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IntroductionA fantastic mountain of rock, a natural fortress surrounded by huge cliffs. |
AccessApproach from Dagda Saddle. Follow the climber's path down the creek till it joins another below the west face. If you walk up diagonally left you arrive below the gully that leads up to leiben, and this is where the descent ends up too, a good place to leave shoes etc. For Cornerstone Rib, head left along the base, to the far north west corner. The normal descent is down "Green Glacier", a canyon that splits the summit. This can be tricky in the dark or wet; take care and rope up when necessary. The first possible abseil is near the top of the canyon and is an easy down climb if dry. There are other random anchors on the way down if it's wet or dark. The first obligatory rap station is where the canyon abruptly ends at the waterfall. Its a 30m rap to the terrace. From here walk down and left (facing the cliff) about 20m, and scramble down a short gully, walk left 8m or so, then up onto a block. The rap chains are about 6m away from the wall, slightly over the edge. Hard to see and slightly dodgy to reach without clipping into something or belaying. The final rap is past one good ledge at 20m then 35m to a large ledge where you can walk off easily. If you rap all the way to the ground, 50m or so, it is harder to pull your ropes and they get stuck on the big ledge and then pull rocks on your head. |
This shows the final rap on the descent going past a good ledge 20m down, then stopping on one 35m down. You can walk down left past the base of Verdun and down to below Leiben.
| Tourist Route | 9 | 33m | |||
| A most interesting route in fascinating surroundings but with little real climbing. When walking around do not get the top confused with the top of another gully starting further to the east and as yet unclimbed. Start at the bottom of the north side of the west face are ramps leading up to the right (see photo). 1. Scramble 45m up these until a small overhang starts 9m above you. Tree belay. 2. 15m Slight overhand to round big pillar. 3. 18m Chimney behind to ledge and tree. Abseil chain. Walk right to the start of 'Green Glacier' where easy pitches over muddy rocks require care, then easv scrambling remains to top. | |||||
| Dr. Dark/Dot Butler 1935. | |||||
| Verdun | 24 | 263m | |||
| Tackles the major face between Crucifixion and the Tourist Route. Not a sport route, full rack required, some bad rock. Starts on right side of east face at section of black steep slabs, aprox 100m left of the rap descent route. 1. 35m 20. Wall (3 FHs) to left facing orange corner with fiddly small gear. At the top of corner step left onto wall (vital small wires) and then up trending slightly right past 2 FHs and several small wires and cams. Belay on ledge at DBB. 2. 30m 14. Up blocky crackline just to the left of the belay to small ledge belay 3m left of major chossy orange corner (Hex Generation). 3. 25m 22. Straight up tricky wall on trad for 10m to FH, then continue up and right on steep grey wall and arete past a further 4 FHs to final exposed right step across crack into pea-pod belay directly above Hex Generation crackline. 4. 40m 24. Pumpy technical climbing on the left wall - keeping left of the bolts makes for harder but better climbing. Stay right and experience chossy terror. When the bolts run out follow the corner crack for 25m to comfy big ledge. 5. 48m 24. Move belay to double bolts at far left end of ledge. Up slab and out left across face with couple of tough moves. Finish up epic wall with a section of micro wires supplementing the bolts. Belay on ledge at double rings. This is the last opportunity to rap off. 6. 45m 14. Up blocky line above then leftwards up easy angled corner on lovely rock. Belay on trad when you can. 7. 40m 14. Continue up leftwards leaning easy crack line to summit. Traverse ridge and then down the Green Gully. | |||||
| Neil Monteith (lead all pitches), Mike Law 2010 | |||||
| The Crucifixion | 18 | 246m | |||
