线路 in Katoomba Area

Leftmost route (facing the crag).

About 2m right of CC. 10 carrots, plus some cams. There are 3 carrots on a large boulder about 5m past the top-out. The route goes left of the 8th and 9th bolts. Beware the large loose block on the ledge just above the cave!

Start 2m left of VIK. Very dirty. Start under short nose to ledge. Trend leftwards to ramp at top.

Start at decent sized Angophora.

The obvious offwidth near the right end of the crag.

Line just to the right of the crack.

Amazing position right next to Katoomba Falls, with an airy, mixed-quality set of pitches. You can be seen by the tourists from about five different vantage points, so expect some cheering\heckling\posing.

Bring a rack of cams 0.3 to 4, and 5 bolts plates as well as the usual kit.

Approach by walking down the creek above Katoomba Falls (yes, in the creek - access from below Katoomba Cascades) until near the top of the main falls. Be careful as the rock is extremely slippery, and with enough rainfall the water can be quite high and fast-flowing. Belay carefully from shrubs near the top of the main falls.

1. 15m (18) A traverse access pitch! Traverse hard right to gain the major flake, then up this to 2 x carrot bolt belay. Belay from here. Now rap 20m to a hanging 2 x carrot bolt belay directly below.

2. 20m (23) 1 carrot + trad. Up, trending right to flake feature and carrot. Then directly up to gain major right-facing flake. Be sure to save a 0.4/0.5 for after you've stuck the crux. Belay from the 2 x carrot bolt belay you just rapped from.

3. 15m (22) 1 Fixed Hanger, 1 carrot + trad. Kinda scary and a bit loose. Carefully traverse left from the belay, and punch up to gain fixed hanger. Then traverse back right and up via waco to crimp rail. Hard traverse left to jugs, thread and gear. Then back right and up via very punchy moves to ironstone block on the lip of the roof. Mantle this to gain carrot bolt, then doddle upwards to top-out. Belay off convenient collection of shrubs.

To find your way back to the path, bush bash straight up the hill until you reach the main pathway.

One of the best mini-multis for a quick, exposed and scenic adventure in the Blue Mountains. This route is highly visible to the tourist hoards passing overhead on the Scenic Skyway cablecar and nearby lookouts. On a busy weekend expect to be hassled and photographed relentlessly. There have been reported incidents of police meeting climbers on the top-out after tourists thought the climbers were stuck and rang 000.

This route can be done as a run-out sport route (bring 15+ draws) or a saner mixed route with the addition of a single set of cams from #0.75 to #3 Camalot. Long runners are useful to reduce rope-drag and for a thread on pitch 1. This route no longer requires bolt plates.

Start: Make your way to the lookout on the Prince Henry Cliff Walk directly below the Katoomba side of the Scenic Skyway. From the lookout the rap point is on the small but obvious rock platform 30m down and to the left. There is a well beaten dirt track leading to this spot (it's a popular Instagram selfie area)

There are 2 ringbolts to rap off hidden back from the edge obscured by some bushes. Do NOT rap off the 2 carrot bolts a few metres further left. Fix a 70m rope to these anchors and rap down to the major vegetated starting ledge. It is possible to rap and pull ropes if you build an anchor that gets over the top edge. 30m to the mid height rap chain followed by a 40m rap to the bottom of the route. Facing the cliff, the route starts on a ledge a few metres up and to the left of where you touch down with a single bolt belay.

1. 45m (22) A long pitch. After a very hard start move trend right up the ramp. Now climb up and up and up, mainly on jugs, but even so there is one unnerving run out section. A 60cm sling for an obvious thread can mitigate the runout. Eventually you come to the belay chain.

2. 30m (22) An excellent pitch with a couple of tricky sections to keep things interesting. Cams help alleviate runouts. Don't forget to smile for the cameras.

Named after the remorseless tunes the Scenic Railway plays across the valley. Good climbing, take the usual rack of big cams plus extra medium cams and lots of wires. 8 or 9 bolt plates. A few runouts on easy ground, average scary Blueys trad. Walk up to Ice :- walk down Furber Steps or catch the scenic railway down, turn east. A few minutes past the creek there's a boulder 6m above the track with a info sign below it. A minute or so past this is a huge yellow boulder 15m above the track with a well worn track up to it. Up here. Ice is in the left side of a huge gully 100m above all this. Walk left 60m, past a fused corner with a retreat bolt and tatt at 12m, to a thin right facing corner with a roof at 10m. Short fist crack on the right wall.

1. 28m (18) Up corner system, right under little roof then up fused corner to a 2BB where the cracks head off right.

2. 25m (18) Step right up drummy flake for 11m to small roof. traverse R 4m to next crack system and up to 2BB on shale ledge.

