Narrabeen Slabs
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Crag faces south. Seeps badly after rain, but there are some steep routes that stay dry.
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Introduction
This is the obvious line of cliffs visible on the northern side of the Wakehurst Parkway, about 500m west of the Narrabeen Lakes Sport and Recreation Centre. The crag faces south and is quite shady until noon or so, so it's a really good spot in summer. Unfortunately the slabs also tend to seep quite badly (particularly during winter), so avoid them if there's been recent heavy rain. That being said, the rooves at the far end of the slabs are almost guaranteed to be dry, regardless of the weather. Many routes require natural gear for pro and / or belays. The descent for the main slab routes is at the left end, or rap off a suitable tree (ie. a tree bigger than your arm - don't do what some European visitors do and rap off dead shrubbery!).
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History
It was originally used as an instructional area during the 1960s by John Davis and co.
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Access
To find the crag, it's easiest to start at the Sport and Recreation Centre on the Wakehurst Parkway. From here, drive about 500m west until a large gravel area is visible on your right. Continue on for about 200m and park on the left in the next small gravel area with a small cutting. Opposite this is a locked gate that marks the start of the walking track. Follow the track in for about 150m until you find a large open area with a green exhaust stack. Turn right here, cross the creek bed then follow a single walking track that winds up the hill for about 50m to the left hand end of the crag.
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The climbs are described left to right, facing the cliff.
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Dunning Kruger Wall
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20
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Easy looking wall 10m L of where the track hits the cliff. Funky.
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mikl 2018
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A Spoonful of Sugar
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16
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Start up Dunning Kruger Wall and right to seam
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Claire Fox 2018
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Stiction
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22
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Cute boulder problem to start. Wall 4m R of where the track hits the cliff.
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mikl 2018
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Lindsay's easy warmup
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20
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Easy looking line 6m R of where the track hits the cliff. 3 funky cruxes. Up and left.
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Jeff Crass 2018
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The following route was an old abandoned project, complete with a rusty chain lower off and a couple of pre-drilled bolt holes. There is also a suspect pocket in the lower half of the route which is not the work of the first ascentionist!
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Son of a Bad Man
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24
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12m
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Start below obvious flake 2m left of H. Climb flake and wall via 4 RBs to double RB lower off.
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Chris Yeomans 2005-06-17
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Hampsters
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23
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10m
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At far left hand end of slabs. A great and varied slab. 4 Ubolts to lower off.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Some Girls Wander By Mistake
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22
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14m
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Start as for K. After interesting start (crux), step left as for K then after the 2nd RB step left again. Straight up wall past 2 RBs via a large pocket on the left to double RB lower off (4 RBs in total to double RB lower off).
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Chris Yeomans 2004-07-03
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Kiosks
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22
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10m
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5m right of H. Up diagonal flake / ramp (RB) then step left into seam. Follow this (2 RBs to double RB lower off).
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Show Us Your Ticks
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22
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10m
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A direct and more sustained variant to Kiosks. Follow the line of RBs to the lower-offs.
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Craig Dungey 2001-12-09
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Elmo Needs Some Air
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23
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12m
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2m right of K. Up and right to flake (small cams possible), hard past RB then easier past cam breaks to lower offs.
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Dale Tweedie, Chris Yeomans 2004-12-19
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Iron Chef
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23
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13m
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Follow F past BR and FH, then step left onto pedestal. Slopers and friction moves trend up and left initially, then up wall via pockets and small edges (3 RBs) to double RB lower off.
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Chris Yeomans 2004-10-10
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Frantic
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21
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15m
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7m right of K. Athletic start. Head up past BR and 3 FHs, then step right and back to fourth FH. Over two bulges to double RB lower off.
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Jeff Boyton, Gayle Matus 2002-01
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Into the Void
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19
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15m
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At highest part of wall, below big jug (3m right of F). Boulder to jug, balancy slab past 3 BRs.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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S.I.A.N
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17
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27m
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As this climb is a rising traverse crossing most of the routes on the main slab it is best attempted on quiet days! It is a pleasant and longish girdle traverse of the main slab
Start at the foot of Into The Void. Climb Into The Void to bolt 2. Traverse right to the third fixed hanger on Manic, traverse right to Ag Science bolt 3.
