Home > The Guide > Hornsby and the North > Berowra

One of the most popular suburban crags. Faces north with a hint of west and is an excellent winter climbing area; in summer it roasts in the sun, but even on the hottest days climbing is feasible until mid morning.

Now even more consumer friendly with the recent addition of new bolts and lower-offs to many of the more popular routes. From the end of Wideview Rd, Berowra, follow the walking track (20m L of the 4WD track) for 50m to the top of the crag. Descend at either end, or down "Cenotaph Corner".

During 1999 Landcom sold the strip of land between the road and the top of the cliff for residential development. Apparently access to the cliff and the cliff top track itself will not be affected.

Note: snakes (usually browns) are frequently encountered at this crag, both at the top and bottom of the cliff and in cracks and breaks on the climbs themselves. Pay extra attention when climbing here, particularly during the hotter months.

Climbs are described left to right (east to west), facing the cliff.

East Buttress
The good looking bulgy orange buttress just left of the eastern descent gully.

A 10m 17 Start: Marked. Left of P somewhere. A poxy boulder problem. No pro?	Pimple 10m 19/20 Start: Marked. Between A and IFY. Good climbing up to and through the roof (1 BR, 1 RB), and easier but still pleasant up the crack in the headwall (natural protection). Tree belay back from the edge.
Look Blue Go Purple 10m 18 Start: In scooped alcove right of P. Through gap in the scoop then follow RBs to the apex of the wall. 3 RBs to double RB lower off. Chris Yoemans, Dale Tweedie 25/05/2005	It's For You 10m 18 Start: Marked. Good moves up the wall right of P (2 BRs to 2 RB lower off). The climb stays to the right, using the arete. An extra BR is located high up, in the centre of the face (left of the climb) for an alternate finish. Mike Law (solo) 1980s
Taylor Made 6m 15 Start: Up and right of IFY. Jugs past 2 FHs. Although Julian reckons it's pretty poxy, everyone else reckons it's a great little warm up! Julian Anderson

The descent gully arrives here.

Savage Cabbage 8m 19 Start: Below crack / flake, 30m right of descent gully (5m left of CC). Up thin crack then tricky moves left to main crack. Follow this (take care with pro) to new lower off. Often dirty and sometimes inhabited by a (friendly) brown snake. Scott Butler, James Holbrook 1980s

Stone Grotties 8m 16 Start: 2m right of SC, just left of CC. A dangerous lead or dirty toprope up the filthy wall.

The next route is often used as an ascent / descent.

Cenotaph Corner 8m 4 Start: Slabby corner crack right of SG. Up the corner crack.	B 9m 25+ Start: 2m right of CC. Blank wall with two BRs (desperate moves to clip the second BR and move past it).
Ladder of Gloom 12m 19 Start: 10m right of CC. Very popular. Traverse right to the bottom of the ladder then steeply up. 4 RBs (take care clipping the first) to double RB lower off. Mike Law, James Holbrook 1980s	Ladder of Death 10m 22 Start: Directly below the LoG. Clip RB, big steep dyno to jug then short, strenuous arete (RB). Move left to 2nd RB on LoG and up.
The Mantle Machine 12m 14 Start: 4m right of LoD (just past the low roof with the hole). Move diagonally left mantling overhangs. Take a friend for a horizontal slot, with a BR higher up. Finish just right of LoG. Hayden Brotchie, N. Timms 12/09/1993	Medium Strip 10m 20 Start: As for tMM. Follow the 4 gold FHs up the rounded arete. Julian Anderson 1998
C 12m 4? Start: 5m right of MS. Up the low angled slab to the obvious ramp (BR). Has been mistaken as an ascent / descent route!

Cave of Soap
The big rounded cave with the distinctive overhanging corner crack (Soap), 30m or so right of TMM.

