★ Deception II 15

Another 9 pitches of adventure climbing.

Start: As per "DI", walk another 20m further Right along the terraced ledge from DI (up over & around a bulge), near a unique four cave, clover-like formation in the rock. Initialed "DII".

★ Deception II 15 - Deception II start

★ Deception II 15 - Deception II start

(This is Rick's original route description - the grades have been converted to the Ewbank System & pitch lengths to metres. The hemp rope they used, was 120' [36m] & 1.5" in diameter. This precluded longer pitch lengths. With modern, thinner, kernmantle ropes & good runner management, you can certainly run pitches together, thus shortening ascent times. Notes re "tree belay" & "peg belay" should be allowed for: trees may have vanished in the 51yrs since first ascent & new ones appeared.)

1. 18m 12 - Over roof of cave & up wall above, through scunge, trending left to base of crack in corner. Tree belay.

2. 18m 14 - Climb crack by jambing & bridging, cracker runner. Peg (gear) belay at base of pinnacle. (From this belay, you can look down Left onto P1&2 of DI)

3. 33m 13 - Bridge up between wall & pinnacle. Up through shallow cave & over small overhang, then traverse right over slab & up to tree belay on verandah.

4. 18m 12 - Cross verandah trending right to cave.

5. 27m 14 - Out of cave & jamb up crack, passing strenuous overhang. Block belay.

6. 36m 15 - Traverse down to ledge, climb straight up corner on thin holds, using finger jambs & laybacks. Move up left past pinnacle & continue up wall to verandah.

7. 33m 13 - Scramble across verandah to tree belay at base of steep buttress, just right of steep V-shaped corner. [NB: Blackened tree stump is still there.] Up blocks left, onto slab, follow weakness trending slightly left to small ledge & tree belay (gear behind).

★ Deception II 15 - Deception Link-up, climber on p7-4

8 33m 14 - Out Right from belay, follow arete up, a but run-out in places, mantle onto ledge & belay in corner.

9 12m 12 - Up groove to summit.

(On the first ascent, Graham, who i spoke to in 2007, recalled having no gear or holds on pitch 8, he called out to Rick on belay. Rick jokingly said: "Oh just leap for the tree", which Graham did, much to Rick's horror.)

The East Face was originally established as bold, trad climbing. There are bolts here & there on the East Face, but think carefully before you decide to place a bolt here.