Routes in Trident Kloof for selected grade

The climb is located on the left hand faces opposite the descent gully at the top of the kloof. Start at the base of an open book which leads up to a red overhang. The climb skirts this overhang to the right and then breaks through a second overhang via a bottomless shallow open book.

1. [11] 15m

   Climb open book, stepping right at tree at 5m. Belay in corner on broken rock 2m below first overhang.

2. 20m 19 Climb up diagonally right to below overhangs (3m). Traverse right on good holds onto sloping arete. Swing left on good holds and move up diagonally left to break/open book in second roof. Step up on loose block and wedge trunk into shallow open book. Wedge up open book until a resting point is reached. Climb up break line until angle eases at grade 17.

About 100m upstream of 'Lifebuoy', on the same side of the kloof, is a gully, after which you come to a small rock buttress. The route takes the face facing the kloof. Half-way up there is a ledge where a small tree is visible. Above the ledge is an open book.

1. 30m 19 Climb the face starting about 2m left of the arete. Directly up for 4m and then tend diagonally right towards the arete for 3-4m and then up left to a large ledge with a tree growing on it. Climb the open book directly above and swing up and left to a resting place. Continue up the steep crack directly above to the top.

Walk upstream of 'Lifebuoy' and as the kloof takes a turn to the left a face can be seen with roots hanging down.

1. 20m 19 Climb up past the roots to an open book on the left. Move up the open book to a small ledge. Continue up steep face to a good belay ledge.

2. 15m 12 Above is a recess with a face - climb the recess to the left.

Note: Reach dependent.

Start 5m to the left of 'Lifebuoy'.

1. 40m 18 Climb the face tending diagonally right to just above the "lifebuoy" hold. Continue up the face to the top, just to the right of the 'Lifebuoy Direct' crack.

Start just right of 'Neptune'.

1. 25m 15 Climb good-looking recess 2m upstream of 'Neptune' for 20m. Traverse right immediately below 'Neptune' ledge. Stance at end of ledge.

2. ?m 19 Climb left hand weakness immediately above pillaret to good ledge (good well-rounded grips). Traverse right to small tree and up grey slab to obvious traverse line left. Traverse left for 4,5m. Stance below first recess (parallel to 'Neptune' recess).

3. ?m 13 Climb recess for 3m. Move diagonally up and right to top.

The route is located between 'George' and 'Headache'. Between these climbs prominent overhangs cross the face about 1/3 to 2/3 way up. The first overhang is passed by climbing the same recess used by the first pitch of 'Headache', but 3m to the right. The route avoids the second overhang by traversing across the undercut face between the overhangs and ascending to a prominent nose.

1. [18] 15m

   Start from same ledge as 'Headache' but 3m to right. Ascend white recessed face, past fixed piton 3m up to a small stance (piton belay).

2. [X15,A1] 12m

   Diagonally right, 9m up. Traverse right around rib into crack. Ascend crack then traverse about 3m across face with 3 pitons (A1). The piton crack used is 1,5m above the undercut bottom edge of the face. Climb diagonally right from the last piton into a shallow recess. Ascend the recess to overhang and then swing out to right onto tip of nose. (Piton belay - this stance is 6m to left of stance at top of pitch 3 of 'George').

3. [10] 15m

   Ascend sloping face to top, finishing with short chimney.

Variations: 2a. 18 Instead of traversing on aid, continue up for 8m, then move right across wall over to the nose. 2b and 3b. 25m 19 Instead of traversing right on Pitch 2, climb directly up the flared crack to the top.

Route takes a column and then a wall to the left of 'Fanlight'.

1. 20m 15 Climb front of column turning the headwall on the left.

2. 10m 17 Step across from summit of the column onto the wall (4m to the left of FANLIGHT). Step diagonally left into shallow recess, then straight up steep wall 5m. Then good holds lead to belay stance.

3. 10m 19 Traverse left on a slab wall to stance directly opposite by using hand rail or by making fine moves slightly higher.

4. 10m 19 Step back right onto wall and climb shallow recess making gymnastic moves near the top to reach small stance under summit overhangs.

5. 15m 17 Traverse right 5m (where a stance can be made if rope drag is anticipated). Step up left onto sloping block and make exposed moves over roof then climb wall to summit.

Note: Owing to zigzag nature of route the pitches have been kept short.

The climb starts about 30m upstream from the start of 'Hospital Hill', at a point where a tall tree is growing close to the cliff. Beginning up a small chimney and continues up an attractive open book to a small tree, then traverses left over Lobotomy and back right again to finish straight up above the starting point.