Sumo 18m 23 Start: Wall on left side of the Cave of Soap. Stick clip first RB, then traverse left along the lip of the roof past 7 more RBs to a double RB lower off at the end of the roof. Take care with the rock - a lot of it looks pretty friable. Lloyd Wishart 29/07/1997	Soap 15m 23 Start: The overhanging corner crack on the left edge of the cave. Steep crack past jugs then out the roof crack and up. Giles Bradbury 1980s
D (Project) 12m 28? Start: As for S. Heads up soap for a couple of metres, then breaks out right across the main roof. 5 RBs to chain lower off (above LH).	E (Dingo?) 8m 24 Start: 2m right of S. Steeply up chips past 3 BRs and RB to double RB lower off.
F (Dingo?) 8m 26 Start: 1m right of E. Steeply up chips past 4 RBs to chain lower off as for LH.	Luv Handles 8m 19/20 Start: 2m right of F. Steep moves past 5 RBs to chain lower off. 3rd RB is dodgy. Unknown 2001

The Blackboard
A nice, dead vertical black wall that extends right from the Cave of Soap. Tends to seep quite badly after rain.
 
During January 2003, most of the routes on this wall were rebolted by the Rebolting Fund.

3D Wimp Out 12m 21 Start: The right arete of the Cave of Soap. Undercut start, short arete then wall above. 4 RBs in total to lower off. May be harder since the glued on hold near the top ripped off. James Holbrook, Mike Law 1980s	Alison 12m 25 Start: 1m right of 3DW. Up to cave, then thin wall above. 4 RBs.
The Red Menace 15m 24 Start: As for A. Up A to scoop, traverse right to jug on lip of roof, then up crimpy headwall. 5 RBs to lower off. Stephen Hawkshaw 03/2004	Gash 12m 16 Start: 3m right of A, below V chimney. Unpleasant V chimney, often dirty. Take care with pro.
Yesterday's Heroes 12m 17 Start: Marked, 3m right of G. Very popular. Delicate start, L under overlap, trending R to top. 4 RBs to lower off. Direct through overlap is 18.	Palm Sunday 12m 21 Start: 1m right of YH. Trend right past 3 spaced RBs on decreasing holds to lower off. Craig Martin, Harry Wilson 1980s
Samantha 10m 20 Start: 2m right of PS. Thin face past 2 BRs, then cams to lower off (shared with DC). Scott Butler, James Holbrrok 1980s

Up onto elevated platform.

DC 6m 22 Start: Marked. Straight up past two RBs to lower off. Straying right towards Eccles only scores 19.	Eccles 7m 20 Start: Just right of DC. Up on crimps past 2 RBs to the lower off above DC. Stephen Eccleshall, Scott Butler, James Holbrook 1980s
JHTB 8m 20 Start: Right of E. No pro. Hard start.	Bill Collins 10m 24 Start: Marked. Just right of elevated platform. Mantle on jug then thin and sharp face climbing. 3 RBs to lower off. There has been some controversy about the grade of this climb - some people have said it's 25 while others say it's a soft 24. Mike Law 1980s
Gidget / Verdon 15m 22+ Start: 8m right of BC, below flake. Ridiculously hard start, then up flake and veer right at 3rd RB to top. 3 RBs in total with no lower off (yet). A variant veers left at the 3rd RB past another 2 RBs to a double RB lower off. Mike Law 1980s	Butter Knives 12m 27 Start: 4m right of GV. Sharp and thin past 4 BRs. Originally graded 26, but it seems to have mysteriously grown harder over the years! Mike Law 1980s
Marsala 8m 12 Start: The corner crack at the right hand end of the Blackboard. Layback or faceclimb.

50m right of the Blackboard is a short, steep pocketed wall.

G 6m ?? Start: To the right hand side of the pocketed wall. One old bolt hole down low, and one manky BR up higher.	Julian's Finest Hour 6m 15 Start: 5m right of G. Up the dirty black wall with dubious natural pro. Julian Anderson 1990s
H 8m 22 Start: Up and right of JFH. Unattractive. 3 RBs to double RB lower off.

Glamorpus Wall
An attractive, bulgy orange wall capped with rooves, 60m right of the Blackboard.

Scones of Doom 12m 23 Start: Marked. Steeply up past 4 RBs to a double bolt belay just over the roof.	Omnopox 12m 24 Start: 3m right of SoD. 3 U bolts, left to double U bolt lower off.
Glamorpus 15m 24 Start: Below central hanging arete. Compact wall past 5 RBs, then step left to chain. Original continued out the steep arete.	Are You My Mother? 12m 25 Start: 4m right of G. Reachy wall, then out roof past hole.
Green Eggs and Ham 12m 25 Start: 2m right of AYMM. Up corner, left at roof, corner (3 BRs). Right and up (cams).

