Far North Area
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Introduction | There are a number of shorter buttresses to the north of the main cliffs that provide some OK climbing. | ||||||
Access | Access is via the track from the LH end of the parking bay which crosses the Organ Pipes Track and continues on up the hill. Where the track meets the base of the Lower Northern Buttress (see Northern Buttress sketch map), go up R and follow a rough track around the northern side of Toy Town buttress and scramble uphill to the spire of Johnstone's Knob. |
Toy Town is a group of four small buttresses immediately R of Northern Buttress Lower Cliff. The routes are entertaining, with easy access, and are described R to L. Descend via the central gully or lower off Nancy Boy.
Virgin Boys 7m 17 A pleasant sojourn on the far RH buttress. Climb a short crack on the L edge, step R and up to the top. Phil Steane, solo, Aug, 1982.
Boy's Toy 8m 20 Could be dangerous. The next buttress L (second from the R). Move R across the face and climb the R arête past a large hollow flake. D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski, Apr. 1989.
Nancy Boys 10m 21 Þ ↓ An amusing encounter found on the arête L of Boys Toy. Start on the RH side of the central gully that leads to We Can Jamb Too, and climb the arête mostly on the LH side via three bolts and a rap station. The ridiculously hard crux is the first few moves immediately off the ground. R. Parkyn, Apr. 1992.
Child's Play 10m 20 Surprisingly insecure moves at the top. The RH arête of the largest (middle) buttress. Start on the LH side of the central gully and climb up the arête and the shallow corner above. D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski, Apr. 1989.
War Toy 10m 21 A bomb waiting to drop. The obvious line up the centre of the middle buttress, just L of Child's Play. Climb up thin cracks just L of the arête and move carefully past the semi-detached spike to a hands off rest on its top. Step off L and climb the wall above. D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski, Apr. 1989.
The next climb is on a small subsidiary wall immediatly above Child's Play. Scramble up the gully between Nancy Boys and Child Play for 4m then turn L and up to the base of the crack, by a small sassafras tree.
We Can Jam Too 12m 18 Steep and potentially strenuous if you get it wrong. Start up the crack then follow the arête before moving L into the crack again when your feet are level with the horizontal feature. Jam the crack to the top making full use of the arête. Abseil off. J. Fischer, J. Robinson, May 2005.
A number of short routes exist on outcrops in the Johnstone's Knob area. All routes can be located easily from near the Knob.
Descend via the rap stations above the bolted routes, walk off, or tape abseil the rest.
Descend via the rap stations above the bolted routes, walk off, or tape abseil the rest.
Johnstone's Knob 12m 12 ↓ The prominent 12m spire that casts a spell on climbers and entices them over. There are several ways to the top. Rap station. Unknown, Sept. 1961.
Great Red Pointer 12m 19 Þ ↓ Bizarre climbing up the side of the Johnstone's Knob that faces Northern Buttress. Involves using the arêtes on either side, sometimes simultaneously. Has three glued carrots. R. Parkyn, 1993.
The next two routes are found on Pipedream Buttress, a small buttress about 40m uphill and southwest (L) of Johnstone's Knob.
Pipedream 15m 16 Climb a steep hand crack on the R hand face past some difficulties in the mid section. Abseil off. D. Bowman, R. Wells, Dec. 1977.
Shelter From The Storm 20m 18 The other route on Pipedream buttress. Climb the crack line around the arête L of Pipedream. Tricky. K. Kiernan, Nov. 1975.
DNA Buttress is a small buttress 30m steeply uphill and R from the top of the Pipedream buttress and contains several lines, the most prominent is Gear Freak, the corner crack. Descend to the L.
Adolescent Drifters 15m 14 Adolescent Drifters is an off-width crack 6m R of D.N.A. Phil Steane, D. Fife, 1982.
D.N.A. 10m 15 Just R of Gear Freak is a line with a suspended blade 3m off the ground. Climb to the blade and up the wide crack to the top. D. Bowman, R. Wells, Dec. 1977.
Gear Freak 10m 16 Ten metres of pure joy for the crack enthusiast The hand crack in the prominent corner immediately L of D.N.A. Gets wider as you go. S. Parsons, P. Bigg, D. Fife, Feb. 1982.
