线路 in Mount Banks

Left of the two lines here. Quite good until the last dangerous runout to the anchors - where all the holds are now dirty.

Right of the two lines. A useful warm up for the main event in the amphitheatre, where flash pumps will ruin your effort for getting here. Climb up juggy wall on bolts steepening at the anchors. Spaced bolting and not well cleaned - take care..

Two inoffensive pitches of orange up the wall right of Call Out Culture. Approach via abseils down Call Out Culture (either fix a 100m static or two raps with doubled 70m ropes). Belay off ringbolt and FH on jumbled rocks on narrow ledge below ramping corner. At least 18 draws required for first pitch - the midway belay is semi-hanging.

1. 45m (23) Easily up corner (a few loose blocks) then launch up the stellar orange face to the right. Slope after slope trending left leads to final flake to double bolt belay.

2. 35m (24) Up pumpy flakes & breaks onto grey wall (it's not over yet!) - finish up jugs.

"It's such a cool line, but if you can see it, it's too wide." Mikl. A three pitch trad route up a major corner feature. Bring a rack with plenty of wide gear (doubles of Camalots from #0.3 to #5) plus single set of wires, a couple of micro cams and lots of long runners. Like everything around here the route is accessed by rapping in. Follow narrow sketchy ledge around from top of Lulu for 50m to slot (bolt & fixed rope) - crawl along this for 10m then pop out onto larger ledge with tree and double FHs. Walk 5m further along to double RBs. Rap 35m to small ledge and 2nd set of RBs. Rap 50m to ground (swing across to touch down below the start of the route).

1. 15m (16) Grey loose corner 5m left of the base of the major orange corner. Belay on small ledge using loop of rope over large detached pillar (it's bomber).

2. 45m (18) The mega line! Problem is you have to grovel with fear up the first few metres of alarming choss. Belay at bolts on small ledge on left (the halfway rap anchors). This pitch eats large cams and requires copious long runners. Don't skimp.

3. 35m (19) Back into the jaws of death for several metres then traverse left to continuation of line punching through the steepness above. Be alert but not alarmed past the big chockstone (it wouldn't budge when we tried to manhandle it). Finish with airy thin crack (save the small cams).

A mostly trad route up a series of corners (some cracked, some fused). Bring your A Grade stemming ability for the crux pitch. Rack - wires, singles of #0.3-0.5 camalots & doubles of #0.75-#4. Rock quality on this route is big grain and sometimes dirty - take care. All belays are bolted. Approach - rap anchors are located halfway along the crawl section with the fixed rope. Either fix a 70m rope, and rap down to top of pitch 1 and then double rope 30m to ground - or fix a 100m rap line. The route starts left (looking out) of where the rap ropes touches down.

1. 30m (19) Short handcrack to grasstree, then step left into fused corner (bolt). Up corner (fiddly gear) to ledge. Finish up spooky but spectacular layback crack to novelty belay on "boot flake" ledge.

2. 25m (23 to 25) Left off ledge (medium cams in breaks) to bolted face & techy fused corner. Save a #1 & 2 Camalot for the top. Full hanging belay on bolts. Leave the rest of the rack for the second to lug up. The grade of the crux on this pitch is proving quite divisive (hence the route name).

3. 25m (21) 3 bolts up face to the right of corner (bird poo marks the way!) then swing right into blind trad protected corner that leads to tiny ledge belay.

4. 30m (21) Stem up a few moves to cam break - then traverse right onto orange face and up to small roof crack. Over this (burly!) then up long dirty wide crack to top. Don't place all your big gear down low - you will want it high up!

Bolted top pitch. Rap in to DRB from DRB on ledge. Quality mix of climbing - face, arete and roof.

An excellent trad adventure with a long, quality crux pitch reminiscent of Samarkand (albeit easier). Originally climbed onsight, ground up, sans start bolt, and through a sea of choss. Significantly tamed now.

From the anchors above Incitatus, using either 2 ropes or a doubled 70m rope, rap twice down Incitatus (25m and 35m) to The Agora Ledge. Then abseil diagonally over to the top of Pebble Pundits P1 (25m). Using a #2 cam and the in situ bolt, rap a final 20m to the ground. You can also reach the ground in a single 100m abseil with enough rope and some abseil trickery.

