Carne Wall Landslide Removes 200,000 Cubic Metres of Rock Removing Historic Climbing Routes

A significant landslide occurred at Carne Wall near Blackheath in Australia’s Blue Mountains between 1 and 2 August 2025, dislodging an estimated 200,000 cubic metres of sandstone. The rockfall removed two historically notable but long-unused climbing routes, “The Big Loose Corner” and “Carnivore”. According to geotechnical assessments, this event is considered one of the largest rockfalls in recent decades in the region.

Geotechnical engineer Zack Tuckey of engineering firm Jacobs stated that the primary cause was likely the progressive growth of cracks over time, eventually connecting to form a release surface. While rainfall can contribute to such failures, precipitation in the period before this event was not exceptional. The failure did not impact infrastructure or walking trails, but it has left a distinct scar visible from Evans Lookout.

Landslides are a recurring feature in the Blue Mountains landscape, with some recorded events exceeding 30 million cubic metres in volume over the past 10,000 years. The Carne Wall incident may be included in updated Australian landslide guidelines, aided by high-quality before-and-after drone imagery.

This landslide adds to the inventory of significant mass movements shaping the Blue Mountains’ steep escarpments. Such failures are part of the region’s long-term geological evolution and present ongoing considerations for hazard mapping and risk management in similar sandstone terrains.