<guide version="3"> 
  <header access="This is not for the faint hearted! Either (1) From Cockle Creek, follow the South Coast Track north for three days to New Lagoon, then wade up the river for another day to Damper Creek. From here, follow a taped &quot;track&quot;  for maybe four hours up to the cliff line. The track turns north here and follows the cliff base to a major gully - this has been climbed (difficult) as a way to the summit but the main route continues on for about another hour, then up and round  another narrow gully before climbing more easily up the ascent gully, exiting L when it ends and into the next gully which leads to the top. Descent is via this path.Camping is available at a rough campsite on the south bank of the Damper River (658850), or there is a small bivvy near a permanent pool about 15mins after the track turns north at the base of the cliffs. Or (2) Traverse the Southern Ranges for 2-3 days from Lune River via Moonlight Flats, Hills 1-4, Mt La Perouse and Pindars Peak. This is quicker than the South Coast track although very exposed. Camp at a semi sheltered hollow just below the summit. The best weather is usually February and March although you can expect lousy conditions at any time. &lt;br/&gt;PB is in Tasmania's  World Heritage Area and is a fuel stove only area. Full details on the South Coast Track, access  and transport are available in John Chapman's South West Tasmania Guide, 2008. See also TASMAP 1:25 000 Precipitous and/or 1:100 000  South Coast Walks, and http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/recreation/tracknotes/scoast.html for track information." acknowledgement="Compiled from original material by Phil Robinson, Chris Rathbone, Steve Monks and Ross Taylor" history="Nevertheless, over the years climbers have braved the elements and explored a little of the enormous potential of the area. Details are scant but it seems the peak was probably first climbed by Mac Urquhart in the 1930s. Dave Neilson from Melbourne is reputed to have visited and left a rope there in the mid 70s, but it isn't known what, if any, climbing was done. Phil Robinson, Tasmania's leading exploratory climber for many years, was there with Chris (Basil) Rathbone in 1986. &quot;We climbed a good long ridge to the summit, some short routes but the main face had blank corners (needed pegs which we didn't have) like the E. Face of Mt Anne. We had hexs and wires and 2 or 3 original Friends but we never used to aid anything in those days. If it didn't go free there was always another line to try.&quot;  &lt;br/&gt;In 1994 visiting Victorian  climbers, Steve Monks and Jane Wilkinson, undaunted by the out-there location and access problems, created a major multi-pitch wilderness climb, Precipitous Arête(23)committing themselves with the minimum of gear &quot;a single 30m rope and a handful of wires&quot;.The next new route recorded was in 2012 where Lachlan and Ross Taylor hiked along the coast from Melaleuca, up the lagoon and added The Paddy Line (380m, 18),“the easiest looking line up the main face”" intro="Located deep in the South West wilderness, Precipitous Bluff (PB for short) is an impressive dolerite peak, with a towering rampart of columnar cliffs facing out to the Southern Ocean. The problem of course is access as any prospecting climber faces at least four days walk in, and out, and has to brave the sometimes appalling weather." name="Precipitous Bluff" rock="Columnar Dolerite, 400m high" sun="Mixed sun and shade" walk="Four days tough walking" id="1" camping="" autonumber="false"/>
  <text id="20" class="heading3">Crag Steward</text>
  <text id="21" class="text">Rock climbers please contact the Cliff Steward (southwest@climbersclubtas.org.au) if you have any queries or concerns regarding social or environmental impacts of rock climbing at this crag. Do not email regarding general travel, seasonal advice, or lost property - this is not the Steward’s role. If you have important safety information to communicate (e.g. risks due to recent and large rock falls) please also consider updates on thesarvo forum, facebook group and/or online guidebooks as appropriate. Please copy in cct@climbersclubtas.org.au if you feel you have a high level concern which may imminently impact the crag or climbing community.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Non-climbers, other users, land managers: please also contact cct@climbersclubtas.org.au if you have important climbing related queries at this location.</text>  
  <image id="19" src="PB main topo(PR)2015.jpg" height="882"/>  
  <image id="8" src="002PB traverse marked.jpg" height="880"/>  
  <image id="9" src="003PB access routes (PR)marked.jpg" height="883"/>  
  <text class="heading2" id="2">Summit Buttress</text>  
  <climb id="17" stars="" extra="" number="" name="Precipitous Arête" length="265m" grade="23" fa="Steve Monks, Jane Wilkinson 9 Feb 1994">The climb follows the L arête of the Summit Buttress, giving excellent climbing on steep, sound and clean dolerite. Access: Where the track first meets the cliff line, follow the "track" north for about another 20 mins along the base of the cliff to a tree marked with a tape (well, it was there in 1994!), just before the track descends to cross a large gully. Ten minutes of easy scrub bashing, then up and L beneath the main cliff to the start of the climb. Start: At knife-edge, horizontal ridge below L edge of cliff. &lt;br/&gt;1. 25m 17. Arête to ledge at 20m, then up to next ledge. &lt;br/&gt;2. 30m 21. Corner crack L of arête for 20m, then R-tending diagonal crack to bush in groove. Now R, up crack to re-gain arête at ledge. &lt;br/&gt;3. 20m 23. Up to ledge, then short difficult crack just L of arête to ledge. &lt;br/&gt;4. 30m 21. Corner behind ledge for 10m, then L to slight L-leading ramp. Follow ramp to deep groove/crack. Belay on block. &lt;br/&gt;5. 20m 18. Groove. &lt;br/&gt;6-8. 80m. Easy, spectacular climbing up crest of summit ridge. &lt;br/&gt;9. 30m 17. Middle crack in final, steep wall to ledge. &lt;br/&gt;10. 30m 16. Up.</climb>  
  <climb id="18" stars="" extra="" number="" name="The Paddy Line " length="370m+" grade="18" fa="Lachlan &amp; Ross Taylor (alts), 14/2/2012">The route follows what is the easiest-looking line up the main face of PB, and starts up an obvious left-facing corner crack (the main face doesn’t have many obvious lines) about ten minutes after the track from the New River Lagoon hits the cliffline.&lt;br/&gt;1. 40m. Follow the corner crack into a chimney, then move up and R to a small ledge. &lt;br/&gt;2. 40m. Step L then head straight up to a big ledge at the bottom of a cirque, climb the R side of the cirque until you hit a ledge and belay. &lt;br/&gt;3. 25m. From the R side of the gully cross over to the L, climbing until you hit a ledge below a face-crack and distinct right-facing corner. &lt;br/&gt;4. 20m. Climb a crack R of face crack, which has a few tricky moves, the up to belay stance. &lt;br/&gt;5. 45m. Follow crack and chimney, which leads to a nice corner crack. At the top of the corner, make a couple of tricky moves up an arete, making a belay just above. &lt;br/&gt;6. 40m. Up and L to a vegetated corner, climb this for ten metres, then head slightly up and R another 30m to another belay ledge. &lt;br/&gt;7. 35m. You are now on a distinct ridge/arete. Follow this up until you hit the base of a wide crack, climb this to the top then make a belay on the next ledge up (at the base of another crack). &lt;br/&gt;8. 25m. Climb the crack until you are at the top of a pinnacle. &lt;br/&gt;9. 150m. Scramble L up the sloping ramp of scoparia and pineapple grass for 50m to the arete. Scramble around the arete then up the other side, roping up for a short pitch that leads through a distinct window in the arete. Unrope and scramble another 50 or 60m to the summit of PB, which you finish almost directly beneath.</climb> 
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