Far North Area

10 min from Northern Buttress
Morning sun
Dolerite cracks and faces up to 30m
Introduction
There are a number of smaller buttresses to the north of the main cliffs that provide some OK climbing, with Johnson knob being a novelty pillar, and Upper Reaches buttress being larger (40m) and hosting some good routes.
Access
Access to Toy Town and Johnsons knob is via the Northern Buttress track. Where the track meets the base of the Lower Northern Buttress (see Northern Buttress sketch map), go up R and follow a rough track around the northern side of Toy Town buttress and scramble uphill to the spire of Johnstone's Knob.

Access to DNA and Upper Reaches Buttress is from the top car park following the red dot track.

Toy Town

Toy Town is a group of four small buttresses immediately R of Northern Buttress Lower Cliff. The routes are entertaining, with easy access, and are described R to L. Descend via the central gully or lower off Nancy Boys.
1.We Can Jam Too12m18 
Steep and potentially strenuous if you get it wrong. Start up the crack then follow the arête before moving L into the crack again when your feet are level with the horizontal feature. Jam the crack to the top, making full use of the arête. Abseil off.
J. Fischer, J. Robinson, May 2005.
The next climb is on a small subsidiary wall immediately above Child's Play. Scramble up the gully between Nancy Boys and Child's Play for 4m, then turn L and up to the base of the crack, by a small sassafras tree.
★ 2.War Toy 10m21 
A bomb waiting to drop. The obvious line up the centre of the middle buttress, just L of Child's Play. Climb up thin cracks just L of the arête and move carefully past the semi-detached spike to a hands off rest on top. Step off L and climb the wall above.
D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski, Apr 1989.
★ 3.Child's Play 10m20 
Surprisingly insecure moves at the top. The RH arête of the largest (middle) buttress. Start on the LH side of the central gully and climb up the arête and the shallow corner above.
D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski, Apr 1989.
★ 4.Nancy Boys 10m21Þ ↓ 
An amusing encounter found on the arête L of Boys Toy. Start on the RH side of the central gully that leads to We Can Jam Too, and climb the arête mostly on the LH side via three bolts to a rap station. The ridiculously hard crux is the first few moves immediately off the ground.
R. Parkyn, Apr 1992.
★ 5.Boy's Toy 8m20 
Could be dangerous. The next buttress L (second from the R). Move R across the face and climb the R arête past a large hollow flake.
D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski, Apr 1989.
6.Virgin Boys 7m17 
A pleasant sojourn on the far RH buttress. Climb a short crack on the L edge, step R and up to the top.
Phil Steane (solo), Aug 1982.

Johnstone's Knob

A number of short routes exist on outcrops in the Johnstone's Knob area. All routes can be located easily from near the Knob. Descend via the rap stations above the bolted routes, walk off or tape abseil the rest.
The next two routes are found on Pipedream Buttress, a small buttress about 40m uphill and southwest (L) of Johnstone's Knob.
7.Shelter From The Storm 20m17 
The other route on Pipedream Buttress. Climb the crack line around the arête L of Pipedream. Tricky.
K. Kiernan, Nov 1975.
8.Pipedream 15m16 
Climb a steep hand crack on the RH face past some difficulties in the mid section. Abseil off.
D. Bowman, R. Wells, Dec 1977.
The next route is on a small face about 30m south (L) of the Knob and at the same level.
★ 9. Sergeant Slaughter 12m214Þ ↓ 
Pleasant climbing. 4 bolts plus rap station.
G. Phillips, Oct 1995.
★ 10. Great Red Pointer 12m193Þ ↓ 
Bizarre climbing up the side of the Johnstone's Knob that faces Northern Buttress. Involves using the arêtes on either side, sometimes simultaneously. Has three glued carrots.
R. Parkyn, 1993.
★ 11.Johnstone's Knob 12m12 
The prominent 12m spire that casts a spell on climbers and entices them over. There are several ways to the top. Rap station.
Unknown, Sep 1961.

Upper Reaches Buttress

Style: It is remarkable that this sizable buttress was overlooked for so long. All climbs are of good quality, well-protected trad routes (mostly 1 pitch). Bringing 2 ropes allows one line to be fixed and routes to be repeated in succession.

Location: The top of this buttress is situated between Upper Northern and DNA buttress. While the buttress is readily visible looking north and downhill from the top of Numbwaiter on the Upper Northern buttress, it is best accessed from Cossack column following the red dot track.

Approach: Approx 15-minute walk from the summit car park. Follow the Amphitheatre track 1 minute past the top of Cossack Column, then turn northward onto the 'red dot' bushwalkers track (1 minute before the Amphitheatre anchors). Follow the red dot track for 5 minutes, passing two easy down-climbs as the track drops below the DNA buttress. From the base of the second down climb (approx 2m drop), leave the track, turning south (right, when facing out from the cliffs) for 5 m, then up under a large Hakea and onto the top ledge (about 15 metres in total from the red dot track). If you encounter a chain ladder, you have gone too far.

