Temple Bouldering Guide


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The Temple of Doom Bouldering Guide

by Gavin Portier

Location: Take the F1 freeway north towards Newcastle for about 10km until you reach the Berowra exit on the left. At the top of the exit ramp at the T intersection go right and then down the big loop (Windy Banks Interchange) back on to the freeway heading south. After a couple of hundred metres you'll see a little dirt road on the left (just before the second small road cutting) and you turn into there and park off to the side. Follow the track east for about 1km taking the left hand forks whenever you have to until you hit a set of boulders and small cliffs that basically face east. This is it. To the north are some more slabby areas.

History: Originally discovered by Gavin Portier and David James in 1996, but it was dismissed as another "almost crag". Revisitted again in winter 1997 and suddenly some lines had appeared. They thought it would be good for some easy high-ball problems and maybe the odd 5 or 6. They soon discovered they were wrong with problems ranging from V0 to V9 being added, with harder lines yet to come.

Aspect/Rock: The boulders and wall generally face East so they receive plenty of sun until the afternoon. The rock is good old Sydney sandstone and some problems are quite sharp but it is generally quite solid. Beware after the rain though ...

Problems: Only the most classic, obvious problems are described and they don't adhere to any rules or eliminations.

3 Slap Area
A. 3 Slap Arete V6 sit-start
Grab crimp and pocket on arete and work your way up.

B. V0 sit-start
Start on jugs and go up.

C. V5 sit-start
Start on sloping edge and crimp at lip of roof with feet underneath.

D. Silly Hands Free V0
Good for balance and laugh.

E. La Dalle Pour Moi V1
Gaston RH and sidepull LH, high step to high side pull then top.

F. Project
Possibly been done by now?

G. Crack line V0
fun if you're in to that sort of thing.

Slab Wall
A. Slab 1 V2
1m left of arete. Up to good stance then long move to big jug on top.

B. Slab 2 V2
Start on obvious slot, up to good stance then jump to glory.

C. Slab 3 V3 scary
Same as above but jump even higher. V3 for the scare factor.

Sweetest Thing Boulder
A. Toby's Problem V4 sit-start
Under arete, right to scoop then top.

B. The Sweetest Thing (aka Avulsion) V9 sit-start
LH on 2 finger pocket, RH on edge, slap to top and keep slapping up and over.

C. V4/5 sit-start
Start right of The Sweetest Thing in flake, striaght up and beack left for the same finishing mantle.

D. Project

E. Beserka V8 sit-start
Follow holds up bulging arete to finish under the high bulge.

F. New Map of Tassie Project

G. V4 sit-start
Straight up wall.

H. V2
Straight up wall.

I. V6 sit-start
Straight up wall.

J. Variant Start to [I] V6
Traverse left from underclings.

K. Mantle Madness V0 sit-start
Not a consumer classic.

L. Big Ben V0
Straight up to summit.

Lindfield Wall
A. V0
Straight up wall.

B. V2
Straight up wall.

C. V0
Straight up wall.

D. V0
Straight up wall.

The Cave
A. Heel-toe V1 sit-start
and slide, slide, slide ... LH side pull and match near with RH. Out to sloping pinch with RH then to big jug at lip. Finish standing on the big jug at the lip of the roof.

B. V5 sit-start
Starts in-between [A] and [C], joins [C] at slopy pinch as a LH gaston then finish as per [C].

C. L'Araignee Dans Le Plafond V4 sit-start
Tiny undercling at right end of cave and sloper RH. Out through roof to big jug then finish as per [A].

D. and E.
Have been done.