Eldorado

Introduction

Eldorado comprises the west facing cliffs around the corner to the right of the Colosseum area, visible as you walk down the hill from the parking area. The sun gets here later than at the Colosseum or Plebeians wall. Good in summer - cooler in winter.

Access

From the carpark walk down the old fire trail for about 50m, and then follow a red taped track off left (marked with cairn) through the bracken then down the spur line. The spur ends at the top of a small cliff (Riverside) just above the river. Keep going past Riverside Crag down to the river. Take the 'Blue Tape Track' straight up the hillside opposite, arriving at the right end of 'Eldorado' at the base of the route 'Midas' Touch', the rest of the routes are to the left.
The left side of Eldorado contains the Consolidation Sector and the steep cave of the Skywalker Sector. Immediately right of this feature is the Eldorado Main Wall. Pay Dirt and Gold Leaf are at the centre near a large, square boulder at the bottom of the wall/slabs.

Consolidation Sector

★ 1.	Consolidation	12m	17	5Þ
	Small buttress 60m along the track after turning the corner at the end of Minions Wall. Starts opposite a large dead tree on the track. Up the wall with the crux just after the steepening. Clean rock and a bit of fun.
	Stu Scott. Bob Bull. January 2018

The following three routes are on Hat Trick Wall, with its prominent overhang halfway up. The wall is slightly above the track and accessed by scrambling up some easy slabs. There is a double bolt belay at the bottom of the wall.

★ 2.	Fred Sopporth	16m	17	8Þ
	The left hand line on Hat Trick Buttress. Scramble with care to DBB at base of broken corner leading to small roof. An awkward move or two across short wall under roof and follow line of bolts to anchors just shy of cliff top.
	Neale Smith and plebs, May 2018

★★ 3.	Standard Deviation	16m	20	8Þ
	The middle route. Slab then crux moves up into hanging corner followed by lovely steep slab of water washed stone.
	Stu Scott and Bob Bull, January 2018

★★ 4.	Three Card Trick	16m	18	8Þ
	Right hand route. Intricate slab, mantle, then crux moves over bulge followed by lovely steep slab of water washed stone.
	Bob Bull and Stu Scott, January 2018

The next two routes are on the Blade Arete, the prominent sharp arete with a gum tree at the top just left of the Skywalker cave.

★★ 5.	The Blade	16m	17	8Þ
	Excellent climbing up the left side of the sharp arete to the left of the cave section.
	Bob Bull, Stu Scott January 2018

★★ 6.	Blade Runner	16m	20	10Þ
	Overhang just right of The Blade arete, followed by right side of Blade arete. When forced left by gum tree move up to Blade lower offs.
	Dave Stephenson, January 2018

Skywalker Sector

Immediately left of the Main Wall is a steep cave just above the access track. This is the Skywalker Sector, named after the astonishing looking route that rises leftwards through the cave and blasts out the jutting roof.

The cave offers protection from wind and rain, and comes into sun an hour or two after the main wall (sun after about 1pm in summer).

★★ 7.	Sidewinder	14m	22	6Þ
	Takes the technical steep slab and short overhang on left side of cave. To avoid being blown up at the crux you'll need to jag left then right in quick succession.
	Owen Gervasoni, Nov 2017

★ 8.	#Luke	12m	23	Þ
	Next line right of Sidewinder.
	G Phillips Dec 2017

★★★ 9.	Skywalker	20m	27	Þ
	Up to small roof at 7m, pull around this on the left and trend diagonally leftwards to the base of the roof. Through this and the headwall above.
	G Phillips Nov 2017

★ 10.	#Leia	12m	22	Þ
	Starts as for Skywalker but from the small roof at 7m head right and up.
	G Phillips Nov 2017

★★ 11.	#Anakin	12m	23	Þ
	Fingery and pumpy climbing up the gently over hanging orange wall.
	G Phillips Nov 2017

The following three routes take the tall narrow buttress that seperates the Skywalker Sector from the Elderado Main Wall. Some long slings are handy to reduce rope drag on these routes.

12.	Roger Ramjet	15m	21	Þ
	“Not one of your better efforts Owen – Roger Parkyn”. Start as for FF, but where FF moves right, continue straight up the left arête. Try to avoid the temptation to use the rubbly crack. At the final rooflet, step left and scramble up to ledge. A convenient way to access the anchors on top of FF.
	Owen Gervasoni, Feb 2018

13.	Devil May Care Link	20m	23/24	Þ
	This Flying Fool Variant avoids the large final roof, buts adds more sustained face climbing. From the base of the FF roof hand traverse left under roof to left side of buttress, then move up and slightly right through smaller part of roof.

