© 2002 Will
The Details: The main attraction out here is the magnificent main wall, which must be one of the finest sheets of rock in the entire Blue Mountains - a 50m high by 100m long sheet of beautiful dead vertical stone, magnificently positioned 130m above one of the most beautiful valleys in the world (the Grose) for good measure. In addition to the main wall routes (grades 19 to hard!), there are some other offerings, including the ridiculously exposed AAS, and the routes which climb the full height of the escarpment (Beche de Merl, Serendipitous Cracks etc). PS, tie a knot into the end of your rope, take some ascenders/prussiks, and bring your balls!
Access: 35-40min walk. 1hr45min drive from Sydney CBD. The best way to find it is using a topo map. However you should be able to find it from the following.
Driving N through Blackheath, turn R onto Hat Hill Rd, and follow it for quite a few kms, and past the turn off to Pulpit Rock. On the left will appear a short dirt road, which is angled a little bit back towards the way you are coming. This is just after passing a relatively major hillock which is on the left (W) of the road. Below (N of) the hillock, a gully starts which splits the area into two ridges extending generally northwards – at this point the road follows the right hand ridge, while the left hand ridge is reasonably flat and uniform all the way N from the hillock. Go 50m to the end of the side-road, to the base of the gully described above. From here, walk NW for 200-300m to gradually gain the top of the "left" ridge described above. From the top of this ridge you can see a major gully down to the left (W). This is Hat Hill Creek. Follow a good track N along the top of this ridge. Cairns start to appear on the track as the vegetation gets higher. The ridge flattens out the further you go, and the path starts to trend a little to the left (W) side, but basically stays on top of the ridge.
The crucial point of the access is in deciding at which point to drop down left (W) off the ridge. The following pointers should get you there in the end. First, it is about a 20-25min walk along the top of the ridge before heading down left. Second, follow the cairns. Third, there is a track the whole way – you do not need to bush-bash at any point. The track becomes quite obvious as the slope gets steeper, the trick is in finding/keeping it while the slope is still gentle. Also, you are aiming for a saddle which is between the N-S ridge you have just left and an E-W ridge which runs along above the Bald Head Main Wall. You do not go down into the major gully of Hat Hill Creek (unless you want to do some major slogging). Finally, the saddle is quite close to the rim of the Grose itself, so don’t drop down too early (ie too far S). Once you have found the saddle, it will all become quite obvious. Follow the track down from the ridge onto the saddle (6-8mins) and all the way back up the other side (8-10mins) right to the very top, where you will be welcomed by incredible views of the Grose Valley.
Immediately below this point (straight in front of you as you pop out on top) is a bowl/gully, split with a small ridge in the centre. This conveniently shows where the majority of the Main Wall lies – directly below! All directions are given facing out unless otherwise noted, and all the Main Wall rap points are on the very edge and must themselves be accessed while roped up. Mark Baker’s old route (26?) is about 50m R of the central ridge, and Steve Grkovic’s route (26?) is about 25m R of the central ridge (straight down from the clump of small gumtrees). Below the small central ridge are two routes about 5m apart. The left one (directly below the small central ridge) is "Steve’s Magnum Opus", an excellent 19, while the righthand one (with tag on DRB) is a high 20s project.
To find Advanced Air Studios (19), head 80m W along the top of the ridge to its end, then 60m down the slope to where the cliff cuts back L in front of you, with a small tree hanging over the void. From near the tree (be very careful, it is slippery and the vegetation hangs over the edge here), a sheer wall can be seen down and L, with the far arete angling out over the void - this is AAS.
There is a route up the middle of the wall 10m L of AAS, called Thinning on Top (* 30m 23). It's anchor is more convenient to use for rapping for both routes, due to the angled nature of the arete on AAS. However, if you want to pre-place draws on AAS you can rap down it, though you'll have to clip the rap rope into most bolts, to swing in to reach the belay (meaning the second person has to unclip and take big swings out into the void (!!) before being pulled into the belay by the first person!). Both routes have DBB belays (not ringbolts!) at top and bottom, so take brackets.
Described R to L, facing the cliff.
** Advanced Air Studios 30m 19 (TR)
An outrageous, excellent and incredibly exposed outing with good rock and plenty of bolts, which dangles above 150m of nothing. Goodly climbing and magnificent exposure make for a pants-filling experience. Not quite as good climbing as SMO, but ten times the exposure! An absolute must for every adrenalin junkie climber who has seen the photos of Black Rose (Garth Miller’s 25 at Hanging Rock), but who can’t climb 25. Rap 30m to DBB anchor at base of arete. Follow RBs up scoops, then move R to angled arete over the void. Funky steep moves lead up underside of arete with massive exposure, then thin up scoops and face. FA Andrew Duckworth, Will Monks, 3/3/01.
** Steve's Magnum Opus 22m 19 (TR)
An absolute must, I can't rave about it enough. Magnificent climbing in an awesome position, the only downers are the reinforced crux hold, and the last move. Worth using as a warm up for AAS! Rope up to access DRB anchor where the small central ridge meets the Main Wall clifftop (rope up from the clump of small gumtrees, and head directly towards Hanging Rock). Rap 22m to hanging belay off DRB in back of scoop. Brilliant climbing past (8?) RBs up scoop system. Carefully over soft final bulge on dinnerplates.
© 2002 Will