3. 30m (3) Walk right to good ledge. belay below thin crack on headwall

4. 10m (17) Up unprotected wall to 3BB on ledge.

5. 30m (19) Four bolts. Fight through headwall then up thin crack to 3BB at bush.

6. 30m (17) Up thin crack with good wires and large cams in breaks, then right a meter past bolt and up 5m higher, then diagonally right up thin flake to good ledge 10m below roof. 2BB

7. 30m (18) Right to ledge and R past 3Brs, then up and left on good rock to top.

Mixed climbing masterpiece. The excellent final pitch can be seen easily from the lookouts on Cliff Drive.

Start: Huge right facing corner directly beneath Wollumni Look out. Best access is to walk-in via Furbers Steps, left at the bottom and follow track to HUGE boulder on left about 250m after crossing the creek. Head directly up the hill towards the cliff. The route has a substantial tree at its base that you use to get established on the rock and there is a NY cap with a rock on it at the base.

1. 10m (17) Mantle on to tree then up corner and slightly left to belay at twin breaks. Gear belay.

2. 45m (22) Head leftwards from the belay towards carrot and then up the awesome wall just in from the arete on great rock passing more carrots and good gear in horizontals just where you need it. When you arrive at a small scoop and ledge trend up and left to the arete and boulder your way through to the belay which is two carrots.

3. 20m (17) Walk 4m left on ledge to bolt above your head. Up passing one more bolt and slightly left to ledge below yellow corner. Not a load of gear. Single bolt and cam belay.

4. 40m (18) Up corner with limited gear but on rock that is better than it looks, then traverse right to chossy ledge. Up great juggy crack to mossy ledge. Single bolt and cam belay.

5. 50m (17) Corner, right at top (ignore rusty carrot out left) and up to huge tree below the lookout.

8m past Wollemi lookout, climb the fence and walk to the right below a small boulder to find the abseil rings above you. Abseil just left of the small tree (looking out) to 2 x rings 15m down, and keep on abseiling clipping some bolts along the way to keep in contact with the wall. A 60m rope JUST reaches in 1 abseil on stretch (tie a knot in the end). This is the last route off the right side of the small, exposed footledge.

Take at least 12 bolt plates, a single rack (BD 0.3 - 3) and some mid-sized wires.

1. From the belay, trend up and right over the void to a bolt, then continue upwards with 1 very hard move at 2/5ths height. Supplement bolts with cams and wires (good gear) as necessary. Belay on 2 x rings 15m down from the top.

2. Hard start, then up past carrots to roof. Hard moves to turn the lip (don't forget the hard-to-see carrot bolt on the lip of the roof, and the optional #3 placement just below the roof proper in the vegetation). Belay off abseil anchors well back from cliff edge.

Approached along the main tourist clifftop track from Wally World direction.

From Allambie Lookout, the route is visible as the arete down and 40m to the left (looking out).

Continue walking towards the Three Sisters to next promontory and 2m before wooden drain crosses track (small cliff line to your left); head down right through bush for 6m (down 1m rock step) and around left to 2 ring rap station.

Abseil 6m diagonally left to single ringbolt on clifftop (the route anchors are 3m further down on grey slab).

Re-belay abseil rope and abseil 35m+ down overhanging arete and onto wall and left (looking in) to 3RBB on small foot ledge.

Make sure to bounce off the wall and clip into draws on the way down.

Fix a 60m abseil rope from the top station all the way down; and climb on another rope.

Good climbing, great exposure.

Start: Corner right of detached flake about 80m left of GwtW.

1. 28m (15) Corner, right wall of corner then right across ledge to belay.

2. 27m (21) 'Steep' ramp and mantle shelves, right to ledge at base of faint arete. Traverse left then up through juggy terrain and right onto ledge.

3. 33m (20) Up slab, left above roof and belay on halfway ledge.

4. 10m (10)

5. 12m (24)

6. 30m (17)

7. 30m (13)

Start: Below the steep corner at top of cliff left of 'Echo Crack'.

1. 25m (27) Left facing corner to ledge, steep wall to scoop and ledge. can be aided (22M1).

2. 40m (19) Corner to block, left leading groove to shale band. Belay on left.

3. 15m (13) Shale band, right to ledge below the main corner.

4. 25m (20) Corner to ledge on right.

5. 21m (21) Corner to ledge on right.

6. 20m (18) Step left, corner to dirty groove, left and up to belay (hanging).

7. 15m (18) Up wall.

CLOSED PROJECT

This The route starts from a hanging belay in a dihedral above the void. the ledge belay below Echo Crack P3 (the crux pitch). Access by heading down the Echo Crack exit track from Echo Point to the first set of double rings, and abseiling 70m down the arete to the hanging belay (some trickery needed to avoid getting stuck in space).

