Routes in Du Toit's Kloof for selected grade

Start up the left crack/seam

The route traverses in from the right and the start is marked with a cairn.

1. (19) 50m Climb the crack just left of Fine Time to a ledge system and then continue up left up the parallel cracks to a ledge system. Move a few metres to left and climb the easy right facing corner to stance on large blocks below the huge recess above.

2. (19) 50m Climb the short orange/red corner on the right carefully to place good gear and continue straight up 4 or 5m. Step left to above your belay and climb the white-grey recess to a ledge. Move a little left and diagonal across a small orange face and climb carefully past the blocks and dodgy looking flake. Lay-backing works well here and there is a slot up right for your right hand. That way you can completely avoid using the flake. Continue up to a ledge and continue straight up the next groove to the next large ledge. Walk left past the large blocks and climb up to the dassie ledge. There are various options to reach this ledge. The straighter version is more like 20 and you can walk further left to an easy corner.

3. (20) 35m Move your belay left 5m or so and climb the grotty looking recess. Step up and place the gold camelot or equivalent. Straddle carefully for 3/4m to find gear. Do not continue up right up the recess: this is Fine Time. Rather step left into the steep left facing corner and continue up to easier rock to stand on a grey pillar on the right. Place good gear high up and lay-back steeply up to the right to a ledge shared with Fine Time.

4. (22) 30m Climb straight up the gray face tending slightly right. At the rail move left to below the obvious left facing dihedral. Climb this and belay below the roof in a semi-hanging stance under the roof. Shady if the sun has got to you.

5. There are two options: (19) 30m "Less Time". Rail left and climb the recess to easier rock to the top. (23/4) 12m "Extra Time". Rail out right and crank through the roof and continue up a few metres to a semi-hanging stance. You can combine the next pitch but communication is then poor and your second may end up prussiking if he/she falls off.

6. (19) 22m. Move right and climb the left facing corner. Move back left and find your way to the top.

Descent is an elegant and relatively safe 4 or 5 abseils. 60m ropes are recommended.

Walk horizontally 60m over blocks then bushes past the gulley and then blocks to find a thread below.

1. Abseil about 15m to a large ledge.

2. Look around at the back of the ledge and find a threaded rap point and biner. Abseil 40m or so and you find a point over a horn kept in place by a rock. It is easier to pull the rope from here.

3. There is another sling point over a horn about 20m lower and a bit to the left. (You can combine abseil 2 and 3 but pulling the rope down is then quite strenuous. What works well is if the first person to descend stays at the first sling point and then sorts out the rope which is usually twisted. Then the rest of the party can combine abseil 2 and 3. And then while they sort out the next point the person who abseiled first can come down on one of the ropes.

4. Abseil about 40m to an obvious ledge system and look to the left past a bush for a threaded rap point with a leaver biner .

5. Abseil about 40m to the ground. OR use the DOWN TIME Rap Route Or walk all the way round.

Approach: The route starts about 30m right of Fun Time and left of Show Time. Scramble a few metres up to ledge. The start is marked by a cairn of stones.

1. 20m 21 (could be 22, placing gear at roof and working it out is tricky…) Climb up 3 metres to a small overlap. Crank through this and continue straight up to a small yellow recess with a jam crack on its left. Pull through this and continue to the overhang with the obvious bush to the left. Crank through and stance on a good ledge.

2. 40m 20 Climb up the corner for a few metres and then step right on to the clean face. Continue to a rail and climb the obvious crack system which is grotty in places. After about 30m climb the crack till it gets vegetated and then step right onto the face and climb clean rock to a good ledge.

3. 45m 19 Climb the recess on the right and step onto the face at the level of bush about 5m up. Continue to the dark grey face and traverse right across it low down at the first good finger rail. Pass the overhang on the right and climb the ramp up left to a good ledge.

4. 20m 16 Continue straight up through a bulge and then follow a vague crack to the halfway ledge and belay at the pillar block on the right.

5. 25m 23 Climb up on the pillar block and place high gear on the right. Tricky moves up and right lead to a recess. Climb this, and the vague arête on the left, to a good ledge. Move left to belay in the corner under the overhang (potentially in shade).

6. 25m 23 Pull straight up to the overhang to pass it on the right. Continue up diagonally left on to pillar blocks until they run out. Rail left and then up to below a steep recess. Climb the recess (crux). Tiny cams are useful but there is good pro to the right. Stance on a grey weathered ledge system above the recess.

7. 25m 22 Climb the sustained left-facing corner and then through the featured overhang. Exit on the right to a ledge

8. 35m 16 Climb the obvious off-width crack and continue easily to the top.

