Mt Kuringai

5-25 mins

Crags face west and north

Quality climbing at a variety of crags up to 20m high, mostly sport

Introduction

An extensive and recently developed series of crags located within the picturesque Berowra Valley Bushland Park. The majority of the routes are sport bolted with loweroffs, so it is a popular area. A wide range of grades means there is something for everyone. Beware the midges! Make sure you pack your insect repellent otherwise you might leave looking like you have chicken pox. The midge season is from November to April but you may find them outside these times.

History

The area was rediscovered by Rod Wills in late 2003 although a couple of manky carrots were found at a couple of locations on Motocross wall. Rod and his cousin Vanessa started development at Fossil wall and moved north.

Access

Drive to the very end of Beaumont Rd, Mt Kuringai and park in the turning circle at the end. The climbing is located on a number of distinct walls located along the cliff band to the west of the fire trail that leads north from the end of Beaumont Rd. The best climbing is at Lost & Found Walls and Faraway Walls, but they also have the longest walk-ins. The climbing at Fossil Wall and Motocross Wall is shorter and lesser quality, but popular due to ease of access. Go the quality and stretch those legs.


Fossil Wall

Routes are described left to right (facing cliff).

King Kyle 23 6m
2.5m L of VTV. Up past 2 RB finishing at same anchors as VTV. One move wander.
Tim Mayer 2010
Vanstone the Vampire 16 7m
Just right of descent gully. Up short wall.
Vanessa Wills, Jul 2004
Children Overboard 22 7m
Up thin face.
Vanessa Wills, Jul 2004
Political Prisoner 17 7m
Straight up passing 2 breaks and an orange grey streak. Shorties can add a grade.
Rod Wills, Sep 2003
Ruddock the Ring Wraith 20 12m
Follow flake right over slab to top.
Vanessa Wills, Jul 2004
* * The Mind has Mountains 20 10m
Up pockets then trend right over bulge.
Vanessa Wills, Aug 2003
* * Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Wicked Wedgie Woman 18 10m
The first route at Mt Kuringai. Up pockets then diagonal break through bulge. Pumpy!
Rod Wills, Sep 2003
* Professor Poopy Pants 20 8m
Diagonal line of bolts. Short but stout.
Rod Wills, Aug 2004
Project 2 10m
The crack with 4 RBs.
Open Project
* On any Given Sunday 17 29m
Improved version of "Working from home". Start 7m R of '10' 'Open Project', for a more interesting start, and finish on Political Prisioner. 3 bolts to start, and an extra bolt along the way mean that the sports bunnies can now be spared the need for trad gear.
Tim Mayer, Aug 2013
* Legoland 16 15m
Up obvious line with ledges.
Vanessa Wills, Sep 2003
Working from Home 16 50m
Start as for L. Rising traverse following ledge / break / crack to finish on RtRW. Broken into 2 pitches with belay on Captain Underpants.
Andrew Ingles, Colin Larter 2005
* Elbow Abrasions 16 15m
Escapes the crux of UM. Up UM to 3rd bolt then step left and finish up L.
Vanessa Wills, Sep 2003
* * Unguarded Moment 21 15m
At right hand end of wall. Great technical climbing up improbable line. Up slabby face to mantle, step R to crux over bulge. Possibly harder if you're short.
Chris Yoemans, April 2004

Middle Wall

* Best Of The Shaved 19 9m
Start as for CFZ. Step L at 2nd bolt then up.
David Filan, 30-12-2007
* Care Factor Zero 18 8m
Left side of slab.
Rod Wills, 6-5-2007
* Ecstatic Addict 18 10m
3m R of CFZ. Up centre of wall, left side of obvious feature.
Kevin Van Tinburg, 6-5-2007
* Midge Madness 21 10m
2m R of EA. Up centre of wall on R side of obvious feature.
Vanessa Wills, Dec 2004
Project 3 6m
10m R of MM. Right side of cave, tending straight up out of cave.
Project 4 6m
Possibly another project with the same start.
Well It Ain't Everest 17 7m
8m R of Project. Steep start to slabby finish. Shared lower-offs or walk off.
Rod Wills, 2007
Well it Ain't K2 17 7m
2m R of WIAE. Steep start to slabby finish. Shared loweroffs or walk off.
Rod Wills, 2007

