Beta for Urbenville: South East Queensland’s New Climbing Hotspot (Which is Actually in NSW)

Are you running out of crags in South East Queensland? Just across the border, bolted routes are proliferating in the hills around Urbenville, a tiny town dubbed the ‘Catalunya of Northern NSW’. Gabi shares how to make the most of a weekend and insight from the inside on contributing to the community.

 

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Githabul people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Just over the QLD border in the Northern Rivers of NSW lies Urbenville, a town of around 300 people, a pub, and a general store surrounded by steep volcanic plugs. Climbers have been bolting routes amongst the hills since the 90s, but a newly developed moderate crag is drawing weekend warriors, including myself, from the South East down in droves.

With climbing access currently under threat in many parts of Australia, seeing so many cars at the crag over the recent long weekend had me a little concerned. The crag is incredible – a tall cliff band with routes graded from from 5 to 28, 15 minutes from town, and an even shorter approach than Coolum Cave.

Beyond the climbing, Urbenville is also a beautiful place. There’s free camping close by and everyone comes together in the evenings at the pub for a sizable meal and cold beer. It’s the perfect long weekender and the kind of place I want to visit for many years to come.

The Palace features engaging, delicate face climbing at moderate grades

With that in mind, I wanted to learn (and share) more about climbing in the area and what visiting climbers like myself can do to be good stewards, contribute to the community, and hopefully avoid any access issues before they arise.

About Urbenville

Urbenville lies in the green, mountainous Northern Rivers region of NSW, known for its volcanic landscapes and lush rainforests. The area has a kind of forgotten, wild feeling. A magical blend of dark forests, steep, unlikely cliff faces, dense vines, and slow-moving creeks.

Urbenville History

The original inhabitants of the area surrounding Urbenville and nearby Woodenbong, the Githabul people, told stories of ‘hairy men’, also known as yowies, living in the area. Their ancient stories have been reiterated by regular sightings across the region since the 1890s and Woodenbong is unofficially known as the capital of Yowie Country.

Beyond these stories, Aboriginal cultural legacy remains important to the region with the language being taught at the local school and Native Title and Indigenous Land Use Agreements covering much of the surrounding state forests and national parks.

In years past, the extensive network of forest trails and winding rural roads made Urbenville a destination for enduro motorbike riding. Though not as popular as it once was, the scene still exists, contributing to the eclectic mix of patrons at the Crown Hotel.

The iconic Crown Hotel sits on the main road with Coutts Crown visible behind

A Short History of Climbing in Urbenville

Climbers have been bolting in the area since the 1990s but it really took off in the early 2000s with crags developed on Coutts Crown, an imposing volcanic plug visible from the centre of town and Battery Hill to the south-west.

Coutts Crown is home to The Crown, Spot X, and The Crossroads, a mixture of shallow slabs and soaring overhangs with several classic, hard routes set by Lee Cujes. At Battery Hill, you’ll find easier, slabby sport climbs rated in the teens.

More recently for climbers the real drawcard has been the newly developed, moderate crag called The Palace at Buckingham Hill. Bolted in the years during and after Covid, this 40m cliff was mostly the vision of Anthony Alexander, a crag developer who I’m told is a big part of the soul of climbing in the Northern Rivers.

Another member of the core group who developed the crag, James Blackhall, shared with me the story of Anthony’s unlikely encounter with the cliff that led to its development.

‘He rides motorbikes a fair bit and was out on the forest roads when his chain broke. He walked into the bush to relieve himself and was looking up at this huge wall’, he laughed.

Bolting started with the easier walls at each end, before more people got together to develop harder routes through the middle.

‘Anthony was the heart and soul of this project, offering support and direction to help us all develop the area. It was pretty amazing and a purely Northern Rivers effort’, James said.

He described how a ragtag team of around eight people ‘went nuts’ bolting The Palace wall before climbs were made public on The Crag.

‘Everyone had their own personality and style to bring to it. It was very collaborative and organic’, he told me.

Some of those people have since left the Northern Rivers and are living all over the world but their contribution to the climbing community remains in Urbenville to be enjoyed by those who stayed and those who visit for many years to come.

Bolting also extended to a cave further up from The Palace, known as The Keep, which James said is ‘some of the best and hardest climbing in Northern NSW’.

Shelob (27) at The Keep features tough moves on a 60° overhang

The routes at The Keep follow a Lord of the Rings theme, with classics named after heroes and villains, including ‘Shelob’ and ‘Nazgul’. At The Palace, the eclectic group of developers named routes after everything from spicy lunchtime snacks to book chapters, new hobbies, and rope shenanigans.

