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Booroomba Rocks

About half an hour's drive out of Canberra - from Tharwa continue S, then turn R into Honeysuckle Rd. Follow it up the impressive valley, and turn R at the Booroomba Rocks signpost. Once at the carpark, the track heads L and up the hill - prepare for a slog! Described R to L.

South Buttress

Has possibly the quickest access of all areas at Booroomba, and the change in direction of the cliffline provides some shade options, particularly in the morning. After slogging up the hill, turn L at the cliff top, and stay L of the rock all the way down.

*** Integral Crack 48m 19 (L)
The premier line in the ACT. An unbelievably sustained, quality climb. Bring your mental stamina! Single pitch. 48m worth of cruxes up crack bludgeon you mentally and physically into submission! Some bomber small nut and hex placements (+ 1 sling), but run-out for parts. Great comfy belay on log at bottom.

* Overhang Crack 12m 14 (YP)
A nice 14. Start up steep 5m jamcrack corner, then more easily up a fine crack system to a good ledge, beneath a stunning orange wall. Rap chains 10m L.

Middle Rocks

A reasonably broken area, which receives plenty of traffic due to the descent down the middle! There is the odd worthwhile route, which offer nice views of the North Buttress. After the grunt up the hill from the carpark, head over to the lookout, and the Middle Rocks descent is about 30m over to your left.

* Hurricane Cracks 50m 15 (OS)
1) (* 30m 15) Up easy 6m slab to vertical corner crack. Good jams and the odd foothold for the first 4m, then no feet and very tight handjams for the last move or two. Save a #2 Fr for the next slightly easier section of the corner, or run it out to a sinker wire at the end of the nice 12m corner section. Continue up a series of small ramps & slabs in a vague corner, interesting moves and spaced pro. 2) (* 20m 14) A nice crack system breaching a beautiful sheer wall. A few slightly tricky moves off the ledge, then up the crack which offers heaps of gear and heaps of jugs - careful of big detached or hollow shards of rock! Great positions.

North Buttress

From the lookout, the buttress is about 100m on your right. Use the Middle Rocks descent (30m L of lookout), then follow the trails back to the buttress. For routes around to Faeron, you don't go to the very toe of the buttress, but rather stay up to the right (look out for the trail which breaks off in this direction as you get close).

* Little Hermes 50m 12 (OS)
1) (* 25m 12) Much better than it looks. Follow wide crack for 15m to ledge (great moves). The original steps R to wide crack. Alternatively, follow super fine crack/seam (as for Hermes) with small wires and nice moves at about 14/15, finishing with an 8m runout to the belay. 2) (25m) didn’t do.

** Hermes 50m 16 (YP)
1) (* 30m 16) Up offwidth flake (friends, nuts), step R, and up run out slab above to bushy ledge. 2) (** 20m 16) An intimidating steep wide layback corner, capped by a 4m roof! Up easy blocks for 8m, then tricky laybacking around flakes then over bulge on smooth fine-grained granite (#5 camalot handy). Continue to a rest of sorts under the roof, then use poor full-hand slopers to smear to the right to gain some great pinched jams (big wire/hex) - a brilliant position high on the North Buttress! A final reach move from smearing feet gains a nice face hold, to pull round the lip and gain the ledge above. A bloody great pitch.

** Faeron 90m 16 (OS)
A worthy introduction to the style of climbing at this crag. 1) (* 30m 16) As for first pitch of Hermes. Up off width flake (friends, nuts), step R, and up slab above (small seams, or just run it out) to bushy ledge. Plenty of natural pro for belay. 2) (* 30m 16) Climb blocky wall behind dead tree, and step L to bottom of steepening ramp. Frs up ramp and exit (crux) R. Up past small bush to belay ledge in large fissure. 3) (* 30m 15) Up chimney to top of exposed block (fantastic position!). Step back to mainland (easier than appears), then up crack system to belay at top.

