Approach: From Luskville Falls picnic ground, walk towards the falls, then branch left to pick up the trail leading westwards along the foot of the escarpment. After a short way, you will arrive at a gate. About 120m past the gate is an obvious large boulder immediately to the right of the trail. It gives one or two interesting boulder problems. A few meters past the boulder, a faint trail may be seen branching off into the woods to the right. The trail leads up onto an open rocky ridge, dotted with oak trees. The ridge can be followed right into the heart of the Cwm, where, if there are no leaves on the trees, you will be able to orient yourself using the map and sketches (hopefully!). Three prominent pine trees on top of the cliffs, and shown on the map, may help.
Character: The climbs in the Cwm are all short, even by Luskville standards, but are generally quite sustained, and on excellent rock. Descents are occasionally awkward. Before you attempt any route, check out possible descents. Rappelling back down is sometimes the best solution.
STREAK BUTTRESS
Bitter Fingers 5.6
The obvious groove.
Couldn't-Stand The weather A2
Thin cracks left of Bitter Fingers.
NORTH WALL
An easy angled wall, split by several cracks, about 10m high. Ranging in difficulty from 5.2 to 5.5. Very pleasant, with no nasty surprises. Pick your own route.
REAPER BUTTRESS
A small clean buttress, with three excellent routes.
Mr. Toady's Dihedral 5.8
The obvious short dihedral just to the left of The Reaper. Two in-situ protection Pins define the route.
The Reaper 5.9
A route requiring lots of confidence. Start below a smooth, overhanging wall, which is split by a thin crack. Two in-situ protection pegs (one near the ground, the other in the crack itself) again define the route.
Jugness 5.5
Climb the wall to the right of The Reaper, taking in a small overhang above a short, small dihedral. Lots of jugs.
SPINDRIFT WALL
Adas Route 5.1
Start about l0m left of Ground Zero. Climb straight up to the top.
Ground Zero 5.3
Start l0m left of Arachnophobia, directly behind a large tree. Climb the obvious crack in the face, tending left to a ledge after about l0m. Face climb to the right of this crack to the top. Protection is poor.
Arachnopbobia 5.3
Start in the mouth of the large cave, about 2m left of the jumbled rocks on the cave floor. Follow the obvious zigzag crack under large solid flakes until it ends. Continue up, past the top of the cave. Traverse left and up to an obvious line, which is followed to a large cedar at the top.
CAVE WALL
Security 5.10
Climb up a thin crack and move right to a protection peg. Once past the peg, move back left and on up to the top. Poorly protected. The route awaits an "on-sight" ascent.
Neruda 5.5
The obvious twisting jam crack to the right of the cave.
SHORT WALL
Evening crack 5.4
The obvious broken crack left of Fill In Crack. Exit to the left or right after the crack ends.
Fill In Crack 5.7
Climb a thin crack up a short wall. Easy descent to the right.
BlRD'S NEST BUTTRESS
The bird's nest (comparable to the one on atomic Marshmallow at Bon Echo) has long since disappeared.
Gnarly Moves 5.8
Climb the crack through the left edge of the roof. Move up and left to pass a second roof (as on Radical Moves) then step right immediately above the roof, and climb up to the top.
Radical Moves 5.9
The obvious crack splitting the center of the roof. An amazing first move; people under 6 ft tall are allowed to stand on a stone to reach the first hold. The route goes through two more overhangs higher UD .
Rock Heads 5.7
The obvious line right of Radical Moves.
Free Bird 5.8
Start 3m right of Rock Heads. Climb up a very small left-facing corner to a ledge. Move up to underneath the roof. Move left, then up past the overhang. Move up a thin crack immediately above the overhang, until it becomes imperative to step left to join Rock Heads for the final couple of moves.
RED WALL
Mouse Eater 5.8
At the left end of the Red Wall is a short left-facing dihedral. Protected by two in-situ pins. Make a difficult face move to gain the dihedral from the left, then follow it to the top.
Grovel 5.7
Sandwiched in between Mouse Eater and Spring Time. Climb straight up to gain a ramp. Exit rightwards.
Spring Time 5.8
Start just right of Mouse Eater. Climb a broad easy-angled ramp rightwards. Step across to its rightmost tip, then climb straight up the wall to the top.
UPPER SLAB
THE SOUTH SIDE
The south side of the Cwm is a complex series of buttresses and walls separated by steep gullies. It is approached by a side trail, which branches off from the main trail and heads up to the base of the White Wall.