| Goes up the centre of the West face. Sustained and exposed good natural protective - all natural. Double 50m ropes essential. START: The left side of a scrubby ledge 30m up the west face. Scramble up gully on left. 1. 36m. Diagonally left up ramp for 16m. Up wall for 6m, bolt. Diagonally right for 16m. Bolt after Bm to semi-hang belay. 2. 24m. Diagonally right for 9m. Up 3m to bolt. Up, left, nice little ledge and bolt. 3. 24m. Diagonally right for 11m up ramp to bolt around a small buttress. Same line to manky bolt. Semi-hang belay. 4. 27m. Up and left towards a scoop, then eastier to good ledge, 2m long and quite wide. 5. 45m (crux). You are now right to the 30m vertical wall. Left, then up the wall, right slightly on a ramp (bolt runner) then a further 13m to a small ledge below the chimney. 6. 90m. Up chimney onto slabs and pleasant slab buttress. | |||||
| John Ewbank/John Worrall Dec' 66 | |||||
| Two Planks and Some Nails | 21 | 25m | |||
| Direct start to Crucifixion. Easy start, then techy face past three FHs to runout scary finish (shallow small wires) to DBB at the end of C pitch 1. | |||||
| Neil Monteith 10-5-2010 | |||||
| * * | Lieben | 17 | 201m | ||
| Well known in N.S.W. as Australia's hardest climb of the mid and late 1960's. An amazing acheivement 50 years ago in sandshoes with a few pitons. There is some loose rock and route finding is difficult. Start slightly right of middle of the west face, 30m left of Crucifixion. 1. 24m Short wall to tree on scrubby ledge in middle of face. Or scramble up initial chimney on right to this ledge. 2. 39m Up and left from the top of the ledge and up to traverse left (in the third break?) to a good block at top of a white streak (rap anchor up and right) 3. 24m Up, then a difficult move left at 4m. Slightly further left then up. 4. 24m Easily up rib to a good piton. 5. 24m (crux) Vertical, shallow, rotten corner. 6. 33m The slight overhang above is very strenuous. Easier rock then leads to grassy ledge called ''Green Haven''. 7. 33m Up the obvious line of weakness from the centre of the ledge. Stick to the left under the overhang. Best if the pitch is broken in two. Easier rock to top. | |||||
| Bryden Allen/Ted Batty (in sand shoes!) 1962 | |||||
| Lieben Direct Start | 18 | 48m | |||
| Not very direct 1. 18m Trend up left to base of white streaks. 2. 30m Right and up from stance. Back left and up onto obvious traverse line. Left and up onto the white streak, up left to roove. Easily up ramp to Lieben stance 1. | |||||
| Rick White/Paul Caffyn Apr' 1969 | |||||
| Lieben Alternative Start | |||||
| Begin where Crucifixion is marked on the topo and traverse up and left to the new rap station. You pass an old carrot about halfway. This is the easiest start and is on solid rock. | |||||
| * * | Zombie Love | 20 | 50 | ||
| A proper direct start to Lieben or a good pitch on it's own. Easy route finding as it is very direct. Start about 10m left of the white streak below Lieben. Up corner for 10m and then head up wall in the 12.30 direction. Hard past 2 bolts then past good gear in breaks and more bolts to rap station. Lieben leaves the groove above about 10m higher. | |||||
| Richard Croker, John Croker, Mikl Law Easter 2011 | |||||
| * | Lieder | 17 | 264m | ||
| A good route to transition the move to the harder Bungles face routes. P1 of Lieder is the 'unknown Bungles climb being attempted by Dot Butler in the photo on page 17 of the Rock guide. Start on the left hand side of the west face only 9m from the rib. An obvious upward traversing route leads into the black gully. 1. 33m. Easily up right. 2. 30m. Right into gully, then up to an obvious platform to a bolt. 3. 33m. Up, out right, continue up right to grassy ledge. 4. 34m. Right, past moreton bay fig tree then up to ledge. 5. 24m. Up gully, around the nose on left to peg. 6. 7m (crux). Two bolt runners lead to a piton. Belay up on the left. 7. 15m. Chimney type gully to a large chockstone. 8. 18m. Bridge up then out to tree. 9. 70m. Scramble to top | |||||
| Bryden Allen/Ted Batty Oct' 1963 FFA: John Eisman/Bill Anderson 1975 | |||||
| Leavin' | 17 | 211m | |||
