<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<guide pagesize="500"><header
access="From the Ferry terminus (timetable published daily in the Mercury) drive as far south as you can, via Lunawanna, to the Lighthouse. Parking is available close by (approximately 2hr from Hobart if coordinated with the car ferry). Park entry fees apply and passes are available from the D'Entrcasteaux Visitors Centre at Kettering, or at registration booths at the Neck and the Lighthouse Road (Mable Bay). NB The gate to the lighthouse area is closed from 5.30pm till 9.30 am."
acknowledgement="By Tony McKenny (With additional contributions from P. Robinson, I. Snape and B. Baxter)"
history=""
intro="The rock is unusual for dolerite as the cliffs are all off vertical, providing less strenuous and gentler climbing than is typical for this type of rock. Like all coastal cliffs, routes may need some cleaning before use but generally the rock is good. However, the top of most cliffs is loose and unconsolidated and needs particular care. A greater danger is probably from wave action, particularly when a southwester is blowing, but most cliffs explored so far have at least some climbs accessible at any state of the tide. There are still many lines and crags to be explored but the drive from Hobart, and the cost of the ferry fare, may deter the masses. However, the situation is stunning and the cliffs provide some of the best easy climbing in the south east of the State."
name="Bruny Island" new="false"
rock="Vertical to slabby dolerite" sun="Mixed sun and shade"
walk="10-30 min"/><text class="indentedHeader" new="false"
value="Camping: The nearest campsite is a couple of kilometres before the lighthouse at Great Taylors Bay, on the right down Jetty Road (signposted). Bush toilets are available but bring your own water. Accommodation is also now available in the old Lighthouse Keepers Cottages run by Andy and Beth Gregory (April 2004). Call in and see them, they can also advise on access and prevailing weather conditions.">Camping: The nearest campsite is a couple of kilometres before the lighthouse at Great Taylors Bay, on the right down Jetty Road (signposted). Bush toilets are available but bring your own water.
Accommodation is also now available in the old Lighthouse Keepers Cottages run by Andy and Beth Gregory (April 2004). Call in and see them, they can also advise on access and prevailing weather conditions.
</text><text
class="heading2">Quiet Bay</text><text
class="text">Follow the open ridge top through the burnt areas (2002) N. W. from the Lighthouse gate and scramble down the steep slope to the Bay. About 30 minutes.</text><image
src="Cliff on Quiet Bay.jpg" width=""/><climb extra=""
grade="17" length="45m" name="Lest We Forget" new="false"
number=""
stars="*">Excellent crack climbing, death on a stick finish. Start by soloing round to the left onto the large ledge. May be difficult in a high sea. The climb follows a sinuous groove at the left hand edge of the ledge, where the kelp starts. Belay back on the dry part of the ledge. 1) 45m Step across to the bottom of the crack, trying to keep your feet dry. Straight up the crack to the top. Ideally you would place a bolt here and abseil off: more likely you will fight your way through vertical crud to the top, wishing fervently you were somewhere else. (It may be preferable to belay at half height to give you enough rope to get through the crud at the top). T. & J. McKenny 25/4/03</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="70m" name="Jingerbread Haven"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Interesting climbing marred by loose rock. Start approximately 10m from the water, an obvious black overhang 8m above.
1) 35m Climb the crack passing the overhang on the left. Follow the line past a huge loose block to a jam crack (crux) which leads to a ledge on the left.
