<guide version="3"> <header access="These cliffs are situated between Fern Tree and Neika 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 the L (GPS MTW500). Up this to meet the Pipeline Track. Go L along the Pipeline (south) and cross the 2 metal bridges and then 20m further on, make a R turn uphill on a partially overgrown 4WD track where there is some old barbed wire and a private property sign (GPS MTW510). Continue up the increasingly overgrown 4WD track for 100-200m through the re-growth to a clearer area with a yellow bank on the R and a small cairn (GPS MTW520). Leave the 4WD track, turn R and follow a steep and sometimes muddy track up to the base of the Lower Tier at the LH end of Blade Runner Buttress (GPS MTW530 - twenty minutes from the car). For access to the base of the Lower Tier routes simply traverse right from this point along a rough foot pad. For access to the Middle Tier, traverse L from this point under Green Cliff, then up and right on a track that leads to the base of the cliffline 25m L of Blizzard Buttress." acknowledgement="" history="" intro="Also known as the Fern Tree Cliff, this crag consists of three tiers of sandstone cliffs up to 25m high. The climbs done so far on the Lower Tier are mainly steep face climbing on reasonable sandstone. On the Middle Tier there are more trad crack climbs but some sport climbs as well. There is plenty of potential for new routes on all the Tiers. NB. This crag is very much in a developmental stage and descriptions, grades and star ratings should be viewed in that context." name="Neika" rock="Bolted sandstone of reasonable quality" sun="All day sun" walk="20m steep uphill" id="1"/> <gps id="2"><point code="MTW500" description="Track up to Pipeline" easting="519916" height="0" northing="5246533" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW510" description="Start of Ferntree 4WD track" easting="519571" height="0" northing="5246580" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW520" description="Cairn - start of track up to cliff" easting="519602" height="0" northing="5246331" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW530" description="Ferntree - Bladerunner Buttress" easting="519473" height="0" northing="5246381" zone="55G"/></gps><image src="FerntreeSmall.png" width="600" id="3">null</image> <text class="heading2" id="4">Lower Tier </text> <text class="intro" id="5">The climbs here are longer than higher up and most routes are fully bolted with lower-offs, the climbs are listed from L to R.</text> <text class="intro" id="6">Descent: There is a descent route that comes down the gully beside the Big Roof between Back On Track and Couch Potato. Note: The bolts and anchors on Urban Wasteland, Back On Track and Couch Potato are at least 10 years old, make your own judgments as to whether they are safe enough to climb on. </text><text class="heading3" id="7">Green Cliffs</text><text class="text" id="8">The track to the Middle Tier heads L from the Blade Runner Buttress, passing under a series of greenish buttresses. There are some OK moderate climbs on these buttresses. Routes are described L to R, which is opposite to the way you encounter them in this section.</text><climb id="76" name="Project" length="10m" extra="Þ">Project - Jake Bresnehan 2007. A steep line on the far left buttress, just before the track heads up.</climb><climb id="78" name="Project">Project - the prominent arete left of Confabulation.</climb><climb id="75" name="Confabulation" length="10m" grade="20" extra="5Þ" fa="D. Humphries, J. Nermut, Feb 2011.">On the second buttress left of Garden Wall as you walk along the track at the base of the cliffs is a bolted route 2m right of a bolted arete (project). Thoughtful start to get established on wall then pleasant wall climbing.</climb><text id="68" class="text">Bad Books Buttress is the next small buttress left of Garden Walls.</text><climb id="77" name="Bad Books" length="10m" grade="22" extra="3Þ" fa="Jon Nermut, Dave Humphries, May 2011.">The next buttress left of Garden Walls has a prominent arete - climb the line of three bolts to the right of this. Stick clip the first bolt which is a decent way off the ground to avoid the initial chossy rock.</climb><image id="83" src="gardenwalls.jpg" legend="true" legendTitle="Garden Wall" legendx="10" legendy="630"><legend>70</legend><legend>71</legend></image><text id="69">Garden Wall is the small wall 50m left of Blade Runner buttress, split by a narrow crack (Old School).</text><climb id="70" stars="*" name="Harden Up" length="8m" grade="21" extra="3Þ ↓" fa="Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Dec 2010" number="1.">Face climbing on the left side of the wall. Easier if you stray L.