© 2002 Will
The Details: Has about a dozen hard, pumpy classics, and is one of Sydney's best crags. Not a bad place to toprope, although there is no convenient descent/ascent for much of the crag - most of the climbs have lower off rings.
Access: Drive N on Wakehurst Parkway, and its on the R (E) 1.3km after the second crossing of Middle Creek. If you're coming from the N, its on the L about 1km after the fitness camp, just after you go around the first L hand bend. Park in a small parking bay (or back at the cutting on the bend if it's full). From the little parking bay follow the track uphill for about 80m. The first route you see is Seedy Saturday (crap). When we were here, there was a bloke doing Full Tilt - it looks bloody amazing, as do many of the other climbs here, in particular Relax (** 23), along with the ones I did below.
** Technorabble 15m 22 (TR)
Like Tilt, this is more like 23 in my book (although maybe the sloper beside the FH is more usable without 100% humidity and high 20’s heat!). Bouldery undercut start up to undulating yellow rock. Clip BBs, then kneebar to establish L hand on sidepull. Delicate to jug up R, then up to another jug. Clip FH out L, then stretch down and L (cruxy) to big gaston below FH, adjust feet, R hand up to poor sloper, and into sidepull. A poor heel hook below the sloper gets you up to the slot below the small roof, which is further away than you think. Big holds directly above the slot, on the nose of the roof (end of crux section). Up and a bit R to BB, then a lunge into line of jugs on lip of scoop. DBB on ledge. Pumpy.
* Technorabble R Variant 15m 20 (OS)
The more obvious line really, but it ain’t 22. Basically, don’t detour L around FH. From 1m R of FH, go straight up through jugs, past same BB. Crux is past the 2nd BB.
*** Tilt 15m 22 (L)
Marked, 2m L of Full Tilt. Often damp below roof, and in fact its probably better just to traverse in from the R. However, then it gets interesting and good! This move is the crux and not obvious, so take note: ignore all the heavily chalked holds out L! About 30cm up and R of the carrot, where the wall meets the roof, is a thumb pocket. Use it and the sloper just R as a R hand pinch/thumb-hold, and establish a L foot heel-toe undercling in the big pocket. This L toe hook makes it a lot easier to clip BR on lip, and then to gain lip with L hand just R of BR. Use both feet in pocket to get R hand out to lip, shuffle L hand out to nose (reachy), then cut loose to R heel hook on lip. Move L hand 6 inches up nose, then roll your hips over the lip, and get R hand into good sidepull in pocket, and clip 3rd RB. Crank off sidepull to get L hand past broken flake to good holds in bottom of scoop. Reach up to L hand above scoop, set R foot on broken flake, flag out L with L foot, and a big balancy reach up to the lower of 2 pockets. Strong R hand crimp allows L hand to get into higher pocket (which is better), and then R hand up to so-so round pocket, clip 4th RB. Set L foot on the hold on top of the scoop, R foot flag out R, and sidepull to obvious "thank god" jug in break, and easily on to glory!! Lower off DRB. Solid, sustained moves through the roof and up the wall make this more like 23, as well as my most wanted redpoint! Click here to see a photo of this climb.
** Septic Penguins 12m 20 (RP)
"A ridiculously steep classic. The smooth groove at the R end of the cliff, marked 1m L of a crack." Clip first BB from ground. Crux start, use R foot on wall past crack and L arm lock off to gain OK hold next to second BB, then swing out to jug directly below homemade fixed hanger. Continue an alarming distance L out to arete, and strenuously up jugs to break. The holds and the moves both get bigger towards the top. Solid 20, but awesome. Click here to see a photo of this climb.
For a complete description of all Sydney crags and bouldering sites, go to the Sydney Rockclimbing Club's on-line Sydney Guide.
© 2002 Will