Moonlight Buttress


It has been suggested that route info for this Flinders Ranges cliff should be posted on this site, so here goes.

The routes below are as published in ROCK.  Descriptions and maps are taken from a hand drawn map Colin Reece gave me a couple of years ago, and some stuff he typed up to form the beginnings of a guide book.  It is all copyright Colin Reece, and his permission should be sought before any of it is reproduced.

Colin also drew me a map of the entire Rawnsley Bluff area, including Moonlight Buttress, and other areas such as Wallaby Wall and The Arena.  He has apparently placed about 10 sets of rap chains around the area, in order to encourage development.   The map here is reproduced as best I can from a scan of the original which was drawn on the back of a manila folder.

Yes! We also have MAPS, BIGGER MAPS, and TOPOS!

RAWNSLEY BLUFF

Moonlight Buttress

Moonlight Buttress is a 10-20m high cliff of brown, orange and white quartzite high on the north-eastern flank of Rawnsley Bluff. Clearly visible from Bottom Camp at Moonarie, it offers some of the cleanest and best one-pitch climbing in SA.

The best approach is from Bottom Camp.  Walk south along the fence line from the Moonarie track for 600m, crossing a creek, and heading up the hill on the other side.   Jump the fence and head up towards the valley passing the odd cairn.  A small outcrop is passed about half way.  Look for a long rock ledge which forms a convenient path in to the valley.  Hit this at its northern end adn head up in to the valley.  Scramble up to the cliff at the right hand end of Wallaby Wall (the tier of rock below Moonlight Buttress).  Approach can be made from Rawnsley Park however its a lot more difficult.

Descent:  Either take a deep breath and solo down the imposing Re-entry (2!), or for those who are somewhat more sensible there are apparently a couple of sets of chains, one of which is above Moonstone.

Routes are described R to L.


Lunar Tick 15m 19  Begins 8m L of the pinnacle at the end of the crag and
4m R of GCTMT. A bulgy start with some loose rock leads to a short LH
corner and a rest on a ledge. Finish up to the R. Colin Reece, Paul
Badenoch 29/5/99

Ground Control to Major Tom 18  The finger crack L of LT. Through a
bulge, then on to easier ground past a bush. Colin Reece, Shane Smeets
8/97

Moonlight Sonata 18m 9  The chimney 2m L of GCTMT. Sonja Klebe, Paul
Badenoch 4/4/98

Over the Moon 16  The chimney 15m L of MS. Tubes necessary to protect
the first 12m. Some loose rock. Colin Reece, Greg Nicholls 4/97

11m L of OTM is a chimney behind a 10m-high shattered flake

Flying Lessons 16  The hand crack 7m L of the shattered flake. Through
the bulge and on. Colin Reece, Greg Nicholls 4/97

Damons in Space 17  The clean corner-crack 2m L of FL. Colin Reece, Nick
Wigg 5/97

Kanyaka 20m 13  The chimney-crack with brief difficulties 5m L of DIS.
Tubes/big hexes, cams. Paul Badenoch 7/6/98

Artemis 18  Fist crack and wider, 4m L of Kanyaka. Big hexes, #4 cams,
tubes to 15cm. Colin Reece, Shane Smeets 8/97

Jupiter 19  An offwidth struggle 3m L of Artemis. Big cams, tubes to
15cm. Colin Reece, Nick Wigg 5/97

You now reach a section of avalanche debris in the centre of the crag.

Jovial 6m 6  The L crack on the scrappy wall L of the avalanche debris.
Colin Reece (solo) 1997

Square Orbit 18  Begin 3m L of the arête. Up for 3m, then R to a
desperate weakness leading to a ledge. Wander over the back and climb a
relatively easy corner. Colin Reece (solo) 1989

Lunar Module 20  Start 2m L of SO. R onto wall, then attack the overhang
at the convenient crack. Saunter on. Colin Reece, Mike Rosato 5/97

What Drop Bear? 14m 14  Up the small corner 1m L of LM, then through a
small overhang to an easy-angled crack. Mike Rosato, Colin Reece 5/97

