Bluff Knoll, Eastern Buttress
This route is located on a massive obvious buttress, detached from the main face of Bluff Knoll, 200m east of ‘Sophocles’. Most of the buttress is hidden from view until you move around the eastern side of the north face however the leading edge can be seen from the car park which is slightly lower in elevation.

Getting there from ‘Hell Fire Gully’ takes about 15 minutes. Continue to contour the base of the mountain down to the east. Scramble up onto the ‘Sophocles’ ledge where you can get a good look at the Eastern Buttress and route. Continue down through the large wooded gully to the Buttress and move around the base to the north side.

The Nek 281m 20***
Pitch 1, 45m 13. Start on the northern face of the buttress about 10m right of the northern most point. Go up for 10m following the best cracks then head diagonally right across a series of walls to a large grassy ledge at 30m. Continue up the narrow ramp on the right for another 15m to small sheltered ledge just before the rock opens up. You should be directly under a roof 45m above.

Pitch 2, 40m 15. Go through the gap above and continue up for 15m. Trend left and go around a dodgy-looking detached boulder (pretty solid) and up another 10m to a small recessed grassy ledge. You should be 10m directly under a 6m roof.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/GeTHOPa.jpg[/IMG]
Most of Pitch 1 and all of Pitch 2

Pitch 3, 26m 20. A superb pitch. Go up the crack under the roof and traverse right across a ledge out to the lip. Move out onto the face and go up with reasonable handholds on solid rock (crux). Once on top continue up through a cleft in the rock for another 10m then step 2m right into a cosy belay spot. A No4 cam fits well in a crack at the back of the belay.

Pitch 4, 38m 16. Step 2m left out of the belay and follow the line up passing left of a small shrub. Continue to the top of the feature and scramble up some giant steps to a massive ledge on top. Anchor off boulders.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Ix6Nc71.jpg[/IMG]
Pitch 2 to 4

Pitch 5, 34m 16. Go up the obvious shallow gully directly left and then right of the small tree at the top. Move a further 4m right into a thin crack and up another 15m. Step 2m left onto an exposed overhanging belay protruding from the arete.

Pitch 6, 38m 18. Another superb pitch. Get some pro in 2m above the ledge then go up placing more pro 3m above the last. Trend right across the face passing left of a shard of rock sticking out 25m above. Up another 5m then left over a bouldery section into a small gully. The belay ledge is 4m above on the left.

Pitch 7, 30m 16. Go up the short wall and through a gap at the top. Continue on over a bouldery section to a mega ledge. Belay through a gap between two boulders and anchor from blocks at the rear. If you need to escape from here there is an easy 120m walk-off along this wide ledge.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/WyUBLYr.jpg[/IMG]
Pitches 5 to 7

Pitch 8, 30m 17 (Optional ‘mystery’ pitch) Shift the belay 30m back to where the ledge meets the wall at the highest point on the left. Go up, following cracks and crevasses, and after 15m trend right under the obvious overhanging rock at the top. Jug up the short overhang and finish on top. Jonas Hollingworth and Oliver Morell – Oct 2013

Unlike some of the routes on Bluff Knoll this route is fairly easy to follow. It also has good protection on fairly solid rock. I tried to dislodge the large dodgy-looking detached block on Pitch 2 but I couldn’t manage it with all my strength. I then dropped several 15-30kg boulders on top of it from about 6-8m above and despite a few chunks coming off it held tight. I then tried again with all my strength but to no avail. I would say that its fairly safe for now and is not coming down in a hurry. Theres a No 11 nut stuck on the crux of pitch 3. It’s yours if you get to it before I return.