| Direct line to the final pitches of Leider. 15m R of the large white streak on the L side of the W face. The climb starts on a small pedestal 7m off ground. Scramble from R, or walk on from L. 1. 48m 17. Step up R onto face. Pitch drifts R past incipient twin seams to the higher of two narrow sloping ledges. Take many small wires. 2. 50m 17. Step off L end of ledge. Unlikely, exposed, blind moves up L around blunt arete. Up and trend L around steepening on L side. Up to spacious ledge. Take care with rope drag. 3. 38m 17. Take slab up past loose blocks to old bolt(!?) at 38m 4. 25m. Up rightwards on imperfect apricot coloured rock to wide crack of Leider. Up to stance 5. 25m. Follow Rib to R side of plant choked gully 6. 25m. Follow Rib to R side of plant choked gully | |||||
| Julian Devery, Mark Wood (alt leads) 16-4-1998 | |||||
| Rib and Gully | 13 | 159m | |||
| You might need a rucksac to clean up the tin cans en-route! START: The obvious rib on the north west corner. 1. 54m. Potter up rib to large gully on the right, walk into the back of the gully. 2. 36m. Up slab on the left of the left gully. 12m to piton runner, up underneath the overhang then right to a piton. Tricky into gully and bush. 3. 30m. Chimney up to huge wedged rock. 4. 30m. The chimney becomes narrow and vertical. 5. 9m. Up wall on left to tree. Scrambling remains. | |||||
| C. Ivin and party 1954 | |||||
| Rib and Gully Direct Start | 15 | 24m | |||
| Obvious corner to right and behind the usual crux pitch of Rib and Gully. Strenuous, good protection. ?. 24m. Right, up overhangs, directly to tree. | |||||
| Bill Zemek/Wes Kilham Apr' 1969 | |||||
| Reluctance Rib | 13 | 66m | |||
| A fine introduction for the peak. 1. Up rib 75m as for Cornerstone Rib and Rib and Gully at the base or the gully between Rib and Gully and Vintage Rib. 2. 30m. Chimney then up gully (left side harder). Traverse left (crux) under grey slab and onto rib; pleasant stance. 3. 36m. Up above stance, traverse right to base of gully. Cross it and continue on rib to right to trees. | |||||
| Wes Kilham/Bill Zemek Apr' 1969 | |||||
| * | Vintage Rib | 15 | 69m | ||
| A bloody nice episode! 1. Up rib as for Rib and Gul/y into large pocket. 2. 21m. Traverse right 6m to a ramp type ledge which goes up to the right for 9m into a corner, piton runner. Up corner then traverse /eft to a gully (The original route may have come straight up this gully). 3. 12m. Up gully to old piton. Right slightly to a home made piton at base of some rotten rock. 4. 21m. Left up wall (good rock) which continues to the rib. Up rib to a piton belay on loose rock. 5. 15m. Continue up rib to gully on the left which leads to top of Rib and Gul/y. N.B. The original route may not have gone into the final guliy but continued up on the right. This would most likely give another pitch or two of rib climbing. The climb was not repeated until 1964! | |||||
| Russ Kippax/Bill Peascod 1954 approx. | |||||
| * * * | Cornerstone Rib | 14 | 190m | ||
| Very popular - one of the most pleasant climbs in the 'Bungles. Immortalised in a photograph by Simon Carter. One of the easier climbs to find so a good first climb for the area. 1-3. 90m. Up the obvious rib on the north west corner, until the rib on the left becomes sharper and steeper. 4-5. 40m (crux). Up and around to the left hand side of the rib (exposed!), then up to join rib again and continue up until angle eases. 6-8. 60m. Up the remaining part of the rib which looks rather rotten. | |||||
| Bryden Allen/Ted Batty 1962 | |||||
| Cornerstone Variant | 8 | 69m | |||
| An easier way round the hard pitches of Cornerstone Rib. START: Before the harder more vertical pitches of Corner-stone. 2a. 12m. Left and downwards to obvious platform. 3a. 30m. Up 'gutter' to left of starting platform. 4a. 27m. Continue upwards to a "Green Pocket", then as usual. | |||||
| Kevin and Trevor Westren, 1962 | |||||
| Buying The Farm | 20 | 190m | |||
| Serious. Start as for CR. 1-2. 90m. CR to ledge. 3. 30m (crux). L round nose, then rising traverse L of CR crux. Up to alcove and SHB. Poor protection. 4. 30m. Bulge, then up R to main buttress on CR. 5. 40m. As for CR. | |||||
| Frank Moon, Bruce Cameron (alt leads), Will Moon Easter 89 | |||||
| Keystone Grooves | 15 | 205m | |||
