Einträge in Kalama Hill

Rarely visited crag that could be re-re-discovered.

The cliff is large and impressive (at least 500 feet high in places), hut frustrating because good continuous lines are difficult to find. Weaknesses are either filled with vegetation or other rubbish, or are so steep that free climbing is extremely serious or artificial aids necessary. Vertical crack lines often fade out higher up or more often have a characteristic habit of curling over into the horizontal under a line of overhangs or roofs.

Steep slabs or walls may have sufficient irregularities in the form of little pockets and rugosities to make them climbable. Although tending to be unprotected, this type of climbing is preferable here to cracks, which tend to be very smooth and of an earthy texture inside, so that pegs cannot he used with much success.

Although to date [in 1970ish] only five routes have been done on this third of a mile wide crag, the scope for new routes is limited, due to the nature of the cliff. At best new lines would either be extremely serious, mainly artificial, over-vegetated, incontinuous or just plain cunning.

At the right hand end of the cliff is a pillar or flake which lies against the cliff to about two thirds height. The climb goes up the left hand side of the pillar. Gain access to a good ledge just to the right of an obvious chimney below the left hand side of the pillar,

1. 30m From the ledge move left a little towards the chimney hut pullover the overhang on good jugs, up the wall until one can traverse left into the chimney. Up the chimney to very large ledge,

2. 30m The corner of the left is climbed,'combined tactics wereused on the first ascent. Continue up crack line to belay.

3. 15m Continue up crack to belay below roof,

4. 15m Traverse right across wall to chimney on left side of pillar.

5. 30m Up chimney to top of pillar.

6. 21m. Crux. Prom top jf pillar go directly up 'for a few feet then traverse left using underholds to a very steep corner. Climb this, not easy, to a good ledge above. Poor peg belay.

7. 52m Traverse right along ledge, it gets thinner and slabby belay in bush.

8. together with 9 60m 2 other pitches were climbed on the first ascent tending left back onto rock above the overhangs.

The right hand side of the pillar offers a great long chimney of about diff standard. However, access to the bottom of the chimney is not so easy and one V.S. pitch is necessary. To the right of the start of the normal pillar route is another chimney, thickly vegetated at the bottom. Access t.:, this chimney is made from the right. Ascend the chimney to a belay high up, then descend and cross the wall on the right (one peg used for aid) to a shallow vegetated break leading up to the bottom of the main chimney.

Start in the middle of crag, in the broken area, is a large face with an obvious crack-line running down within 30 ft. cf the ground. This crack was to be attempted, but due to slime it had to he left for the dry season. Just left of an imaginary line taken from the bottom of the crack to the ground is a large block some 10 ft. high. Start from the the top of this.

1. 100 ft. Climb the block wall on small but good holds for some 25 ft. - small runner. Move right to bottom of' crack. This crack was found to be so revolting that the leader had great difficulty in not being sick, so an exit right from the main crack was made up a thinner subsidiary crack - 2 pegs used for aid to speed the getaway. Climb the right hand crack, pass some loose rock and small tree to a ledge and tree belay.

2. 70 ft. Traverse left from the belay onto the fact - climb this face diagonally left on good holds (exposed) to a small ledge and crack. Belay. (This ledge is extremely unpleasant),

3. 100 ft. Climb the crack - one peg used as hand-hold for some 50 ft. Then traverse easily right to another crack. Follow this to big ledge and vegetation.

4. 150 ft. Continue up then right past a deep smooth chimney to another tree filled groove. Belay at bottom.

5. 70 ft. Climb tree then rib on right to ledge below "house size" block belay.

6. 20C ft. Traverse left under block, through vegetation onto slab and big ledge below line of overhangs. A crack-line breaks overhangs. Belay under this.

7. 30 ft. Climb right hand of two cracks using 3 or 4 pegs - pull left over roots and continue up vegetated groove. When it steepens go left onto face and climb this delicately to belay in a little cave thing.

8. 120 ft. Go through hole in cave and lay-back up flake on left, then move easily to top.

Same start as Antiperistalsis.

1. 50 ft. climb black wall on small holds § at 25 ft. traverse right into bottom of crack line. Belay some feet up from the little ledge at the bottom.

2. 150 ft. Traverse left onto the wall, very thin move to reach good ledge. Traverse left until on good jugs; go up until at a quartz band, then traverse left past a grass filled crack until one can ascend again. Ascend the easier angled but thinner slabs, taking a zigzag line until one reaches a good tree at the bottom of a large crack line, belay.

3. Carrying coils traverse left through bush to a vegetation filled gully, ascend this to the top of the crag. Some interesting little rock sections avoid total vegetation.