Theoretically, one could bash up to the cliff base from Johnstone's knob, but this is definitely not recommended (thick bush, and wrong turns possible). But this is also a reasonable way to access the abseil ledge of the UR buttress if needed.

Access: abseil into the climbs from the large ledge atop the first pitch is recommended.
12.I wanna know for sure20m20 
Climbs the left corner crack 3m left of the sickle crack of Wild thing, and goes through the intimidating roof crack. This delivers an entertaining and worthwhile crux, if you are into this sort of thing!
Start: abseil in to belay on the large sloping ledge 5m above the base of the buttress, and 4m left of main arete (gear around 0.5 size on ledge).
Avoid the lightly vegetated crack in the back of the corner by chimney climbing the outer corner with small but good protection on the left wall (or bring an extra 2 and 3 for the corner crack at the back). Continue through roof crack (crux), and hand crack above (#2 and #3).
Gear: a few diverse sized wires plus a single rack of cams from 0.2 to 3. Doubles of 2 and 3.
H jackson and J Spencer March 2025
★★★ 13.Wild thing30m22 
Steep, sustained and unique climbing. A masterclass of trad techniques!
Abseil down to the base of the buttress and start just to the left of it.
Climb the short widening hand crack to the sloping ledge at 5m. Reach right onto the arete and climb to the top of the small pillar at 8m. Step back left of the arete to gain the sickle crack and follow this with strenuous climbing to a semi-rest under the roof. Up into hanging v-groove (crux), then narrow hand crack above to finish on the abseil ledge.
Gear: range of wires with a single rack of cams from 0.2 to 0.5. Double rack 0.75 to 2. Single 3 for start.
J Spencer and H Jackson March 2025
★★ 14.The Upper Reaches40m20 
Ascends the thin cracks up the steep orange arete on the front of the buttress - the line that inspired the first visit. Varied and exciting climbing.
Abseil into the base of the buttress.
1. 35m20.
Two starts are possible (covering the first 10m up to the spike):
i) Start 3m R of blunt arete and climb the easy chimney for 5m (no gear, grade 7) and pull onto the buttress proper, then head up & left for 5m to stand on the spike. Or
ii) Climb Wild Thing for 10m to the top of the spike (this is a better start if you are not climbing WT on the same day).
Continue up the bouldery, steep finger cracks on the arete for 8m (crux), then step R into hand/fist crack (grade 16), which is followed to the main ledge.
Pitch 2 (optional). 8m 18.
Climb lovely open corner flake crack above the abseil ledge to the top. Belay off Hakea + cams.
Descent from pitch 2: scramble right and walk back down via red dot track (3 mins).
H Jackson and J Spencer (Alt) Dec 14 2024
★ 15.Lanceolata15m17 
Climbs the lovely hand-fist crack 5m right of the main arete and 3m right of Upper Reaches. Well-protected and continuously interesting for the grade.
Start: abseil into a small ledge above a pepper bush, 8m above the base of the buttress. Belay using finger-sized cams or wires in the shallow corner.
Climb directly from the belay to the small rooflet at 2m, then the left trending finger crack (crux), and then back right up the flake crack for 4m to rest.
Continue up the lovely narrow-hand crack for 12m to the top (grade 16).
Gear: light rack of wires and cams from 0.2 to 2.
H Jackson and J Spencer March 2025

DNA Buttress

DNA Buttress is a small buttress most easily reached from the summit car park by walking down the red dot track for 3 mins from the intersection with the Ampitheatre track. Contains several short lines. The most prominent is Gear Freak, the corner crack. Descend to the L.
16.Pancakes8m12 
The flake on the wall L of Simple Minds.
Unknown.
17.Simple Minds 8m8  
The shallow corner chimney 4m to the L of Rheumatism.
Phil Steane, Oct 1982.
18.Rheumatism 10m19 
Anti-inflammatory medication might help! The thin line up the arête to the L of Gear Freak.
S. Parsons, P. Bigg, D. Fife, Feb 1982.
★ 19.Gear Freak 10m16 
Ten metres of pure joy that ends prematurely. The hand crack in the prominent corner immediately L of D.N.A. Gets wider as you go.
S. Parsons, P. Bigg, D. Fife, Feb 1982.
20.D.N.A. 10m15 
Just R of Gear Freak is a line with a suspended blade 3m off the ground. Climb to the blade and up the wide crack to the top.
D. Bowman, R. Wells, Dec 1977.
21.Adolescent Drifters15m14 
The off-width crack 6m R of D.N.A.
Phil Steane, D. Fife, 1982.
 
  • No labels