General

A developing area of granitic coastal blocs and walls that offer a quick and easily accessible option.

Access

The bouldering areas at Stanley are accessed from the Correctional Services Department Museum on Tung Tau Wan Road. Walk through the museum car park to the platform behind this and then climb over the railing to access the maintenance staircase on the slope below. Follow the staircase down the slope to reach the beach at the bottom and then work your way right around the coastline to get to your desired blocs.

Problems

Extinction

The Ammonite

1) Tentacles (sds) VB
Being an easy low ball, this is a great introduction to sit-starts. Start matched on the second horizontal crack and without using holds on the right side of the vertical crack, establish yourself on top of the boulder.

2) Ammonite Shell (sds) V0
A bit harder than Tentacles, because of the protruding lip. Start matched on the horizontal crack and avoid using holds on the left of the vertical crack

The Den

1) Cave Bear *** V0
From inside the Den, use the crack and the wall opposite to it to climb up the chimney.

1) Ground Sloth (sds) *** V2
The short crack requires a good amount of technique to top out. 

2) Glyptodon (sds) ** V1
A technical start to an awkward top out.

The Kennel

1) The Howling *** V2
Start matched on the lowest part of the lip and make a rising right traverse along this, turning the lip to top out just after it starts to steepen up and a crack appears about a foot or so behind it.

2) The Howling Ext (sds) ** V5
Sit start at the hollow looking flake beneath the start of The Howling. Crank up to the lip and continue all the way along the this to the highest point on the face before topping out. Requires notably more pads and nerve than the original line due to both poorer landing and rock quality in the final part of the climb.

The Penitentiary

The biggest and best of the bouldering sectors at Stanley

1) Project
The left arête of the main face

2) Shawshank * V4
Start in the vertical crack right of the arête. Make balance moves to get on the wall and then, using flakes out left and the arete as necessary, work your way up until it is possible to get the obvious juggy arête hold. Follow the arête above to finish.

3) Shawshank (sds) * V6
The sit start to #2 from matched in the vertical crack

4) Prison Break *** V2
Start with the crack for the right and flakes out left for the other hand. Move up to the undercut flake before making a big reach up and right for the ledge. From here make committing moves up via the undercut flake above to reach the horizontal crack, where it is possible to shuffle off left.

5) Prison Break (sds) *** V6
The sit start to prison break adds several technical and powerful moves to get established in the good undercut hold in the crack.

6) Project
The discontinuous line of thin flakes up the blunt arete.

7) Project
Start with an undercut pinch for the left and poor crimp high up for the right. From these move up to the horizontal crack systems above and a committing top out.

8) Knuckleduster (sds) *** V5
Sit start at the base of the wide crack and follow this to gain the horizontal break. Work your way left along the break to gain the third ‘pod’ high up, from which a committing slap hopefully brings the top of the wall.

9) Jacobus ** V2
Start with side pulls in the crack and the horizontal slot. Using the crack and right arete, work your way yup the wall above to a tricky finish.

10) Jacobus (sds) ** V3
Sit start to Jacobus either using a solid jam or a powerful layback move to gain the horizontal slot and layback at the start of the original line.

11) Bastille * VB
The slab on the right side of the arete.

12) The Green Mile ** V3
Start matched on the large horizontal break. Work your wy up the overhanging crack / arête until it is possible to reach right to holds in the break. From these move on to the right face and make committing moves up to the top of the wall and an intimidating finish.

13) P.O.W (sds) ** V4
Sit start at the base of the wide crack and tackle this with difficulty.

14) XX (sds) ** V7
Sit start matched on the small ledge right of the cracks. Make hard moves to get established in the discontinuous cracks. Follow this until it is possible to launch for the lip above.

15) Lockdown (sds) * V6
Sit start at the long ledge midway between the crack and arête. Pull on and make difficult moves right across the wall until a difficult throw brings a good hold on the arete. Finish up the arête from this.

The Cell Block

16) El Chapo ** V2
On the back side of the main bloc is a narrow gully, the left side of which has a fine finger crack running up the corner. Climb this.

Prison Walls

The blocks and walls on the right and left sides of the Penitentiary.

1) Wall Patrol *** V1
Step off the boulder to gain the right side of the lip on the overhanging face. Follow positive holds all the way left across the lip to top out at its far end.

2) Dungeon Master (sds) * V5
Sit start using crimps on the face right of the arête and rounded side pulls on the arete itself. Staying on the right of the arête, slap your way up to positive pinch / undercuts before launching for the top of the wall.

3) Papillon ** V1
Start with left hand out left on a crimp side pull and right on small crimps. Move up to a positive hold in the groove on the arête before finishing directly above this.

4) Flake Identity ** V0
Start-off on the nice flake and with some dynamic moves or adjustments along it, reach the nice jugs on top. From here, an easy mantle will get you top of the boulder.

The first two lines are located on the short lower, and slightly tidal, wall.

1) Sea Spray (sds) * VB
Climb the positive crack line on the short lower wall from a sit start.

2) Coral Atoll (sds) * VB
Sit start matched on the flake, haul off the floor and then follow the flakes to the top

The next few lines are on the higher wall above the ledge.

3) Confinement * VB
The left central side of the slab has a left trending flake line, which ca be scaled relative ease.

4) Misfits * V2
Climb the right side of the slab, without any use of the arete, via friction and tiny edges to reach the good jug at the top.

5) Juvenile Delinquent * VB
As for Misfits but with the added bonus of the arete (but nothing right of it) this time.

6) Coral Reef * VB
Attack the crack to the right of the slab.

The Prison Yard

1) Project
To the left of the prominent arete is a diagonal line of intermittent crimps. Use these and poor features out on the left wall to work your way up to jugs at the lip of the block. Continue directly over the perched block to finish.

2) The Warden (sds) *** V2
Climb the prominent right arete of the wall on it’s left side, from a sit start.

3) Quadrangle ** V0
Climb the slabby right side of the arete.

4) Yard Time * VB
Climb the broken wall on the right side of the face, just to the right of the easy vertical crack.

1) Break Out (sds) ** V1
Sit start using a good side pull in the vertical crack. Pull up to the first horizontal break and then work your way through the subsequent breaks above this to scale the wall.

2) Hard Time * V1
Sit start using jugs on the low block just right of the corner. Make one tricky move to lift off and then climb the easy (VB) corner line above.

3) Gaol Break ** V1
Sit start at the large ledge in the overhanging corner. Follow the corner above this to the roof, where a left wards traverse to the main corner line allows an easier and safer top out than the more direct alternative.

4) Porridge (sds) *** V5
Sit start beneath the jutting prow with a good left undercut and using the arete for right. From these, power your way up the prow to eventually get established on the slab above. An easier but intimidating finish above this awaits.

5) Gruel (sds) ** V5
Sit start on the right side of the overhanging block, with right hand on positive side pulls and left on the tiny crimp on the face. Make powerful moves out left to the arete, before technical moves bring a small side pull high on the face and then the lip above. Pull through the lip and finish as for Porridge.

6) Loblolly (sds) ** V3
Start as for Gruel but reach right instead of left, making use of the good layback flake to scale the right side of the block and gain its lip.

7) XX * V2
Climb the corner between the jutting block and slab, stepping right beneath the roof to circumvent this.

8) The Slammer * V1
Climb the middle of the slab, starting up the diagonal crack and following positive crimps and small flakes to gain the weathered breaks above.

9) Chokey * V2
Climb the right arete of the slab, treading very carefully as a fall would be quite big and painful.

Other Areas