Routes as sport in Free State

start the small roof just right of the erete

climb the long roof following the crack line

shares anchor with TP

uses HP bolts, and only rock between HK and BP bolt lines

start the thin crimp leading to the jug on the smooth face

start by deadpointing the smooth face on finger pockets

start the duno to the jug then up the overhanging face. might be 22 for shorter climbers

start the thin crimpy face then through the roof at the top

tricky start stick clip the first bolt

climb the right hand route up the face

the route up the middle

I bolted this line as it looked really good, it follows the steap overhanging route on the left of the face

probably one of the best routes at this crag, follow the left hand line on the steap face just right of the erete

this is the thin crimpy face on the far side of the boulder, a really thin crimpy climb

Left-most bolted line.

Right of Kyla.

Right of Bulge.

Right of Jump Up. Climb up slightly rightward to the right hand anchors.

Right of Narrow Escape.

Right of Tenpin. Take care clipping the third bolt and beware of the concrete pillar to the right.

Start just below a large pocket in the middle of the face. Crimps and delicate footwork get you up to the next large sidepull. Follow the pock-marked face right then up. There are no bolts yet, just top anchors. Bolts may be added to complete the route.

Route going over the huge block.

Right of In Hot Pursuit. Climbs the crack.

Right of Still in Pursuit of Perfection.

Right of The Pursuit of Happiness.

Right of Trivial Pursuit.

Takes the steep line on the front of the boulder which faces downhill. Start up the slab very carefully due to much loose rock on the bottom slab and hit the roof.

This climb is around on the Northern side of the Boulder and starts 3m right of the start of Bogey. Start up a grey slab for 5m to a ledge, then pull through the steep rock above on good jugs to move left onto the arête as soon as you are establishes on the face above. Continue up the arête to the chains of Bogey. This climb shares the last 2 bolts with Starlings.

Start as for Sticky Weekends till the fourth bolt, and then climb up left to the arête and up to the chains of Bogey.

The leftmost route on the west side of the boulder, almost 20m long!

This route starts right of STICKY WEEKENDS and veers left to join that route.

Starts in the middle of the boulder on the west side.

The line of pockets and buckets 2-3m right of LOST ARROW.

Starts behind the large tree just left of QUIVER. The first crux can be avoided if you have a huge armspan, fun moves.

Line on right hand side of west face of boulder. Good balancy face moves.

Between Quiver and Speary, some unusual climbing. The route name is an acronym for Yet Another Twenty One. Consensus on grade wanted.

Climbs the side closest to the main mountain. Pull on some fun pockets to the top.

Start just right of bush, up to large elliptical pocket and then up rightwards to chains.

Short fun line left of Moon Unit.

Fun pocketed line left of Platypus. Many holds, the good ones well hidden. Can be a little sharp on the fingers.

Takes the bottle shaped groove on the east side. This makes for an unusual but good route.

Don't stay in the indent too long.

Start as for BIG BALLS and climb straight up to the chains of PLATYPUS.

Starts next to PLATYPUS and heads up rightward.

Was Craig Reed's project, only has top anchors. Grade may be between 25 and 28?

The rightmost route on the eastern side of the boulder, a little sharp. CHEAT CLIP the second bolt when leading to avoid a potential groundfall!

Climbs the steep pocketed route on the west face.

A very short route taking a short arete left of Drie Hoek Kerrie Koolie Koek.

The route up the east facing slab section of the boulder.

On the western side of the boulder.

Step onto face near some large pockets, as far left as you can stand on platform. A large crevice to step over to the face.

on the right hand face from the platform

Follows an overhanging line up a series of pockets. Started in 2003.

A really hard start and a technical mid-section. Originally opened, as Maelstrom, by Andrew Pedley, but after a major break on the route it was reopened by Brian Weaver.

Follow the line of bolts up the sustained wall, take care clipping the second bolt. A bold line on the far right of the crag.

A natural line used to establish the anchors. It goes up the obvious corner, take care on the hanging column as it seems to be loose.

Originally lead/soloed by Joffrey & Martin as an access route up the main face, turned out to have 2 damn fine pitches. It starts on a short grey face about 70m left of MIRACLE FOUNTAIN. This route is still evolving and since it was an access route some of the bolts are not ideal! Please note that this route as yet does not go all the way to the top.

1. 19 (6D,A) 13m Straight up to the grassy ledge. You may want to climb past the anchors and onto the grassy ledge. There are anchors to use about 2-3m to the left on the face.

