Ascents in Caves Route Sector

Wet weather stopped us from going further

Absolute awesome exposure! As the description says, hardly any PRO! Awesome! Next time I will like to traverse the whole way.

Rode my bike to Tibro, not sure if its this route but I did a few direct variants including straight up instead of heading right through the first cave, and then straight up again instead of heading left out on the small ledge, hardest move maybe 11? Then rode my bike home, very long and epic day

easy good fun. Makes life a lot easier if you take a rope to rap down rather than down climb if your planning on not going to the top.

Bit scary up the top, by yourself. Keep your head together.

34 degree temperature didn't help. Mosquitoes threatened to carry us away. Grant NOT IMPRESSED with the "souvenir" he stood in, right in the middle of the track near the summit. Yeah, Grant... unfortunately it does happen... grubs.

My gratitude and appreciation to whoever installed the series of rapping anchors. They are easily accessed and excellently placed to facilitate a fast and safe descent.

Overall, a big but very enjoyable day out.

Headed to cave 5 today, Climbed with Tom we took some trad gear but ended up being a solo. Found this Direct line a little more breath taking.

Some new terrain. Started lower and further left than this topo shows for a longer pitch.

Less fun because it was wet.

OS First pitch, both backed off 2nd pitch, epic to get back. Flaky stuff, no pro, or mebbe we were off route??

Awesome traverse.

After a splendid start to the day on Black Orpheus (10), Troy & were looking forward to jumping onto this 8. Troy led the 1st P which was interesting, but P2 soon deteriorated & I found myself about 6m out on broken rock with no pro and none in sight. I backed off & Troy had a go = no guts & glory this day, we decided it would be better to live & climb another day. No shame in that.

Started Prometheus II but must have gone over to another climb as there was an occasional bolt or two.

less interesting, or exposed, than i expected it to be. nice start up the blocks though. And if you're lost for pro on the 2nd pitch, look higher

Went out of the cave to the traverse, then backed off. Rock was too dodgy for my liking to risk it. Will be back with a rope ... looks like an awesome exposed position!

At grade 8 this is a sand bag. Should have known considering the FA was 1956! First pitch is cool, at least to the top of the buttress. After the top of the buttress you traverse right for about 10 meters and climb up broken rock into a gully. You will see the crack in the centre of the gully that the book suggests is an 18 for a possible second pitch. I was able to put in some good gear here to make an anchor for a belay at the base of the crack in the gully. I’d recommend you use radios to communicate with your second, there is no way to hear someone otherwise. The other option is to belay at the top of the buttress.

Pitch 2 is where there are issues. As per the book, I traversed left and after one large cam placement just out from the belay, found no gear, crumbly rock and thin holds. You can see some possibilities as you go out but there are very committing blanks in between. I scratched around for a while, got about 10-15 metres into it then tried to go up but decided after losing confidence to return to the belay. I was also concerned that I would not be able to protect my second adequately on this traverse even if I did find a way over, so I retreated.

But all is not lost, there are several ways out of this position, which does not involve a hairy unprotected climb. To the right of the gully is a DDB and a line of bolts that I think is pitch 8 of the Ross Miller Route (16). Clearly harder than 8 but at least it is well bolted. This takes you to a DDB just below Cave 5. Alternately you could abseil in 6 pitches down the Ross Miller Route – check the book for details.

I’d be keen to find out if anyone has climbed Prometheus 2 and found it to be a grade 8.

Great getting back to cave 4 after a few years.

Exploration.