BUTTERFLY GORGE

Deep within a pristine sandstone canyon in the Northern Territory’s Top End—where cool waters flow beneath ancient, rocky ramparts—lies a hidden gem: Butterfly Gorge. But while the gorge is stunning in its own right, it’s also a superb place to climb, a bounty of steep, outstanding, highly-featured rock. Despite this, established routes are few. By all indications, much of it remains unclimbed.

The location is remote and committing, requiring a 4WD for access. But even the final approach on foot is an undertaking in its own right. This is definitely not a casual, short walk-in sport climbing crag. Rather, this is adventure climbing at its finest. Climbing here is both exploratory and a proper quest. It calls for an experienced party who doesn’t mind some tricky route finding. The abilities to read rock well and be self-sufficient within a remote wilderness location are also essential.

This article expands upon the ‘Rocks ‘n Crocs’ feature story in Wild #167, and will describe in detail four