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Earlwood
Earlwood is a small crag located just five stations from the city. It faces south-south-east and gets no sun, and is thus a cold crag in winter. A popular walking track passes right past the base of the cliff, so expect some attention while you're climbing.
To get to the crag, catch a train to Bardwell Park railway station, and then walk back towards the city along Slade Street until May Street appears on the left. Follow this to the end, hop the fence then the railway tracks then head for the aqueduct. Cross over the aqueduct then follow the track to the right until a small graffitied cave appears. 15m left of this is a small bouldering wall, while the climbs start about 10m to the right, at a large black roof about 7 feet off the ground. The right hand face of this is the main wall, and contains climbs that are mostly 21+ (although the left hand line of fixed hangers is about grade 19).
The guide for the area is the newly published Sun, Surf and Sandstone online guide book. This crag is described here.
Note: This crag is currently in the process of being rebolted, since many of the original bolts had weathered. Be sure to inspect all bolts at the crag before climbing.
The climbs:
Hornshwaggled 8m 22M1 (free at grade 23)
The arete to the left of the overhanging orangy-purple face. Hard moves past the first fixed hanger to gain a thin, slopey break. Step left and clip the second fixed hanger (crux), move up as far as you can then aid off the quickdraw to jugs about 5 feet higher up (if someone frees this move, I'll be bloody impressed!). Clip the third fixed hanger, then balancy over the bulge and up the easy slab to a rusty fixed hanger, bolt and rusty fixed carabiner belay. Although we didn't spend much time on it, the aid move could probably be eliminated by heading straight up the arete, passing about 3 feet to the right of the second hanger. It may also be possible to go directly past the second hanger, but the move looked a lot harder than 22.
Whistling in the Dark 9m 19 (originally graded 21)
The left-most line on the overhanging orangy-purple face 10m right of the roof (a large fallen block with a bolt on top sits at the base of this face). Up the thin, balancy slab past a bolt to a fixed hanger, then tackle the overhanging section past another fixed hanger (crux) to the top. Traverse right to the chains. A great climb with a nice variety of moves.
Meat Puppets 9m 23
The middle line on the overhanging orangy-purple face. Balancy up the left hand side of the U shaped flake (small wires), to a thin undercling at the top. Clip the first fixed hanger, then a big reach up to a slopey nodule (which looks a lot better than it is!). Up to the juggy break above that, to clip the second fixed hanger. Move up to the next (slopey) break, and either do the ridiculous move straight up to the chains, or do the piker's variant which steps left and heads up the previous climb (clipping the top fixed hanger on the way).
Warm It Up 9m 14 (originally graded 19)
The right-most line on the same wall. Follow the juggy right hand side of the U shaped flake (small nuts/RPs) to the fixed hanger, then step right (crux) to the top of the arete. Cam placement to the right or just top out without it. Single bolt belay, with cams and nuts in the block behind (great #3 camalot placement). May be grade 19 if the overhang is tackled directly, rather than stepping right at the hanger.
The Count 9m 18 (originally graded 19)
The arete at the right hand end of the same face. Up the arete (one bolt and two fixed hangers) to the top, mantle (crux) then as for the previous climb.
Slabmaster 8m 22 (originally graded 23)
The wildly overhanging arete 15m right of the previous face. Basically a bolted boulder problem, but excellent nonetheless. Big move up to the huge, obvious jug, then strenuously up the arete passing to the right of two ring bolts to the top (third ring bolt). Ridiculously steep, but so well protected its worth a shot even if you've never led at this grade before. Single BB on top for the belay (or lower off the top ring bolt).
?? 8m 15
About 20m past the previous climb is an obvious fin up to the left of the track. There are two gold coloured BRs on the face. Hard start, then easily up the juggy slab to the top of the fin (1 BB). Note that neither RP nor PFH bolt brackets fit on any of the bolts on the climb, so either take wires for the bolts, or solo the thing (be careful - some of the holds are thin and may snap off).
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