Nodes in Ma-Voloni

Area with lots of potential for sport climbing and bouldering.

The biggest crag in Ma-Voloni

Hike to the base of the cliff (you can either go around the slabs to the left, or solo up). There's an easy way which takes about 20 minutes from the campsite, ask someone to show you (GPS track as of December 2019: http://tinyurl.com/wcnx8ya)

Fish’s 40th birthday present. The rock is solid with excellent friction but sharp. As it hasn't seen much traffic yet, take a helmet.

1. 35 meters. Starting at the belay anchor (two bolts) at the top of the easy slabs, up and then leftwards to a grassy ledge with the anchor on its right. Mantle no.1 onto the ledge.

2. 30 meters. Traverse right from the ledge then follow the bolts to an anchor on a slab. Mantle no.2 around the 5th bolt. Beware of the loose flake after this, don’t pull too hard on it.

3. 20 meters. Straight up to the slight overhang, Mantle No.3, then traverse a few meters leftwards to find an anchor on the arrete.

4. 30 meters. Up the arete and then traverse right past a big block (mantle on this if you feel like) resting on the slab. The anchor bolts are on the giant boulder.

Bring 11 quickdraws + biners for the anchors.

You can abseil down the route with a 60m rope (don't forget knots as some of the abseils are nearly exactly 30m). You can also walk down (climber's left after going behind the huge rock).

Access: take the good path that leads to the saddle to the right (east) of the peak. At the saddle, walk 10 meters to the base of the climb, on the slab to the right hand side of the leaning buttress.

1. 65 meters. Start up the slab and towards the trees in the wide slanting crack for protection. Belay on the highest tree just before the end of the crack.

2. 45 meters - Unprotected. Pass behind the tree to a ledge and climb up the slab without gear, tending rightwards at the end. End in the grassy cove on the right for a a belay on moving flakes (sit in the grass maybe? we didn't test the belay).

3. 58 meters. Directly up from belay to horizontal flake then traverse rightwards to big flake (30m). Cross over and up steeper slab on great holds to grass and to a tree in the gully on the right.

4. 20 meters straight up to the top. Descent: walk straight to the other side of the rock, walk down, veering leftwards.

This is around 150 meter slab of friable rock that cleans up nicely. Contains one friendly bolted multi-pitch sport route so far, with loads of potential for more routes.

A well bolted slabby sport route up the path of least resistance up the wall. Friable face holds may make the route easier or harder as the route cleans up. Bolted anchors without rap rings, due to the slabby nature of the route, tufts of grass, and flakes it is not advisable to rappel the route. Bring around 12 quickdraws and material for bolted anchor building. Watch for loose rock

1. 20m Start at a scoop of rock on a slabby buttress on the right side of the wall 5.7

2. 30m Continue up the slab with delicate movements past tufts of grass 5.7

3. 30m Meander up the slab as the steepness backs off and starts to form a large sloping ledge, be careful of loose rock 5.5

4. 20m From the belay climb the steeper rock through insecure slab climbing. a cruxy move or two brings you to a small perch 5.8+

5. 40m Continue up the steep slab as the angle gradually wears off to a set of bolts by a large boulder 5.8

Walk off descent to climbers left

Crag quite high up amongst the rock formations at Kipwa. Features an overhanging side with potential for some hard routes to be bolted,

Start on the prominent finger ledge then move to jug just below the grassy ledge. Move right and continue on thin slab to finish. Alternative is to move left on upper slab.

Named after our "cook" who needed instruction on how to cook scrambled eggs..

Kipwa has a vast amount of bouldering potential, mostly untapped for the time being and awaiting first ascents. From easy lowballs to tall, futuristic lines.

A collection of fantastic boulders on a flat, vegetation-free plateau, with enough problems on all sides to keep you bouldering in the shade all day.

Beautiful fin-shaped stand-alone boulder behind the Lotus Flower boulder.

Stand start up the face, using right hand up ridge and nice technical climbing on face with the left.

Stand start on the left side of boulder on two crimps. Tension moves to reach the right arete and then straight up Fintickler.

Sit start with left hand on the arete and right hand on a crimp low down. Slap up the arete and use small crimps and body tension to reach the top!

