Mt. Boyce

The Word: Just another fantastic Blueys crag.
Sun/shade: Morning shade, sunny after midday. Firebug area gets sun from mid morning.
Wet weather options: Not great but Vambrace Wall and the Spoilt Brats wall should be worth a look.
Style & Length of Climbs: Mainly 50-60m wall routes on glorious sandstone, plus some great cracks, so take a rack and brackets. There's a batch of 12m steep sport routes too.
Grades: 10-26
Best Route(s): Spoilt Brats (*** 21), Girl in the Mirro/Mean Streak (*** 22), Firebug (*** 17)

The Hidden Gem:
Best Season(s):
Rock type: The orange walls here have some of the finest Blueys sandstone you'll find
Guidebook(s): (Page ??)
The Details: Mt Boyce is the site of some of the most impressive looking walls on the entire escarpment between Medlow Bath and Mt Victoria! In particular the Mean Streak wall and Spoilt Brats wall are awesome, and the One of the Best wall is just breathtaking! Abseil Gully has some excellent routes but requires rap access. With the regular visits by guided groups you probably do not want to leave your packs up the top unless they're well hidden. It’s difficult to get from Abseil Gully to Solo Gully, so pick lots of routes in one area.

Access: Don't park at the Radar Tower at the top of the hill, because this involves illegally crossing the railway about 150m downhill, which pisses off the SRA who have the power to shut this crag. Instead, drive along the railway access road from Mt Vic or from Blackheath (follow your nose - you'll find it), which the SRA has approved. About halfway along (approx 3kms), where there's some great views out over the valley, is a 2m tall green electricity box above a 30m embankment and 100m N of a large pine tree above the railway. 200m further S is a wide parking area with a green mesh retaining fence.
Walk Down Gully: 10min walk. Park at the wide area, step over the green mesh retaining fence and follow path for a couple of hundred metres to wooden table, then down gully. Gold Star is about 30m R, and Gently Mine is the first striking crack on the left.
Solo Gully: 10min walk. As for Walk Down Gully until, at the wooden table, head 200m R along the clifftop until a major gully cuts into the cliff. The beautifully sculptured Spoilt Brats wall is on the other side, and Firebug can be very nicely viewed from a platform just before the gully. (The platform has 8 BB on top - it’s a popular abseil, about 70m). It actually really sux to get down Solo Gully, so I’d recommend walking along the bottom from the Walk Down Gully - its easy.
Abseil Gully: 8-10min walk. A road drops down near the green electricity box. Walk down 50m, then step L onto signposted walking track, and follow it down 200m to chopped steps in creek, then step R through a gap in the boulders to the end of Vambrace Wall. 50m further down is the abseil point - RB & BBs, or gum tree.

Described L to R, facing the cliff.

Vambrace Area

The heavily bolted wall 50m up from Abseil Gully.

* Vambrace 12m 20 (OS)
Firm at the grade - keep an eye out for unexpected crimps R of the flake. At 1st RB, big reach off gaston gains crimp on flake. Poor sidepull high on flake brings face crimps into reach, and a thin clip. Up to jugs, to top.

Monica’s Gate 12m 24 (TR)
Crap, and way overbolted. RB, tricky traverse move, RB, then a horrendous move off the glue-on hold gains poor holds above, RB. Thin but easier moves gain jugs (which regularly rip off). Up on fragile jugs.

Abseil Gully

Frank and Joe 17m 19 (YP)
Starts just R of where the abseil lands you. Adequately protected, with a nice sustained lower half.

** The Eyrie 50m 12 (YP)
Good. 1) (* 35m 11) Spaced pro up easy slab to BB on arete, a little harder to chain in cave. 2) (** 15m 12) Step L to steeper wall, and briefly to top. Single pitch is cruisy with a 60m rope.

* Another Man’s Juliet 50m 17 (OS)
Straight up between TE and SPB. The usual easy slab, then some good wires in the orange rock. Up on monster jugs to BB, and trend left over TE belay cave - a great position. A single thin move gains jugs and easier ground.

** Set, Piece, Battle 50m 14 (OS)
Intimidating! Looks about 5 grades harder! A very sweet direct route, past the R hand RB at half height, about 10m R of TE. Take plenty of bolt plates. Simple slab to 30m, then delightfully up the looming orange section on good holds. RB and DBB belay.

