Climbing on the Pipes is serious. Or at least it looks and feels that way! Occasional loose rock, complex route finding and a sense of exposure heightened by the kilometre drop down to sea level all contribute to a wilderness adventure. As Phil Robinson said in the 1981 edition: "In terms of mileage of routes, skinned knuckles, expenditure of effort and annual traffic, the Organ Pipes is the major focus of climbing activity in Tasmania." This is still true today. And all this fun is only 20 minutes drive from the centre of town.

The rock is comprised of a number of separate buttresses up to 120m high of vertical dolerite, typically in columns. The rock is very compact, though there is surface exfoliation in places due to bushfires. Large blocks that look precariously stacked are mostly just that. Be especially wary in spring, as frost action is instrumental in loosening previously solid blocks. Vegetation has crept back onto the less frequented routes since the fires in 1967. Route descriptions are constantly being reviewed to take the regrowth and subsquent gardening on these routes into account.

Facing east and sheltered from the prevailing westerlies, the Pipes catch most of the morning sun. However its elevation at 1000m means it can get cold very quickly when the sun disappears.

An access track to the bottom of the Pipes starts at the end of the climbers' carpark, a small parking bay on the LH side of the road 2.7 km past the Springs.

Parking in the climbers' carpark can accommodate seven cars at a squeeze if cars are parked perpendicularly to the road and close together. However at weekends it fills up rapidly. If its full park further up the road at the Chalet and walk along south along the Organ Pipes track, which is a flat easy walk of less than 15 minutes to the Northern Buttress track junction. Alternatively park at the Springs or at the summit and walk down. There have been cases of theft from cars from all the parking areas so it is advisable not to leave items of value in your car.

From the LH end of the parking bay, a definite track leads straight up the hill through a boulder field to intersect with the Organ Pipes Track (GPS MTW000). From this track junction, it is possible to access the base of all routes on the Organ Pipes.

For access to routes located between Broken Buttress and Flange Buttress, walk L along the Organ Pipes Track and use the relevant signed 'feeder' tracks to access the base of the individual buttresses. Please use only the signed tracks which have been formalised and signed by the Wellington Park Trust. See individual buttress sections in the text for details.

The track directly opposite the Organ Pipes track junction (GPS MTW000) leads on uphill. This is the Northern Buttress feeder track and it provides access to the base of routes between the Columns and the Far North. The track meets the base of cliff at Northern Buttress (GPS MTW010) where it forks. The L fork to the Shipwreck provides access to the Columns, Amphitheatre Ledge, Rockaway Gully and the Northern Buttress - Shady side. Taking the R fork provides access to Northern Buttress - Lower Cliff, Upper Cliff and the Far North.

At the summit, locate the start of the climber's track down to the Organ Pipes just to the right (south) of the main lookout shelter (GPS MTW100). This is signposted as "Climbers Advised Only Past This Point ... The Amphitheatre". Head down to pick up the pad, which is well marked with triangle orange markers and winds its way down to the top of the Columns near a patch of snow gums (GPS MTW110). Note that the Trust has asked that climbers don't hop over the fence on the viewing platforms as we have done in the past but stick to the main marked track starting at the sign in order to reduce erosion.

Walk right as viewed looking towards Hobart along the edge of the cliff line to gain access to climbs on Double, Split, Battlements and Cairn Column. Detailed information on top down access for the Columns is included in the body of the text. Continue to walk right to access sections of the crag further right of the Columns such as Central Buttress (Circus Wall & the Arena), Zoloft Wall and Teardrop Gully. Access down to these can be difficult to pick out but can be found by consulting the relevant section in the body of the text.

Walk left of the patch of snow gums (GPS MTW110) to access climbs on Cossack Column. Further left of Cossack Column and part way down the Ampitheatre track is the red dot track turn off that leads north then descends to DNA buttress, then descends via Upper reaches buttrress to Johnson's Knob. Also left of Cossack but following the curve of the cliff line is the Amphitheatre track and a rap station that descends Ethnic Cornflake to the base of the cliff (marked by a blue dot, GPS MTW130). Further left and downhill is the top of Exit/Entry, a non-trivial scramble to the base of the cliff.

Over 400 routes have been recorded so far on the Organ Pipes proper. The majority are trad climbing but there is an increasing number of bolted walls and arêtes. Routes look serious and intimidating, but the stepped nature of the cliff line generally allows rest stances between difficulties. The climbing is typically a mixture of face holds, jugs, and jams with only a few routes requiring use of pure crack technique. Dolerite friction allows the feet to be placed on small edges and smears. There are a small number of quality easier climbs, many of which have been resurrected from the forest regrowth and most of these are steep and physical. Slabs or gentle walls are a rarity, Blue Meridian (pitch one) on Great Tier being one of the few exceptions. For the trad climber, taping of hands is neither wimpy nor a demonstration of poor technique. Indeed it might stave off the need for a blood transfusion.

Dolerite eats cams. A set of wires and a double rack of cams from BD #0.3 to #3, including a #4 is usually sufficient. Some routes require extra helpings of certain sizes or wires, including very small or very large cams - this is usually noted in the route description though. Double (half) ropes are the standard on the multi-pitch trad climbs, particularly as many of the abseils are to 50 - 60m long. Double bolt rap stations are now common and their locations are indicated in the climbing descriptions. Hangers are not generally required but there are still some carrots around - treat these with caution as they may have been there for many years.

Routes are described from L to R starting with the buttresses on the southern end closest to the Springs and working their way to the northern end nearest the Chalet.