Bunny Buckets Buttress - Pierces Pass Area - Grose Valley - Blue Mountains - 22 October 2011

All images © David Noble. No image can be used for any purpose without permission.

Party - Chuin Nee, John, Su Li and Dave

Page 1 - The Climb

Bunny Buckets Buttress (18) is a multi-pitch climb in the Pierces Pass area of the Grose Valley. Chuin Nee and John had done the route a few times before. I was climbing with Su Li and it was our first time up the route. Su Li led the first pitch and then we swapped leads. Thanks to Chuin Nee and John for showing me the route and leading the way up in front of us - and or Su Li for her great climbing and leading.

To get to the base of the climb it is necessary to abseil down from the half-way ledge near the Mirrorball Pinnacle. We started off from the Walls Lookout carpark about 7am, started climbing about 8:30am and reached the top (9 pitches) at 1:30pm



Above - Su Li on the way to the climb



Above - Su Li watches Chuin Nee on the first of the two big raps



Above - John on the first rap



Above - Chuin Nee on the second rap



Above - John on the second rap - abseiling down behind the Mirrorball Pinnacle. The climb - "The Darkside" goes up here.



Above - Su Li starts the rap



Above - Su Li nearly down



Above - Chuin Nee starting pitch 1. It has a tricky bouldery start - pehaps the crux of the whole climb









Above - Looking up pitch 5. You can see the ropes of another party a couple of pitches above



Above - Looking up at Chuin Nee on pitch 6 - doing a hand traverse to gain a huge headwall







Above - Su Li and John



Above - Chuin Nee gains the headwall.



Above - Looking down at the Grose River



Above - Su Li waiting to lead the way up pitch 7, which she combined with pitch 8



Above - John seconding up pitch 7 - a hard undercut start



Above - pitch 7 (and 8) - looking up a huge headwall - steep but covered in amazing jugs





Above - at the top of pitch 9



Above - a happy party on top - John, Su Li and Chuin Nee

Continue to the next page - the walk out (some views and wild flowers, and then a short walk at Mt Wilson)

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