Apocalypse Now and Then 18m 13  Begin 3m L of WDB. Ledge, corner, ledge,
jam crack. Rob Lamp, Mark Witham 6/97

This Route Cannot Be Pronounced 15m 13  A plumb line incorporating the
corner of ANAT. Mark Witham, Rob Lamp 6/97

What Are Friends For? 15m 14  Straight up the clean finger crack 1m R of
the big corner. Nick Wigg, Colin Reece 5/97

Blue Moon 18m 12  The big corner. Sonja Klebe, Paul Badenoch 4/4/98

Space Disaster 15m 19  On the superb wall L of BM. Line 3m L of the
corner. Place nuts as side runners about 5m up. Begin a little further L
in a niche at ground level and head straight up to the crux. Finish in
the crack. Colin Reece, Michael Hartman, Mark Witham 6/97

Moonquake 15m 19  The arête with one brief detour onto the R face. Two
small loose blocks at half-height. Paul Badenoch 7/6/98

Getting Sirius 17m 22  Up the crack L of the arête for 3m, then move
around the arête and climb the face near the thin crack. Hard-to-place
wires and cams. Double ropes. Colin Reece, Nick Wigg 3/97

Cometary Debris 15m 18  Begin as for GS, but continue through the
overhang. Step L around a suspicious boulder and finish up the crack.
Colin Reece, Paul Badenoch, Brett Sedunary 29/5/99

Moonstone 14  The corner 4m L of GS, then around the roof formed by the
"magic" perched block. Continue up a crack. Nick Wigg, Colin Reece 1997

This Route Cannot Be Uttered By The Human Mouth 10m 15  The second
crack. Steep for 5m, then easier. Mark Witham, Rob Lamp 6/97

Atlas 15m 15  The third crack, straight and clean. Colin Reece (solo)
1989

Eclipse of the Heart 14  The fourth, wider, crack. FA unknown

L of EOTH is a wall with a pointed stump at its base. The wall has been
attempted by at least two parties with limited success.

Ozone Baby 15m 12  The corner. Brett Sedunary, Colin Reece, Paul
Badenoch 29/5/99

Life, the Universe and Everything 20  7m L of OB, around the arête.
Sensational climbing. Diagonal crack and flake to a ledge, then the thin
crack. Colin Reece, Mark Barnett, 4/97

Inner Space 12m 17  2m L of LTUAE. Fun with fists. Take two or three #4
cams. If not, two 10cm tubes and some RPs might do. Colin Reece, Mike
Rosato 5/97

Re-entry 2  Easy access route. Scramble the joint crack-come-chimney.
There is a bushy ledge 5m below the top.

Kill the Body and the Head Will Die 10m 12  9m L of Re-entry. The arête
between the black chimney and the weathered scoop, tending R at the top.
Rob Lamp, Mark Witham 6/97

This Route Does Not Exist in Any Language 12m 16  Begin 10m L of
KTBATHWD, just R of a chimney. Climb through the roof, place a cam, move
up, place another, then layback up and L to the arête. Grab a jug and
run it out to the top. Mark Witham, Rob Lamp 6/97

Satellite of Love 15m 19  Up the broken crackline 1m L of the chimney,
passing R of a V-shaped roof, to  finish on the face just R of the
arête. Use the block on the R for a cam placement only, or ignore it
completely and place an RP a little higher. Paul Badenoch 6/6/98
(Michael Hartman and Colin Reece may have climbed a route near here in
1997)

Moonlet 14m 7  Up the vague crackline 2m L of SOL, passing just L of the
roof at 4m, to a triangular summit block. Paul Badenoch, Sonja Klebe
4/4/98

Tas 15m 12  The shallow corner and crack 3m L of Moonlet to a bushy
ledge at 12m. Finish up the L face. Paul Badenoch 6/6/98

Another Fat Bush Pig Scenario 15m 15  Climb the wall 2m L of Tas.
Penetrate a weakness at the overhang to finish in a thin crack. Mark
Barnett, Shane Mitchell 4/97

Sweet Surrender 15m 11  2m L of AFBPS. Corner, chimney, wiggle around
the roof. Nice. Mark Barnett, Shane Mitchell, Colin Reece 4/97

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