West Cape Howe Guide

Fun. Crux to start, then pull through small roof to face.

Climb the corner chimney between Three Step and Tombstone Rehearsal.

The obvious jamming/splitter crack in an othrwise black wall. Jam to horizontal break, then climb up to large ledge

Climb the slightly overhanging hand/fist crack between Wire Guided and Fist of Fury. Finish as for Fist of Fury.

Nice arête climbing on the Old Man. Start at belay point for The Climb, but traverse left along horizontal cracks to vertical crack that leads to ledge. Straddle arete past two FH to the top. Bolts are not ideal, but seem to hold.

One of the best climbs for its grade in Australia! Climb the center hand/off-width crack that divides The Old Man pillar. Take big cams for top section.(can be done without big cams there are horizontal cracks that take smaller gear but bigger cams might make finding placements easier)

From the belay ledge at the base of the old man go up the inside corner and onto the face continuing to a short vertical crack at the top. Well protected with a few small wires and small to medium cams

Start as for Horizontal Refreshment but continue right at the top.

Hangers required.

Abseil to the large ledge and start 5 metres to the right of the second pitch of Little Divil between the two shallow cracks. Direct line straight up the steepening face. Crux near the top. Belay on large ledge at top and scramble up the rocks left to finish. 6 bolts (need hangers) and natural gear. FA D.Reed and P.Maher Great little addition to this area. Note: due to the friable nature of the existing flakes and poor natural protection, it was decided to install the bolts to make this route more usable for future climbers.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/new-route-at-west-cape-howe/

Steep but well protected cracks on right side of arete.

Pitch 1 (20) 20m: Steep finger crack up to ledge.

Pitch 2 (20) 20m: Crux pitch, up thin cracks. Finish on left margin of arete

Climbing up middle of face and avoid use of arete. Natural gear plus 5 bolts.

Usually done as two pitches, but can be done as a single with double ropes. Climb up obvious weakness too top of pyramid. Belay from here if doing in two pitches. Second pitch involves fantastic arete climbing to top.

Possibly easier than 22: https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/west-cape-howe-3-new-routes/

Up finger crack. Second pitch same as Andromeda

Up right most crack on the base of the pyramid. Belay on top of pyramid. Second pitch same as Andromeda

Off My Cheops 30m 16 Located on the LHS of the pyramid. From the main ledge, traverse 1m left without getting inside the groovy chimney and continue up the major wide crack system. Finish Up on the arête. FA: 22/02/2014 David Tickler, Remi Vignals

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/west-cape-howe-3-new-routes/

Tura Stone 30m 19* Up the twin cracks to the rectangular stone at 7m, and continue up the cracks without using the left chimney and staying on the face to the top of the pyramid. FA: 22/02/2014 Remi Vignals, David Tickler

For the full experience, rap all the way to bottom in corner with the pyramid ledge. Climb up cracks trending right then take left fork to belay ledge. Second pitch follows cracks up with an exposed finish, Pitch 1: 25m

Pitch 2: 35m

From start of 2nd pitch of Friendless, head up crack system between Friendless and Black and Beautiful. Relatively straightforward climbing with good protection. Beware of loose jugs on top that are potential belayer killers.

Classic Blackk Wall climbing up crack system to the right of Friendless Variant. At top, move up right ramp, or for harder finish (perhaps above the grade), climb the vertical crack with poor gear and flaky rock.

I attempted this route a few years ago and found it pretty dirty and unappealing and bailed on the abseil rope. May be better with a good clean? I suggest if you try it keep the abseil rope in place incase

As for Training for Big Walls, but traverse the lip on micro cams. Solid test piece for FFA

Abseil off bolts to the most northerly abseil gully (marked by large cairn) to a large ledge halfway down cliff line at the end of the gully. Climb up right of arete and go left over roof and up continue up arete to finish.

Abseil 50m down blunt arete to large belay ledge. Start up corner and move left past bolt an onto face and continue up staying left of arete.

Abseil down arete for 40 m into niche. If wet, start from above niche on drier rock. Go up face staying as close to the arete as possible.

From base of abseil gully climb cracks on left up face to overlap before moving right. Layback the flake then head straight up.

Rap of two bolts (require hangers) to a ledges. Climb up crack systems to top.

