The Main Area
45 min
Afternoon
Introduction
The prominent hillside covered in boulders. Many quality boulders with a range of height and angle. There is a huge obvious roof that looks like pride rock. Due to being sheltered behind the knoll we have found a lot of these boulders require a bit more cleaning then some of the other areas.
Access
The easiest approach is to continue up the ridgeline from FAFDM until the small false summit and then head down to cross the creek.
Hell Or High Water
From FAFDM head straight up the mountain until you reach the creek in a flat spot. This boulder is then on the left side of the creek with a wide high face.
On the lowest side of the boulder, a hard start followed by some nice moves.
Mo Bassett 23.11.2021
A great problem with nice move moves on good holds and a bold finish. Standing start matched on the obvious pebble and a high foot. Straight up past a nice side pull slot aiming for the two pebbles sticking out right at the top. There is a large hollow sounding piece right on top but the climbing is finished before you get too it and it seems pretty well stuck in place.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
Start as for Reverse Mortgage but head right to finish on the bulgy arete, could be a scary finish above the slope.
Another great problem with some of the best holds yet found in the conglomerate. SDS with right on the nice jug below the obvious sloper and left on a pebble pinch, past the amazing crimp with some side pulls before a dynamic move to the finishing jug at the highest point.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
SDS low and right of the arete, move past the great half moon hold to just below the arete and head to the highest point. An easier option can be had by starting to the left matched on the jug
Isaac Pitt 17.12.2021
As per Styx and Stones but once on the arete rock over and go up the easy back side.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
City Slickers
Just behind the last boulder, this cube shaped boulder is obvious. Bit of a different style for the area.
Up the left side using the arete.
Mo Bassett 23.11.2021
Up the left side but without using the arete.
Mo Bassett 23.11.2021
Super thin and balancey, straight up the middle.
Mo Bassett 23.11.2021
Up the right side.
Mo Bassett 23.11.2021
Black Blob
This boulder is right on the creek just past Hell Or High Water, next to City Slickers.
A nice easy warm up, going straight up the tallest part of the boulder, above the creek.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
Start on the right hand side of the arete and follow it all the way to the top.
Ben Thorp 17.12.2021
Start under the arete and go straight up to top out on the slab.
Isaac Pitt 17.12.2021
Start as for short black but finish up the Black Blobs arete.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
To the right of the arete and straight up.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
Moonshine
A nice moderate boulder with an overlap at the top.
Head up the creek from Black Blob.
Sit start just above the creek line and head straight up to the left end of the over lap.
Liam W 19.02.2022
This problem goes up the blank arete just left of all the green moss, left of the open corner feature.
Liam W 19.02.2022
Sit down start just left of the creek in the obvious yellow look section. Straight up past good holds and big-ish moves.
Mo Bassett 19.02.2022
The Hand
An easy warm up boulder with good quality rock that looks a bit like a hand with the thumb up.
Just off to the left when looking upstream from moonshine.
A fun problem on an interesting feature. Start on the left of the thumb and follow it's arete up to a flat top out.
Liam W 19.02.2022
On the right of the feature straight up the groove.
James Ridgers 19.02.2022
A bit harder sit start under the right arete, followed by a nice rising traverse to the tip of the thumb.
Mo Bassett 19.02.2022
Same start as previous and straight up.
Mo Bassett 19.02.2022
The easy left groove.
Mo Bassett 19.02.2022
The East Right Groove
Mo Bassett 19.02.2022
Cry Macho
A flat-top, small pebble boulder similar to City Slickers in style. There is a few harder balancy slab projects to do, if you're into that sort of thing.
Head up the hill west from Hell or High Water and city Slickers.
Up the arete and all the way along, quite a good warm up.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
Start standing on the small boulder. The is a tiny crimp for a hand and some smearing for the feet, pull on hold you balance and go for the top. Take the grade with a grain of salt, probably lots easier if you are tall or can slab climb.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
Sit start under the obvious feature and squeeze or lay back your way to the top of it.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
Stand start under the over lap and go straight up to the pebble jug.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
Start as for Fighting rooster but move up to the runnel arete to finish.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
Start standing under the runnel feature and go straight up it. Much harder then it looks, with small bad holds and high starting feet.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
Ennio Morricone
This is a great boulder with lots of potential. There is a nice overhanging section facing towards Mt Owen with high but easier finishes on the face and aretes plus some more steep aretes facing the creek line. Down climb off the back side.