2. 18 (10D,A) 26m An excellent pitch up some surprisingly solid rock, climbs up two bulges to a tree. Tie a knot in the end of the rope!

3. 10 (4D,A) Walk right from the tree along the ledge until you can see anchors in a vegetated gully. From here do a mantle move with a big slab above and climb diagonally to your left traversing quite a bit after clipping the first bolt.

4. 16 (7D,A) Follow the bolts to the chains.

5. 13 (A) Top anchors only, climb up rightward toward the forest. This is for access only and hence no bolts but is very easy climbing and allows for a great view!

First Ascent: Jul 2000 Pitches 2-4 led on trad (or can you say so if no gear was placed?).

Pitches 1 & 2 bolted by Martin Bruning & Joffrey Hyman. Pitches 3 & 4 bolted by Dylan Morgan.

Starts just left of a tree 3m left of Martin's Project. Climb up slighlty rightwards to a ledge. Good potential for a second pitch.

Starts just right of a tree, 3m right of Pick Pocket and about 50m left of Miracle Fountain on a large rounded grey face 'leaning' against the main face.

Joffrey Hyman & Paul Brouard's project takes the inside of the arete just right of the Miracle Fountain, breaking onto the arete and heading slighlty rightward to the small steep pinnacle at the top. 2 Ropes are essential, one 60m will not work. Can be completed by others but please contact Paul or Joffrey first, some loose rock must still be cleared too.

1. 28 (14D,A) 32m Climb up and slighlty right for 32m.

2. (A) Still being bolted.

3. (A) Still being bolted.

4. 17 (4D,A) 10m Climb out right over easy ground and then up over a bulge to the chains.

5. 27/28 (12D,A) 26m Climb up into the steep section and to the chains. You can top-out from here with a small lead-out however getting back down can be fun. GPS: 28,23.432,29,16.772

Roughly in the middle of the inverted V, 10m left of the huge Yellowwood. Some fine consumer face climbing. This is the first fully bolted route to top out at about 175m (edit: this seems unlikely, probably more like 130m). The route has slab, face, overhangs and cracks and is worth doing.

There is as of 2003 a Gymnogene nest about 50m above this route, please take care not to disturb them.

1. 16 (10B,A) Climbs the gray slab for about 20m. FA: Rory Lowther & Roland Magg

2. 17 (10D,A) More slab climbing for about 22m. FA: Rory Lowther & Roland Magg Note: Pitches 1 & 2 can be combined to give one 40m pitch.

3. 21 (8D,A) Climb slightly left then up through face and slab section to stance at big ledge this pitch can be dirty. FA: Rory Lowther & Chris Rudolph

4. 21,A0,F23 (10B,A) Climb left the up the crack and face to a cruxy technical section pulling through just below stance. Crux section can be aided on close bolts or freed at 23. FA: Rory Lowther & Chris Rudolph

5. 19 (10D,A) Climb the slab section heading right to a good crack with some fun lay backing, at the top of crack traverse left to stance under roof on good ledge. FA: Rory Lowther & Chris Rudolph

6. 18 (10D,A) Walk out left on small ledge the climb straight up and into off width roofy section, follow the crack from here to stance. FA: Rory Lowther & Chris Rudolph

7. 16 (10D,A) Climb the slab, then through a bulge and onto another thin slab to the finish on top of the mountain. Note the additional set of abseil chains about halfway through this pitch. FA: Rory Lowther & Chris Rudolph

Decent

Abseiling is recommended back to the ground, there are 8 abseils back down using a 50m rope or 4 on two ropes.

Takes the honeycomb rock just left of the trad route. This route is on an east facing side of the mountain that starts in a little forest.

3 long pitches. Starts in a small corner next to a black water streak. Take 2 ropes to abseil, some of the pitches are more than 30m.

1. 25 (38m?) The first pitch starts with a neat but small right facing corner. Two ropes required to abseil off this pitch!

2. 22 (xm)

3. 21

The route is situated on a clean face midway between A Time to Climb and Long Bolt to Freedom. There is a faint inverted V crack line (gable) which marks the start of the climb. This fun route incorporates a full assortment of varied climbing in which the grade remains fairly consistent throughout. Although the route has seen some extensive cleaning, it is still advisable to wear a helmet (as the wallpaper might peel off occasional). The route also seems to be more sheltered from the wind than those on the north-west side of the mountain.

