Routes in India for selected grade

This is a route bolted in Jan 2021. Has lead 3 bolts + 2 anchors with maillon on one of the anchor bolts. The route comes on the right side of Finger loop and facing the temple. There is a easier variation if the ledge on the right side of the route is used which might be 5b/c.Second maillon added to the anchor on 17th July 2021.

First route on the right wall from the left when facing the temple. Bolted by Praveen C M 2 anchor bolts with hangers and single rings.

Anchor has one Chemical bolt and one hanger bolt with mylon.

Recently converted into a lead sports route. Anchor has one glue in bolt + One hanger bolt with a mylon.

Route goes along the line of the bolts, not too much right left else the grade differs.

Anchor has one glue in bolt + One hanger bolt with a mylon.

Route goes along the line of the bolts, not too much right left else the grade differs. Update : Aug 2022 : One glue in-bolt of the anchor was moving hence was removed from safety point of view.Hence currently there is only one bolt at the anchor. The route creaters have been informed about this.

Top anchor two chemical anchors, one with a bucket.

Route goes along the line of the bolts, not too much right left else the grade differs.

Anchor has one glue in bolt + One hanger bolt with a mylon.

Route goes along the line of the bolts, not too much right left else the grade differs.

Anchor has 2 glue in bolts anchor with one bucket

Anchor has two hanger bolts, each with one mylon.

Start at the same point as 'Side Crack' and 'Master of Biscuit'. Walk along ledge a metre or two and take the line of bolts left of 'Side Crack' to anchor with lower off.

An easier mixed option exists heading left after the second bolt and rejoining for the last bolt, but has not been lead.

Balance climbing on good rock. To the right of Master of Biscuits and on the same wall. The first bolt is glue in bolt. hanger added on 25th July 2021 for 5th bolt which was missing earlier.The 4th bolt just after the crux is rotating which needs to rebolted. Anchor: 2 glue in bolts with one bucket

First glue in bolt is bent but can be used to clip in. Anchor: 2 glue in bolts.

friends # 0,5 – 4

Shares the anchor with Jam Hold route which is the route on the right side. Added a maillon on 13th March 2021 for one of the anchor bolts. Now both anchor bolts have maillons for rappelling /abseiling. Hangers on the first 2 bolts which were missing earlier have been added on 16th October 2021.

The hanger on the first bolt is missing. Added a maillon on 13th March 2021 for one of the anchor bolts. Now both anchor bolts have maillons for rappelling /abseiling .

Top anchor has one Petzl chemical anchor and one hanger with mylon.

Top anchor has one Petzl chemical anchor and one hanger with mylon.

Top anchor has one Petzl chemical anchor and one hanger with mylon.

Top anchor has one Petzl chemical anchor and one hanger with mylon.

Anchor has one glue in bolt + One hanger bolt with a mylon.

Anchor one hanger bolt with a mylon.

Anchor has one chemical bolt and one hanger bolt with a mylon.

Committing finish, well bolted. This route is left of Sarala route and on the same wall. Added 2 hangers on the first 2 bolts which were missing earlier and also 2 maillons on 13th March 2021. Now both anchor bolts have maillons for rappelling /abseiling .

Added 3 hangers on the first 3 botls which were missing earlier along with a maillon on 13th March 2021 for one of the anchor bolts.

Top anchor has two hangers with one mylon in each.

Top anchor has one Petzl chemical bolt and one hanger with mylon.

Two bolts on top for anchor for top roping. Trad route

Top anchor has one Petzl chemical bolt and one hanger with mylon.

Climb on the left side of the West facing wall. Has 2 anchor bolts

Anchor has 2 hanger bolts each with one mylon.

Top anchor has two hanger bolts, each with one mylon.

Has 2 anchor bolts

Has 2 anchor bolts

Short routes with very defined holds throughout.

A deserving trad line (or top rope) with mechanical anchor bolts; suggested placements are double cams from 0.3 to 0.75, a single 1 and 2 (BD sizes) and one set of nuts.

Just a really nice climb; follow the line and stay central/left between the 4th and 5th bolt.

Roof crux at the top is well protected with 0.4 and 0.75 cams. The rest of the route is run out but relatively easy. No anchor at top. Use a hanging belay with no 3 and no. 4 cams or top out to make a anchor. Walk off left down the gully / chimney.

