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<guide>
<text class="heading1">Fern Tree Cliffs
</text>
<text
class="text">Background Information
</text>
<text
class="text">Rock: Sandstone, up to 25m, series of buttresses, in two tiers. Most of the cliff is north east facing and climbing is possible when other mountain crags are cold and cloudy.
</text>
<text
class="text">Access: These cliffs are situated at Fern Tree within the Wellington Park and access is over land owned by the City of Hobart. Park your car at the Fern Tree bus terminus 2.7 kilometres past the Fern Tree Tavern on the B64, and head back along the road 200 metres to a 4wd track on L. Up this to meet the Pipeline Track. Go back L along the Track (south) and cross the 2 metal bridges and then 20m further on, head uphill at another partially overgrown 4wd track. Ignore the old signs. You can cut up through the mulga direct to the crags but probably better to continue up the track through the re-growth to a clearer area with a yellow bank on the R (small cairn) where a steep path of sorts leads up to the LH end of the crags, below Blade Runner Buttress. From car to rock is about twenty minutes.
</text>
<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Climbing Info: The climbs done so far on the Lower Tier are mainly steep face climbing on reasonable sandstone. On the Upper Tier the climbs are trad and sport but there is plenty of potential for new routes in both areas: in the area above the bridges there is a range of boulders, yet to be done.
</text>
<text
class="heading2">Lower Tier
</text>
<text
class="text">The climbs here are longer than higher up, and all the newer routes are fully bolted with lower-offs. Currently all known climbs are at the R hand (north western) end of the crag and are listed from L to R.
</text>
<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Descent: There is a descent route that comes down the gully beside the Big Roof between C.P. and B.O.T. NOTE: The bolts and anchors on U.W., B.O.T. and C.P. are at least 10 years old, make your own judgments as to whether they are safe enough to climb on. </text>
<text
class="heading3" new="false"
number="null.">Blade Runner Buttress
</text>
<text
class="text">The big buttress on the far L hand side of the crag, where the track arrives from the 4wd track below. There are currently a number of other projects in this area but the main ones climbed to date (2007) are shown here. Note to visiting climbers: don't take the fixed draws and biners they are there for every ones convenience. Routes described L to R.
</text>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="21" length="10m" name="Fly Brown" new="false"
number=""
stars="">climb up the L side of the cave , pull round the overhang and then the slab to the chains. G. Phillips 2006.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="22" length="10m" name="Itchy Fingers"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">As for Fly Blown but at the jugs traverse R and up via a thin sequence of moves. G. Phillips, Dec. 2006.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="" length="" name="Project (2007)" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Direct start to Itchy Fingers, dubbed the Bat Project after finding a live bat in the cave.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="31" length="8m" name="Future Shock" new="false"
number=""
stars="***">From the offwidth chimney head rightwards. Crazy stuff! J. Bresnehan, Feb 2006
</climb><text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">The next four routes share the same start.</text>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="29" length="15m" name="Blubber boy" new="false"
number=""
stars="***">Awesome final section. As for Blade Runner but keep heading leftwards. G. Phillips, Feb. 2006.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="28" length="15m" name=" Blade Runner"
new="false" number=""
stars="**">Starts up New C4's to the last bolt then traverses L along a break on tiny holds to a hard boulder problem finish. G. Phillips, Jan. 2006.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="20" length="15m" name="New C4s" new="false"
number=""
stars="*">climb directly up the slightly overhanging wall passing a thin section (crux) at two thirds height. G. Phillips, Dec. 2005.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="24" length="15m" name="Sand Blaster"
new="false" number=""
stars="**">Starts up NC4 then traverses R along the break. and up the cool looking arête. Jan, 2006
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="23" length="15m" name=" Sand Blaster Direct"
new="false" number=""
stars="">The direct goes at 23 but is rated 'not so good'. G. Phillips, Jan. 2006.
</climb>
<text
class="heading3" new="false"
number="null.">Trad Wankers Buttress
</text>
<climb
extra="" grade="18" length="15m" name="Careful" new="false"
number=""
stars="">An exciting climb about 150m R from the Blade Runner Area. Start below a series of broken corners. Climb over the loose blocks and gain the corner proper. Follow the corner to an exciting top out. A good clean would remove much of the excitement. All natural pro a range of midsized cams and wires. D. Humphries, J. Burgess, Oct. 2005.
</climb>
<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Continue R to the next area, about 60m.
</text>
<text
class="heading3" new="false"
number="null.">BOT Buttress</text>
<text
class="text">Currently there are only a couple of routes in this area but there is potential for several more. The BOT buttress has initials painted on the rock at the bottom.
</text>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="20" length="15m" name="U.W." new="false"
number=""
stars="**">Start 2m L of B.O.T. Take some small to medium cams and 8+ quick draws. Follow the L bolt line to the flake then head for the double bolt belay to finish, great climbing. A little dirty in places, but should clean up with some traffic. S Edwards, G. Phillips
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="22" length="15m" name="B.O.T."
stars="">Starts at initials B.O.T. Head through overhang and up the clean wall above to double bolt belay. Take 8+ quick draws. S. Edwards, G. Phillips.
