The Bluffs  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  2,916. Good page?    Administrator:  Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Josh Janes on Jan 13, 2007 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event

The start of Final Departure, 27, a classic of the...

Description 

The Bluffs are perhaps the largest, most prominant features at Arapiles. They are a series of buttresses that extend out from the back of the Mount forming the right wall of the Central Gully. Bluff Major is the largest and furthest back of these, followed by Bluff Minor which sits in front. Several smaller formations are also encompassed in this area, including John's Pinnacle, Bard Buttress, Fang Buttress, and the Plaque Area (the last three of these being listed separately).

Climbing ranges from long moderates to short, difficult testpieces. Must do lines include Blockbuster (5), Missing Link (9), Scorpion (10a) and Scorpion Corner (11b), Quo Vadis (10b), Thunder Crack (10c), Kama Sutra (11+), Despatched (12a), Station to Station (12b), and Final Departure (12d). Grades are YDS.

Getting There 

Approaches vary depending on what part of the formations you are going towards, but the vast majority are approached via the Ali's scrambling route... this passage is on the north side of the Bluffs facing the campground. One can also pass through the bluffs via Ali Baba's Cave, a tunnel through the formation. On the other side is a long ledge system called Flinder's Lane. Many high quality routes begin from here, which is just on top of the Tiger Wall. Descent from the top of the Bluffs is via rappel. Ali's can be reversed to reach terra firma.

The Classics

Featured Route For The Bluffs

Scorpion Corner 5.11b  International : Australia : ... : The Bluffs

Easy but unprotected climbing off the ground leads to a steep bulge and some tricky pulls. After a rest work up the corner with some interesting stemming and crimping. ...[more]   Browse More Classics in International

Photos of The Bluffs Slideshow

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bluffs, thundercrack is the obvious overhanging cr...	The mega-classic "Anxiety Neurosis", 26.	Scorpion Crack on Bluff Major; Andy Ande...
Scorpion Crack on Bluff Major	Josh Laitila on Scorpion Corner	Josh on Scorpion Corner
Josh on Scorpion Corner	Josh linking Scorpion corner and Kamasutra