Gabriel Area
1-15 min
All day sun
Short vertical dolerite buttresses. Mostly trad routes, but some bolts.
Crag Steward
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Gabriel Gully
Access- above and to the right of Mars Wall is a gully, on the left is a very small buttress with the following routes. It can also be accessed from Gabriel.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
The blank corner to the crack and then exit left. Originally used a piton runner.
McMahon, Ling, 1982.
Line of bolts up face to crack at the top DBB. A desperate throw to a side pull is the crux of this route.
Gerry Narkowicz, 2022 · From: theCrag
Up crack to groove.
Ling, McMahon, 1982.
Hand crack.
McMahon, Ling, 1982.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Challenging stemming and laybacking up a short corner leads to a rooflet and big move right at the top DBB
Gerry Narkowicz, 2022 · From: theCrag
The bolts up the arete leading to a corner DBB. Some good moves at the start.
Gerry Narkowicz, 2022 · From: theCrag
The line of bolts furthest right. Starts on block and trends right at the 2nd bolt to the right arete DBB. Some technical slab moves to the top.
Gerry Narkowicz, 2022 · From: theCrag
Gabriel Buttress
Access- either by hopping across the rocks when (the tide is out) opposite the table and chairs on the Shady Side, or follow the map. The first 3 routes are on the left uphill section of the cliff. Bolt belays on top of main cliff.
The thin corner to horizontal break/roof. You can escape here by stepping across left to ledge or go left and continue up chimney for pitch 2.
McMahon, Ling, 1982.
A better version of the above climb. Instead of escaping at break/roof, keep going up past a U-bolt, then some gear and ledges to more bolts.
Fox, Bissett, 1997.
The corner/crack right of Bolingbroke.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
From top of Wad go up slabs to corner and right to groove.
McHugh, McMahon, 1972.
The next routes are on the bottom tier of the Gabriel Buttress facing directly onto the river.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Arête and shallow corner on the downstream end. 2 eye-bolts and small cams. DBB.
Fox, Munro, Povey, 1995.
These next climbs finish at a DBB at the ledge.
Twin crack/corner on the bottom left of the Gabriel Buttress.
McMahon, Burnett, Mallinson, 1973.
Arête with 2 fixed hangers.
Ng, 1989.
Face and crack system right of Third Uncle.
Deka, Ling, McMahon, Smith, 1980.
The next two climbs go from the ledge above Don't Look at the ....
Climb up 3m and traverse upstream 10m from the DBB above Third Uncle. Climb the off-width crack with a FH on the right and a loose chockstone which faces downstream.
McMahon, Talbot, 1975.
10m upstream from the DBB and 3m right of Cashel is a small roof. Climb up this to a thin crack/corner system leading to an overlap and finger crack beyond.
Parsons, Deka, 1981.
The following routes are back on the river level.
Climb up past the obvious spike.
McMahon, Burnett, Mallinson, 1973.
The crack 3m right of the Spike Route.
McMahon, Burnett, 1973.
Crack behind tree to ledge then up the next tier on the right to the chimney/off-width crack.
Hamilton, Smith, 1981.
Flake 3m above the ground.
Smith, Cameron, Deka, Hamilton, 1981.
Up main crack in the centre of the buttress to the top. It is possible to traverse left at the start of the off-width into another crack at about 18.
Smith, McMahon, Cover, 1980.
The next climbs start on the second tier on the right hand side of the buttress
Up left trending flake to arete, sparse protection but excellent climbing.
Narkowicz, Kearnes, Ng, 1985
Climb the large pillar 4m right of Son of Man, one carrot only and a cosmetic wire.
Ng, 1990.
Climb Cowardice to the crack below the roof. Step left onto the face and crank the spaced face holds up and left past one fixed hanger to the #1 cam crack.
De Cesare, Jones Oct 2003.
Yellow corner on the right of the buttress. Classic climbing.
Smith, Cover, 1980.
Gabriel Amphitheatre
Access- up right of the main face of Gabriel Buttress
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Elegant climbing up clean corner and thin finger crack. DBB
McMahon, 1973.
The arête right of Cacodaemon. Climb Mendelt's Route to the first bolt and then move left to the arête past 4 more bolts to DBB. Difficult to avoid stepping onto MR at times but worthwhile if you can.
