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<guide>
<text class="heading1">Sphinx Rock
</text>
<text
class="text">Background Information
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<text
class="text">Rock: A small sandstone outcrop below the road on the east face of the mountain at an altitude of 700 metres. The sheltered overhanging nature of the rock provides an interesting experience compared with the vertical dolerite of the larger cliffs above
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<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Climbing Info: Some 25 climbs to date, generally short up to 15m. The majority are bolted as natural protection is poor. The most notable feature of the area is the wide roof that caps much of the crag, through which several technically difficult routes up to 31 have been pushed.
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<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Access: is via the Lenah Valley Track, near the Springs. The quickest way is to park at the junction of the track and the road (limited parking), about 500m up the hill from the Springs on the R. After about 10mins walk, turn R to the Sphinx Rock Lookout although access to the crag is a further few metres on, down R on the Lower Sawmill Track. Alternatively, and longer , walk from the Springs (more parking space available) along the track which leaves from just behind the Toilet Block to join up with the Lenah Valley track. Routes are described R to L.
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<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Descent: is either by walking off to the R and back down the track or rapping off where rap station has been provided.
GPS: 0520211mE 5249678mN (GDA94)</text>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="24" length="10m" name="Morning Raid"
new="false" number=""
stars="">On the overhanging north facing wall by the track down to the main cliff. Climb the centre of the wall -3Us and rap station... You may want to stick clip the first bolt. S. Parsons, E. Peacock, J. Kennedy, Oct. 1985.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="22" length="10m" name="Rent A Forearm"
new="false" number=""
stars="">The wall L of Morning Raid, 1 U bolt with some natural gear. Rap station. S. Parsons. 1985
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="14" length="15m" name="Duckpond"
stars="">Start as for Mogul. Pull up and mantel onto the ledge at 4m, Move a couple of metres R to a crack/groove, and continue up this to the top. L. Closs, I. Lewis, Jan. 1973.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Mogul"
stars="">The bottomless crack which forms the RH extremity of the main overhang. Pull up and mantel to the start of the crack. Climb the crack and face above to the top. I. Lewis, P. Reynolds, Feb. 1974.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="28" length="15m"
name="Lean Mean Fighting Machine"
stars="**">A desperate endeavour 10m R of Fear Factory. Crank through the bulging wall to a rest in the corner. Traverse R along the break and then up via a desperate boulder problem finish. G. Phillips, Feb. 2004.
</climb><climb
extra="" grade="27/28" length=""
name="Lean Mean Fighting Machine Direct" new="false" number=""
stars="">The direct start to the above is grade 28 apparently as no one can do it! G. Phillips 2005</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="25" length="15m" name="Rambo"
stars="**">Uses the same start as Lean Mean Fighting Machine. However from the corner cut back L and finish through the steep roof. G. Phillips, July 2004.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="30" length="12m" name="Space Invader"
stars="***">Starts as for Rambo but heads direct. G. Phillips, Sep. 2004.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ " grade="31" length="15m" name="Spaced Out" new="false"
number=""
stars="**">Links Space Invader in to Storm Trooper, a very sustained piece of climbing. J. Bresneham, Dec 2005
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ " grade="28" length="15m" name="Calm before the Storm"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">Located 2m R of Ignition Sequence Start. Scramble up the slab and crank through the bulge and R to lower from the chains of Rambo. G. Phillips, Sep. 2004.