Big, long boulder in the middle of the area.

Easy smearing up the backside slab of the boulder. Be humbled by the local kids walking up it barefoot.

Take the ridge around from Do it First direct. Heel hooks on the ridge, then good holds up. The mantle finish is a bit scary but there's a good jug to finish on the right.

Same as 99 Flake, but exits left before the top on easier and more secure holds.

Problem on the far left of the boulder when looking at it. Powerful slightly overhanging start with left edge and good right crimps, feet high to grab jug at top, straight up to finish.

Straight up the middle of the boulder on crimps.

Left to right traverse of the main face of the boulder.

Same traverse as Lotus Unfolding and finish up the prow on 99 Flake to top out. Climb it quickly or bring lots of skin - pumpy for the grade!

The hill where a mythical Spaniard almost lost his sight in a battle with a giant cactus.

A long boulder which is higher at one end. Fairly good landings and easy to climb off once you top out.

Start on two crimps on the left side of the wide face. Powerful start to get established onto the arete, before crossing onto the narrow face and directly up.

Start with both hands on the wide pillar which juts out from the left side of the wide face of the boulder. Climb straight up on progressively thinner holds. Commit to the delicate top out over the bulge or you'll look more ridiculous than Boris Johnson stuck on a zip wire.

Crag in the middle of Kipwa, so far with just one route on it, a trad line following a central crack splitting the rock.

Start at the bottom left side of the crack and make your way up. Great gear, solid rock apart maybe from one block at the top. Descend with tat from the ledge.

A small crag with big holes

Start to the right of the tree. Using the tree is cheating but you can use the flake on the ground for your feed. Pull up then climb up the big holes and finish rightwards to a lower-off.

A few bolted, mixed and trad lines on slabs, and a hard unfinished bolted project.

The leftmost of the three rock formations.

1. Work up a delightfully easy steep slab wandering through large huecos to a low-angle slab to reach a two-bolt anchor. 20 meters.

2. Continue up the slab as it gains in angle and difficult before heading left to a second two-bolt anchor. 24 meters.

(Shadrock Swagger actually has a good steeper first pitch option coming from the right. Climb the first pitch the rappel off to the right and bolt something there!)

The slab between the two larger slabs in this area actually has an anchor and no protection bolts. The climbing on this slab is SUPER featured and cool and there is room for two or three different routes that could all finish on this existing anchor.

Up the left side of the rightmost slab.

1. This route starts on the left toe of the large formation and heads up the path of least resistance to a good stance on a big ledge above the Guano Chimney.

2. A second pitch up a steeper section leads to anchors on top.

Work up a few tricky moves to a stance at the second bolt. From here power endurance and pinch strength leads through various cruxes to reach a powerful undercling finish and a lower-off anchor. (Bolted by Kris Fiore/Fish. Awaits an FA!)

I guess technically this is a First Ascent? Climb the loose dirty chimney to the right of Wazimu. No protection. 45 feet.

Couple of short bolted routes in a mini-canyon between two boulders.

Mantle up to the first bolt. Tricky climbing leads to the second bolt as the terrain eases off to finish.

Continuous thoughtful climbing on a short face to a two-bolt anchor.

The thin crack opposite the bolted routes - almost onsighted when first found, only for a dodgy stomach to scupper the attempt halfway up. Natural pro.

The knob to the right (east) of the Arobaini face, split by a couple of offwidth cracks.

The route follows the obvious crack from the ground to its end for 55 metres.

From the top of the crack a pitch of easy, unprotected slab climbing leads to the summit.

This is a sustained and serious climb (not just for the lead climber) and caution should be taken with loose rock.

Protection: there are two bolts on the second pitch, but the main protection is with natural gear. At least one 6.5 cam or similar should be carried to avoid extreme run-outs.

A right leaning groove about five metres to the right of In Vein.

Not the jam crack that we expected, but another off-width/ layback climbing.

Climb the groove above the first bulge, then aid gently through the roof for about three metres.

Continue free to the top. Large gear in the form of 5, 6, 6.5 cams are essential, as little else is available. From the ground climb for 35 metres to bolt anchor, then up to summit as per In Vein.