1. 20m (24) Extremely hard move off the belay (bolt) to gain the traverse line, then truck right past #1 and #3 to bolt. Ignore belay bolts below (for The Horror) and keep on traversing at the same level to break and #3. Then up, trending right past another #3 to gnarly flake, and 2 bolt hanging belay on the right.

2. 25m (PROJECT) - Fully bolted, but very hard. This Pitch is still a CLOSED PROJECT. Up, trending left past bolts, with lots of hard moves.

3. 35m (21) As for The Horror Pitch 4.

From here, bush-bash left up gully to regain the Echo Crack exit track.

An old-school, bowel-loosening journey across one of the most exposed bits of rock in the Blueys. Mostly trad, but with just enough bolts to keep it ever-so-slightly on the right side of insanity. Mostly great rock, and wild moves (pitches 2 and 3 will blow your mind!).

Bring double cams #0.5 to #3, with singles of #0.3, #0.4, #4 and #5, and all the usual paraphernalia necessary for a RADventure.

Ascensionists must be comfortable climbing well above gear on easier terrain. The cruxes can be aided past -with some craftiness- but the traversing (and very steep) nature of the route means both leader and second must be capable of ascending the rope in the event of a fall.

The route starts from the ledge belay below Echo Crack P3 (the crux pitch). Access by either climbing P1 and P2 of Echo Crack. Or, better yet, walk to the top of Echo Crack from Echo Point, and abseil 80m down the top 2 pitches of that route (some trickery needed to avoid getting stuck in space).

If you need to bail, you can either rap right down Echo Crack to the ground with 2 x 60m ropes and walk back up the giant staircase. Or, if you've accessed this route from above, and managed to keep the tail of the rap line in place (eg. threading it through the belay bolts below echo crack) you can reverse the climb and jumaar back up it.

1. 10m (21) From the belay right of echo crack, traverse left (#1 cam in start of echo crack) past bolt, then up overhanging prow with #0.75, #3, and #4 to Bolt and #0.75 Belay.

2. 20m (24) Traverse left and up to gain main traverse line (#2). Traverse straight left past #3, and on to bolt. Crux follows, then crucial #2 (to protect second), and onwards past #4 and #3. A short runout section of traversing takes you to just below the anchors (#5 recommended), then final thin moves to 2 bolt belay.

3. 35m (25 to 26) Up and left to bolt, then straight traverse left past #3 and #1. Ignore bolt further left (it's for the neighbouring route), and instead make your way upwards with tricky face moves on much steepness past 3 bolts. At the 3rd bolt, traverse left to difficult moves (crux) to gain arete and move upwards to jug-hole on left side of arete. Chill in the big cave, then truck right and up bouldery steepness past 2 bolts. After 2nd bolt, traverse left to gain hanging grey arete, with sustained, technical moves past #0.75, #1, #3, and #0.5 to gain 2 bolt belay. Breathe an epic sigh of relief.

4. 35m (21) Crux off belay past 3 bolts, then quest upwards, trending right to arete where rock and gear are better. Eventually meander back to left-facing flake (crucial #3 !!), and up to bolt. Thin moves out left, then up past crucial #0.75 to belay in cave. For this pitch, bring a single rack #0.3 to #4, with doubles of #0.5, #0.75 and #3.

From here, bush-bash left up gully to regain the Echo Crack exit track.

Some of the finest and most "out-there" arete climbing in the Blueys, with tonnes of exposure, and situated on one of the most sought-after bits of real estate around.

Access as for The Horror.

1. 15m (21) As for P1 of The Horror. This pitch can (and should) be linked into the next one (and was on the FA). 1 Bolt, 2 x #0.75, #1, #3, #4.

2. 25m (23) All trad! Up the face to gain hanging fused corner system, then sporty moves up linked corners, flakes and prows to semi-hanging belay on small ledge. #0.2, #0.3, #0.4, 2 x #1, 2 x #2, 2 x #3, 2 x #4, #5.

3. 32m (27) Hard, sustained, steep, scary. One of the best bits of arete climbing in the Blueys. Up the arete, though several rooflets, concluding with a wild finale to gain a cozy belay on a hanging prow. 8 Bolts, optional #0.5 near the top.

4. 35m (23) Very hard moves to gain the second bolt above the roof (its about gr21 if you pull up to the first bolt), then easier face climbing on gear to bolt near the top. Straight up the face from here, then -where it turns to dirt- truck right on obvious break (#2) to prow, and up this to anchor. 3 Bolts, Thread, #0.2/0.3, 2 x #0.75, 2 x #1, 3 x #2, 2 x #3, #4.

Frothy Thomson on the First Ascent of Darkest Congo

Huge crack underneath main lookout, requires standard rack with the addition of up to ten #3 camalots.