Start a few meters right of Curly and go up offwidth onto face

Good exposed climbing on a nice clean wall. Excellent rock, well protected and enjoyable at the grade. Abseil 50m from the top of the Sunshine Superman wall just north of The Supergroove at the 2 hex bolts on the boulder that caps the wall. Looking down from the top of the overhang you will see a large flake system. When you pass an eyebolt after 30m or so trend north slightly to the staircase ledges and belay on large cams. Pitch 1, 30m. Up the blocky crack system and past a series of horizontal breaks to a curving fingercrack and bolt (crux). Belay just after this on the ledge to the right. Pitch 2, 20m. Step left from the belay and head straight up the wall on thin protection to finish directly through the small roof. J. O Herlihy, K. Hartley, M. Rosser. Feb. 11

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

(i) (18) Start as for A Shot At Redemption, move delicately up and over the arête (crux), then step left onto the face. Follow the aesthetic meandering crack up the face to belay ledge. (ii) (15) Continue up large blocks to finish.

Start as for a shot at redemption, following pinch flakes to arête which is turned on the left. Follow wall left of arête (avoiding crack of let them sort it out) to ledge using horizontals for gear. To top as for 'a shot..'

Warning Rock: DANGER - MAJOR ROCKFALL RISK

Warning Rock: DANGER - MAJOR ROCK FALL RISK

One of the first routes done at West Cape Howe, and perhaps a little sandbagged. Climb the offwidth/chimney width crack immediately left of Planar Craving. This route is often wet and very slimy.

Warning Rock: DANGER - MAJOR ROCKFALL RISK

Classic! Climb up steepening slab using small cracks and flakes for protection. This climb gets harder as you get higher. Finish at hanging DBB.

Seven bolts and a few bits of gear. Similar to Planar Craving but climb on right side of slab. Excellent finish up the steep headwall.

Follow left trending weaknesses ad cracks to obvious large horizontal crack and construct belay. Climb up vertical cracks to cave and skirt out rightwards.

Start as for plumb Jamb then go right and through roof rather than escaping left. continue up seam until about 2m lower than the plumb Jamb belay ledge. Place extended pro then traverse back and finish as for Plumb Jamb.

Hangers required for bolts.

Pitch 1 (22) 45m: Start up crack to the right of Plumb Jamb. Move right and up steepening wall. Avoid large horizontal breaks on arete until you meet the arete.

Pitch 2 (14) 25m: Up easy ground to top. Loose blocks

Abseil further down the gully trending over to the northern side passing the base of Easy Day For The Gentlemen to a square cut ledge to belay on medium to large cams. Pitch 1, Gr 13, 10m Step across to the wall and traverse left on the two large horizontal cracks to a double bolt belay in a fantastic position on the small triangular platform capped by a roof on the arête. Pitch 2, Gr 14, 30m Traverse right a couple of metres from the belay then straight up the middle of the wall past a bolt (hanger required) and into the fingercrack. Continue up and right to belay on a small ledge just left of the chimney. Pitch 3, Gr 12, 30m Either meander up the wall above (Gr12) or better, climb up and right from the belay a few metres then step across the chimney and climb the upper section of Easy Day. Finish at the eyebolts. J. O Herlihy K. Hartley Feb 12

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Abseil off bolts on top of Supergroove. 60m rope will get you down groove a fairway where it is possible to scramble down 10m to large ledge. Otherwise, do a double abseil. Fist pitch: Climb up vertical weaknesses on right side of arete to a small roof. Climb left of roof, then out left to double bolt belay (needs hangers) on a small triangular ledge. Second pitch: Keep right of arete.

As for Orion but start directly below blunt arete in front of headwall at the base of climb on platform. Take direct line straight up the wall and continue on as for Orion to 1st belay

Starts down near Jump for Joy and Tripping Upstairs. Can be reached from the chains on the ledge where BM starts with an extra 15m or so of static or alternatively use your lead rope. An excellent varied line. Climb the superb face on the clean west facing wall on edges and flakes past the horizontal cracks until a couple of metres below the roof. Traverse right and step over the void at the layback crack. Up this, then onto the arête and face on good holds to the top. Bridge the final slab and finish at the DBB. 6 bolts (hangers required) plus small cams and wires. K. Hartley. J. O Herlihy. Feb 12.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Conspicuous line of 6 U-bolts.

Start as needles eye staying out of the crack then head up left arête all on natural gear to belay bolts on crown of thorns 40m gr14.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

10m left of crown of thorns stand on large boulder then fire up arête 3 bolts and small to med gear to dbl bolt belay.enjoy

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Takes the line up the west facing wall on the buttress to the left of Needles Aye. Start just left of the large flake and trend up and slightly left past three ring bolts. Through the overlap and up the middle of the slab passing some more bolts and various natural protection to finish at eyebolts. J. O Herlihy, K. Hartley. Feb. 11

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Gnarly hand crack up the bulging west wall. Easy to spot. Watch out for killer swallows and bird shit.