</climb><climb id="71" stars="*" name="Old School" length="10m" grade="19" fa="Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Dec 2010" extra=" ↓" number="2.">A nice warm-up for Harden Up. Climb the narrow crack then traverse to the anchors on Harden Up. Take a range of small cams.</climb> <text class="heading3" id="9">Blade Runner Buttress </text> <text class="text" id="10">This is the buttress where the access track first meets the Lower Tier. There are currently a number of other projects in this area but the main ones climbed to date (2007) are described here. Note to visiting climbers: please don't take the fixed draws and biners as they are there for everyone's convenience. Traverse R a short distance to the start of Fly Blown. Routes described L to R. </text><image id="82" src="scaredTurtle.jpg" legend="true" legendx="10" legendy="10" legendTitle="Scared Turtle Area" legendExtraPage="" width=""><legend>72</legend><legend>11</legend><legend>12</legend><legend>13</legend></image><climb id="72" stars="**" name="The Scared Turtle" length="15m" grade="22" extra="6Þ" fa="Jon Nermut, Dave Humphries, Jan 2011." number="1.">Up the narrow buttress directly above where the track first meets the cliff. 6 eyebolts to lower off.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="21" length="10m" name="Fly Blown" number="2." stars="" id="11" fa="G. Phillips, 2006.">Climb up the L side of the cave, pull round the overhang and then the slab to the chains.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="22" length="10m" name="Itchy Fingers" number="3." stars="*" id="12" fa="G. Phillips, Dec 2006.">As for Fly Blown but at the jugs traverse R and up via a thin sequence of moves.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="" length="" name="The Bat Project" number="4." stars="" id="13">Project 2007 - 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" number="" stars="***" id="14" fa="J. Bresnehan, Feb 2006.">From the offwidth chimney head rightwards.Crazy stuff! </climb><image id="84" src="bladeRunner.jpg" legend="true" legendTitle="Blade Runner Buttress" legendx="10" legendy="420"><legend>16</legend><legend>17</legend><legend>18</legend><legend>19</legend></image><text class="text" id="15">The next four routes share the same start.</text> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="29" length="15m" name="Blubber Boy" number="1." stars="***" id="16" fa="G. Phillips, Feb 2006.">Awesome final section. As for Blade Runner but keep heading leftwards.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="28" length="15m" name=" Blade Runner" number="2." stars="**" id="17" fa="G. Phillips, Jan 2006.">Starts up New C4's to the last bolt then traverses L along a break on tiny holds to a hard boulder problem finish.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="21" length="15m" name="New C4s" number="3." stars="*" id="18" fa="G. Phillips, Dec 2005.">Climb directly up the slightly overhanging wall passing a thin section (crux) at two thirds height. The rock gets better with height (thankfully).</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="24" length="15m" name="Sand Blaster" number="4." stars="**" id="19" fa="G. Phillips, Jan 2006">Starts up New C4s then traverses R along the break and up the cool looking arête.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="23" length="15m" name=" Sand Blaster Direct" number="" stars="" id="20" fa="G. Phillips, Jan 2006.">The direct goes at 23 but is rated 'not so good'.</climb><text id="65">There are a couple of bolted lines on the next buttress R - step across from the start of New C4s. I'm not sure if these have been done or not.</text><text id="66">Next right from Bladerunner buttress are a series of smaller buttresses up above the track. Scramble up just right of Bladerunner Buttress. The next climb is on the right hand buttress.</text><climb id="67" name="Unknown " length="10m" grade="24?" extra="4Þ" fa="Unknown ">Four U bolts lead through a thin crux to a anchor (2FH).</climb> <text class="heading3" id="21">Trad Wankers Buttress </text><text id="73">Trad Wankers Buttress is the decent sized but chossy looking buttress straight above the track about 150m R of the Blade Runner Area.</text> <climb extra="" grade="18" length="15m" name="Careful" number="" stars="" id="22" fa="D. Humphries, J. Burgess, Oct 2005.">The excitement of an unexpected plunge gives meaning to the name. 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.