★★ Zigzag 18

Be warned, the top slabs will be impassable if they are wet and backing off from them will be tricky/expensive. This rock can take days to dry out after heavy rains.

6-8 hours (the last three pitches are shared with Corporate Night) Take a normal rack plus large cams. We used Black Diamond #5 once and regularly used BD sizes 2-4. Some trees can be slung, so take plenty of slings. Take lots of alpine draws. We left micro nuts/cams behind and didn't need them. Take light walking shoes or sandals with you as the hike out takes about an hour.

Hike up to the right of the huge and very prominent detached spire and between two trees towards a rib like feature. We started the climb between the trees going up the rib and over a hump. This entire climb is pretty sun exposed. Corporate night, which is 50-60m right of Zigzag, is a bit more shaded because there are more trees along that route.

1. NE Face of Oret 45m 14 Start 20-30 meters left of Corporate Night and just right of the prominent spire. Begin between the two trees. Climb straight up and go up the ramp. After mid-pitch, it is a bit sparse on pro with one dodgy nut placement; otherwise the pitch is reasonably well protected. Some rocks are loose, especially at the bottom of the pitch. Rock quality seemed to improve towards the top of the pitch. A comfortable belay is below a medium sized tree on top of some blocks.

2. 45m 16 The leader should take large cams on this pitch, like the Black Diamond #4 and maybe the #5. Start the pitch going directly over the belay. For nearly the entire pitch, follow the crack trending right, which has good face climbing on its right. The crack is somewhat crystalized and flaring out, so place the cams very carefully and nuts are not useful in this crack. These placements will be on your left as you climb the face. Belay in a small bush, which wasn’t super strong so place cams in the crack near the bush as well as slinging the bush itself.

3. 45m (17) Follow the flaring crack continuing right then trend left. Get a couple pieces of pro in the crack before it runs out to a sparsely protected section. Then go up an unprotected ramp. Go past a bush and belay from the second tree in a vegetated seem.

4. 25m 18 There are some bushes and grass on this pitch, which increase the difficulty of the grade. Watch out for the painful cacti on your left. Good cracks are full of dirt. The pitch trends right. Aim for the comfortable belay ledge above a small, old, knotty, thick-trunked tree for a somewhat spacious belay.

5. crux 50m 18 With no protection, start up from the belay trending slightly right towards a crack on the right suitable for large cams #4 and #5. You’ll see a giant, overhanging, black block on your right. Then, follow the crack up as it trends left and go over the top of the crack and turn right into an open book seam with a few opportunities for pro. Follow that seam. You’ll belay from a grassy tuft, which has room to sit and a couple bushes. The belay has a nice crack suitable for small cam (BD .3/.5) and nut placement.

6. 30m 12 This pitch trends right going up an open book. Watch out for loose flakes. There are good hand and footholds all the way up but some of the pitch lacks protection. Make your way to a well-protected, grassy ledge with a cactus and setup the belay.

7. 45m 15 Start up the ramp trending right on the black streak/wall and aim for the large trees above. The end of the pitch requires a traverse and squeeze behind some cacti. There are lots of opportunities to place pro, but the rock is less than bomber. Sit on the grassy ledge to belay. The end of this pitch joins the Corporate Night route, so the descriptions below are copied from E. Freudenthal, L. Hodgkinson (Nov 2016). Note: I adjusted the pitch numbers and added South African grades for uniformity. The route now joins the final three pitches (11-13) of Corporate Night.

8. 20m 17 Continue up from the crack with good gear until you are faced with a steep black wall with a shallow crack and a small tree above it. There is gear at the bottom right under the flake. Boldly climb the crack and face edges (no gear) before slinging the tree for a welcome belay.

9. 50m 13 Further easy but poorly protected climbing continues zigzagging and trending leftwards up the slabs with some shallow cracks and grass tufts, to a big block on the left side of a steepening. You should belay here to make the pitch under 50m (there are no good belays above so learn from our experience!).

10. 100m 9 Climb over the large block to a gentle slope where you can belay on one of the trees or boulders. Then, scramble up through the steep grass and trees until you reach the radio tower. Congrats. You’ve made it!

Descent: Head across to the summit to find the road down. You’ll probably meet UPDF troops at the top. Say hi from us and sign the book. Those solders rotate out frequently and therefore have been surprised each time it has been climbed. They once threatened arrest. Smile and try to relax. Once they knew we were just climbers, they warmed and let us go. The descent takes ~1hr.

Very few climbers have enjoyed these rocks over the years, but the potential is immense. Please do climbers a favor and work to cultivate a positive image of climbers in this area.