★★ Gable Express 19

An adventurous climb on a wall that saw a handful of long routes put up from the 30's and the 70's. Lots of lichen and bush to contend with, but none the less the line follows good rock and sharing some parts of Grootkop Gable.

Either climb the route from the base, or start from P3.

Start: the route is best reached via abseil.

From the small neck separating Grootkop from Kleinkop, head down the bushy slope to reach a traverse level that cuts across the West face of Grootkop. Here you will find a a fair sized block on the ledge with tat around it. Abseil about 60m to a large ledge. Head down and slightly left (facing out) to a sturdy tree with tat. Abseil another 60m to the base of the wall. Walk about 25m to the right (facing in) to the start of the climb.

1. Start at the obvious break beneath a small overhang. pull up into the crack, and once established on the face, follow a lichen covered crack diagonally up and left. when the crack peters out, move a few meters right, aiming for a juggy break. follow this as it becomes steeper, going rail to rail until able to mantle onto a ledge. scramble up easily over some blocks for 8m.

2. Follows the 'half moon' feature described in Grootkop Gable. Start on the left, pull up and move right under the small roof until able to layback up the 'half moon'. at the top of this feature step left and then continue straight up the lichen covered face to a ledge (possible stance). Follow the big corner (used by Grootkop Wall), laybacking until just before a big bush. move left along a rail and then pull up to another rail before stepping slightly right to gain a lichen covered face. continue straight up, until able to scramble up and left to the Pillar feature mentioned in Grootkop Gable.

3. Follow the crack and pillar to a comfortable, cave-like stance (shared with Grootkop Gable).

4. Pull through the roof on the left (crux) and follow the crack up and right until you reach a large ledge and make a stance. Traverse left 35m. The next pitch climbs up a white face with a prominent flake about halfway up (possibly the same as Grootkop Gable).

5. Climb the face, aiming for the flake. once past the flake, continue straight up until you gain a ledge with a block that forms a short chimney on its right side.

6. Climb up onto the block and pull onto the face above, aiming for a small roof with a hole at the back. avoid the roof on the left and mantleshelf onto a bridge of rock (formed by the hole in the roof). Walk across the bridge and layback up the crack on the right until able to mantle onto a ledge. climb the short face at the back of the ledge, moving right to pull around the corner into a big recess.

7. Step left and pull up into a wide crack with a jammed block in it. scramble to the top.

No bolting.