Mixed trad route with 2 bolts and no anchor bolts. Has 2 pitons after the first 2 bolts

4 lead bolts and 2 anchor bolts. Maillons were added on 15th August 2022.

In the gorge above puss max, mixed route, 2 bolts, no anchors.

20 odd meters to the left of the Chris Shawarma crack.

Balancy moves, using the features on the wall.

Route and FA by Amrit Appaden. November 9th, 2022.

Left of the Chochise Fake crack line. Two-bolt problem. Crux is between the first and the second bolt, and then eases up.

Anchors: Trees.

Leave some tats behind to avoid damage to the trees or exit using ghosting anchors.

Immediately left of Jumme Ki Raat. Face climbing.

Anchor: The trees above. Long anchoring ropes needed to get the master point overtheedge. 30-or40-footpiecesofcordage

To access top of this route, either climb the routes to the right, or hike around from the left.

Anchor: The tree is a little more than a juvenile at this time. Possible also to use the crack to the left around the boulder as one more leg of the anchor.

First three bolts are shared with the Mavinkayi Uppikayi route, then follow the crack radiating right.

Two versions. One using the chimney, and the other avoids the chimney. If using the chimney, the top-out is the crux (5.10a). If using only the face, the crux is between the first and the second bolt, about 5.10c/d moves.

If not topping-out, the grade is 5.8.

Delightful line; requires all the respect it deserves, else will spit you out.

Route by Amrit A. & Sohan. Sep 25th, 2022. FA, Sohan. Sep 28th, 2022.

Finger & Hand crack

The boulder west of the Bar-Stool boulder. The boulder looks as if it has been sliced in half, diagonally. The lower part of the boulder is vertical or overhanging all around it, and then the upper section is a 30-foot long slab, gaining in height from south to the north.

Two crack lines facing on the lower section facing south and the east. The line facing the Bar-Stool Boulder is the Black Lightening.

The upper slab section has three cracks radiating out and connecting to the top. The far-right (east) crack ends half-way up. The far-left crack is filled with grass currently but offers the best protection when the grass is dug out. The overall grade of the route is defined by the lower section, so does not mater which line is taken on the slab. The upper slab creates massive drag on the rope, especially if top-roping the line.

Rack: Fist-sized cams and below. Couple of finger-sized cams.

Anchor: Couple of stout boulders sitting on the edge forming cracks below them

Exit: Down-climb towards the Kanakapura Road side edge of the boulder. And exit off the bolted anchors of the sport routes on the face.

FKA: Sohan with support from Suma Rao & Prasanna Gedannavar. July 10th,

2022.

Boulder problem at the start with tiny crimp and gaston

Preclip first bolt, placed slightly high to avoid ground fall

Bolted by BV Amith and Subhash S

Start on the Phelps Help crack, follow the diagonal crack till the point where the chimney and the hand crack diverge, and then top out through the chimney.

Rack: fist sized and below cams.

Anchor: Possible ten-12 feet from the edge. Or top out, and hip belay the second to clean the gear.

Natural Anchor: No

Hand/Finger crack - The high-boulder to learn and improve hand-jams. An old classic.

On the trail from High Noon, turn right, climb up the trail, and before the trail turns sharp left, a high ball boulder with a tree growing out of the crack. The crack faces south and away from the trail.

Hand and finger crack to the horizontal crack for top anchor (5.8G version).

1. Variation one: Protect the horizontal crack closer to the top and climb past, on the face of the boulder (for the 5.10aG version).

Note: No anchor option on top of the boulder. Down-climb about eight odd feet from the right to the ledge and build the anchor at the lower horizontal crack. (Or build the anchor in the horizontal crack, climb past, and down-climb back to the anchor.)

1. Variation two: Past the hand crack, traverse left to the tree, and top out either at the horizontal crack or past that to the top of the boulder. The grade doesn’t change much from the 5.8G.

Rack: Nuts and cams upto fist sized cam.

Anchor: Cracks that takes hand and fist sized cams in the horizontal crack and/or small nuts or finger sized cams in the crack to the right.

Natural Anchor: No.

Hand and fist crack and chimney

Start in the cave from the left, and through the corner hand crack in the flaring chimney

Rack; Fist sized cams and below.

Anchor: Cracks and Tree

FFA: Onsighted by Sohan in Jul 2017

Offwidth crack

The crack starts to the right on the south facing wall, as a hand crack, traverses left and opens up into the crux off-width. Past the offwidth, further short traverse to the left as hand crack and then along a flake and then the heady but easy top- out.

