Routes as trad in Vaucluse

Reasonable trad climbing, start 4m R of the biggest boulder. Hard start to Ubolt then up cracks and breaks to ledge at 4 m (this is a new direct start, the old route traversed in easily from atop the big boulder). Up rounded corner, double ropes help as there's a god crack 1m right. Belay possible on ledge (Ubolts and a big cam).

Head up and right up wall, (Ubolt, carrot) and up a short dirty corner (Ubolt) step left to next corner under a roof. Head left (Ubolt) under the roof then continue up crack, Ubolt and traverse right to belay. Short finish scramble.

Sea Level Traverse - Rosa To Ron’s (2km, Grade 17?) This section is arguably the most classic moderate adventure route in NSW. A great day out requiring great, but not perfect swell conditions.

From the North: - Cross the gap between Rosa Gully and Diamond Bay, one slippery section, nothing too tricky if the swell is low. - Traverse the slippery slot under the log of death (a couple of carrots), after walking through the cave on the other side, a small 6m rap is required to gain the lower ledge. - This lower ledge system will take you on a tour through time under bow wall crag. Mike laws artwork can be seen winding its way up the blankest, chosseist sections of rock. Crux 5 - This ledge system finishes under prowess. Either use the bolts here to gain the ledge then rap back down off one to the other side. Alternatively, whip out the trad gear and easily traverse this bit (provided its not soaked by the waves). - The simple walking tour continues from here past three cathedral like cave systems, some slippery traversing required but nothing too hard. - After about 300m, you’ll arrive under sanctum main buttress, and the bulk of the climbing in front of you Crux 4 - Scramble around the back of the sea cave and climb the little head wall on the far side. Traversing the ledge 5m up is much easier than saying low. - from here you have a couple options, either blast up the easy looking corner crack (grade 16 with a very hard grassy topout) or go south a couple more meters and rap down (needs bolts) to sea level again to wrap around to the south end of the big buttress you’re on. The crack on this far side looks much nicer to climb. A third option is to sidle around to the front of this buttress via a sandy ledge about 4-5m above the ledge you're on. its a bit heady on shit gear but the fastest way past this buttress. - Both options land you on a big ledge system. Traverse south about 15m and either rap 6m down to the lower ledge or climb 2m up to the higher option. This higher option needs bolts for a big 30m rap about 100m south, wereas the lower option can be abseiled with a 25m rope off an old fishermans spike. - Now that these paths have reconvened, scramble south for another 80m along a skinny ledge, building a belay off the old fisherman spike. It’s probably worth doing a micro 5m long pitch here and building a much better belay off the stainless spikes at the better ledge. - This next pitch goes at around grade 14 with bomber gear and great, balancy moves. Crux 3 - Another 100m of easy walking gets you to the last crux of this section of the traverse, buruwang main wall. - Theres a couple options here, either climb any of the routes that will get you up to the higher ledge (easiest is probably: Just one more bump, 12m, a pretty committing grade 22 mixed route), or… in the spirit of seacliff traversing, don’t go up, go sideways. This traversing pitch isn’t too hard, but is very pumpy, probably around grade 19, resting on gear makes it a lot easier, but it will give you a cardio workout nonetheless. - once you’re past buruwang main wall, its all easy walking and scrambling all the way to the mattings descent (huge fixed ropes). Exiting here makes for a great day out and a fairly easy 25min walk back to the diamond bay.

From the South: Reverse the above beta

Check your rope length - might require a 70m.

Mixed climb linkup. Joins the start of Pornflakes into Hourglass using the succulent horizontal hand crack. Climb up Pornflakes for 2 bolts and head left along crack which takes small to medium cams. Make sure to place enough gear to keep you off the deck as you are not high up! Strenously join Hourglass at the third bolt and rejoice as you clip bolts to the top.

FA was done as a pinkpoint.

Hard death route unless it gets rebolted. 2m right of V.

Head up the flake (manky BRs), then head left and up to a horizontal. Step right here and continue up (rotten BRs) then right again to a short crack.

Mike Law 1980s

Hard death route unless it gets rebolted. Below the obvious crack in the middle of the orange wall, about 6m left of the ladder. An enjoyable and technical little outing, but unfortunately the bolts are pretty far gone (for a change!).

Mike Law 1980s

Hard death route unless it gets rebolted. 1m right of SS. Head up and slightly right past break and corroded BRs. Continue to roof and finish up cracks.

