Tower Hill Bouldering
Acknowledgement
Most of the content in this guide comes originally from theCrag, and is shown here under their CC-NCSA license.
Introduction
Tower Hill is a cluster of two hills, East Tower and West tower with several smaller rises and false summits on the foothills. Tower Hill is situated between Mathinna to the north, Fingal to the south east and Rossarden to the south west.
Approach: If driving from Hobart, drive to Fingal, take a left on Mathinna Road, another left onto B42 after crossing the bridge and take a right onto C429 Tower Hill Road which is well signposted. Tower Hill Road is a well compacted gravel road with the odd deeper pothole here and there but most cars will make it up with ease. Follow Tower Hill Road for 14.8km and take a left onto Cabin Road. For the bouldering, follow Cabin Road for 3.8km and park in the bend of the road on the right, you'll see the boulders already. There is an unused Forestry gate at around 3.5kms in which you can open and close behind you.
If driving down from Launceston, head to Mathinna, drive south on C429 Golden Gate Road, then right onto Tower Hill Road until you get to Cabin Road to your right.· From: theCrag
History
First discovered by Doug Fyfe back in the day, then forgotten about and re-discovered by Gerry recently.· From: theCrag
GPS
Tower Hill Main
Tower Hill Bouldering is a small boulder field on a rise below East Tower. There are around 10 large free standing boulders with a bit of everything from short to tall, slab to steep. Quality of the rock is really good, however does require some extensive cleaning.
Approach: For the bouldering, follow Cabin Road for 3.8km and park in the bend of the road on the right, you'll see the boulders already. On the right hand side you'll see a little bridge and path to the main boulders· From: theCrag
Business Time Boulder
This is the first large boulder you see when approaching from the road with the tall vertical face on the approach side, an overhang on the far side and a slab to vertical face on the uphill side.
Approach: A good 30 seconds from the car via the little bridge.· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
The obvious highball slightly right of the large face of the first boulder. The first 2m is the crux and the top-out is on jugs and good feet.
Patrick Munnings · From: theCrag
The central line of the boulder stand start to a harder top-out than Business at the Front
Patrick Munnings · From: theCrag
Stand start near the large tree on the left of the face. left hand follows the good sidepull flake until jugs are reached near the top. Trend slightly left to a clean top-out on reasonable holds.
Patrick Munnings · From: theCrag
Enduro classic traverse, right to left of the front of the Business Boulder. Start on the arete on the right hand side with sidepull and good hold and feet under roof. Head left via good holds, all the way to finishing by latching the hold in the shallow corner on far left of cliff with flailing arms
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
A great line that somehow got missed. Start at the bottom of the overhanging arete. Left hand on underling, right hand on good juggy ear around the arete. Climb the overhanging arete to the top. Mind the boulder by your back at half height.
Harley Mills, Dec 2025 · From: theCrag
Start way down on the lowest flake. Climb out of hole to slopers, then continue to the lip.
Alex Hartshorne, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start as for "Chaparral" but continue traversing via strenuous moves.
Dylan Tubaro · From: theCrag
Stand start on good opposing holds and make good compression moves to fun top
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Start with right hand in the slot under the roof and left hand low compressing the good sidepull far left, make a couple of powerful moves into and finish as for Middle Aged Chick Magnet
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Nice face climbing to the right of Mullet Is The Old Sexy
A. Martin, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
On the back of the first big boulder closest to the road. The central line up a delightful series of crimps to a summit jug and committing high step left to finish.
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
On the back of the first big boulder closest to the road. Starts down left of the previous problem in a hole. Nice techy moves and fancy footwork enable a big throw up left to the crucial top hold and tricky high step onto the slab to finish.
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Stand start on same hold as I'm a Rocker, head right to slopey crimps and up to good top out
A. Martin, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Stand start on the good jug, head up and left via crimps
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start with left hand on rail and right hand on crimp, pull on and bump to razor crimp with right followed through into a big dyno to jug and top out.
A. Martin, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start to firepower with left hand in shallow undercling pocket type of hold, right hand really low on good undercling, hard first move leads you into Firepower
Tommy Krauss, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
1m left of firepower, good climbing on positive holds
A. Martin, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
On South face of Business Boulder. Sit start from jug under roof and feet deep in cave. Throw to jug then gain ledge to precarious mantle and highall topout
Gerry Narkowicz, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Party Time Boulder
This is the steep faced boulder directly along the path from the first boulder with a steep overhang on the left, downhill side and a slab on the uphill side
Approach: Around 40 seconds from the car.· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Sit start with crimp rail in horizontal crack at left the corner of the boulder. Up and Right via step like feature. Climbs the right trending ramp of big holds and slopes
Gerry Narkowicz, 2022 · From: theCrag
An excellent compression line, sit start with left on low incut side pull and slightly higher right side pull
Ryan Sklenica · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Project 3
Start on ledge in middle of face. Head leftward into 'Heellucination' via crimps.
