Routes as trad in Kransberg

This gully provides a pleasant descent route. Two abseils of 20m and 14m from big yellowwood trees are required during the descent.

The climb is situated just to the right of the Eierkrantz buttress, between Snowflake and Wafer Crack. When looking at the face from below there is an orange scar at the bottom left. Just right of the top of the orange scar there are two prominent cracks going to the top of the face, the left one stopping just short of the top. The climb follows the left hand crack about halfway and then the right hand crack to the top.

1. Scramble up to the ledge where Snowflake starts. Easy if you choose the right line but rope up if in doubt. Start by scrambling up diagonally left to below some roofs. Traverse right on a ledge and another difficult move gets you to easier ground.

2. 23m (15) Start behind the tree on the left. There is a small cave just left of it. Climb up just right of the recess behind the tree to a small roof and a big rail. Traverse right for 5m and then diagonally left up to a grassy ledge.

3. 28m (13) From the right hand side of the ledge there is a crack leading up, climb this for 6m past one hard move with a good small cam. Traverse right on a good ledge for 5m. Further up the face there is a right facing open book. Climb towards this (this part is easy but pretty run-out). Climb the open book to a good ledge behind a block.

4. 26m (12) Traverse left into the left crack and climb it to a small stance on a block on the right-hand side of the crack at a point where the crack becomes vegetated and very overhanging.

5. 32m (13) Traverse right (exposed) for 9m until just before the right crack and then up to a ledge.

6. 29m (11) Climb up and out at the short chimney at the top. Scramble to top.

freed at grade 21

Two large diagonal cracks form a feature on the krantz that look like the Eiffel Tower. This route climbs the left crack.

Clean and sustained climbing with possibly one grade 15 move. The crux is in the 2nd half of the route.

The routes goes up a conical buttress. Starts near a big yellowwood tree midway between Groothoek Chimney and Black Eagle Crag below a big roof 15/20m up.

1. 30m (15) Climb diagonally right staying well Bellow the huge roof to a good ledge around the right roof corner. This is the outer edge of the ramp used by the first pitch of black eagle crag. Second half is grassy.

2. 20m (12) Follow right hand side of the corner leftward until one can step across left (grass) to a wide ledge with a big block on its middle that crosses the conical buttress.

3. 35m (18) From the left end of the ledge, climb onto blocks around the corner, then traverse right back above the ledge towards the roofs. Then diagonally left around the roofs. Climb the grey face and end up left to a thorntree & small yellowwood tree in Groothoek chimney

4. 25m (19) Climb the steep corner, first usable gear a cam about 5m up. Continue on the left wall and overhanging crack, then traverse left to a scooped out ledge with good cam placements gear below the roof.

5. 25m (15) Traverse minimaly right, then climb the face diagonally left until the base of a corner. Take the corner and head right, crossing a few birdshit covered blocks (not vultures though) until a belay ledge at the base of an obvious chimney. Opposite the crack à big yellow wood tree is a belay for ? probably black eagle crag?.

6. 25m (18) Climb the left slanting overhanging chimney above with much grunting. Good placement are available, bringing a few large cams up is worthwhile. Traverse left to bypass the roof and finish left to a good ledge.

7. 45m (13) Traverse right to the pillar. Climb the pillar then traverse back to the chimney. Finish easily to the top. Long and fun. If Pitch 6 made you swear to never climb again, this one will make you return to your senses.

Note: Excellent climbing made less serious by the proximity of Groothoek Chimney.

Two large diagonal cracks form a feature on the krantz that look like the Eiffel Tower. The left crack is climbed by 'Groothoek Chimney'. 'Black Eagle Crag' follows a line up the right crack and then on the face between the cracks.

The start is in a vegetated crack leading to some large overhangs in the centre of the Chevron, 15m right of 'Groothoek Chimney'.

1. (27m 12) Climb the crack to a point 3m below the overhangs.

2. (21m 10) Traverse right on obvious line to corner for 15m. Climb blocks on corner to a large ledge on the right. Belay on big tree.

3. (45m 16) Climb the steep ramp on the left side of the large ledge. At the top of the ramp traverse slightly left to a narrow overhanging face. Climb the face and the chimney above. When the chimney closes move out onto the left face (awkward) and climb up to comfortable ledge with a tree in the chimney on the right of the face.

4. (40m 14) Traverse left on the ledge, move down to pass a block. After the block continue diagonally up left to a detached block. Stand on the block and do a pull-up to break through the small overhang. Continue up to a series of comfortable ledges.

5. (27m 16) Climb diagonally right to an orange face.

6. (24m 13) Climb diagonally left and traverse on a hand-rail under the roof. Move into 'Groothoek Chimney' and climb this to the top.

Variations:

(Pitch 1, 17): Right of crack of pitch 1 there is another crack with overhanging roof. Climb this moving out left at top.

(Pitch 1, 17): Start behind tree between the two cracks. Climb the face.

(Pitch 6, 20): There is a break in the middle of the overhang right at the tip of the Eiffel Tower.

On the corner of Groothoek gully is a buttress with a tree on top. It is possible to scramble up it from the left. Just left of the buttress is a wide water streak right of a small (30cm) right facing corner. The original climb starts 30m directly above the right facing corner on a large ledge which can be accessed by traversing left from the above mentioned buttress. There is supposed to be a "very good direct start (17)" to reach this point.

1. 30m (21) Scramble up on the right of the water streak to a point about halfway up the water streak where you can traverse over it on a wide ledge.Climb the small right facing corner and then the face above it to a wide ledge. It also looks possible to climb the right facing corner from the bottom starting in a small cubbyhole at ground level if it is dry.