Descent: Walk down to the left to the Timerity abseil point. (15 minutes)

Approach.

Show Time starts left of centre of the main Yellowwood Amphitheatre about 7 metres left of the start of Newborn. The first few bolts of Newborn or visible from the base of the wall and the start of Show Time is marked by a small cairn of stones adjacent to a small flat clearing used as a bivvy spot.

1. 50m 20 Climb easily up the gray slabs for about 30m just left of a vague recess and past an overhang. Head up right to the gray face and climb the shallow left facing corner and continue up to the overhang capping the red-orange rock. Move left to a ledge. (Find a good small cam placement in a pocket on the face above the ledge.

2. 55m 22 S3 This pitch has two potential deck falls although the moves are not very hard. The first is stepping off the ledge to start “overhanging strenuous gnarly looking crack” and the second is starting up the left facing corner past the “thin flake plastered against the wall”. Move to left end of the ledge and step across the void to below a crack that can be vegetated. The crack does take good pro if cleaned. Continue up to and then past the large overhang on its left and climb the left facing dihedral to a large ledge on the right. Climb the overhanging strenuous gnarly looking crack for about 10m to a ledge system. Move left 2m and climb the left facing corner starting at a thin flake plastered against the wall on the left. Continue easily up the orange left facing corner to the grey overhang and pass it on the right. Semi-circle up and right to avoid the very steep crack in the white rock (climb it if you are bold and strong). Head easily up and left to a right facing corner system on yellow rock topped by a robust bush to a stance. With 50m ropes, stance 5m lower on a decent ledge, then scramble up the corner system to start of pitch 3.

3. 20m 23 (Don’t be tempted to combine pitch 3 with any part of pitch 4 unless you have done it before. It will be very tiring and you may run out of gear, communication and end up in a crappy hanging stance anyway!) Strenuous climbing past an inverted 1” cam placement and a fixed nut brings you to a juggy rest. (The nut marks the way). Continue up to the overhang and the move right on the gnarly rock to pass the roof on the right. Continue up a few meters to a hanging stance under the overhang.

4. 48m 24 If you are lucky and you manage to work out the best way to climb this pitch, then it is probably only grade 23. However the on-sight sans beta is probably closer to 26 if you get anything wrong. This pitch is a brutal beast and has yet to be done on-sight free as at 29 March 2015. It is extremely challenging for short people and has two very difficult cruxes. Climb the left facing corner to the overhang. Step right onto the arête and clip the fixed wire if you wish. Continue up past the small overhang to easier ground. Continue straight up for 4m or so and then move left about 3m. Do not climb the obvious white recesses but climb the grey rock bulge between them! directly above the bomber rock 1 placement (only grade 19) to a large rail under the overhang. You can place a large cam on the right to protect your second but the rail generally is at least size 4.5 Camelot. Rail all the way left easily to the grotty corner and climb it. Or keep moving left on a clean rail to circumvent it. Climb up to the (halfway) ledge and clip a bolt left there by some Spanish climbers and stance right there so you can see your second. If you did not find pro in the large rail for your second then move all the way back right to stance above that point so your second is protected with a more vertical rope. (Sounds complicated but will be evident when you are there.)

5. 24 35m Lie back the gray flake on the left and continue up the brittle recess until the holds run out. (There is good pro but the holds seem very dodgy). Step out left on to the arête on good rock and continue to the small overhang. Compose yourself on good holds. Continue straight up if you are bold and strong or move left 3m and climb the crack into a shallow recess past a “nice-to-have” thread that is in situ. Continue up about 10m and rail right to a good ledge.

6. 30m 16 It seems sensible to climb straight up but there is no pro and it is tricky indeed. So move right 3m and climb the easy recess for about 5m. Then climb diagonally back left above the stance to the obvious rail capped by an overhang. Rail easily all the way left to a good ledge at the base of the right facing corner.

7. 35m 21 Climb the corner that is vegetated in places for 30m to where it steepens. Climb the steep overhanging crack till you can rail 3m right to a good ledge. (This pitch has really good climbing despite the chossy appearance.)

8. 40m 19 Climb up to the overhang past the right side and then up easy blocky climbing to a rail system. Move right about 10m and avoid the first left facing yellow-orange recess. Continue to the next grey one and climb up it. Head easily diagonally up left to a grey overhanging crack and crank through this to top out.

Descent:

Have a good look of the lay of the land before you start the route. Take photos with you or have them loaded to a large screen smart phone.