Nic on her first ever Blueys route, after cruising the beautiful overhanging 10m crux section of Set Piece Battle.

Set Piece Battle (** 50m 14), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

Sweet Irish 49m 10 (OS)
A nice enough arete. Not much pro from 40m, but simple climbing.

*** The Girl in the Mirror 55m 22 (OS, 1st pitch)
Brilliant and infectious climbing - it's just too good to stop! 1) (*** 25m 22) Short wall, stick clip, pull lip, then upwards and outwards through some delightful moves, on some of the best looking rock you'll find. Leave some fuel for a thin move at 22m, then clip DBB at rest ledge. 2) (30m 15) Up black groove, OR for a mega route step 2m R and up MS p2 - leadable as a single superlative 55m pitch. There's not many routes come this good. VERY highly recommended.

*** Mean Streak 50m 21 (OS, 2nd pitch)
Another beauty, piercing an absolute stunner of a wall. 1) (25m 21) No info sorry. 2) (*** 30m 21) An excellent pitch, up line of FH and BB on streak. Ok mantle, then bulge, and step L and follow TGitM to top. Awesome. Even if you just rap in to the first belay, the second pitch of MS alone would be a magnificent excursion. The rap can be easily viewed from above Kabul Offensive etc. - which is also the ideal spot for your photographer!

One of my all time favourite routes. If you ever get the chance, DO this route! This was the Sunday of perhaps the most awesome weekend of climbing I've ever had. It was the middle of winter 1998, the entire weekend was crystal clear, blue skies, with frost on the path to the crag in the morning, and snow on the hills the whole time - but without a breath of wind, I was down to a t-shirt for most routes!! For the Saturday, see my photos of Mt Piddington - Dave on Flake Crack, and me on Traverse of the Gods Direct Start and Judas.

And this is one of my all-time favourite climbing photos. This is me pulling through the crux moves of the second pitch of Mean Streak (21).

The Girl in the Mirror/Mean Streak (*** 55m 22), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

Finishing off the final hard moves on this awesome link up, 45m off the deck. Fantastic positions, and just look at the colour of that rock!

Solo Gully

*** Spoilt Brats and Gash Attacks 57m 21 (L)
Definitely one of the best routes in the Mountains. To quote Mike Stacey: "A brilliant route offering well protected, steep climbing on glorious rock in a great position! DO IT." 1) (5m 15) Rather annoying. Wander in from the right, then rope up for the 5m traverse L to 3BB. 2) (*** 35m 21) Amazing. Step up to BB, then smear and layback to a bomber #7 wire at top of flake. Mantle or pull thin crimps to gain stance on flake. Clip high BB, then traverse L, staying low until (crux) cranking off a positive crimp to the jug. BB and stand on jug. This is your last rest! PR under roof, then out right to BB round lip - extend it! Continue up steepening flake trending L, until jugs can be reached out R. Steep jug hauling, clipping 2 BB with wires, then a final tough move to pull onto the ledge and 3BB. Most people rap here. 3) (10m 18?) didn't do.

One of the best wall routes in the Blueys. Bloody pumpy - there is only a single rest, below the roof.

Concentrating on my footwork while negotiating the crux traverse. There's apparently a crucial undercling which makes this move easier, such that a much later move becomes the crux.

Spoilt Brats and Gash Attacks (*** 55m 21), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

This is me post-crux, still on the onsight. I made it another 8m or so up the increasingly pumpy wall above, but then peeled in a rather big way, and ended up back about where I am now!

Walk Down Gully

* Say "Cheese" for High 'n Wild 36m 20 (YP)
Turned out better than expected. A very good route, with moves near the grade most of the way. Take duplicate friends to #3.5, and watch out for plummeting abseilers. Start 6m L of F. BB, then pull over into stance on lip (micro alien on L). Undercling or sidepull to obvious jug, and continue to break (shallow #2.5 friend). Step up to larger pocketed break (#1.5 friend) and step R (rest). Step up to place good #1 friend in pocket, then beautiful sidepull gains #3.5 friend break. R hand sidepull to (crux) walk feet up into mantle position, then reach to hidden 2 finger pocket, or small frictional crimps above. Delicate traverse left past #0 camalot break, then a good move gains jug below second BB. From good crimp on R, swing left foot onto jug, and delicately stand onto it without handholds. Extremely delicate slab move gains good break, then step R to flake. Follow flakes past medium hex and wires, to DFH belay. Rap 35m or step R and continue up Firebug p3. FA Andrew Duckworth, Will Monks Nov 98.