Motocross Wall

The Grudge 18 12m
Staight up face on wall directly after access gully. Top out, belay off trees at the top.
Rod Wills, Oct 2004
Extinction Never Felt So Good 17 12m
15m R of TG on next prominent wall. Up over two ledges to face and crux.
Rod Wills, Oct 2004
* Dinosaurs Must Die 19 12m
2m R of ENFSG. Up L side of cave onto tricky face.
Rod Wills, Oct 2003
* Life On Hold 20 12m
Hard start, possibly harder since a hold broke. Up R side of slab over small rooflet and onto slab.
Vanessa Wills, Oct 2003
Petrified Wood 20 10m
Up corner block through break over roof. Will it ever get repeated? Shared lower offs.
Vanessa Wills, Dec 2003
A Dream, Nothing More 15 10m
Corner R of PW. Up corner crack (RB) then up easy corner (gear).
Vanessa Wills, Nov 2003
Fossilized Thought 18 10m
Start as for ADNM. Boulder up face left of corner crack, step across right to face. Then easily up slab to hard finish. Bridging in the corner up high only gets you 15.
Vanessa Wills, Nov 2003
Project 5 8m
Around corner on next wall. Over rooflet onto face. Go for it!
Open Project
* * Ragged Claw 23 15m
Start in middle of next face around arete. Over bulge, onto slab then thin face.
Vanessa Wills, Oct 2004
* * Rains of Destiny 25 15m
Start 3m R of RC on the obvious crack. Up to Ledge, and then hit the wall and enjoy some big moves on some nice small crimps, finishing on DRB’s on headwall.
Tim Mayer 4th Mar 2014
Two Short Scrambles and a Long Walk 18 20m
Start just left of SoP. 1. 18. Up to ledge. Walk left along ledge to corner. 2. 12. Up corner
Christian Diemont & Colin Larter, 2012
* * Screams of Passion 25 18m
Starts on bulging ramp about 1.5m L of PS. Easily up ramp to rest hold up left, then explode on to bad holds and even worse footers to the top, with a dyno on the way. You'll be screaming to stay on the wall too.
Tim Mayer 25th Aug 2013
Pinkie Shredder 18 15m
On the next wall is a large obvious splitter crack.
Duane White, Dec 2004
* * * The Devil Inside 23 15m
1m R of PS. Bouldery start up prow then onto thin technical face.
Vanessa Wills, Oct 2004
* * * Heresy 22 15m
2m R of TDI. A crimpy classic by all accounts! Bouldery start over bulge onto face.
Rod Wills, Sep 2004
Project 9 15m
2m R of H. Up wall and arete.
Goblin Grotto 15M2 15m
L of FG in grotto. Up crack, aid through roof and up small gully tending left over boulders to top.
Colin Larter, June 2004
* Goofy Foot 19 10m
Up right side of cave via jug to top.
Vanessa Wills, Jul 2004
Babsgotabz 24 15m
4m R of GF. Over ledge through middle of "wave" shaped wall. One move wander.
Nathan Millard 2013
Malibu Rider 13 10m
Start as for open project (cam in break), then traverse R across slab (RB) to corner crack then easily up to lower offs.
Vanessa Wills (solo), Mar 2004
Grommet 17 10m
A direct start to MR, straight up crack.
Vanessa Wills, Jul 2004
Skank 21 10m
1m R of G. Up through rooflet to shallow corner.
Tim Mayer, 15-4-2007
Project 11 10m
Up through some very hard territory in the middle of the cave. Still needs another bolt.
Guns, Germs and Steel 18 10m
5m past cave. The slab to small bulging crack line.
Luke Atkinson, 2004
Ball Buster 23 12m
Up face and left side of weakness.
Tim Mayer, 15-4-2007
* * Somewhere Down The Barrel 21 12m
5m R of GGAS. Up orange face and weakness.
Elliot Braham, Apr 2004

Lost & Found Wall

The Furnace

The first few climbs are 300m left of the access gully (facing in). Scramble uphill onto ledge. Routes described left to right.

