Flange Buttress

Seldomly climbed nowadays, though reputedly nice in December when the waratahs are in flower! Climb the thickly vegetated gully at the left hand end of Flange Buttress to finish at the Brown Madonna terrace and rap station.

P. Sands, J. Spinks, Mar 1962 (assisted by a Golden Labrador in the lower stages).

A mixed route right of Pooch Gully that ascends the nose of the minor buttress 10m left of Nefarious. A crack (natural gear) leads to 3 bolts up the arête.

S. Edwards, Jan 1997.

Very popular. Pleasant face climbing on the wall right of Drama Queen. There is a crux getting up the first part of the headwall.

R. Parkyn, J. Parkyn, Nov 2014.

An enjoyably old-school climb replete with bridging, a jam or two, remnant vegetation, and a steep bit. Start as for Princess to the top of the first pillar then step across the ledge to the base of the line.

Note: This route is very well protected by natural pro and climbs beautifully in this style. Take a double rack of cams between .2 and .75 with a single #1 and #2, as well as various wires.

D. Humphries, J. Nermut, Dec 2015.

A quality and aptly titled route that regularly sees struggling leaders log frequent flyer points. The arête and face just left of Slippery Sensation, round to the left of the lowest point on Flange Buttress. The crux is towards the top (some of the bolts after this are not visible from below).

R. Parkyn, Jan 1996.

Classic pipes face/crack climbing with good gear - best done during a dry spell. Right of Nefarious and left of Just a Little Bit Longer is a broken twin crack-line splitting the steep south facing wall. Climb the right hand crack for 7m before moving into the left hand crack-line and continuing up through a bulge (crux). Once at the conspicuous bush, traverse left for 3m and around the arête to belay at the rap station at the top of Nefarious (25m rap).

S. Parsons, K. Bischoff, A. Wing, Apr 1981.

Start as for Slippery Sensation. Climb the RH crack for 7m and instead of traversing L into the LH crack, go straight up the wall. Near the top traverse toward the bush on the L. Descend by abseil from tree. Be careful of some loose flakes / blocks on the upper section.

K. Robinson, P. Robinson, Jan 1998.

A balancy 15m of independent climbing up the left face of the arête between Slipper and Just a Little Bit Longer. A bombproof #3 RP in a groove on the arête protects the crux on an otherwise run-out climb. Continue up Just a Little Bit Longer after the spike on the arête is reached. Descend from rap station as for Bert's Butter Menthol (28m).

M. Jackson, H. Jackson, Mar 1998.

Thought provoking face climbing on previously loose terrain. This route starts up the face 2m right of the arête. Climb the thin line for 6m, trend left then up to a spike on the arête (crux). Adequate small cam placements are now found where loose blocks have been removed and RP's are available the closer you get to the spike. Continue up the left side of the arête for 3m, then step back around the arête. Follow the corner stepping right at the top and up the face to the rap anchors out right as for Bert's Butter Menthol (28m).

S. Parsons, K. Bischoff, Apr 1981.

A serious undertaking. The scary wall between Just a Little Bit Longer and Bert's Fear . Climb diagonally L from the bottom of Berts Fear on dubious face holds to a flake in the middle of the wall (marginal pro). Move up to a small roof, pull around this into a groove, and then hard moves lead to a corner crack. Continue up wall to belay as for Just a Little Bit Longer and Bert's Buttered Menthol. Abseil (28m).
Alt start: From the start of JALBL head up steep wall to a large cam slot, then R to ascend very loose flakes which improve with altitude.

D. Fife, S. Parsons, et al. Nov 1982.

Contentious. Originally done as a trad route then unknowingly bolted a week later. Climb diagonally leftwards from the bottom of Bert's Fear on thin holds (crux). From there climb the line left of the bolts. At the bulge it is possible to go right of the bolt and through the bulge on side-pulls (good fun but contrived, grade 23 with the bolts, grade 24 if you do it without the bolts). The direct (left) exit at the bulge was also climbed as a trad route (Spittoon) and can also be climbed on the bolts; this section is about grade 21. Descend via the rap station (28m).

Originally climbed as trad by T. Smith (Buttered) and H. Jackson (left-hand exit, as Spittoon).

U. Aurelli, D. Cox, J. Fairhall, Mar 1962

As Ranulph (the Fiennes) once said; bad, mad and dangerous. This project, top roped by Phil Robinson has yet to be led and is currently open to any takers. Starts at the Brown Madonna terrace and takes the wide crack system left of On Bended Knees. Best to rap into the start via the Bert’s Fear rap station located on the leaning boulder at the top of the final pitch.

From Brown Madonna terrace climb left and up the broken slabs to the base of a clean wide bottomless crack. Launch into this with gusto until a rest on a foothold on the R wall. Alternatively, traverse L into the crack from a few metres of easy climbing on the R. The crack narrows to hands and a loose flake within it. A somewhat slippery black lichen coated V-chimney follows for 8m to a couple of loose blocks hindering the exit. Take care. Follow cracks and large blocks to join Bert’s Fear 8m from the top. (Difficult to remove the loose blocks as any dislodged rock would likely land near the sports routes at the foot of Pooch Gully 80m below).