Head east (towards Rawsonville) to the Timerity abseil 10-15 minutes. Keep going downwards past the largest gully (Yellowwood Crack and the Tea Time abseil) and then head north-east for the furthest and lowest gully. You will eventually see cairns leading you to the gully. Abseil 3 abseils down the Timerity rap route to the drip

Gear: 50m ropes are fine for this route but be careful on the third abseil if you use the Timerity Rap Route. 50m ropes do not get you all the way to the ground and you have to traverse left (north-east) on a ledge system and then scramble down

Doubles on cams to 1,5 inch is recommended. Single set nuts to size 10 or 12. . 4 QD’s 10 Slings or 8 Slings and one very long sling is useful. No RP’s required. No 4.5 Camelot is useful but not essential.

The route follows a line up the left hand side of the “The Castle,” the grey tower immediately right of Smalblaar ridge.

Climb the first pitch of No More Bells up to the big ledge. The route starts off the left hand end of this ledge, just adjacent to the pleasantly cool descent gully. There are two obvious corner systems. “In Your Honour” takes the prominent right hand recess. Start at the base of the right tending grey corner that has a large floating-shield half way up.

1. 22m, 19. Step up into the layback corner and climb up past a small roof to stance in a scoop below the floating-shield. Note the gear is slim at the stance!

2. 33m, 17. Step 1m right out of the scoop and continue up the layback/corner. Climb up past the right hand side of the floating-shield and into the steepening grove above. Balance over the ramp and then climb the chimney that splits a large block to the ledge above. NOTE: If you have 60m ropes, it is possible to combine the first two pitches to create a 55m pitch. It is also possible to retreat from here via: 1 – an abseil prong on the left hand side of the base of the chimney 2 – It looks possible to traverse left along the ledge back into the descent gulley.

3. 16m, 21. Step down and rail out right until directly under a peapod groove. Pull up into the groove (exciting) and exit right at the top. Round the corner, move a meter right then crank up on edges to access a small ledge below a roof. Stance Here.

4. 23m, 23. Climb the crack on the right hand edge of the roof. Pull up into the left facing corner above (Crux.) A swing left on the face above allows you access to the steepening corner above. Climb up to stance on a large vegetated ledge.

5. 40m, 24. NOTE small wires are essential here! Step left off the large ledge and back into the grove. Climb up and then balance left moving into the left of the two corners above. Climb up and left across the blank face and then back right and up under the small triangular roof. Pull over the roof and onto the apron. Hard and thin! Climb up and to the right of a brown water streak/scoop. Below the large roofs traverse left with feet at the level of the brown water scoop. Delicate footwork! Move left to stance on a large ledge, left of the big roofs. NOTE! The water-scoop might be wet after heavy rains!

6. 20m, 17. This final pitch starts off a block below a layback/water worn groove. Step off the block and climb the rib then the face to the top.

Climb the first pitch of No More Bells or another route to the big upper ledge. The route starts roughly in the middle of the wall from the upper ledge, to the right of “No More Bells”. It crosses “No More Bells” near that route's second stance and climbs the rest of the wall between that route and “In Your Honour”. Right of centre there is a high, rectangular recess (yellow at the top), capped by a roof. On the face to the left of the recess, and right of a prominent left-facing corner, there are a number of vertical cracks. The route takes the middle crack, which blanks out about 15 meters up.

1. 36m, 19. Climb the crack and continue for a meter or two after it blanks out to reach a rail, then move right into cracks Continue up to a roof, pull through and then follow the right hand crack line. Avoid the slightly messy recessed part of the crack higher up by moving rightwards onto a very featured face. Stance at the top of this below the roof.

2. 40m, 21. Climb the break on the right hand side of the roof above and slightly left of the stance (Bells and Whistles climbs the crack 2 meters to the right) on good holds leading into a crack in a leftward facing corner, and then up easier ground onto a platform below the next steep section. Traverse left for 4 meters, up in a corner and then diagonally left on small holds to the rail below the steep rock. On the left there is a yellow recess flanked by 2 parallel cracks. Climb these, moving right through the small roof. Follow the break above for about 8 meters to a small ledge. This pitch can be divided into two.

3. 28m, 21. Climb the finger crack continuation of the break and then up easier ground above up to a ledge below the roofs. Traverse left for about 12 metres to the end of the large ledge.

4. 30m, 24. From the left hand edge of the ledge, climb 3 meters up the break (shared with “In Your Honour” before it traverses left and up). Continue straight up through the slightly overhanding corner (strenuous). Follow the break, moving rightwards at about 15 meters and then straight up again through steep rock to stance on a small sloping ledge below where the wall steepens significantly, to the large roof at the top.

