Diamond Bay

Lotsa sun

Sea cliff

Introduction

A popular area, with a good selection of grades and some of the better rock to be found on the sea cliffs. Great in winter, you'll bake. The walls seep for a few days after heavy rain though.

Access

To get there, follow Old South Head Rd north from Bondi until you see Diamond Bay Rd on the right (just past the Diamond Bay bowling club). Turn off here and head either right or left at the T intersection (the road forms a closed loop) and park on the eastern side of the loop (in Craig Ave). The southern, narrow chasm leads down to Diamond Bay, while the more major gully to the north is Rosa Gully (described separately). Both the 380 and 389 buses (from the city and Bondi Junction) have bus stops just near the crag.<br/> The descent for the crag is a rapidly deteriorating set of chips, ironmongery and ladders situated below the wooden fence west of the southern wall (between Gravel Pit Road and LP). Take great care if you're heading down here - every time I go it seems another rung on the ladder has snapped in half! It's probably a good idea to check out the current state of the descent from the top of the northern wall. The crag can seep a bit after rain (particularly the southern wall), and the gully sometimes fills up with water, making access to Kangasplat, Small Pox and Thin a tad tricky. It can also be quite slimy in summer (this is the case for most of the sea cliff crags during summer), but can be relatively cool and shady in the afternoon.<br/> Climbs are described left to right (from the southern side of the bay around to the northern side of the bay), facing the cliff.

The following three routes are all located past the buttress at the eastern (seaward) end of the southern wall.

* Rabies 25 20m
6m left of Wag's Effort, below jug on lip. A major thrash through 4 rooves and a mid-life crisis. Muscle up and leftward past bird crap, glued on holds and 9 RBs.
Mike Law 1990s
Wag's Effort 20 10m
Start below the corner at the right hand end of the big cave. Up the bird shit encrusted corner and skirt right around the roof to an old rap station (grade 20 to here). The continuation up the headwall past 3 RBs is a project and looks a lot harder than 20)
Dave Wagland 1980s
* Fade 26 20m
2m right of Wag's Effort. Swarm up arete, balancy over roof with unique suction move, then up wall past a thin crux. 6 RBs to double RB lower off.
Mike Law 1990s

Southern Wall

This wall offers a variety of good pumps on surprisingly good (if a little sandy) rock. The wall is ok for top roping, you have to push through some scrub to get there though and sling together a variety of anchors.

* Honeycomb Arete 18 18m
Start 3m left of IL. Good fun. Up the middle of the buttress (left of the easy corner) then up the arete on the right. Honeycomby.
Vanessa Peterson 2006
* Iron Lady 20 18m
Start below the obvious corner at the eastern (seaward) end of the southern wall. Straight up the easy corner then up the steep and strenuous crack to the left of Honeycomb Arete.
Warwick Baird 1980s
* * Two Succulent Young Men With a Taste for the Bizarre 22 18m
1m right of IL. Gets a star for the name! Head up the wall, passing 6 U bolts.
* * Redneck Brother 23 18m
Start marked with a faint chipped "R", 3m right of TSYMWaTftB. Up wall to tricky mantle on small sloping ledge. Up arete and corner above.
Dave Wagland 1980s
* * * Mompox 24 12m
Marked faintly, 1m right of RB. An excellent excursion that gets harder the higher you go. 5 RBs to lower off or top out to a triple bolt belay (please use these if top roping).
M Law 1990s
* * * Gloucester Buckets 20 12m
Marked (faintly chipped). 1m right of M. Very popular. A surprisingly juggy (but pumpy) little number, with a thin and tenuous crux up the seam near the top of the wall. Up past 6 rings to a lower off.
Mikl Myers 1990's
Bringing a Blush to the Snow 24 20m
2m right of GB, below dirty streak. A bit of a sandbag at 17! Up the dirty (and often wet) streak, passing 3 RBs, a FH and a BR. The third RB is sticking out alarmingly.
Mikl Law 1980's
Gravel Pit Road 20 16m
3m right of BaBttS on block. Unpleasant. Blast straight up wall past manky old BRs.
Geoff Weigand 1980s
A ?? ??
About 4m left of the ladders. Two horribly manky old BRs are visible about 10 feet off the ground. Perhaps it was part of an old aid route?

The descent ladders reach the base of the cliff here. To the right (facing the cliff) is a series of blocky aretes and corners.

B 18 10m
Below the arete 3m left of LP. A variety of interesting and tricky starts, then easily up the twin seams. Recommended to lower off from the first ledge. Only known to have been top roped, but it might be leadable on gear.
* LP 16 10m
The obvious short corner about 10m right of the ladders. Small wires up the corner, round the roof (a #3 camalot is useful) then up to a large ledge. From here there are a variety of finishes. The direct (up the chossy flake and past the right hand manky FH) is a one move wonder of about grade 17. Another alternative is the top section of SM (the next corner to the right with one RB and bad rope drag).
M Law 1972

The following five routes are all on the north facing black wall that disappears into the chasm. The wall can be quite greasy and the base can be flooded after prolonged rain.

