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The rock at Adamsfield makes for a complete change from climbing on dolerite; being short, pocketed and very steep. There is more steep rock here than any other developed climbing area in the state. It’s all bolt protected too, so you can leave your rack at home. The spectacular surroundings add to the charm of the place (although the area’s high rainfall does tend to make it a summer crag). The rock is conglomerate and a little loose at times, but after cleaning, some excellent routes emerge.

The Adamsfield cliffs are situated at Grid reference 715430 on the Wedge 1:100 000 map at the northern end of the Ragged Range, about 35 km past Maydena. Once you have driven past Maydena, continue into the National Park along the Gordon River road, driving past the Scotts peak dam turn off (Frodshams Pass). About 5 km on from here, the road will be heading downhill. After passing several minor offshoots, a sign indicates "Clear Hill Road", follow this.

Turn right down the road and drive for 16 km (from the Gordon Road) until a large boulder sticks out on the right, nearly overhanging the road (this is the climb Roadkill!). If you haven't been here before look out for this boulder as it is easy to miss and is the best way to locate the area.  A top-rope problem also exists on this boulder and is about grade 17. Only 50 metres on from this it is possible to park on the left, opposite a slimy looking bank. Walk up this bank with a little difficulty, then head up to the right through bracken and bushes for about 100 metres to the large boulder. This boulder is known as The High Wire.

Also of note is the great swimming hole about 3 km past the High Wire. It lies about 50m downhill of the bridge.

People considering putting up new routes at this crag should respect its established ethics and tradition. Do not use either "natural" equipment or bolts that require key-hole hangers as nobody will be bringing them here.

Adamsfield has little to offer in the way of good easy routes, and as such could hardly be recomended as a good beginner crag.  To get the most out of this place you will want to be climbing 23 and up, although there are probably enough easy routes for a couple of trips. The rock is really sharp here too and takes some getting used to.   Adamsfield has also become the best bouldering area in Tassie.  Problems are spread out everywhere so see a local for details.

There is a good flat camping area at the base of the hill about 2km past the car park.

Roadkill 10m 22
+ You can’t get easier access than this. The arete that overhangs the road. Sam Edwards, Dec 95.

The High Wire. The lower side of the High Wire, which is up to 17m high, overhangs at up to 45° like a colossal wave.

Project 30+ 
The first route you come to, Incredibly thin. Should bring Tassie into the 90's when climbed.(Sam's offering a slab of Tassies' finest to the first local ascentionist)

¬ ¬ ¬ The Great Houdini 15m 24/25
+ The awesomely steep black crack on the lower side of the High Wire. Evan Peacock, Nov 94.

¬ ¬ ¬ Magic Potion 15m 29
The very overhanging wall.  Sam Edwards, Feb 1998.

¬ ¬ ¬ Dragging the Chain 10m 23
+ This climb starts off the large sissy pile of homo stones to reach large jugs. Continue up past 3 U anchors. Lower off top bolt An enjoyable climb. Evan Peacock, Feb 94.

¬ Lithe & Svelty 15m 24
+ Starts about 3m left of Materialisation of a Psychotics Dream. Another stick clip start. Climb the initial tricky moves and then crank to the top. Either top out (lichenous with a ground fall potential) or lower off the top bolt. Needs rebolting. Evan Peacock, Mar 94.

¬ Materialisation of a Psychotics Dream 10m 22
+ A few metres right of this is another line of U anchors. Start at the base of this steepening slab, face climbing up the left hand side of the U anchors. Tend right at the top to reach the rap anchors above Bitter Twisted Soul. Rob Williams, Feb 94.

¬ ¬ Bitter Twisted Soul 10m 23
+ Starting about three metres right of Materialisation, climb up the very thin slab and face. Rap anchor exists at the top of this climb. Rob Williams, Feb 94.

¬ ¬ Elvira Maddigan 10m 18
+ Climbs the slab to the right of Bitter Twisted Soul past 3 U anchors. Move left to finish at the shared rap station. Simon Ozolins, Jan 94.

Mr Kite 10m 15
Climbs the slab 2 metres to the right of Elvira. Although this was a solo first ascent, anybody wishing to place a bolt or two to protect it is welcome (yeah right). Hamish Jackson, Feb 94.

