★★ Phallus Direct 17

The route follows a direct line up the front of the Fernkloof pinnacle. Start 5m to the right of PINNACLE GULLY on a smooth sloping slab facing upstream, slightly left of prominent open book breaking through the overhangs.

1. 26m 16 Ascend the sloping slab to a boulder pinned under a roof. Break through the first roof using this. Climb into open book, moving diagonally left to the left ridge. Climb this until the bulge. Move 1m right into the recess again, which is climbed up a handjam crack to a sloping ledge below the overhanging headwall. (The top half of this pitch is the same as that used by HOROSCOPE)

2. 24m 17 The crack continues above. Climb up some boulders on the left and step left into an overhanging jam crack. Climb this (strenuous) to a ledge. Step up and right onto the front of the pinnacle. Up this (airy) to below summit overhang. Break through the roof on big holds to top.

Notes:

1. This route is on superb rock and is exposed.

2. The direct start to pitch 2 to enter the crack directly has been climbed at grade 19 (Oct 1985 S. Middlemiss and S. Kellet.)

3. Instead of climbing the handjam crack of pitch 2, it is possible to continue up the narrow chimney just left of it at grade 16 (Jan 1997 P. Fatti, M. Prior and M. O'Reilly)

No fire allowed as per “No Fires in Magaliesberg Policy”. There is currently a moratorium on bolting in Magaliesberg.