Day One Upper Shipley

2020 surely is one of the strangest years on record, Covid meant that most of our annual sojourns to distant lands had to be cancelled. Our regular trips to Tasmania, Grampians, Japan and New Zealand appear slightly further away then ever. Not to worry there are some local gems to be had which more than make up for our peripatetic longings. Our first replacement trip was a perfect substitute and is still one of the best climbing destinations in the country and the cosmos of climbing in general. What is more, it was time to go exploring and taste some new crags in the hidden escarpments of the Grose Valley. Upper Shipley on Monday is as close to heaven as you can go. No crowds – in fact – we pretty much had the entire cliff line to ourselves. For our first day we had two groups on the cliff: Louise, Will and Roman made up the ‘mature’ team with Andrew, Chris and James making up the ‘high-performance’ group. Since it was quiet, we could move around freely from the easy warmups at ‘sandwiches wall’ towards the ‘grey slabs’ and finally onto the steeper section in the afternoon:

Pompadour 13* The mega easy warmup done by the entire planet.

Hold on to your hats 18* Great grey slab warmup

These People are sandwiches 22*** this classic never gets old. The crux roof crossing with the diabolical left-hand crimp to a rest jug is the worst warmup move ever. Congratulations Andrew for finally putting this classic in its place.

Most of the Grey slab area was still wet after 3 days of rain but there were dry streaks amids the moisture and we just climbed whatever happened to be dry.

Stormy Monday 17* Great grey slab warmup

Burning Jowls 17* Great grey slab warmup

County Special 19* nice upper section with some decent climbing and a little crux right at the end

Meanwhile James, Chris and Andrew took turns on Equalizer (28-31***) with its impenetrable grading. Here is the grade description from the crag: “Was once the hardest route at the crag, and was originally graded 31! Fairly quickly downgraded to a solid 28, but since then some holds have crumbled/gone, making the route more sustained, and better! Maybe still 'just' a solid 28, or maybe 29, but whatever the grade, its a bloody ripper power endurance testpiece so just get on it!”

After way too many warmups I needed a little challenge to get my head straight and decided to jump on Mental Mantel (23**) but unfortunately the top section was wet, so I opted for:

Weak as I am (23***) which described my lack of outdoor climbing nicely. Tricky bottom slab section with some high footwork to lots of rest and recovery positions. A few steep moves through a rock band get you to the optional lay-down full body squeeze rest. Getting of the ledge is the crux with a hidden crimp far out right to a chicken head that finishes this crux section. Then steep heady but easy climbing to the anchor.

No U-Turn 24**  Very nice route of the walkway boulder with same hard boulder start as Form one Lane 24**. The crux start requires good body position to move into the left hand undercling with a long reach to a good break. Traverse left along the break and move into the high undercling. Up to rest ledge and traverse a bit right. Easy climbing to second crux section. Either gast-on high left hand with a tricky high foot (I couldn’t use tis beta but it worked for Will and Chris) or stay left a little on bad holds and use your right hand on the gast on instead. Nice crux and then easy finish to the top.

We were getting a little tired from the continues climbing but there was one more left in the tank:

Scramble Syndrome (20*)  nice orange wall with a little roof crux. Quite bunchy for the grade but a good one to finish off on.

The sun was getting low on the horizon but for once we managed to leave in the light without headtorches - there has be a first time for everything. We blamed it on the pup meals and the beers.

Not a bad first day with hardly a soul at Upper Shipley, Monday meant serenity, tranquillity and friendliness. The cliff was all ours where to choose our routes and bury our grudges with the world. The second day was going to be a little more adventurous with James pushing hard for a big day in the Grose Valley. Oronga Cliffs was a place I have had on my tick list for a long time. It has one of the most exposed sport climbing cliffs in the Blue Mountains with views to die for. Getting there was an adventure in itself, so we headed out early to navigate our way to success along the plateau leading towards Mount Banks. The panoramic views of ‘Banks Wall’ – one of Australia’s largest cliff faces dominates the landscape as you meander through the burnt-out bush. Since several vulnerable plants (Isopogon fletcheri) have been discovered along the undercut ledge system between the access gully and Banksy Wall, climbing is now off limits at a part of the crag. But it is the approach to Banksy Wall that makes the heart stop and jump for joy. It is one of the best exposed via ferrata in the mountains rivalled closely by the access to the Pit (steep waterfall via ferrata and rap in – lovely cruel on the way out) and the equally amazing overhanging via ferrata at the Waterfall crag. Together this trifactor of via ferrata approach horrors make up the cream of the crop of Blueys classic approaches. The highlight of the Banksy approach is the traverse along a series of handrails along an exposed ledge system with a hundred meter of air pulling you downward as you inch across. Several guide ropes later you climb up towards the majestic steepness of Banksy Wall looming above on a spaciously secure ledge suspended in a sandstone void amidst the Grose Valley. You are unlikely to meet anybody else out there and the crag is yours for the day. The routes are still relatively ‘new’ and need a few more ascents to clean up the rock so helmets and vigilance are recommended. Also bring a long rope as 60 meters is not enough for some of the routes.

Spoke to the Mountains Listened to the Sea (20**) Slab climbing to the left of the main wall, good for a warm up but a little spice and watch the rock.

Barrel Blow (22**) 28 meters of amazing climbing starts with easy grade 18 warmup to a full rest ledge. Crux gast-on move to leave the ledge leads to a nice crack traverse move into the final steep and hard to read steep corner. Amazing.

Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell (22**) A collection of eclectic climbing styles starting with a tough face to a rest ledge followed by balance moves across an overhanging arete. Up the arete to good stance and jug up to final rest below roof. Crux finale across overhang

Terra Nullius 23** with extension 26**  old school style face, arete, traverse and techy corner to first belay. Then cross the roof and jug up the steepness to uber-exposed arete finish. It does not get any airier than this.  James put the draws on this monster, Roman second and cleaned the top pitch and Roman Senior cleaned up some of the choss on the first pitch while showering his belayer with debris. One of the most exciting 23s in the mountains.

Snowflake 24** 27 meter monster roof route with a pumpy bottom section to a full reset below first rooflet. Crux roof crossing on hard to read crimps to a rest below the final mega roof.  This route has 10 percent rock and 90 percent air to content with – some of the best exposure in the Blueys. Andres, Chris, James and Roman well done.

Sanction of the Victim (22**) easiest of the 22s with nice moves all the way. Nice Onsight by Will and Roman barely made it up – tired and spaced out.

The walk out of Banksy is not something to trivel with: steep exposed traverse back - long uphill haul back to the car in the most glorious sunset imaginable with endless expanses of rock all around you. Once again we blamed the pub and the beers.

Roman 10 November 2020

Go here for more photos: Blueys Week November 2020