Mrs Kite 10m 14
Very close to the right of Mr Kite is another solo climb of lesser quality. Hamish Jackson, Feb 94.

¬ Caught In Disaster 10m 24
+ Start 15m right of Elvira on the North face of the High Wire. Climb past two U-anchors after stick clipping the first. Use double ropes to avoid an embarrassing crater. Evan Peacock,  no rap anchors.Mar 94.

Rock With a View
This boulder is 30m uphill from The High Wire. Keep walking! These climbs define the word poxy. TR bolts on top.  Easy acess to top, up arete above van sized boulder.

Drill to Thrill 21
+ Climb the overhanging arete. Climb to the right of the bolts (I clipped some of the ones on Tight Rope too, Ed.). Garry Phillips, Apr 96.

Tight Rope Walker 23
+ Start 1m right of Drill past three bolts to finish as for Drill. Hardly an independent "line" as only about one body length of different climbing. Grant Rowbottom solo. Sep 96.

Lady of the Lake 20
+ Climbs through the initially steep ground past one bolt then to the top. Garry Phillips, Mar 94.

The Path-finder 20
+ This climb is to the right of Lady Of The Lake and also has a steep beginning (one bolt) followed by an easier, unprotected slab. Sam Edwards, Mar 94.

Jester 15
Start just to the left of the smaller boulder that rests against the Rock With A View. Climb up the face with  natural protection . Jon Tiller, Mar 94.

Freak Show 8m 19
Left of Cool Chicks. Top-roped but not yet bolted. Jon Tiller, Phil Schwan, Oct 96.

Cool Chicks at Home 8m 16
On the opposite end of the boulder to Drill to Thrill is a vertical wall; start at its righthand end. Three bolts to chain. Jon Tiller, Phil Schwan, Oct 96.

Tweaky  5m  20
Five metres right, around the corner, and under a fallen tree, from Cool Chicks.  Climb right of the bolt two thirds up the curving face.  Richard Cockerill, 1997. 

Pyramid Rock is the largest boulder at the top of the hill about 10 minutes directly uphill from The High Wire.. Follow track until hill flattens out and the following two climbs are reached.  The other routes are on the other side of the boulder.

¬ ¬ Steel and Stone 10m 20
+ Tackles the pocketed overhanging wall on the left side of the boulder (as viewed when standing on the lake side of the boulder). Two bolts and lower off biner. Sam Edwards, Dec 95.

¬ ¬ County Toad 10m 20
+ The wall 2m right of Steel and Stone, to the same rap anchors. Sam Edwards, Feb 96.

Project

¬¬ The jealous jellyfish 13m 25
Start up Soft then go left and up. Grant Rowbottom

¬¬ The Juggling Junkie 13m 22
+ Starts up Soft but climbs directly through the headwall. G. Rowbottom

¬ ¬ ¬ Soft 12m 21
+ Starts about 10m left of Attack. Go up then rightwards through the overlap. Roger Parkyn, Jan 97.

¬ The Juggling Acrobat 16m 25
climb Alcoholic Acrobat to roof, traverse left and finish up Juggling Junkie.  GR, dec95

¬ ¬ The Alcoholic Acrobat 12m 24
+ Tackles an overhang, joining Attack higher up. Grant Rowbottom, Dec 95.

¬ ¬ ¬ Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster 12m 21
+ An enjoyable climb up the overhanging arete on the opposite side of the boulder to Steel And Stone. Four bolts and a rap station. Sam Edwards, Dec 95.

The next few routes are on a boulder opposite Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster (about ten metres away) which has a large eucalypt in front of it.

She’s Lump 19
+ Takes the left hand side of the line of bolts (two brackets with U rap anchors) in front of the tree. Stick clip the first bolt. Evan Peacock, May 96.

Millions of Pieces 19
+ The right hand side of the She’s Lump bolts. Evan Peacock, May 96.

Doon Buggy 19
+ Starts on the right hand side of the wall and traverses leftwards to finish up She’s Lump/Millions. Steve Ford, May 96.

The Bear Pit is the 130º wall situated about 20m past Pyramid Rock (follow blue tapes).

¬ ¬ ¬ Morjabia 12m 24/5
+ Steep juggy climbing at the left end of the wall. Evan Peacock Jan 97.

