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Waterval Guide

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A Crag Guide gives an extensive view of all sub areas and climbs at a point in the index. It shows a snapshot of the index heirachy, up to 300 climbs (or areas) on a single web page. It shows selected comments climbers have made on a recently submitted ascent.

At a minor crag level this should be suitable for printing and taking with you on a climbing trip as an adjunct to your guidebook.

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Contributors

Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this crag guide:

Cormac Tooze Fernand Sieber J Papendorf Marc dM Alta Lourette phlip olivier FredWreck

The size of a person's name reflects their Crag Karma, which is their level of contribution. You can help contribute to your local crag by adding descriptions, photos, topos and more.

Table of contents

1. Waterval

Summary:
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Saisonalität

30 routes in Crag

traditionelles Klettern und Sportklettern

Lat / Long: -31.749329, 18.882644

Übersicht

Trad and sport routes in a beautiful setting.

Beschreibung

To gain access to “Waterval” simply contact the lady in charge: 027 219 1005 It is a guest farm with rustic chalets and camping (the fee for camping is calculated in a complicated way) http://www.watervalresort.co.za/

Einschränkungen

This is a vast area, with multiple landowners, see each subsection for specifics

übernommen von West Coast

Ethik

Please be courteous to everyone there and respect the land and its owners Note that both Waterval and Baievlei's main water supply/catchment is at the individual crags. Please keep it clean.

RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

Lower Crag

Steep crag that lies above the resort. This is to your left if head towards the waterfall.

Approach (20 Min walk)

At the end of the resort you will find a path that starts between the two lapas. This is a well cairned and steep path that leads up the hill behind the resort. The path has some short scrambles close to the crag after which the path leads to the base of the crag which is further to the right.

Currently there are two sport routes opened by Hermie Venter

2 Kaleidoscope

Erstbegehung: Hermie Venter, 2014

24 Sport 14
3 Swart Strepie

Erstbegehung: Hermie Venter, 2013

25 Sport 14

Upper Waterfall Area

5 Waterval Storieboek

On the main buttress to the right of the waterfall and left of the big overhang is a open book with two vertical cracks on either side of a column. Climb the left crack.

  1. Start on the grey lichenous face heading left to the small chimney/off width. Stance at top Chimney/offwidth on a small ledge.

  2. Climb the layback crack to a small ledge with a tree. Climb the face directly above the crack and to the left of the tree to a big ledge under a big roof and stance.

  3. Walk 5m to the right and climb the crack into a corner with small roofs. Pull through the roofs to the summit.

Descent: head right to the gully and path leading down and back to the waterfall.

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, J Papendorf & J. Burger, 2007

19 Traditionell 3
6 Grovel Road

On the Upper Waterfall Ledge, to the right of the waterfall and to the left of the big overhang is an open book with 2 vertical cracks either side of the column. Climb the right crack. This is a 45m off width, so bring your biggest friends along.

  1. Start at the right hand base of the column and head up into the crack, a nice ledge on your right is reached after 22m.

  2. Continue up the crack. At the little roof, head leftwards up into the off width, on to a big ledge, shared with WS. Pitches 1 & 2 can be combined if your rack lasts.

  3. Walk 12m right along the ledge until you reach a tree where the ledge tapers out. Break through the small roof and continue up into the recess. Head leftwards at the top overhang to top out. An alternative finish would be to join the last pitch of WS.

Erstbegehung: A. Smit, Scurvy, R. de Bruyn & L. Smit, 2012

22 Traditionell 61m, 3
7 Godjammit

Approach : as for rest of Upper Waterfall crag, walk up and past 2'nd pool. Just before big roofs on approach to WS, path splits off to the left. Follow cairns to base of rock.

  1. Climb the recess at base of the crag. After 8m and a ledge, get into the beautifully clean off-width, and follow this to a big ledge.

  2. Get into the off-width. After 4m break out left, following the rails and finger cracks diagonally up and leftward, staying left of the main off-width. After the big roof, off-width and left breaks merge. From here follow the obvious slanting off-width to a big ledge with a tree on.

Descent: big tree on ledge offers an abseil down to base of crag with 60m rope. Alternatively top out, follow escarpment over stream and back to main descent/ascent gully.

Maybe just on a side note about gear: Doesn't take a standard rack, bring your biggest friends. And nuts...

Erstbegehung: A. Smit & W. Fouche, Okt 2019

22 Traditionell 55m, 2
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
8 Warm Water Waltz

Follow the footbath along the river past the 1st pool, past the turn to the 2nd pool keeping left to the path leading to the top. At the beginning of the gully, horizontal to the start of the route break off the path and follow the ledges to the line of bolts.