Take full set of nuts, double cams from tiny to #4 Camalot, with a few extra smaller cams (0.3 - 0.5 Camalot).

1. 20m (20) A scrubby and undercut start (pre-clip/stick-clip the bolt) leads to surprisingly difficult and varied crack-fu. Belay on ledge at bolt.

2. 35m (21) The soaring corner/crack. Trad belay on ledge under roof - #3 & #4 cam required.

3. 20m (20) Step left under roof and up beautiful water-washed crack, then around right where the crack fuses to Lulu belay bolts at ledge.

4. 35m (22) Exit via Lulu (all bolts).

The rightmost route off the ledge, trending up a vague overhanging prow feature.

1. 30m (27) Powerful steep face climbing with two demanding cruxes and a frustrating dynamic finale. Arctic conditions will help.

2. 40m (25) A baffling slab leads to a bewilderingly easy roof-turn, followed by surprisingly hard face-climbing. Up slab, turn roof via righthand line of bolts, cross-over The Hornet and follow bolts trending left, and eventually back right to finish at The Hornet's anchors.

Rap in from the third DBB to the right. Go down climbers left of Lulu to DRB at base of flake line. Up spooky flake to big reach at first roof (crux). A 0.75 (green) camalot on a long sling under the roof can make you feel a little more zen about reaching around the roof to clip the bolt. After the roof trend towards the arete and cross over Dialectic - Best Forgotten Art. The line of least resistance on the upper section of wall and thus winds about the face.

A sustained and technical power-endurance crimpfest leading into The Hornet.

From the walk-in terrace rap from first set of anchors (as you approach) down IFP, fixing as you go or directly down from middle anchors. 75m rap to comfortable ledge.

Finish as for The Hornet or jug out.

An aesthetic, improbable 3-pitch line of technical face climbing up the water-washed wall between The Hornet and Lord of the Balrogs.

Rap from the first bolts you come to (above Lord of the Balrogs) 35m to the first belay, and another 40m to the small ledge, clipping into a few bolts on the way down to avoid being stranded in space.

1. 40m (27) 16 Bolts - Beautiful, dreamy face climbing. Up trending left (long sling on 2nd bolt) via technical slab, to sustained water-washed headwall. This pitch can be combined with the next at the same grade with a few long runners.

2. 10m (23) 4 Bolts - Traverse hard right from the belay to 2nd bolt, then up through roofs to cosy belay ledge.

3. 25m (25) 12 Bolts - Boulder off the belay, traverse hard right, then more directly up through long punchy crux to easier finale. The final moves to the anchor pack a sneaky punch.

Long trad corner crack, varied and interesting. From spacious ledge, up crack for 50m, trending left onto face in the last 5m.

First lead as one long pitch, however can be split into 2 at small ledge at 25m.

Takes gear from 0.3 to 4 camalot and wires.

To access, rap down Puppet of a Sinner from rings in cave, either with fixed 55m rope or 2 raps.

55m 2 pitch face on back wall. Rap in from double rings in cave.

2 pitch sport route in a picturesque and exposed position that serves as the access rappels to 'The Thin Line' ledge. 1 x 28m and 1 x 38m rap.

1. 38m Gr. 26 Off the belay traverse right and up flake. Winds through interesting terrain with a number of techy and crimpy cruxes.

2. 28m Gr. 24 Surprisingly consistent climbing with a sting in the tail.

The bolted traverse to gain the ledge below The Thin Line of Reprieve. Can be aided at about 18M1.

Accessed by abseiling 70m straight down the wall to a semi-hanging belay from the rap point above.

Start immediately left of the belay.

Can be climbed either direction, with the "left to right" variant being about 1 grade harder.

Stay off the vegetation!

Named in remembrance of the many, many, o so many girdle First Ascents I've done with Monty over the years.

An impressive crack in an unlikely position. The first pitch is 38m of glorious and sustained corner crack, one of the finest single trad pitches of the grade in the mountains.

Initially led with a rest on the first pitch circa 2007 by Simon Opper and Andy Myers.

Access by 2 raps down Charlie Don't Surf followed by the Monteith Memorial Traverse. Alternatively, fix and rap an 80m rope and swing across on the traverse bolts to ledge.