Rack: Upto #4, or #5 (optional).

Anchor: Crack (Finger and hand cracks)

Natural Anchor: Boulder and tree. Long anchor.

FKA, Sohan with support from Amrit Appaden and Karthik Maddineni, Feb 2021

Right of the Virar Fast on the east face of Redeemer boulder. A series of horizontal cracks going right initially, starting from the center of the face, from behind the tree, with a top out that moves left after the wide (hand-sized) horizontal crack.

Badami style climbing with Dhauj style protection.

Series of four cracks to protect the line. First crack takes the purple BD or finger and half sized cam. Second crack takes small Aliens (green) or small blue BD X4 or finger sized cams. Third crack takes #1 or #2 BD cam. Fourth crack to the left takes Green BD or double finger sized cam. Then a slab to top out.

If you go directly above the hand sized crack (third crack), the variation is stiffer.

Variations: Originally, the line was climbed by moving left after the hand sized horizontal crack. If you traverse right, the grade remains the same, and is verymildly run out. Straight up from the hand crack is stiffer and headier (5.10b/c).

Rack: Small to hand sized cams. The second crack (crux) takes the green Alien or the blue BD X4 or the .25 tricam or some similar piece.

Anchor: Horizontal cracks below boulders, about 15-odd feet from the top out.

Natural Anchor: Boulder

FKA: Sohan, March 2021

The traverse from right to left, along the crack, and top out through the Decepticon line. Creative placements in the crack for the traverse. Vertical crack is well protected.

The crux is the traverse section to connect to the vertical crack.

Rack: Hand-sized pieces and below.

Top Anchor: Since a traverse, a top-anchor that would connect the entire traverse might be complex. However, a top anchor from atop the boulder could be setup using small pieces, or just pink-point as your project the traverse, with pre-placed gear in the crack.

FKA: Aalok Bharadwaj pink-pointed on, Dec 11,2021.

Offwidth

The first of the high-boulder cracks along the trail.

Will need a #5 BD cam size to protect the crux, which is about 10-12 feet from the ground.

Rack: #5 BD Cam, #4 BD Cam (Optional), and hand-sized pieces (#2) just before the top out.

Top anchor: Finger sized pieces to fist-sized

Natural Anchor: None

Route starts left of the tree with an undercut at the base.

Take-off crux, and then plenty of route reading along the way.

Two variations. Going right to the juggy pocket is about 5.10aish (Uli or the chisel). Going straight up over the crimps and over the steeper slab is a grade or two stiffer (Sutti or the hammer).

One more minor crux half-way up. The rock quality here reminds of Varlakonda.

FA: Akhil Menon, August 7th, 2022. Route by Shyam Krishnakumar, Vinay Kumar, & Sohan

Top Rope Anchor bolts

Over a series solid crimps, through the crystalline section, and the mild bulge. The cruxy section is in the first 15 feet, and thereafter eases up.

FA: Amith B.V. Route by Shyam Krishnakumar, Vinay Kumar, Charan H, & th Sohan. August 10 , 2022

Right of the Rabba Rabba & the short water spring / seepage / runnel. The water runnel is about 10-12 feet tall, just a dark patch of rock during the non- monsoon months.

The route begins to the right of the seepage / runnel, and the first bolt is about 10-12 feet above the ground. Slightly heady.

The crux though is after the second bolt, leading up to the large dish to the right. Alternate line from the left.

Slightly ‘reachy’ third bolt from the stable stance in the dish.

FA: Sohan. Route by Shyam Krishnakumar, Sohan, & Amith B.V. August 10th, 2022

Finger crack and crimps

Bouldery start to the finger crack, and aesthetic movement define this line.

Grade appropriate sustained climbing along the crack and with the crimps to the right.

The placements are as exciting as the climb itself. A couple small to intermediate (preferably offset) nuts in the crack (DMM Offsets number #7 & #9).

Facing: south

Rack: Small to hand sized pieces.

Anchor: best in the crack at the point where it ends at the top out. Else, one #4 inside the cave, around the boulder to the right, and a piece for directional to the left.

Natural anchor: None. Hip belay stance possible.

Route credit & FKA: Sohan, July 17th, 2021 with support from Amrit Appaden and Kiran Kallur.

On the south-facing slab. Stiffer than it looks. If you like Bangalore slab climbing, this is up your alley.