</climb><climb
extra="Þ" grade="27" length="" name="Storm Trooper"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Located 2m R of Ignition Sequence Start. Scramble up slab and crank through bulge and R to lower from chains of Rambo. G. Phillips, Sep. 2004.</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="24" length="8m" name="Ignition Sequence Start"
stars="*">Start 3m R of Fear Factory and follow the bolts past a hard pull at half height. C. Veal, Feb. 2004.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="26" length="20m" name="First Blood" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Climb Fear Factory then drop down and continue traversing along lip past another five U's to a rap station. S. Edwards, 1997.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="22" length="8m" name="The Pie Man" new="false"
number=""
stars="*">Climb Fear Factory to the third bolt, then head direct. G. Phillips, Feb. 2004.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ " grade="23" length="10m" name="Fear Factory"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">Start 2m R of Mindbeast. Up, along lip and up to rap station. Four bolts. S. Edwards, 1997.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="18" length="20m" name="Mindbeast"
stars="**">The difficulties on this are psychological. The impressive hand crack, which splits the main overhang 20m from the RH end. Up the initial slab, then climb the crack through the overhangs. I. Lewis, P. Reynolds, Feb. 1974.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ " grade="22" length="12m" name=" Walk like an Egyptian"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">Starts as for Phoenix. After the first bolt in the roof, head R along the flake system past two bolts to the lip, continuing up the headwall above to a DBB. A. Williams, Oct 2004
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="24" length="23m" name="Phoenix"
stars="***">More horizontal than vertical. 3m to the L of Mindbeast, below a shallow cave. Move easily up diagonally L via a virtual staircase to the ceiling. Follow the line of flakes across the roof to the lip (bolt runners) and continue to the top. S. Parsons, P. Bigg, Aug. 1979.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="21" length="20m" name="Tutankhamen"
stars="*">Around the corner from Phoenix, 3m L of the crumbly arête formed where the cliff changes direction to face southeast. Move up a shallow corner to a bolt and traverse diagonally R towards a small ledge on the arête. Climb the arête to the roof, move diagonally R across the roof and round the lip to a small cave. Surmount the final overhang to the top. P. Bigg, Aug. 1980.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="24" length="24m" name="Pharos"
stars="">A 7m excursion across the roof flake immediately L of Tutankhamen. Climb the slanting weakness, 5m L of Tut, up to the first bulge. Over this and R slightly to the roof flake (BR). Traverse the diagonal flake out to the lip. Surmount the lip and continue to the top. P. Bigg, S. Parsons, K. Carrigan, Apr. 1982.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="17" length="12m"
name="Araldite, Goddess Of Bondage"
stars="">Start 10m L of Tutankhamen next to a large gum tree. Climb the short wall past 2BRs to a large platform. (wire and camming placement here). Continue up from the R hand end of the platform past two more BRs to the top. FA; O. Prall, R. Vincent. Apr. 1992.
</climb><climb
extra="Þ" grade="26" length="8m" name="Firewire"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Short and intense, starts 5m right of (SSSH). G. Phillips, 2004. </climb>
<climb
extra="Þ " grade="25" length="8m" name="Mr. Wiggles" new="false"
number=""
stars="">The prow R of Short, Sharp and Shit Hot (SSSH). Finish as for SSSH. K. Robinson, 1997.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ " grade="24" length="8m"
name="Short Sharp and Shit Hot" new="false" number=""
stars="">40m L of Phoenix. Climb the very steep wall pasts two bolts to a rap station. G. Phillips, Apr. 1996.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="16" length="10m" name="White Nile"
stars="">L of the main overhang are 50m of short knobbly walls up which any number of easy routes can be found. Routes starting from White Nile take the obvious lines at this end of the cliff. A deep mossy boulder-filled cave is found 25m L of Tutankhamen. Bridge and jam the overhanging corner crack, then escape L. S. Parsons, P. Bigg, Aug. 1980.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="9" length="9m" name="Blue Nile"
stars="">The chimney crack 7m L of White Nile. Straight up the crack. S. Parsons, P. Bigg, J. Parsons, Aug. 1980.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="12" length="9m" name="Cheops"
stars="">The light-coloured arête on the last substantial buttress in this direction (visible from White Nile). Start below the arête, 4m L of a mossy corner. Up the arête (old carrot bolt runner near the top). S. Parsons, P. Bigg, J. Parsons, Aug. 1980.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="20" length="12m" name="Gandhi"
stars="">Two BR's with lower-off. N. Selby, 2000.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="21" length="12m" name="Get A Grip" stars="">Three BR's with lower-off. N. Selby, 2000.
</climb>
</guide>
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