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Orroral Ridge

Less climbing than Booroomba, but less walking too!

The Cloisters

Park at the hairpin 800m-ish before the top of the hill. Walk up to the ridgetop, then follow the obvious trail 200m along the ridge to the Belfry. Immediately after passing this crag, head downhill, and trend left, following multiple cairns. Sasha Cracka is the first climb you see, a great looking handcrack. The Cloisters really impressed me with how many stunning cracks it has - especially Julius Caesar!!

* High Diddle/Smooth Dancer 25m 13 (OS)
HD is a typical granite slab 'headpoint' - a 25m grade 14 with one gear placement. 16m up the wavy slab between the flakes, with tricky moves over consecutive bulges, then restful stances in between. At the apex, place gear, then some tricky moves to step onto the slab above the overlap and up 5m to the final holdless crux bulge. Wuss out, downclimb 2m, and traverse L to the top groove of SD. One committing move over the top bulge (3m above your gear), then easy runout to the belay. My second came straight up HD and called the final bulge technically at about grade 15 - I might get him to lead it one day and tell me the 'headpoint' grade!!.

* Irish Sheila 25m 17 (OS)
Tricky to start, then briefly up the R flake (Tarantella) then step R to the FH. Good, well protected slab moves all the way.

** Silk Degrees 15m 15 (YP)
A classic granite splitter, and just one of many great cracks at The Cloisters. Start with a handstack (!!) to gain good stance. Big cam, then fistjam to gain jug (crux), then continue on tightening handjams.