1. (13) Chossy corner and crack leading left to well signposted belay ledge. \

2. (18) Small corner to crack then veering left to mantle loose shale ledge. Ring bolt belay.

3. (25) Left over the void and up to get established in crack (crux) then up. Never quite gets dry. Bring lots (9) of number 3 cams. Up to belay with two carrots though horizontal above ideal.

4. (22) Up then leave crack to bridge left past 3 good carrot bolts (2014) and original rotten aid bashies beside them to top. If you've freed pitch 3, pitch 4 feels just as hard!

Walk off 15mtrs then scramble up 1 meter ledge and follow trail meandering up then right a little under last cliff to lookout. Well done

A wild pitch of face climbing, starting from the major ledge halfway down the wall right of Echo Crack. Rather complicated to get to.

Mostly bolted, but sparsely so. Bring cams 0.3 to 0.75 for the traverse exit to P2.

1. 40m (26) Traverse right from the belay, then very hard moves to get started, followed by sustained face climbing with some wild runouts. 2 Bolt belay.

2. 10m (18) As for Alive in a Bitter Sea, traverse left past carrots and some trad gear to belay at the top of Echo Crack.

Classic Blueys steep face climbing in an inspiring location, but with the old-school epic of extremely bold climbing above gear.

Original bolts replaced (like for like) with Glue-in Stainless Carrots in 2016!

Access either by walking to the top of the route from Echo Point and rapping the route (recommended), or by climbing the lower pitches of Echo Crack or Silent Echo to the huge shale-band ledge at half height.

To access from the top, make your way from Echo Point Upper Viewing Platform, down the ramp and head towards the Lower Viewing Platform. 30m after you turn left from the bottom of the ramp (heading towards the lower platform), there is a yellow mark on the fence on your right. Step over this, then down scrub heading vaguely right through bush to rock pagoda. Keep the rock on your right initially as you head down the hill, following a vague weakness and a number of yellow arrows. When the next cliffline appears on your left, hug that and down a number of small shelves to arrive at 2 x carrot + 1 fixed hanger belay directly above Echo Crack.

The top of Alive in a Bitter Sea is at 2 Stainless carrots (and one original Bash-in) atop a series of big teetering blocks, approximately 10m across the wall directly in front of you, at the same height as the Echo Crack top-out.

1. 25m (24 R/X) - Hard moves directly up past 2 carrots (caution getting to 2nd Carrot). Traverse straight right via balancy moves for several metres to flake. Up this with gear, then hard moves up vague corner to placement, and directly right to detached flake, up this to gain "hanging blunt arete". More hard moves up arete past one last carrot bolt to belay on small flake stance (Piton + Bolt + #4/#3.

2. 40m (25 R) - Stupidly hard at the grade. Traverse directly right from the belay for several metres, then diagonally up and right to shale break , then up via 2 carrots of sustained hard climbing up blunt arete to infamous dyno, and more hard arete climbing to belay on small ledge (3 carrots) - Consider shifting the belay further right to be out of the way for the nails at the start of the next pitch).

3. 15m (23 R) - Straight up via utterly desperate thin moves off the belay to a very high carrot (caution getting to this bolt!), more hard moves past gear to another carrot, then easier climbing up (trending vaguely left) past several placements to belay on top of big flake (3 Carrots).

4. 10m (14) - Traverse left along face, then across Echo Crack past 3 carrots and several possible gear placements, up onto belay ledge (2 Carrots, 1 FH).

Walk back up to Echo Point.

First two pitches as for Iron Lady the out left and up face to eventually traverse back to Echo Crack and the walk off there.

A proud, soaring, intimidating and bold rising traverse across the wall below Echo Point. Very committing and involved, with tricky route finding and old bolts... But a brilliant climb despite all of this.

Bring Cams 0.3 to 4, with doubles of 0.5 to 3. Optional #5 cam, #2 (yellow) C3/X4, and a light rack of small wires.

To access, either climb the first 2 pitches of Echo Crack, or approach from the Echo Point Lookout by walking down climbers track until above Echo Crack and abseiling in (Rap 80m down Echo Crack, bouncing to stay in contact with the wall, and placing a few bits of gear to redirect the rope (2nd to clean on the way down) to arrive at the Echo Crack belay).

1. 20m (10) Traverse carefully right along the extremely loose shale ledge to Penny Ledge. Belay off boulder bollards, an ancient carrot, and whatever gear you can find. 3 carrots and 1 ring.

