> Will's Climbing Page > Crags > Blue Mountains > Big Top

Big Top

The Word: Pleasant routes on good rock
Sun/shade: Shade from midday.
Wet weather options: None.
Style of Climbs: Vertical sport routes. Leave your trad gear at home, but a second rope may be needed for some of the bigger lower-offs.
Grades: 17-28
Best Routes: The main wall routes.

The Details: A more recently developed sportclimbing area, where ethics have been abandoned and glorious cracklines and even chimneys have been bolted! But keep it in mind as one of the few Blueys crags with afternoon shade and morning sun.

Access: 10min uphill walk. 1hr45min drive from Sydney CBD, 10min drive from Blackheath. From Blackheath, drive out Shipley Plateau as for Blackheath Lookout climbing areas, but follow Kanimbla Valley Rd all the way down the hill. As the road flattens out towards the bottom, a range of vehicle tracks leave the road, heading right – these lead to a convenient camping area 20m from the road. Park here. Across the road (to the left, or West) a track starts at a deliberately placed knee height boulder. You should also be able to look up to see a major red face, with obvious vegetated crack/chimney up the middle. Follow the track steeply up the hill for 15mins (past big boulder with trad and sport routes after 5mins) to the left end of the main wall. Head 100m L to the following routes.

Described L to R, facing the cliff.

? 25m 19 (OS)
The lefthand route on the wall, 10m up L of YonX. Start up a short slab with RB, then up corner/ramp to steep moves around L over bulge. Thin face to rest, then up flake past horn (RB) and sketchy moves (crux) to another rest. Finish up slightly friable steep headwall with nice positions.

YonX 15m 18 (OS)
Follows the shallow corner in the middle of the face. Very bouldery undercut start – you probably want to stick clip. Continue up steep flake/corner past spaced RBs. Head steeply out through bulge on great jugs to DRB.