Nice climbing and great rock on the north facing wall with the obvious diagonal crack, (below Body Builder). You can get to the start by abseiling from the top of WOB (north side of gully) then trending south to a directional bolt (american hanger) and down to the chains on the spacious ledge. Step across the crevasse onto the middle of the wall and a bolt. Head up and slightly left past another two bolts toward the diagonal crack, along this then straight through the overlap past two more bolts to finish at the DBB (Hangers required). Take small to medium cams. J. O Herlihy, K Hartley. Feb 12.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Located on the south facing wall of the huge block at the top of First Route Gully. Approach by abseil from the two bolts at the top (hangers required). Belay in the gully at the base of the short wide crack. Up this, then climb the superb clean slab and arête passing 3 bolts (hangers required) with small to medium cams in the horizontal breaks.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/ K. Hartley, M. Rosser. Feb. 11

The right trending hand crack opposite Fishbone Arete finishing at a lower-off. K. Hartley. J. O Herlihy Feb 12.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

18/19?

Just right of The Truth is a great steep face climb that ends at the same lower-off. We top roped it the day we bolted it but never got back to tick it. It takes some small cams and has three bolts (hangers required) Go get it!

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Sustained climbing up the obvious steep north facing wall and arête of the huge block. Approach via a short abseil from the two hex bolts above the wide corner crack.. Pre-place the first draw and clip your lead rope to it on abseil.(Really needs to be rebolted!) Up the offwidth to the large horizontal break. Traverse right to the undercling, then up to a good edge near the second bolt. Continue traversing right (crux) then head up the face trending right to the arête and get a bit of a rest. Continue up the face and arête passing a couple more bolts to the victory jug. 6 bolts (hangers required, sorry!) K. Hartley, Feb 12.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Start at the base of the thin crack and arête left of KFAD on the short west facing wall. Up the crack that takes a small cam to a stance on the small boulder. Climb the arête passing two bolts (hangers required). K. Hartley. J. O Herlihy, Feb 12.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Clip the high bolt just right of MATD and dyno from the crescent shaped crimp to the horizontal crack. Traverse left and finish up the arête. Good luck!

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/wch-new-routes/

Access via abseil from the two ring bolts located just below the top of the gully on the north side Nice climbing starting next to the cairn halfway down the gully to the right of a bolt. Up the slab through horizontal cracks and flakes before moving towards the arête as it steepens near the top. 3 bolts (hangers required) and natural protection. Finish at the abseil anchor. J. O Herlihy, K. Hartley. Feb 12.

South Coast Rock description could be wrong. See update from first ascender:

* Better Than Chocolate (75m, 21) – correction of route description from email by Scott Camps, May 2013: I clarify a route I climbed at West Cape Howe back in 1993 Better Than Chocolate which I then graded 19. It is incorrectly reported in Shane Richardson’s South Coast Rock guide to the left of its actual position. When it should have actually been described as the shallow finger crack corner immediately to the right of description in the guide, then ascends the middle of the beautiful chocolate wall left of The Mincer. In 2006 I repeated this route and believed it to be more like 21 but was appalled to find it had been mindlessly retro bolted?

The Last Goodbye, Ronald Master, Ian Johnson, Gd 21, two pitches 55m, 13 glue in bolts (hangers needed) two DBB Approach: Walk to the mincer and at the top of the long face you will find two P bolts in the centre of the face between the Mincer and Striptease. Abseil from these down to a large ledge about 10m above the water with a double bolt belay. You will need a full rack of cams up to number 5 camelot including some micros plus a set of wires up to size 6 or 7 rocks. Pitch 1, 25m, gd 19, 8 bolts. Start from the ledge and launch up the wall following a series of in-cut edges and flakes. Head straight up the wall following the flakes and bolts up solid rock with some interesting and fairly sustained moves. Aim for the belay station slightly to right of the alcove. Pitch 2, 30m, gd 20, 5 bolts. Move up and slightly left into the beautiful hand/finger crack. Several good wires and cams can be place before clipping the bolt about 10m up. The crux is found at the top of the crack where a couple of long dynamic moves are needed to gain a good hold. Trend slightly left into the horizontal break and another good cam placement before clipping the next bolt. Move up the wall on slopping holds before clipping another bolt and some good cams. Move over easier ground clipping two more bolts as you go and a couple of cams.

