© 2002 Will
The Details: A crag that is bigger and better than it appears from the valley floor. Notable for a lot of good looking corner cracks.
Access: 15-20min steep uphill walk. 3hr drive from Sydney. From the locked gate where you park, walk along the road a few hundred metres until on a flat straight stretch, just after a patch of bitumen, the road goes over a little hump. Veer R up the hill to a prominent cluster of 3 white tree trunks, up 50m to a small path going round the hill. Walk left 50m to the Ovens, and go to the cliff (uphill) side of them. A prominent arrow and cairn marks the track up the hill. A 10 minute slog uphill, where the track meets the cliff at the major corner of Grunter, with the stylish Sod slab on the left, and the beautiful splitter crack of Sizzler on the right.
Described L to R, facing the cliff.
Vision Thing 55m 19 (OS P1)
Equipped by Haines but sent by Duckworth! (1) (30m 8) Start as for Diamond Snake, then up easy slabs, veering left to orange patch and slender gumtree. Bridge tree to ledge. (2) (25m 19) Start below thin face crack, 8m L of DS p2 (which is the shallow R facing corner). Gain groove from the L (tree runner), up to crack. Up thin crack (fiddly gear) then R and up arete (BBs). ??FA P1 Will Monks, D Haines 8/4/00?? FA P2 A. Duckworth, D Haines.
Deathbed Confessions 62m 15 (YP)
Can be combined as a single pitch but requires 2m of simulclimbing! A good sustained route up a big wall.
Grunter Direct Finish 15m 16
From top of DC, G etc, up to roof then undercling out R to gain corner. Easy corner then undercling the next roof to gain slab and exit to scary scree slope.
** Sap 35m 15 (OS)
A classic pitch up a very pleasant corner. A relaxing opportunity to practice hand and fist jams, before jumping on Sizzler! Start at marked corner about 150m R of Sizzler (15m R of Decline and Fall, a stylish 15m corner crack in orange rock). Take your med-large cams and hexes. Up to tree, then some tricky moves on small glassy holds leads to the corner proper. Pleasant slabby corner climbing (or more strenuous laybacking) leads to final bulge, quickly surmounted with a lovely move or two. Belay and rap (35m) off tree (the rest of the route looks ordinary), and take your camera for photos of climbers/routes all the way round to War of the Roses.
The Details: Home to some big routes, which from the first pitch up, take in the exposure of the lower cliff as well, making for amazingly airy climbing. The best routes are on the Main Wall of the Upper Cliff - the big impressive orange face capped with a massive roof, directly above the Grunter-Mirrorman section of the lower cliff.
Access: 45mins via Western Gully, or do a lower cliff route. (see below for detailed access description). You can get onto the narrow ledge immediately below the impressive orange wall at either end - about 20m R of TBFA (if coming up from Western Gully or Grunter as usual), or 100m to the L (eg if coming from Don's Easy Climb area).
Described L to R, facing the cliff.
* Blackadder 82m 23M1 (TR)
Worth doing for the superb final pitch, which is very sustained with stunning moves and plenty of air (on the FFA of P4, the belayer was psyched out by the position!). P2 and P3 stay dry in rain.
Start from narrow ledge, at a small corner with BB just L of where the face proper meets the ground. 1) 15m 17 Corner to BB then arete past 3BB. Step L to BB, pull over bulge on jugs and belay (trad gear) at ledge. 2) 25m 4 Wander L and up slab past a few wires to DRB on steep orange wall. 3) 18m 23M1 (21M1 if you aid from 3rd ring to 5th - stick handy) Break (#2 Fr), big move to juggy scoop, RB. Sidepull and undercling to jug, RB, crimpy move L to great sidepulls and up to #2.5Fr and sit down rest. Clip 3rd RB, step R and undercling to high pocket, swing L to clip 4th RB. Clip aid bolt with sling, aid to high hold in seam, one free move to 5th RB, then to sit down rest. Aid section has been worked, around 27. RB, FH to semi hanging belay off DRB and BB. 4) 24m 22 An awesome varied pitch up a great line of scoops 200m above the valley. No move harder than 20/21, so its possibly a super sustained 21. Thin past BB to RB. Tricky through crystalline sloper to crimp in pocket up L, then to FH. Big move off crimps to good hold on obvious knob, then another reach to next holds. Step R then up to crimps, clip, great move to next crimps then another great move to high pocket. Step back L to line, then continuous, slightly easier, excellent climbing leads to DRB lower off.
