The Bluffs

The Word: Home to an unreasonably large number of megaclassics!
The Crag Classic: Thunder Crack (*** 21), Anxiety Neurosis (*** 26)
The Hidden Gem: The enormous rope swing - rig it up off a bollard above Despatched.
Sun/shade: Either, any time.
Wet weather options: Despatched, Unrequited would probably withstand a fair bit of rain, but the problem is the Ali's access would be treacherous in the wet.
Style & Length of Climbs: 15-60m, vertical to overhung.
Available Grades; Best Grades:11-30;

The Details: Climbing on Bluff Major alone could keep you occupied for many days!!

Access: Maybe shoot up something easy on Tiger Wall or Bard Buttress, but it’s heaps quicker to climb Ali’s (I recommend roping up).

Descent(s): Rap off chains 27m down the West Face (Missing Link) (a single 50m rope reaches with stretch). There is a tricky (grade 10?) scramble from Missing Link down to Scorpion Corner, but the tricky bit is quite low so it's ok, and heaps quicker than the long walk around through Ali's Cave.

Described L to R.

Bluff Major North Face

The North Face of Bluff Major offers some incredible routes in an awesomely exposed location (although Flinders Lane dulls the exposure somewhat).

The Bard wanders up about 5-10m left of the major vertical chasm. The p2 traverse can be clearly seen at about half height. Some tiny people can be seen at bottom left, and the square-ish block at the top right is Bluff Major.
Tiger Wall, Mt Arapiles

A closer view - Blockbuster takes the open book corner at top L. Scorpion goes up the guts of Bluff Major on the R. Quo Vadis follows the sickle crack in the red rock.
The Bluffs, Mt Arapiles

The hassle is in getting there! First, you have to get to Flinders Lane, so I'd recommend doing something quick 'n easy up Tiger Wall (Kestrel is good). Soloing up Ali's is the only quicker way, but not exactly safe (or fun!). To get to the bottom of Ivan or Scorpion Direct from Flinders Lane, go up to the base of Scorpion Corner (ie directly below Scorpion, the obvious jagged splitter crack up high). From here it's a tricky little step up left onto the 1m wide ledge. Blockbuster Ledge (from which the classics start) is now 12m above you, so you have to climb something to get there! The next two are the usuals.

Ivan 12m 13 (OS)
Bizarre! Has some really strange moves trending R beside a chimney. 10m L of SDS, and a good access to Blockbuster Ledge.
* Scorpion Direct Start 12m 17 (YP)
If you can't jam you'll find this about 5 grades harder. But even if you can jam it's still hard! It's the obvious bulging peapod crack 5m L of Scorpion Corner. Easy on to top of pinnacle, then cams protect the crux, awkward jams through a glassy bulge. Quite insecure moves continue above, only easing at the top.
Scorpion Direct Start - if you can jam it's one tough move at the grade. If you can't it's one tough move of about 22!
Me looking incredibly secure on Scorpion Direct Start, Mt Arapiles

Blockbuster Ledge

*** Blockbuster 30m 11 (OS)
An absolute beauty. A "dinky-dee" classic! Great climbing up the slabby corner past excellent pro, then steeply up the cracks in the headwall. Do it!

*** Quo Vadis 28m 19 (OS)
A ripper of a route! The start is a bit goey - but not too bad really. Sinker cam 3m off the ledge, then a few hard moves on surprisingly good holds gains a stance (the trick is to swing R rather than layback/sidepull the obvious cam flake) - and you're never on a grounder. A sideways wire protects some delicate but not too hard moves to the old bolt - pretty bent but clip it anyway! Then superb moves up a thin corner (good wires) to the obvious ledge. The "sickle crack" up to the roof looks really easy cause there's a 2m slab below the crack all the way, but it's actually glassy with no holds, requiring quite strenuous jamming and laybacking up to a good stance under the roof - it's tricky to stop to place gear so just run it out about 6m. Move R under roof, then a funky final move again on poor feet and with crucial undercling up to and around the R end of the roof gains the juggy exit.

Quo Vadis - me on the lovely thin corner, after the cranking off the ledge. The leader below is on Scorpion Direct Start.
Quo Vadis, Mt Arapiles

Quo Vadis - up higher, negotiating the shockingly glassy jam crack section.
Quo Vadis, Mt Arapiles

** Scorpion 30m 18 (OS)
Would be a total three star classic if the start didn’t scare the absolute crap out of you! From a good belay (#7 & 8 hexes, #2 upwards cam), pray for the gods to smile, and step past a sideways #3 rock and a micro cam into the void. Swing around into a layback, then cram your carcass up into the tight, smooth, downwards flaring chimney. Defy the inexorable downward forces long enough to slot a good wire, curse and thrash until your head won’t go any further, then thankfully clutch the big block and haul ass out of the chimney! Continue up crack, then a tricky move gains a small niche - belay possible here to reduce drag. Desperately clutching every big cam you own, compose yourself, then step up into the beautiful crack. And enjoy it! A fantastic section of fist jamming. Totally worth every thrutchy moment of the start! Feel free to use all your big pro for this section - the top section of fisting/armbarring can be protected by a good surface wire.

Scorpion - Dave on the very first move of the route - the intimidating step-across crammed up underneath the roof. The well-chalked Scorpion Corner is visible below him. And no, it's not wet rock - just glassy and incredibly hard.
Scorpion (** 30m 18), Mt Arapiles

Scorpion - hanging off bomber fistjams. The horrible thrutchy roof at the start of the route can be clearly seen below.... Scorpion direct start is the vicious little crack at bottom left.
Scorpion (** 30m 18), Mt Arapiles Scorpion - finishing up the awesome fist crack, with nice exposure!

Bluff Major West Face

** Missing Link 28m 17 (OS)
A lovely wall climb, and not that difficult. Despite the reputation, this route is not run out. Just take wires and cams from #2Fr down to micros. Step up to break (ok shallow microcam) then tricky to gain stance (good wires). Don't follow thin crack (adds a grade or two), instead extend your wires and step R to a good low wire (ie, use double ropes!). The climbing eases as you move up and R (great wire, another ok shallow microcam), then quite simply back L up the groove to the steep conclusion. Lovely steep moves on jugs in a fantastic position finishes off a good route. Rap chains.

Bluff Major South Face

A view of the West Face (on the left), and South face of Bluff Major. Marked are Missing Link and Thunder Crack (*** 21), which is the obvious steep crack. Despatched (*** 23) heads up just R of TC.
Steep terrain