Narkowicz 2001.
Off-width corner right of Spiritual Fire.
Mendelt Tillema, 1974.
Thin crack 1m right of Mendelt's Route. Originally done with a piton.
McMahon, Smith, 1982.
The next corner right.
McMahon, 1980.
Up the twin cracks.
McMahon, McHugh, 1972.
Up crack to flake clearing vegetation and dirt as you go.
McMahon, Martin, Mohler, 1982.
School Girl Pinnacles
About half way down to Gabriel Buttress from the top (or halfway to the zig-zag track from the bottom) is a Pinnacle with a few bolted lines on it. This is it. DBB on top.
On the down stream side of the pinnacle is an easy line to the top. Its really only worthwhile as a means to get to the top if you want to top-rope the other lines.
Bissett, French, 1997
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
On the downhill face of the pinnacle. Follow the bolts. DBB.
Bissett, 1997.
On lower pinnacle. RH line of bolts. Start out right. DBB
M. Fox, 1997 · From: theCrag
The upstream line of 4 bolts. Start from the right then go straight up. DBB.
Fox, 1997.
Uphill and slightly right of the above routes is a slabby looking piece of rock. This is Six-pack Slab and the following two climbs are there.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
The left line of 3 bolts, past a hard start. DBB.
Fox, Nicholls, 1997.
"Cos it ain't no fuckin' slab", said the delusional first ascensionist. The right line of 3 bolts. DBB.
Nichols, Fox, 1997.
Dent de Lion Pinnacles
About 50m upstream from Gabriel Buttress or where you cross the river when the tide is out are two separate pillars of rock. The downstream one being the taller and pointier of the two.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
The downstream pinnacle up past 2 bolts to the crack above and a DBB.
Fox and Bissett, 2001.
Down and right 10m from HTFB is a line of 3 bolts that go to a DBB.
Fox and Bissett 2001.
Tithog Pinnacle
Access- About 100m upstream from Gabriel Buttress, almost where you cross the river when the tide is in, is a small pinnacle almost hidden by the trees.
The hand crack on the left hand side of the pinnacle.
McMahon, Mohler, 1982.
Through the overhang right of Tithog past 2 bolts and a 1.5 cam to a DBB.
Narkowicz, 2001.
Ling's Pinnacle
Access- 100m upstream from Tithog Pinnacle or opposite the Prince of Darkness.
Start up the crack facing the river then go right around the arête and into the slant.
Ling, Lamb, McMahon, 1982.
The thin crack to the right of Ling's Slant with one bolt.
Narkowicz, 2001
Paradise Buttress
Another 50m upstream from Ling's Slant is the last passable piece of rock before the river bends around to the Tea Room Cliffs.
The left hand line of bolts to a DBB.
Narkowicz, 2001
The right hand line of bolts. Add a grade if you feel vertically challenged and you're onsighting it. DBB.
Narkowicz, 2001.
Tea Room Cliffs
Access- Directly opposite the Gorge Restaurant Tea Rooms look-out are two small cliffs, about 20m 1 is the most downstream of the 2 buttress.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Climb arête on separate pillar with 3 eye-bolts. DBB.
Fox, Munro, DeCesare, 1995.
It's not only wankers that do it. 2 eye-bolts around the corner from Boys On the Monkey Bars. Hard to avoid the block behind and awkward clips.
Fox, Munro, 1996.
and on Tea Room No 2 is ...
With a name like that who needs a description? The crack to a shallow yellow corner.
Thomas, Fantini, 1980.
Off-width corner 3m right of Yellow Corner. Surprisingly good fun.
McMahon, Ogbourne, 1982.
Up horizontal breaks and blocks 5m right of Passing the Time. A variant start 2m further right is also quite good.
McMahon, 1978.
Around bulge to crack.
McMahon, Martin, Mohler, 1982.
Guess what?
Robertson, 1978.
Hidden Buttress
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
The left side of the main face has some large flake underclings. Follow these to the boulder and climb over the face of the top boulder.
Robert McMahon, Gerry Narkowicz & Norm Selby · From: theCrag
The thin crack on the right of the buttress, good protection at the top of the crack, finish up the right arete on the top boulder.
Gerry Narkowicz & John Fry · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag