Towards the left hand end of the cliff, just left of a steep, narrow gully is a line with two ledges. Chimney, stem, mantle and cracks. A fun and varied climb.
On the far left hand end of the cliff is a featured dike. Climb the vegetated chimney below it or scramble around to the pedestal and start here. Fun moves with the crux moving into the layback before jugs and a mantle onto stance, then climb easy slabby groove. Gear is good but difficult to place on lead.
Start at the far right hand side of the Goldrush wall. Just left of the blocky corner. Up cracked wall past gear in flake and up to small ledge. Head to left side of ledge and then straight up the wall above, finishing up the thin hand crack just to the right of Goldrush.
Five minutes past Goldrush, as the view north opens out, and you see a big Castle like cliff in the sea, the track passes right of a blank south facing wall with a distinct eye. GDA 55G 0347080 5357364. Climb the cool thin flake, past a couple of good medium wires, to a bold swing left up onto the arete. Trend up right up a flake with small-medium cams.
Located on a distinct square topped pinnacle set back from the sea, 10 minutes past Goldrush Wall, on the way to Wheel Bay. Climb the slab and sharp arête past five glued carrots and a 3.5 & 5 Friend to a DBB.
Climb the left hand crack looking at the NNE side of the Hot Cross Bun boulder. Some bits better than they look, some more awkward. Natural anchor and counterweight rap for descent.
From the wooden signpost (approx 150-200 metres from the North Col) where the walking track steepens up to the Cap itself, walk up the track toward the summit for approx. 150 metres. There is a huge hanging Slab on the L with a short black wall under it.
30m 10. Up the black wall for about 8 metres to the horizontal crack under the slab. (Straight up could be grade 25-ish?) Traverse L 15 metres across a rocky couloir to a ledge on the arête and belay around the corner.
Before rounding the nose of a buttress to reach the ''Pump'' and ''Honeysuckle Divine'' there is a crack a few metres L of the nose. The crack faces the North Col and peters out after about 25 metres.
25m. Up crack which is much steeper and more sustained than it looks. Some holds are hollow sounding. Good value.
Start: From the top of the North Col cliff is broken on west side by corner with blank face prominent. Wall on L of blank face is split by jagged crack which breaks L at 15 metres. Climb crack for 15 metres, move L (not easy) and climb continuation of crack which is overhanging and becomes off-width near the top.
Start underneath the L end of a ledge which extends from the R hand wall - about 2m R of Pawn of Doom.
Climb directly up on blocky rock to slot beneath grey bulge, then blast directly through crack in middle of bulge onto disconcerting flat tops (thread runner). Good gear if you can hang around and place it.
The grade takes into account the wad-factor. It's the prominent diagonal line on the west-facing buttress above La Grande Pump.
Start: Scramble/solo up R of LGP past the prominent L - leading arête undercut by the big overhung corner. The route takes the L - leading line a couple of metres R of the arête.
48m. Step down and left from the belay, then up and follow line.
Start: The gap between the lowest sweep of the Gwendolen Buttress and the base of the Pillar Face forms a rocky ravine. (Further R is Cox's Castle.) The climb commenced from the ravine not far to the L of the "Castle".
The first 30m of face forms a noticeable convex bulge (crux). Climb for 15m.
traverse horizontally across bulge to the L, finally moving up again to a broad sloping platform at the top of the bulge (conspicuous hook-shaped patch of grass on RH edge).
From platform continue vertically upwards for around 150m to the overhanging blocks barricading exit.
Continue as per pitch 3's description
Continue as per pitch 3's description. A LH swerve in the line of ascent was made when a line of weakness through exit blocks was located.
Note: Halfway up face is a peculiar line of pillars on a large platform.
On the buttress in front of face. First pitch excellent rock and gear, 2nd pitch not so good. Find lowest major roofs on front (N) side of Cox's Castle. Just L of roof is attractive corner. Possibly cairned.
40m. Line to good ledge.
60m. Easy, with alternatives possible. L up juggy crack for 4m or so. Wander up towards big corner high above. Up corner to steep section with slightly schist-y rock. R for 3m, then up easily. Finish up R-facing corner.
To descend, abseil 15m to top of arches (it's a dangerous grade 15 downclimb otherwise). Then sidle R to top of the Arches (the 50m wall below Solomon’s Sanctuary) and descend by 50m abseil.
Zarathustra takes a line up the prominent west-facing buttress above Cox's Castle. A good sunny afternoon climb but leave yourself plenty of time to get off.
Start about 2m R of lone boulder just behind Cox's Castle.
30m 18. Second half of this pitch is run-out. Up the line for about 7m to overhang. Step L and head up to horizontal break just R of grass. R a couple of metres, then up on marginal protection to prominent diagonal line. Belay a little higher, about 5m below roofs.
20m 21. Awaits a flash. Up R to thread runner on arête. Steeply up to RH end of roof. Step R onto arête and climb up a few more metres. Traverse spectacularly L on superb rock for about 10m to belay on small seat-sized ledge in horizontal break.
25m. Up, L and then up again to base of ramp. Up ramp to L to arête of buttress. Climb north face to belay where rope drag dictates.
35m. Wander up and L-ish to top of buttress.
Descent: It might be easier to rap off. Otherwise, continue scrambling and climbing up, up, up to top of buttress, and sidle round mountain to pick up the main track to the North Col.
Solo up L to good ledge. Line heads up L below roof split by off-width. Superb, exposed climbing on lovely, orange rock
45m. From L end of ledge, climb up for 10m. Now up L towards small, grey ramp at L end of huge, orange roof. Thin on lip of slab about 6m below and just L of off-width, with undercut wall below. Up and L towards grey ramp. From start of this, drop below it and climb L on juggy wall to arête. Up to small alcove.
40m. Take R alternative, up bulge. Continue on schisty but sound rock to good ledge below two grooves.
30m. Scary. Up L groove on poor rock and minimal pro, heading L to short, R-arching flake. Rock and pro improve greatly towards end of flake (there is only about 5m of really loose rock.) Up. Step L just above flake.
45m. Up easily to big grassy ledge. Up flake-cracks on L.
From North Col, one can view a tower of rock, narrow at its base, on the ridge top R of Lake Gwendolen. The climb runs up the steep ridge leading to the tower then up the tower itself. An entertaining little climb with good situations.
Start: Descend from the North Col toward Lake Gwendolen. Lower down, the Tower can be seen on the ridge immediately left of Surf Slab.
Best approach is to climb the first pitch of Surf Slab (30m) then scramble horizontally L to foot of ridge.
42m. Climb LH side of ridge for 5m, traverse R 3m then up to thin crack. Climb crack and slab above to belay on grassy terrace. (One can scramble off here.)
9m. Traverse horizontally R to foot of corner.
27m. Climb open-book corner (crux, also loose rock) and traverse R passing keyhole to wall overlooking Surf Slab. Climb crack on wall to top of tower.
Note: Either climb or abseil down low side of Tower (8m). The tower has previously been climbed from this low side (easy).
Brilliantly white and in waves. On the northern side of Gwendolen Cirque well below the Lion's Head. There is a prominent bulging pillar among the first buttresses toward the lake.
The slab lies below and on the Cap side of this. It is in two sections broken at 2/5 height by a grassy terrace. The lower section is easier. A cairn (1974) marks the start in the centre of the slab.
Excellent climbing on small secure holds in great shiny white rock. Climb straight above the cairn veering in places to the grassy terrace above the second slab and walk off.
Towards the top of the second slab is a slight flake crack. Up thin crack (crux).
Little is known about this route, but it appears to be at least as good as Surf Slab. Start in the middle of the foot of the slab climbed by Surf Slab. Take a direct line slab followed by a steeper section.
Magnificently overhanging. More awkward than technical. Sustained. Start: The obvious big overhanging line under the nose of the Lions Head, seen clearly when approaching the North Col from Tahune. Scramble up from the North Col across and up into the big cave. Good nut belay on L, out of stonefall line.
30m. Up to the big triangular block. Chimney out under it and up on to loose blocks. Bridge up to obvious traverse R . Across on shattered rock then hand traverse line to sharp nose. Up the line to top. (Double rope useful.)
Start up LH side of first smooth slab encountered when moving around SW base of the Cap from the West Col.
