[ This guide contributed by Neil Monteith. Disclaimer: Rock climbing is a dangerous sport. None of the information contained in this document has been verified. Treat all fixed gear with suspicion, route grades may be incorrect and the rock may be poor. The editors of this document take no responsibility for any injury arising from the use of this information. If there are mistakes in this guide then let the editor know by emailing nmoneith@yahoo.com. Download printer friendly PDF version. ]

This is a new semi-sport crag located in the Northern Grampians, Victoria. The rock is steep orange sandstone walls with the occasional cave thrown in for good measure. Most of the better routes are grade 20+ and protected mainly by bolts. Red tags mark routes that are still in project status - please keep off them.

Right: Nick McKinnon on Killer Wolf (21). All photos on this page by Neil Monteith.

The bolts used on this cliff are either stainless steel Dynabolts, Truebolts or glue-in ringbolts. Most climbs have rap anchors to facilitate easy descent and cleaning. The first ascentists have endeavoured to camouflage fixed equipment by painting hangers and rings with matt textured paint. The first bolts on routes are usually relatively high off the deck so a stick clip is useful.

Much of the rock is soft, so try and avoid climbing within 24 hours of recent rain. Routes such as Winged Corpse, Psychotic Episode and Killer Wolf are good wet weather routes. A light rack of gear is required for many of the routes - a single set of cams and wires will suffice on all apart from Kublai Khan or Stone Temptress. There is still some potential for new lines to be done.

Above Left: View of Centurion Walls. The best routes are in the Lower Centurion Wall, primarily sector 2 & 4, while the Upper Centurion Wall (sectors 5 & 6) contains some more chossy lines.

ACCESS   

GR 299066. These cliffs are in the Mt Difficult Range (Nth Grampians), in Victoria, Australia. From Roses Gap Junction follow the Roses Gap/Mt Zero Road south for 1.2 km (24km from Delley’s Bridge). Up on the R is an obvious orange wall with a large grey wall above. The upper wall has a very obvious arch formation. Find a big rock cairn marking the start of the access track. Follow the red marker tape for about 15 minutes, walking through light scrub to arrive at the centre of the Lower Wall.

If you want to camp the two best bets are the Fire Dam about 500m along Halls Gap/Mt Zero Rd from Roses Gap or Troopers Creek campsite (payment required) which is several kilometres west along Roses Gap Rd.

LOWER CENTURION WALL   

Above: Lower Centurion Wall. Routes are listed from right to left. The first route climbs the orange overhung wall about 10m right of the impressive ring bolted buttress of Psychotic Episode (26).

Above Left: Lower Centurion Wall topo. (Click for enlargement). Above Right: Neil Monteith on Psychotic Episode (26) Photo Kathy Dicker.

1) Progressive Happy House 15m 18 *
Start up and head diagonally right on big horizontal breaks to vertical reachy transition. Up easily to top and tree belay. Brings lots of cams. FFA Neil Monteith, Jono Shmidt & Nick McKinnon

2) Push It Upstairs 15m 23
Sandbag one move wonder. Starts the same as PHH. Move up on big horizontals for 7m . Traverse left for 3m and up to another good slot. Dyno crux then up wall to belay tree. FFA Nick McKinnon & Neil Monteith 1st May 1999

3) Psychotic Episode 15m 26 ***
The best line of the cliff. Flakes leading up overhung orange buttress. Four rings leads to double ring lower-off. FFA Nick McKinnon 29th July 2000

3B) Stone Temptress 20m 21 **
Start up Kublia Khan for four metres then begin the never ending overhung hand-traverse right on superb stone to end at Psychotic Episode’s ring bolts. Bring every cam you own up to size 4, and lots of slings. Add a few grades if you pump out easily! FFA Neil Monteith 05th November 2000

4) Kublai Khan 45m 21/22 *
Old guard route with powerful climbing through unfriendly territory. The grade depends on the path taken through all the overhangs. Start about 10m L of IC. Climb orange and black striped rock to first overhang. Traverse 3m L then up steeply until a traverse line leads back R between more overhangs. Committing moves over the next overhang lead to a dark red patch of rock and a hanging corner/weakness. Up this to a good stance 3m below summit roof. Up to the roof which is turned on the R. Can be led in two pitches. FFA Keith Lockwood& Norm Booth 3rd November 1996

5) Ghengis Khan 45m 19
Interesting wall climbing with some suspect rock. Starts about 5m left of KK at the L most black streak that reaches the ground (flows out of a small wind blown scoop immediately L of a large pile of boulders). Up 4m to the small bush on R. Traverse L for 4m along the break then straight up the wall above to finish just L of the dead tree at the top of the cliff. FFA Campbell Mercer & Alan Hope 4th November 1995

6) Anti-Christ Superstar 20m 25/26 *
Start 20m left of Ghengis Khan below large scoop in rock. Up broken wall past BR to scoop. Follow five rings left across steep wall (crux) to big break. Shuffle right along this for a few moves (2 rings) to no hands rest in slot. Straight up a few moves to twin pocket jugs then right (ignore high ring) to break and good cam slot. Up again on pockets to jugs and pumpy conclusion past last ring to twin ring lower off. Extend runners to avoid rope drag. FFA Neil Monteith & Nick McKinnon 2.9.2001

7) Compressor Route 23m 27 **
Starts as for Anti-Christ Super Star but takes a direct finish up the head-wall. Climb ACSS to rest at half height. Move up and L to big pocket. Crimping finish straight up to chains. 9 RB’s and DBB lower off. Bolted 3rd June 2000. FFA Nick McKinnon 17th.August 2002

8) Killer Wolf 15m 21 **
The scoop and roof about 15m left of CR. Best warm-up of the cliff. Into small cave (FH), big roof flake (cams) to small rest and FH. Head left on jugs past ring bolt then straight up to double rings. The direct straight up from second FH is still Nick’s project (26+). FFA Nick McKinnon, Neil Monteith & Adam Demmert 4th June 2000.

