FH, to RBs.