Cross The Appliance of Domestic Science at the chicken head, move down slightly and reach the third bolt on Technical Short Talk, traverse right again and clip bolt 3 on Kicks. Climb up to the top of Kicks and lower off the Kicks double ring bolts
During the lower off unclip last quick draw on Kicks to make life much more pleasant for the second(!)
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08.10.13 Michael Combley and Kate Baecher
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S.I.A.N
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Mum's the Word
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16
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10m
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Second pitch of ITV. 3m right, onto clean wall and up.
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Rod Kotkis, Jeff Boyton, Nicole Dombrain 1999-03-13
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For the Good of the Claws
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24
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15m
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4m right of ITV. Thin. Up to new BR, then trend left to finish up ItV.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Manic
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17
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17m
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3m left of AS. An excellent climb with interesting moves. Follow the right-arcing line. 4 FH to double RB lower off. Originally graded 19, but a few people have suggested that it's a bit easier than that.
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Jeff Boyton, Rod Kotkis, Edward Fairleigh, Nicole Dombrain 2001-11
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Ag Science
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16
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13m
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1m left of seam. Line of 4 BRs (bring bolt plates) up slab to finish as for M (DRB lower off).
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Mikl Law 1980s
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The Appliance of Domestic Science
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17
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12m
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Climb directly up the thin natural seam 1 metre to the right of Ag Science using the bolts on Ag Science for protection
Set up protection for the first move by using the first bolt of Ag Science then make a strenuous move into the bottom of the thin seam. Climb the seam using the Ag Science bolts for pro to an obvious chicken head at 3/4 height.
Make a couple of reachy final moves over the chicken head to a good horizontal finger slot in the final headwall and then traverse easily right and lower off the DRB’s of Technical Short Talk
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Michael Combley / James Carpenter, 2012
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Mental as Anything
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21
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25m
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Another traversing exercise for quiet days
Start as for either Ag Science or Appliance of DS. Clip the first carrot of Ag Science. Move a meter left and clip the ring bolt. Try to traverse left to good holds, fall off and grab the good holds (someone really tall will probably clean this move on a day when the rubber grips)
Traverse left across Into The Void heading to the finish of Frantic. Clip the last 3 rb’s of Frantic and lower off
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Michael Combley, Kate Baecher, Andrew Rigden. October 2013
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Technical Short Talk
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18
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12m
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Marked. 2m right of seam. Up to BR, left across scoop (crux). Pleasant wall past 2 BRs to double RB lower off.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Kicks
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18
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12m
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1m right of TST. Up the wall past the hole then a delicate finish past the final bolt. Recently rebolted as Taranesque (20 cm right!). Originally graded 20, but a few people have suggested that it's a bit easier than that with fixed gear.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Common Origin
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16
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12m
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Marked. 1m right of T. Up slight ramp to hole (new BR). Wall (cams) then finish past BR. New double RB lower off.
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Craig Martin, John Davis 1982-11-14
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The next 2 routes are on the small, steep upper cliff line above the slab.
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Wimples
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24
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10m
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Steep second pitch to CO. Lunge off ledge then trend right through scoop. 3 manky BRs.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Dimples
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21
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15m
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Start as for W. Clip the dodgy looking bolt(s) and keep heading right across the scoop. Finish up the right hand side of the arete (no gear - groundfall potential). Unseconded.
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Steve Kelly 1998
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Back to the slab.
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Common Sense
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17
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12m
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Marked HTS. 3m right of CO. Crimp past 2 BRs and small cams.
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TPI
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15
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10m
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2m up right of CS, just right of crack. Crack to break, then trend right past BR.
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Question Marks
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14
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7m
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4m right of TPI. Up crack, left past old BR.
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The following 7 routes are on the block downhill from CO.
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A
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18
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10m
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Start on the huge block in front of the cliff. Up pleasant, slightly overhanging wall past BR and 2 FHs. Double BB belay on top of block.
