General
A collection of small, compact, and relatively easily accessible granite buttresses scattered above and below the eastern part of Bowen Road.
Access
The easiest access is from the bus stop at the junction of Bowen Road and Stubbs Road, near the roundabout at the Adventist Hospital. From here, walk west along Bowen Road for about 10 minutes until the trail passes over a stone bridge. Bowen Wall is located beneath this bridge (access by climbing over the handrail just after the bridge and scrambling down a gully to the base of the wall) whilst Jack’s Jutt is just above the far end of it. Lover’s Rock is located immediately above Bowen Road a few minutes walk further down the track.
Bowen Wall
1) Root of All Problems * F5
Tree climbing up the root system on the left side of the face.
F.A. F. Haden & D. Kwok (2021)
2) A Bridge Too Far *** F7a
Technical climbing up the left side of the face.
F.A. F. Haden & D. Kwok (2021)
3) Good Drill Hunting * F6b+
Precarious climbing up the right side of the main face.
F.A. F. Haden & D. Kwok (2021)
One of the above lines is possibly a modern interpretation of the line Bramble Tango (HVS 5c) by B. Heard & G. Jones (1990): Start up the front of the rib until the angle increases. Very difficult and steep friction climbing for the next 20 ft until the angle eases off. Continue straight up to the trees above. No protection available.
4) Snitches Get Stitches F5
The corner and narrow face on the right of the wall
F.A. F. Haden & P. Krichilsky (2021)
5) Happy Hacking F6a
The offwidth on the right of the narrow face
F.A. F. Haden & P. Krichilsky (2021)
Jack’s Jutt
1) Project
Equipped by F. Haden & P. Krichilsky (2021)
2) Climb to Glory F6b
The groove system on the right of the main block
F.A. F. Haden & M. Mori (2023)
3) Project
Lover’s Rock
1) Project
2) Uncle Two Fingers Traverse *** F7a
A quality line tacking a rising leftwards traverse across the main expanse of Lover’s Rock
F.A. Brian Smeets (2022)
In addition to the above two bolted lines, the old Brian Heard guidebook also records a number of traditionally protected lines on this crag (called the Bowen Road Boulder in that guide)
1) Gecko Grooves VS 4c
On the right side of the boulder, behind and to the right of a large tree, are two overhanging parallel cracks which slant up to the left. Bridge up a few feet until it is possible to pull into the grooves. Continue up steeply until a sloping ledge is reached at the bottom of a very thin crack. Using the edge of the arête on the left and some wide bridging, move up until the crack widens sufficiently to layback or jam to the top.
F.A. G. Jones & B. Heard (1991)
1a) Variation HVS 5c
From the sloping ledge move left round the arête. layback up the steep edge to the top. Very committing and unprotected.
T.R. G. Jones (1991)
2) Reptillian Ramble HS 4a
To the left of gecko Grooves and behind the large tree is a wide gully.
Pitch 1 (40 ft): Scramble up the groove to the pinnacle where a good belay may be taken.
Pitch 2 (80 ft): Follow the rounded crack diagonally up and left across the steep wall. where the wall bulges, hand traverse unsing friction holds for the feet until the crack peters out. Move up to the next shallow and rounded crack and do likewise. Move up again to the third crack, which is even shallower, and traverse this until the vertical crack is reached. Climb this to the top.
F.A. B. Heard & G. Jones (1991)
3) Lizards Lunch VS 4b, 3a
About 30 ft left of the previous route and just around the main arête of the boulder, is an obvious steep groove
Pitch 1 (25 ft): Climb the very steep groove to the pinnacle where a belay may be taken.
Pitch 2: (85ft): Climb a few feet to the very large crack/flake leading up and left. Crawl along this until it narrows, then hand traverse to the end. Climb the large vertical groove and flakes to the top.
F.A. B. Heard & G. Jones (1991)
4) Swinging Salamander VS 5a
20 feet left of the Lizards Lunch is another steep and brutish crack which overhangs about 5 ft in its first 10 ft and is filled with razor sharp crystals. Step off the block left of the crack and hand jam over the overhang with difficulty. Continue up the fairly easy groove to the top.
Possibly the obvious crack system left of Uncle Two Fingers?
F.A. G. Jones & B. Heard (1991)
5) Mauling Monitor HS 4a
After Swinging Salamander the ground rises. At the top, where the wall turns left, there is a vertical crack with a large flake on its right side. Climb the slightly overhanging crack, first by bridging to the right and then by layback with the left foot in the crack. At the top of the crack move right to a very sharp flake running up and right. layback along this until the very large vertical flake is reached. layback up this to the top.
F.A. B. Heard & G. Jones (1991)