© 2002 Will
The Details: Despite almost being a seacliff Barrenjoey has quite good rock. Most bolts will be in some sort of corroded condition. I recommend warming down with a swim and a boulder at the southern end of Palm Beach. Two excellent boulders reside on the sand - makes 4m ground falls somehow seem not scary!
Access: From the CBD it'll take about an hour - almost as long a drive as going to the Blue Mountains! Get to Palm Beach, then up the Governor Philip Park road to the car park.
Described L to R, facing the cliff.
South West Barrenjoey :
Access: 10min walk. From the carpark, walk along the L (W) side of the sand dunes past a house, a red shed, and a large boulder. Continue from the end of the beach along the rocky shore to a track just past the last house. Walk along this for approximately 150m to the junction leading to the cliffs. The track comes up under Jezebel, which starts off the top of the block.
Note: The rap ring above Liquid Insanity is loose! It moves approximately 2mm when weighted. There is a back up chain to it, but I now refuse to use it.
Climbs are described from R to L.
* Cranky 5m 20 (OS)
On top of the cliff, about 5m R of the PWCB rap rings, is a large block with three old FH up a steeply overhung line of pockets. The route gets 2 stars in my book, but then loses one for the soft rock and the scary hangers! A nicely atmospheric climb, with a couple of nice moves.
* Professor Wigginsworth's Chunder Bucket 20m 16 (YP)
Swing up 2m R of TSF past short crack, then straight up past three BRs.
* Jezebel 12m 9 (RP)
Very pleasant - a great beginners route, surprisingly steep and well protected by bolts and small cams.
SB 12m 14 (OS)
Not bad, but wanders left/right a bit - the climb is better than the bolts!
* Crack of Dawn 15m 15 (YP)
Good, and surprisingly tricky to finish the initial crack. Plenty of pro up the headwall, or step L and continue up easy groove.
** Liquid Insanity 20m 18 (OS)
A classic steep slab climb. Cruise up wall 2m L of CoD, past 4 BR, through airy mantle to two BB, and fixed 'biner. Rap. The good bit is the bottom half, steep climbing on smallish holds, some nice moves. Once you get to the first break, theres a huge jug a bit left, and it eases after this, to two mantles at the top.
** Marsupial Smearer 20m 18 (OS)
A nice variation to LI. Up wall 1m L of LI (crux) past BR to ledge. Continue up tricky crack and over bulge to BB. My first grade 18 onsight.
Tropico 15m 15 (YP)
Nice, and a touch sustained past the bolts. The pro ain’t great to start.
Hang Over 12m 9 (OS)
Much better than it looks - very pleasant over the bulge, then chimney.
Cosmic Ecology 12m 14 (YP)
A real trick start to get to the roof, then really simple from there on.
* Central Pillar of Mordor 14m 19 (OS)
Sustained moves at the grade, with only small rests. Unfortunately it’s often greasy, so I personally did not enjoy it at all. Take a smallish cam.
* Sand Syringe 20m 18 (YP)
Guide says 'good pro' - there's only one bolt (at the bottom), and apart from some vaguely possible friends on the way, threading the plate half way is about the only other piece - careful! Nice enough though.
* Not Your Average Cab Sav 20m 19 (OS)
Quality wall with good protection 2m R of PAL. Fire up past 3 BRs to BBs and bushes. A really good climb. No huge rest points, and about as sustained as Barrenjoey gets - good solid moves all the way. I was on a roll that day with onsighting!
** Pledge a Legend 15m 14 (RP)
Fine line in middle of steep wall L of Orgasmic. The crack, with good protection and good rock, past BR on top wall to tree.
** Mescalito 12m 19 (OS)
Fine well protected wall and arete. Straight up wall and thin seam at R end of Abseil Wall to arete and up (Friends, 2 STUPID BRs - next to friends!). My first grade 19 onsight.
** Pulse of Fools 9m 25 (TR)
Up 15m L of M. 3 BB with 1 BB plus other pro well back at top. The small looking holds at the bottom are pretty good, and the "big" looking breaks at the top aren't big enough! The crux is from the first ironstone break up and R to the last one. Personally, I crank the L hand crimp, R hand intermediate on some really small shit, shuffle feet, then snap R hand to ok ironstone. For the final move, don’t be deceived by the big shield - it’s not that great, and there’s a crimp in a much better position down and R of it. To see what this climb looks like, have a look at my photos.
Ikon Direct 10m 19 (OS)
Where Ikon should have gone. Up short grey wall 10m L of PoF to BB. Straight up face rather delicately to BR, tree belay. A nice tick. Ikon veers L to arete (17).
Lighthouse Track Wall
Extremely simple to find. Walk up the track to the lighthouse and the cliff almost overhangs the trail. Hackitt is 2m R of IFP (marked), and Possum Taunter (marked) is the twin cracks about 30m back down the track.
Hackitt 15m 13 (YP)
Worth a ramble, and stays shady all day. Thrutchish start, then some good jams lead to the roof. Step left and over.
* Possum Taunter 20m 15 (OS)
Good. Watch for spiders though. Fairly straightforward out of initial alcove, then up twin cracks to roof (small cam). Committing crux to gain stance on lip (crucial undercling in break above roof), then more moves at the grade up headwall - delightful!
SE Barrenjoey - North Palm Beach:
Walk up to Lighthouse then E and S to crag. Climbs described from L to R.
A Clean Break 8m 16 (OS)
Good, clean fun. Cracks L of Quarto Direct, and L side of wall.
** Space Vampires 15m 18 (OS)
Under the big roof. Excellent. Pro, rock and moves are all good. Clip BR under lip 5m R of Q. Out and over R (BR) to small foot ledge. Diagonally L (2 BRs) to ledge and 2 dodge BBs - use 1/2 friend too.
** The Holy Hour 15m 18 (OS)
Pleasant and well protected. R of FE on far R of cliff. Up seam/wall past three BRs and a break to Friend belay.
Disorder Corners
Considering how much utterly crap rock there is along the entire N face of Barrenjoey, these climbs actually look pretty good. It's about half an hour's walk either way around, but I think the W side would be slightly better at higher tides. A beautiful setting to climb in - the rock pools all have abundant life in them, the Hawkesbury and Lion Island and Brisbane water are all right there, and we even saw a big fur seal while we were here. A good spot to avoid the traffic (climbers and cars)!
For a complete description of all Sydney crags, go to the Sydney Rockclimbing Club's on-line Sydney Guide.
© 2002 Will