1. 38m Gr. 24 From spacious ledge, head up corner crack to belay on ledge.

2. 30m Gr. 20 Continue up steepening corner crack. Once around first few roofs follow an obvious escape left onto slab. Continue up to ledge and DBB.

While this would be the line of the route, a more enjoyable and sustained outing would be to finish up the second pitch of Charlie Don't Surf. Or even better, climb it as a single ledge to ledge mega pitch and stick to the crack for the finish, 60m just makes it.

Recommended Rack:

1 x #1 C3 (red), 1 x #2 C3 (yellow), 3 x #0.3, 3 x #0.4, 2 x #0.5 to #3, 1 x #4, Small-Medium Wires

Optional: #6 Cam for the very start (an extra 0.5 is also suitable as an inferior placement), extra #0.3 and #0.4 cams (recommended), extra #2 and #3 cams.

A mega line linking improbable features up much steepness, and a contender for one of the best at the grade in the Blueys. Partially equipped by Emil, and finished years later by Paul.

Climb The Thin Line of Reprieve on gear (#6/Wires, 0.3, 2, & 3) to first rooflet and hard to clip bolt. Then bust out a rising traverse left with wild, gymnastic moves, before continuing more directly up steep prow to no hands rest. From the rest, dyno for all you're worth, then power through sustained steep climbing for 20m to the belay.

CLOSED PROJECT.

All thrilla, no filla. 1 new bolt and 5m of new climbing, all action, minimal faff, no camp-out rests.

The giant 45m link of P1 and P2 of Two Nobodies, offering epic pump in a gnarly location. Technically grade 28, but might as well be 29 if you factor in the faff! Proper rope shenanigans ahoy!

Climbing on two ropes is mandatory (!!!) even with a billion giant runners. The First Ascent used 3 x 60cm runners; 7 x 40cm runners, and 10 x Ordinary draws.

As for Two Nobodies P1, but at the last bolt of that pitch, instead of traversing left to gain the hanging belay (and without deviating off-route to the crap rock out right for a rest), continue straight up and into the epic P2 headwall, leading to one of the hardest moves of the route 42m up. Mantle onto big ledge, quit climbing, take up croquet.

For the full tick, avoid traversing off-route out left to the big break on P2 (at the white streak).

Finish as for Two Nobodies P3 to top out.

FrothyFirstAscent

Wild steepness, inspiring rock and gripping position. Pitched out due to the rather epic rope drag on both crux pitches, but P1 & P2 were originally climbed while belayed from the ledge. Bring long runners, seriously. No, seriously!

1. 25m (27) 13 Bolts - Sustained start for 6 bolts to the horizontal. Campus right and up the flakes, then hard moves back left, culminating is some big moves to gain the anchor. Avoid deviating off-route to the crap rock out right for a rest before the final moves. Rope drag is a real problem; solution is lots of loooooong runners.

2. 20m (26) 8 Bolts - Funky moves on small holds heading right to get established on the headwall. Big moves and lots of air up the steepness. Meander back right to a rather mean finish and scary mantle to belay. Did I mention long runners?

3. 35m (21) 10 Bolts - Traverse 3m left from the belay (rather runout, be careful) then up to break. Truck back right for 4m before gaining corner. Up this, around prow, then up face to base of hanging overhung corner (crux). Negotiate this with some stemming skillz and conquer the scary mantle to the belay.

FrothyFirstAscent

Single 40m pitch overhanging ~12m, half on gear and half on bolts, starting from trad belay (BD #1 and #2) 6m left of the start of Two Nobodies.

Up flake feature past 5 bolts. Hard moves off #0.75/#1 cams, then 3 more bolts of punchy climbing to #1, #0.4 and #4 cams to major horizontal. 2 more bolts leads to the upper crux, rising traverse left across a weird hanging feature (avoid trending right into death choss). #2/#3 cams in break below the final roof, then punch out the roof and overhanging prow on amazing pocket jugs, protected by #0.3 and #0.5 cams, leading to final mantle and anchor.

Can escape the crag from here via P3 (22) of Two Nobodies.

Gear: BD #0.3 to #4, with doubles of #0.75, #1 and #2.