Andrew on the first ascent. This photo is probably all the route description you'll need - that's Firebug (*** 17) on the right.

Say Cheese For High and Wild (* 36m 20), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

** Firebug 60m 17 (OS)
The first pitch is so-so, the second pitch is good, and the third pitch is airy, scary and damn fine. I'd run the first 2 together - it's only 30 metres. 1) (18m 16) Undercut start, a horrible bush move, then up to a narrow chimney. Up the crack to the first belay ledge. 2) (* 12m 14) Step over small roof and then good moves up the corner crack to underneath the next roof. If possible, belay around L to reduce drag for the crux. 3) (** 30m 17) L round block, up over loose flakes to the overhanging corner. Good hex, then crux past piton - go for the jug on the face up L. A rest before the bulge (#3 camalot), then continue up with sporadic demanding moves to gain cave. Scary traverse left, especially if you've got rope drag, to DBB.

** Gold Star 56m 18 (OS)
A brilliant route. The first pitch in particular is a real gem, with a beautiful section of about grade 16 jamming. 1) (** 30m 16) Up crack, heaps of pro. 2) (* 26m 18) Step L to #3 camalot, up and R to delicate slab section, past thin flakes to piton beside overhung jam crack. Unfortunately it's possible to avoid jamming altogether here, by swinging off jug in bottom of bulge out L to a jug on the nose. Very simple to the top past a #4 camalot.

Peter onsighting the great grade 16 first pitch. A great crack route.

Gold Star (** 45m 18), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

* Gently Mine 24m 14 (OS)
A nice line, but the rock in behind the flake seems a touch dubious. Up short slab to flake (good medium wires) then continue up flake. Take friends to #4. Rap chains.

** Pig Iron Slaughter 28m 21 (OS)
A lovely balancy arete. Slab as for GoJ (#0.5 and #3 cams), then follow the beautiful arete past BBs, praying for a stiff westerly to hold you on! A rather drab final 6m past PR to chains.

Me taking a balancy clip on this pleasant route. Perhaps 20.

Pig Iron Slaughter (**22m 21), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

*** Gates of Janus 28m 16 (OS)
Absolutely wonderful! Beautiful climbing all the way, one of the best pitches of 16 in the Blueys. Double up on #0.5 and #2 cams and take a #9 hex for above the roof. Easily up to base of corner past good #0.5 and #3 cams. Languidly layback the long leaning luscious line. Lovely! And some more beautiful laybacking gets you round the roof, then step L to chains. A fantastic pitch all the way.

Rob pulling the magnificent roof moves during his impressive onsight of this total Blueys classic. The arete of Pig Iron Slaughter is lit immediately to his left, with the awesome layback corner of GoJ below him.

Gates of Janus (*** 25m 16), Mt Boyce, Blue Mountains

** Freewheeling 26m 17 (OS)
A good warm up. Up to the most bomber #3 camalot you’ll ever see (on the arete), then up the nice face past BBs, and L to arete. A thin slab move past final BB to chains.

Snoopy 35m 14 (OS)
Pleasant. 1) (18m 12) Initialled flake, then follow flake up R to ledge. Body squeeze behind pillar or step round R, up easy face, DBB on top of pillar. 2) (15m 14) (variant) Up nice finger crack with good gear (crux), at underclings head up L to juggy traverse line. L to bollard (sling), mantle to jugs and poor camalot. L a few m to BB, then to dead stump at top. Rap off. This pitch has dubious pro after the crack, but has easy climbing in a nice location.

More Internet Sites on Mount Boyce Climbing

Rog's Mount Boyce Page An amusing site with great topos etc for the newly developed "adventure sport climbing" (WTF?) of Mount Boyce

Bureau of Meteorology Navigate to "South East" - The Central Tablelands weather is closest

Australian Maps Enter "Carawatha Rd" as the street and Blackheath as the suburb (and NSW as the state). You'll see Mt Boyce right there.

Blue Mountains City Council At least one of the land managers for Boyce. Plus with current Katoomba weather conditions.

TheCrag.com As always. Record your Mt Boyce ticks here, and see what everyone else is climbing.