1. 20m 11 Climb up chimney and open book until you reach a small stance with a small tree.

2. 40m 19 From the stance move slightly right and up for 3m to a small rest point on a large sloping ramp. Then traverse left for 7m (strenuous) to a very exposed rest point below a large semi detached flake. Move around the flake on the left and continue rightwards (awkward), then move rightwards (10m) to a small ledge with 2 good pegs in place.

3. 15m 13 Traverse left for 15m and then climb up short steep face above, between 2 large aloes to the top.

Note: A pleasant and exposed route spoilt by poor protection and bad rock.

The climb ascends the steep red wall immediately left of 'Skeleton' and follows the arete to the top. Ascend the slab to the left of 'Skeleton' cave and chockstone belay, below the corner.

1. 18m 18 A meter-and-a-half left of the corner taken by 'Skeleton' is a shallow groove running up the red wall. Ascend this (18) for 6m, then follow good incut holds up leftwards to the arete. Continue up the arete to a ledge and peg belay.

2. 12m 13 Continue up the arete to the top.

The route starts between 'Pinnacle Route' and 'Pink Corner' and goes up the right hand side of the prominent red wall between the two routes.

1. 12m 5 Scramble up the obvious recess to a broad ledge below the red wall.

2. 18m 19 Climb the vague break directly above the recess of the first pitch, bearing left just above a bolt (found in place by the opening party). Belay on a small stance on the right, close to the belay on 'Pink Corner'.

3. 24m 19 From the top of the last pitch, climb up for about 1,5m before moving right, then up a further 1,5m until it is possible to move left into a corner. Climb the corner to the top.

The route takes the arete on the prominent pinnacle to the right of 'Illegitimate'. The start is directly below the arete and just to the left of a set of overhangs at ground level.

1. 34m 11 Climb straight up the grey face to the arete of the pinnacle. Use layback flake on the arete to gain the overhangs. Move onto the right hand face to avoid these and once above them swing back onto the arete. Continue up the arete for 5m to a ledge.

2. 20m 19 Continue to the top of the pinnacle. Step onto and ascend the smooth face above using a peg for aid to gain a ledge. Move left off the ledge and continue to the top.

Notes: 2 pegs on the route suggest that part of and perhaps the whole route has been climbed previously. It is unknown who made the first free ascent.

Downstream from 'Pink Corner', on the same side of the kloof is a small pinnacle, the top of which is lower than the top of the kloof wall. On the left of the pinnacle is a crack which runs the whole way up the krantz, ending in a spectacular open book.

1. 18m 16 Ascend short wall to the left of the crack climbing right in a series of short steps to foot of crack. Ascend the off-width crack to the first reasonable ledge where there is a tree belay. (The face to the left is easier.)

2. 12m 10 Continue up the crack to just below the open book. There is a good chockstone.

3. 15m 18 Climb the open book (chockstone half way up).

1. 25m 17 as per Trivia

2. 30m 15 Above the first stance there are two breaks leading to the face between 'Trivia' and 'Onderstebo'. Take the left break leading onto the face. Climb up the middle of the face to the top.

Start about halfway between 'Onderstebo' and 'Retribution', just left of the roots coming down from the face and below a shallow cave 4m up.

1. 25m 17 Scramble up to the foot of a short, steep face, just right of the cave and just left of the roots. Delicate climbing diagonally up left leads to an easier angled ramp above the cave which is followed to a stance on a ledge.

2. 15m 19 Climb straight up for 4m and then move diagonally up right to the base of a shallow open book. Climb this to a small overhang and then step very delicately right onto a ledge and stance in the recess, about 3m below a large overhang.

3. 25m 17 Climb up to the overhang and then make an awkward, strenuous move out left onto a small sloping ledge. Continue diagonally left to the base of a shallow recess above the overhang which is climbed to the top.

The climb starts about 3m downstream from 'Before Breakfast' following a crack just right of the roots.

1. [19] 17m Climb the crack to a platform on the left. Step right and up onto bulge gaining a handrail on the headwall (piton). Rail right awkwardly and then up to stance.

Note: The piton was found in place.

Ascends the obvious couloir capped by a large overhang, on the left hand side of the kloof, directly opposite the First Aid dump.

1. [18] 38m Climb right hand side of couloir on good but extremely polished holds. Move into the back of the couloir and ascend to below the overhang immediately right of slab. Move up and left across slab to gain easier ground. Finish up easier rock above.