The Details:
Access: 1hr45mins drive from the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, plus ~30min uphill slog walk-in. The drive includes the Black Spur - very pretty but not the safest road, careful on the bends! If you sleep in your drive will be extended by ~20mins due to Sunday drivers who dawdle along this road. Also beware the dirt roads in the Park, which have a nasty habit of constricting to less than 2 car widths just as you approach a blind corner. The walk-in is worse than it should be, a nicely graded track is much needed here. Anyway, slog up the horrid steep one, and break R off the main path just after you pass some slabs on your right. The going then gets even steeper as you thrash up the back of the slabs. Thankfully once at the top you're only about 150m from the main crag. For all routes down the right end (Spiegal's buttress and beyond), stay about 20m downhill from the cliff and contour around to save a bit of walking.
This shot shows the North Jawbone as viewed from the carpark, with all described routes shown.
* Junglescope 120m 13 (OS)
A really fun jaunt for the first two pitches, though the final corner is decidedly average. We did Junglescope Variant on the second pitch which makes this a very direct route blasting up the centre of the leftmost of the three major buttresses. 1) (** 45m 13) Short slab to large flake. 10m up flake then directly up slab above with sparse but ok pro, veering a touch left in the final metres to get around the small bushes on the belay ledge. 2) (** 45m 13) Up the short corner off the belay ledge then straight up the nice long slab above. Again veer L in the final few metres to move into the major corner leading to the top. Piton and cam belay. 3) (25m 12) The corner.
Route Two 50m 7 (OS)
Crap (and harder than 3)! It's the obvious R-leaning crack line up the 60m high "pillar" which leans against the right hand buttress. The only good thing about it is that the pro is fine. Where the crack terminates on the R side of the "pillar", move back to the main slab and belay in the bushy corner to get on Xanthene.
*** Xanthene 44m 17 (OS)
Probably the best pitch on the North Jawbone. A fantastic long series of climbing on great rock. Up the easy slab and quite easily through the first overlap. Up past a bolt to some awesome delicate slab moves to the next overlap/roof, step R here to thin crack through roof. Undercling to place a great small wire above the roof, then (crux) establish a R foot on the lip by using smallish holds on the L, and rock over onto your R foot using a small sharp sidepull beside the crack above your wire. One more move gains a rest below a marvellous blank slab with small seams running down it. Trend leftwards initially (good microcam in seam), then up and a touch back R to the next bolt. Devious slab sequences lead over the bulge to deposit you on Traverse of the Gods. We did a SHB right here off two spaced carrots.
* Greg's Direct 40m 14 (OS)
Starts off the Traverse of the Gods, up the thin crack above the lefthand bolt. Follow the thin crack for most of the way then easily slab to the top. Nothing great but nothing wrong with it either.
*** Speigal's Overhang 120m 10 (OS)
What a fantastic route!! Better than Syrinx (at Arapiles) in my opinion. Every belay is shady which only adds to the experience. 1) (*** 50m 10) Wires the whole way, plus some medium cams for the belay. Up the slab and slight crack for 15m, veering R to the edge of the slab. Then trend back L and up the stronger crack past the first tree to belay at the second (pine) tree about 5m below the first overlap. 2) (*** 45m 10) An even better pitch! Up to the overlap which goes easily, then head 5m up L to the next overlap which goes easily again! Follow the beautiful clean splitter crack beside the corner (take several large cams/hexes) for 20m on fantastic rock to the final overlap which is possibly the best of the lot. A beautiful splitter crack leads to the belay above. 3) (** 25m 8?) Continue up the crack above, but when it opens up and gets shrubby abandon it for the slab to the left which makes for a nice finish. |
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Chockstone The most thorough coverage of Victorian climbing, though not as comprehensive for the Cathedrals as elsewhere. Parks Victoria All your logistical essentials including good downloadable maps and info sheets. TheCrag.com As always. Record your Cathedral Ranges ticks here, and see what everyone else is climbing. 
© 2004 Will