2) 35m Climb crack for 3m, traverse right under a projecting rock to easier but steep unconsolidated ground on a vegetated slope (sounds dreadful!). K. Bischoff, P. Robinson 22/4/79</climb><text
class="heading2">Courts Bay </text><text
class="text">Two cliffs, one 32m high and the other 50m, have been visited here but other smaller buttresses would also probably yield some climbs.</text><text
class="heading3">Curry Cliffs</text><text class="text"
new="false">Walk up towards old lighthouse and head off left across the paddocks just after you pass the generator sheds, towards the new solar powered lighthouse. Cut down to the bay on the right (Courts Bay) and follow the shoreline back west to the crag. This cliff cuts the beach at right angles and features a series of shallow, gentle-angled square cut grooves. A prominent feature is a short broken ramp about 6m up, almost above the high water mark. There is a fixed abseil point above Tandoori: use at your own discretion!</text><image
src="Curry Cliff Bruny.jpg" width=""/><climb extra="" grade="12"
length="30m" name="I'll make nutmeat out of you" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Traverse left from Lifespice for 10m to a line beginning where there is a pale coloured rock-scar. Dave James and Matt Jones Jan. 2002.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="11" length="25m" name="Shovels of Cumin"
new="false" number=""
stars="">From the high water mark, traverse left for 2 metres under an overhang and follow the cracks to the top. Dave James and Matt Jones Jan. 2002.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="14" length="27m" name="Lifespice" new="false"
number=""
stars="*">Bridges up the open corner to the left of the ramp and finishes up the obvious hand crack that splits the top of the buttress. Good climbing. Dave James and Matt Jones, Jan. 2002.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="10" length="25m" name="Tandoori" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Climb to the ramp and ascend the crack that leads from its right hand end to the top of the cliff. L. Wood, P. Bigg, 20/7/76.</climb><text
class="text"> (The two short cracks to the left of Tandoori have been climbed at around 10 - 12 by Bill and Patrice Baxter, February 2004)</text><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="25m" name="Chilli, Chilli Sauce"
new="false" number=""
stars="**">The narrow arete right of Tandoori. Great position with blankish sections at the top where 'pro' can be found in the Tandoori crack immediately to the left. T. McKenny, P. Robinson 13/3/04.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="13" length="26m" name="Tiqa" new="false"
number=""
stars="">The open groove immediately to the right. L. Wood, P. Bigg, 20/7/76.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="26m" name="Steamed Rice" new="false"
number=""
stars="***">The wide arete on the right. Classy climbing. I. Snape, C. Cole, 16/6/01.</climb><text
class="text">The next climb is the open book corner (about 1.5m wide).</text><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="22m" name="1.5 Groove" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Climbs the wide corner, bridging to the top. C. (Basil) Rathbone, C Strang, 28/6/76.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="14" length="22m" name="Annapurna Special"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">Climbs the twin cracks in the left hand side of the corner to the top. J. Mckenny, T. Meldrum &. T. McKenny, 16/12/02.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="22m" name="Sish Kebab" new="false"
number=""
stars="">A narrow groove immediately to the right of the 1.5m Groove. L. Wood, P. Bigg, 20/7/76.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="22m" name="Lassie" new="false"
number=""
stars="">The dirty looking crack on the right, which is surprisingly not too bad a climb. T. McKenny, V. Van de Vusse, P. Robinson 13/3/04.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="22m" name="Nosy Goreng" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Left of "Shezan" (the prominent V groove) is a wide shallow 'chimney'. The groove on the nose immediately left of this, initially very loose but has been cleaned. P. Robinson, C Rathbone, 19/5/79.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="22m" name="Stackless" new="false"
number=""
stars="">The crack on the right side of the shallow chimney, immediately left of Shezan. P. Robinson, T. McKenny, 13/3/04.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="20m" name="Shezan" new="false"
number=""
stars="">The classic V groove with an obvious hand jam crack running through an area of red rock. L. Wood, P. Bigg, 20/7/76.</climb><text
class="text"
new="false">The ridge of Curry Cliff leads down to a point where the following small climb is located. Either traverse round over the water from Lifespice, or climb one of the standard routes and scramble down from above. The following climb is to the right of the small gulch.</text><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="9m" name="Skullduggery" new="false"
number=""
stars="">At the lefthand of the ledge is a left facing corner and leaning hand crack. A touch awkward. Dave James and Matt Jones, April 2002.</climb><text
class="text"
new="false">Between the Curry Cliff and the High Court Cliff are two small buttresses; the second nearer the big cliff has two routes. Descend to the left via a large block.</text><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="15m" name="Lets Get Personal"
new="false" number=""
stars="">The corner nearest the sea. The sloping corner leading to a colourful face then belay on prow. Dave James and Rhiannon Arkins, April 2001.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="6" length="14m" name="Guilty Your Honour"
new="false" number=""
stars="">The corner up and immediatly right of LGP. Dave James and Christian Wehba, May 2001.</climb><text
class="heading3">High Court Cliff </text><text
class="text">Situated 5-10 minutes walk south of the lighthouse. From the lighthouse, follow the track down toward Courts Island for a hundred metres and then head diagonally left to a steep bushy gully leading down to the base of the crag. Alternatively (and probably better), from the top of the gully follow the cliff top round to the right and down to a cairn. Trend left to a 50-metre abseil from some apparently solid boulders above Ocean Highway. The rest of the cliff top is unsafe.</text><image
src="Main cliff - Court Cliff.jpg" width=""/><climb extra=""
grade="18" length="50m" name="All in Good Tide" new="false"
number=""
stars="***">On the waters edge, a sky rocketing 50-metre pitch, a classic, must do, climb. Climb the two thin cracks, approx. one metre apart, in the open corner. Take plenty of small/medium cams and nuts... it's a long way! P. Robinson, S. Scott, 5/2/04.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="50m" name="It's All in the Mind"
new="false" number=""
stars="**">The arête immediately right of "All in Good Tide" and left of Ocean Highway. A direct line straight up the buttress. Atmospheric, a great climb. P. Robinson, K. Robinson, 29/10/06.