‘The classic “Bogan Yoga” came from Anthony, who’s a bit older and stiff from surfing but was trying to get into yoga at the time. “El Chorizo” was what he was eating for lunch that day and I named “Adventures of the Irresponsible” after a chapter in a book about Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins climbing Fitz Roy’, James told me.

A Community-Focused Approach to Climbing Development

Originally a Queenslander, James moved to the Northern Rivers after seeing great, untapped potential for sport climbing and finding access easier to manage in NSW than QLD.

‘I see much more of a future in sport climbing in Northern NSW. There’s a lot more freedom in the conservation parks and state forests. I’ve gotten to speak to heads of forestry and the rangers. They welcome climbers and believe we’re good stewards of the area’, he said.

Despite his positive experiences with locals so far, developing rock climbing anywhere in Australia comes with access risks.

James Blackhall on the first ascent of Shadowfax (26) at The Keep

‘It’s pretty crazy how quickly it can escalate. I’ve heard shots fired, I’ve been chased out. I’ve seen bolting and access be banned in really great areas.’

James said Urbenville faces the same risks but the locals he’s spoken to – including the owners of the pub, the convenience store, and the land surrounding the crags – are all supportive of climbing continuing in the area.

‘They understand we’re bringing business to the region and I think that’s what really put the fire in me to make sure we’re doing the right thing in the long-term and being community-focused’, James said.

Small Contributions Can Have a Big Impact

As the forest car park starts to fill up on the weekends, James said it’s important for both local and visiting climbers to make an effort to be part of the community.

At the cliff, that means sticking to the core climbing value of leaving no trace; taking rubbish out with you, keeping pets on a leash, brushing off tick marks, and sticking to state forest rules. In town, it’s spending money in the local shops, having dinner at the pub, and even something as simple as chatting to the locals and sharing what you love about the place.

‘We get to climb in these beautiful places and we’re lucky to be building this community and this culture which I hope will remain here for many years’, James said.

James is in the process of developing a community-driven guidebook for the area which he hopes will nurture common values among those who visit.

Read more: Remember to Leave No Trace

How to Get to Urbenville

Urbenville is roughly 2.5 hours’ drive from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast, making it a perfect weekend climbing and camping spot for those in South East QLD.

Where to Stay in Urbenville

Camping is free in the state forest, with a couple of campgrounds close to both the pub and the cliffs. The rest area just off Clarence Way is typically favoured by climbers for its spacious, flat area and proximity to the pub.

The best seat in the house

It’s also possible to camp in the pub’s backyard, where $10 a night allows you access to a hot shower and kettle for your morning coffee. It’s a great option for a night or two but you’ll be camping in the car park, contending with caravans and limited tent space. For me, the shower was worth it.

For those looking for a little more comfort than camping, The Crown Hotel has several rooms available with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities.

If you’ve got some downtime during a visit, there’s also a few walking tracks and places to swim nearby, including the Tooloom Falls picnic area and Bean Creek Falls.

Read more: Staying Safe Around Swimming Holes and Waterfalls

Tooloom Falls is only ten minutes’ drive from The Palace

Must-Do Routes at The Palace in Urbenville

Climb: Scallywag
Grade: 18 ★★

It should be three stars in my opinion. Smooth, flowy, long, and has a beautiful view from the top. Worth a try no matter what grade you climb.

Climb: King Schnitzel
Grade: 19 ★★

The perfect introduction to The Palace. It’s long, balancy, and one of those climbs that pumps out your calves. This was my first route at Urbenville and had me questioning my ability to send anything harder.

Climb: Obsidian Edge
Grade: 22 ★★★

Another beautiful climb on a black section of rock with the perfect amount of angled holds to rest your way up. Reminiscent of one of South East QLD’s best, Slider on Mt Tibrogargan.

Climb: El Chorizo
Grade: 23 ★★★

One of the longer routes at the crag at 38m. A 70m rope goes with a bit of stretch but be prepared for the drag at the top.

I had to throw one in from Spot X.

Climb: Tito Traverxa
Grade: 25 ★★★

The kind of route that makes you question why this is your hobby. Scary, exposed, balancy, and featuring a technical, heartbreaker crux to clip the chains. Epic.

Urbenville FAQs

What to do in Urbenville NSW?

Although Urbenville village is quite small, the surrounding area is full of national parks which feature gorgeous places to climb, swim, camp, fossick, and canoe.

What kind of community is Urbenville?

Urbenville is a rural village in northern NSW within the Tenterfield Shire with a small population of only a few hundred.

What is the history of Urbenville?

The Githabul people are the original inhabitants of the area and told stories of ‘hairy men’, also known as yowies, living in the area and the region is unofficially known as the capital of Yowie Country.

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