*Bolts sponsored by MCSA-HH Section

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier & J Papendorf, 2007

22 Sport 78m, 3, 13

Miss Daisy Area

10 Driving Miss Daisy
  1. Between a red face on the right and a grey face on the left is a ledge above a tree. Climb the white face to gain a crack. Follow the crack to the ledge 15m up.

  2. Follow the crack and finish by pulling though a small roof.

Erstbegehung: J Papendorf & phlip olivier, 2007

17 Traditionell 2
11 Little Miss Sunshine
  1. Climb the face of the left of P1 of 'Driving Miss Daisy'. Climb the corner to the large ledge 15m up.

  2. Climb from the extreme righthand edge of the belay ledge. Climb the face via the rails and the vertical crack. Finish by pulling through a small roof.

Erstbegehung: Nicholas Le Maitre & D. Kruger, 2008

17 Traditionell 2
12 Herbie Goes Offroad

Erstbegehung: J Papendorf & phlip olivier, 2008

19 PROT:R Traditionell 2

Boom Straat

Getting There: +/- 1h. Follow the footpath along the river past the 1st pool and up to the gully to the left of the waterfall. Continue up the gully and top out to the right. Move along the top till you reach the waterfall. Follow the river against the stream staying to the left of the kloof. At the fork, scramble down into the kloof and head down the right hand branch. At the next fork the crag is on your left.

Info: All the routes at this crag use natural gear. An easy scramble around the left of the crag gives you access to the top for putting up a top rope or retrieving gear at the end of the day.

14 With a Little Help From My Friends

Climb the tree till you can reach the rail. Continue to top.

Erstbegehung: Nicholas Le Maitre, 2008

15 Traditionell
15 (Direct) Without Help From My Friends

Ignore the tree.

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, 2008

20 Traditionell
16 Passing the Pocket

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, 2008

18 Traditionell
17 Fire in the Sky

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, 2008

17 Traditionell
18 Deep Purple

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, 2008

16 Traditionell
19 Smoke on the Water

Erstbegehung: J Papendorf, 2008

17 Traditionell
20 Get Me to the Church on Time

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, 2008

18 Traditionell
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents

First Gully

Getting there: Follow the footpath along the river past the 1st pool, then past the turn to the 2nd pool keeping left to the path and up to the gully.

Info: There is a mixture of Sport and Trad routes at this gully. I do not know the names of these routes and am just putting down the names we normally use to refer to them.

22 Enjoying the Improbable

Follows a series of left leaning fins to a puzzling crux on the face.

Start up the short black-streaked wall, passing to the left of a hanging bush 5m up. At the ledge pull up onto the first fin (marginal gear), then great climbing just right of the fins to the dark orange face (crux) below the final overhang. Pull right onto platform and then to the top. Abseil point from tree and touch point in situ.

Erstbegehung: Richard Halsey, Mai 2016

23 Traditionell 30m
23 The Physics of Tears

Takes a direct line up the centre of the face to the left of Johan’s 19

  1. Start up the centre of a short brown face up to a wide crack formed with a boulder. Pull onto the face above and continue up and right along a series of three small, right-facing bulges. Belay at small ledge.

  2. Continue straight up the face on layback features. At the height of the large, vegetated ledge to the left, continue up the face, where a tricky move leads up and right to access the shallow corner just below the top.

Erstbegehung: Richard Halsey & M. Bosman, Mai 2016

20 Traditionell 50m, 2
24 Johan's 19

A fantastic 3 pitch grade 20 This route can be done in 2 or 3 pitches. It is a beautiful dihedral. An easy description for it will be: “Follow the dihedral crack to the top.”

Erste freie Begeh.: J Papendorf & phlip olivier, 2008

20 Traditionell 60m, 3
25 The Pinnacle Route

As you enter the gully this fully equipped sport route is on the obvious pinnacle to the left.

Erstbegehung: J. Botha, 2006

17 Sport 8
26 The Extension to the Pinnacle

Start at the top of the pinnacle. You can either walk around to the top or do route #2 and #3 as one.

Erstbegehung: J. Botha, 2006

18 Sport 7
27 The Easy Trad Route

To the right of #3. Follow the easiest way to the anchors at the top.

Erstbegehung: J. Botha

16 Traditionell
28 The Easy Trad Route Direct

Climb the direct line to the anchors.

Erstbegehung: J Papendorf, 2007

19 Traditionell
RouteGradeStyleSelected ascents
29 Johan's 20

This route is on the opposite side of the gully. You’ll pass it if you opt to walk from #2 to #3.

