<guide version="3">
<header access="" acknowledgement="" history="" intro="The short, steep gully south of University Buttress is known as Fools Couloir, which from the top of the Pipes is sometimes mistaken for as the descent route down Avalanche Couloir.
Broken Buttress is a relatively low buttress bordering the south side of Fools Couloir. It culminates in a gendarmed ridge and has a spur running southeast. If a descent of Fools Couloir is made, a tape abseil is required to reach the bottom." name="Broken Buttress" rock="Broken dolerite buttresses" sun="Not much sun" walk="20 min" id="1"/>
<image src="BrokenButtressPrint.jpg" width="800" id="2" legend="true" legendTitle="Broken Buttress" legendx="20" legendy="20" legendExtraPage="1143">
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<text class="heading3" id="13">Van Diemen Buttress</text>
<text class="text" id="14">A narrow, sloping buttress well to the south.</text>
<climb extra="" grade="11" length="" name="Van Diemen Buttress" number="" stars="" id="15" fa="Various stages due to J. Elliott, M. Elphick, P. Hewitt, B. Higgins, P. Johnstone, J. Manning, 1959.">
One of the earliest routes on the Pipes, generally following the crest of the buttress. Climb the crest for two pitches until blocked by a short tower which is split by a crack on the R. Either climb this direct, or veer to the L before rejoining the crest via a short cleft. After another pitch along the crest, a further gendarme blocks the way. Climb halfway to the top, then either ascend the gendarme direct, or traverse around to the R to a ledge. Continue either straight up the wall above, or via the crack on the R.
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<text id="16" class="heading2">Broken Buttress</text>
<text id="17">To get to routes on Broken Buttress, which start near the base of Fools Couloir, continue along from the far LH end of University Buttress.</text>
<climb extra="" grade="16" length="48m" name="Spurline" number="" stars="" id="7" fa="R. Alsop, M. Douglas, A. Keller, Mar 1968. Direct Finish: R. Mansfield, P. Robinson, Sep 1980.">
The southeast spur of Broken Buttress. Seen from the Organ Pipes track, it is the notched skyline spur. Start at the top of the first step on the spur.
1. 30m. Climb to the base of the crack which forms a direct line up the spur. Up this and a short crack on the R to a large platform.
2. 18m. Two options: (a) Original Route: Up a short chimney, exit R and climb the LH of two cracks; (b) Direct Finish: Follow a short jam crack to a large ledge, then climb the RH crack. Either continue up the ridge, or traverse off R.
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<climb extra="Þ ↓" grade="25" length="25m" name=" Seamstress" number="SM" stars="**" id="6" fa="S. Edwards, Nov 1995.">
Lovely climbing on the high orange wall L of Assault Course. The crux is near the top. Mostly on bolts, but also requires some natural gear (#0 and #2.5 Friends, or equivalent).
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<climb extra="↓" grade="23" length="20m" name="Assault Course" number="AC" stars="*" id="5" fa="N. Deka, S. Bunton, Nov 1987.">
A strenuous excursion.The direct finish is now taken by Seamstress. From Start Me Up, scramble up the gully 5m L to the base of the imposing orange wall capped by a huge block. Start at a hand crack on the RH side of the smooth wall. Climb the hand crack for 10m, step L to gain a finger crack, and follow this until forced R to a large ledge. Abseil off.
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<climb extra="" grade="19" length="30m" name="Start Me Up" stars="" id="4" fa="N. Deka, S. Bunton, Nov 1987." number="SM">
Press the go button. Start 5m L of Crestline, at the lower pillar at the RH end of Broken Buttress. Climb a finger/hand crack to the horizontal weakness halfway up the pillar. Move insecurely R, and follow the arête just L of the Crestline groove to the top. Abseil off or continue as for Crestline.
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<climb extra="" grade="16" length="45m" name="Crestline" number="" stars="" id="3" fa="U. Aurelli, D. Cox, P. Sands, Nov 1961. FFA: P. Robinson, R. Mansfield, Sep 1980.">
Follows the nose a metre L of the base of Fools Couloir, starting at a dirty groove that splits at 12m. Up the groove taking the LH line. The unctuous crux at 15m was originally climbed with a point of aid. Continue up to a platform and either traverse off to the R into Fools Couloir, or continue up several easy pitches among the spires on the skyline ridge.
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<text class="heading2" id="8">Upper Fools Couloir</text>
<text class="text" id="9">Although the routes are short, access to the climbs in the upper reaches of Fools Couloir is easy and quick from the summit carpark, the rock is excellent, and there is a potential for more lines in the future, making it an ideal summer evening crag. It's quite a complex area of small columns and pillars.