From: theCrag
Stand start in the good pocket jug well above head height, big reach to the first jug then fun cranking up the steep arete to gain the slab.
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
The lower variant to "Did Douggy Do it" Starting on Jugs directly on the Arete.
Gerry Narkowicz · From: theCrag
Sit start matched on ledge to the left. Head rightward to the arete via nice moves and up as for "Douggy Didn't Do It"
Nick Hanson · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Sit start and follow lip to the 'middle' and up to the highest point of the boulder. Large hold/Boulder has since pulled off. Needs re-sending.
Nick Hanson, Jan 2022 · From: theCrag
Traverse Project 2
Head leftward to the 'middle' and up to highest point of the boulder. Uncleaned at this stage.
From: theCrag
Turbo Time
Turbo Time is the boulder just behind Party Time and below Old Time.
Approach: Get there by walking past the bottom end of the Party Time boulder. Roughly 50 seconds from the road· From: theCrag
Sit start the right hand steep arete and follow good holds up to left to committing finish onto the slab
D. Tubaro, Jan 2022 · From: theCrag
The DC Boulder
The large boulder on the far northern side of the boulder field. Just downhill from Party Time boulder.
Approach: Walk in as for Party Time Boulder, past the downhill side and follow cairns downhill to the large boulder· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Fun cranking up the steep juggy arete on the southern side of the boulder, the first problem you come to when walking down to the boulder. Sit start in cave with left hand in big pocket.
Gerry Narkowicz, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Highball on the eastern side of the boulder. Sit start from crimps to gain jug, then lovely juggy climbing trending right to top out.
Gerry Narkowicz, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Start as for TCDC, head right via good edge, make powerful moves to slopey top out
From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Stand start the right hand arete, good moves to somewhat committing topout
Patrick Munnings, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start under Towering Hills, head right via powerful moves and finish as for Marvelous Arete
Patrick Munnings, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Stand start the centre line on the northern face of the boulder from a sidepull, weave in and out of the black and grey streaks to finish over the highest point of the boulder. There is a single bolt at the top for working on top rope
Patrick Munnings, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Stand start on good edges, head up left of black streak, crux starts at around 5 metres and continues to the top, great line with headdy finish over the highest point of the boulder. There is a single bolt at the top for working on top rope
Patrick Munnings, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Start as for Doleright and traverse the downhill face of the boulder right to left finishing on the lip of the juggy roof far left
Alex Hartshorne, Nov 2021 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Old Time Boulder
This is the boulder uphill between Boulder 1 and Boulder 2 with a steep face on the downhill side and a large vertical face
Approach: Just uphill of Boulder 1, around 45 seconds from the car.· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Start in the slot in the middle of the face, head up via bad slopers and head left to a good crimp at 2/3rds height, then top out as for left arete
From: theCrag
Sit start in the lowest two slots in the middle of the overhanging face and head straight up to the lip before punching right to the jug of ‘Old is the new sexy’ careful not to fly down the hill.
Crucial hold broke off in 2023, has not been repeated since
Ryan Sklenica · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Sit start with both hands on the good incut crimp, head up the right arete via some hard initial moves and committing but solid top out through lip towards the middle of the boulder
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Start as for Old Is The New Sexy, head right around the arete on sharp crimp and finish straight up the headwall as for ‘comfortably numb’.
Ryan Sklenica · From: theCrag
Start left hand on undercling, right hand on thin sloper, up left to gaston and good flat edge, then back right to undercling and upwards into the swoop. From here, stay on the swoop and head straight up for a hard and committing finish.
Jordan Grant, Jan 2022 · From: theCrag
Stand start on V-Shaped crimps in the middle of the face and head straight up via good edges and sidepulls, from the big jug around 1.5m below the lip head straight up via good crimps and mantle
Steve Postle, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Start as for Coffin Dodger but head right via good sidepulls to join arete at half height, stay on arete to the top and mantle via highest point.
