Rock Climbing Destinations
Destinations in Victoria
- Mount Alexander
- Camels Hump
- Black Hill
- Ben Cairn
- Cathedral Ranges
- Cape Woolamai
- You Yangs
- Werribee Gorge
- Mount Beckworth
- Mount Arapiles
- Grampians National Park
- Mount Buffalo National Park
- Wilsons Promontory National Park
Destinations throughout Australia
Last Updated: December 16, 2022
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander
Mount Alexander offers easily accessible climbing on large granite boulder in a nice forest setting. It consist of two main areas Dog Rocks and Wabbit Wocks.
Type of climbing: Slab and Cracks, with mostly trad protection and the occasional bolt. Some Sport routes.
Grades: easy (1-12) 17; intermediate(13-18) 39; advanced (19-24) 36; expert (25-33) 14
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: yes
Day Trip friendly: yes
Walk in: Dog Rocks 5im easy; Wabbit Wocks 25min steep
Camping and Facilities: no
Distance from Melbourne: 130km; 1h30min
Camels Hump
Camels Hump
Camels Hump is the perfect summer location. It’s temperature is usually about 10C lower than in Melbourne. It is perfect in summer and absolutely freezing and miserable in winter. It offers easy to moderate trad routes, harder sport routes and a newish easy sport crag within a 5 min walk to the main area.
Type of climbing: A bit of everything.
Grades: easy (1-12) 46; intermediate (13-19) 62; advanced (20-24) 54; expert (24-31) 14.
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: yes
Day Trip friendly: yes
Camping and Facilities: none; Mount Macedon Village (4km) has a cafe/convenience store/post office and a pub.
Distance from Melbourne: 63km; 1h
Black Hill
Black Hill
Climbing on big boulders dotted in a forest area.
Type of climbing: Granite slabs (mostly sport) and cracks (mostly trad)
Grades: easy (1-12) 4; intermediate (13-19) 43: advanced (20-24) 38; expert (25-33) 11.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: partially, some of the climbs require someone to lead up first.
Day Trip friendly: yes
Camping and Facilities: no, Kyneton (8km) offers all main services.
Distance from Melbourne: 91km, 1h10min
Ben Cairn
Ben Cairn
Granite outcrop in forest close to Healesville.
Type of climbing: Face, Slab and Crack
Grades: easy (1-12) 8: intermediate (13-19) 12; advanced (20-24) 24; expert (25-33) 3.
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: yes
Day Trip friendly: yes
Walk in. 5min easy with some scrambling to the base of the climbs.
Camping and Facilities: no, Healesville (18km) offers all main services.
Distance from Melbourne: 80km, 1h30min.
Guidebooks: Rockclimbs around Melbourne, Glenn Tempest 2011
Cathedral Ranges
Cathedral Ranges
Type of climbing: single and multi-pitch slabs with mostly natural protection
Grades: easy (1-12) 60; intermediate (13-19) 117; advanced (20-24) 41; expert (25-33) 2.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: no
Day Trip friendly: Sugarloaf Peak maybe, North and South Jawbones no.
Walk in: Sugarloaf Peak 15min steep, Jawbones 1h steep with bush bashing
Camping and Facilities: National Park with Campgrounds as well as bush camping. Buxton (18km) has a pub and a small convenience store.
Distance from Melbourne: 125km, 2h10min
Guidbooks: Rockclimbs around Melbourne, Glenn Tempest 2011
Cape Woolamai
Cape Woolamai
Pink granite sea cliffs located on Phillip Island, just over the bridge from the mainland. Not for the inexperienced. Tides, weather, and choss may dictate your approach and retreat so be prepared. Fixed protection is not trustworthy; bring slings for rap anchors
Type of climbing: varied on partially very chossy rock
Grades: easy (1-12) 28; intermediate (13-19) 31; advanced (20-24) 4; expert (25-33) 2.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: no
Day Trip friendly: yes
Walk in: 10min easy
Camping and Facilities: Phillip Island offers everything.
Distance from Melbourne: 130km, 1h40min
Guidbooks: Cape Woolamai Rockclimbing, Stuart Hollaway and Chelsea Brunckhorst 2013
You Yangs
You Yangs
Urinal and Royalty wall offer some excellent slab climbing which is easily accessible. You Yangs Regional Park also offers bushwalking and mountain biking.
