Routes as trad in Karakoram Wall

Pitch 1, 60m, 14R Starts on the toe of Karakoram Wall approx 60 m left of Endless Quest. Take the easiest line up the golden rock aiming for the right end of the recess. From the right of the recess, exit right onto the slab and a good number 3 camalot is your last gear for a while ~ 15m or so of slab climbing straight up with good feet but no gear. Belay at 60m. This pitch does not take the steeper golden rock just prior to where it becomes overhanging as part of Endless Quest's overlap. That is much harder than grade 14 and has nil gear.

Pitch 2, 60m, 10R 60m of slabbing awaits. Off you go, wherever you want following holds and whatever gear you find. Belay at 60m in shallow cracks adjacent to the large ledge system (Top of Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid and Endless Quest Pitch 3).

From here.... abseil down the abseil route.... Or climb Endless Quest Pitch 4 (grade 17 and very nice)....or do a new route. Rock climbing is an adventure. Have fun !

A powerful expedition and no doubt one of the best trad routes at the grade in WA. The large north facing overlap system which can be clearly seen from the rock pools above the Old Campsite Crag.

1. 25m (23) Gains the diagonal corner crack (more like a giant overlap) and climb it until it gets very flared. Tension down to rare footholds. Regain the crack which gives easier climbing to the belay. Impressive looking and a grade 23 version of Beckoning Horizons !!

2. 45m (16) Climb the corner.

3. 45m (15) Climb up to the large busy ledge system via the corner/gully or better by the slabs on the left.

4. 40m (17) Towards the left hand edge of the large ledge is a corner crack. This is easy to spot. Climb the corner stepping left with exposed moves (crux) past the little roof. Run it out on secure slab climbing to belay in the ledge/alcove above.

5. 40m (21) A very elegant pitch. Go left on the ledge to below the line and climb the diagonal overlap (crack) which starts at the left hand end of the ledge. After 20 metres enter the hanging corner by a hard move and climb this and the wall above.

6. Easy slabs to summit.

Crack and wall on left side of Arc of Iris. Start on platform and climb left trending crack to base of wall. From here straight up to belay.

The central apex of the Arc of Iris. Start as for others and climb blankish wall to shelf below overhang, then crank over lip.

Push the Bush (14) 23m D. Shaw, S. McKie 4/94 The right trending crack immediately right of Two Moves. Gain the overlap from the right at the base and climb overlap on right using crack. Cross right and then left to gain holds on the wall, then belay on ledge with small trees.

The arch-like roof about 70 metres right of Endless Quest. Start on the platform to the left. Climb to base of the overhang up slab. Reach over lip for holds on upper face. Belay in front of tiny cave.

Start 50m L of the Conquistador climbs at orange slab, marked with cairn.

1. 55m (10) Follow slab directly up, then diagonally L, then back R across face to belay below small block.

2. 45m (12) Up block and through bulge, using holes for protection.

3. 45m (14) Up face to the top of black slab, then continue up wall 6m L of the gully/chimney of C.O.T.U. Belay at flake 3m below L facing corner crack.

4. 45m (17) Up L facing corner/crack to its top. There is a bolt with a fixed hanger on the face 3m to L (origin unknown). Ignore this and continue directly up through bulge on good holds (crux), with plenty of gear. Belay 15m above crux in large cavern.

5. 55m (8) Exit cavern on R and easily up to huge ledge below amphitheatre.

6. 55m (8) Up face L of gully on L side of amphitheatre, L of all the mossy rock.

7. Walk 60m to summit.

This route takes the black wall L of Conquistadors of the Useless to reach a steep wall R of the COTU gully. Start 25 m L of COTU, at the L end of a low overlap - marked by a cairn. The rock is generally solid and far better than for routes further R. Protection is on medium nuts and cams, however sparse at times.

1. 50m (10) Directly up the black slab to reach a broad sloping ledge. Belay at small overlap at the back of ledge, below blank wall.

2. 30m (12) Traverse L for 10 m to reach top of detached block. Continue further L to reach protectable terrain, then 18 metres up to belay.

3. 50m (13R) Continue directly up on sparse pro to gain the C.O.T.U crack at blocks.

4. 30m (17R) On the R side of the gully and directly above the belay should be a steep wall. Climb up the L-facing corner at the R end of this wall. There is an overlap at 8m height. Turn this on R and then continue directly up a short blank section (crux) to reach easier ground.

5. 50m (10) Continue up until angle eases.

Approximately 100 metres right of Endless Quest is a large black slab. At the extreme right of this are two gullies approximately 10 metres apart. Up the middle of the arete which separates these gullies is a curving scimitar shaped crack line. Start at the base of this.

1. 50m (15) Up crack till it curves right, then straight up through short head wall to belay ledge.

2. 40m (6) Scramble then walk up gully to belay blocks where gully starts to narrow.

3. 20m (9) Up gully to belay on small vegetated ledge below steep wall.

4. 50m. (15) Up gully to just below overhung water runnel (crux). Move right through easy ground up and then left to regain gully system. Steeply up this to belay on large terrace.

5. 100 metre scramble to summit.

A fine outing up fairly steep rock.

1. 50m (15) Start as for C.O.T.U. First pitch as for Conquistadors of the Useless Pitch I.

2. 42m (13) Move right from belay to gain obvious gully/grove. Straight up groove passing large precarious blocks. Belay below overlap directly above blocks.

3. 24m (15) Left under overlap (rising traverse), move round corner, then straight up short wall to belay ledge directly below right trending gully.