(1) - Climb halfway up slab with little pro
(2) - Climb second half of slab with equally bad pro to start of vertical wall
(3) - Traverse left and up short vertical crack to belay stance at small flake
(4) - Climb half of RH nose of gully to belay stance
(5) - Climb second half of RH nose of gully (delicately) and belay stance just under overhanging chockstone
(6) - (Crux) Mount overhanging chockstone and up corner to top out
An alternate finish for Western Slab Route.
First two pitches as for Western Slab Route. Then up vertical wall, up right to follow sloping terrace then straight up the gully to the top.
By no means a thorough description. For further information buy a guidebook. No idea about pitch lengths. This route eats hexes. Otherwise single rack from smallest c-3's to #3, with double #1 and double #2 for pitches 4 and 5.
Depart hikers track to summit on faint trail leading to base of walls, head over spur and down across big wall all the way to loose scree chute, up this with care, under detached pinnacle at top, across with care until under right leaning ramp creating left facing corner. Approx 1.5hr approach from Tahune hut. The lines infamous traverse pitch can be spied from here as the piece of rock between two respective crack systems.
Either rope up or up gradually unroped through first two pitches of blocks and vegetation veering slightly right through easiest terrain.
Onto large terrace then back left to base of corner. Build belay. Rope up.
Engaging wet pitch 3 up to big ledge with some bail tat on a block.
Pitch 4 - Up crack, cruxy, and over top out of sight on very smooth sloping smears on right. Would need three or more #2 s to link into next pitch.
Continue next pitch (5) up same crack with better feet, persist with crack, good #3 in very top before an easy scramble up small cleft, belay gear high up in back, cordelette handy.
Pitch (6) - Direct up crack or step right up arette with steep pulls on big holds with good gear and huge exposure, onwards up to big ledge.
Pitch (7) basically a solo ..lean out left, place small gear and begin traverse. Not much good gear, extend everything. Face climb delicately and keep hanging on. Eventually some good placements at base of corner, use them all and belay on small ledge on left, rather than going up into wet chimney for big gear, as the hanging belay is very uncomfortable and forces your leader straight up hard steep crack rather than easy out right as is described in guide.
Pitch (8) - up to corner, then over to unprotected easy climbing a few meters right, then back left again and up to good ledge.
Pitch (9) Up steepening crack then left onto small gear belay in back of exposed sloping ledge, for good belay.
Pitch (10) - up loosening rock through steep crystalline choss jugs and strenuous runout, into crack then up then all the way to top weaving left around steep stuff, extending everything (36m), a #4 could be useful towards end of pitch however terrain is easy and rock quality is superb. This last pitch passes a few opportunities for belays however by now you probably want to topout. Stay roped up and hike 40m up hill to variety of belay options. Walk to summit.
To get to the start, walk up main scree couloir below SE Face, from its base scramble up and right to belay on bollard below vegetated crack just left of small buttress
36m - Straight up crack then up right trending ramp to belay.
36m - Traverse right over vegetation and behind blocks to base of large chimney with gully of loose rocks at base, up this gully and behind flake to belay at top of chimney.
18m - Diagonally up left and across wall to belay on terrace covered in loose rock.
36m - Diagonally up right to small stance and belay at base of detached pinnacle.
24m - Up and slightly left into chimney with a handcrack in a pillar for 10-12m. Traverse out L along the ledge/under roof, over the bulge and continuing up to belay at the base of a vegetated chimney. Finger and hand sized cams for belay. Another pitch with quite suspect rock.
30m - Up chimney with delicate moves until its possible to pull onto right side of arête. Continue traversing up and right to belay at a stance below handcrack corner system.
20m - Handjams straight up the vegetated corner, passing an old piton and a ledge. Belay at the next slightly smaller ledge a couple of metres above. Belay takes hand sized cams.
30m - From belay, unlikely looking traverse 6-9m L around buttress, where you will pass a piton. The traverse has decent protection. Now head up the poorly protected groove, using the face when necessary. Exit to your left, continuing to run it out, past a big ledge to belay on top of a block.
21m - (Crux) This pitch is known as the Devils Staircase. Diagonally up and left across smooth, vertical wall on good protection with awesome exposure. The suggested belay at the end here is quite marginal. Recommend continuing up arête for 8m (left side runout but easier, right marginal gear, steeper) to next good protection on small sloping ledge. Takes 0.3 cams and nut.