</climb><climb
extra="" grade="13" length="50m" name="Ocean Highway"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">The next corner crack to the right. A fine direct crack line. C. Rathbone, P. Robinson, 19/5/79.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="50m" name="Out of the Shadow"
new="false" number=""
stars="">1.5m right of Ocean Highway, the obvious corner crack. Move onto the buttress at the very top to avoid the vegetation. P. Robinson, M. Steane, 14/4/79.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="14" length="50m" name="Shadow Variant"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Approximately two thirds of the way up Out of the Shadow, step right and follow next line up loose blocks to the top. M. Steane, P. Robinson, 13/4/79.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="50m" name="Anty-Falaxis" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Next line right, twin cracks followed by a long intimidating V-corner, which is climbed with help from the crack on the left. S. Scott, P. Robinson, 5/2/04.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="40m" name="Philadelphia Sidewalk"
new="false" number=""
stars="">At the bottom of the grassy slope is a large blankish section of the cliff with three thin cracks. Climbs the obvious line. P. Bigg, S. Parsons, 10/78.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="19" length="40m" name="Philadelphia Freeway"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Up the centre of the three cracks. An impressive line. P. Bigg, S. Parsons, 10/78.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="40m" name="Wish You Were Here"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Approximately 8m uphill from the foot of the mud slope are twin cracks, 60cm apart, up a corner. When the cracks run out, move onto the left buttress. M. Steane, P. Robinson, 14/4/79.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="40m" name="Easter Aftermath"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Further up the hill (10m) are two open "chimneys". The route takes the left-hand one. Belay at base of the crack on the left, beneath the chimney. Up the crack for 10m to grassy ledge, then bridge up chimney to exit past bush at top. P. Robinson, M. Steane, 14/4/79.</climb><text
class="heading2">Courts Island</text><text
class="text">A short walk down the ridge southwest from the Lighthouse leads to the causeway across to Courts Island, which hosts a mutton-bird rookery. At low tide you can walk or wade across (about 50m) but difficulty may be experienced at high tide or in rough sea. Check at the Keepers Cottage if in doubt.</text><text
class="heading3">East Cliff </text><text
class="text">After crossing the causeway walk south (left) along the shoreline towards the cliffs. Approximately 100m from where the cliffs meet the sea is an obvious short, clean line consisting of twin cracks. Looks harder than it is!</text><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="60m" name="Belay in the burrow"
new="false" number=""
stars="">1) 20m Up twin cracks to belay on ledge above jammed blocks.
2) 40m Follow broken rock and vegetated slope to top. No belay except for mutton-bird burrows. Use a threaded sling or rope. (May be better to abseil from top of first pitch). P. Robinson, K Bischoff , 21/4/79.
</climb><text
class="heading3">Ocean Buttress</text><text
class="text">Walk over to the far southern tip of the Island. On the southeast side of the tip, above a deep gulch, are some impressive looking cliffs, rising from a shore platform. The routes may be best viewed from the N E side of the gulch.
Probably best to abseil down the loose choss from the very end of the point to the wavecut platform and then scramble back round to the east towards the gulch, preferably at low tide and/or calm sea.
</text><climb
extra="" grade="12" length="45m" name="Shearwater" new="false"
number=""
stars="*">Walk round shelf into the gulch to a small but distinct triangular roof at about 3 m, at the widest point of the shelf, just before it ends. The climb starts 2m to the left, up the obvious crack. Bridge and jam to the top, passing a ledge on the left at half height. P. Robinson, K. Bischoff 21/4/79. (Probably the line of Canute climbed by J. McKenny, T. McKenny 16/12/02)</climb><text
class="text">The cliffs on the seaward side north of the gulch are reached by abseil to a shore platform (facing N E)</text><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="40m" name="Tidal Temerity"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Follow a clean narrow corner for 30m to the ledge. The crack closes near the top. From the ledge climb easily to the top. C. Rathbone, P. Robinson, J. Wills-Johnson, K. Bischoff 19/5/79</climb><text
class="heading2">Fluted Cape</text><text
class="text">Take the turn off to Adventure Bay (C630) to reach Fluted Cape. The walking track begins at East Cove, the southern most part of Adventure Bay Beach. There is free camping at Neck Beach, Cloudy Bay and Jetty Beach, or you can pay to camp at the Adventure Bay Holiday Village.</text><text
class="text">Park entry fees apply and passes are available from the D'Entrcasteaux Visitors Centre at Kettering, or at registration booths at the Neck and the Lighthouse Road (Mable Bay).</text><text
class="text">Follow the Grass Point track to the open grassland at the end of the point before turning back south to climb steeply up past the cliff tops (signposted). (Ignore the first sign you pass to Fluted Cape)</text><text
class="text">On the way up, heading south and after passing a solitary pillar on the left, there is a steep dirty descent gully about 100m before the big Parched Pillar cliff. The surrounding cliffs are vertical and up to 150 m high and there are many excellent lines here, though the rock is often suspect. Inspection on abseil is advised.</text><text
class="text">These descriptions are taken from the first ascent descriptions.</text><climb
extra="" grade="16" length="15m" name="Quick Drink" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Good clean finger crack on the RHS of the descent gully (facing the cliff). I. Snape, C. Cole 15/6/01.</climb><text
class="text">Further round, there are a series of prominent lines that cut the main wall. Two of these lines, close together, run up the centre of the wall.</text><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="100m" name="Thin as a Lark's Skull"
number=""
stars="">The route follows the right hand line. Start by scrambling across at the foot of the wall to a small corner directly below the line.