Crux is below the first bolt, and then some mildly spicy climbing above the bolts.

Route by Shyam Krishnakumar, Sohan, and Kiran Kallur. FA: Sohan. Nov 9th, 2022.

Crack

Through the overhanging section, hands then thin hands, fist, and through the off-width above which in fact accommodates thin hands and hands.

Exciting sustained technical moves on this short route. Some beta, else the crack will spit you out quickly.

Rack: Hand-sized pieces, and one #5. Purple, green, #5, and then yellow (optionally) to top out.

Anchor: One or two hand-sized pieces in the main crack, and a yellow alien used to the left, to get the rope out of the crack. The two trees diagonally across on either side could be used for a natural anchor. Long ropes will be needed. 30-meters and 10-meters.

Exit: Angle right from the top-out to the tree above the Dental Plan line for the exit.

FKA: Sohan with support from Amit Abraham and Dheepak R.. July 23rd, 2022.

Route by Sohan and Zaman. FA Tanvi Badami

This and the next four top ropes range sequentially from stiff to easy slab climbs on crimpy flakes at times, from left to right.

Route credit: Gethna/Keerthi Pais, Pranesh Manchaiah & Team

Route credit: Gethna/Keerthi Pais, Pranesh Manchaiah & Team

Converted to lead by Satish Venkatachaliah

15 meters if done starting from the ledge, else, 30 meters from the base.

A short classic line, that runs in the gulley, requires some technical moves, including stemming and mantling, and side pulls, and one that stands apart from all the slab moves on rest of the climbs here at Senapathy.

Anchor shared with Snakeskin. FA, Shyam aka Krishnan Narayanan

Short, fun, single crux route and optimally bolted.

Requires transition to a deep side-pull, using crimps and very little for the feet.

Top rope route by Pranesh Manchiah & Keerthi Pais, bolted for lead by Satish Venkatchaliah. FFA, Sohan Pavuluri

P1: 5.10a. 45 meters. 11 + 2 bolts.

First pitches of the Routes Inspiration and Chai, Comfortably Numb, and Pranic Drilling share the bolts till the ledge about 25 odd meters from the base. After the ledge, the route starts on the face, about 3 meters to the left of the gulley, and is a sustained 5.10a for about 15-20 meters until the anchor station. Falling from above the 1st bolt after the ledge (3rd bolt on the pitch) could potentially deck you on the ledge.

P2: 5.9+. 35 meters. 8 + 2 bolts.

The previous pitch’s stiff slab continues for a short distance (first three -four bolts) after the anchor station. Thereafter, it eases up, progressively, until it becomes scrambling terrain.

Exit, traverse to High on Grass anchor station about 30 meters to the left of the top anchors. Top anchors shared for Inspiration and Chai, Comfortably Numb, and Pranic Drilling.

Route by Prani and Dini.

P1: 5.7. 35 meters.

See above for P1 shared bolts until the end of the ledge. The route after the ledge is in the gulley, with the bolts placed to the right. This second half of the P1 gets into a steep gully for about 10 odd meters, has some nice moves and is well protected.

P2: 5.10a. 40 meters.

Pitch two is a bit flaky in places, with some really nice side pull moves on slab. Bolt two to three on P2 is a bit runout with flaky holds, and accumulated loose mud, and a fall here will get you all the way to the anchors. But relatively easy terrain. Two crux moves on the P2.

P.S. Looks like I didn’t count the bolts here!

Exit: Traverse to High on Grass**, and rap off on 60-meter rope.

Route by Prani and Seema

Bolted and incomplete route.

A Dinesh Kaigonhalli bolted route.

Bolted route.

The first known bolted route in Bangalore, created in 1989, by Philip Coquard and Dominic Danard, two visiting French climbers.

This is could be a fun adventure; locating Bangalore’s first bolted route, on the expanse of the Handi Gundhi Betta face.

Opened by Lopsang Thisring, Kamalesh & other members of 'The Climbers' in 1987 during IMF All India Camp.

Route opened by either Naresh, Paramjeet, Annie in 90/91 (5.9/5.10aR) as per Dini, or by Subhomoy, Kamalesh & Jagadeesh in 1994.

Start on the block of rock, get into the deep groove or the water runnel, and then the route predictably gets stiffer at the headwall.

Couple of nice delicate moves at the last 10 meters including at the large mammary type protrusion with a rail running to its right.

