Home > Crags > Blue Mountains > Cracks Corner (Colo River)
Crack Corner (Colo River)
Located about 2 hours drive north west of Sydney is the Colo River, a major river that drains most of the Wollemi wilderness and eventually joins the Hawkesbury. Crack Corner is one of the many small crags that grace the banks of the river. It is located right beside the Upper Colo Rd, about 14km West of the main Colo River Bridge (on the Putty Rd).
Although the first impression is of a small, rather dirty crag, the reality is that this is a great little winter cliff, with more than it's fair share of great little trad leads. The rock is generally pretty sound, although it is the same sandstone as that found in Sydney, so expect to see a fair bit of choss about the place.
The crag faces basically north, and is at quite a low altitude, so is excellent on sunny winter days. During summer it probably bakes, although with the Colo River a mere 40m from the base of the crag, climbing could also be possible on summer mornings, with dips in between routes.
One word of warning: because the cliff is right beside the road, you will be belaying on the road for most of the routes. Take care, since it's on a bit of a blind bend and cars (and hoons on trail bikes) tend to fly past pretty regularly.
The guide for the area is the newly published Sun, Surf and Sandstone online guide book. This crag is described here.
Note that the following names are not the original names for these routes. Climbs described left to right, facing the cliff.
Play Misty for Me 12m 14
The short splitter hand crack about 15m left of DYFLP. Up the lovely hand crack to the ledge then assorted moves up and left up the blocks to a tree belay. Rap off.
Do You Feel Lucky Punk? 15m 18
The obvious corner crack in yellowy orange rock in the middle of the crag. Excellent and sustained jamming and laybacking up the corner, through the small roof at the top then up the short easy headwall to a tree belay well back. Rap off.
Bronco Billy 15m 14
The thin twin cracks about 15m right of DYFLP. Intriguing moves up the crack then either straight up the chossy, dirty, runout headwall, or step right to join WDY. Rap off.
Well Do Ya? 15m 15
The thin crack 3m right of BB. Lovely finger locking and laybacking up the crack to the ledge, then delicate and thought provoking climbing up the thin splitter crack in the headwall (take care with pro). Tree belay then rap off.
Home > Crags > Blue Mountains > Cracks Corner (Colo River)
Get your own Free Home Page