The easiest way to the top of the couloir is to walk down the northern fence-line of the enclosure surrounding the communications tower, then head in the same line for 5 minutes down the hill, passing a couple of cairns. You should end up at the top of the couloir, and be able to see the double FH on top of Short Changed, next to a cairn. From here you can set up a fixed line off the anchors and rap in. Alternatively, about 40m south is a gully at the SW branch of the couloir (GPS: MTW190) which leads down through scrub to the chain on top of No Fools Like Old Fools which is the easiest way to approach these climbs. For the North Ridge climbs, walk and scramble down the ridge about half way, and then either scramble down into the couloir, or set up a rap.</text>
<text id="33" class="heading3">Redneck Ridge</text>
<image id="34" src="redneckRidge.jpg" width="" legend="true" legendTitle="Redneck Ridge" legendx="10" legendy="10">
<legend>11</legend><legend>10</legend><legend>19</legend><legend>18</legend></image>
<text id="24">Access to the routes on the gendarmed ridge on the south west (R) side of the couloir is via a rap chain on top of No Fools Like Old Fools. From the top of the couloir, traverse south (R) to a rough track that leads to the top of the first group of gendarmes. It is posible to scramble down into the main couloir from the bottom of the abseil. The first route is beside the rap station pillar.</text>
<climb extra="" grade="19" length="20m" name="Tired Clichés" number="" stars="**" id="12" fa="A. Adams, Pete Steane, Nov 1992. Alt finish: K. Robinson, P. Robinson, Jan 2010.">This is on the SW face of Brand New Lies gendarme. Climb the layback crack and finish up L or alternatively follow the wide crack trending R to a tricky traverse R across the wall then straight up. Sustained.
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<climb extra="" grade="12" length="15m" name="Brand New Lies" number="1." stars="" id="11" fa="Pete Steane, A. Adams, Nov 1992.">Found on the next gendarme downhill from Rick the Redneck. Step off the boulder and climb the hand crack on the NW face. Follow the crack to the top. Rap off via the chockstone. Looks hard for the grade.
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<climb extra="" grade="19" length="25m" name="Rick the Redneck" number="2." stars="*" id="10" fa="Pete Steane, A. Adams, Nov 1992.">The NE face of the highest gendarme is split by a fist crack. Follow this for 4m up to a bulge on the R wall. Step R below the bulge and climb the more appealing line 1m to the R. Follow the line to the top finishing L. Hard for the grade.
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<climb id="19" name="Keep Your Hair On" length="12m" grade="17" fa="A. Brooks, A. Beech, T. McKenny , Jan 2011" stars="*" number="3.">Takes L facing corner crack on L end of gendarmes. Well protected. Straight up with some balancy moves at around 3m. Then up the hand jam crack to the top.
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<climb id="18" name="No Fools Like Old Fools" length="12m" grade="18" stars="*" fa="T. McKenny, D. Gray, I. Snape, Jan 2011." number="4." extra="↓">Steep, well protected and sustained crack climbing on excellent rock. Chain on top of the column.
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<text id="31" class="heading3">Head of Fools Couloir</text>
<text id="25">Immediately below the cairned anchors (double FH) at the head of the couloir is an area of 5-10 meter blocks. Rap in off the anchor.</text>
<climb id="32" stars="" name="Short Changed" length="8m" grade="21" extra="3Þ ↓" fa="J.Nermut, D. Humphries, Jan 2011.">
The LH arete directly below the double FH anchor.
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<climb id="26" stars="*" name="Insecurity" length="8m" grade="23" extra="3Þ ↓" fa="D. Humphries, J. Nermut, Jan 2011.">
The RH arête. Stick clip the first bolt. Bouldery smears lead to a jug and slabby top-out.
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<text id="29" class="heading3">Fools North Ridge</text>
<image id="30" src="foolsNorth.jpg" width="" legend="true" legendTitle="Fools North Ridge" legendy="10" legendx="10">
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<text id="27">The whole north ridge is actually in the sun in the evening. The Fools Gold crack is located a few metres to the L, as you face the crag, of a very obvious horizontal pillar (visible from the rap station at the top) that juts out into the gully, directly opposite the Rick the Redneck gendarme.
</text>
<climb id="28" name="Fools Gold" length="12m" grade="18" fa="T. McKenny, I. Snape, Jan 2011." number="1.">
The continuous crack line, capped with a jammed block at the top. A difficult off-widthy start leads (after a little rest, Ian... ) to good climbing, finishing out over the block.
</climb>
<text id="35">Continue down the ridge line to a flat shelf. Abseil in to the couloir floor and traverse R towards the large spike on the arête.</text>
<climb id="36" number="2." name="Balrog" length="18m" grade="14" fa="I. Snape, A. Brooks, T. McKenny, Feb 2011.">
Climb the deep chimney about 2m L of the spike and finish up the twin cracks behind. Better than it looks but care needed with loose rock at the chockstone.
</climb>
</guide>
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