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Gara Boulders
The Gara Boulders are located near the Blue Hole (part of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park), approximately 15km from the town of Armidale, on the New England Tablelands. They are located in the upper reaches of the Gara Gorge, and comprise a number of granite buttresses, overlooking the Gara River. The area contains mostly shorter climbs (up to 15m), with a nice variety of cracks, faces and aretes and both trad and sport routes. Further downstream (about 2.5km) the gorge becomes much deeper, with climbs reaching up to about 100m in height. Access to these areas is more difficult, and I believe it can be difficult to find the climbs.
The New England Tablelands have quite extreme temperature variations, with 30°C+ days common in summer, and snow quite common in winter. Therefore, unless you plan on sweating or freezing it out, you're probably best off planning a trip for either Spring or Autumn. Autumn is the pick of the seasons, since the weather is relatively stable, with warm days and cool nights. You also get the added bonus of witnessing Armidale changing from yellow to red as the leaves turn! Regardless of the season, pack warm clothes, since the weather can change very quickly (we got hailed on on our first day).
If you're planning a trip to Armidale, I'd recommend you get in touch with the local climbers, since I'm sure they'll be more than happy to show you around. The best places to get in touch with local climbers are the Armidale Outdoors camping store (which also sells a selection of climbing gear), and the University of New England Mountaineering Club. If you're planning a trip to the crags further downstream, local guidance is probably a necessity, since the climbs can be hard to locate.
To get to the Gara Boulders, leave Armidale heading east along Grafton Rd until you reach Castledoyle Rd (just outside the city limits). Turn right onto Castledoyle Rd and follow it out to the Blue Hole (approximately 15 kms). At Blue Hole, turn right and follow the track around until another track leads off right. Taking the track to the right will take you closer to the climbs, but may require a 4WD or a car with high clearance. Either follow this track to its end up on the gorge rim and park there, or ignore it and park at the end of the original track (near a small picnic area). If you've parked near the picnic area, head up the hill until you hit the dirt track, and then follow it to the gorge rim.
The guide for the area is the "Gara Boulders, A Climber's Guide" (by Al Stephens), available for photocopying from Armidale Outdoors.
Hope Buttress
This great little buttress is the first buttress you see as you walk towards the gorge. It is located at the head of a large gully, and is distinguished by two vertical cracks, and a large ledge with a tree growing out of it.
Charity 20m 14
A really fun climb, that's perfect for beginners (although they may need a boost to get started!). Scramble up onto the ledge at the right hand end of the buttress, hard moves to get onto the face (crux) then jam to glory up the easy, slabby crack (grade 7 or 8). Be careful at the top of the crack, since there's a largish flake that is very loose. Cams/hexes and maybe a large nut or two for the crack, and two BBs on top, plus a block on the left that'll take a #3 camalot.
Hope 25m 16
Another great climb, with a tough 5m jam crack at the bottom, and then a very easy corner/crack up the slab above (grade 6 or 7). Cams/hexes for both the jam crack and the corner, and a natural belay on top (cams + some slung blocks).
Savage Amusement Buttress
Downstream from the Hope Buttress, down the gully closest to the main watercourse. Walk down past the end of the Hope Buttress, and scramble down the watercourse, marvelling at the climbs up to the right (mid 20s, all of them).
Inertia 10m 22
A great looking climb that we couldn't send! Up the vertical crack (cams/hexes and maybe a nut or two) to the roof. Reach way out and place some cams (#0.5 and #0.75 camalots) then power out for the juggy lip, heelhooking on the lower, larger crack. From here I don't know, since we couldn't get up the exit crack!
Psychosomatic 15m 23
Located on the nice looking wall about 50m downstream from Inertia. A great climb to top-rope, and a fantastic tick if done on lead (but bloody scary, too!). Balancy moves up to a smallish rest stance about 2m off the deck. Crux moves up on tiny footholds and smallish sidepulls to the base of the larger crack, then easier to top. A nice set of rap chains on top, with a scramble off to the right. I wouldn't recommend leading it unless you've got it totally wired, but it looks like it would be nuts and RPs the entire way, with maybe a tiny cam here or there.
Illusion Buttress
Located about 30m downstream from Psychosomatic, where the gully meets the main watercourse. Layabout is the attractive splitter crack in the middle of the buttress.
Heavy Metal 18m 19
A really nice granite slab climb, with some great stances for clipping each bolt. There is also a newer, unlisted climb that goes directly up the arete to Heavy Metal's 3rd bolt, but it looks pretty hard. There are also some rap chains on top of this climb, so there is no need for trad gear for the belay or the scramble around to Illusion for the abseil.
Illusion 20m 13
Another really fun climb, with some great jamming/laybacking up a nice, clean corner. Take some larger cams and hexes for protection, but it may be hard to find placements higher up. Belay off the rap chains then rap off.
Layabout 25m 17
An excellent climb featuring a great layback/jam crack and a diet inducing squeeze chimney. Amble up the large blocks to the base of the slab (small friends, if needed), then crux moves onto the face and into the crack. Layback and jam up the crack (#0.75, #1, #2 camalots or hexes), to the base of the squeeze chimney. Head into the bowels of the earth and then up the chimney (cams/hexes) to a nice shady ledge. 2 BBs plus a huge slung block for the belay, and step right to the rap chains on Illusion.
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