Route credit: Sohan (TR Soloed, Rap-bolted, & FFA)

As you hike up to the sport routes from the north, a large boulder at the base of the hike with an off-width crack facing north.

Starts with fists and quickly turns into an off-width. At the crux takes series of #4 cams (3/4 of them, and then a couple of #5, and then a #6.

An aided ascent in July 2019. No free ascents as yet.

Bolted in 2014 and currently the only route in the crag which can be safely climbed.It's the first route starting from the left side. It's a 2 pitch route.

P1: 5.10a. 30 meters. 12 + 2 bolts.

Crux is from second to third bolt. Reachy slopers, with smear for feet. Another 20-30 feet of 5.9ish section. Can rap-off with 60-meter rope from pitch one.

P2: 5.7. 50 meters. 3 + 2 bolts.

Extremely flaky, and an easy scramble towards the end.

Exit requires you to cross over to the valley before the next crag and walk off to the right, and after a distance get on to the adjacent crag’s sloping ridge.

Route credit: Achim Noller, 2014.

Slab start left of the side cut.

Crux #1 requires moving left under the bolt #2, on thin foot holds.

Crux 2 is at the 4th bolt, to the slightly out of reach incut ledge, on thin foot holds.

At the third or fourth bolt, if you go left, the grade is 5.9, but if you move right and make the technical move to reach the incut, the move is a rewarding 5.10a.

Dyno start to the ledge. Most of the climb is an easy 5.7-5.8.

The crux is at the last bolt to the anchor station where it kicks up by a grade or two.

Bolts added for lead climbing by BCI; Bhaskar Bhat & Jackie Stenson. FFA: Jackie Stenson

The climb’s start is punctuated by a young neem tree growing in front of it.

Be gentle with the tree. It could help soften the grade at some point. If you pre-clip the first bolt and climb from left of the tree along the arete, and continue to the second bolt, the grade is no harder than 5.10a/b, but still an excellent and enjoyable climb, that takes you along crystal block to your right and crimpy slab to your left.

If you reach the bolt along crimpy and slabby finger pockets, grade jumps just for those few moves.

Project above the line is to extend it for a multi-pitch to the roof. Anchor stations in place

Three-pitch line, currently with top bolts.

Will eventually be bolted up for lead.

About 60 odd meters to the right of route Street Hawk.

Next route to the right.

Around bolt 3, a bit easier off-line to right, harder (perhaps 6b) directly on bolt line.

KV Mohana a local legend from Bangalore used to be a liaison officer with Indian Mountaineering Foundation in the late 1980s and 1990s and had the opportunity to interact with many of the accomplished mountaineers and climbers who would visit India. And as such many of them would visit Bangalore due to Mohana’s influence.

Doug Scott was one such visitor in 1985(?). A renowned British mountaineer, he along with Mohana put up many of the first ascents that involved cracks and off widths. Another two pitch 5.8 off width crack in Ramanagara is also referred to as Scott Crack.

Gear: 60-70-meter rope, Trad rack up to #3 and a dozen alpine draws.

Route: Follow the gully (5.10a) all the way up to the 20-foot headwall with 5.9x crux move. And then the gully continues (5.8) until a tree that blocks the route.

Couple of boulder moves to get out of the gully to the right, and then you are on 5.3-4 terrain all the way to the top out. The second half gully is shared with Deepawali route variations.

This line might have been put up by Doug Scott and his wife then, Sharavati Prabhu (1985).

Bolted ground up by Jean-Francois Hagenmuller and KV Mohana in January 1991, over a period of two days. Rebolted in Jan 2019, by Sohan & Gujju, supported by Latha BM, Gadappa, and a local friend of Gujju’s.

Gear: 60-meter rope. 10 alpine draws, anchoring gear, a set of cams up to BD cam size #3.

Meaning ‘Full Moon Light’ in Kannada, this route has many stories associated with it, including solo ascents by an old climber called Dilip, night climbs by Ravi ‘Rambo’ & Satish Venkatchalaiah (without headlamps). This is the most trafficked route aside from ‘Cloud 9’ (a 5.5 route to the far right on the main dome) on Savandurga.

P1: 5.6. 50 meters. 0 + 2 bolts.

Excellent crack system all the way to the top bolts. The crack starts left of the massive ‘flake’ (over 100 feet high and equally wide). Protect with medium set of nuts, and cams up to BD size three.