* Determinant 144m 15 (OS)
Generally heads up the front of the massive North Buttress, but wanders a bit. Start 25m down from Hermes, scramble onto elevated blocks. 1) (20m 11) Up sculptured slab, with the only gear being at 14m. 2) (** 30m 15) Brilliant! Shift belay 10m L, then follow rising crack to place gear as high as possible. Step down onto slab, and balance fearfully out over the void, and up to the wall above. Step L to piton, then airily onto block. Small corner and belay off good small wires in cracks. 3) (* 20m 13) Shift belay 15m L, then layback up flake (big cam) to stand on top (great position). Step R to obvious traverse line, with a poor wire possible half way. Mantle then delicately into corner, easy slab to shady belay under tree. 4) (26m 2) Wander R to exposed step around block then up vegetation to base of major corner (TC). The final 2 pitches head left and aren't sposed to be that great.

** Terminant Corner 35m 15 (YP)
The obvious finish to Determinant. A great pitch up a 20m slightly closed corner. Tricky to start - off-hands and undercut, but laybacking lets you get into the jam section. The jamming is then amazingly continuous for the entire length of the corner with a bulging off-fingers section at the top. After the difficulties, the pitch continues up the corner over some blocks, traversing 4m L around a steep slimy offwidth at the top.

Northern Slabs

A great place for some long, lazy and runout slab climbing. Either walk round the bottom from the North Buttress (bit of a slog), or the better way: From the lookout, turn R and follow the ridge top about 250m right, losing height as you go. The crucial point is when, after a downhill section, the ridge flattens. At the flat bit, drop left down the hillside (a short simple downclimb is necessary straight away). Follow the well-trodden path and you should soon be walking steeply down beside the far extremity of the slabs themselves.

* Denethor 105m 14 (OS)
Very pleasant rambling. Beware the unprotected start of the first pitch, and take particular care with some very large and very loose blocks high on pitch 3. One of the easiest climbs to find - its beneath the large corner/roof that defines the very right-hand edge of the Northern Slabs. You can combine p2 and p3 if you extend gear, although this puts your belayer in the firing line of any loose blocks dislodged on p3. 1) (* 35m 14) Up 10m black slab, unprotected crux onto ledge and into corner. Follow it easily up, then step L onto pleasant slab and around bush, then up and R into bushes. Continue past them to belay on higher ledge. 2) (18m 12) Diagonally R following ramp/corner, with a tricky move over the block, to a lovely belay possie. 3) (* 30m 13) A great pitch - head diagonally L up groove/slot then left and up featured slab. Take extreme care past dangerous loose blocks to belay above tree on ledge. 4) (27m) didn’t do.

** Ivory Coast 30m 14 (OS)
Awfully delicate, but just great!! From the third pitch of Denethor, head 7m R, and up thin leftward leading crack (crux) to flake. Don’t pull too hard!! Follow it delightfully for 15m or more, then slot some gear and kiss it goodbye! Sally out into the slab, and bring the rope just for the hell of it. About 15m after losing sight of your gear, wander left to belay on ledge, or just bum belay on low angled slab. To exit, either solo up line of least resistance above (quicker), or follow the ledge left and up.

** Sunstroke 120m 9 (RP)
2 star classic - the perfect introduction to Booroomba. Offers great gear all the way. The major L-leaning diagonal line which starts up R for the first 8m. It’s much better to combine pitches 2&3, which almost makes the whole route worth 3 stars. This avoids the unpleasant move off the (often wet) second belay, and instead incorporates absolutely lovely climbing up the thin diagonal 5m to the right. 1) (** 40m 9) A little tricky to the apex, and for another 10m or so, then follow the groove more easily to a sloping belay at small blocks. 2) (20m 3) Easily pad over to belay at the tree. It is (** 40m 9) if you combine it with p3 by going up the thin diagonal. 3) (25m 9) Humph over the tree, then up the corner to rejoin the L slanting groove. Over the first bulge to belay on the R. 4) (** 35m 9) Rejoin groove to nice moves over the next bulge in a lovely position, and easily to top.