★★ 14.	Flying Fool	18m	25	Þ
	An intimidating line with lots of sustained and varied climbing. From the right side of the ledge under the Skywalker Cave, head up then make a thin rising right traverse to gain the right arête of the buttress. Up with difficulty to jugs under large roof. Suck up some air and pull through the large roof of spaced jugs. The anchor is easiest to clip after mantling onto the ledge above.
	Owen Gervasoni, April 2018

★ 15.

Novichok

25m

22

Þ

Head round R 4 m from Skywalker cave to DBB.

Up fairly broken area, to ledge. Launch across wall onto arete, climbing to where it shares with Flying Fool. Head up steep crispy wall to arete and back R to anchors.

Ben Maddison & Claire Tetley 2020

Eldorado Main Wall

The climbs on the Main Wall are longer than most in the area - slabs, walls and arête climbing up to 30m. Generally less steep than the Colosseum but the climbs have been "mined" to expose the value. Grades are possibly more reasonable than other areas. Comes into the sun at about 12 noon in summer.

★★ 16.	Inca Trail	28m	19	12Þ
	Up short wall to ledge with DBB, moving left above and up the flake. Sustained, steep, superb slabbing to the very last move. Gold.
	Bob Bull and Stu Scott, Oct 2017.

★ 17.	Miner's Rights	28m	19	12Þ
	Shares start with Inca Trail, then continues up slab and wall to the right, with crux at the top.
	Bob Bull and Plebs, Nov 2017

18.	Goldfinger	22m	21	10b
	Starts on slab just left of Paydirt behind large gum. Crux moves as wall steepens. Named in honour/memory of Tony's finger tendon busted on the forementioned steep wall.
	Stu Scott and Bob Bull. November 2018

★ 19.	Pay Dirt	26m	15	9Þ
	Up the slab and move into the left facing corner. Short slab at finish.
	Bully and the Plebs

★★★ 20.	Gold Leaf	26m	20	12Þ
	Thin and delicate. Sustained and well protected - so nothing not to enjoy. Follow the bolts. The direct between 3 and 4 is about 22 and classy but if you sneak to the left.....
	Stu Scott and Bob Bull, Oct 2017.

★ 21.

Golden Anniversary

26m

19

11Þ

This one is for you, Heth! 50 years...
The overhanging lay-back crack right of Gold Leaf. Start from the large boulder and climb the crack direct, with some sharp moves to the tree (the wall beside the tree has been climbed, or use the tree, Tarzan style - your choice!). Finish up the easier slabs to the lower offs, or better, move left to finish up the terrific hanging slab of Gold leaf.

Tony McKenny, Mat Crawford and Al Beach, April 2018.

22.	Buried Treasure	15m	20	6Þ
	Follow the crack.
	Chuck McGibbon and Plebs, Oct 2017

★★ 23.	Golden Thread	14m	22	7Þ
	Undercling up and over corner flake, then follow seams in smooth yellow wall to right of Buried Treasure.
	Dave Stephenson, Nov 2017

★ 24.	All That Glitters	15m	14	6Þ
	Moves up a smooth wall off the massive boulder lead to a vertical crack line, an excellent introduction to the dark arts of jamming!
	T. McKenny and C. McGibbon, Nov 2017.

★★ 25.	Alchemy	14m	23	6Þ
	Up slab then nice moves up seams on orange wall.
	Dave Stephenson, Oct 2017.

★ 26.	Fool's Gold	12m	18	6Þ
	Layaways up seam right of Alchemy start, finishing on steep nose.
	Dave Stephenson and Plebs, January 2018

★★ 27.	Midas' Touch	18m	21	9Þ
	The Arapilian looking arete on the buttress 50m or so to the right of Alchemy. Classy moves on superb stone.
	Stu Scott and and Bob Bull, Oct 2017.

28.	Nugget Juggler	16m	15	6b
	The buttress a few meters right of Midas Touch. A thin start then up as it steepens over bulge
	Bull, Scott and McKenny. Oct 2019

The Blue track up to Eldorado arrives near the bottom of Midas Touch. The following climbs are to the right of this point.

★ 29.

Whack

13m

16

6b

50m past Nugget Juggler on buttress with overhang at half height. Shares the first 3 bolts with Dangle.
Up the front of the buttress then move left and follow bolts up left of the arête.

Lex and Bob Bull. January 2019

★ 30.	Dangle	13m	19	6b
	Up the front of the buttress then swing out over roof on good jugs and up slab above. A bit of fun!
	Lex and Bob Bull. January 2019