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Narrowneck

The Narrowneck is a thin peninsula located about 2km south south west of Katoomba. The primary climbing area is located on the Western side of the peninsula, although there are also some small climbs on the isolated buttresses on the top of the peninsula. Most of Narrowneck faces almost due west, but towards the south the cliff faces more north west, making this one of the better Blue Mountains crags in winter (and stinking hot in summer!).

Unlike many Blue Mountains crags, Narrowneck contains some great beginner's climbs, including some of the only three star 13s I've seen (although the grading here does tend to be harder than at the Sydney crags).

Note: the top set of Dixon's ladders have recently been removed, due to their apparently unsafe nature. See the climbing news page for details.

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

Deshabille Detour (1st pitch only) 15m 9
A short, vegetated and slightly wet corner crack. Need I say more?

Recommended 100' Slab (2nd pitch only) 30m 10
The nice looking corner crack at the left hand end of the 100' slab. As you will up the face just to the right of the corner, with bomber wires the entire way up (there is also a rather unnecessary fixed hanger about 2/3 of the way up). Chain belay.

?? 30m 9
The "line" just right of the 100' slab, but not as far over as the shiny carrot (which is also an unlisted route). Start directly below the large left facing flake halfway up the wall. Unprotected.

Recommended 100' Slab Direct Variant 16m 14
The line sporting 2 fixed hangers, about 10m right of the corner. A really nice, surprisingly tricky slab climb, with plenty of thin, smeary moves and some welcome jugs to rest on too! A bit runout above the first hanger (there's a good small wire placement below it), but easier climbing from the second hanger to the bushy ledge in the middle of the wall (chain belay / rap station, or continue easily up the wall to the top).

Recommended Recommended Fuddy Duddy 90m 15
A great climb, with a pitch of face climbing, a great pitch of corner cracks and an interesting pitch of squeeze chimneying.

Marked. Gradings of individual pitches have been added by me, and are to be used as a rough guide only.

Pitch 1 35m 13
Up the short black wall on the lower block. Step left to below the monster block then up the front face to the very top of the block. Definitely not suitable for those leading at this grade, since the first good protection is at about 15m, and much of the rock is loose or chossy. 1 BB at the base of the crack, with some good hexes and cams higher up.

Since we'd run out of daylight, we linked the final two pitches (60m rope required, bad rope drag).

Pitch 2 30m 15
Excellent moves up the corner crack, with the crux being the offwidth section past the bolt. Take a #5 camalot for the section above the BR, then small cams and wires up the thin crack above. Double BB belay at the back of the ledge.

Pitch 3 25m 14
A strenuous move up past the belay leads to a piton and easy climbing up to the chimney. From here, plot your course carefully, since you won't fit through some parts of the chimney. Grovel and toady your way up the chimney, wishing you'd eaten less for breakfast! As far as I could tell (given that it was pitch black!) there isn't much pro inside the chimney, but through the narrow section it would be pretty hard to fall out (which also means its pretty hard to move upward!).

Recommended Recommended Recommended On Both Sides of the Glass 65m 18
Quite possibly the best grade 18 in the mountains - good protection, superb rock, big exposure, and a wide variety of moves (requiring both strength and technique).

Marked "BOTG".

Pitch 1 25m 18
As you will up the short slab to a hands free ledge (small friend or wire in pocket on right). Nice moves up the arete past the first BR to a large break (#4 camalot or #1 camalot). Crank up and over bulge (shallow #0.5 friend directly in front, or #1 friend or wire in handhold on left), then crux moves up the thin seam/crack on the left hand side of the arete. Up as you will past a second BR to the belay ledge (2 RBs, 1 rusty BB).

Pitch 2 10m 18
Big reach to a well-chalked jug (or aid off the belay), then crank up to the traverse line (RB). Move right and clip another RB at full stretch, then crank and dangle past it (crux) to the belay ledge. 1 good BB at eye level, 1 rusty BB on the ledge (there's also some good large cam placements down low).

It might be possible to link the first and second pitches, which would give a better view of the second on the first pitch.

Pitch 3 30m 13
Step up onto wall then move left to a fantastic position on the arete. Delicate moves up to gain a small ledge at the base of the lovely, grey hanging slab. Up this (BR down low) to the top of the cliff (double RB belay).