Nearest route to the waterfall. This was an abandoned partially bolted Simon Opper project from 2007ish that has been re-equipped and a lower pitch added.

1. 25m () Corner crack (trad) for 15m then trend right onto face and long rising traverse to small ledge and semi-hanging belay.

2. 37m () Steep, mostly juggy climbing up guts of big orange wall. All bolts.

Long sustained route up a dyke feature splitting the upper section of the wall. Bring 18 draws (long if possible) and a backup jumar for escape. Fix 40m rap rope to anchor consisting of a FH and vertical Ubolt. Rap down grungy black corner for 10m until you can reach first bolt under roof. Clip in to most of the bolts below this on the way down as it is a steep wall and you will loose connection with the rock very quickly. Hanging belay off two Ubolt with feet on tiny ledge. Climb the dyke feature for 25m to roof, then traverse left under this (airy!) and onto small vegetated ledge. Finish up short grey wall to ledge where you started.

Mostly trad, mostly choss. Major crackline splitting the orange wall. Very overhung. Best to fix a 100m static and short fix down the route. The bottom belay is about 10m above the ground which is a ferns and mud. Rack should be triples of cams 0.3 - 0.5, doubles of cams 0.75 to 3, single of cams 4 & 5. The 5 can be left at pitch 4 belay as its only needed on the last pitch. Approach: It's best to fix ropes rather than attempting to use double ropes and pull them down after you. There are two ways to rap down depending on how much you want to pre-inspect what you plan to climb back up. If you just want to get down quickly and inspection free use the FH and ubolt anchor (same approach as for Superdyke). Rap straight down corner, down Superdyke and continue down below that route using trad and occasional bolt to stay connected to the wall. Option B rap which goes straight down the route - use the single lone Ubolt further left (back it up with the FH/ubolt to the right). This way down requires a lot of kick swinging, short fixing on each belay and leaving occasional bits of trad behind. It's mega steep!

1. 15m (17) Overhung trench of choss. All trad. Hanging belay off bolts

2. 35m (24) 3 bolts up face to where the "fun" begins. Boldly launch up overhung wall, following intermittent seam, and through two small roofs to small ledge belay. This pitch takes a lot of finger sized cams.

3. 12m (22) Pretty ghastly steep. Exposed flakes of choss to lone bolt. Wiggle a #4 in the mud slot above this then launch into steep pumpy fisty crack. Belay on small ledge (DRB)

4. 25m (22) Traverse right across wall on flakes then mantle up to small ledge. Finish up the top section of Superdyke (bolts).

http://sydneyclimbing.com/Mt+Banks.html

Alternative middle section for The Original Route between the first and second ledges (pitches 5-8). Climb right around tree and follow obvious right facing corner in 3 pitches. Two bash-ins where needed about 4m right of the crack halfway up and chain between two bash-ins for the top anchor. Some loose rock.

Outstanding and varied climbing following the obvious clean left facing corner on the right side of the only amphitheater in the bottom cliff-line. About 20mm R of Original route. A challenging lead yet well protected. Access as per other routes starting at the base. Two great pitches up the thin crack corner, then up gullies for a few hundred meters and walk left a kilometer on the 3rd ledge

Ok climbing (mostly) on generally ok rock (some spooky choss) with generally ok pro (trad with a few carrots).

The belays are usually trees or bolts to enable retreat. Most of the pitches are about 16 to (hard) 18 with the top pitches being the hardest (thrutchy cracks). Probably worth 20 for the epic factor, and the style (slabs and cracks). Best done on a long cool day (October, November?). Gets sun after noon, take plenty of water, and don't drink from the Grose. It’s a bit of an epic to access, and to escape from.

Access - Easiest to approach traditionally from Perry’s Lookdown. Walk down to Bluegum Forest and then walk back up the valley a bit (looks more like 2km or so), cross the Grose River (-33.594528,150.361746, or Mt Wilson sheet 8030-1N KH550796), and find the creek below Original Route and the Central Gully (maps!). There's a fat orange tree right on the track with "Turn O" carved on the north (back) side, cross the river about 30m south of this. Walk up the ridge just right of the creek to below the huge left facing choss corner (pitches 6 and 7) on the 2nd Tier, and traverse left 50m to start left of orange wall at ground level (see picture of Pitch 1 above).

