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Mt Boyce

Located on the western cliffline between Blackheath and Mt Victoria is Mt Boyce, a pleasant crag with many classic routes. The cliffline faces basically west, with some south facing walls also on offer. It is therefore better for summer mornings or winter afternoons.

Access is easiest by car, although riding from Blackheath is also possible, since the Great Western Highway is pretty much flat between town and the crag. Although the guidebook suggests parking up the top near a picnic shelter, it is also possible to park lower down (beside the railway line), if the gate is unlocked.

From the carpark up the top, bushbash downhill (west) until you reach a dirt road. Follow this north (to the right) for about 50m until you reach a small carpark. Follow the track down to the left to another road and the railway tracks. From the railway tracks you can either head right (to get to the abseil gully track) or left (to get to the walkdown gully track).

The abseil gully track is about 100m to the right, and is pretty obvious. Follow it downhill for about 200m until you reach the obvious rap point (there are numerous bolts here for rapping off). The Vambrace area is located about 30m up the hill from the abseil gully.

The walkdown gully track leaves the railway tracks about 100m to the left, at a small carpark (where it is possible to park if you can find the way in!). The track heads out along a ridge for about 500m to the obvious walkdown gully.

To get to the lower carpark, drive through Blackheath until a small bridge is visible on the left, crossing the railway line. Turn left over this, then immediately take a right and hug the railway lines until a "No through road" sign appears. If the gate here is open, continue through it to the second earthen walled area (for the walkdown gully), or the third earthen walled area (abseil gully).

The guide for the area is the "Rockclimbs in the Upper Blue Mountains (2nd Edition)" guide book.

Vambrace Area

Located above the abseil gully is a small but ridiculously overhung micro sport crag.

Monica's Gate 12m 24 (or 19M1)
The first route on the crag, located just after the first orange cave (just to the right of Vambrace). This route stays dry even when the rest of the wall is seeping (although it is not actually protected from the rain). A deceptively tricky start leads straight into the thin and desperate (and glued!) crux, then much easier and juggier climbing leads to the lower off. 5 ring bolts plus double ring bolt lower off.

Abseil Gully

The Eyrie 50m 12
A really enjoyable route, with two pitches of about equal difficulty.

Pitch 1 35m 12
A really fun pitch up the slab and arete at the left hand edge of the main abseil gully wall. Take a variety of small to mid size gear, plus there's a single bolt at the steep section just below the cave. Belay in the cave off numerous bolts and chains.

Pitch 2 15m 12
Another fun pitch with one grunty and exposed (but well protected) move to start, then easy moves to the top. Step left from the cave, clip a bolt then up the arete above (slings and wires). The bolt to the right at the top is actually on Another Man's Juliet. Double bolt belay (can be hard to find under the gravel).

Another Man's Juliet 45m 17
A nice climb with a short but fairly strenuous crux. Take a wide selection of cams (including at least one big one), and perhaps a set of wires. There are 5 or 6 bolts on the route (take brackets), and the belay is made up of a double BB and ring bolt on a block about 5m back from the edge.

Set, Piece, Battle 45m 14
Another good route up this impressive wall, with a longer (but easier) crux than the previous climb. Run out on the slab (2 or 3 bolts), but very well protected up the steep and juggy headwall. About 10 bolts in total (take plenty of brackets), with the same belay as for the previous climb.

Walkdown Gully

Goldstar 50m 18
A fantastic climb up a great line. Its the obvious vertical crack to the left (facing the cliff) of the walk down gully. Gradings of individual pitches have been added by me, and are to be used as a rough guide only.

Pitch 1 30m 16
A truly excellent pitch up the vertical crack. The start is off width, but the plentiful face holds allow you to avoid it pretty easily. The crux is just above the top of the off width where the face holds disappear and the jamming starts. After this the climbing eases off, with plenty of jugs on the face. The crack takes lots of great mid-sized gear the entire way up. The belay is natural, with a slung block and same good cam and hex placements about the place.

Pitch 2 20m 18
An atmospheric pitch up the bulgy, orange headwall. The pitch starts about 3m left of the belay at the awkward off width corner crack. From the top of this an easy but unprotected traverse right leads to a thin flake (cams, but be careful of the rock!). At the top of this is a rusty piton and some good cams to protect the crux. The crux is over the bulge just above this, and involves some ridiculously grunty moves off some loose jams in the crack. From here the climbing eases off, but the incredible exposure makes for great climbing. The belay is natural with some good cams and some slung chickenheads.

Gently Mine (1st pitch only) 24m 14
A nice little trip up a prominent flake/crack. Takes some nice wires, although you will also need small hexes/cams higher up. Two chains plus two carrot bolts provide an ample belay.

Pig Iron Slaughter (1st pitch only) 25m 21
A fine arete with some ridiculously balancy and technical moves through the crux. The climb is well protected with 6 bolts (take brackets) and a bomber #3 camalot at the base of the arete. The belay is the same as for Gently Mine.

Gates of Janus (1st pitch only) 27m 16
A superb climb up the fantastic looking corner/crack at the right hand end of the Gently Mine wall. This climb has it all: excellent rock; plentiful, bomber protection; and great moves. The crack offers sustained laybacking almost the entire way, with one or two possible rests on blocks to the right. Take at least a double rack of cams (doubles of #0.5 camalot size to #3 camalot size), and maybe even a third #1 camalot (save it for the roof near the top). Some mid to large hexes might also be useful (#4 and up). Take two or three long slings to belay with, off the bolts at the top of Gently Mine / Pig Iron Slaughter.

Freewheeling 12m 17
A very nice climb up a vertical scoop and a blunt arete. Almost a sport route, although I'd recommend taking a #3 camalot for a break below and to the left of the first bolt. 3 bolts (take brackets) lead to a nice belay ledge complete with rap chains.

Snoopy (1st two pitches only) 40m 14
A fun little jaunt, although not particularly sustained. The third pitch looks rather unpleasant, so we avoided it by doing the following variant 2nd pitch to the chains on top of Craig's Effort. Take a 60m rope if you plan on rapping off after the second pitch (which I'd recommend). Gradings of individual pitches have been added by me, and are to be used as a rough guide only.

Pitch 1 28m 13
A nice little jaunt up the left hand edge of the huge detached block. Plenty of gear, with everything from huge cams to slung chickenheads. At the squeeze chimney, step right onto the face for a nicely exposed couple of moves (take a #0.5 friend). The belay is off two bolts (take brackets) on top of the detached block.

Variant Pitch 2 12m 14
Start up the right trending finger crack for a move or two (this is the original 2nd pitch), then reach up and left to the jug on the face. Trend left and up across the face, with very little pro (slung chickenheads and maybe a dodgy cam or two) to the dead tree and the rap chains. There is a single bolt on the face, but it is a fair way to the left.

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