* * Sleazy Mission 20 10m
3m right of LP, at the undercut arete. Delicate moves up the arete (2 RBs), then finish up the corner above or lower off double rings.
Mike Law (solo) 1980s
* Kangasplat 21 10m
0.5m right of SM. Bouldery moves up the blank wall then left to SM (RB), or continue up right (no pro). No protection down low.
Mike Law (solo) 1980s
* Small Pox 23 10m
1m right of K. Boulder past BR to ledge, then up as you will.
Mike Law (solo) 1980s
* Thin 18 15m
0.5m right of SP, below thin crack. Great climbing up the crack (wires, manky PR, BR) and wall to the chossy break (BR). Continue up the pleasant grey wall above (large BR - some bolt brackets don't fit) to the chossy break just below the top. Natural belay or go up to fence (take slings). Would be worth 2 stars if it had a little less choss!
M Law 1970s
S ?? 15m
Marked. 3m right of T at the blocky corner perched above the filthy pond. Don't know where it goes exactly! Straight up looks unprotected and reasonably difficult. Following the ramp to the right up the gully then up the upper corner looks unpleasant.

Northern Wall

The main section of the northern wall (from tC on) offers good rock and climbing, with some hideous cranks up the centre of the wall.

C ?? 8m
Opposite T. A line of chips that finishes at the first choss break. No pro.
WP 22? 16m
Marked. About 15m right of C, below rounded arete with a chipped hold on its left hand side. Swing up to the jug on the nose, then continue up the arete (crux) and easier ground to the chossy yellow crack. Up this (with care!) then good moves up and out the steep headwall (take care - there's some biggish loose pieces up here). Top rope only, with a double bolt belay. The left leading corner directly above the mark is about grade 12 up to the headwall (the headwall is about grade 19 or 20). The corner right of the arete is about grade 18 to the headwall.
* * * The Corner 17 18m
At the base of the obvious low angled corner crack. A shame the good bit is so short! Easy moves (often wet) up the low angled corner crack to a stance. Great laybacking on good rock up to and through the small roof to the top (take some fist size cams). Cam and Ubolt belay
M Law 1972
D ?? 18m
An ancient, rotting aid route just right of the corner. All that's left are bolt holes and rusty little blobs of metal.
* * What'll the Neighbours Think 24 18m
Up TC to the first break, then step right to the shallow corner (BR). Follow this (BRs) to the top. 6 BRs in total. Belay as for TC.
Giles Bradbury 1980s
* * Violet Town 24 18m
Popular. Start as for TC. Blast straight up and over the small roof (BRs) to the obvious "eye". Continue straight up the wall (BRs) to double bolt belay. 8 BRs in total.
Mikl Myers 1990's
Punch the Clock 24M1 18m
Still awaiting a free ascent. Start as for VT. Up to the roof as for VT, then trend right, following the line of BRs up the left side of the black streak.
M law 1980s
* * * Ordeal by Fur 27 18m
2m right of PtC. Heads up the right hand edge of the black streak. Traverse right to line (BR) then blast straight up the wall passing BRs.
Mike Law 1980s
* * Moore 27 18m
4m right of ObF, directly below the "chimney" between the mainland and the tottering stack of blocks at the top of the wall. Follow the line of manky BRs straight up the wall. Double bolt belay.
Mike Law 1980s
* * * Acute What 22 18m
3m right of M, on large white sloping boulder below chossy arete. Hard get off ground if you're under-sized. Step onto wall then dangle left around the arete. Head up the wall, trending right to stay near the arete, then hard move back left to anchors. 9 Ubolts to anchor
Mike Law 1980s

The following two climbs traverse the horizontal breaks across the northern wall.

Blood and Iron 19? 18m
Up TC to the top break. Follow this right across the wall. Finish up AW.
Mikl Law 1970's
Flesh and Steel 21 20m
Up TC until level with the lower break. Hard move to gain break then follow it right. Finish up AW.
Mikl Law 1970's

The following climb is located on the east facing wall that separates Diamond Bay from Rosa Gully. Take care in this section, since the council blasted a lot of rock off here back in the 1970s and there's probably still some loose fractured stuff just waiting to come down.

* Spurting Wildly 25 25m
Below and just left of the corner in the middle of the east facing wall. 1. 6m Up to ledge (manky BB). 2. 19m (25) Head up to corner, passing loose block (manky BR and cams). Head up the wall just right of the corner, tending right over the void (rusty BRs; take a wire to protect the second). Manky BB for the belay.
Mike Law 1980s