When you finish the climb, walk 20m up the gully to a good track heading left. After 200m turn left at the Cairn, finish up Pitch 20. Regaining the track, after about 10-15 minutes it drops down over some fallen trees onto to the summit walking track, left up this another 300m then down and right to carpark (45 minutes, take a torch).

1. 30m Start left of orange rock, up to fixed hanger at 10m, then to ledge belay.

2. 20m Walk left and up corner.

3. 30m Up wall.

4. 40m Up easy slab to corners. Up to tree with rope marker.

5. 50m (Scary walk) Go right (belayed) about 10m and scramble up 1st ledge below 100m choss corner.

6. 25m Up corner, loose. U + gear belay.

7. 25m Up left wall, step R into corner. U + gear belay

8. 20m Walk easily left to block, bolt and U on lip.

9. 50m Up and slightly leftwards forever, 2U + bolt belay (poor rock) on the exposed perch out left (The 11 o'clock pitch, that's the direction you head, and you should be on it by then).

10. 25m Left and up scary erosion groove. Step right at top and up slope to tree and 2nd ledge. 2nd ledge, walk up 15m and then left 40m to weird old 2 bolt anchor with tat. Next pitch starts in sloping dirty corner just to the left.

11. 20m Up finger crack ramp and slab to 2BB. Stay out right.

12. 25m Right to groove and up, then black slab to small trees (can link to next pitch if you have cams for the top).

13. 15m Up wall to big tree.

14. 30m Up sandy seam, right and up tricky slab, wires in finger crack.

15. 15m Easily up ridge to 3rd ledge. Walk down and left across gully past chossy white corner, and left 40m more to big black corner.

16. 25m Up corner, hand, offwidth (basalt chock stones!), and flare in corner, tree belay (don’t use the dead one like I did)

17. 20m Up gully to base of main corner.

18. 25m Up corner then left wall and crack, sling runners near top, 2UB

19. 20m Right into corner and weird moves into crack on right wall. Follow thrutchy crack (plus chockstones if you are out of big gear) then up to 2UB on right wall high. Then walk out and finish up Pitch 20!

Gear: Take a single rack of cams, finger to a big fist sized and doubles of hand-size, wires, a bunch of brackets (and wires you can use for clipping also). 3L of water, torch.

Escape: On the 1st ledge it’s possible to scramble left through horrendous scrub and past Original route, then up the access ramp (rope) then up to carpark. About 2.5 hours. Probably safer to rap and walk back down to Bluegum and up (rap plus 2 hours). There is an awesome bivvy hut on the 1st ledge about 8 minutes’ walk left of the big corner, built in the 50's, no water though.

On the 2nd ledge, walk right easily for 30 minutes and up 10m to the fire trail and turn left. About 70 minutes from here back to Mt Banks carpark. You can go left along the 2nd ledge but it gets funky. There is a good cave where someone had an epic bivvy about 40m right of the top of pitch 10 on the 2nd ledge.

On the 3rd ledge apparently you can walk off left, but few details so don’t try it in the dark. There is a sandy cave atop pitch 15. Rap to 2nd ledge and go off right.

Unusual climbing up a basalt pillar. Virtually pitch 20 of The Camel, as there isn't much other reason to be out there. Walking out from The Camel on the track, after 200m the track heads left into thicker scrub then makes a 90 degree right-angle turn. At this point turn left and bash 30m, coming out on a basalt scree slope. This climbs the tallest buttress (-33.590111, 150.370618) on your left, with a finger crack running up most of it. The top is a bit shattered so put in a few delicate directionals and belay from trees on the hill behind.

Climbs the “undeniable wall” mentioned in the Coronation Crack description in Warwick William's guidebook. Protection is a bit sketch - some was preplaced on rap - thus the meaning behind the name of the route! Walk 240 m further left (N) of the top of Groseness along the ledge. On the edge of the wall below are 3 pine trees [has not been checked since 2019 bushfires - trees may not exist!], rap down off the southmost and smallest one (bring spare slings or rope to back it up with other trees). Rap 50m to small tree and bolt belay, and another 50 m to the ground. Alternately, rap down Coronation Crack. Take a few slings, brackets and many cams up to large size. Shut your eyes on the way down.