33m - Traverse down and left into big chimney and up this to belay. Alternatively, the right hand side has less moss and okay rock. Continuing a little higher to one of the numerous other stances will gets you to the top in just 1 more pitch.
30m - Continue up chimney and up to belay on right of large boulder.
30m - Keep going up chimney before exiting out onto a large boulder and belay.
The preferred start for most parties as it avoids most of the vegetation of the original route.
27m (13) - Trend up left on the obvious line to chockstone belay on ledge
33m (14) - Continue up line trending left. Move out onto left wall about halfway up and up this to good ledge then up and right to belay at top of large chimney.
Variant finish to the Sydney Route.
Pitches 1-7 as for The Sydney Route
22m (14) - Very exposed traverse left to slight groove at 6m, keep going 9m longer to corner, down this around to the left into a small stance and belay
24m (15) - Diagonally up and left for 5m to tiny flake, traverse left around arete and up wall for 9m to stance on left and up to good belay left
27m (15) - Up rotten corner on left for 5m to shelf, traverse riht (delicately) to foot of overhanging crack and up this to ledge with moss and loose rock. Up mossy overhang and up to belay in chimney
36m (13) - Bypass large overhanging chockstone via the right wall, then easy climbing up to belay.
45m 17. Start as for Sydney Route Direct Start but go up L. 2. 35m. As for SR. Scramble over boulders to R, then ramp behind block. 3. 25m 15. Up out of chimney, then vegetated ramp to top. Go up and trend slightly R. Belay on ledge which slopes up R at top. 4. 35m 18. Up from belay to runner - make it a good one, it may be your last. Traverse up R to crack, then up R of detached pillar and belay behind this. (Some old gear may be in evidence here.) 5. 30m 14. Directly across L on good traverse. Up to chimney. Belay above blocks perched in cracks. 6-9. As for SR except start pitch six a little higher. 10. 50m 11. Angle up L of good holds into chimney, then up to "landing pad". 11. 30m 14. Chimney, heading R into other chimneys. Continue to mega-stance. 12. 50m 8. Step out on L wall. After a few moves stand up and run across pasture. Take L gully to top. 13. Wander up gully to summit.
A very direct start to the Sydney route, starting to the north.
Pitch 1 50 m
Just to the left of the lowest part of the cliff, which coincides with E face changing to SE face is a grassy knoll. Scramble up this from the north to the first sloping terrace. Stepped rock with an incipient line heads up left, nearly meeting with the top of the knoll 2m up-it would be possible to step right from the high part to join the line.
Up trending slightly left with spaced gear, back right at 15 m above a threader, then left aiming for a fused open book corner under a roof. Near the roof at 40 m step left around a blunt arete for 2 m to belay in a small alcove on small cams . Good quality rock. Spaced gear.
P2 30 m straight up from belay to short corner (small wires) then step right onto featured slab . Up into stemming groove exiting left then step right onto wall and straight up to arrive at top of chasm where P 3 of Sydney route starts.
50m (21) - Up wide corner then up the steepening moss filled cracks and up via loose blocks to left leaning ramp to top of ramp and belay.
15m (21) Right across face for 3m to small stance at base of small weakness in face, straight up this past FH to belay at stance.
50m (23) Left around arete to crack, up past roof and motor up overhanging crack to ramp. Up crack on left to big ledge and belay just off the left hand end of this.
50m (21) - Head right and then trend back left following the weekness and over small overlap. Follow a few corners up before going right on exposed face toward huge flake to belay on the back of this flake
50m (17) - Right to arete then easily up in a great position on good rock to belay off big ledge
40m (18) - Up front of buttress following the weakness to another big belay ledge.
Alternate 3rd pitch of De Gaulles Nose. Beginning from the top of the second pitch of the original route.
50m (21) As for De Gaulle's Nose
15m (21) As for De Gaulle's Nose
45m (25) Straight up the left of two shallow vertical corners for abour 10m before heading out right to the second corner following the holds and placements, up this corner to rest and FH. Up to rooflet and around the rooflet to BR with a fixed biner at stance. Up to one more FH before going left on small holds and up blank face towards thin crack and up to sloping ledge and ramp and left up this to belay on arete.