Much vegetation. Starts in the middle of the crag is a broken area, somewhere, in the centre of this area is an enormous "scoop" or shallow cave, with a large tree growing out of it. At ground level directly below this scoop is a narrow chimney. The bottom of this chimney is so well pro­tected by vegetation that the start is made from the left from the top of a 15 ft. high flake.

1. 100 ft. Prom the right hand end of the flake 'launch' yourself into the vegetation, climb this to chimney proper and up this to belay in vegetation above.

2. 100 ft. Prom the ledge ascend to scoop by a wide chimney, one peg used here. Belay at large tree.

3. 150 ft. the 'V' grooves above proved impossible so a long traverse left was made at the top of the slab, starting in the corner • .on jams, belay round the corner (peg).

4. 20 ft. Climb the crack above the belay. 1 peg used to good ledge. Prom the ledge traverse left into vegetation filled gully, ascend this to top of crag, via inside of a cave where a chockstone is lassooed.

At the left end of the cliff there is a very imposing buttress with a horizontal groove running along it. By climbing up dripping gullies and sandy caves the start is reached at the top of a pillar at the foot of the left end of the horizontal groove. Ah arrow marks thestart. Climb up to overhang then move round to the right and up ramp to steep wall. Climb this (2 pegs for aid) and then up gully to hori­zontal groove. Belay here. Now climb along groove onto grass terrace. Move up terrace to foot of steep crack. Climb this first on left up flakes - then move into crack and climb to top where there is a belay ledge. Finish up cave on left.

The correct spelling of this name may be Nziuni. There are two main crags. The one on the right is a very extensive slab up to 600 ft. high with a steeper and smooth wall along much of its base. The great flake provides the only obvious way up the wall which is generally lack­ ing in "belays. The crag on the left, which may be called Chakalengi, is almost as high and much steeper. Any other routes made up its central parts will be serious undertakings. The wall is so steep to the left of the Lord of the Flies that it is difficult not to use untested holds vigorously. One came away under Martin Harris, but the same steepness meant that he did not hit anything, but dangled unhurt 30 ft. or so below, to the cheers of the crowd of small hoys perched on boulders at the bottom. Further left are more extensive areas of crag which are to some extent broken up by grassy grooves and ledges. These have not been explored. Source: "Outlying crags" guidebook from around 1970.

This is the only route on the lefthand slab. The start is on the righthand end of the large pile of boulders in the centre of the slab immediately below the arrow-shaped overhangs at the top of the slab.

1. 150 ft. An ascending traverse right leads to large bollard-type holds. Straight up, with a series of thin moves at 100 ft. A pair of small belays and a very small stance appears at 150 ft.

2. 120 ft. Straight up above belay, traverse right to base of large flake. Layback up edge of this and over the top to a pinnacle and large ledge.

3. 120 ft. Move easily up grassy slabs to the overhangs. Traverse left to the corner with an orange wall on the left. Peg belay.

4. 30 ft. The overhanging corner is started using a peg and etrier (peg left in place). Strenuous moves up lead to slab. Up to wall and peg belay. Very small stance.

5. 40 ft. Traverse right and step down past overlap and move right along easy ramp to trees and belays.

6. 40 ft. Scramble right and up to top.

Direct Start: At the lowest point of slab, 20m. Rof normal start. Climb a short R-facing flake crack, continue in a general direction of 11 o'clock, very thin at first, then the easier bollard-covered face is reached. A fine pitch (45m. VI-, A. Wielochowski, 1984). Var. Finish: More pleasant and direct, joining the last pitch of Baygon. From the pinnacle belay, climb direct to steep walls and gain the small tree belay ledge below the last pitch of Baygon; finish up this.

R of 'Lord of the Flies', at next vegetated pile of boulders with a tree halfway up it. Climb the L side of this pile to reach an ivy covered ledge on top, directly below an overhanging prow forming the R end of the arrow-shaped, orange, overhanging wallband. Climb in a 10 o'clock direction to below small roof cracked on L. Move L beyond and continue diagonally L to a weakness in steep bulges above, some 5m. R of an obvious vegetated and overhung ledge. Ascend weakness from L to R(crux, unprotected) to easy slabs just below Rend of the prow. Possible belay at base of a R-facing comer; better to traverse L below prow to a good stance and thread belay (45m.). Easy slabs L of the orange overhanging walls to ledge and belays (25m.). More easy slabs to a ledge and small tree reached by climbing the orange walls by their shortest section. Traverse delicately R to gain a higher spectacular hand-traverse R below slight roof-line. From the R end follow up a break to easy ground and the top (40m.). (description by Andrew Wielochowski)

This goes up the extreme left of the righthand slab. Start in the gully 50 yards to left of the cliff just above a horizontal ledge cros­sing the lower slabs (Moderate). The route takes the only breaks in the grassy ledges on the right wall of the gully, then exits at the extreme righthand end of the huge overhangs.