Mike Law 1980s

Nice rock and gear. Start below the corner 5m right of TC and 3m left of ladder.

1. 15m (16) Up the corner (sling runner possible), onto 2nd big ledge and continue up cracks (crux) heading left at top (avoid the super easy corner on left). Lower off at 15m

2. 30m (15) Not worth doing this pitch, Continue up and slightly left on ledges.

Has a monster traverse along the lip of a roof. 3 good trad pitches and a wandery one.

1. 15m Start up Tourist Route, and then step right to crack on lip and up to belay on 2 rings.

2. 25m (16) Up wall past 2 bolts to mantel (little cams on right) and up to ledge (bolt to protect second). Walk left 10m and up tricky corner to belay at first step, 6m up. (There are highline anchors on top of the next block)

3. 20m (19) Traverse right 15m along fist sized horizontal (many cams) above space to skyline, then up little corner and bolt to mantel at more highline anchors. Streno.

4. 10m (19) walk up to bulge behind. Start right of fallen boulders. Up into 'hook' and up, right 1.5m to only finishing hold. Streno

The following climbs all start either above or below the walk around ledge (which is accessed by the ladder that is located just here). Take care on the ladder...

Climbs the rightmost of the 3 cracks through the roof. Doddle up ladder, then continue slightly left and up to roof. Jam through this up the thin crack then continue up to cave (manky BB), or traverse left to loweroff on Tourist Route.

1. 10m Climb face crack 10m R of the ladder. Tricky first move to good wire. A nice pitch of 17

2. 12m Stick clip bolt then up corner, good hand sized cam on right arete at top, then left to lower off.

On the walk around ledge, 30m right of the ladder, below an arete. The original description describes this climb as "coronary country". I hate to think what it must be like now, after 40 more years of weathering!

1. 20m (21) Jump to gain wall, then dangle right and up (BR) to corner. Follow arete to ledge (corroded BB).

2. 20m (19) Head up and left and follow scrappy corners to the top.

Trad first pitch, great rock and a bit punchy. Walk around at low tide, or rap down from ledge straight below Obscurity. Start just left of a finger undercling flake (A Certain Flare).

The obvious smooth flake, 2m right of Obscurity trad pitch (down at sea level)

1. Climb the flake to the walk around ledge. May be a lot easier with modern small cams

Start below right tending ramp, just past the arete approximately 60m right of aCF (approx. 100m from the ladder). Scary. The first pitch has been retrobolted as Part of the Last wave

1. 15m (18) Up ramp , step right around the arete, then follow the thin crack up to a belay ledge all Ubolts now.

2. 30m Follow corner for approximately 5m, then easily left to belay on slab below roof (manky BB).

3. 30m Climb up slab and V crack then left to ledge. Head straight up from here, then step right to another crack. Follow this to the top.

Mikl Law 1970's

Hard death route unless it gets rebolted. About 3m right of KC.

1. 40m (21) Climb up, veering left to bulge (crux). After this, continue up and right past assorted fixed protection (all badly weathered) to belay in a corner that breaks through the rooves (manky BB).

2. 30m Head up corner, then traverse left around the arete and on for about 8m. Wander up to top.

Mikl Law 1980's

At the base of the obvious low angled corner crack. A shame the good bit is so short!

Easy moves (often wet) up the low angled corner crack to a stance. Great laybacking on good rock up to and through the small roof to the top (take some fist size cams). Cam and Ubolt belay

An ancient, rotting aid route just right of the corner. All that's left are bolt holes and rusty little blobs of metal.

The first of two climbs to traverse the horizontal breaks on the wall.

Up TC to the top break. Follow this right across the wall. Finish up AW.

The high traverse route.

Up TC until level with the lower break. Hard move to gain break then follow it right. Finish up AW.

Start below the corner at the right hand end of the big cave. Up the bird shit encrusted corner and skirt right around the roof to an old rap station.

Up easy corner (right of 'Honeycomb Arete') and sustained through the crack corner above ledge at half height.

The obvious short corner and roof about 10m right of the ladder.

Small wires up the corner and through the roof (a #3 camalot is useful). Up past large ledge to DUB lower offs.

0.5m right of SM.

Bouldery moves up the blank wall then left to SM (RB), or continue up right (no pro). No protection down low. (Solo on F/A)

0.5m right of SP, below thin crack.