10m (18) - Up crack above belay for 6m to large ledge on arete to ledge at top of pitch three of the original route, across this all the way to the other side of the ledge to hanging belay. This is the end of the original's third pitch.
Approach - Climb easy ramps/vegetation to highest grassy ramp below the East Face (bollard belay)
55m - Diagonally left and up ramps for 5m then up wall to belay on left of ledge
50m - Up for 5m then left and up 10m to where the black rock meets the white rock. From here, diagonally right to ledge and bollard belay
35m (20) - Traverse left for 10m to small black cave then up overhanging finger crack to top of right leading corner and belay.
50m - Traverse left for 15m along ledge and up leaning corner to belay on ledge on left wall
37m - Step right around arete to ledge, up juggy wall and short but steep crack to belay on ledge
38m (19) - Up for 5m then step left for 6m. THen up short bottomless corner and wall above for 6m then left for 7m and up corner to belay ledge just right of big cleft
40m (18) - From left side of ledge up wall for 4m (crux) then step left and up the corner. Pass the small roof to gain ledge below mossy corner, then step up and right around the arete, then traverse easily right to top of small chimney and up to topout
Start by climbing up greasy walls to grassy ledge below the right end of the East Face and move along this to foot of the dihedral.
48m (13) - Up gully and around mossy overhang to right and continue up chimney past abseil sling and up to small cave then belay off pitons on ledge to the right
33m (15) - Up past mossy bulge before moving left around overhang and continue up and left around an overhanging nose. Climb up to ledge on right wall before traversing delicately left and up small corner past a piton and small ledge to belay from
27m (14) - Straight up past a ledge as it steepens, passing a chockstone to a chock belay below mossy overhang
30m (14) - Exposed move to get established onto right wall and traverse diagonally up and right to ledge then diagonally up and left and back onto main line and up to small stance at base of chimney
27m (13) - Up chimney using crack to where it steepends, bridge up on smaller holds and up the left wall to good ledge and block belay
24m (15) - Up corner, then after 6m move onto right wall and diagonally up and right on small holds and up crack then layback round the overhang and continue up crack to col behind tower.
30m (15) - Downclimb to the right for 5m and up narrow chimney, before going up and right to small stance then left into crack to overhang. Move left across the lip of overhang and up around overhang to big ledge
26m (11) - From right end of ledge move up obivous ramp on left and then traverse easily back right up step to big ledge and belay
36m (16) - Serious pitch off marginal belay and with marginal gear. Straight up easily then straight up delicately (crux) to a 'psychological' belay on small bush
36m (12) - Straight up for 8m then traverse 5m right to break then straight up on sloping holds then easily onto large grassy terrace and belay. Scramble up to top.
FA:C Baxter, C Dewhirst, P Stranger & J Veasey, 1968
An alternative to pitch 2 on the original which avoids the hardly protectable crux traverse in pitch 2. Rejoins original route at start of pitch 3.
From belay at start of pitch two, up flake and over bulge. Follow the flake til it ends and place thin hands sized cams, then downclimb for 2m and traverse right for 3m on flat holds and up to just above in line with the cams, then continue up cracks and flakes and traverse back left to bush platform and the start of pitch 3.
Start at the foot of the left one of two chimneys in the second gully left of the Tahune Face.
33m - (Crux) Climb chimney to where it starts to become overhanging, then traverse left out along the wall and step around into the thin crack on left and up this to stance and spike belay
24m - Continue up crack for a few moves before traversing delicately across wall on rihgt into the chimney and up to good belay ledge
34m - Traverse left over death blocks then up into mext line on left. Climb up and right on horrendous rock to arete with ledge and piton belay
34m - Move up diagonally left into chimney and follow this around the huge chocks to a ledge on the right. Swing across into the thin crack on left wall to a bushy ledge and up a series of corners slightly to the left and to a small stance and bushes to a belay on the right.
24m - Traverse left for 3m, then up wall on small holds to big bushy ledge and belay
21m - Move easily right along ledge to base of obvious chimney
30m - Up chimney past chockstones and once it overhangs move onto face on right and move up and finish chimney above chockstone and exit to belay on right
12m - Straight up to col behind the tower.
To descend: Traverse down and right into gully and scramble up until the angle lessens and follow nose to the walking track.