Gear: 5 brackets, 12 draws, #1.5, #2, #2.5 Fr and a few wires. Rap the route, two ropes required. FA (P3 21M1, P4 21M0) Andrew Duckworth, Will Monks (2nd) 28/12/99. FA (P3 23M1) Andrew Duckworth, Will Monks (2nd) 15/1/00. FFA P4 Andrew Duckworth and Kevin Seymor (2nd) 11/6/2000.
** Dr Freeze 82m 22 (TR, P1 only)
Goes straight up the guts of the massive orange face. The entire route stays dry in rain! Start just R of B in a short, small L facing corner at line of 4FH. 1) 42m 22 Up slight corner past 4FH with increasing difficulty, until hard moves trend a little L to stance. Trend up & R (2FH) to #2 Fr then back L 6 or 7FH to 2RB belay. 2) 18m 21/22 From belay up past 3FH then crux left up to FH to obvious L traverse across the pods. 1FH then #3.5 or 4 Fr 1FH to 2RB belay, can leave 2nd rope here. 3) 22m 20 #0.5Fr trend up and R past 2FH then back left and follow 6FH to belay in cave 2RB + 1 BB (bracket required). Rap 22m to top of P2, then rap 50m to the deck.
Gear: 13 draws, #0.5, 2, 3.5 or 4 Fr, two ropes. FFA P1 and FA P2 (21M0) Andrew Duckworth and Adam Seedsman (2nd) 23/4/2000. FFA P1,2,3 Andrew Duckworth and Paul (Popsicle) Darvodelsky (2nd) 28/5/2000.
On the first complete ascent, the ascentionists went up in 2 degrees & 50-80km/h winds, got snowed on during the rap descent, and were lucky to get through Wolgan Gap as the snow started to cover the ground, they made it to Blackheath before the roads were shut due to deep snow cover!
* The Best Forgotten Art 37m 18 (first pitch) (RP)
Start off narrow ledge 20m R of Dr. Freeze (10m right of big blocky corner), at an undercut 12m face leading to a shallow left sloping corner. Pitch 2 is 18M1 if you aid the roof – and would be a mega classic pitch if clean.
1) (* 37m 19) Stick clip FH. Undercut jug moves, nice undercling to scoop past FH, then sidepull to BB. Veer R on crimps (harder than 19 if you get the sequence wrong), then back up L to BB. Up (crucial #1.5Fr out left), and step L into start of shallow corner (small wires). Follow corner for 24m (around grade 14), step L to small ledge and DRB.
2) (45m 21) You've heard it before - would be fantastic if clean. Move up off belay to top of corner, then step L to clip FH above void (backclean corner to avoid drag). Swing around arete off pinch in incredibly airy position, to small crimps and undercut feet. Move left to base of crack, then up on jugs to stemming stance in corner below roof. Extend gear here, and be wary of water-softened rock in crack. Awkward moves gain good underclings in roof crack, hoick feet high to smear on blank wall, and move left out roof (grade 21 if dry, add a grade or two if wet!) to foothold on arete and jug at lip, a magnificent position 50m up the upper cliffline. Follow pleasant handcrack 10m up wall, then move through bulge on left side of vegetation (small brown snake seen here during cleaning but not on the FA). Tricky moves up 8m shallow corner(#3.5-#4 camalots), then swing around small roof to steep face/crack climbing in an incredibly exposed position (#4-#4.5 camalots). Continue up crack to tricky move into base of chimney. Clip BB on R arete of chimney, then again swing out R onto steep face for a few moves over bulge, then continue up easier wall past DRB to the top (DRB belay). To get off, rap down route (abseils of 10m, 40m and 37m) – you might like to give it a good clean as you go!
FA pitch 1: Will Monks, Damien Haines 8/4/00. FA pitch 2 and FCA: Andrew Duckworth, Will Monks, 4/5/01.
Gear: Pitch 1: 2 brackets, 12-14 quickdraws, normal rack of cams, wires & hexes (#1.5Fr essential, small wires essential, #11 hex handy). The BBs aren't filed down and so won't accept straight PFH hangers but (for example) do accept angled PFH hangers and RP hangers.
Pitch 2: Apart from a FH, a BB, and the DRB belay, all you need are cams! Take as many big cams as possible, including a minimum of two #4 or #4.5 camalots. You’ll feel sane with the following camalots (or equivalent): three #2s, two #3s, a #3.5, two #4s and a #4.5. Some big hexes won’t hurt either.