Either rap off (double 60m ropes), or walk off right to eventually rejoin the Herbaceous Gully track.

To get to the following climbs, it is easiest to continue past the pumping station, until a lone gum tree appears on the right hand side of the road. Continue past the tree for about 100m until just past a small cutting. From here a path heads off to the right, and down to the top of the Herbaceous Gully. Two short abseils leaves you about 40m from the base of Tal and Toll.

Recommended Recommended Cave Climb 65m 13
A nice climb up a fantastic line, although not recommended on a cold day (since it doesn't get a lot of sun).

Marked. Gradings of individual pitches have been added by me, and are to be used as a rough guide only. I'd highly recommend linking the first two pitches (lead up to the cave as a single pitch).

Pitch 1 15m 13
Thought provoking moves up the short slab on gorgeous rock, passing 3 BRs. I belayed at the small ledge with the BR (cams and wires down low), so that I could watch my second. The original first belay is on a ledge below the main corner, 8m to the right (beside the suffering tree).

Pitch 2 20m 11
Easy moves on suss rock (take care with gear behind the broken flake - it flexes) to the tree and the original belay ledge. From here easy, enjoyable climbing up the corner leads to the comfortable cave and a double bolt belay. Take a #4 camalot or a #11 hex for the larger sections of the crack.

Pitch 3 30m 10
Head either up the inside of the cave (slightly dirty, and fairly poorly protected) or up the outside of the corner (recommended - take some big gear). Pleasant, easy rambling up the crack (small to medium gear the entire way) right to the top. Poor belay off two suffering trees (I wouldn't trust the fixed ropes), with a number of hexes / cams in mediocre rock behind that.

Recommended Tal 56m 13
A great first pitch followed by a fairly worthless second pitch. Probably a good introduction to multipitch climbing.

Marked. Gradings of individual pitches have been added by me, and are to be used as a rough guide only.

Pitch 1 (combined 1st and 2nd pitches from guidebook) 26m 13
Not worth climbing as two separate pitches, since they are so short. Easy moves to stance, then harder moves (crux) up the corner crack to the (rusty) BB (watch the drag). Head left across the face past a very rusty fixed hanger to the arete (small cams in horizontal breaks). Up arete to small ledge with rusty BB (or belay higher up at a newer BB). Good #0.5 friend placements at eye level above the ledge.

A good alternative to the 2nd pitch is to traverse right to the first belay on Toll, then rap back to the deck.

Pitch 2 (combined 3rd and 4th pitches from guidebook) 32m 8
Again, not worth climbing as two pitches, since the 4th pitch continues straight up from the 3rd. Easy climbing up arete to bolt, then continuing easy up to scrubby ledge (although pro requires some thought). Short crack at the back of the ledge (hexes/cams) leads to a rather nasty top out. Hex/nut/cam belay on a block about 5m back from the edge.

Descent is 50m to the left (facing towards the cliff), down the herbaceous gully, or you can do a 5th pitch straight up the upper cliffline.

Recommended Recommended Recommended Toll 55m 16
A great first pitch on excellent rock, followed by a fairly exposed and exciting pitch on increasingly bad rock.

Marked. Gradings of individual pitches have been added by me, and are to be used as a rough guide only.

Pitch 1 (combined 1st and 2nd pitches from guidebook) 25m 16
Better done as a single pitch, since the 2nd pitch continues up directly from the 1st. Quite easy climbing up until just above the two BRs (lots of face holds), then crux moves up to the belay ledge (take a #1 camalot for the crux layback section). Fixed carabiner and BB belay. Take care on the belay ledge since it is quite badly cracked and some quite large pieces are loose (probably a good idea not to leave your gear at the base of the corner).

Pitch 2 30m 16
A short, hard layback over the initial greasy bulge (crux) leads to a stance at the base of the nice corner. This leads to a small ledge under the roof (make sure you extend any placements here). Follow this right to the lip (bomber wire up under the roof) then follow the wide crack to the top (exciting and exposed climbing on poor rock). The belay is really poor, with a dodgy banksia and a #3 camalot in some choss well back from the edge. There is a good #4 camalot in the top of the crack, but it can be a bit tricky to rig the belay down there.

Descent is 60m to the left (facing towards the cliff), down the herbaceous gully.

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