5. 30m, 19. Make an airy rightward traverse in the good rail 1 meter above the ledge out to a good prong and continue traversing around the corner for about 3 meters. Climb the face above on a flake diagonally rightwards up to a rail and bush. Climb into the large crack on the right, up for 2 meters and then onto the face to the right of the large crack, which is climbed straight up to the top.

A rap in and climb out route. Two money pitches and two linkers. A nice day out for those wanting to experience the Slanghoek exposure, without the big wall logistics.

Start: do the first long 60m rap on APU. From anchor 15 (as per abseil topo), go straight down for 35m to ledge with some large blocks and a large tree.

1. (1 bolt) Start left of the tree, over some blocky ground to a thin seem and bolt. Straight up the step recess to a rail, traverse right ~2m and pull steeply over the roof. Straight up to a hard move (crux) before easier ground continues directly up to a finger crack just before the bolted anchor.

2. Tend up and right keeping just right of the series of steep orange overlaps. Up the blocky recess to belay on the left side of a giant, grey, disc shaped boulder.

3. Step left and up orange rock to a vague corner. Steeply up and left into a bottomless open book. Follow cracks to exit right onto a ledge. Traverse a few meters right under a crack in the narrow roof to an easier looking break on the right.

4. 15m (18) Pull over the low roof into the left of two water run offs with gritty rock. At the ledge ~5m up, traverse right for several meters (there is gear in the vertical grooves – small cams and wires). On left side of ledge, pull up and left onto a slab with more vertical groove on the right. Straight up on flat edges to the left of main groove to reach the top roof. Pull up and right to a stance on the rim (#2 Camalot size crack and can be backed up on highline bolts ~7m to the left).

Notes: First pitch climbed clean on second but not on lead as of July 2021.

Tackles the right side of the amphitheatre, with excellent, sustained climbing on pitches 6 to 10 through the steep orange rock band. Pitch 7 gets a Parental Guidance (PG) advisory warning – it is not dangerously run out, but approach carefully and with a modicum of boldness. More-or-less shares the first 3 and half pitches of RS through the slabs.

Start: at the short pillar leaning against the face – shared with APU, Ruby and Meteor.

1. Up the leaning pillar and then continue slightly up and right to gain the narrow roof ~30m up. The break to aim for has a lower section of roof on the left (with a wide crack in its underside) and then a section on the right ~1m higher. At the lower roof section, rail right for ~1m – slightly grassy but can take a #4 Camalot. Pull back up and left to layback holds and pass the higher right-hand roof section on its left side. Head diagonally up and right to a ledge. Walk right to the base of vague left facing corner crack.

2. Head up the vague corner crack, then step right and up easy ground. Belay at a tree with tat against the short grey wall above.

3. Climb the face a few meters left of the tree (which has a left facing corner crack above it). Traverse right and then up two levels using some cracks and flakes. Continue traversing right all the way to below the base of the large left facing grey corner – easy but sketchy in places. Pop up to a small stance ~2m above the traverse level.

4. Climb the left facing corner until a horizontal break at a height where a traverse to the right meets the base of the next grey corner. Stance at the base of this second corner.

5. Up the corner to a wide ledge, then move right and diagonally up a boulder ramp for a few meters to stance below a right-facing corner and a rightward tending break.

6. Climb the break for 5 m and exit left onto the narrow rail/ ledge. A hanging stance ~1m left of the right end of the ledge is advised due to nature of the next pitch.

7. (23 PG) The Gangplank. Traverse left along the ledge until it narrows at a point directly below a break in the narrow roof ~15m up. Get good gear in the rail at foot height. Climb confidently up to a tiny left facing corner type feature (where there is #9 DMM Offset Alloy Nut or equivalent). Up to a fin and vertical microcam slot. Pull left on good holds and up to gain more sidepulls (and good gear). Weave up the steep face to the roof and step right to the break. Pull through and step left. Finish delicately up the big flake (there is a crack to the left for a medium cam) to the awesome sleeping ledge.

8. The Space Boogy. Start up a series of laybacks that tend up and right to a horizontal break. Continue strenuously up the vertical cracks and sidepulls and step left to a tiny ledge. Move back right into the corner (green alien or equivalent/small offset wires). Pull up to a fragile down pointing flake ~70cm long (do not place gear behind it!). Behind this flake, and almost obscured by it, is a cunning pod in solid rock for a medium cam. Boogy up the excellent face, pulling out right to the arete for the final moves. Up and right to a stance on a small platform.