2. 30m (17) The belay ledge is 5m above the wide belay ledge for P2 of Black Eagle Crag. From the left of the ledge, traverse 2m left and then 3m up then continue diagonally up right for about 6m to a break leading diagonally up left for about 15m to an awkward step. Continue up to a large ledge. Sustained grade 15 climbing.

3. 8m (10) Traverse left towards pile of blocks at a point just before the ledge goes around the corner. Start by downclimbing about 1m and traverse left on excellent footholds and tiny handholds to avoid a short section of loose rocks. Belay just before the pile of blocks. It may be possible to combine this pitch with the previous one if rope drag is not too bad.

4. 30m (13) Continue up going diagonally right. Climb over a short ridge with big steps going up and right. Belay on ledge.

5. 30m (15) Continue up tending left to a point under the left hand extreme of the large overhangs. Swing left around the corner using good holds on a high ledge. Continue up in corner to the top.

Note: Pitches 4 and 5 are a variation of the original line that provides better climbing. The original line climbed much further towards the right to a grass and aloe ramp and then up various corners to a ledge leading to the right, finishing 4m left of Chukamisa.

Left of 'Groothoek Gully' is a large block with a large tree on top. The climb proper starts on this block.

1. (6) Scramble up block. On top of the block find a corner with an overhang 5m up.

2. (11) Climb up the corner on the left face below the overhang. Traverse left around corner and up on good holds into a chimney above. About 5m into the chimney is a good block-belay.

3. (11) Continue up chimney to a large ledge. Crux has good holds and is well protected with a #3 C4 SLCD.

4. (9) Move around the corner on the extreme right hand side of the large ledge, from this point climbing continues up on good holds with a few steep moves in-between.

5. (8) Continue up until climbing becomes a scramble.

Variations:

(Pitch 3 & 4, 15): From the large ledge, move onte the left hand face at a point about 5m left of the main corner. Climb diagonally leftwards up face to the top. (2002, A. George, A. Porter)

This is the usual decent route involving some scrambling.

About 10m left of Angelica is a small buttress against the main face about 10m high. Start in the corner between the buttress and the main face on the left side of the buttress.

1. 45m (13) From the top of the buttress, follow a faint crack that starts just left of the buttress to a small overhang (6x1m). Pass the overhangs on the right and continue up to a ledge belew a short 2m wide roof with a small tree on the left. (There is an optional belay ledge about halfway up this pitch).

2. 10m (12) From the right of the ledge continue up corner. To a small square ledge below a piton.

3. 40m (15) Climb the corner until a point before it becomes overhanging. Traverse right on good ledges to the nose and then diagonally left to top.

Note: The climb can be done in two pitches by scrambling to the top of the buttress (easy on the right) and then combining pitches 1 and 2.

Climb the thin seam, splitting the buttress, to the right of Angelica’s deep crack. This is easily seen from where the path enters the kloof at the base of Sunshine Crack. Walk around Angelica’s pillar and scramble up to a ledge at the base of the crack, about 25m right of Angelica’s pillar.

1. [19] 15m Climb the crack for 10m. Step left and follow the crack to a small ledge above an overlap.

2. [15] 30m Follow the crack tending slightly left to the large halfway ledge.

3. [15] 30m From the top of a small boulder, step into a shallow open book, then make a brave move to good footholds on the right. Continue up diagonally left to the big block on a ledge. Walk past the block, about 3m, before climbing more or less straight up for another 15m.

4. [12] 30m Make a beeline for the top, avoiding the grass as much as possible and finish spectacularly up some large blocks.

The route is 70m to the right of 'Chanel Crack' in a corner formed by a step in the face. The vegetation has discouraged subsequent parties.

This route climbs directly up the middle of “red sail” (same face as Vavoom) and breaks through the left extremity of the top overhangs

1. Scramble / rope up to big grassy ledge. 60m 13

2. Start at the base of an obvious crack feature in the middle of the wall. Climb the excellent crack until it ends after 20m and then trend up and right through 4 bulges with rails in between to a stance on a good ledge about 15m to the right of the start. (55m) 19

3. Traverse up and left, then climb on the right side of a prominent yellow pillar. Stance on top of the pillar on the left (good ledge) .20m 15

4. Step right off the ledge, climb up 4m then climb left and up until able to break through first overhangs to a good jam. Continue straight up and slightly left to pull through final overhangs on cape style jugs. Then climb straight up to the top on easy rock (60m) 21

Descent

1. Scramble 10m down main gulley between gasoline wall and red sail wall to a good yellowwood. Rap 50m off this.

2. Good ledge on true right (west wall) on red sail wall. Fixed nut and good thread. Rap 40m to grassy ledge.

3. Walk to massive yellowwood on far eastern corner of ledge rap off this to ground – 60m

Pitch 1: 50m 18: Gain the obvious crack on the left of the stance follow the easiest line up the crack system past a small block on the left with a manky piton. (20m) continue upwards until you reach a large ledge below the open book. Pitch 2: 60m 15: continue up the open book feature until you reach an obvious stance on the left of the crack. (2 people comfortably). Pitch 3:50m 16: climb up the crack until you reach a small overhang move diagonally left through the overhang and continue up the face trending left past a small tree on the left arête to a stance below a large yellowwood . Pitch 4: 50m 18: traverse right from the good stance back onto the face, trend diagonally right until you gain the right arête, bomb up the committing but well protected face until you reach the obvious stance before the easy scramble out.