1. 50m Start about 20m of Coronation Crack at small left-facing weakness. Up past bolt and cams breaks, drift R and up corner at 20m then diagonally left towards ledge and tree belay.

2. 50m Up corner above belay and leftwards then up wall with top bolt hard to clip (pre-clip?). Up past cams and some slings to collapse on tree.

Another route up the grand wall left of Coronation Crack. Best to rap the route, starts below a thin corner 30m left of the top of Coronation Crack. Rap down to cave belay (2BB) and thence to ground. Alternately rap down "Friends don't let Friends Place Friends or Coronation Crack. Take lotsa cams, double ropes, and brackets.

1. 50m Up wall past bolt to corner, follow this to roof, right to bolt and up wall to cave.

2. 50m Pull through right side of cave then diagonally left past cams for 12m to bolt. Up black streak to top.

(Sounds like it goes somewhere between Weakened Worriers and Zireon). Locate giant flake 30 from base of cliff and 150m L of giant wall of yellow choss at far W end. Up slab to flake then diagonally R to tree belay. Halfway up flake step L to slab. Traverse L and go up small cracks to cave. R through overhang. Up slabs 80m to corner. 40m corner (Coronation crack?), then easy.

The climb goes up the "fairly obvious" line to the right of the main face, or 100m left of a huge triangular yellow overhang (this could be the "map of Africa" choss just right of Groseness?). It finishes just where the third cliffline peters out. Good luck! Any fixed gear would be rusted away most likely.

1. 18m Start up an awkward chimney then onto the R wall. PR up to belay. 2) 18m Scramble carefully up.

2. 18m Move easily still

3. 30m Up a short wall to scrub beneath the prominent corner overhung at the base.

4. 34m (crux) Overcome the overhang via the wall then very pleasant climbing straight up.

5. 24m More scrub, up.

6. 21m Still scrubby, up.

7. 15m Up in corner, PR

8. 38m An exposed pitch, leftwards across yellow rock to tree. Up to left BR above tree. Tree belay.

9. 5m Up scrub.

10. 9m Up in corner and right.

11. 9m Up crack on the right.

12. 21m Up Chimney of upper (3rd?) cliffline.

Nice trad route. Start: Rap down from north edge of cave 20m left of Groseness (facing cliff). 50m rap down wall over ledges etc to bolt belay. 48m rap to tree.

1. (50m) up thin layback crack till 5m below roof, move left to large cam break and blast up wall to belay.

2. (50m) up wall past breaks, move left past bolt and tenuosity and up more easily to big ledge and tree, step right and up to finish. Take wires, cams with lots of extra med to large (at least one or two #4s)

It's amazing what you can do with a carrot (this route has not been rebolted). Best to rap Groseness. Start 25m L of Groseness (10m left of slight corner which is Pestosterone). Take a big rack and some brackets.

1. 25m (23) Up slab to ledge and tree.

2. 25m (23) Up then right to layback and arete

3. 35m (16) up line to tree

4. 20m (16) up to ledge 10m below Ab Flab tree.

5. 50m (24) Right and up shallow corner, left then right at 30m, up wall to roof (big cam) and up headwall and right to BB. Long and sustained

6. 35m (23) up left past 3 bolts then up and right.

7. 15m (16) up weird corner

Five pitches of sustained wall climbing, mostly on hanging belays. Bring 20 draws and a comfortable harness. This is a fully ringbolted route - no bolt plates required. Helmets advised - you are a LONG way from a rescue (unless you can yell loud enough to get the attention of the tourists on the other side of the valley). Named in memory of a young and very motivated Graham Fairbairn, many years ago. Now he's matured into a statesman of rap.

Route has been fully rebolted in 2024 using SRC Rebolting funds - please donate!

If you retreat the only option is rap down, walk down to Bluegum and up to Perrys (2+ hours) then hitch back to Blackheath. Maybe bring walking shoes.

Start: Rap into this route with double 50m ropes down Groseness (5 abseils). The route starts about 5m left of Groseness at a slabby black corner.

1. 45m (21) Scramble up easy ledges (sling tree) then into corner to start, that slowly steepens and gets more technical to hanging stance. Use long runners to avoid rope drag.

