A Climber's Guide to the Glasshouses - The Organ Pipes, Mt Beerwah

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The Organ Pipes, Mt Beerwah

NOTE: Access to this crag is currently under threat! Please limit your impact.

These routes are at the top of the Hikers Route in the main overhangs. Please note that all climbs to the R of Stainless Anticlimb are currently closed to climbers. Route descriptions are included for historical reasons and in the hope that access will be regained to these routes.

Tribute 110m A3
Start: About 8m L of Ten Thousand Maniacs near some white painted graffiti .
1) Up a corner to a widening groove. Belay at the ledge.
2) Aid out of the ledge and then climb carefully through a loose wide section, traverse directly R onto a ledge. Take the knifeblade/beak crack and belay beneath the roof.
3) Traverse L under the roof on knifeblades to breach the roof on the L. Continue up a groove to the ledge belay. About 60m of 4th class up and R to above SA.
FA Pitch 1: Brett Hamlin, Alex McConnell
Pitch 2 & 3: Alex McConnell, Adam Donoghue (alt) 1996

Ten Thousand Maniacs 50m A4
Start: Look for a BR at 4m.
Up passing the BR, then follow thin seam up and around arête to the L, then up into obvious corner (next one L of C). Straight up blank corner on bathooks for a long way (don't hit ground) until a few pins are reached. Up past another hearty helping of hooks to sanity BR. Corner opens up a little after that allowing some gear. When corner blanks out once more, penji/tension R out of corner into final crack of second pitch of C. Belay as for the second pitch of C.
FA Gareth Llewellin (solo) 05/1999

Cuddles 90m A3
Start: As for Ten Thousand Maniacs.
Rack: Standard free rack with more small wires (offsets) and more small SLCDs (black aliens). Loads of pins (including beaks). Hook and bathook placements on most pitches.
1) 25m (A2+) Free up to BR at 4m then thin seam running up then diagonally R under arching roof to arête. Straight up through steep bit, then up corner to TBB with small foot stance.
2) 25m (A1+) Continue up corner passing 4 BRs. Pass rooflet then straight up widening, then narrowing crack to the belay (TBB).
3) 20m (A3) Pass roof on R, then technical pegging up thin corner to negotiate another roof (2 BRs). Up exposed R-leaning orange line to hanging TBB on headwall.
4) 20m (A3) Up to BR, then diagonally L (BR) heading for corner above roof. Retro BR on lip of roof, then non-stop pegging up corner. A rivet (as for COD) is the last placement. Bolt and groove belay. 50m of 4th class poo to the top.
FA Gareth Llewellin with help from Scott Lawrence, Chris Finn and Ray 05/1999

Crack Of Dawn 85m A3+
Start: 5m R of Cuddles (second corner to the R).
A classic aid route - for Queensland anyway. Good rock for the area and nice clean falls (if this comes into play).
Rack: A big rack including nailing gear.
1) 45m An excellent long pitch. Two bathooks, finger crack running up to a DBB.
2) 25m Straight up from belay then trend R to roof. Through roof with increasing expoosure and up corner to DBB.
3) 15m Move up, heading L to hanging L-ward flake. Move carefully along flake (expanding) and L past rivet to top.
FA Adam Donoghue, Scott Camps 21/11/1997

Agitator 90m A3
Start: 2m R of Crack Of Dawn and 6m L of Stainless Anticlimb.
1) Extremely thin seam (tied off blades and beaks) to a bolt, then a bathook, hex throw, hard and thin nailing to a TBB.
2) Tricky thin moves to the L passing a natural hole to four BRs, bathook, thin RP’s, more thin nailing to a pod (excellent SLCD’s). Up past some fixed PRs then more thin nailing to small rooflet and TBB.
3) Hard and thin moves past belay to beaks and tied off blades, equalised RP’s, to a thank-god #1 SLCD placement. Continue up thin seam until morphs into a roof, then bathook two moves to the R to a TBB under a roof.
4) From roof, very soft rock and poor bolts through roof to shallow corner (fixed gear). Up corner to top.
FA Darrin Carter with help from Aaron Jones 04/1999

