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The Balkans

The Word: Bush bouldering in the burbs! Excellent!
Sun/shade: Either all day, depending on crag.
Wet weather options: Probably quite limited but worth a try.
Style of Climbs: Bouldering of all types.
Grades: V0 - V12
Best problem(s): Eastern Block Arete (V1), Sloper-Dan Milosevic (V5)

The Details: A brilliant area of little 4m escarpments which are fracturing off in all sorts of wonderful ways to make lots of lovely boulders/slabs/overhangs etc. Get there and get stuck in!

Access: It's on the E side of Darling Mills Creek, just N of Renown Road, in Excelsior Park. 2min walk-in.

Described L to R, facing the "cliff".

The Frontline

A truly excellent bouldering area, worthy of the hype.

Left Hand Side
Frontrow V0 Nice enough warm up, pleasant wall, good landing, and hold size increasing with height!
* Bangers V0 Nice crimpy reach move to start
Mash V0- More of the same.
Tanks a Lot V3 Good first move, insecure small slopers - didn't get it yet!
Meltdown V2 Hidden up behind the tree branch. Good first move - big move to jug. Scary topout, crap landing - so do the fun bit then step back onto the tree for an easy downclimb like I did!
Corridor Boulders
You Go Slopia V2 Faint arete, harder than it looks.
* Squeeze Job V4? Not in guide, desperate thin wall not using any holds on the arete to v. slopy break. FA: me? 19/10/01.
* You Go Slow V0 Bloody easy (and pleasant) mantle - not V1 as per the guide!
** The Pincer Movement V5 Tried the V1/2 arete section but no crash mat so didn't do it
Missile Silo V4? the v.thin slab deep in the chimney. More like V2/3.
?? V4? The v.thin slab just L of MS and slightly harder.
The Eastern Bloc
** Eastern Bloc Arete V1 A truly superb problem, with bizarrely solid sloper around the R side (see below). Maybe V0?

THE sloper, on the superb Eastern Bloc Arete

*** EBA (Sloper Eliminate) V2 Even better - after the start holds, use slopers only.
Me working the slopers, preparing for the big move to the high final sloper

* EBA (Mission Impossible Traverse Start) V2 Traverse up from crack down L. Harder than it looks.
Me sketching across the Mission Impossible traverse start into Eastern Bloc Arete

* Berlin Blockade V5 Sent after about 10mins! My first V5 (though felt v.soft). Undercut sit start on jug, R up to seam, then big slap to pop R hand again to good hold, easier up wall above.
The first move.
Me working it off the poor intermediate seam

 Me missing the crux crank by 5cm.
I got it next time though!

Front and Centre
*** Sloper-Dan Milosevic V5 Looks totally awesome. Did 1st 3 moves, but NOT in succession. V. slopy and 1st hold now polished and greased from being a foothold on a higher body tension move.
* Diplomatic Solution V2 Sit start up the nose/arete, a cool problem spoilt by sit-down rest! The sloper finish is v.nice.

the cool slopes, with my foot on the bum ledge

Diplomatic Immunity V4 Breaks to poor gaston in seam, desperate from there! Not even close.

And finally, here's a view of the awesome overhang offering some V10-V12 problems. Even the V3 out the left of the cave is f***ing hard!

Peter cranking the hardest problem he can do

For a complete description of all Sydney crags and bouldering sites, go to the Sydney Rockclimbing Club's on-line Sydney Guide.

© 2002 Will