2. 18m (20) Short orange face then traverse right on break and up juggy wall. 'Grovel' onto Ledge.

3. 43m (23) Up thin wall to start, rightwards through small roof then up endless edges to hanging belay.

4. 47m (23) Epic. Up thin corner, bouldery wall, roof, crimpers, edges, orange groove and final crimpy crux! Hanging belay on tiny ledge.

5. 35m (22) A steep conclusion through the tiered roofs and pumpy end wall. Either belay awkwardly on first ledge (2 ringbolts) - or continue to 'bush bash' up vegetation and surmount final easy wall to belay anchors at top of route (where you rapped in from).

One the most sustained face routes in the Bluies. Excellent and very vertical climbing, the runout sections are easier than they look. Fully rebolted 2023 using SRC Rebolting funds - please donate!

The climbing takes about 4-6 hours. Take slings, 15 draws and double 50m ropes (for the rap in).

Retreat, rap down, walk down to Bluegum and up to Perrys (2+ hours) then hitch back to Blackheath. Maybe bring walking shoes.

Access and descent: Walk/bike ride around Mt Banks on Mt Banks Road for 4.7km to small saddle with epic view (GPS -33.5999, 150.3702). Scramble down towards Grose Valley for 10m then walk right (north) under small upper cliffline for 200m to large orange cave/overhang (GPS -33.5981, 150.3695). There’s a cairn on the edge of the cave, about 5m south (left facing out) of the point of the triangle roof. Scramble carefully down below the cave under 5m cliffline to find small ledge and triple ringbolt rap anchor. Rap straight down 10m onto dirty slope and to a rap station (belay # 5) on the edge of the mega cliff, 1m south of a little tree. Abseil down the route. There are a selection of rings and chains on the belays. Leave some water on “The Oasis” too.

Start: Scramble up 10m to a ledge about 8m south (right) of the corner (Pestosterone) to a short crack. Inspection of the climbing helps as you rap in.

1. 35m (20) Thin crack and slab to ledge.

2. 35m (20) Up and left into corner line, up to tree and big ledge.

3. 45m (24) Sustained up to small ledge (“The Oasis”). 12 bolts

4. 45m (23) Thin start just left of belay then right and up, runout up and right (medium cam if you’re scared) then back left to anchor.

5. 35m (22) Up to edge of cliff. Rock quality deteriorates in top half of this pitch.

6. 10m (5) Scramble up steep loose slope, surmount short wall (bolt) and up to top and bolt belay where you rapped in from. This pitch can be linked with pitch 5 but communication with your 2nd will be impossible.

A nice big crack for 3 pitches then 7 pitches of bush bashing crap. Bring a full trad rack, crampons and 10 bolt plates. Best to do first 2 pitches, then rap off and finish up Pestosterone. Big Day Out!

Start: You need to rap in to access this route. First ascent team went straight down the route off manky trees and bolts, not recommended. Best to rap down Grossness and walk about 200m right to below left facing big wide corner and roof.

1. 30m (16) Scramble up choss, up easy chimney past scary chockstone, then finally layback up nice orange offwidth past 4 carrots to belay on big ledge at double BRs.

2. 15m (22) Mega offwidth undercling under huge roof. Belay around in corner at 4 bolt belay. Pumpy!

3. 35m (15) Continue up wide crack with spaced trad gear in horizontals. Big cams and slings useful. Belay on loose slope on multiple suss trees.

4. 50m (1) Scramble up and right through spiky bush to little cave.

5. 30m (6) Up dirty corner and chimney to tree belay below big orange wall.

6. 17m (18) Climb tree to gain undercut corner at far right end of roofs on right edge of orange wall. Up corner for 7m then traverse hard left across black wall to belay in scoop at double BR belay (up high in scoop).

7. 25m (17) Step left into corner crack. Up this (good cams) to final tricky bulge to gain bushy gully. Belay on double BRs on left side of bottom of gully.

8. 40m (3) Classic. Bushbash straight up guts of vegetated canyon/gully until an easy traverse left solves the overhang. Belay on trad on ledge.

9. 45m (6) Walk to left end of ledge, then up on rock (shock horror!) to topout.

10. 30m (1) Walk right along ledge to gully and scramble up.