¬ ¬ ¬ The Mike Tyson vs Macaulay Culkin Fight 15m 25
+ The line of Metolius hangers up the centre of the wall. Sam Edwards, Jan 97.

¬¬¬ Temper Tantrum 12m 25
Up to chain.  Grant Rowbottom 98

¬ ¬ ¬ Get A Grip 10m 23/4
+ Follow the huge buckets and Petzl hangers up the right arete. Sam Edwards, Jan 97.

¬ ¬ ¬ Couldn’t Bear to Wait 9m 22
+ The nearly vertical (ie less overhanging) wall right of the main pit. Three anchors. Evan Peacock Jan 97.

Also of mention are linkups.  Start Temper Tantrum to finish Morjabia.   Start Morjabia to finish Temper Tantrum

Phatphuck Rock (named after a Thai desert) is a square looking boulder about 50m below Pyramid Rock. It has an orange and white overhanging lower face which can be seen when coming up the track (the route are on the opposite side of the boulder to this).

¬ ¬ Life is a Chocolate Cake 8m 17
+ Follow the line of bolts and rap off the top of the boulder. Consistently steep. Jon Tiller, Sep 96.

Battle of the Bulge 4m 15
+ Lies on an arete on the uphill side of the boulder. Clip the bolt and pull over the bulge to the top. Phil Schwan, Sep 96.

The Trapeze offers some of the best roof climbing in the state. To get to the boulder walk about two thirds of the way up the hill from the High Wire (as for the Pyramid) and then head left for about 200m.

¬¬¬ The Velocity Vampire 20m 26
Start on extreme left.  Cross through roof perpendicular to other routes to finish up Redback Fever.  Sam Edwards 98

¬ ¬ ¬ The Aerial Ballet 20m 25
+ Tackles the pocketed roof 5m left of Redback Fever. Sam Edwards, Jan 97.

¬ ¬ ¬ Forearm Flameout 20m 27
+ Roof climbing in a similar vein to its companions to the left and right. Sam Edwards. spring 97.

¬ ¬ ¬ Redback Fever 20m 26
+ An amazing climb. Follow the pockets through the biggest part of the roof. Sam Edwards, Feb 96.

¬ ¬ ¬ Circus Oz 20m 24
+ Follows the broken weakness up to the roof and then follows a flake rightwards before heading up again (if you’re a bit soft, like me, it is recommended to put draws on the top bolts; they’re hard to see and clip when you’re pumped silly, Ed.). Evan Peacock, Nov 94.

¬ ¬ The Clown 15m 20
A fun climb up the steep face 2m right of Circus Oz. Five bolts and a rap station. Steve Cameron, Jan 97.

The Magic Mushroom is about 10 minutes walk from the Bear Pit.   Follow vague track down through scruby slope then up left along ridgeline.   Not very clearly marked.

¬¬ Poison in the Veins 18m 26
This climb starts the same as Meltdown but at the first bolt veer left and up past another 5 bolt runners. One of the bolts down low is hard to clip.Grant Rowbottom 13/4/97

Meltdown 15m 23
Thin face moves followed by a juggy finish. Start 5m left of Electric Snake and climb past 4 bolts to the chains. Garry Phillips 13/4/97

¬¬ Electric Snake 15m 23
First line to the left of the black streak, at the 4th bolt traverse slightly right before heading straight up to the chains. Grant Rowbottom 22/3/97

¬¬¬ Super Unknown 15m 26
Climb directly up the black streak past 6 bolt runners to a rap station. A classic. Grant Rowbottom 1/4/97

¬¬¬ Frequent Flyer 15m 27
Climb past three bolt runners to the break, then finish up Snake Charmer. S.Edwards. jan 98

¬¬¬ High Voltage 15m 23
Past 2 bolt runners to the break then another 2 more before the chains.   Chains are hard to clip. Garry Phillips 21/3/97

¬¬¬ Snake Charmer 22m 24
Up the right hand arete to the break. Traverse left along the break until it ends then continue up to the rap rings. Garry Phillips 1/3/97

¬¬ Shaking the Snake 15m 22/23
Starts up Snake Charrner to the break. Moves slightly left then heads straight up to the rap station. Garry Phillips 6/3/97

Project 15m
Up the right hand arete to the 3rd bolt runner, then head straight up to the chains over the top.

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