Stainless Anticlimb 130m A1
Start: At the L end of the overhangs. I said left. That means NOT right.
Originally named Stainless Anticlimb, now more commonly known as the Beerwah Bolt Route. Most of the bolts are old 1/4" diameter bolts that are too small for modern day hangers. Decent bolts are present at intervals. Either use tie-off tape or use two thin biners on some of the hangers. A very popular first aid route and no doubt the scene of many epics.
Rack: 30-40 free biners, around 20 tie offs, one small set of wires, one hook, maybe some rivet hangers.
1) 30m Follow the bolt ladder that starts near some large blocks on the ground with one hook move passing a false belay to a multi-bolt belay.
2) 30m Continue R-wards up the bolt ladder to a belay beneath the first huge roof. This is the luxurious hanging bivy spot that is well protected from the elements.
3) 30m Some reachy clips start into the roof bolts. Traverse out the exposed roof on nicely spaced bolts and turn lip to face another exciting hook move just before another false belay. Continue to a small stance and a multi-bolt belay.
4) 40m Follow the R-trending line of bolts breaching the final roof. Pass another false belay to the summit with some reachy clips (keep some wires handy for extra reach). DBB.
FA Trevor Gynther, Steve Bell 1971

Leviathan - A2+
Start: On the R side of the overhangs. This is the bolt ladder many people mistake Stainless Anticlimb for.
"This was the first climb on the overhangs of the North face of Beerwah. Our first attempt was Easter 1970 but we ran out of bolts and climbed the last bit using tied off drill bits and a kitchen fork!"
1) The line on the R side of the overhangs. Follow the bolt ladder to a sling belay and a good stance. Breach the overhangs on studs and bat hooks to a BB.
2) Continue up and through the second overhang on studs and bathooks through steadily deteriorating rock to a BB.
3) Bolts and pitons up the incipient crack and poor rock. Breach one final, small overhang about 25m below the summit to a BB.
4) The final pitch carries bat hooks and pitons for the first 5m and rapidly deteriorates to soft powder-like rock that makes three inch bolts barely good enough for body weight. All the bolts on this route are known to be badly weathered since the first ascent. Take extra kitchen forks!
FA Andrew Speirs, Sid Tanner 04/1970