</climb> <text class="heading3" id="24">Back On Track Buttress</text><image id="85" src="backOnTrack.jpg" legend="true" legendTitle="Back On Track Buttress" legendx="10" legendy="660"><legend>26</legend><legend>27</legend></image> <text class="text" id="25">Continue R to the next area, about 60m, where a big, clean face appears above the track with a couple of bolted lines. Currently there are only a couple of routes in this area but there is potential for several more. UW and BOT have faded initials painted on the rock at the bottom. </text> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="20" length="22m" name="Urban Wasteland" number="" stars="**" id="26" fa="S Edwards, G. Phillips, 1994.">Test your resolve on this baby. Start 2m L of Back On Track at the initials UW. Take some small to medium cams and 8+ quick draws. Follow the L bolt line to the flake then head for the DBB to finish. A little dirty in places, but should clean up with some traffic.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="22" length="22m" name="Back On Track" number="" stars="" id="27" fa="S. Edwards, G. Phillips, 1994.">Anybody got a spare pair of undies? Starts at initials BOT. Head through overhang and up the clean wall above to DBB. Take 8+ quick draws.</climb> <text class="heading3" id="28">Big Roof Buttress</text> <text class="text" id="29">This area is about 230m R of Blade Runner Buttress, and the next buttress right of Back On Track Buttress. Just to the R of the big roof is a descent/ascent gully for the top of the cliff. </text> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="19" length="15m" name="Scotch Finger" number="" stars="" id="30" fa="S. Young, 2006.">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.</climb><climb extra="Þ ↓ " grade="26" length="15m" name="Chalk" number="" stars="" id="31" fa="G. Phillips Mar 2007">The left line of bolts finishing on the slab belay.</climb><climb extra="Þ ↓ " grade="26 " length="15m" name="Cheese" number="" stars="*" id="32" fa="G. Phillips Mar 2007">The R line of bolts up the overhanging arête.</climb> <text class="heading3" id="33">Couch Potato Area</text> <text class="text" id="34">The last area is way over to the R, the farthest bolted routes from where the track meets the crag. Couch Potato and Apocalypse Now have faded initials at the start. </text><climb id="62" name="Freshly Baked" length="20m" grade="23" fa="A. Lewis, W. Bartlett, June 2010" extra="8Þ">The first bolted route you come to. Start 5m left of Couch Potato in a steep corner capped by roof. Up corner then out L through roof, mantle onto slab then up the groove to the top. 8 bolts to a lower off. </climb> <climb extra="↓ Þ" grade="24" length="25m" name="Couch Potato" number="" stars="**" id="35" fa="S. Edwards, G. Phillips, 1994.">Not strictly a sport route as it is usually climbed with some trad gear. Starts at a hanging corner and climbs the off-vertical wall above. The initials CP 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 DBB. Belay here or continue to the top and walk down the descent gully. Take 8+ quick draws and some small to medium cams.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="22" length="20m" name="Apocalypse Now" number="" stars="" id="36" fa="S. Edwards, G. Philips, 1994.">A completely trad affair. Start 15m R of Couch Potato at the painted initials.</climb> <text class="heading2" id="37">Middle Tier </text> <text class="intro" id="38">Climbs on the Middle Tier are generally shorter than the Lower Tier. There is a large potential for new routes here, both trad and sport. </text> <text class="intro" id="39">Access: Where the main access track meets the Blade Runner buttress head L for 75m below the cliffline to the L end of Green Cliff. Follow the track up the hill trending slightly right then more directly up the hill. The track meets the base of an unclimbed buttress 25m L of Baltoro Blizzard. Traverse R to the start of the climbs. The cliff line continues further on R after Pluto as a series of 5-10m high buttresses and is largely unexplored... here be dragons. Climbs are described L to R.</text> <text class="intro" id="40">Descent: Scramble down for the trad routes, lower offs for the others. </text><image src="fern tree.png" width="" id="41">null</image><text class="heading3" id="42">Blizzard Buttress</text> <climb extra="" grade="18" length="15m" name="Baltoro Blizzard" number="" stars="" id="43" fa="Phil Steane, D. Bruce, Dec 1982.">Takes the severely overhung hand crack 25m R of where the access track first meets the Middle Tier. Finish up the arête.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Hore Frost" number="" stars="" id="44" fa=" D. Bruce, Phil Steane. 1982">Needs a good clean. This route is on the second buttress R of Baltoro Blizzard. The thin diagonal line up the wall.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="19" length="15m" name="Spin Drift" number="" stars="" id="45" fa="Phil Steane, D. Bruce, 1982">The tree is off route! The short clean crack in the wall opposite Hore Frost and 8m L of the Deep Freeze arête.