9. Head up and right (slightly run out) to gain the base of the wide tube type feature that provides a bit of a puzzle. Exit to the ledge and up to a stance on a narrow ledge.

10. The Stargasm. Demanding, strenuous and outstanding. Start confidently up a series of steep cracks and laybacks to a vague recess. Pull up and left via tricky moves to a hand rail. Traverse left over the void for ~2m, and then some big gymnastic moves up and left to gain a small ledge. Finish up the steep recess to a good ledge. Stiff for the grade.

11. Ramble easily diagonally right along the break to one little boulder move. Continue up and stop at a rail at the left end of the higher grassy ledge (this is a much better place to haul from that on the ledge itself). After hauling, move a few meters right to the base of a wide crack.

12. Scramble up right of the wide crack and step back left (do not be tempted by the easy looking, blocky terrain to the right). Punchy start up the grey face aiming for a patch of orange rock ~8m up. Head slightly left, then straight, and by the top of the pitch traverse slightly right to a small platform, just down and left from some steep fins.

13. Start up the steep fins and then up to the wide crack above that breaks through and overhanging wall. Continue straight up more steep cracks and into the Red Giant Cave.

14. Pull through the roof of cave and then tend left to a slight groove. From the top of this, follow a series wide vertical crack and blocks until you can turn right onto a sloping ledge at the base of a slightly brown corner.

15. Up the cracks to a roof, followed by a short rising traverse to the right. Above is a shallow corner, but take the next recess to the right. Continue up the ramp to the tat stance.

16. Take the most direct line up to the visible anchor up and right, that uses the best rock.

Notes:

It should be possible to combine P6 and P7, which would reduce potential fall factor on P7, but could produce rope drag. If you walk in and haul the bottom pitches, then the following seems the best approach: At the end of pitch 2, walk the bags as far as possible to the right along the grass ledge and leave them there. Mid way through P3 (at the Ruby stance on their P3) haul the bags and leave them there. At the end of Red Giant pitch 5, move to the far left of the ledge and haul the bags from there (or traverse further left to Ruby P4 anchor, haul and leave them there).

Two fierce but very different crux pitches, and lots of good climbing on orange rock. Forecast was freezing on first preparation trip. Recommended strategy is to rap in and climb out in a day. Start: On the large ledge at the short pillar.

1. 25m (20, 3B) Start from the pillar, up past 3 bolts and then straight up to the ledge, via a short left facing corner at the top. Belay at bolt by a flake.

2. 15m (24, 3B) Up left to first bolt over a bulge, follow intermittent cracks past two more bolts then straight to the ledge (last part is just left and parallel to pitch 2 of The Final Frontier). Bolted stance.

3. 30m (21, 2B) Start ~2m right of stance and up to arc left to first bolt. Continue up to a short left facing corner and past another bolt to narrow ledge with bolted stance on the right.

4. 30m (22, 2B) Up left to first bolt then tend up and right to a very shallow curved recess. Tend back left under a block and traverse left and up to a bolt. Blast straight up through the break in the roof. Move left and up to stance at a left facing recess with one bolt (good small wire/cam on right, and another rail slightly higher for cams).

5. 35m (21) Head up the wide corner feature, weaving left and right as required. At ~30m up there is a tricky move up and left to a narrow ledge, followed by an airy step over right and up to a cave.

6. 25m (21) Pull up to rail at the roof and traverse right ~2m, pull up to a ledge. Traverse another ~2m right to where a short testing sequence gains a vertical crack system. Follow this for ~8m to the narrow roof. Traverse left on good holds and pull up onto a ledge. Tend left and up for ~15m to find a comfortable alcove below a steep roof crack.

7. 30m (24) Follow the crack to the roof. Strenuously through the steep jam crack to a platform (tape gloves recommended!). Head up and pass a fragile flake on its left side. Continue up and left on steep exposed rock with good holds. Near the top head further left to a bolted stance on a huge ledge. Walk right on the wide, grassy ledge to the very end (~30m). Just around the exposed corner/arete is a stance with in situ thread.

8. 15m (17, 1B) Awkwardly past the big bolder in the corner and then step left and up the arete past one bolt to a mantle onto another huge ledge. Belay from two large boulders (in situ thread). Walk up and right ~15m to below a broken orange recess (left of the big, low roof ~3m up ).

9. 45m (20) Up the attractive orange recess. After ~12m step step tentatively right onto the face to gain some vertical slots. Pull up and right (don’t get pulled out left) to a level where you can traverse easily right 5 m. Up easy water-worn grey rock to the top with bolted anchor on the left. Careful rope management required to reduce rope drag higher up.