2000m, 10 pitches.
Sea Level Traverse - Rosa To Ron’s (2km, Grade 17?) This section is arguably the most classic moderate adventure route in NSW. A great day out requiring great, but not perfect swell conditions.
From the North: - Cross the gap between Rosa Gully and Diamond Bay, one slippery section, nothing too tricky if the swell is low. - Traverse the slippery slot under the log of death (a couple of carrots), after walking through the cave on the other side, a small 6m rap is required to gain the lower ledge. - This lower ledge system will take you on a tour through time under bow wall crag. Mike laws artwork can be seen winding its way up the blankest, chosseist sections of rock. Crux 5 - This ledge system finishes under prowess. Either use the bolts here to gain the ledge then rap back down off one to the other side. Alternatively, whip out the trad gear and easily traverse this bit (provided its not soaked by the waves). - The simple walking tour continues from here past three cathedral like cave systems, some slippery traversing required but nothing too hard. - After about 300m, you’ll arrive under sanctum main buttress, and the bulk of the climbing in front of you Crux 4 - Scramble around the back of the sea cave and climb the little head wall on the far side. Traversing the ledge 5m up is much easier than saying low. - from here you have a couple options, either blast up the easy looking corner crack (grade 16 with a very hard grassy topout) or go south a couple more meters and rap down (needs bolts) to sea level again to wrap around to the south end of the big buttress you’re on. The crack on this far side looks much nicer to climb. A third option is to sidle around to the front of this buttress via a sandy ledge about 4-5m above the ledge you're on. its a bit heady on shit gear but the fastest way past this buttress. - Both options land you on a big ledge system. Traverse south about 15m and either rap 6m down to the lower ledge or climb 2m up to the higher option. This higher option needs bolts for a big 30m rap about 100m south, wereas the lower option can be abseiled with a 25m rope off an old fishermans spike. - Now that these paths have reconvened, scramble south for another 80m along a skinny ledge, building a belay off the old fisherman spike. It’s probably worth doing a micro 5m long pitch here and building a much better belay off the stainless spikes at the better ledge. - This next pitch goes at around grade 14 with bomber gear and great, balancy moves. Crux 3 - Another 100m of easy walking gets you to the last crux of this section of the traverse, buruwang main wall. - Theres a couple options here, either climb any of the routes that will get you up to the higher ledge (easiest is probably: Just one more bump, 12m, a pretty committing grade 22 mixed route), or… in the spirit of seacliff traversing, don’t go up, go sideways. This traversing pitch isn’t too hard, but is very pumpy, probably around grade 19, resting on gear makes it a lot easier, but it will give you a cardio workout nonetheless. - once you’re past buruwang main wall, its all easy walking and scrambling all the way to the mattings descent (huge fixed ropes). Exiting here makes for a great day out and a fairly easy 25min walk back to the diamond bay.
From the South: Reverse the above beta
From the North: - Cross the gap between Rosa Gully and Diamond Bay, one slippery section, nothing too tricky if the swell is low. - Traverse the slippery slot under the log of death (a couple of carrots), after walking through the cave on the other side, a small 6m rap is required to gain the lower ledge. - This lower ledge system will take you on a tour through time under bow wall crag. Mike laws artwork can be seen winding its way up the blankest, chosseist sections of rock. Crux 5 - This ledge system finishes under prowess. Either use the bolts here to gain the ledge then rap back down off one to the other side. Alternatively, whip out the trad gear and easily traverse this bit (provided its not soaked by the waves). - The simple walking tour continues from here past three cathedral like cave systems, some slippery traversing required but nothing too hard. - After about 300m, you’ll arrive under sanctum main buttress, and the bulk of the climbing in front of you Crux 4 - Scramble around the back of the sea cave and climb the little head wall on the far side. Traversing the ledge 5m up is much easier than saying low. - from here you have a couple options, either blast up the easy looking corner crack (grade 16 with a very hard grassy topout) or go south a couple more meters and rap down (needs bolts) to sea level again to wrap around to the south end of the big buttress you’re on. The crack on this far side looks much nicer to climb. A third option is to sidle around to the front of this buttress via a sandy ledge about 4-5m above the ledge you're on. its a bit heady on shit gear but the fastest way past this buttress. - Both options land you on a big ledge system. Traverse south about 15m and either rap 6m down to the lower ledge or climb 2m up to the higher option. This higher option needs bolts for a big 30m rap about 100m south, wereas the lower option can be abseiled with a 25m rope off an old fishermans spike. - Now that these paths have reconvened, scramble south for another 80m along a skinny ledge, building a belay off the old fisherman spike. It’s probably worth doing a micro 5m long pitch here and building a much better belay off the stainless spikes at the better ledge. - This next pitch goes at around grade 14 with bomber gear and great, balancy moves. Crux 3 - Another 100m of easy walking gets you to the last crux of this section of the traverse, buruwang main wall. - Theres a couple options here, either climb any of the routes that will get you up to the higher ledge (easiest is probably: Just one more bump, 12m, a pretty committing grade 22 mixed route), or… in the spirit of seacliff traversing, don’t go up, go sideways. This traversing pitch isn’t too hard, but is very pumpy, probably around grade 19, resting on gear makes it a lot easier, but it will give you a cardio workout nonetheless. - once you’re past buruwang main wall, its all easy walking and scrambling all the way to the mattings descent (huge fixed ropes). Exiting here makes for a great day out and a fairly easy 25min walk back to the diamond bay.
From the South: Reverse the above beta
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Route of Interest
Grey Mist
Grade: 17 ***
(Point Perpendicular)