Type of climbing: Slab and Cracks, some bolt protection
Grades: easy (1-12) 11; intermediate (13-19) 29; advanced (20-24) 3; expert (25-33) 0.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: Urinal and Royalty walls suitable with easy access to top and bottom of cliff,
Day Trip friendly: yes
Walk in: 5min easy
Camping and Facilities: no camping, Little River (9km) offers basic facilities.
Distance from Melbourne: 63km,50min
Guidbooks: Rockclimbs around Melbourne, Glenn Tempest 2011
Werribee Gorge
Werribee Gorge
Very popular north facing cliff close to Melbourne. Offers a variety of trad routes and some harder sport climbs. Perfect in winter but can be excruciating on a hot summer day.
Type of climbing: Face and crack
Grades: easy (1-12) 6; intermediate (13-19) 29; advanced (20-24) 25; expert (25-33) 5.
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: yes, easy access to top and bottom of cliff, easy anchor set ups, some loose rock at top of cliff
Day Trip friendly: yes
Walk in: 30 min moderate
Camping and Facilities: no facilities in park, Bacchus Marsh (11km) has everything.
Distance from Melbourne: 70km, 1h
Guidbooks: Rockclimbs around Melbourne, Glenn Tempest 2011
Mount Beckworth
Mount Beckworth
Type of climbing: short slabs and cracks, partially bolt (carrots) protected
Grades: easy (1-12) 45; intermediate (13-19) 54; advanced (20-24) 26; expert (25-33) 2.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: yes
Day Trip friendly: ideal for a short weekend (drive up Saturday morning camp one night drive back Sunday evening).
Walk in: 15min steep
Camping and Facilities: Various basic campgrounds in park (some with toilets and fire pits), Clunes (5km) has basic facilities.
Distance from Melbourne: 147km, 1h40min
Guidbooks: Rockclimbs around Melbourne, Glenn Tempest 2011
Mount Arapiles
Mount Arapiles
Famous worldwide for its quality trad routes at all grades Mount Arapiles offers varied single and multi pitch climbing with excellent natural protection at any grade.
Type of climbing: single and multi-pitch slabs with mostly natural protection
Grades: easy (1-12) 357; intermediate (13-19) 861; advanced (20-24) 1187; expert (25-33) 362.
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: yes (Bushrangers Bluff, Declaration Crag, Plaque Rock, Golden Fleece Wall, Heckl And Jeckl…)
Day Trip friendly: no
Walk in: 5-20min from campground/carpark
Camping and Facilities: State Park with Campground (Flush toilets, bore and rain water). Natimuk (6km) with pub (showers), café, milkbar and climbing shop, Horsham (30km) all facilities.
Distance from Melbourne: 335km, 4h
Guidbooks: Arapiles Selected Climbs, Glenn Tempest and Simon Mentz 2008, A Rock Climbers’ Guide to Arapiles/Djurite, Louise Shepherd
Grampians
Grampians
The Grampians National Park offers a variety of crags catering for all styles and preferences. From easily accessible Top Rope areas like The Watchtower or Summerday Valley(currently closed) over sports climbing areas like Dreamtime or the Gallery to adventurous multi-pitch climbing at Mount Rosea. It also offers excellent bouldering mainly in the higher grades.
Type of climbing: Everything
Grades: easy (1-12) 1190; intermediate (13-18) 2911; advanced (19-24) 2427; expert (25-32) 818. elite (33-39) 66.
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: yes: Summerday Valley, The Watchtower
Day Trip friendly: no
Walk in: varies
Camping and Facilities: National Park with Campgrounds as well as bush camping. Halls Gap has restaurants, petrol, general store, accommodation, visitor centre
Distance from Melbourne: 260-400km, 3-4h
Guidebooks: Grampians Selected Climbs, Glenn Tempest and Simon Mentz 2001, Grampians Climbing Sports Crags, Neil Monteith 2013, Gampians Bouldering, David Pearson & Chris Webb Parsons 2009, various others covering individual areas
Mount Buffalo
Mount Buffalo
Scary slabs and never ending cracks in a stunning alpine setting. Mount Buffalo also offer excellent bushwalking.