Great climbing up the crack (wires, manky PR, BR) and wall to the chossy break (BR). Continue up the pleasant grey wall above (large BR - some bolt brackets don't fit) to the chossy break just below the top. Natural belay (take slings). Would be worth 2 stars if it had a little less choss!

Marked. 3m right of T at the blocky corner perched above the filthy pond. Don't know where it goes exactly! Straight up looks unprotected and reasonably difficult. Following the ramp to the right up the gully then up the upper corner looks unpleasant.

Opposite T.

A line of chips that finishes at the first choss break. No pro.

Often wet, climbs the wall and horrendous undercling flake 10 Mm L of Rupture. Needs gear

A reverent and exciting re-enactment of an old fisherman's route. Start at weakness 15m L of CC, around L edge of Bow Wall. Up and R, no pro, to ring anchor. An access route to the top of Sea Kwarry.

Big corner about 60m north of The Last Wave. corroded gear and rotting flakes

they used to tip rubbish includin concrete down here. Line. obvoius hard

rap 35m off the fence (+ backup) sth of Macquarie light and north of Christensen park. rusted bolts and cams

as for La Technique then R

The home of discount grading. Rap station 15m N of La technique.

rap in as for Hey, sucker, then right

Jacob's Ladder to Rosa Gully (Diamond Bay) The most difficult and sustained section of the traverse. This bit alone involves roughly 150m of height gain and abseils, most of it on fairly bad rock. It is highly committing with multiple diagonal abseils, that once your rope is pulled, you have no option but to continue forwards. Bailing down or up is not an option for a large amount. Some of the roped up pitches can get up to grade 22 or a couple grades easier with a couple of aid moves. Truly an incredible adventure and if you want to really experience all the moods of the cliffs in one big day out (good rock and hard moves mixed with bad rock and easy moves, wave timing rock hoping sprints mixed with high exposure on thin ledges) this is the section for you.

Sea Level Traverse - Trendies Corner (2.1km, grade 23 or 19 M1)

This has probably got to be one of the longest and consistently cruxy sections of the seacliffs. It passes under some of the biggest and most impressive sections of cliffline. Unlike the South Head section, conditions have to be good but don’t have to be once-a-season perfect. It’s also much less red-hot, this stretch of coastline is about as serious as you can get for a day out in Australian climbing.

From the North: Starts at the slot canyon Jacob’s Ladder just north of The Gap. Some slippery chimney moves on bad rock get you down into an easy scree slope. Before gaining water level, take the ledge system to the north about 10m off the water. This is fairly easy going for about 100m before quickly ending and requiring the rope and rack to be whipped out. The best option here is to head up the cliff to the next band of choss before continuing north again, turning the nose of orange rock at the super exposed vegetated layer on the very lip of the roof, about 30-40m above the ocean. Once around this corner rap down off the single screw doing a diagonal traverse. The seconder will need to remove the leaders gear and be pulled in underneath to the big sandy ledge just under the roof (15m down). This ledge system can be traversed north a while longer with a couple of roped up bouldery moves (some screws should protect these moves). Eventually this ledge system turns into a huge cave with a steep sandy floor with a slight track stamped into it. Scrambling around this feels a little like traversing a snow slope and avoiding setting off an avalanche. If this sand decides to “go”, you’ll be going with it, so careful. At its end is a rap station off some Gal screws. A 20-30m diagonal abseil and top rope traverse will get you to the next major ledge system about 15m above the ocean. From this ledge system rap off a single screw and rock hop the boulders for the next 100m. An awkward 5m boulder problem gets you back to higher ground. The next corner is best tackled by going up the thin sandy cracks for 15m. A a lower traverse about 5-7m off the ocean is definetly possible, but far more sustained and tricky climbing. From the upper ledge rap off the single bolt to the boulders below, time the waves and get out of the mouth of the chasm before a monster hits. A couple hundred meters of easy ground gets you to a belly crawl and then you want to start heading up. Decent gear and some hard ish climbing on the second pitch will get you to just under the nuclear bunker. Travserse this major ledge system for 150m passing a bouldery crux (a couple of screws protect this) before rapping down 25m off another single screw to the seal hangout.

A tide timing wade is now needed or some ballsy lip traversing to stay on the rock, somewhere in the high teens to low 20”S grade and only 10m off the deck. The final bit of this section is defined by a sandy buttresses that isnt too bad to negotiate. Once past this final buttress you’ll end up in the housemaid’s knee section of cliffline, roughly 500m away from Rosa Gully (and swell permitting) an easy walk.