P. Robinson TR Feb. 2021

Starts from Brown Madonna terrace and takes a line up the wall to the left of the final pitch of Bert's Fear. Climb left and up the broken slabs and corner, as for Bert’s Fear, to a hand crack splitting the steepening wall. Jam the hand crack, then traverse left, climb the finger crack just right of the nose to negotiate some piled blocks to reach a large ledge. Traverse up and right for 3m across the chimney to the two U bolts on Bert's Fear, beckoning an abseil or, for the true directissima, climb on through the bush and over more blocks for 10m to the top of the column. Reverse back down to the bolts to abseil.

P. Robinson, T. McKenny, Feb 2012.

A. Keller, M. Tillema, 1969. FFA: I. Baker, D. Bowman, Feb 1979.

An unintentional ethical faux pas. The route provides an alternative 2nd pitch to the old classic. Originally a project of the credited first ascentionist, until his red tag went astray. It received two ascents by the unsuspecting N. Hancock and A. Williams. Climb either the first pitch of Precarious (20), or the first 10m of Chop Sticks (18) to the belay to start. Start on the LH face of the arête for a few moves then trend L following a line of fixed hangers to the "Fiddlesticks" ledge. Ether abseil off the DBB at the top of the pillar at the RH end of the ledge, as for Chopsticks, or continue up Fiddlesticks to Brown Madonna rap station.

Credited to A. Wilson, Mar 2004.

Start at the base of Fiddlesticks and climb the L arête. Straightforward climbing past a couple of small to mid-size cams and a bolt leads to the Precarious ledge, followed by excellent arête climbing on good rock (one of the bolts is around on the RH face but stay on the arête). Take a large wire or 0.5 Camalot for higher up. DBB on final pillar.

A. Williams, D. Gray, May 2004. First 8m were climbed by H. & M. Jackson, Jan 2000 (as Chop Sticks 18).

Climb the first pitch of Fiddlesticks to about half height, just below small roof on the L wall. Traverse L, pull through roof, then follow thin cracks above.

D. Gray, May 2004.

T. Terry, G. Wyatt, 1967.

S. Edwards, Jan 1997.

Most of Neon God has now been climbed on trad gear, The Kundalini Flow. It may be a profound mystical experience for some but it will certainly be a test of ability and mental strength to complete the line on spaced gear while studiously ignoring the presence of 20 seductive and beckoning bolts.
Climb up the initial crack of Big Sticks and Beatings for 5m then join 'the vague trad weakness up the Neon God wall, looking for gear.' The last 6 pieces below the crux are # 2 and 3 RP's......

Adam Donoghue, Feb, 2013

A less demanding RH alternative to the second pitch of Neon God. The crux is passing the second U-bolt.

R. Parkyn, Jan 1997.

N. Deka, S. Bunton, 1989.

A brilliant and intimidating line on the arête and face between Big Sticks and Beatings and Digitalis. It earns stars for the climbing and the position, not for the loose rock down low. Ascend the pedestal 3m right of Big Sticks and Beatings, climb up to small roof and reach up and around right to a jug. Continue up the steep and well protected flakes right of the arête, until angle eases and a shallow corner is reached (18m). Ascend the shallow corner right of arête with increasing difficulty to a ledge at 35m. Step back onto the arête and climb the face past 2 bolts (crux) to the Neon God anchors.

Originally called Blue Sky, the face and arête were climbed by D. Stephenson, J. Otlowski in 1996; the corner:was later added by H. & M. Jackson in Mar 1998 and the direct start and finish by H. Jackson, B. Maddison in Dec 2014.

J. Moore, R. Williams. FFA: D. Bowman, M. Steane, Dec 1977. Direct Finish: P. Robinson, C. Hewer, K. Robinson, Dec. 2011.

A modern classic that is consistent quality all the way. Demonstrates what can be done with school holidays and a nickel-cadmium power-pack. The arête between Brown Madonna and Digitalis. Fifteen quick draws required en-route plus something to clip into the abseil anchors.

S. Edwards, Jan 1995.

S. Edwards, Dec 1996.

This variant is a single mega pitch that follows the line (and bolts) to the top. Start on the face and climb to a 'rest' about 2 bolts below the hanging belay. Once 'recovered' follow the line of bolts to the top, staying on the face.
Note: This variant has also been climbed on natural gear by Adam Donoghue in 2014. He pre-placed two pitons in thin cracks on the first 15m, and later removed them after the ascent.

S. Parsons, Mar 2007.

"Brown Lady will you marry me?" quoth the Jake. An elegant route with all the qualities of consistency, length of pitch and fantastic pro. Above the daunting chimney is a sustained crack and corner system of gob-smacking brilliance. (originally known as Black Madonna in the late 60s/early 70s). Climb the chimney to where it narrows before traversing out and up. Continue up the imposing crack line and blind corner to the terrace and rap anchors (50m).

D. Groom, J. Moore, D.Batten 1968 but long attributed to K. Carrigan, G. Child, Feb 1978, who renamed the chimney Brown Madonna