Rap 60m or so from the two glue in staples just over the edge (you can scramble to them safely). You will rap 'into space' over the roofs. Make a semi-hanging belay at the start of the steeper climbing. L1 (18, 25m(?)): head up the steep hand and fist cracks on excellent rock, strait through the roofs (easier than it looks), with a step right at the crux. Belay when it eases off. L2 (14 35m(?)): an easy pitch on poorer rock.

?FA Rob Wall / Konstanze Stuebner, Dec '19. Its hard to believe noone has climbed this, as the first pitch is really three star - the jamming feels more like USA than WA !. Anyone out there know?

Pitch 1, 30m 22. Go up trending left for 15m over some cruisey terrain to a short traverse before continuing up to the base of a thin crack. Up the thin crack onto the ‘Tombstone’ ledge. Small cams in the crack. Jonas Hollingworth – 01 Jun 14

Pitch 2. Finish as per final pitch on ‘Tombstone’.

Thank God I’m An Atheist 68m 18 Pitch 1, 33m 18. A variation avoiding the thin crack on ‘Epitaph’. From the thin crack continue left to another vertical crack leading to the ‘Tombstone’ ledge. Jonas Hollingworth – 01 Jun 14

Pitch 2. Same as pitch 2 of Tombstone.

Start from below Plumbline and travers left for 20 m and belay from below vertical crack. Second pitch is gold. Layback or fist jam your way up to nice hand jamming and finger locking. Belay from large ledge then go up chimney and keep going to top. First two pitches can be combined into one mega-pitch, but rope drag needs to be managed

Steep line right of Vulture Street below the overhanging corner. Follow 4 BRs plus natural pro to DBB

Some interesting discussions around bolting ethics: https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/new-climbs-west-cape-howe/

Dreadnought, Grd 20, 40m, 5 bolts (need hangers) + micro to number three cams. Ronald Master, Mike Taylor, Dec 2012 Approach Abseil from the P bolts at the top of Dark Arts (adjacent to the gully forming the vulture street wall). The climb starts about 15m to the right of Vulture Street and about 10m above on a terrace in the gully (to the left of Dark Arts). The start is a shallow groove/crack that is between Vampire Street and the gully and heads straight up the wall to the blunt nose/arête on step fantastic rock. Description The climb starts in an awkward and strenuous shallow flared crack. Clip the bolt and layback/jam up passing a second bolt. Lunge for the horizontals and up to a good number 2 or 3 cam in some big horizontal breaks. Stay on the wall moving up past another 3 bolts over technical and sustained ground on shallow rounded horizontal breaks and some sharp crimps. The final move of the crux section is a lunge for a shallow v shaped alcove on the blunt arête. Pull into this placing a small cam and head up the steep juggy blunt arête/nose with plenty of cam placements. Belay on Dark Arts descent bolts and a large cam.

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/new-climb-at-west-cape-vulture-street-wall/

Excellent arete, face and crack climbing.

1. 20m (25): Scramble up and climb arete. Natural gear plus 3 bolts with fixed hangers

2. 20m (25): Up chimney for 3m then right into fingercrack and up to top.

All bolts were replaced a few years ago. Theres also 2 ring bolts at top of first pitch so you can low off also

First ascent by Guy Duczynski and Paul Maroney 1892. There was a large chockstone in the headwall crack. It was dislodged on the 1st ascent

Chimney/Groove/Head-Wall

On the cross 50m 17 i. 20m: start at the blocky corner which leads to a right trending wide flake, the obvious line located in between Identified Flying Stitch Plate and Three’s a Crowd at the Styx Gully South Side. Good climbing but flaky crust makes the first 20m interesting until the large stepped ledge is reached. Big cams up to #5 recommended. Extend this pitch another 15m if rock is not sound enough… ii. 30m: Up the chossy corner to the top being careful not to break and drop anything down. FA: 26/01/2014 Remi Vignals, Delphine Chabanne

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/west-cape-howe-3-new-routes/

Follow a corner crack up to ledge and roof crack. DBB at the top of the ramp.

Aided to gain access to the ramp above.

