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Mt Keira
Mt Keira, situated above Wollongong offers both great climbing of all standards, and great views of Wollongong and environs. It can get quite crowded, as it's close to Sydney, and is also a popular tourist destination. Mt Keira is pretty much square, with North, South, East and West faces (great for both summer and winter).
Both sport and trad routes are to be found at Mt Keira, although many climbs require some trad gear.
The guide for the area is the "Rockclimber's Guide to Nowra & Wollongong" guide book.
West Face
Generally easy climbing (grades 10-20), mixed with a handful of harder (20+) climbs. Very popular, both because it's shady (in amongst the trees), and because of the choice of climbs.
Blossom 8m 16
A nice easy climb to warm up on, with one reachy move, and jugs the rest of the way. 4 ring bolts and double ring bolt lower off or DBBs just over the top.
Hangover 8m 12
Nothing special. Doddle up the wall on sharp ironstone holds, praying that none of them rip off.
Corny Hesitation 15m 16
An excellent, pumpy climb. The wall is quite boring (mantle practice), but the roof is high, exposed and just excellent. Do it!
1 Blank Wall and 3 Bloody Rooves 12m 20
An excellent route; one of, if not the best route on the West Wall. The climb offers a thin and desperate crux past the first ring bolt and up into the obvious undercling flake. From here the climbing steepens up, with bigger holds and some nice undercling and heelhook moves past another three ring bolts to a double ring bolt lower off. Watch that pump!
Nursery 10m 8
A pleasant little jaunt that's much better (and a bit harder) if everything but the crack is made off limits.
Short Legs 12m 15 (originally graded 14)
A hard start leads to pleasant face climbing past two bolts to a large chossy break (#3 camalot on the left), then step right and up past a bulge to a large hands-free ledge. Clip third bolt just over lip, then crank up and over to the top (numerous top-rope bolts for the belay).
Zatidee 12m 13
A good little trad climb with some balancy moves down low. Takes plenty of cams and some hexes (you can also get a wire or two in here and there).
Brigetta 6 10m 11
A fun climb with some rather suspect rock near the top. Cams and bolts on the face and two bolts for the belay (take brackets).
Piece of Piss Direct 7m 15
Not a bad little climb, although surprisingly pumpy. 2 fixed hangers to double bolt belay (take brackets).
Extra Terrestrial Turkey 7m 20
A hard start up to the first ring bolt (I'd recommend clipping the damaged carrot bolt below the ring with a wire), then more hard moves to get your feet onto the face (we only got this far!). 2 bolts on the face, with presumably two belay bolts on top.
South Face
Longer climbs, a few multi pitch climbs, and some quite exposed (and photogenic!) positions.
Ganglion 5m 16
One hard move to start, then easier to the top. 2 BBs on top for the toprope.
No 1 Crack 6m 15 (originally graded 14)
A nice little excursion, but so short! The undercut start is more tricky than hard, then the crack offers straight forward laybacking and jamming. Two BBs on top for the belay (best suited for a bottom belay).
Down and Going (second pitch only) 20m 18
The arete is pretty straight forward, but has one of the worst top-outs I've ever had the dubious pleasure of grovelling over.
Mind Games 20m 16
The slab (first pitch) is great, with some heinous slopers and smears on projecting crystals. Belay off double ring bolts. The second pitch (above the first pitch of Travail) is rather short and worthless.
Travail 20m 14 (originally graded 13)
An absolutely classic climb up an exposed and photogenic slab. Clip first bolt (take a bracket), then head up and right past two ring bolts (crux) to small hands free ledge. Up past a third ring bolt to belay ledge (double ring bolts). Either step right and head up crack (original final pitch), or do last pitch of Mind Games (directly up from belay)
Chottomati Direct 25m 11
A pleasant climb up a juggy ironstone covered wall followed by a short jam crack. 5 bolts (take bolt plates) on the face and some cams (#2 camalot) required for the jam crack. The 5th bolt is pretty rusty as is the (single) belay bolt (take some slings for slinging trees).
Jaunt 45m 15
A nice longer route with a bit of a mountaineering feel and some great positions. Despite some absolutely horrendous choss down low, the climbing does improve, with an interesting squeeze chimney, a great little jam crack and an exposed and exciting traverse under a roof at the very top. Although the guidebook mentions three pitches, we did it in two, running the first two pitches together. A better option would be to link the final two pitches together, since the chimney down low causes pretty bad rope drag (even with double ropes). The route is entirely on natural gear, with one shockingly rusty bolt on the second belay ledge, and one mediocre bolt at the very top (take some long slings for a tree belay).
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