Nodes in The West Wing

Follow the descent gulley/track all the way to where it curves around to the left. It soon runs parallel with the river, directly towards the crag. Just follow the track to a boma, then the continuation path after this through the forest to the big pool. The West Wing is the main crag up to your right. Cross the river and scramble up to the base of the crag. Walk right along the base to the routes.

This route ascends the very obvious huge open book about 30m right of the pool. Start where some tree roots come down the face to ground level.

1. 50m, 19 Climb tree roots until able to rail left to a tree. Up to another rail, then left again to the base of a shallow open book/groove. Climb the face to the left of the book to a ledge. One can stance here but it makes sense to carry on up the main open book above and take a hanging stance about 5m below some massive blocks in the right wall.

2. 30m, 22 Continue up the corner, over the massive blocks. Climb carefully up the flake on the left wall to beneath the roofs. Power through and then traverse left to pull around the last roof. Climb the corner above until you run out of gear or rope.

3. 30m, 18 Continue up the corner to the top.

Notes: Small cams are useful

The JHB MCSA gets access here once a year for a meet, usually in September. Consult their meet sheet. The land is privately owned and, although the land-owner is climber-friendly, he values his privacy and his property very highly. So if you want to climb here, go through the MCSA and FOLLOW ALL THE RULES GIVEN BY THE LANDOWNER! Usually he requires: 1) Names and telephone numbers of members of your club who will be in the group. 2) Car registration numbers. 3) Time of arrival. 4) Everyone will have to sign an indemnity form on arrival. The gates are normally locked and the land-owner makes an arrangement with his employee to open for climbers at a pre-arranged time. DO NOT BE LATE BECAUSE THERE IS NO CELL PHONE SIGNAL AND YOU WILL PISS EVERYONE OFF IF THE GATE-KEEPER IS KEPT WAITING! There are a number of dwellings on the property. Please stay well away from these and respect the privacy of the land-owner and his family/guests.

Standing near the big pool one can see a very obvious huge open book about 30m right of the pool. This is THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM. The next deep open book to the right of this (about 30m right, and right of the cave) is a large offwidth crack. This is KNEEJAM BLUES. HEAD ARRANGEMENT starts as for KNEEJAM BLUES and then branches off left and heads for the big roof. It breaks around the left edge of the roof and ascends the headwall to the top.

1. 30m, 16 Climb the first pitch of KNEEJAM BLUES to where that route heads up to the obvious massive open book. Continue up the pleasant corner to a block stance at an acacia tree.

2. 25m, 20 Climb the continuation corner above, past a fig tree (the original route went left to the arête for a stance and then back right into the corner). Make wild moves rightwards past the overhang and climb the slab until able to step left to a good crack line in the face. Climb this for a few meters and take a semi-hanging stance (It is possible to stance on the right soon after pulling past the overhang, but it is then very tricky to get back onto the face).

3. 40m, 22 Climb up to a rail about 3m below the roof. Rail left to a perch where the roof pinches out. Reach far left and crank through to gain the headwall crack. Climb this to easier ground. Jug-haul to the top.

Notes: The original HEAD ARRANGEMENT first pitch starts about 5m left of KNEEJAM BLUES and is graded 19A1. It looks very dirty and unappealing, but still awaits a FFA.

The JHB MCSA gets access here once a year for a meet, usually in September. Consult their meet sheet. The land is privately owned and, although the land-owner is climber-friendly, he values his privacy and his property very highly. So if you want to climb here, go through the MCSA and FOLLOW ALL THE RULES GIVEN BY THE LANDOWNER! Usually he requires: 1) Names and telephone numbers of members of your club who will be in the group. 2) Car registration numbers. 3) Time of arrival. 4) Everyone will have to sign an indemnity form on arrival. The gates are normally locked and the land-owner makes an arrangement with his employee to open for climbers at a pre-arranged time. DO NOT BE LATE BECAUSE THERE IS NO CELL PHONE SIGNAL AND YOU WILL PISS EVERYONE OFF IF THE GATE-KEEPER IS KEPT WAITING! There are a number of dwellings on the property. Please stay well away from these and respect the privacy of the land-owner and his family/guests.

Start to the right of Leguan, beneath the obvious left-facing open book.

1. 55m, 22 Climb up and left until able to traverse right to the base of the book. Climb the corner to a platform at the top.

2. 60m, 16 Start on the right side of the platform. Climb up the blocks, step left and up then traverse left to a gulley. Up this to a tree. Climb the fun corner behind the tree, step left to the arête at the top. Climb this ridge to the summit.

This route follows a line between Groovy and Dirt bag groove. Start at the same spot as “Snakeskin Arête” but instead of climbing diagonally right, head left up the obvious ramp below the huge roof that is about 60 meters up.

1. 55m, 15 Climb the corner of the ramp until forced out left by the steeper ground and some poor looking rock. Head diagonally left towards the arête and take a stance on the arête at some blocks.

2. 25m, 19 Traverse back into the corner then out on the face to the crack that goes up to the bulge. Climb the crack to below the bulge then traverse right on big flat edges and step down onto the arête. Step across the open book and climb that to the ledge.

3. 55 m, 17 Climb the layback crack and then step right onto the arête. Climb diagonally left to below big corner that turns into a chimney higher up. Climb to below the chimney then traverse left onto the face. Climb the face to the top.

Note: Third pitch is brilliant exposed climbing. Would be worthwhile to try and go through the bulge. There is good gear. It will be hard though.

Start to the right of Groovy, on a slight hump of ground at the base of the crag. Up and to the right is a striking arête with a steep, featured face to its left. Directly up is a fig tree at about 35m.

1. 35m, 20 Climb up to a small bushy ledge at 8m. Step right to a grotty groove. Up this to a ledge. Climb the vague corner to the roof above. Pull through this slightly left to ledges then back right and up to the fig tree. Stance just above the tree.

2. 45m, 20 Traverse right from the tree to the middle of the face. Up the crack to some small foot ledges. When the wall blanks out, traverse right to the arête. Climb the arête until a crack/groove breaks slightly left. Steeply up this to a ledge. A mind blowing pitch!

3. 20m, 18 Climb the vague recess above to a blocky ledge. Up the sandpaper corner above this to a tree with a ledge above. Walk 10m to the left hand side of the ledge

4. 30m, 17 Climb the obvious jam crack to a small ledge. Up the cracks above to a small roof. Pull through to blocks. Step left and teeter up the suspect blocks for 5m to the top.