1. 21 [9D,A] 14m Climb the left hand hypotenuse of the inverted V crack line until the apex. Continue straight up for a few meters further until the hanging belay is reached.

2. 21 [9D,A] 16m Continue up the face, slightly right of the open book, using some bold moves untiljust before the first overhang is reached. Note** Combining the first two pitches is possible if the guns are loaded and carrying 21 draws is not a problem.

3. A0 [5D,A] 8m Several bolts have been placed just over the lip of the overhang in order to assist with aiding. One needs to stand in some long slings and pull on a quick draw or two, in order to gain access to the anchors above. Note** In future, it is hope that this section can be bypassed by bolting a line which traverses out to the left and back again. Note** Freeing this pitch might be in the mid 20’ies, so give it a burn.

4. 21 [14D,A] 28m This pitch incorporates a cruxy technical section of approximately 5m near the bottom. The grade then starts to ease off. Traverse out to the right one bolt before the abseil anchors to reduce drag for the next traverse pitch or continue up straight if attempting the roof.

5. 18 [8D,A] 15m Climb the rib on the right of the overhang section. Traverse out left above the second large roof, once you have pulled through the lip on some large holds. This fun pitch provides some exposed climbing (which can be interesting if the wind is howling). Note** A more direct approach (which has been bolted) is to climb straight through the overhand thereby averting the transverse across the top of the roof. Grade 22 ???.

6. 18 [10D,A] 25m Scramble to the base of the top section of the cliff. Climb the face leading onto some protruding rock features (to the right of the big nose). Tricky take-off move.

7. 16 [4D,A] 8m Climb through a bulge on the right from which the top is reached.

Note** Possible to combine these 2 pitches but there will be a bit of rope drag on the top section.

Abseiling: A 60m rope will reduce the number of abseils. There are several combined pitches which reach exactly 30m (take care and knot the ends) – it takes 4 abs to get off. It should be possible to ab off using only 1 50m rope by abbing only one pitch at a time. With 2 50m ropes, it should be possible to get off in 3 abs.

Route

1. 17 15m Climb the layback, move right just under tree and up to stance in large round cubby hole. Belay IN cubby hole.

2. 12 Move up and rightwards on easy rock and through huge natural holes. Keep moving right till you see some other glued-in bolts and some chains belonging to SKINNY LEGS AND ALL. Go up and into a stance in a cubby.

3. 17, AO(23?) This climbs left from the stance in a zigzag manner till eventually traversing left into a smooth, shallow recess which is the crux. Pull on draws if needed, A0. Up to stance in perfect cubby hole. (Note: The last abseil is from these chains)

4. 16 about 40m? Follow bolts up the huge face to chains(shares chains with SKINNY LEGS). Scramble up onto grassy ledge moving left about 10m.

5. 15 Up recess to stance on big ledge.

6. 15 Up recess to stance under roof.

7. 7 Walk right along ledge for 15m to corner past one bolt. A0 Aid for 3m and scramble to the summit.

Descent

Take 2 ropes to abseil off this route.

Abseil from summit chains to big grass ledge is about 50m. Abseil from top of pitch 4 to top pitch 3 is about 48m. The top of pitch 3 to ground is about 48m.

It is possible with 50m ropes to abseil from the top to the top of pitch 4, to top of pitch 3 and then to the ground - but this will take you (and your ropes) through a thick patch of prickly pears, and should be avoided.

Several parties have not been able to pull their ropes after the first abseil (despite the chains being perfectly adequate). Ensure the rope is threaded through the chains in a manner which minimises friction and do a pull test - BEFORE the last climber comes down.

This route starts at the Windy Gap corner of the mountain. There is a tree up against the mountain here. The first bolts are just to the right of the tree. A super fun route! Take two 50m ropes to abseil down. A 60m rope will be a little too short!

1. 22 (9B) 30m A pumpy pitch leads to a comfy cave belay.

2. 23 (8B) 25m Lead straight up through a 'fun' crux.

3. 19 (9B) 40m Heads up until the angle starts easing off.

Just right of SKWISH, a little sharp.

Joffrey's project (Now Open) taking the golden pocketed streak up the face to the top, a huge dyno ends the long 24m route. Please do not lever the flake after the 4th bolt. Climb slightly left and the upward AVOIDING PULLING AGAINST THE HUGE FLAKE. Engineers we need help securing this monster!