9) Lexicon 25m 17
Up the centre of the black streak 10m left of Killer Wolf through two overhangs and finishing up R of the small bush at two thirds height. FFA Campbell Mercer, Allan Hope & Mike Mulcairn 4th November 1999.

Above: Lower Centurion Wall topo, Sector 3. Above Right: Nick McKinnon on Damage Done (24) Photo Neil Monteith.

10) Liberator 25m 19
Take the RH arête of the small buttress 5m L of Lexicon. Up steeply to the ledge and then up more steeply following the thin black streak directly above. FFA Campbell Mercer & Mark Poustie 6th November 1995

11) Shades of Black 25m 16
The first route done on the cliff. Steep climbing on outrageous holds. Starts 7m L of L at a very small section of "brain" like rock at RH end of small white cave. Straight up to LH side of buttress. Up flake on L then up and R to top of buttress. Straight up wall above. FFA Campbell Mercer, Peter Watling, Allan Hope & Mike Mulcairn 4th November 1995

12) Damage Done 35m 24 *
Start up Shades of Black and climb it to the bird shit stained ledge at about 20m height. Hand traverse left here and head up pocketed wall past a FH to under roof. Over this past another FH to finish. Amazing exposure and unlikely moves. FFA Neil Monteith & Tom Briggs (UK) 5th December 1998

Above Left: Lower Centurion Wall topo, Sector 2. Above Right: Nick McKinnon on the FFA of Left Hand Black (23).

13) Afterworld 20m 23 *
Starts up left side of cave about 30m left of DD. An easier variant finish to Left Hand Black. Climb LHB to third FH then traverse right past another FH to break in roof. Over this on jugs (FH), then up orange corner and final steep wall to rap anchor. Wires and medium cams protect the upper half. The direct start has been attempted on top-rope. FFA Neil Monteith & Aaron Jones March 2000

14) Left Hand Black 18m 23 ***
Named after black pattern on rock. The route climbs the left arête of cave then continues up face above. Boulder start to jugs and sling placement. Up arete (FH) to dinner plate jug (FH). Hard roof moves right lead to a good jug. A long move to thin holds gets you positioned on the fantastic orange face. Up this past FH and wires to roof. Over this (FH on lip) to crux pocket pulls to gain last FH. Finish up thin wall to chain. FFA Nick McKinnon & Neil Monteith 7th November 1998.

15) Centrifugal Force 18m 24 **
The beautiful black streaked wall left of LHB. Start as for LHB to first bolt then traverse left to jugs. From the break continue up past a further three bolts and assorted wires. Last bolt was placed after first ascent. Rap from chains above LHB. FFA Neil Monteith & Adam Demmertt 21st November 1998

A good limited bouldering wall exists between Left Hand Black and Sandpit. The obvious problems were established by Tom Briggs, Neil Monteith and Gareth Llewellin on 5th December 1998. Addiitional V6 problem up ‘penis’ feature was added by Adam Demmert on 3rd June 2000.

16) Sandpit 18m 20
The obvious loose flake crack left of CF. A single bolt offers the only really good protection on this wall. Rap off chains. Recommended only as a toprope. FFA Neil Monteith & Thomas Wimmer February 1999

17) Ton Steine Scherben 25m 24
Climbs the lip of the cave left of Sandpit using a big undercling then finishes up the headwall above. 5 bolts and some wires. Rap off chain. FFA Thomas Wimmer & Neil Monteith February 1999

18) Winged Corpse 15m 26 **
Wild overhung climbing through cave left of TSS. Stickclip FH then funkness leads up flakes and pockets to double rings. Bouldery from start to finish. Four bolts in all. FFA Neil Monteith & Cameron Fairburn 22nd April 2000.

Right: Neil Monteith on the FFA of Winged Corpse (26).

30m left of Winged Corpse is the juggy grade 2 access route to the top of the cliff. A short fixed rope is in place. Leftwards from here is an assortment of average quality easy routes. There is potential for more if you are into that sort of thing.

20) HCP 14m 12
A Hyper-classic Choss Pile? Up black wall left of MM and then V groove above. FFA Mark Poustie & Campbell Mercer 6th November1995

21) Lunchbox Legend 14m 18
Start 10m left of HCP. Straight up crack and then follow through steepening above. Hard bouldery start and disconcerting finish. FFA Campbell Mercer & Mike Mulcairn 6th November 1995

22) AA 24m 11
Start 25m R of the LH end of the cliff just to the right of the first large orange overhang. Start at the LH end of the scoop. Up diagonally Right through the scoop and across black wall to RH prow. Up. FFA Peter Watling & Mike Mulcairn 6th November 1995

UPPER CENTURION WALL   

These are all choss routes and are not recommended. In the upper wall there is a large cave towards the RH end. To the R of this is a thin buttress flanked on its RH side by a smooth wall. Between the thin buttress and the smooth wall is a wide crack. This is Centurion.

23) Centurion 40m 9
Gain the ledge on the R then move back left to the wide crack. Up the wide crack and then the buttress above on good holds. FFA Campbell Mercer & Peter Watling 4th November 1995

25) Desert Crack 20m A2
On the far right side of the chossy cave is a very obvious overhanging finger crack. Aid this using cams to size #1 and some birdbeaks for the top. Might go free at grade 25? Rap off sling. FA Neil Monteith (solo) 26th November 2000

Further Reading:   
Centurion Walls - Neil Monteiths web site, for more pics and latest updates on Centurion Walls.

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