Pierces Pass is one of Australia's premier multi-pitch climbing areas. It has grown enormously over the years with new lines appearing sporadically across several sectors overlooking the magnanimous Grose Valley. One of my favourite places that has remained close to my heart for many years - it never really recedes far into memory, but rather always hovers close to the surface of consciousness: reminding you that it’s still there waiting patiently for another visit.
This might be a good opportunity to take stock over the years and the many trips to some of the jewels of Australian multipitch climbing. Without going into too much depth since every audacious line is a story by itself. Without suggesting completeness one of the first forays might have been with Leo on My Kind of Bliss probably pre 2000. If memory serves me right we were hooked and came back for Hotel California some months later getting scared senseless. This marked some sort of innitiation until I was able to lure Bryan onto Big Nose which ended into our benighting somewhere in the forest below. Unfortunately, photos from these early outings are non-existing since they predate modern digital adventure cameras so folklore we will have suffice for these rather adventurous trips. I remember many more, there was my first ascent of Bunny Bucket Buttress many years back before it become popular and was probably rebolted, with Gary and much later came Smegadeath with Dave. Each trip probably led to several months and often perhaps the occasional years of hiatus before the itch would start again. Next was probably with Mark on Randy Rabbit Ridge and this brings us into the modern era, where photos start to appear of the various ascents.
For some reason a long period has passed since the magic of Pierces Pass has seen a visit and I can only blame the new bouldering craze and my twin sons passion, for being side-tracked for so long. Microcliffs seem to be the de rigeur these days. But perhaps because of this over-indulgence in the fleeting microcosm of the miniature cliffs, replete with the hardest possible moves in a powerful dance, Pierces Pass remerged perhaps stronger than ever and filled my thoughts with the potential of the as yet unscaled lines.
It took some time to transition from the mini to the macro but finally in March 2023 it was time to rouse Leo from a long slumber and fittingly return to what might have been our first long outing together. It was still summer so shade was paramount and we had never explored the West faces of Pierces Pass where more and more audacious lines are being created. But first had to come the old classics so we chose Bladderhozen for our first line:
Bladderhozen (23***)
Pitch1: Probably newly created after a rebolt from a carrot field to ringbolts in 2021. this pitch is short at about 15meters with easy climbing at grade 18ish and ends at a natural belay ledge.
Pitch 2: Long and magnificent and traditionally only graded 21, but with the single hardest boulder problem on the whole route. Moving past the undercut shale ledge is the crux with a modern sport climbing classic boulder problem that is hard to figure out. Left or right, heel hooks or splits yours is the choice.
Pitch3: Very long on fantastic holds with sport climbing moves between good jugs on extraordinarily featured rock. Nothing too hard but slowly getting more pumpy and steep.
Pitch 4: Arguably one of the best single sport climbing pitches at Pierces Pass. An absolutely pumpy long endurance pearler. Big moves that get steeper and steeper until the final roof with your arms screaming for mercy high above the deck.
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