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Quick Fang Down the Parkway
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18
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10m
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3m right of A. Up T (thread runner possible) to first bolt (now replaced). Up steep wall past break and mantle onto ledge. Final headwall brings jugs to finish. 4 RBs to tree belay, or belay as for A.
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Chris Yeomans, Duane Maxwell 2003-07-19
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Trickles
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21
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10m
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Start as for QFDtP. Follow lip right past 3 RBs. Mantle then straight forward finish as for QFDtP (RB). Belay as for A or QFDtP.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Mega Ryuushi Requiem Shoot
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23
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8m
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In the cave to the right of Trickles. Punchy moves through the roof, then left along the lip to the fixed maillon. Back-jumping recommended. 4 RB's.
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Sam Darley 2017
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Roof Project (open)
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Project
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10m
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Powerful roof starting from the right corner of the cave. Engaging moves left along arete to top out at the end of Mega Ryuushi, then move right to lower-offs. 3RB's and 1 fixed maillon. Open project somewhere north of 28.
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Open Project bolted 2017
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Roof Project Direct (open)
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Project
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8m
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Direct, less aesthetic variant of similar difficulty. Starting at the right corner of the cave and up pockets and slopers. Open project.
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Open Project bolted 2017
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Communal Nose
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9
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12m
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8m right of T. Pleasant right arete of the block (little pro).
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Craig Martin, Russ Davis 1982-11-14
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Back to the slabs.
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Lunatic
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18
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19m
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7m right of QM. Nice moves up black wall to third RB. Move right to fourth RB through broken blocks and straight up steep headwall, searching for good holds. 5 RB to double RB lower off. An excellent route by many accounts!
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Rod Kotkis, Nicole Dombrain, Craig Dungey, Jeff Boyton 2001-12
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Fat, Sallow and Drunk
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24
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15m
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3m right of L. Up middle of slab to thin dead tree, and up block above. 5 RBs to double U bolt lower off. The first RB is quite high so either stick clip it or take care.
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Mikl Law 1980s
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Muscoviet Mosquito
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18
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15m
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3m right of L. Companion route to Lunatic. Follow the clean slab up to a small roof, over this, finishing up obvious flake / right edge of blunt arete (opposite arete of summit headwall to Lunatic). 5 RBs to double RB lower off.
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Chris Yeomans, Nick Clow 2004-04-24
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Colonial Mentality
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8
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10m
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The corner crack at the far right hand end of the main slab, 8m right of FSAD.
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FRA: Craig Martin (solo) 1984-07-02
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Born Under Lunges
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18
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12m
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2m right of CM. Up overhanging nose then step right. 3 BRs.
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Craig Martin, SID 1984-08-03
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3 steep routes start in the cave beneath the hanging arete.
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B
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21
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18m
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Marked 20. 5m R of BUL. Good sustained climbing. Up short wall past 1 BR and 2 FHs, then swing left past RB to RB on nose (lie down rest). Up the airy thin head wall past 2 FHs and chain lower off.
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C
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18
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8m
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Start as for B. A big, excellent and easy roof - one for the masses! Steeply past BR and 2 FHs to roof. Great positions out roof past FH to chain lower off in break.
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Unfair Dismissal
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21
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15m
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Start as for C. From the end of C, continue out then up the vertical face / arete to the top of the cliff. Anchors are set back 2m on a small wall. This climb is difficult to clean - it's probably easiest to backjump.
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Surfboard
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24
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15m
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2m right of C. Boulder up the initial wall, then out the impressively steep territory above. Be wary of the big slung "surfboard" (it doesn't look particularly strong and the sling is starting to get a bit long in the tooth), and also when clipping the bolt just above it - if you blow the clip you could easily hit the deck. 2 RBs, sling on surfboard, FH to fixed biner lower off. There is also a chain lower off / rap anchor on a ledge above the climb (but below the top of the cliff).
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Sweet Mercury
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15
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12m
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The first crack 5m right of cave.
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Craig Martin 1984-04-05
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Shivering Jemmy
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17
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10m
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Thin crack 10m right of SM. Boulder thin crack past cams and poor PR. Up to BR and thread runner. Straight up crack above, or belay and exit right along slippery ledge. Double ring bolt belay.
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Craig Martin, SID 1984-04-03
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