Fang Buttress Topos

Climb the arete with one bolt and not much else pro. Deviating into XI briefly at half height to avoid the widow maker loose flake is sensible (but if you're leading this you're probably a bit short on sense). Start: Start under the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress', between DA and XI.

The gear is good from the crack up, but below that... Start: Start 5m L of Fang, just R of the SE arete of 'Fang Buttress'.

Originally given 24 and one bolt - would have been very bold getting to the bolt. There are two ways to do it, some people find it easier to climb left of the bolts. Retrobolted by the first ascentionist. Start: Start as for 'Placements'.

Climb easy corner to ledge, then step right and ascend right-trending crack line/weakness via a series of sidepulls and gastons. Powerfully sustained at the grade and bombproof gear. Finish easily up right arete of the XI face (left of Fang). Alternative opinion: the gear is not bombproof! Small, fiddly gear through crux with decking potential if you can't place it. Good gear exists at the start and in the top diagonal. A block came off the start of the hard section, not sure if this has changed the route. Start: Start 1.5m L of F at the corner in the small alcove.

A favourite among those who like chest-beating about whether you can hand jam. To the rest of us it's a poxy one move wonder. Start: Start under the dominant chimney on the L side of the E (main) face of 'Fang Buttress'.

Obvious direct start (2 FHs) into 'Strolling', joining that route at its crux. Start: 5m R of Fang and 5m L of 'Strolling'.

Up the steep flake, traverse 5m L under the bulge to a bolt, then over the bulge and up. Pro is ok but quite tricky to get in on lead. Start: Start 8m R of Fang.

Original climbed bolt free but now it is possible to clip 2 of the bolts of Ergonomics. Start as for Strolling then up and right from loose block past the broken remnants of an old PR (there's a good sneaky wire instead or clip bolt). Now pull over the bulge (again try to ignore the bolt) and trend L up the face to join the finish of Strolling. Protection is adequate even without the bolts. Be very careful of the massive every-so-slightly-loose block down low - you'll need to pull on it, but do not put gear behind it.

Recently re-bolted. Excellent long-overlooked addition that incorporates a direct finish to Strolling RHV. Direct line up the centre right of the buttress that would have been completely uncontroversial had it pre-dated Strolling RHV. Sustained climbing leads up and slightly left through a bulge to a technical crux. After the 4th bolt, continue straight up on blowable slopey pockets. Do not traverse off R here if you want to bathe in the social recognition of a legitimate ascent. Start: 3m R of Strolling.

There's 1 or 2 old bolt holes 1 to 2m to the right dating from an unknown attempt on this great nose of rock. Start 4m L of 'Mantis'. It's almost a sport route but you need a few med. cams before the bolts.

Wagalak's chains unfortunately were a retrobolt of this route. But on the upside, if you lower off the chains this is possibly the best wet weather 19 at 'Arapiles'. Start as for 'Mantis' and climb it until 2m below the roof. Now traverse left along the break for 8m to the arête (where you will now find Wagalak's chains). Finish straight up the nice cracked arête. Unless you like ropedrag, use double ropes or split it into two pitches at the chains.

Up the slightly slabby face into the recess under the roof, then move R where it steepens to find the juggiest part of the overhang. Continue up wall above to ledge on left. Start: At the pockety rock under the recess 12m R of Fang.

Up to overhang at 4m, go L under it, then up. Has been done direct through the overhang at 21, by Col Reece, Greg Moore, 1979. Start: Start 4m R of 'Mantis'.

Climbable even in the eponymous weather...one of the driest routes at Araps! Start as for 'Mantis' and climb it for about 6m. Now step L onto the steep orange left wall and up this over the bulge (grade 23 climbing with dicky gear) to the break (the traverse on Mandible). Continue up Mandible or Preying.

Up Mantis to roof, start traverse L as for Mandible, but halfway to arete blast straight up orange wall and through steepest part of juggy top bulge

As for 'Mantis' to the recess under the roof, now take the left end of the overhang and up the corner above, rejoining 'Mantis' near the top. There is a piton somewhere on this. Start: Start as for 'Mantis'.