When you first get down to the flat section of creek coming from FAFDM this boulder is pretty much straight up into the main area. Maybe 20m from the creek and you will be looking at the Morricone Arete. There is a flat small boulder directly in front.
Stand start to the right of the small boulder with some good pebbles and very high foot, swing on and move up to the arete to finish. Careful on the top out with the small boulder boulder below.
Isaac Pitt 17.12.2021
A great looking project starting all the way underneath and slightly to the left, almost in front of the small boulder. Some apposing pebbles and hard compression might get you into a nice looking pocket before trying to latch the pebble jug(stand start foot hold) and heading all the way up the arete.
A classic for the grade and style. Stand start slightly right of the arete and pop out right to a good hold, move up onto the arete with some good laybacks before moving to a jug, then balance on top of this jug to top out. Careful again on the top but super enjoyable.
Isaac Pitt 17.12.2021
Start lower and further right, almost in front of the small boulder, on some obvious holds (cement sidepull and square undercling) move up and left to join Ennio. The crux is a burly move to the good v-slot then left to a jug and then into Ennio.
Ben Thorp 18.02.2024
Start to the left of the Ennio arete and straight up.
Mo Bassett 17.12.2021
When We Were Cowboys
An impressive cave up on the right side of the Main Area hill 30 metres from Cry Macho looking down towards the Ennio and High Water. Will have some of the harder lines at Lyell when all projects are done.
When We Were Cowboys
Some very techy foot shuffling and pulling on some of the nicest cement holds on the mountain. Start hanging on two low holds on the right of the downhill facing wall outside the cave and climb towards the centre via an undercling move to a credit card crimp. Top out in the centre of the face.
Ben Thorp 25.02.2024
The mainline through the cave. Start in jugs at the back of the roof, come left to the seam and up on pockets to a good slot near the end of the roof. It has been done to here at about V6 but the next few moves and top-out up the headwall will add a few grades. Sure to be a banger with some powerful pocket pulling reminiscent of a certain Grampians classic.
From the same start as the mainline, tend right from the first smaller, sharp pocket. Headwall still needs a clean.
Start standing on the slab then jump out and up on big holds.
Jake Hood 11.02.2024
Start hanging on the v-crimp just above the lip (left hand) and right undercling in the roof. Pull up to the next crimp and then up.
Ben Thorp 11.02.2024
Bonanza
A nice selection of boulders hidden up above Ennio. Cave like, with some problems having shade all day. Lots of potential left but diligent cleaning on the cave lines is required.
SDS Straight up the middle of the boulder on the left, when facing into the cave. Stand start goes at V2
Mo Bassett 10.02.2024
Start left of Winter Grass, traverse through and finish up the downclimb. Awaiting an epic extension all the way through and up the high ball finish.
Jake Hood 10.02.2024
Also on the small low boulder to the left when facing into the cave. Just after the entrance. It's a good downclimb option. SDS adds a bit.
Jake Hood 10.02.2024
On the main boulder, just before the entrance to the cave. SDS on the boulder underneath and finish matched on the pebble at the bottom of the groove.
Moses Bassett 10.02.2024
On the main boulder, but outside the cave. SDS at the far right arete and finish matched on the pebble at the bottom of the groove.
Moses Bassett 11.02.2024
The King line of the area, up the centre of the main overhanging face. SDS on the dirt bit on the conglomerate tufa. Big moves through obvious pockets, finish dropping from the lip or traverse and then downclimb Teasing Hoss.
Mo Bassett 11.02.2024
SDS at the right corner of the boukder. Head up and slightly left to join KL with your left into the pocket above the big pebble pinch on KL. A funky crux sequence here, to finish up KL
Down below the level of the main cave. Pull on to the arete then trend left to finish topping out on some nice pebbles.