Shoe Lizard 17 12m
Start at far left end of wall in little cave under block. Crawl up through hole then up good hand crack to ledge.
Colin Larter 2008
Great Balls of Fire 22 15m
Sharp edgy face to bigger holds and ledge, then up through orange top section.
Vanessa Wills, Apr 2007
* Solar Flare 22 15m
Up pocketed face down low following flake at the top.
Vanessa Wills, Apr 2007
The Welsh Route 10 8m
Starts at R end of wall. Up cracks on left side of gully.
Bryony Ruscoe 2007

Ding Bat Wall

The following routes are 50m left of the access gully (facing in).

Bumphlegm 15 10m
Start at base of big block 3m L of GH. Scramble up short chimney to top of block. Up seam to top.
Colin Larter 2007
Goblin Horde 8 10m
Chimney 1m L of LF.
Colin Larter 2007

The following two climbs are very clean and obviously getting a lot of attention.

* Lactose Free 16 13m
Straight up featured face.
Rod Wills, Nov 2007
* Ding Bat 14 11m
2m R of LF. Up juggy wall.
Kevin Van Tilburg 2006

Left of Access Creek

The following four climbs are immediately left of the access gully (facing in).

* Pig Shootin 13 15m
Start 15m R of project past cave around corner. Up nice looking crack with bomber pro.
Dale Tweedie, Feb 2004
* * Bummagedon 20 15m
Start 3m R of PS. Up steep scoops over bulge.
Rod Wills 2005
* Tingles 21 16m
Start just R of B and L of the crack. Directly up the wall.
Jason Lammers 10-5-2008
Kodak Moment 15 15m
The nice looking crack.
Elliot Braham, Feb 2004

Right of Access Creek

Now for the routes to the right of the access gully (facing in).

Project 12
2m R of gully. Straight up face through ledge/cave to top.
Project Vanessa
* Dog Beta 22 15m
From right side of cave step left at 2nd bolt then up to ledge, then step right to shared anchors.
Vanessa Wills, Feb 2006
* * Dead Letter Office 23 15m
Start as for DB, then straight up past left of smaller higher cave to lower offs. Popular.
Vanessa Wills, Feb 2006
* Lichen a Virgin Dog 18 15m
Start: as for IADL, then left at 1st bolt. Straight up above cave to shared lower off with DLO.
Tony Tang 2006
* It's A Dog's Life 19 15m
Up middle of face just right of small cave, over ledge to slab.
Rod Wills, Feb 2006
* * Foundling 17 15m
2m right of IADL, up past thin flake to arête. Very popular.
Vanessa Wills, Feb 2006
* Lost Property 17 15m
2m right of F. Up obvious crack tending left to finish up arête of F.
Vanessa Wills, Feb 2006

Big Cave

Scramble up to the tier above from the right.

* * Woken Furies 19 10m
Start up hill in big cave. Up steep wall on left hand side.
Rod Wills, Feb 2006
STW 18 6m
3m R of WF. Up steep terrain over small roof to lower offs.
Andrew Fell, Jul 2007
Roxie and Matey Go Quantity Surveying 20 12m
Start on slab R of big cave, 2m L of S. Up slab to short steep headwall.
Vanessa Wills, Jun 2006

Scorpion Slab

Scorpion 18 13m
Start on slab wall R of big cave. Slab to short steep headwall.
Rod Wills, Mar 2006
Broke Rib Mountain 14 12m
2m R of S. Slab to short steep headwall.
Rod Wills, Nov 2006

Bill and Ben Area

The next climbs are around the corner and up the hill.