2. 40m (23) A number of possible starts, all involving ground falls. Find the first carrot on the right-side of an arete-feature 6m up. Start somewhere to the right of it, and head leftwards towards it. Crux moves up to break, traverse right past piton, and up, trending right to carrot. Continue trending up and right to another carrot (ignore fixed hanger and other carrots which meander vaguely left, they are for Exercising the Devils) then onward to detached flake. Traverse hard right past thread to hanging slab belay on gear. 3 carrots and 1 piton.

3. 30m (23) Spot the first carrot on this pitch from the belay before starting, as it's hard to see and key to route-finding. It's about 8m right and 5m up above a small flake-feature. Traverse hard right until below the carrot, then crux moves to gain the carrot. Up to break, then rising traverse right to 3-carrot belay stance below small square-cut roof. 4 carrots (3 are on the belay).

4. 25m (23) Left off the belay, crucial #4/#5 cam in shale-slot, and micro cam (#2 C3/X4) further left. Big moves past roof to carrot, hard traverse right on the lip of the roof, then up right-facing flake to horizontal break. Traverse far right to ledge where break ends. Straight up slab with marginal protection to steep jugs and mantle finish. Belay off trees/shrubs in the gully to the right.

To escape, carefully follow the vegetated cliffline to the right, meandering upwards where possible until you can gain the major gully system. Up the gully, then up the hill to the path. Go home, quit climbing, take up croquet .

A fantastic trad route up a very striking line. In 2020 a large box sized section of rock fell off at the start of pitch 3. The route has been re-established with the addition of a couple of bolts in this section. All other fixed gear was replaced in 2021.

The most straightforward way to access this climb is probably to go up the gully and fixed ropes as for Echo Crack and then wander right (facing the cliff) for 130m.

Bring a standard double rack (BD 0.3-3), one BD 4 & 5 and a few very small cams. And maybe some extras in the hand range if you want to be really comfy. Don't forget wires either, this route eats them!

Start at low angled black wall with vegetated crack 130m right of Echo Crack.

1. 25m (14) Scrubby crack to major ledge. Vegetated but mostly good gear and rock. Build belay in small alcove behind large block.

2. 55m (17) Step left onto ramp feature from the top of the block and then follow the vegetated crack up, up forever. Belay on big choss ledge.

3. 35m Follow bolts up wall then pace a crucial #5 & #3 cam in shallow jugs above last bolt, before traversing left to base of corner pedestal. Place a nest of micro gear here before mantling. Up long corner until you are 10-15m below the roof and build a belay at whatever stance you can find.

4. 25m Continue up corner with hard move at mid height to roof. Traverse left under roof on good holds, passing a weird triple carrot bolt belay and a few more bolts after this. Make sure to traverse a long ways left, around the arete, and don't go up the obvious, steep, vegetated crack. Once around the arete go up to ledge and set belay.

5. 30m (22) Good flake to blank corner with a bouldery move protected by bolts. Quest upwards with exciting gear to a small rooflet. Clip the bolt and do a hard move before stepping left into juggy corner finale. Belay off various trees.

   Walk off by going straight up the obvious ridge and then heading left once you get to the next cliff tier, which is the base of spooners lookout. Scramble up the creek for a short while, keeping on the right side as much as possible. Keep veering right as the terrain allows to avoid soggy creek catchment, and you will pop out where the paved spooners lookout threeway junction is.

A steep, clean, direct variant finish to Genghis Khan from midway through the Traverse on pitch 4 with some excellent rock and great protection.

1. As for GK

2. As for GK

3. As for GK

4. As for GK to triple carrot belay part way through the traverse.

5. 15m Clip bolt out left then up vegetated corner above to belay ledge. Mind the jumble of teetering boulders at next belay. It is not necessary to touch them building anchor or climbing, therefore unnecessary to trundle them either.

6. 25m (22) Continue up fine clean well protected corner. Plug something in and fire up fingers layback crux, passing a ringbolt eventually, and then finish up the final headwall, passing an obvious carrot (with a good small/medium cam slot just above it if you prefer). Then slightly right under small rooflet at top (#4 cam just before top out mantle).

   Belay off Mallee stems approx 4m from edge. Unlike GK, a few boltplates are still required for this climb to utilise triple bolt belay beneath pitch 5, though a small sling hitch may suffice on protruding carrot as there is one ringbolt now at belay.

Another (fairly average looking) variant to Genghis Khan. Instead of climbing the awesome finalpitch of the aforementioned route, instead traverse out left and head up the mossy, dirty face following the line of carrots. Finish up final corner as for Genghis Khan.

The nearest climb you can do to the now banned Three Sisters! (They are only 20m away).

Rack: 4 bolt plates, wires and cams (max #3 Camelot size)

Approach: walk down tourist track to bridge going across to the Three Sisters (Honeymoon Bridge). Scramble down to under this bridge and head down very steep vegetated gully towards Scenic World. There isn't much sign of a track and lots of rubbish from tourists. About 50m down the gully is a vegetated ledge system. Orange Slice is 10m right (facing out) of the approach gully.