Ben Thorp 11.02.2024
Walk into the gulley past the Winter Grass Boulder. Start hanging on little crimps then traverse right to a really nice mantle finish.
Ben Thorp 11.02.2024
West World
Opposite the entrance to the Bonanza Cave with three nice lines and some projects.
On the boulder opposite the cave entrance, behind some bushes. SDS under hanging blank arete and straight up.
Mo Bassett 11.02.2024
Stand start, move up through some nice small holds to a jug side pull out right and top out.
Mo Bassett 24.02.2024
Stand start with two powerful under cling. Move to the arete and then top out high and back left. A bit of a scary landing.
Ben Thorp 24.02.2024
Calamity Jane
Named after the boisterous wild west heroine and 1953 film, this boulder has a number of short fun problems to reel you in.
Cross the creek into the main area 20m or so below Hell or High Water and walk up the hill about 10m and you should come to the small Calmiteasy arete.
Sit start using two finger pocket and jug. Follow the obvious line straight up.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2020
Left of Calamity Main, sit start and follow the arete on the left to top out.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
Short arete on the downhill side. Average.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
On the uphill side of the boulder. Low sit start and traverse left, follow up the obvious line to the top and traverse back down to the start. A fun little warm up for your hips.
Sarah Pitt 04.01.2022
Start just above Lissoo's sit start and work your way 360 around the boulder for a pumpy finish.
Isaac Pitt 04.01.2022
Wild Bill
Small boulder with a couple steep, sit start low balls.
Just behind Calamity Jane.
Sit start on the right arete with a decent right side pull, an average right drag and a small left foot. Pull on, get a high right heel in and move up through some average holds.
Mo Bassett 28.02.2022
To the left is a steeper harder feeling project. Getting off the ground might be the crux.
Annie Get Your Gun
A short walk further from the Calamity Jane boulder. The big round moonscape features make for great sloper practice.
Start using the obvious big round slopers from a sit start and work your way up on the left side of the distinct dip.
Isaac Pitt
Slightly harder to the right of Anything You Can Do - start low using two good holds working you way up on the right side of the dip.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
Woody's Round Up
A wide low boulder with the main problems on the mine side and a big flat slab on the approach side. Just behind Annie Get Your Gun.
Sit start up the center and around the bulge - you might need to yodel to make it through - extra points if they can hear you from Queenstown.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
Start at the low right end and traverse up to finish at the high point just right of Yodeling Cowgirl.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
Sit start under the arete on the far low end. The crux is at the start - powerful moves finishing on a nice slab up to easy top out. It's like most top out boulders just in reverse.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
To the right of Reverse Cowgirl and a much easier option. Start by matching on the jug and work your way up to finish on easy slab to top out.
Isaac Pitt
True Grit
A nice, high, almost vertical wall with a great view and landing. Keep heading around from Woody's Round Up.
Stand start just right of center, at the lowest point of the boulder and head straight through some fun climbing.
Mo Bassett 04.01.2022
Once Upon A Time In The West
This boulder is on the back left of the pride rock roof.
Straight up the nice, high arete.
Ben Thorp 2015
Lonesome Cowboy
This area is at the very top of the Main Area hill where it flattens out to a small plateau. If at Bonanza it can be accessed by scrambling up behind the cave.
Lonesome Warm-up
Up the arete then finish traversing around the corner.
Ben Thorp 17.02.2024
Start right hand on the best edge in the cement seam, right hand side pull then head up straight up.
Ben Thorp 17.02.2024
Start left hand on the best edge in the cement seam, up with some delicate pulls on pebbles tending right to the big pebble near the top.
Ben Thorp 17.02.2024
Start matched on the best edge in the cement seam, traverse right until under the arete then head powerfully up this to top out as for problem 3. Very good sustained climbing
Ben Thorp 17.02.2024
Low Balling For Life
Start on the undercling and punchup to the overlap traversing this until it's possible to go for the round hold on top.
Ben Thorp 17.02.2024