Worth The Walk? 15 6m
20m L of B. Obvious off width roof crack. Not the most glorious of routes, but fun little moves and surprisingly easy.
Greg Hislop 9-8-2008
Bill 14 10m
Wide flared crack. Mmmmm, sounds great!
Vanessa Wills, Feb 2006
Ben 17 10m
2m R of B. Up crack with a steepish start.
Vanessa Wills, Feb 2006

Science vs Religion Slabs

Intelligent Design 16 9m
Mantle start, then straight up blunt arete.
Rod Wills, Dec 2006
* Evolution 17 9m
2m R of arete. Up tending L to shared anchors. Stay off arete until 3rd bolt.
Rod Wills, Dec 2006
* The Meaning of Life 15 11m
Straight up middle of slab.
Rod Wills, Dec 2006

Carbon Credit Ampitheatre

Scramble further on up to beneath the big impressive wall. The first few routes are accessed by scrambling up to a precarious ledge.

* Farewell to Fear 19 13m
Start up on ledge R of big cave. Step left at 2nd bolt traversing L then up arete.
Vanessa Wills, June 2006
Fearless 24 12m
Start off the block as for D. Takes the low traverse via tiny holds and pockets then thinly up to rejoin FTF at prominent horizontal break. Best protected by placing a long sling from the 3rd bolt after doing FTF.
Vanessa Wills 2009
* Dendrobium 18 12m
Start for as FTF. Bridge up orange face to airy headwall. Do not use higher second set of lower offs as rock there could be unstable.
Vanessa Wills 1-4-2006
Ficus 9 12m
Up easy corner R of D. Sounds like another classic!
Vanessa Wills 1-4-2006
* * Siliconciousness 22 14m
Start R of F on main face. Up past balancy flake following orange streak.
Vanessa Wills 1-7-2006
* * * Carbon Credits 24 18m
5m R of S. Up thin face onto sharp arête and continue up to the top.
Vanessa Wills 2007
* * * She Who Must Be Obeyed 20 20m
5m R of CC. Up middle of wall following obvious ramp.
Rod Wills, July 2006
* Tickfest 22 20m
5m R of SWMBO. Hard start up through shallow cave to head wall.
Vanessa Wills, June 2006
* * Aerospace 18 16m
2m R of T. Straight up faint arête tending left at the top. Unfortunately the last bolt is positioned such that stuffing up the crux might land your ankles on the ledge. Take care.
Vanessa Wills, June 2006
Black Box 21 14m
2m R of A, straight up the face.
Vanessa Wills 2007
Wing Commander 17 12m
2m R of BB. Straight up the face on big holds. Shared loweroffs.
Vanessa Wills 2007

ZoZo Cave

* * ZoZo The Mandarin Fiend 18 15m
100m R of WC, past big cave. A steep and impressive natural line up the left side of a cave. To descend, rap off a suitable tree.
Vanessa Wills, Anthony Geogheghan, 2007

Faraway Wall

* Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love 12 8m
Access is gained by walking around to left under chossy roof at far left of crag. Scramble up to top of block. Up middle of orange streak on great rock and holds.
Jason Lammers 2007
Birdhouse In Your Soul 21 10m
2m R of SBOPL. Stick clip 1st bolt and launch out and up, to finish as for SBOPL. Dont blow second clip as this could result in a grounder.
Jason Lammers 2005
Low Voltage 18 9m
On the next face. Up middle of face to lower offs at halfway.
Rod Wills 1-11-2004
* High Voltage 24 18m
An extension to LV, continuing straight up the face.
Daniel Webster 21-4-2007
* Death Adder 19 15m
3m R of LV under roof. Through roof then step left to arete and up before traversing out right across lip of cave and up to anchors.
Vanessa Wills 1-12-2004
* * A New Way of Living 20 13m
5m R of DA. Up to R face to thread/bollard runner, step left across corner/crack to 1st bolt (hidden from ground - long draw). Follow juggy step face to anchors.
Chris Yeomans 1-9-2005
The Angry Goblin 18 15m
Up corner crack/crack, under roof, finish at anchors for TDCOM. Be wary of loose rock when pulling on rock, belayer should wear a helmet.
Colin Larter 1-12-2005
* The Dark Con of Man 22 15m
3m R of TAG. Up middle face tending right at start through fun pumpy moves down low. Intially bolted by Rod who eventually admitted defeat and gave it to Vanessa!
Vanessa Wills 1-4-2007
* * * Vitruvian Man 23 20m
6m R of TDCOM. Up stepped arete to sit-down rest. Blast up and right past a dynamic move to reach scoop and up beautiful orange face.
Stephen Hawkshaw 1-11-2004
* * * The Memory Cathedral 22 20m
3m R of VM. Straight up right side of orange face and scoop to finish as for VM.
Vanessa Wills 1-11-2004
The Happy Goblin 15 10m
1m R of MC. Up corner/crack.
Colin Larter 1-2-2006
Kiss and Make Up 22 12m
1m R of THG. Straight up face between corner and cave.
Greg Hislop 2007
The Mischievous Leprechaun 16 10m
2m L of PLC. Start in cave, swing up and out of cave then up crack. Very little protection for top half.
Colin Larter, August 2009
* Peruvian Love Child 14 10m
4m R of KAMU. Up left side of shorter wall, 2m R of cave. Star only if clean.
Rod Wills 1-11-2004
Phyto-Bezoar 9 10m
4m R of PLC. Up juggy crack in middle of shorter wall.
Vanessa Wills (solo) 1-10-2004
* Chilli in Chile 20 8m
3m R of PB. Up thin face past pockets.
Vanessa Wills 1-11-2004
Istanbul (not Constantinople) 16 8m
3m R of CIC. Pocket to edge then up jugs. Nice moves. Add a grade if you're short.
Jason Lammers 1-11-2004