Tribute 110m A3 Start: About 8m L of Ten Thousand Maniacs near some white painted graffiti . 1) Up a corner to a widening groove. Belay at the ledge. 2) Aid out of the ledge and then climb carefully through a loose wide section, traverse directly R onto a ledge. Take the knifeblade/beak crack and belay beneath the roof. 3) Traverse L under the roof on knifeblades to breach the roof on the L. Continue up a groove to the ledge belay. About 60m of 4th class up and R to above SA. FA Pitch 1: Brett Hamlin, Alex McConnell Pitch 2 & 3: Alex McConnell, Adam Donoghue (alt) 1996	Ten Thousand Maniacs 50m A4 Start: Look for a BR at 4m. Up passing the BR, then follow thin seam up and around arête to the L, then up into obvious corner (next one L of C). Straight up blank corner on bathooks for a long way (don't hit ground) until a few pins are reached. Up past another hearty helping of hooks to sanity BR. Corner opens up a little after that allowing some gear. When corner blanks out once more, penji/tension R out of corner into final crack of second pitch of C. Belay as for the second pitch of C. FA Gareth Llewellin (solo) 05/1999
Cuddles 90m A3 Start: As for Ten Thousand Maniacs. Rack: Standard free rack with more small wires (offsets) and more small SLCDs (black aliens). Loads of pins (including beaks). Hook and bathook placements on most pitches. 1) 25m (A2+) Free up to BR at 4m then thin seam running up then diagonally R under arching roof to arête. Straight up through steep bit, then up corner to TBB with small foot stance. 2) 25m (A1+) Continue up corner passing 4 BRs. Pass rooflet then straight up widening, then narrowing crack to the belay (TBB). 3) 20m (A3) Pass roof on R, then technical pegging up thin corner to negotiate another roof (2 BRs). Up exposed R-leaning orange line to hanging TBB on headwall. 4) 20m (A3) Up to BR, then diagonally L (BR) heading for corner above roof. Retro BR on lip of roof, then non-stop pegging up corner. A rivet (as for COD) is the last placement. Bolt and groove belay. 50m of 4th class poo to the top. FA Gareth Llewellin with help from Scott Lawrence, Chris Finn and Ray 05/1999	Crack Of Dawn 85m A3+ Start: 5m R of Cuddles (second corner to the R). A classic aid route - for Queensland anyway. Good rock for the area and nice clean falls (if this comes into play). Rack: A big rack including nailing gear. 1) 45m An excellent long pitch. Two bathooks, finger crack running up to a DBB. 2) 25m Straight up from belay then trend R to roof. Through roof with increasing expoosure and up corner to DBB. 3) 15m Move up, heading L to hanging L-ward flake. Move carefully along flake (expanding) and L past rivet to top. FA Adam Donoghue, Scott Camps 21/11/1997
Agitator 90m A3 Start: 2m R of Crack Of Dawn and 6m L of Stainless Anticlimb. 1) Extremely thin seam (tied off blades and beaks) to a bolt, then a bathook, hex throw, hard and thin nailing to a TBB. 2) Tricky thin moves to the L passing a natural hole to four BRs, bathook, thin RP’s, more thin nailing to a pod (excellent SLCD’s). Up past some fixed PRs then more thin nailing to small rooflet and TBB. 3) Hard and thin moves past belay to beaks and tied off blades, equalised RP’s, to a thank-god #1 SLCD placement. Continue up thin seam until morphs into a roof, then bathook two moves to the R to a TBB under a roof. 4) From roof, very soft rock and poor bolts through roof to shallow corner (fixed gear). Up corner to top. FA Darrin Carter with help from Aaron Jones 04/1999	Stainless Anticlimb 130m A1 Start: At the L end of the overhangs. I said left. That means NOT right. Originally named Stainless Anticlimb, now more commonly known as the Beerwah Bolt Route. Most of the bolts are old 1/4" diameter bolts that are too small for modern day hangers. Decent bolts are present at intervals. Either use tie-off tape or use two thin biners on some of the hangers. A very popular first aid route and no doubt the scene of many epics. Rack: 30-40 free biners, around 20 tie offs, one small set of wires, one hook, maybe some rivet hangers. 1) 30m Follow the bolt ladder that starts near some large blocks on the ground with one hook move passing a false belay to a multi-bolt belay. 2) 30m Continue R-wards up the bolt ladder to a belay beneath the first huge roof. This is the luxurious hanging bivy spot that is well protected from the elements. 3) 30m Some reachy clips start into the roof bolts. Traverse out the exposed roof on nicely spaced bolts and turn lip to face another exciting hook move just before another false belay. Continue to a small stance and a multi-bolt belay. 4) 40m Follow the R-trending line of bolts breaching the final roof. Pass another false belay to the summit with some reachy clips (keep some wires handy for extra reach). DBB. FA Trevor Gynther, Steve Bell 1971
Leviathan - A2+ Start: On the R side of the overhangs. This is the bolt ladder many people mistake Stainless Anticlimb for. "This was the first climb on the overhangs of the North face of Beerwah. Our first attempt was Easter 1970 but we ran out of bolts and climbed the last bit using tied off drill bits and a kitchen fork!" 1) The line on the R side of the overhangs. Follow the bolt ladder to a sling belay and a good stance. Breach the overhangs on studs and bat hooks to a BB. 2) Continue up and through the second overhang on studs and bathooks through steadily deteriorating rock to a BB. 3) Bolts and pitons up the incipient crack and poor rock. Breach one final, small overhang about 25m below the summit to a BB. 4) The final pitch carries bat hooks and pitons for the first 5m and rapidly deteriorates to soft powder-like rock that makes three inch bolts barely good enough for body weight. All the bolts on this route are known to be badly weathered since the first ascent. Take extra kitchen forks! FA Andrew Speirs, Sid Tanner 04/1970