P2: 5.9. 45 meters. 6 + 2 bolts

The first bolt is about 20 feet from the ledge, on 5.8ish slab. Usual slab climbing, the route goes up over the mild overhang, and then angles left.

P3: 5.7. 45 meters. 4 + 2 bolts • First bolt is after about 40 feet runout. Usual slab climbing, and bolt/route finding exercise

P4: 5.5. 40 meters. 1 + 2 The easy pitch takes you over an easy roof. Angle slight right after the ‘roof’, between the grass patches. Not too far right.

P5: 5.10a. 45 meters. 7 + 2

The headwall crux is well protected, but brace for the equally stiff slab that comes up AFTER the headwall; well protected but 5.9ish crystallized slab.

P6: 5.6. 45 meters. 2 + 2

Long runout (70 feet) between the bolts. Head up straight, but angle mildly to the right. Very mild angle!

P7: 5.5. 80 meters. 0 + 0

After the P6 anchor station, there are no bolts. The route here on decreases in intensity by a grade every 15 meters, until you are scrambling and then walking over a long slab.

Another 150 meters to the plateau with the tree line.

Two anchor stations were established to help rebolt the route (using RAWL bolts) on the 7th pitch. One is about 30 meters above the P6 station, and then one more about 50 meters after this. These two stations will have to be removed to retain the original nature of the route. They are easy to remove. Also, the old bolts from 1991, currently co-exist with the ones placed in Jan 2019.

If going on the route, please contribute by removing any number of the old bolts, you could. A hammer and a 13/14 mm ring spanner should help. The old bolts break off quite easily by a small amount of over torqueing

Rebolting was an adventure in itself. Took Gujju Sohan, five hours from top to bottom.

This line was named in memory of KV Mohana who died in an avalanche in the Kumaon Hills.

The route was put up by Shyam Krishnan Narayanan & Dinesh Kaigonhalli, ground up until the Pitch 5 headwall, and then top down. FFA by Pranesh Manchaiah & Mohit Oberoi

Gear needed: 70 or 80-meter rope, Trad rack and a set of alpine draws.

P1: 5.4x. 165 feet. 0 + 1.

The route can be found by searching for the gully. Park near the mosque from where you can see the gully. Walk up to the gully. It is difficult to spot the bolts, but the route starts just on the left of the gully. The route starts with a long run out (~20 mtr) to the first anchor.

P2:5.6x.0+0

The second pitch has no bolts and you need to proceed to the gully, you can use Trad gear (BD cam size#1) at two places along the route as well as in the gully. At the gully if we go a little high there is a place where we can set natural anchor on rock, use Trad. If you plan to sit and belay better to have a 70 mtr rope as a safe spot to belay is around 60-65 mtr from the first belay stand. If we proceed further up the gully on the left side, you will find the bolt for the 3rd pitch of Mohana.

P3: 5.8. 6-7 + 2 bolts.

The route angles left for the first four bolts and then shifts back right to near the gully. It then proceeds along the same line till the anchor. The 3rd pitch anchor has two bolts, one bolt good (Mammut) but the other is rusted.

P4: 5.7. 6-7 + 2 bolts.

The fourth pitch continues in a similar line, little difficult to find the bolts. (We missed one bolt while climbing).

P5: 5.10c. 6-8 + 2 bolts

The crux pitch with two overhanging sections and well protected. The grading is old school. Seems stiffer than the grade on paper.

P6: 5.7. 3-4 + 0 bolts

3-4 bolts but no anchor. But you reach a comfortable cactus patch to sit and belay.

P7:5.5.0+0bolts

The seventh pitch has no bolts you can find a cactus patch to anchor and belay.

Shares first pitch with Bangalore Bill, and the first two pitches with Mohana.

Route was put up on lead by Jean-Francois Hagenmuller and KV Mohana in the winter of 1990-91. The old bolts replaced on August 22nd, 2022 by Sohan with support from Amith BV, Raghav, and Yash Parikh. The bolt-replacement was an epic in itself, including time spent in the forest department lock-up by Raghav & Yash:)

The route goes right of by the big gash, you see on the right wall of Savandurga.

