Other Southern Crags

This section contains information about other crags in the South and West of Tasmania for which we do not have full guides for.

Broadmarsh

There is a very small dolerite crag called Fool's Paradise across the river at Broadmarsh - you can see it from the road. Pretty damn worthless, but there were about 10 routes done here in the seventies.

Chauncy Vale

Chauncy Vale (otherwise known as Chossy Vale) is a sandstone valley near Bagdad, about 30 minutes north of Hobart. The road to the start of the walk is sign posted from the main road in Bagdad. Climbing is currently banned, however a couple of bolted routes were put up in the late 90s. To find them, head up walking track that goes up the hill, after about 10 minutes it passes under the first buttress. There is a big roof crack at about 22, then a nice route with about 5 bolts at grade 20. Further right is a good bolted arete. More cliffs were explored and cleaned, but the vast majority of cliffs in the valley are total choss. On the other side of the highway is Green Valley. There are some sandstone cliffs up there that could have potential, but I don't know if they've been climbed on. They are on private land.

Derbyshire Rocks

Derbyshire Rocks is the outrageous choss by the side of the road between New Norfolk and Boyer, on the eastern side of the river. For some unknown reason Phil Robinson "endured" 2 routes there in 1976, documented in CCT circular no 100. Apparently though the smaller outcrop by the side of the river (on the other side) has some deep water soloing.

Kingston - Alum Cliffs

Some routes have been done on the mudstone cliffs north of Kingston Beach. No details are known.

Glendevie

This sandstone crag about an hour south of Hobart has been given a cursory look over by passing climbers over the years but only one climb has been recorded to date. It has some average looking sandstone and is only really worthwhile for locals. From Glendevie, south of Geeveston on the Huon Highway, continue towards Dover for about a kilometre and the crag with a number of detached boulders is visible on the R as the road starts to climb up the hill (GR 991 113, Tasmap 1:25000, Waterloo). In the same area of the world there are a bunch of sandstone buttresses on the south side of the river at Huonville - but they are very chossy.

Goats Bluff

Goats Bluff is a sedementary headland passed on the way to South Arm, at the end of Calverts Beach. Park at the Storm Bay carpark lookout.

Longley Edge

These couple of routes were done at Longley Edge in the seventies and are here for historical interest. These days there are houses right up to the cliff which makes things a little awkward.

Mt Hobbs

Mt Hobbs is a dolerite peak near Woodsdale, out the back of Buckland. Some obscure routes were done on it in the 70s.

Nicholls Rivulet

There is a small sandstone crag about 8km along the Nicholls Rivulet Rd (C626), on the left as you are going south. It was toproped in the 80s and on private land.

Pelverata Falls

There are some small dolerite cliffs along the escarpment that forms Pelverata Falls. Some of these have been toproped and led. There is a very nice bridging corner, about grade 23. With a decent 4WD (or mountain bike) you can drive right to the top of the cliffs via the Snug Tiers. Otherwise you can walk to the bottom via the walking track that starts near the township of Pelverata. Either way, this cliff is of dubious value.

Richmond

Barwicks Rocks

Barwicks Rocks was first developed by John Moore in the late 1960s/early 1970s. No details are currently available on routes at Barwicks Rocks, though the CCT circulars published during this period might contain further information. The crag reputedly is little more than a loose pile of choss.

Spice Cliffs

This crag consists of three small buttresses close together that are visible from the road. The crag is on private land. Permission to access the crag needs to be re-established with the landowner. Last known climbing here was in the mid-1980s.

Roadside Rock

Sketch

Shag Bay

Shag Bay is a pile of choss, but apparently "was climbed out by Phil Steane in early eighties". No further details are available.

Sorell Creek Crags

There are three different small dolerite cliffs at Sorell Creek which were developed in the 1970s. They are in the gorge that the road which heads south from the Sorell Creek township goes through. They currently languish in obscurity, and will probably stay that way. But if someone is super keen, there are descriptions in the CCT circulars in the State Library.

The Rookeries

The Rookeries is an old dolerite crag on South Arm with access problems. There were numerous climbs done here in the early 80s and 90s by the Jacksons and they are in the process of collating and documenting these climbs, as well as reappraising the access. In the meantime they suggest that climbers do not climb there as access is still an issue.

Mt. Lloyd

Christoph Speer and Fraser L-R investigated climbing potential on Mt. Lloyd in May 2022. The rock is flaky, chossy alpine dolerite and looks much better from the road than it does up close. A few routes were done on the Southern cliff-line (listed here), and there's probably a few more lines to do if you can be bothered going up there. Unfortunately, the larger Northern cliff below the fire tower is complete and utter choss.

You can access the cliff by driving to Mt. Lloyd and parking in a forestry coup just below the West side of the mountain. Following the pink tape from near the end of the forestry road, it's about a 45 minute walk up the hill through easy open scrub/bush to the top.

Rhyndaston Gorge (Colebrook Gorge)

The gorge at Rhyndaston has been explored by different parties on separate occasions for climbing potential. Large, vast sandstone cliffs exist in the gorge with easy access from the end of Youngs Road. Unfortunately, the sandstone is too soft and chossy for development and the cliff provides little value other than a nice picnic with your significant other.

Barren Rock (Dysart)

Barren Rock has been explored by various parties over the years, with Lewis and Closs probably being the first during the 1970s. The Jacksons put up one route here in the 1990s.

Christoph Speer had a recent look in July 2022 and reports the following: It is a large dolerite cliff with straightforward access from Harbachs Road and lies within the Devils Den Conservation Area. Unfortunately, the cliff is extremely lichenous and chossy. There may be potential for some trad and sport routes here but the amount of work needed to clean them makes them not worth the effort.

Also of note is that the swimming hole at Devils Dens is quite pleasant on a summers day (HJ).