1) 20m Move left, then right over large angular blocks to a substantial ledge with a small bush at the base of a square cut cleft capped by a large overhang.
2) 20m Hand jam up crack in left corner of cleft in roof. Move right and (crux) cross the overhang. Belay after a further 3m.
3) 25m Continue up the obvious groove/chimney. Exit left at the top to scrubby ledge at the base of a deep square cut gully.
4) 20m Ascend gully - more difficult than it appears.
5) 15m Climb up to sloping roof on left. Cross wall below the roof to very exposed position on rib. Climb crack to top (Aid used on first ascent to cross wall, subsequently freed.
S. Parsons, P. Bigg 1978</climb><climb
extra="" grade="13" length="54m" name="Casuarina Chimney"
number=""
stars="">Gain access to the base of the obvious cliff line by traversing south over a steep ramp of bush and broken rock. Pass under the main wall, an inset section of more broken rock and a vague rib running up to a prominent pinnacle. Ascend left (south) of the rib to the base of the cliff line.
The route is about 10m left of the crack which separates the pinnacle from the main cliff.
1) 35m Climb the chimney over a chock stone and an overhang to a large ledge.
2) 20m Climb the obvious crack to top.
L.J. Wood, A. Bowden 4/8/75</climb><climb
extra="" grade="14 M1" length="139m" name="Blowfly" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Traverse across scrubby ground at the base of the main wall. To the left of the main wall is a section of more broken rock with some vegetation on it. Start near the base of the crack which runs up the right hand side of a clean slab. There is a bush (!) at the base of the crack.
1) 23m Reach the crack from the left. Climb the crack to a step right onto the corner. Move round the corner and up to a scrubby gully to a ledge at the top of the crack.
2) 23m Traverse left past a small projecting flake and large tree into a corner with a jammed block below a small overhang. Climb the corner and obvious continuation of the line to a stance behind a large detached block.
3) 20m Climb the chimney to an awkward overhang at about 13m and the continuation of the line to a stance at the base of a corner with twin cracks.
4) 33m Move right into a deep chimney, climbing the right wall, past several large trees to a step left onto a large jammed block.
5) 20m Ascend a couple of metres to an awkward bulge and, using a sling for aid, move up to the right hand crack until a step right into a crack is possible. Climb this to two small trees at the right hand end of a sloping slab.
6) 20m Cross the slab to a large ledge and ascend the obvious line at the back of the ledge to the top of the cliff.
L.J. Wood, A. Bowden 1/10/75</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="143m" name="Parched Pinnacle"
number=""
stars="">"Varied climbing and exhilarating situations in magnificent surroundings"
Start at the base of Blowfly. Pitches 1,2 and 3 are shared with Blowfly but take a more direct line.
1) 23m Climb the crack in the slab direct to a ledge with a large tree.
2) 20m Move left to a corner with a jammed block on top.
3) Up the continuation of the line past an overhang to a stance at the base of a square cut corner.
4) 27m Crux. Jam to the top of the corner and move up diagonally left to the gap at the base of the pinnacle.
5) 17m Chimney up between the pinnacle and the main face until the two merge. Flick a nut into the continuation of the line above and use this to gain the gap at the base of the detached portion of the pinnacle. Easily to the top of the pinnacle.
6) 13m Cross to the main face and move diagonally right over a few loose blocks. Turn the corner, step down and climb a finger crack to a large ledge.
7) 20m Finish up the obvious line at the rear of the ledge.
L.J. Wood, P. Robinson 21/2/76</climb><text
class="text">Details of the following routes are not yet known but further information would be gratefully received!</text><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="" name="Aquabat" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Details unknown. S. Parsons, D. Bowman, R. Wells, 1978.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="19" length="" name="Vanity" new="false"
number="" stars="">Starts near Aquabat, crosses this line to a 20m traverse, under clinging to difficult off-width hand crack up wall above. S. Parsons and P. Bigg, 1978.</climb></guide>
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