1. 25m 15. Black slab for 5m to base of leftward curving orange corner. Up this on nice waterpolished rock to comfy ledge and double BR belay. Back it up with good cams and wires.

2. 20m 16. Fused corner with little arete on the right side. At top of corner mantle up to ledge on left. 1 BR and bad piton for belay. Backup with #2 cam and high small wire.

3. 30m 16 Ignore bolts above (that's the direct) - and instead traverse right steeply along break and up black wall (not well protected) past hard to spot old bolts. Scramble up through small bushes to good tree belay well back. Say hi to many gawking tourists. When they ask if you are abseiling- tell them no, you are kayaking. That should shut them up.

The Original route up 'Echo Point'.

An arete route right of Merl - don't get the two confused (easy to do if you use the print guidebook). It doesn't appear safe to walk from Merl to wherever this route is due to sketchy choss ledge (and tourists below). Presume rap in and climb out? Brings wires, cams #0 to #3 to supplement up to 12 carrots per pitch. Double ropes recommend for pitch 2.

1. 35m (23) Grunt up undercut corner. Up and right across slab to break at base of steep arete. Arete and wall to belay at 3 carrots.

2. 40m (20) Up arete.

A spectacularly positioned climb up the wall just left of an undercut arete. Has not had a lot of repeats so expect a few spider webs and lichen spots. The 2nd pitch in particular is very sustained and cryptic. Crux on pitch1 can be done direct at 25+ or with a minor variation at 23/24. All bolts on this route are rusted bash-in carrots and should be treated with caution. Most do not have fixed bolt plates - bring at least 10 of your own. Don't forget to wave the tourists below! This is not quite a sport route - bring a single set of cams from 0.25 to #2 to supplement the aging bolts on P2 - and one vital #1 camalot for pitch 1 traverse section.

1. 25m (25) First 3 ringbolts of Hurl then exposed traverse right and up steep juggy wall onto thinner grey rock. Go direct at the hard section with two closely spaced bolts for the (25) version - or traverse right 2m, up, and then back left for the grade 23/24 version. Belay on small ledge at two rusty carrots.

2. 30m (23) Sustained grey wall above with lots of cryptic moves on hard to read rock. Placing the bolt plates is at least half the battle and makes this feel solid 24! Cams certainly help alleviate the stress. Belay on ledge on right side of huge roof at top of arete.

3. 15m (18) Up the dirty ironstone crusted face past 3 hard to see carrot bolts to double ring anchor on ledge (shared with Hurl).

Fantastic steep wall of waterwashed rock on ringbolts. Some of the best rock in Toon Town. This was an old Steve "Moss" Moon project from 1993 that was rebolted and tried, and then finally freed in 2023 accidentally by climbers believing they were on a rebolted Merl! It's easy to combine the first two pitches into one mega pitch which is the recommend way of doing the route.

1. 25m (25) Straight up middle of steep orange wall (shared first 3 bolts with Merl). Pump builds until final battle with a balancy crux flake near the end. Belay on tiny ledge at double ringbolts. 13 bolts.

2. 20m (21) Continue up grey wall above on excellent featured rock. Semi-hanging belay on double rings about 6m below the huge roof.

3. 17m (20) Hard move straight above belay to jugs below massive roof, ignore bolts going up and through the roof (an incomplete project - there are no bolts above the roof!), instead traverse right along jug rail and mantle onto small ledge. Finish up black mossy wall above past 3 ringbolts to ledge and double ringbolts & walk off.

Major corner 10m left of Merl.

Start: Left of black streak and spray waterfall on left of wall.

Thin cracks leading to corner, roof and up ..

Start: Center of wall at right corner right of black streak.

For a bit of an idea see the 2007 Calendar

Strong line up the massive leaning corner of choss... Start at obvious right hand corner. Up corner through roofs.

Goes free at 24 by traversing 20m left at top ledge.

Climbs full length of left cliff, starting down in the scree...

4 pitchs of the lower wall get you to the Main halfway ledge and another 3 pitches on left wall get you to the top.

Big corner around the arete from Landslide Chimney.

Start: Downhill left from Landslide Chimney.

Left and up into corner. Up corner to overlap, thru short steepness and thrutch to glory.

Originally 18 M4 by Ewbank

Start: At the bottom of the huge corner/chimney.

Start: Actuall starts way down the bottom right of the 'Left Wall'

18M6 or free at 26 R.

Start: Main corner/crack system on left side wall. Good rock and climbing down low, becoming more serious and difficult towards the top.