1. 80 ft. Trending slightly leftwards up knobbly wall.

2. 110 ft. Ascending traverse to left until a yellow pillar can be seen breaking through the lower clumps of grass. Up this, the holds slope awkwardly. Traverse- left 5 ft. and take the only gap in the next grass ledge. Good belay 10 ft, above ledge.

3. 100 ft. Shallow groove leads to left of obvious tree. Belay,

4. 100 ft. Slightly right to foot of steep wall between two big overhangs. Tree belay,

5. 80 ft. Descending traverse to right over slabs and grass to big block by tree.

6. Holds 60 ft. 15 ft. to right an overhung slab leads to the overhang. appear above crux. Between two trees to many tree belays.

7. and 8 150 ft. Up water groove easily.

This takes the righthand slab at its highest point. Start below the left edge of an obvious yellowish flake just left of the centre of the slab.

1. 80 ft. Up smooth slabs to the grassy ledge,

2. 100 ft. Chimney up behind the edge of. the flake until one can step right onto boulders and the flake itself and up to small trees. Con­ tinue to move right up a slanting ledge on the outside of the flake until it is possible to step up on small holds going slightly left to the edge which is followed to the top. Large ledge and belays.

3. 100 ft. Move right to the centre of the ledge and step up onto the wall above. Go up to the left until it is possible to move right above tufts of grass towards a large bollard on the right skyline. (it is possible to take a more direct line here, but this is harder). With 150 ft.of rope it is possible to continue to the black groove which is now visible and contains several good belay points. If 150 ft. of rope is not available move up to the left where there are several belays but only a very small and rather uncomfortable stance.

4. 100 ft. Traverse into the black groove and move up on good holds to belays,-

5. 120 ft. Straight up groove on good holds but with a steep bulge and one rather smooth section. There areseveral alternatives, espec­ially to the right where there ore other grooves.

6. 120 ft. or more of easy angled slabs lead to the top.

Pitches 1 and 2 as for the normal route.

1. 120 ft. From the centre of the ledge climb straight up, moving slightly left. Frequent protection. Pass close to tree on left and find firm belay with small stance 15 ft. above.

2. 50 ft. Climb to a set of distinct but small flakes, where three slings c^n be arranged for an uninspiring belay with a minimal stance near a cactus, (if 150 ft. of rope is available it might be better to climb on to a tree 90 ft. up to the left).

3. 120 ft. Climb on moving left to a broad black streak. Friction holds only for a few feet are the crux. Then straight up on good holds to the second tree on the left.

4. 40 ft. Climb easily to the top.

Start about 40m right of the start of Flake Route, below and a bit to the left of a big yellow diagonal crack about 25m up (crack is visible on the approach). A great climb that has two harder pitches at the start, but although the angle eases it out, it remains fairly steep and interesting throughout.

Most protection comprises of chicken heads. The rock is solid and is beautifully sculptured.

NB: The line on the topo is a rough estimate of the route.

1. 25m. Up to small diagonal flake about 2-3 meters up, over this. Then traverse left past bolt and go up into a scoop to the big diagonal crack above. You can belay there (Takes BD No 3,4,5).

2. 30m. Traverse directly rightwards till the end of the big clump of grass, Take one more step right, then go straight up to the yellow crack. Climb to the right of the crack, trending rightwards to a scoop with a small clump of grass on its right. Belay here (some chicken heads, a BD cams size 0.75 cam and 6). Future parties climbing this route can possibly combine P1&2.

3. 60m. This pitch starts straight above the belay, to two big flakes on a dark black water runnel (visible from belay). Follow the black water runnel on either left or right until you run out of rope. Belay is on the right of the water runnel, between a wide black streak and lots of clumps of grass. Belay is on lots of solid chicken heads.

4. 50m. Head straight up and slightly right. Belay at the mother of all chicken heads. Sparsely protected pitch (20-30 m runout) but climbing is not too hard.

5. 60m. Straight up, aiming for the highest part of the cliff. Belay at chicken heads. Protection is sparse but climbing is not too hard.

6. 40m Low angle easy slabs to top. There's some belay gear in the boulder at the top of the crag. There might be kids at the start of this pitch, pls ask them to be careful and go back up to the top.

For the right side of Nzucuni, walk down to the climber's right staying close to the cliff, there's lots of good trails