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="18 " length="15m" name="Deep Freeze " number="" stars="" id="46" fa="G. Narkowicz, Pete Steane 1981.">About 50m R of where the access track meets the base of rock, a diagonal overhanging layback crack spears up the arête. Jam 2m up an easy crack to a stance at the foot of an overhanging corner/crack running diagonally R. Climb this and proceed up the protection-less slab to the top.</climb> <climb extra="Þ" grade="29" length="12m" name="Kick Start " number="" stars="***" id="47" fa="G. Phillips, Apr 2007.">The amazing overhanging arête 1m R of Deep Freeze, and L of the corner. Power up for the 10 move boulder sequence.</climb><climb extra="5Þ" grade="26" length="15m" name="Sleep, Eat, Bolt, Climb, Repeat" number="" stars="**" id="48" fa="A. Lewis, S. Young, June 2010.">5 bolts up steep wall R of Kickstart. A technical crux to the 4th bolt leads to jugs up the headwall to a lower off. </climb> <climb extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Ice House" number="" stars="" id="49" fa="G. Narkowicz, C. Maddock 1981">The most obvious corner on the cliff with a jam crack. The L face is overhanging. Bridge and jam straight to top.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="22" length="12m" name="Belay Bunny " number="" stars="*" id="50" fa="G. Phillips, S. Young, 5 Mar 2007.">The line of bolts up the wall to the R of the corner.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Frigid Digit" number="" stars="" id="51" fa="Pete Steane, G. Narkowicz, 1981.">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.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Andre Zanada" number="" stars="*" id="52" fa=" P.B. Steane, P.A. Steane, 1981.">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.</climb> <climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="24" length="12m" name="Hermit Crab Shuffle" number="" stars="" id="53" fa="S. Young, G. Phillips, Mar 2007.">The line of bolts up the wall 8m to the R of the above.</climb><climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="29" length="15m" name="Star Seeker" number="" stars="**" id="54" fa="G. Phillips, May 2007.">Intergalactic fortune and fame! The direct version of Neptune.</climb><climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="28" length="15m" name="Neptune" number="" stars="*" id="55" fa="G. Phillips, May 2007.">Up the arête to the roof. Then traverse the lip and around R and up to finish.</climb> <climb extra="" grade="18" length="15m" name="Brass Monkey " number="" stars="" id="56" fa="G. Narkowicz, Pete Steane, 1981.">This climb is 15m R, around the arête from Hermit Crab Shuffle. Mantle onto overhanging ledge. Protection in thin crack on the L. Climb to roof and traverse R for 1.5m. Jam through the roof and follow the crack to the top.</climb><climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="21" length="10m" name="Pluto" number="" stars="*" id="57" fa="S. Young, May 2007.">Steep start. Up the line of bolts up the arête on the next buttress R of Brass Monkey.</climb><text class="heading2" id="58">Upper Tier</text><text class="text" id="59">Above the Middle Tier there is yet another layer on the cake, if you want to walk that far, the rock is similar to the Middle Tier. There are about 5 or 6 lines bolted up here, with potential for a few more.</text><text class="intro" id="60">Access: Walk on past Pluto along the cliff line for about another 150m untill you reach a prominent buttress. Climb up to the L of the buttress to the cliffs. Alternatively, a gully just to the R of the Big Roof Area on the Lower Tier can be climbed up steeply, past the prominent buttress of the Middle Tier, to the same point.</text><climb id="79" name="Project">Project - Alex. Further left from the other climbs is another bolted line.</climb><text id="63">About 15m L of where the track meets the buttress, just L of a big chossy roof, there are 2 converging lines of bolts to a lower off.</text><climb id="80" name="Project">Project - Alex. The LH line.</climb><climb id="64" name="Not Worth the Ink " length="10m" grade="21" fa="A.Lewis, W.Bartlett Jul 2010." extra="Þ">The RH line. Start by jumping for a jug on the lip of the cave to clip the first bolt. Up arête to ledge then face above.</climb><text id="81">To the left of the prow are are some bolted projects.</text><climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="25" length="10m" name="No Name" number="" stars="" id="61" fa="G. Phillips,18 Apr 2009.">The steep overhanging prow at the extreme RH end. Jugs lead to a powerful fingery crux.</climb> </guide> |