Birdbeaks/Peckers may be advisable as increasingly the original fixed pitons are breaking…

Frothy Thomson working Titan

First new aid route on this cliff in decades. Tricky aid on variable rock. Maybe a tad dangerous. Be careful! Further pitches could be 'fun' also.

Start: Start of the ridge in middle of main wall at thin seam.

1. 25m (- M7) Tricky nailing up thin arcing seam and one decent dyna, past bad belay (don't stop, don't collect $200), left to hook moves and up to good thin clay band. Piton and ?bolt? belay. Wide range of pitons (rurps to angles) etc needed. And some small wires/rps or offsets. . Project - continuation to reach Collossus ledge belay.

2. -m (- M6) Easily up corner / crack system from main belay on Collossus - past traverse line and up to second rooflet. Pop out onto face on small pinsand up via medium pecker past loose cracks/blocks to good pin- high point. 'Open Project'. Continue to top - probably need long rope.

Removed from 2015 BM guide because Simone Cartier got her knickers in a knot ...

Up slanting crack for 50m. Up to 10m pin traverse along clay band then up to roof below lookout. Through roof and up to lookout. If your into aid you cant get lost.

Start: Slanting crack in the middle of 'Main Wall'.

1. -m Start between pillars, up groove and into the crack. Belay at obvious foot ledge. (23 or M3)

2. -m Long slanting crack, with cruxy finish, to alcove ledge. (26 or M5)

3. -m Up short corner to reposition belay to eyrie ledge above. (- 18 or M2)

4. -m Up corner to traverse clay band on stacked pins then up via bolt and piton to ledge. Original bivy on right. Free variant avoids pin traverse by continuing up corner to top then exposed traverse to gain belay ledge. (- M6)

5. -m Left past 2 bolts to crux getting into left facing corner/ramp. Easily up it to top then pull onto shaley ledge (25?- M6)

6. -m Left onto large block then up through steepness, turn the lip and up final slab with lots of poor bolts.(24?- M5)

The original bolt route on the wall - c. 1965, chopped 1967, reclimbed 2005.

Take lot's of peckers and various hooks, leave them in the hope they'll catch you if you fall - then just don't fall! I actually had my bivvy almost below me for psych support

Start: Few metres left of Gigantors start at some barely noticeable chopped bolts beneath the line of even less noticeable chopped bolts.

Pecker Extension Project underway.

Removed from 2015 BM guide because Simone Cartier got her knickers in a knot ...

The obvious cliff-splitter. "The most direct and outstanding line on the face" -John Ewbank.

Trade aid route - goes clean ie no pins, some hooking, occasional free moves... Also goes completely free.

Fixed belay anchors in reasonable condition for old carrots, consider backing up with extra gear/rap line etc if you’re so inclined.

P1 (~ 25meters) - Either direct or traverse in from left to reach the base of the crack. Mixed aid (~C1/C2) and free. Bolted belay.

P2 (~28 meters) - Standard aid, hooking (or free moves) up to C2. Multiple bolt belay station. People have bivied here for fun. Can be linked with P3 but long rope recommended

P3 (~28 meters-depending on belay position) - Few aid moves to aid crux (C2+), then up crack finishing on carrot-ladder to ledge, and final free move to top. Carrot belay on a boulder ~15m back or just belay off a few of the trees.

Exit up gully track to Landslide Lookout.

Watch this Video with Zac Vertrees about the route.

The all free version of Gigantor. Listed separately to the aid version, as aiding Gigantor is still quite popular.

Atmospheric and extremely engaging! A true sustained cliff-splitter.

As a free route, it has a bit of everything - Jamming, armbars, pinkys, pockets and the occasional edge. Some loose rock and the occasional runout. Belays are all ok -provided you equalise everything and make use of any natural pro you can find.

Don't even think of rebolting this one!!

Traverse right at the bolt ladder near the top, and follow the line of least resistance.

Watch this Video with Zac Vertrees about the route.

Rap in and climb out on worrisome metal in worrisome rock with worrisome air. Absolutely awesome - come on, step up . .

'Excellent' engaging rope solo . .

Start: Head south fro, lookout down track in gully to chain on block several metres from cliff edge. Rap in past lots of fixed stuff to belay in middle of wall.

Frothy Thomson attempting to Onsight Change Planets

“Contains sustained, free and mechanical climbing of an awkward nature. Contains an awkward pendulum and a manky start to the first pitch” J. Ewbank.

Up through shockingly lose shale to the base of the wall proper, and up thin crack to hanging belay. Switch gears and arc up and right on bolts, hooks and drilled holes to tatters of primitive lower-off and pendulum to the (now dead) tree belay at base of corner on right side of wall. Up corner to top.

Perhaps dry tooling would be better . . .

Wide crack cruxy start near the coffin cave gets you to a good cave ledge. Pop up onto the main face and up and around arete. Up grey slab above.