Elinor Fleming & Peter Zhang 23/12/2018

A beautiful line of underclings and laybacks. 2nd pitch of 3. Starts under the huge roof on the left side of The Throne Room. Recommend to move the belay about 10m to the right to a ledge below the start of the obvious line. Follow series of underclings until it ends, reach across to join the crack system on the left and continue up the steepening crack to the anchor. Double bolt belay. Can be reached by going up the first pitch or rappel down from the top to under the large roof. There's a DBB at the top of the ramp under the roof. Peter Zhang, 30/Nov/2019

This direct line goes up the main wall on the left side of the Throne Room. The crack goes directly up for 80m through several roof cracks. Done on trad gear aid, with only minor free climbing. It was done in 6 pitches due to drag from the all the roofs. A committing adventurous outing and will be a test piece free route at ~26/27? Bolted anchors were placed before and after the first major roof so people can bail and to make things user friendly as a variant in this roof is being worked that hopefully people will jump on as a separate single pitch route.

Logan Barber, Scott Boladeras, Jan 2010.

A short hidden gem perfect for a warm up lead, top rope run or when the rest of the Throne Room cracks are wet.

A few moves of face climbing to gain a fist crack. Punch it as it starts to get steep, following the crack up then slightly right to gain the upper hand size crack to top. Stellar climb, just wish it was longer!

Right trending diagonal handcrack to vertical finger crack before pulling over the lip to the slab. Located on the large left block as you scramble up from The Throne Room towards Elegantly Wasted. Belay from bottom ledge.

Technical face climbing, small-med wires and 3 bolts, 2 ring bolts added at the top for lower off so you don't have to top out amongst loose blocks etc.

If you like crimps and slabs you'll love this. Twitch up the wall past 7 bolts to a double ring bolt lower off.

60m rope needed for lower-offs.

Follow cracks to lower-offs of Gatling.

Abseil down the slab which is roughly halfway along the main south face of convicts corner. Check access topo to locate this rap station (requires bolt plates). Starts in an obvious alcove and climbs the face of the large flake before stepping right and continuing up the slab above. Gear and a few bolts (bolt plates required).

Excellent arete climbing in an exposed position. Abseil further down the slab than the previous route to a semi-hanging belay (bolt plates required). Climb the short corner then step right towards the arete. Climb the sustained thin crack and slab up the edge of the huge wall. As the climbing eases, step left and follow the bolts up the slab to the top. Take a standard rack with rp's, micro cams, and bolt plates.

Solid and sustained climbing up an intimidating wall. Two traverses, two roofs and multiple cruxes make it a memorable and exposed outing. Take a full rack up to no.3 camalot, some long draws and a few extra small cams around .3/.4. Abseil 30m down the huge corner system from the top of Beggars wall to belay at the two eybolts on the slab. Step up and onto the face from the belay and traverse left along the rail past three ringbolts to the flake. Up this to the first roof. Bouldery moves up and right to the ledge above then a rightwards traverse passing another bolt to good holds. Up the face trending left following the curving cracks. Jam, stretch and squeeze your way over the roof to finish at the ledge and DBB

Abseil 50m down the south side of the huge flake (yellow peril) from the top of Beggars wall. There is a rap station on the edge of the boulder with the small cave (bolt plates required). The route starts about 15m or so up from the base of the cliff at a DBB. Step left onto the flake at the fixed hanger and climb the edge of the flake up the slab following the thin cracks. At the top of the flake step right and follow the fixed hangers through the steepening headwall with a couple of mid-sized cams along the way. Up through under-clings to the horizontal break then traverse left a couple of metres to a vertical crack. Follow the crack for a few metres then climb the slab past another bolt. Very small wires and micro cams required. Take plenty of draws.

A great long pitch up the face to the right of the yellow peril flake. Starts at the same belay as showpony following br's up the steepening slab (bolt plates required). Take gear for the horizontal cracks and after it gets steep, trend-right to a trad belay on the ledge below the huge roof.

The following routes are reached by abseiling from the two hex bolts accessed from the large vegetated ledge system. The climb starts from the lower ledge on the main face at a natural belay. Climb up and leftwards along hand crack until at the thin crack/seam. Up past a ringbolt to the steepening headwall. Balance up through the horizontal cracks to a thin section and another bolt. Up the short flared groove to finish at a trad belay on the ledge below the large roof.

An older rambling line on the right of the easy angled slab. Abseil down to the first or second ledge depending on the swell. The lower is a slightly harder line.

Trend left along the diagonal cracks on either line then up through a steeper section with horizontal breaks.Continue straight up or move right to a large crack. Two ropes are useful owing to rope drag. J.Nevin ca. 2001

https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/convicts-corner-wch/

Starts from the lower ledge. Step left and climb up past two ringbolts to a blank section. Run it out up to the vertical crack, then finish straight up the face.

Starts from the upper ledge at a double bolted belay (requires bolt plates). Climb up and left from the belay, through the roof then straight up the face above. Gear and a few bolts (require bolt plates).