The following climb is another 30m or so further on.

Lentil Lollipops 12m 9 Start: Marked. Steep start, then up the unpleasant chimney / corner. Geoffrey Heath, James Holbrook 1980s

I (Ancient open project) 12m ?? Start: 3m right of LL. Up steep prow past 2 BRs and 3 FHs.

Bullet Hole Wall
Around right is a pocketed wall with a low roof on the left end, and a prominent flake up and right. Great climbing, but often crowded.

Scott's Edge 15m 22/23 Start: Left arete of Bullet Hole Wall. Roof and arete passing 5 RBs to lower off.	Comausminpab 12m 18 Start: Marked. 2m right of SE. Roof (new RB), then pocketed wall (poor pro up high). Take a big cam. RB / U bolt lower off.
IGMC 12m 19 Start: Between C and FSP. Up the wall, passing 3 BRs. Looks runout from 1st to 2nd BR, but some gear might go in somewhere? Very dirty.	Fox / Sox / Pox 12m 18 Start: 2m right of C. Very popular. Roof, then pocketed wall past 2 rebar staples and 2 RBs to a chain lower off.
Natasha 12m 22 Start: 3m right of FSP. Sustained pockets past crappy bolts to chain lower off. Thin crux past 3rd BR.	Looks Poxable 12m 21 Start: 1m right of N. Great. 4 RBs to new double U bolt lower offs. Scott Butler, James Holbrook 1980s
Mental Fatigue 11m 18 Start: At prominent flake 2m right of LP. Popular. Follow flake up and left, then up wall to chain lower off. 4 RBs in total. Direct start (past manky BR) is 21. James Holbrook, Scott Butler 1980s	Broken Candy 11m 20 Start: As for MF. Up and right past U bolt, BR and cam breaks. Take extreme care clipping the second BR - I've seen someone take a big ground fall after blowing the clip. Scott Butler, James Holbrook 1980s

A nice orange wall and corner appears 30m right of the Bullet Hole Wall.

Who Cares 12m 19/20 Start: Left arete of nice orange wall. Boulder steep start then up seam just right of arete. At the cave, head right (BR). Take care with pro. James Holbrook, Scott Butler 1980s	24 12m 21 Start: 3m left of the corner. Bouldery start (BR) then big crux move past 2nd BR to break. More easily to top. Only worth 20 if you veer left at 2nd BR. James Holbrook, Scott Butler 1980s
Positive Ape Factor 10m 22 Start: Below obvious orange corner. Easy up the cracks then a huge reach (crux) to horizontal break. Take care up the final corner - it's quite hard and runout. 2 good BBs. Scott Butler 1980s	Positive Ape Factor (Variant Finish) 10m 21 Start: As for PAF. Up PAF to right leading flake. Out flake past bolt. Giles Bradbury 1980s
J (Ancient open project) 10m ?? Start: 2m right of PAF. 2 BRs (1st has ancient tat).	K (Ancient open project) 10m ?? Start: 2m right of J. 1 ancient BR.
Daily Grind 10m 25 Start: Marked. 2m right of K. Technical and runout, with 2 manky BRs close together. Mike Law, James Holbrook 1980s	Kenneth's Climb 10m 14 Start: 2m right of DG, below cracks. Steep start to pleasant slabby cracks. Double BB belay. James Holbrook, Greg Christie 1980s
Flake Thing 12m 21 Start: 5m right of KC. Right side of arete (cams). Pro looks dubious. Scott Butler, James Holbrook 1980s	Wall Thing 12m 18 Start: 2m right of FT. Wall past breaks (often sandy) to thin crack. 4 RBs to lower off. Rohan Reynolds, Michael ? 1980s
Boundary Rider 10m 19 Start: 1m right of WT. Straight up past RB and 3 BRs to new lower off. Straying right near the top only scores a 16. Julian Anderson, Jonas Kuganus 07/1998