Similar to 'Gorgon' in grade and nature. Again most of the climbing is free.

Start: 'Trident' cracks on left wall of 'Leviathan' corner

\' predominantly mechanical route taking a thin crack to its natural conclusion\' J. Ewbank

Start: The crack on the right corner of the corner. Start marked.

1. -m (14 M5) Free and aid on friable rock up to belay on shale ledge.

2. 30m (14 M5) Free to base of corner then on aid to roof. Around the roof and a few free moves to bolt anchor.

3. 50m (-) P 3 & 4. Aid then free to ledge and bolt, right along ledge and follow easiest route to the top.

A classic katoomba cliffs trad route with great position and climbing. Most of the rock on this route is of descent quality with the exception of the shale band on pitch 3. Good gear (doubles BD 0.3 - 3, 1 x 4, Wires and Hexes), and only one move at grade 22 (most of the climbing is in the 19-20 range) make this a good introduction to Dogface free-climbing.

Access via Furber steps (or Golden Staircase) to landslide. Find Gorgon wall (next wall right of the landslide main wall, with huge stepped roof half-way up) then bush-bash up loose scree and vegetation until you are below Gorgon Wall.

1. Start up clean, wide crack with a small roof 6m up. Up crack with a hard start and tricky moves past the roof, then pleasantly up the corner crack to the ledge. 2RB belay.

2. Walk 20m right along the ledge, and belay off 2 glue-in carrots (back up with bomber wire if necessary).

3. Up flake (being careful on bad rock) to shale band. Carefully mantle to old bash-in carrot, then crux on bad rock, moving right to gain corner-crack and better rock. Continue up corner to semi-hanging belay 5m below roof. Okay gear can be found in the shale band on this pitch.

4. Stem corner to roof (bomber wire), then traverse right under roof (clip what pitons you can reach (3 possible), and supplement with gear after the 2nd piton). Continue under roof around prow for 2-3m, then up and back left to large belay ledge directly above the previous belay.

5. Delicately Up loose flakes to cramped belay in large horizontal slot.

6. Strenuously off the belay on dubious rock past bolt and gear to an awkward stance. Crux past 2 old carrots, then easily and pleasantly to the top of the cliff. Belay off bollards 8m back from cliff edge.

To escape, head up the hill to the cliffline. Traverse right under the cliffline to cliff edge at gully. Scramble up carefully, then back left under cliffline for 100m until you reach a short gully. Scramble up this, and continue up the hill to the main walking track. Head left on the track back to Landslide lookout, and then up the track to the road.

Apparently unrepeatable ?? But has been attempted and seen rescuing required ..? Certainly sounds interesting ... Up main Citadel corner then left .

The line up the huge corner. Some loose rock. Bolt belays.

Start: Solo up the landslide over steep loose rubble and blocks till you reach the start of the rock and you should be at a crack that you can use for your first belay. If you aren't then head left or right till you are, or keep going up . . Belay from here.

Awesome steep hand crack, located just to the North of Therabulat Lookout, overlooking Nellies Glen, Katoomba. Access via Stuarts Road.

Rap off trees to ledge approx 30m down. Its quite tricky landing on the ledge as its so steep. Either pre place the gear on rap to help get you on the ledge or lasso the rope onto the pile of detached blocks and pull yourself in. Sounds dodgy but actually works.

P1. Isn't recommended. Grade 21 with hard moves off ledges.

P2. Belay 1 carrot, #1 and #2 BD cam. Classic steep hand crack that overhangs by 30 degrees. Take triple in size #1,2&3 BD cam and single rack in the rest.

Route history unknown.....Please update if you do know. Hugh Ward freed it on 29/08/2019

Topo notional, route not confirmed.

#Historical Abseil down "near the waterfall" (hard to find climb start), or walk down Nellies Glen until climb "stands out as obvious crack between a wall and detached buttress". [BA] Current access unknown.

1. (12m) (crux) Very tricky start up wall, via 1963 bolt runner to natural anchors. Originally done by lassoing a tree. "Layback cracks are other possibilities further to the right."

2. (21m) Up through scrub and rotten rock.

3. (21m) Up through scrub and rotten rock.

4. (15m) Up the final crack separating the buttress from the main wall.

5. (15m) Continue up the crack on magnificent rock and a clean finish.

"Magnificent rock and a clean finish." [BA] "Grand climbing." [JME]

#Historical Topo notional, route not confirmed.

A short climb and .. "probably not worth the walk" [BA] .. "which is useful as a descent route" [JME]

Start: On the right of a nose just before the waterfall.

1. (16m) Start on a block and up to a tree belay.

2. (22m) (crux). Climb diagonally to the right of a small groove through an overhang to top.