| Mostly pleasant climbing on good rock with a delicate crux. Takes the obvious line of grooves left of Cornerstone Rib, but fails to gain the obvious summit gullies. Has probably been climbed before. Left of CS is a gully. Between this and the corner where Diagonal Route starts is a big groove that leans leftwards. 1. 45m Up the groove and gully. Belay where the gully opens out. 2. 25m (crux) Left and climb the corner, then a delicate 5m traverse left into the next corner. 3. 45m Up, right behind a big loose block, right again and climb left-slanting grooves to below a slab. 4. 35m Ascend the beaut slab to a bushy ledge beside Cornerstone Rib (possibly the ‘green pocket’ on Cornerstone Variant - old bent bolt above here, below hard climbing into summit gullies). 5. 10m Move right onto CR and up to platform. 6. 45m Continue up the Rib. | |||||
| Ian Brown, Peter Blunt (alt.) May 1978 | |||||
| Out of Sight | 18 | 150m | |||
| Start at R-facing corner 60m L of CR. 1-6. Corner, then corner and ramps, tending R at top. Yellow crack. | |||||
| Keith Bell, Lucas Trihey (alt) Easter 89 | |||||
| Cross-cut | 11 | 162m | |||
| Also named "St Andrew's Traverse" by Bryden Allen. START: Under middle of the north face, an obvious weak-ness. 1. 30m. Scramble up and to the right. 2. 35m. Up wall 3m, and continue traversing. 3. 25m. Up towards the green pocket on the right. 4. 9m. Around tricky nose and a 3m wall to pocket. 5. 27m. Traverse across rib and 15m up it. 6. 15m. Diagonally across the wall that goes into the gully (crux?). 7. 21m. Up, then traverse to top of gully. | |||||
| John Davis/Jack Pettigrew 1963 | |||||
| Diagonal Route | 14 | 236m | |||
| START: A little corner about 60m left of the start of Rlb and Gul/y. 1. 12m. Easily up corner. 3. 36m. Easily to peg, then slight overhang on left and scramble up. 4. 135m. Back right then up onto the ledge. Scramble along the ramp, via scrub and little chimneys, until it finally flattens off and stops. 5. 9m. Up little wall, traverse left at the top to a small 'crevasse'. 6. 11m (crux). Up block on the right, then traverse left to bush. 7. 33m. Easily up. | |||||
| Peter Hardy/Jeff Field 1958 | |||||
| Outbluffed | 18 | ||||
| Up middle of black wall 80m L of CR. BBs. | |||||
| Keith Bell, Lucas Trihey (alt) Easter 89 | |||||
| North Face Route | 17 | 186m | |||
| START: Under the green pocket on the north face. 1. 120m. To the green pocket. 2. 6m. To the ledge and piton on left. 3. 9m (crux). Daintily left, tremble, then up left to a layback. 4. 21m. Slightly down and right about 4m, up a nose and into a shallow chimney. Fig tree. 5. 30m. Up chimney, then out right, onto rib and scramble off. | |||||
| Ted Batty./Ron Malor 1959 | |||||
| The Beardstroker's Winter Offensive | 18 | 120m | |||
| Between Job and the North Face Route. Not a bad route for a winter's day as its short and in the sun all day. Pitch 2 is scary but the rest of the route offers easy climbing on solid rock with good pro. 30m off the ground on the left side of the north face are two trees separated by a triangular pillar. Start just left and below the right most tree. 1. 30m (14). Climb the dark red line tending slightly right to gain the ledge just left of tree. Nut belay behind tree. 2. 30m (18). Walk right across ledge to blank corner, up face right of corner on crimps and growing concern. Right past detached shield, then up 10m then tend left onto buttress and belay on ledge. 3. 40m (14). Climb left onto buttress then follow buttress up to belay on large ledge. 4. 20m (18). Straight up face for 5m then traverse left onto ridge and up easily. | |||||
| Peter Kuczera, Matt Bunn 12/5/2011 | |||||
| Job | 14M1 | 120m | |||
| An early Bryden bolt bash! START: On the north east face is an obvious weakness going up to the right. Below this is 7m of yellow overhang. 1. 9m. The line of bolts then left to tree. 2. 36m. Scramble through bush along ledge to rock. 3. 21m. Up corner, surmount small overhang and up to bolt. 4. 21m. Left and up. 5. 33m. Into gully on left and up. | |||||
| Bryden Allen/Ted Batty Apr' 1964 | |||||
| Eastern Route | 12 | 100m | |||
| Quite nice in the upper sections. Well shaded. START: The climb goes up to the right of the big gully on the eastern side. 1. 60m. Easily on right harfd side of the gully to a point above the Green Glacier. 2. 30m. Up wall on the right (rather broken) to a ridge. | |||||
| Peter Hardy/Ron Maylor 1959 | |||||