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Stand start on the left side of the face, trending right using the flake
Gerry Narkowicz, Dec 2021 · From: theCrag
Delightful face climbs just right of the centre of the face. Use the flake on the right to gain the flat jug in the middle of the face, then an exciting top-out on the arete up right
Gerry Narkowicz, Dec 2021 · From: theCrag
Pillow Time
Just up the hill from Old Time Boulder· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Sit start in the horizontal crack crimp feature, move up via slopers and sidepulls
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Stand start with the left hand on the arete at chest height, right hand on good square edge on the face
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Stand start with left hand on flat hold, right hand on low slopey gaston, head straight up via big moves to good mantle
Ali Roush, Jan 2022 · From: theCrag
Sit start in the v-shaped hold, using bad feet make a big move to the sloper and jugs, move up straight to good mantle
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Start matched on the arrowhead shaped hold, move up via good holds to tricky top out
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start on slanting sloper, move up straight via good holds to top out
Nick Hanson, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start matched on the flat jug, move up via sidepulls and juggy edges to mantle
Tommy Krauss, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start on the good holds with good feet, move up the face to easy top out
Nick Hanson, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Power Couple Boulder
The short boulder closest to the car park to the right of the business boulder· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Stand start line of good holds and follow lip of boulder towards its highest point, then mantle
A. Martin, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start to Andrew And Gerry Go Bouldering
A. Martin, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Sit start with right hand in good incuts, left hand on sidepully jug and finish as for AAGGB
A. Martin, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Stones Throw Boulder
Just up the hill from Power Couple Boulder is a slopey faced boulder.· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Start on the lip and mantle to easy top
Gerry Narkowicz, Oct 2021 · From: theCrag
Fledgling Boulder
This boulder is situated just up the hill of Stones Throw and below Pillow Time
Approach: Walk in is best via the downhill side of the Business Boulder· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Left arete. Sit start at underclings with a tough initial move - up then slightly R to top.
Nick Morgan, Feb 2022 · From: theCrag
Stand start in the middle of the face, off small pads. Up to good rails, topping out slightly L of middle bulge. Sit start goes around V4?
Nick Morgan & Tamara Scott, Feb 2022 · From: theCrag
Same start as I’m a Beautiful Butterfly, up to the first big horizontal rail - veering R into slight groove, using gastons/sidepulls to top out over the steepest part of the boulder. Originally done from stand start..but can be linked in with the SDS
Patrick Munnings, 2022 · From: theCrag
The R arete. Sit start off big holds, then straight up.
Nick Morgan, Feb 2022 · From: theCrag
Big Tree Boulder
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Start sitting down on the left with two low opposing side pulls.
Arse drag your way right tk finish up the arête.
Not an area classic as all the holds fell off.
Feb 2022 · From: theCrag
Cave Boulder
This boulder sits around 20m left of the big highball arete boulder
Approach: Best approached by walking across from the Fledgling Boulder, or by dropping down to it from Pillow Time. Tracks will be market soon so keep an eye out for it.· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Start waaaaay at the back with RH in a finger lock and LH on a wide slopey pinch.
Quest out the cave with tricky feet and an inconvenient boulder to finish up and left.
Not a classic but there are some cool holds in the crack.
Feb 2022 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Sit start, hand jam in crack on left, small flake with right and up to the top
Gerry Narkowicz, Mar 2022 · From: theCrag
Stand start, shares the ramp of Jam It for the left hand but aim for small flake up high on the right, then top out
Gerry Narkowicz, Mar 2022 · From: theCrag
The Pebble
This is the boulder underneath the big overhanging arete on the highball boulder and around 5m from the Cave Boulder
Approach: Approach is the same as for Cave Boulder· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Sit start and straight up the middle of the face with large holds and cool moves.
Gerry Narkowicz, Mar 2022 · From: theCrag
Sit start down on the left arete and slap up the cool rounded edge to the top
Andy Martin, Mar 2022 · From: theCrag
Blow Boulder
Approach: Best approached as for Cave and Pebble boulders, then drop downhill by around 30m.· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Layback start, tricky move to jug and powerful layback to top.
Michael Lehmann, Feb 2022 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
Isengard
Just up the road from Tower Hill Main, you'll find Isengard, a stark difference in formations can be found here. Isengard is a bit more spread out than THM and a more vegetation surrounding the boulders makes sticking to the tracks a good idea which are being cairn marked. Isengard is currently being developed and will see lots more problems in the future.
Approach: Drive up the road past Tower Hill Main for around 750m until you get to the Tower Hill West walking trail start marked with a cairn. You can park just past the cairn on the left where you'll find a couple of good flat camping/pull out spots. From here, walk south for around 80m and you'll get to an enclave of large boulders with a significant roof, this is Isengard.· From: theCrag
Isengard Slab
Isengard Slab is a decent sized slab sitting below the big roof of Isengard Tower, the tall wall with the big horizontal roof.
Approach: From the carpark/camp walk around 80m south-west into the bush and you'll find yourself approaching the uphill end of the Isengard Tower with the roof on it. You'll find the Slab on south-western end of the gully below Isengard Tower· From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
On the southern (LHS) of the gully is a neat brushed slab. Nice slabbing with a few thin moves and a bit committing. Down climb via the tree
Gerry Narkowicz, Mar 2022 · From: theCrag
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
To the right of the Isengard Slab is a big tree. Go around the arete and to the right of the tree is a neat face.
Series of crimps with little for the feet just right off the tree. Quality problem.
Andy Martin, Mar 2022 · From: theCrag