</climb>
<text
class="heading3" new="false"
number="null.">Big Roof Area</text>
<text class="text"
new="false"
number="null.">This area is about 230m R of Blade Runner where you first meet the rock. Just to the R of the big roof is a descent/ascent gully for the top of the cliff. There has been a fair bit of hardware placed in this area but, other than Scotch Finger, all the routes in the big roof area are projects at the moment.
</text>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="19" length="15m" name="Scotch Finger"
new="false" number=""
stars="">This bolted route starts 5m L of the big roofs. Follow the line of bolts to the lower off. A bit loose in parts and may be a tad under graded. S. Young, 2006.
</climb>
<text
class="heading3" new="false"
number="null.">AN and CP area</text>
<text
class="text">The last two routes are way over to the R, the farthest bolted routes from where the track meets the crag. Both have initials at the start.
</text>
<climb
extra="" grade="22" length="20m" name="A.N." new="false"
number=""
stars="">A trad route. Start 15m R of C.P. at the painted initials. S. Edwards, G. Philips, 1994.
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="24" length="25m" name="C.P." new="false"
number=""
stars="**">Head R to the last bolted route, which starts at a hanging corner and climbs the off-vertical wall above. The initials C.P. are painted on the rock at the start. Head up following the bolts to the top through a balancy move at the slab to interesting moves just below the double bolt belay. Belay here or continue to the top and walk down the descent gully. Take 8+ quick draws and some small to medium cams. S. Edwards, G. Phillips, 1994.
</climb>
<text
class="heading2">Upper Tier
</text>
<text class="text"
new="false"
number="null.">Climbs on the Upper Tier are generally shorter, but with a very large potential for new routes, both trad and sport, and bouldering
</text>
<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Access: Where the main access track meets the Blade Runner buttress head L for roughly 100m until the green cliffs are passed. Follow the track up the hill trending slightly right then more directly up the hill. The track meets rock at Baltoro Blizzard buttress, 50m R is the Ice House area. The cliff line continues on R after the Ice House area as a series of 5-10m buttresses and is largely unexplored. Climbs are described L to R.
</text>
<text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Descent: Scramble down for the trad routes, lower offs for the others.
</text>
<climb
extra="" grade="18" length="15m" name="Baltoro Blizzard"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Takes the severely overhung hand crack. Finish up the arête. Phil Steane, D. Bruce, Dec. 1982.
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Hore Frost"
stars="">The thin diagonal line opposite Spin Drift. D. Bruce, Phil Steane. 1982
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="19" length="15m" name="Spin Drift"
stars="">The short clean crack in the wall 10m L of Deep Freeze. Don't use the tree. Phil Steane, D. Bruce. 1982
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="18 " length="15m" name="Deep Freeze "
new="false" number=""
stars="">A diagonally overhanging layback crack. Jam 2m up an easy crack to a stance at the foot of an overhanging corner/crack running diagonally right. Cimb this and proceed up the protection-less slab to the top. G. Narkowicz, Pete Steane 1981 </climb>
<text
class="heading3" new="false"
number="null.">Ice House Area</text>
<text
class="text">This area is about 50m right of where the 'track' mets rock. It is sheltered and feels enclosed with walls on three sides. </text>
<climb
extra="" grade="" length="15m" name="Project" new="false"
number=""
stars="">A bolted route straight up the steep arete.</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Ice House" new="false"
number=""
stars="">Most obvious corner on cliff with jam crack. Left face is overhanging. Bridge and jam straight to top. G. Narkowicz, C. Maddock 1981</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="22" length="12m" name="Belay Bunny "
new="false" number=""
stars="*">The line of bolts up the wall to the right of the corner. G Phillips, S Young 5 March 2007</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Frigid Digit" new="false"
number=""
stars=""> A thin, curving flake line that shares the start to Belay Bunny. Lay away up obvious flake running diagonally R , then climb up until you can reach high for an invisible bomb-proof jug. Climb to the ledge above and on to the top or step around into Andre Zanada to finish. Pete Steane, G. Narkowicz 1981
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Andre Zanada" new="false"
number=""
stars="*">Two converging cracks in the corner R of Frigid Digit. Climb either crack then layback the thin flake and traverse R under final headwall then up the headwall. P.B. Steane, P.A. Steane. 1981
</climb>
<climb
extra="Þ" grade="24" length="12m" name="Hermet Crab Shuffle "
new="false" number=""
stars="">The line of bolts up the wall 8m to the right of the above. S Young, G Phillips 5 March 2007
</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="18" length="15m" name="Brass Monkey "
new="false" number="" stars="">Description not located yet. Mantle onto overhanging ledge. Protection in thin crack on the left. Climb to roof and traverse right for 1.5 m. Jam through the roof and follow the crack to the top. G. Narkowicz, Pete Steane 1981 </climb>
</guide>
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