Sewer Bouldering Guide


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Sewer (aka The Dark Side) Bouldering Guide

Location: Park as close to Eric Mobbs Reserve, Castle Hill, as you can depending on the soccer crowds and walk out the SE end down a well signed path into Excelsior Reserve. Follow the track downhill for 50m until you hit a T-junction. Take the path to the right for a 100m until the first left. Take the left and follow this path down the hill through some posts in the middle of the track and past a few promising looking boulders, all the way down to the junction of Excelsior and Saw Mill creeks. The Sewer is the big cave about 20m on the southern side the creek junction facing East on the other side of the creek. Beware of the smell ....

Aspect/Rock: The cave faces E so it never actually gets the sun on it making it great for summer and winter alike. The cave is large enough to not get wet in the rain but it does seep occasionally. The rock is typical Sydney sandstone and is sandy in places but there is a lot of juvenile, spray painted graffitti ...

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

1. V2 sit-start (FA: Tim O'Neill)
Fun juggy prow with a sandy top-out.

2. Knobby V3 * sit-start (FA: Tim O'Neill)
Undercling the knob, up to the slope and to the top.

3. V4 *** sit-start (FA: Unknown)
Classic prow with a tough move to finish. First ascent is assumed to be the idiot that put the bolt near the finish!

4. Project
Great pocket pulling with a deadly finish above the sewer ...

5. V1 * sit-start (FA: Tim O'Neill)
Start lying under the prow and hug your way to the top.

6. Stinky V4 ** sit-start (FA: Tim O'Neill)
Start as far back along the roof as you can and bust your way along the pinches and jugs (has been done without the big footholds down right but why bother?).

7. Rancid V6 * sit-start (FA: Tim O'Neill)
Up the pockets to join the finish of Stinky.

8. V2 * sit-start (FA: Kyle Dunsire)
Start on the big hold then up and rail to the finishing rail.

9. V3 * sit-start (FA: Kyle Dunsire)
Go straight up from the start of the above problem via pockets etc.

10. V4 sit-start (FA: Kyle Dunsire)
Up to the small sloper then big move to the rail.

11. V0 * sit-start (FA: Tim O'Neill)
Pleasant prow on jugs to the rail.

12. Smelly V5 *** sit-start (FA: Kyle Dunsire)
All the way from back of the roof along the jugs to finish up the above problem. Classic.

13. Project
Cool start from the start of Smelly but where to finish?