To get on the route, aim for the Beladingulu start (which has the prominent crackline), and at the base traverse right over the pile of boulders or the talus field through a short patch of forest. Access might change from time to time, as the wild terrain at all these places is known to. But the gist is this, there is an opening in the forest fence, a ribbon of forest, about 50- to 100-meters thick, then a talus field of boulders, sometimes with high grass growing between the gaps, and then the wall. The talus field is not a consistent feature around the southern base of Savandurga, and on occasion the forest extends to the base, or sometimes it is a long low-angle slab.

The first bolts may not be visible, only the anchor station might be, so, look for the fold in the slab, and aim for directly above it. this is about a rope length to the left of the big-gash.

Gear: 60- or 70-meter rope, about 8 alpine draws or quick-draws, a few pieces of gear (finger to double-finger sized, BD sizes, #.5, #.75, #1, #2). The trad rack is optional, as the second pitch could be run-out on easy terrain after where the opportunity to place a piece shows up. The third pitch could be protected too with trad gear, but is easy enough.

• P1: 5.5. 50 meters. 1 + 2 bolts • While the route eventually connects to the large gash (Dodda Gulley), the runnel connecting to it is only climbed after the first 50-60 meters. • The line starts left of the runnel and to the right of a large off-coloured feature visible about 50-meters from the ground, which is a large flake sitting on a ledge. The base is marked by a 40-50 foot long right to left running fold in the slab creating a crack system. Get atop this feature and aim for the left of the center between the runnel and the aforementioned feature.

• P2: 5.6. 60 meters. 0 + 2 bolts • From the anchor station, angle right towards the water runnel. Follow the weakness in the slab, and at a point, the slab seems to be getting stiffer, cross right over the runnel to a flake that offers up a crack to protect. At about 30-meter mark. • Rest of the line, leading straight up has large juggy ledges on the slab, so lot less stressful.

• P3: 5.4/5.5. 50 meters. 0 + 0 bolts. • This section is largely a scramble through a gulley, with an occasional moment of technical climbing to get over couple of boulders. • About 15-meters from the anchor station, you should also see the bolts on the left of the gash, of the Mohana line. • The next pitch bolts come up on the right, much before the lone tree, higher up in the gulley.

• P4: 5.10a. 45 meters. 7 + 2 bolts. • The first bolt is about 20 feet above the pile of boulders to the right. • High-angled slab with adequate friction and holds. Usual Bangalore style slab climbing, with waxing and waning of the cojones between the bolts while the holds threaten to chip off under the feet. • Scenic hanging belay at the end of this pitch.

• P5: 5.8/5.9. 45 meters. 3 + 2 bolts. • The first bolt is evidently located. The second bolt is about 25 feet or so away, in the same line, as is the third. • Route reading to identify each next bolt.

• P6: 5.6. 45 meters. 2 + 2 bolts • Aim for a line between the off-coloured dyke or the seam in the rock to the left and the dark water runnel to the right. • The two bolts exist between this line. • At some point, look for the big bush growing out of a large trench in the slab. Anchor station is to the left of it. • If you go offroute, the grade is stiffer, the protection is non-existent.

• P7: 5.5. 50 meters. 0 + 2 bolts • The older topos indicate two more bolts on the SMD’s 7th pitch, I could not find these. • While rebolting, we established an anchor, along the off-coloured dyke angling left, after about 50 meters. So, this possibly could be a deviation from the original line.

• P8: Scrambling terrain. 160 meters. • Two anchor stations that were used to rebolt the route, exist currently. Really no point clipping into these. The long walk along to the right of the gulley/water runnel to the large boulders and to the flat ground.

To exit: Walk straight across the plateau towards the Mandapam or the old ruins, which has a clearly marked trail (usually littered with plastic), heading down.

Sunny Jamshedji climbed this line in summer of 2016 and connected back with Khoday Neer's thin crack at the top.

Per him, “Protects with a BD #4, if I remember correctly. Climb through the ‘cave’ under the left crack.

Belay from the ledge and then traverse right to meet up the other route that goes up the flake.”

Per Mohit Oberoi. “The route "adventures of cyhric joseph" can be seen very clearly here... the "thin" crack " on the left of the huge off width seen in the center here. it traverses from the right to the blocks / ledge seen in the center and traverses to the tuft of grass and then straight up the crack. seemed like 5.10? then.”

Face/slab climb continues after the horizontal ridge.

Route by Pranesh M., Rajesh B. & Nagesh

FFA: Sunny Jamshedji

FA: J.K.Nair, Harshavardhan, Dattatreya & Kamalesh (Jul1983)