Erstbegehung: J. Botha, 2006

21 Sport 7
30 Fransie Buurman's Arête

Climb the obvious arête.

Erstbegehung: F. Buurman, 2007

19 Traditionell
31 Sweet Sixteen

A bouldery climb following a spectacular line on the prow.

  1. A difficult start in the corner gains the chimney. Climb it to a ledge.

  2. Climb the arching crack to the skyline (crux). Continue following the crack until reaching a large ledge.

Note: with careful rope management it is probably better to combine both pitches.

Exit: scramble out in the gulley a few meters to the right.

Erstbegehung: Fernand Sieber & Dale Tristram, 11 Mai

21 Traditionell 23m, 2
32 Above the Verreaux

A massive, varied pitch with a demanding crux section that climbs the entire length of the buttress.

Start at the far right end of the ledge (accessed from the main gully). This is about 7m up from the forest below.

Head straight up the dark brown face to the recess above. Continue up passing the right side of a ledge with blocks. Follow more recesses and cracks to a narrow roof with black streaks above. Step left and follow two sections of finger cracks in orange rock to an overlap. Use the steep layback crack to gain a horizontal break up and right. Hard moves up and left to the next wide rail. Pull up and right into a small right facing corner. Finish up the face just right of the arête.

Erstbegehung: Richard Halsey, Mai 2016

24 Traditionell 55m

Lowest Pool Area

34 AquaDucks

From the lowest pool scramble against the face and scree left. Gain the “Grey Ledge” via first moves of “Teardrops from Heaven” (RD to follow) From the “Grey Ledge” find the obvious corner crack.

Climb the corner crack in 1 pitch.

Descent: Rap from the prow in 25m to gain the Grey Ledge. Alternatively, scramble up 10m and follow the path down.

Erstbegehung: J Papendorf, 2010

20 Traditionell
35 Teardrops From Heaven

From the lowest pool scramble against the face and scree left. Scramble until the bottom of the Grey Ledge.

  1. Gain the Grey ledge and traverse right. Climb to the next large ledge and walk right to right of the big block.

  2. Climb towards a 2m tall crack. Climb the crack. Traverse into the exposure until below an obvious short corner. Climb the corner to a ledge under roofs. Walk past the blocks on the ledge and stance at the end of the ledge.

  3. Step onto the black blocks. Step right and climb to the top. It is recommended to climb only when the waterfall is completely dry, but it may be possible to climb if there is a small waterfall.

Erstbegehung: J Papendorf, D. Viljoen, U. Deutschlander & phlip olivier, 2010

11 Traditionell 3
36 Half Jack

From the lowest pool scramble against the face and scree left. Gain the “Grey Ledge” via first moves of “Teardrops from Heaven” Walk to the right most edge of the “Grey Ledge”.

Head up and right till the black and grey ledges run out. On the face in front of you you'll find an ear-shaped flake. Use this and slopy rails to gain the roof above. Pull through this and the next roof, over a thin black face and onto the big ledge shared with “Teardrops from Heaven”. From a block on the ledge pull strenuously through the roof onto a short black face leading to the top.

Descent: follow the path down. Alternatively rap 52m from the lip of the fall.

Erstbegehung: phlip olivier, 2010

23 Traditionell

2. Index by grade

Grade Stars Name Style Pop
11 Teardrops From Heaven Traditionell 3
15 With a Little Help From My Friends Traditionell
16 Deep Purple Traditionell
The Easy Trad Route Traditionell
17 Driving Miss Daisy Traditionell 2
Fire in the Sky Traditionell
Little Miss Sunshine Traditionell 2
Smoke on the Water Traditionell
The Pinnacle Route Sport 8
18 Get Me to the Church on Time Traditionell
Passing the Pocket Traditionell
The Extension to the Pinnacle Sport 7
19 Fransie Buurman's Arête Traditionell
The Easy Trad Route Direct Traditionell
Waterval Storieboek Traditionell 3
19 R Herbie Goes Offroad Traditionell 2
20 (Direct) Without Help From My Friends Traditionell
AquaDucks Traditionell
Johan's 19 Traditionell 60m, 3
The Physics of Tears Traditionell 50m, 2
21 Johan's 20 Sport 7
Sweet Sixteen Traditionell 23m, 2
22 Godjammit Traditionell 55m, 2
Grovel Road Traditionell 61m, 3
Warm Water Waltz Sport 78m, 3, 13
23 Enjoying the Improbable Traditionell 30m
Half Jack Traditionell
24 Above the Verreaux Traditionell 55m
Kaleidoscope Sport 14
25 Swart Strepie Sport 14
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