Babylon, Mt Ngungun - New Area Guidelet

By Lee Skidmore

 

This is an extract from the upcoming Glasshouse Mountains Guidebook which contains this style of information for all Glasshouse areas.

 

The hanging gardens. A very varied tier of rock shyly hidden in the trees to the NW of The Hidden Slabs (Mt Ngungun, Glasshouse Mountains). About 200m of cliffline faces N (i.e. runs parallel to the road), but then faces NW as you follow it around, at which point Beerwah and Crookneck are visible. All up, Babylon comprises about 500m of cliffline, but due to the generally poor quality of the cliff, routes are limited to the better walls. “No development can really be done as there isn't really that much to climb!” --Neil Monteith, 1996 Ngungun Guide.

 

Babylon is situated away from the main Ngungun areas so a different access road is used. After crossing the railway line in town turn R onto Sahara Road. Follow this for a couple of hundred metres around L. Turn L at the intersection continuing to follow Sahara Road. A large chocolate brown slab is visible high on the hill. This is The Hidden Slabs. The Sentinels (profiled in qurank #5) is the white-looking section of cliff partly visible through the trees to the L of the Hidden Slabs, above the old quarry. Continue a further 750m past the Springburn Drive turn-off (on the L) to park in the wide dirt area off the side of the road. Walk straight up the hill crossing two vehicle tracks to reach the rock (three minutes).

 

A good landmark as you walk up the hill is the tallest section of cliff. It’s 40m high and capped by a steep orange headwall. Acumen climbs this. 35m L of this is a low-angled slab which hosts some beginner routes. To descend, locate convenient rap rings below a grassy ledge at the top of Bulbasaur.

 

Note: Routes at The Sentinels and Babylon often  finish at rap rings. Do not top-rope directly off these as they will wear out (use equalised quickdraws instead). Also, all BR’s at The Sentinels and Babylon require large brackets. Adrenalin and SRT/Kangaroo brands are best, followed by RP. PFH’s often fit. Small AME’s don’t. If in doubt, carry wires as a backup.

Above: Aaron Jones repeating Rumble In The Jungle (20)

 

Baby Grit 15m 7

A couple of nice smears up the smooth water groove. 2m L of arête. At 15m, walk 10m R to the rap rings. Good rock, but no useful pro.

FSA Lee Skidmore 9/10/99

 

It is unknown where the next two routes are in relation to the others. They are included for completeness sake.

 

Access Route 10m 4

Up nice slab on jugs to big ledge. Reverse the climb to descend.

FSA Neil Monteith 1995

 

Piss Easy 25m 5

7m R and 20m L of orange vertical wall. Start in front of biggest black tree. Up slab trending R to vegetated top. Scramble up through this to top.

FSA Neil Monteith 1995

 

Pikachu 18m 7

3m R of arête at tennis ball pocket. Up nice start crack, then up the higher crackline. Take biggish hexes. Traverse R 3m to rap rings.

Lee Skidmore, Philippa Newton 9/10/99

 

Charmander 18m 7

1.5m R. Up the crack to stance, then a tiny steep section to an easy top. Rap off.

Lee Skidmore 9/10/99

 

Bulbasaur 17m 5

Blocky face 1.5m R. A wide pod at half height takes a #5 camalot, but apart from that, there isn’t much gear. Rap off.

Lee Skidmore 9/10/99

 

35m R at the highest section of cliff which is capped by a steep orange headwall.

 

* Acumen 35m 20 [image in qurank #5]

The gem of the crag. Slab up L-trending ramp until it ends. Step R into corner (BR) and up to superb orange stone, climbing this past a BR to the headwall. Follow good crack up L to clip FH, then blast directly up the steep headwall with some serious exposure past a final FH to easier ground, and rap rings. Mind possible wasps at base of headwall. 

Lee Skidmore 31/10/99

 

14m R on a shorter, black, blocky wall.

 

* Rumble In The Jungle 16m 20

Sporty. Right up the middle of a blocky wall, which overhangs 1.5m in its length. Up slab then pull through into corner (FH, BR). Crux past the third BR, then through to the top passing a final FH to rap rings.

Lee Skidmore 31/10/99

 

* Hijinx 16m 17

Babylon’s first bolted route. 2m R. Juggy, but balancy climbing past a FH, BR and FH to rap rings.

Lee Skidmore, Philippa Newton 9/10/99

 

Gossamer Threads 13m 19/20

There’s a big spider entombed behind the first bolt. 5m R, just around the arête. An attractive, smooth, steep face. Lean off cheat ledge to clip first bolt, but start directly. The grade depends on how much you use the arête. BR, FH, BR to rings.

Lee Skidmore 31/10/99

 

From the arête R-wards, the rock faces NW. 100m R is an obvious 5m overhang. This is home to Brummagem.

 

Brummagem 13m 21

10 sustained moves. Waltz up easy slab to base of overhang (#1 SLCD in horizontal slot). Clip FH from jug, then power R-wards to tricky second clip (must get R-foot up high for balance). Hand jam on the lip, then up to top. Rap rings on L. If belaying a second from the top, take a #4 SLCD.

Lee Skidmore, Erik Smits 20/11/99
Above: Lee Skidmore on the first ascent of Gossamer Threads (19/20)

 

30m R of Brummagem is another series of slabs. One slab is composed of odd-looking rock. Downhill (R) further, the track runs down into a water runoff gully which forms the lowest point in the track.

 

Flat Out 30m 11

Starts on the far L of the gully, about 8m L of Strange Ritual. Weave up the smoothest section of slab to rooflet-capped ramp. Follow this up diagonally R to meet Slap Slap Shit Splat at the bowl stance. Finish up SSSS. Belay and rap as for SSSS.

FSA Lee Skidmore 7/11/99

 

* Slap Slap Shit Splat 30m 16

The big V. 6m R of Flat Out and 2m L of Strange Ritual. A committing start at the grade - use an orange alien or a spotter. Master the bouldery crux to get into the V, then up it to wide crack. Follow this line directly up past gear over the first rooflet. A stonking medium chock just over the lip of the second rooflet reduces anxiety. Once through this, up and R to the fishbowl stance. R out of this and up acne-covered rock very easily to ledge (SLCD belay). Scramble down R (facing out) to a 25m tree rap.

Lee Skidmore, Erik Smits 20/11/99

 

* Strange Ritual 30m 20

This’ll have you thinking! Up slab, then bridge into groove. Bizarre contortions through this (two close BR’s) to easy ground. Straight up passing a last BR to fishbowl stance. Finish up Slap Slap Shit Splat. Belay and rap as for SSSS.

Lee Skidmore 20/11/99

 

Aqua Aerobics 30m 18

A short sloper problem. 2m R. Up slab (wire) into corner (BR). Hold that crux slope to get through it. Up and R with care, climbing easy but runout slab to grass ledge. Up into easy waterfall gully. Lope all the way up L to the ledge. Belay and rap as for Slap Slap Shit Splat.

Lee Skidmore, Erik Smits 20/11/99

 

15m R and uphill of gully base and 5m R of a corner crack is the next route.

 

Boulder Problem Gone Wrong 50m 6

The first ‘route’ done here. It started as a boulder problem and ended 50m later. Haul up the vertical face on big scooped buckets to easy ground. Meander up to vegetated ledge minding loose blocks. Walk R down ledge (facing out) and rap off a big tree. Not inspiring.

FSA Lee Skidmore, Aaron Jones 2/10/99

 

30-50m uphill and R of the gully are some reasonable 25m slabs, some capped by a steep 5m headwall. No routes are here.