Un-named Project 45m 18
Start 5m R of TBFA. 1) (45m 18) A pleasant pitch with good climbing at the grade for 30m. However, take care to select solid holds. Clip BB, then pull up overhung scoop past FH to stance and BB. Step R and up to overlap, BB. Take particular care of a stubborn toaster-sized loose block here. Move up thin wall above overlap, then trend up and L up arete past many more BBs. Finish up easy slab and crack (wires, small cams) to DRB. Rap 45m.
Pitch 2 is a bolted project up the major arete above - keep off!
Easy Unnamed Slab 80m 12 (RP)
Start 150m R of the big beak, 350m R of the above routes, at a R facing v-chimney corner with juggy slab on the right, and an old chipped square. 1) 45m 12 Up chimney or face on R, cam at 15m, then easier slab to big tree. 2) 35m 8 Walk up L then stylish slabby corner crack to top.
To see what this crag looks like, have a look at my photos .
As a landmark, about 50m up and left from this short slab is a major corner in the main cliffline, which has a steep overhanging orange arete/nose on its left (pretty chossy). This orange nose becomes visible as far down the hill as near the log and pine trees.
Easily surmount the short slab at the left end, then head diagonally up and R for 50m (past a grass tree) to gain the ledge below the main cliffline. Walk another 30m R into the major gully (Western Gully, rarely flows). Boulder-hop up the gully for about 100m (inspiring steep finger-sized cornercrack halfway up on the right - unclimbed), take care with the odd slippery foothold if wet. In the centre of the gully at the top is a short scramble to a 6m chain, you might want to relay packs up this bit and up the chain. Wind up under the massive block, and crawl through the cave, to pop out the back of the block (where "DESCENT" and an arrow is painted, to help identify where to leave the halfway ledge when descending). Typically 35-45 mins to here, though more like 25mins if you have a light pack.
From the block, head 30m diagonally up and L, then 10m L round to short slab. Step up slab onto rock platform (can be a little slick when wet) and head L around under some interesting looking bouldering to a tilted chasm/couloir up through the 6m rockband. From top of couloir (old cairn), head generally L and up through bushy country, following faint paths. After about 80m you walk across some small bare rock slabs, after the second one, trend R to emerge into a treed open area, with a massive (house-sized) chossy boulder about 80m further E along the ledge. Try to remember this bit, as finding the couloir from the boulder can be tricky through all the bushes.
From here a path leads along the halfway ledge all the way (continuous the whole way, but varies in faintness). Notable landmarks, and approximate distances are:
1) approx 80m from big chossy boulder is a gully, below an inspiring steep wall reminiscent of Centennial Glen except bigger, steeper and more orange. The waterfall here trickles for a day or two after rain, which can be useful to save carrying water, but don't rely on it if there's been little or no rain.
2) approx 60m from gully, the track steps over an old short fat burnt log which is immediately next to a large boulder. The track also passes through some quite dense scrub here, which finishes 10m past the boulder. The Nursery is 30m down and L (ie NE) from here, and there is a boulder about 30m up and R with "THE NURSERY" painted faintly on it. From the painted boulder, 20m up and L (SE) is the V-chimney and slab (with old chipped square) of the Upper Cliff Access Route.
3) 100m from burnt log, the track crosses a scree slope which drops straight off the top of the lower cliffline - there are two options, I prefer the high path, but take care! This is almost directly below the distinctive large chossy "beak" projecting from the Coke Ovens Upper Cliff. The track immediately heads diagonally uphill for 15m almost to meet the Upper Cliffline, quite close to Dynamic Lifter which is a goodlooking curving crack 30m L of the major corner (Far Queue). FQ has some choss and is bounded on the right by the "beak". The Coke Ovens Upper Main Wall is now visible.
From here, choose the track which stays as close as possible to the Upper Cliffline, until you'll need to bend down to walk through a sandy cave to gain the small ledge below the Coke Ovens Upper Main Wall (this is 6m above the halfway ledge). Typically about 1hr from the carpark to here (1hr 20 with drilling gear!), 35mins is the record with a light pack.
From R to L, the routes are:
Upper Cliff Access Route (80m 11)(see above)
Far Queue: 13M2? Major corner with some choss, just L of "beak"
Dynamic Lifter: 16M2? Curving crack 30m L of FQ
Main Wall Routes - 150m L of FQ - see above.
© 2002 Will