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Cheesedale Bouldering Guide

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Location: Turn into Illaroo Rd off the Princes Highway at North Nowra, just north of the Shoalhaven River. Take the 2nd right which is Philip Rd opposite the church and just after the school. Take the first left, Castle Glen Rd, and at the end turn right into Jamieson Rd. Park at the end off Jamieson Rd, North Nowra and head down the path at the end into the Bomaderry Creek Bushland. Follow the track downhill for 100m until you find a small track heading left and crossing the creek just after a small waterfall. Be careful crossing the creek and follow the track another 50m until you hit a big cave with bolted climbing, this is known as South Central. Walk through South Central and follow the path for about 100m until you reach a t-intersection. Turn right and follow the path down the hill and head left before you get to the creek. About 50m further along take the vague left track that heads up the hill to the big cave, this is Cheesedale. The right hand cave has some bolted climbing but no bouldering.

Aspect/Rock: The cave faces N and is so large that it never actually gets the sun on it making it great for summer and winter alike but it is notoriously "greasy" outside of winter so add a few grades. The cave is large enough to not get wet in the rain but it does seep occasionally. The rock is sandstone and almost all of the holds are chipped so if you're not in to that sort of thing then head to Lot 33 instead.

Problems: Only the most classic and obvious, difficult problems are described from left to right along the cliff and some of them are eliminates. There are plenty of easier problems to warm up on but they are not described here, just do the problems that actually have holds on them :)

1. Drawback V10 or V11 sit-start (FA: Steve Bullen)
Chipped. Start on the undercling and move up to the two crimps, then a long move to the first break. If you go straight up from here to the next break it's Australia's first V11, if you head left to the rail then back right to the break it's "only" V10.

2. Bumby Boys V12 ** sit-start (FA: Sam Edwards)
Chipped. Start as for Jug to Jug to the LH slot but then head left across Turbo Guns via two difficult cross overs to finish left of that problem. Hard for the grade.

3. Turbo Guns V10 *** sit-start (FA: Steve Bullen)
Chipped. Start on the big break then LH cross-over to pocket and bust RH to break. Match and then long move with RH to gaston the slot, LH up to the 3 finger pocket and jump around the bulge, control the swing and finish matched on the jug just up and right. Australia's first V10 and still the benchmark.

4. Jug to Jug V9 * sit-start (FA: Steve Bullen)
Chipped. Start as for Turbo Guns but from the first break go with the RH to the gaston slot of Turbo Guns then a super long move to the pocket around the bulge and finish as per Turbo Guns. Hard for the grade.

5. Bumpy Girls Project
Chipped. Start on the starting holds of Pearl Necklace. but head left via shallow underclings and pockets to finish up Bumpy Boys.

6. Pearl Necklace V6 ** sit-start (FA: Unknown)
Chipped. Start on the good holds below the seam and head up via the enhanced slots and the "potato" hold and match on the finishing sloper.

7. V6 * sit-start (FA: Unknown)
Chipped. Start on the good holds, head up to the shallow pocket and throw around the bulge to the good hold and match to finish.

8. Don't get huge, get arthritic V8 ** sit-start (FA: Steve Bullen)
Chipped. Start as for the above problem but head right to join Mr Olympia and finish as per that problem.

9. Mr Olymia (aka Don't get huge, get massive) V9 * sit-start (FA: Steve Bullen)
Chipped. Start on the RH undercling and go up left to some shallow crimps, then back up right to the better holds. Take the pinch with your RH and long move around the bulge to match on the finishing hold.

10. Blowing blood through monstrous guns V9 * sit-start (FA: Steve Bullen)
Chipped. Start just right of Mr Olympia and go up RH to the pocket and head left to join Mr Olympia and finish up that problem.

11. Monkey Grip V9 ** sit-start scary (FA: Paul Westwood)
Chipped. Start on the same hold as the above problem but head right and finish up quite high as per Gorilla Grip.

12. Gorilla Grip V10 ** sit-start scary (FA: Sam Edwards)
Chipped. Start way right on the crumbling hold and traverse left to join the finish of Monkey Grip.