Type of climbing: mostly multi-pitch slabs and cracks. slabs partially with spaced carrot bolt protection
Grades: easy (1-12) 65; intermediate (13-19) 302; advanced (20-24) 349; expert (25-33) 44.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: no
Day Trip friendly: no
Walk in: varies
Camping and Facilities: National Park Campgrounds at Lake Catani (swimming) with hot showers. Café and small store during summer month, Myrtlefort (46km, 50min) has all facilities
Distance from Melbourne: 337km, 3h50min
Guidebooks: Mount Buffalo: a rockclimbers guide, Kevin Lindorff & Simon Murray 2006
Wilsons Promontory
Wilson’s Promontory
As a climbing destination Wilson’s Prom has been neglected in the recent years and all the existing routes and areas require a permit from the rangers and a sense of adventure. But the popular and amazing tourist destination offers some excellent bouldering on Squeaky Beach and you can go for a swim straight after. Makes for an excellent bouldering/swimming/hangout trip.
Camping and Facilities: Camping in Tidal River next to the beach with all facilities plus a small café/restaurant/shop.
Distance from Melbourne: 209km, 2h40min
Moonarie - Flinders Ranges National Park
Moonarie
Spectacular climbing on excellent rock in a remote and outback setting. Climbing at Moonarie is something special with amazing views from the cliffs sitting high on the rim of Wilpena Pound.
Type of climbing: single and multi-pitch face and crack climbing, mostly trad with the occasional sport route
Grades: easy (1-12) 74; intermediate (13-19) 232; advanced (20-24) 255; expert (25-33) 55.
Beginner friendly: no, especially all leaders should be experienced and know rescue skills
Top Rope friendly: no
Day Trip friendly: no
Walk in: 1h from campground to top camp (you can leave your gear there) then variable to the climbs
Camping and Facilities: Bush camping, no facilities. Wilpena Pound Resort (15min) offers accomodation and facilities, Hawker (42km) all basic facilities.
Distance from Melbourne: 1156km, 12h30min
Guidebooks: Moonarie Climbing Guide, Tony Barker 2000
Nowra
Nowra
Rock climbing in Nowra consists of multiple little sport crags scattered in and around town with the main action happening at Thompson’s point. Thompson’s point is located in a forest setting next to the Shoalhaven river and offers excellent sport climbing..
Type of climbing: face and overhung sport climbing
Grades: easy (1-12) 41; intermediate (13-18) 338; advanced (19-24) 957; expert (25-32) 302; elite (33-39) 15.
Beginner friendly: yes
Top Rope friendly: some cliffs have easy access to the top
Day Trip friendly: no
Walk in: varies, mostly short and easy
Camping and Facilities: Camping at Shoalhaven Caravan Park opposite Thompson’s point on the river. All facilities and provides canoes to get across the river. Nowra is a big town.
Distance from Melbourne: 808km, 8h15min
Guidebooks: Nowra Sportsclimbing, Rod Young 2011
Point Perpendicular
Point Perpendicular
Spectacular climbing on sea cliffs. Where else can you watch whales while belaying?
Type of climbing: single pitch face and slab, mostly trad but some sport routes. Mostly double carrot bolt belays at the top.
Grades: easy (1-12) 46; intermediate (13-19) 258; advanced (20-24) 282; expert (25-33) 43.
Beginner friendly: no
Top Rope friendly: yes, most climbs have double carrot bolts at the top which make easy top rope anchors.
Day Trip friendly: no
Walk in: varies, 10 min to 40min
Camping and Facilities: Camping at Honeymoon bay with toilets. The whole peninsula is part of a navy base and is only open during weekends and NSW holidays. Call ahead to confirm. Currarong (6km) basic facilities, Nowra (35km) all facilities.
Distance from Melbourne: 850km, 9h
Guidebooks: Climb Point Perp, Robert Dunn 2011
West Cape Howe
West Cape Howe
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Beginner friendly:
Top Rope friendly:
Day Trip friendly:
Camping and Facilities:
Distance from Melbourne: