The Top Rocks have a number of quality short climbs of varying difficulty and some testing boulder problems. Please stay on the reserve side of any fences and respect residents’ privacy.
Boulder Problems
Goliath, Start left of Creaky Tree, traverse right, keeping low, to BOG and ascend.
Creaky Tree, Climb up to bolt.
The Spit, Traverse left from Lop to finish just past Old Man Of Hoy.
Sloping Shinney, Traverse left to fi nish past Epiphyte Massacre.
Bob, Ascend the overhanging arete just left of Bob.
Old Man of Hoy, Climb to first bolt.
Also, the boulders near the entrance track offer various short problems.
Routes
Reference | Title | Grade | Length | Pro | Quality | Alert | Operations |
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Rise and Shine, 24 | 24 | 7m | 2 | ||||
LH boulder start to Sunshine Daydream.
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Sunshine Daydream, 23 | 23 | 2 | |||||
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1 | 1Creaky Tree, 21 | 21 | 8m | 1 | |||
The rounded arete with one hangerless bolt. Crux is getting off the ground. Tree belay. |
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2 | 2Pump Loonies, 21 | 21 | 8m | 3 | |||
Just right of Creaky Tree. Originally soloed, but a bolt was later put in for sanity reasons. Fingery. |
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3 | 3Madness and Mayhem, 22 | 22 | 8m | 3 | |||
Technical and sustained moves past 2 bolts and over a bulge. Belay chain. |
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4 | 4I Hate Spiders, 14 | 14 | 5m | 2 | |||
A shallow scoop at the right-hand end of the same face. More of a boulder problem, but listed because it is an easy access route. |
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5 | 5B O G, 15 | 15 | 5m | ||||
The bulgy arete with no protection. Has a good sequence of heel hooks to avoid any dynos. Usually started with butt on ground (B O G). |
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6 | 6The Friend, 14 | 14 | 6m | ||||
Starts next to the fence, climb past a horizontal break and shallow vertical grooves to the ledge. Chain belay. |
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7 | 7Sweet 16, 15 | 15 | 6m | ||||
Obvious crack left of The Friend. Natural protection. Finishes at same ledge. |
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8 | 8Lop, 16 | 16 | 6m | 2 | |||
Good footwork needed to get to and past single bolt, and onto the ledge. Tough if you’re short. |
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9 | 9Old Man of Hoy, 22 | 22 | 9m | 2 | |||
The rounded arete with two bolts. Small but positive holds. Belay/abseil chain. |
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10 | 10Sloping Shinney, 14 | 14 | 4m | ||||
A slabby boulder problem, just right of the tree. Top-rope bolt. |
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11 | 11Epiphyte Massacre, 16 | 16 | 5m | ||||
Just left of the tree on the same slab. Nut placements if needed, step right at top to find belay bolt. |
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12 | 12Hugh’s Hump, 15 | 15 | 8m | 2 | |||
Hugh loved this grubby bridging problem so much he soloed it. Since had two bolts and belay chain added. Hump up both walls to gain the top. |
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Nga Madness, 17 | 17 | 2 | |||||
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13 | 13Killer Prawns, 14 | 14 | 7m | ||||
The shallow groove with natural protection and an abseil chain. |
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14 | 14Poopsy’s Climb, 17 | 17 | 8m | 3 | |||
Just left of Killer Prawns, climb the wee edge-arete thingee with 3 bolts (one without hanger). Use Killer Prawns abseil chain. |
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15 | 15Killapaul, 23 | 23 | 7m | 2 | |||
Start as for Poopsy’s Climb, but swing left up the prominent overhanging arete. First ascent involved a groin hold at the crux, so could be a good idea to pre-clip the bolt. Finishes at the second bolt. Pretty pumpy. |
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16 | 16Living on a Razor Edge, 20 | 20 | 8m | 2 | |||
Layback the wide crack to gain the rounded arete. Climb past 2 bolts, sliding left to a shallow ledge. Threaded sling for pro, then straight up the vertical grooves. Tree belay well back. |
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Bro Cracked It Bro, 24 | 24 | ||||||
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17 | 17Mosquito Eating Man, 14 | 14 | 8m | ||||
Just left of Living On A Razor Edge, bridge up past bulbous ledge to chain belay. Use the same threaded sling as previous climb for pro. |
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18 | 18Bob, 15 | 15 | 9m | ||||
Left of Mosquito Eating Man, step off the small rock, and follow shallow grooves up arete to same belay point. Natural protection (hexes and nuts). |
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19 | 19Pervert, 14 | 14 | 8m | ||||
Starts on the opposite side of the arete, bridge up groove to arete and finish as same for Bob. Nut placements near top. |
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20 | 20Sunrise Slab, 15 | 15 | 5m | ||||
A couple of solo/top-rope options on this slab to reach the ledge. Belay bolt. |