It's upper limit is defined by a very broad, vegetated gully which separates it from the large expanse of slabs at the top of the Cwm. From this gully, the cliff descends downwards and rightwards and eventually fades into the hillside.
Routes are described from left to right, starting from halfway up the broad gully. Easily identifiable features are the White Wall a rather blank section of rock capped by overhangs;
Heartrate - a short but obviously difficult overhanging offwidth crack and
Corruption - an obvious leftwards arching crack.
The best easy ways down are the broad gully to the left of the South Side and the gully to the right of Colonel Buckets. The latter descent route should be used for all routes right of High Stepping.
The Fan Club 5.6
So named because the first ascent party fanned out after the initial corner - the leader took the easy option on the left, the second took the hard option on the right, and the third took the in-between option (a political metaphor?). Start as for D.I.Y. Climb the obvious right-facing corner, and pull around the overhang. Once above the overhang, there are three options: a) sneak easily off left, then back right to the top; b) step right and move up to the base of a horizontal flake crack; then either: i) follow the crack leftwards to easy ground; ii) follow the crack rightwards to easy ground.
D.I.Y. 5.10
A large gully (a useful descent route) separates the Red Wall and Upper Slabs from the South Side. The gully is bounded on the right by an impressive wall with a long overhang ascending diagonally left, terminating high up the gully at a vertical right-facing corner. D.I.Y. starts at the base of the right-facing corner. An obvious crack runs horizontally right. Follow the crack to the overhang. Down climb a short way and clip a protection pin in the overhang. Climb rightwards past the pin and another two pins above the overhang to a relaxing finish. Very safe if double ropes are used.
Anna Banana 5.8
The climb ascends around old pitons, of unknown origin.
Cinch Crack 5.4
The obvious wide crack right of Anna Banana.
Mr. Toady's Arete 5.6
Climb a finger crack rightwards, then gain the arete. Climb its left side to pegs of unknown origin.
Right Stopping 5.6
Climb the short jam crack.
Termagant Arete 5.8
The face between High Stepping and Heartrate. Two pins at two-thirds height. Climb past the pins on the left, using the arete. Termagants may prefer to climb the face to the right of the pins.
Heartrate 5.9
Belay on a large sloping rock ledge beneath an overhanging, offwidth crack. Make an awkward move up and right to gain the bottom of the crack. Thrash your way up it to a big ledge. Climb up the center of the face above to the top.
Colonel Buckets 5.8
Start at the base of the small wall immediately right o f Heartrate.
Follow the obvious line up the wall, going left up to a ledge which crosses the face, then diagonally right up a thin crack.
The next feature to the right is a huge overhanging prow, with an unusual pinnacle at its base. The gully immediately to the right of the prow provides a reasonable descent route. Immediately past the pinnacle is the White Wall. The following route ascends the left side of the wall. The route is much better than its name suggests.
Dirt For Dinner 5.6
Start at an oak tree. Foot traverse right to an obvious vertical crack. Climb the crack and hand traverse right at its top. Move up to a pillar. From the top of the pillar, move right into a groove and up to the top.
Aids A3
Ascend the right side of the White Wall to the roof. Traverse left to a thin crack and up to the top.
Morning Crack 5.4
The White Wall is bounded on the right by a broken, vegetated corner. The narrow wall to the right of the corner contains an obvious hand crack. Climb the crack, exiting right at the top.
Minor Threat 5.9
Climbs the face right of Morning Crack.
Start on top of a small rock pedestal. Climb up through a small overhang to gain an obvious short crack. Climb the crack to a tree stump. Step right onto the rounded arete and mantleshelf to finish.
Corruption 5.9
Climb up, then left, following the obvious curving arch, up to a big ledge. From the ledge, move up into a scoop, stepping left from two small pins (equalize the pins, and clip into them with a shock absorbing sling). Then up a crack to the top.
Termagant Crack 5.5
Immediately right of Corruption. Climb a thin crack through a small overhang and UD to a large tree.
Idiot Proof 5.5
Climb the left edge of the face to the right of Termagant Crack.
Immediately to the right of Idiot Proof is a 4th class section of rock, leading to the top of Fun With Friends.
Fun with Friends 5.11
Overhanging cracks. Not yet led without aid.
Cedar Route 5.6
About l0m right of Fun with Friends. Climb the shallow corner up to an exit past an obvious cedar tree hanging over the top of the cliff.
The Thrasher 5.10
Located on a small buttress directly underneath Corruption. Climb up into a recess, then up a crack to the top. Short and vicious.
The Western Cwm Access: Route F