4. 30m (14) Straight up from belay for approximately 2.5m (gully on your right) then diagonally right for approximately 5m to gain short crack and welcome protection. From here move diagonally left a few metres, then straight up aiming for large crack system above. Belay at base of crack.

5. 50m (15) Straight up crack, exit left, then continue on until angle eases and a belay can be established.

6. 50m Scramble towards the summit.

7. 50m Scramble up to the summit cairn.

Starts from the beginning of the fourth pitch of Conquistadors of the Useless.

1. 50m (14) Climb out of the gully diagonally up and right into the bottom of the corner which is followed to a good belay.

2. 30m (13) Continue on the same line crossing the 5th pitch of Conquistador to scramble to the top.

Named so because it bucketed down during the first ascent. Starts in the gully some 5 metres right of Conquistadors of the Useless, on the wall left of the Karakoram Gully. The climb follows an obvious direct gully/crack line up to the left edge of a striking triple-tiered roof. A scenic outing with a great pitch III, albeit generally slow going due to loose rock in places.

1. 40m (15) Up gully for 20m to ledge with bush. Climb on the wall just right of the gully for next 20m, to belay right of and level with the top of the gully, just below a small roof/corner.

2. 50m (12) Traverse 3 metres left, then up another crack/gully which has massive lose blocks in it. Head for the lowest roof in the 3-step roof system above, belay at the roof.

3. 35m (17) Up right of 1st roof, right of 2nd roof, then traverse right below 3rd roof. Airy bridge right across gap about 5m below and right of the 3rd roof, then directly up to belay on wide terrace.

4. 40m (6) Continue in a direct line for the summit, staying roped until the angle eases at niche. Scramble for another 80 metres to reach the summit.

Alternatively from top of pitch III abseil down Central Gully or lead- downclimb wall (10) left of Karakoram Gully.

”Big wall” fun. Start 25 metres right of Riders On the Storm. Scramble 5m up to gain a small ledge that is 3 metres below a large block forming a left-rising overlap.

1. 50m (14) Up past left edge of block, up crack with bush (bypass bush to right), then directly up crack above. Scramble between two large bushes and up deep gully behind them. Belay at the base of twin cracks (1 metre apart) at the end of gully, just right of large guano streaks.

2. 50m (16) Up twin cracks for 8m. When the left crack ends traverse right onto detached flake and up it. Directly up black slab just right of prominent gully/corner, aiming for the cave/roof above. Belay left of it.

3. 40m (17) Just left of cave is a shallow corner split by a 5 metre finger crack. Some strenuous moves lead up this (crux), then slightly right and directly up until wide terrace.

Descend as per Riders On the Storm.

The large chimney 30m R of the start of Stormbringer; three stars if you like this sort of thing. Either number 31⁄2 or 4 Camalot, or similar, are essential for protecting the crux.

1. 35m (20) Up cracks on the L arête of the chimney (not inside the chimney) for 20m until bulging headwall. Move R into chimney and fight through the bulge (crux), then L above to sloping stance (nuts belay).

2. 45m (14) Up cracks L of stance. When these run out move R to large flake, then R across slab to crack/gully.

3. 45m (13) Up cracks, then up slab with detached flakes to belay in a niche below a short blocky vertical wall.

4. 45m (15) L of headwall traverse up and L for 6m, then directly up slab. Belay on a large flat ledge with 2 boulders sitting on it.

5. 45m (10) Up cracks and slab until huge flat ledge with bushes. Scramble from there.

For a shorter version, it is possible to traverse off R from 2nd belay into Karakoram Gully.

Start 5m R of the Neanderthal chimney and 20m downhill of a boulder with a cave at the base of the cliff. Follow the right leaning fault/crack to belay in the short corner where crack meets right hand roofs. A few hollow holds and exciting at the grade.

The first pitch initially follows User Frenzy, the climb then shares much ground with Skyliner.

1. 45m (16) Follow the right leaning crack, there is some hollow and loose rock. As the climb gets steep, move first rightwards away from the crack, the leftwards across thin holds to belay at a small overlap 3m left of bushy gully, near scoops in the face.

2. 40m (13) Straight up and slightly leftwards along face, protecting at the blocks. Belay 15m below bushy ledge.

3. 30m (6) Scramble up to left side of bushy ledge and climb to below base of 7m headwall.

4. 45m (15) Climb the headwall using blocky ramp and marginal protection on left side of thick flake. Continue up dimpled face above to large scoop belay. 5. Scramble 100m to summit cairn.

Start from near the cave. Proceed upwards keeping to what might be termed a blunt spine. 4 pitches, approx. 45 metres each. This climb probably shares common ground with Firefight at Baghdad. Easily angled ground.

Climbs the centre of the face just right of User Frenzy and directly to the same belay.

A tough start, the leftward trending overlap crack at right side of triangular face just right of Maternal Instinct. Pull one roof of overlap after about 10 metres and follow crack and slabs to User Frenzy Belay. To descend continue up short corner and head right and up to escape into Karakoram Gully.

1. 25m Start up crack 5 metres right of Born to Lose. Traverse left onto belay in scrubby gully.

2. 30m Avoid gully by climbing blunt arete on right, then trend left to belay at corner/alcove.

3. 45m Step left up crack then trend left into steeper ground. Head up then up slabs to alcove.

4. 25m Trending left over blocky ledge, up black slab (Crux 13). Traverse right to belay from stance and crack directly above pitch III.

5. 50m Scramble up slabs.

6. 25m Up slabs to gully below summit. Scramble off.