The Underworld

At Faraway Wall as soon as you scamble down access cliff to base, head left along base of cliff for 50-100m then head straight down the hill. Alternatively if at Lost and Found just keep heading along cliff line for about 300m after Zozo. Either way its a bit of a bush bash.

* Summer Roll For Your Soul 17 8m
Up left side of weakness. Fun jug hauling and mantling.
Kevin Van Tilburg 6-7-2008
* Hard Candy 18 8m
2m R of SRFYS. Up right crack, onto face at first bolt and straight up face.
Rod Wills 6-7-2008
Project 13 7m
4m R of HC
Project Dave
Shrinky Dink 14 7m
1m R of crack up arete. Up crack stepping R onto face at 3rd bolt and up.
Kevin Van Tilburg 6-7-2008
* Final Atonement 18 7m
2m R of SD, up blank face. Fingery start and top bouldery finish.
Project 14 7m
5m R of FA, L side of shallow cave in middle of wall.
Project Kev
Crapola 16 7m
10m R of Kev's project. L side of cave onto blank slab.
Rod Wills 24-8-2008

The Very Far, Far Away Crag

Continue following the broken cliffline north-east from The Furnace, until it forms a substantial set of walls again. Walking time 15 minutes. It is also possible to approach from the ridge line above following cairns, but you'll need a GPS or phone map.

Climbs are described right to left, facing the cliff.

The Three Hundred Thousand Dollar Man 16 18m
Start at the right hand end of the main wall. Up crack to ledge and tree then continue up chimney.
Colin Larter, 2015
* WOMBAT 20 20m
The thin seam with 4 FHs to a large ledge, then past another FH to top. Rap rings over top. Technical and fun.
Stu Dobbie, May 2014
* Snakes and Ladders 17 20m
The central line of the wall, to the half way ledge, then up past horizontal breaks to top and rap rings. Get some good gear in before going for the half way ledge. There are 2 RB on the ledge for an intermediate belay.
Stu Dobbie, Enmoore Lin (alt. leads), Danny Kumar, Winter 2012
Hey Man Nice Shot 17 20m
The left-leaning hand crack left of SAL. The line continues all the way to the top.
Rod Smith, Enmoore Lin, Winter 2012
* * Third Time Lucky 18 18m
Left facing striped corner capped by a massive roof.
Colin Larter, 2015
Bandicute 18 20m
The flared fingers and hand crack at the far left end of the big black slabby wall, just right of a short chimney. When the crack ends, continue carefully up to top-out at massive gum tree. Rap possible here or walk back to the Snakes and Ladders rap.
Enmoore Lin, Stu Dobbie and Danny Kumar, Winter 2012