Routes as trad in Valken Buttress

"Very Steep. Unlikely that anyone will fall asleep on it"

Start: Left of the Hottentot Cherry Tree situated to the left of Valken Face.

1. Climb directly up the face until its possible to step right using a flake- and up to the stance above.

2. Move up onto a block on the left then climb the face above until a sloping stance below an overhang is reached.

3. Climb 1m left then continue diagonally left on the face (delicate) before ascending to a small ledge, then climb the face above to another ledge. Traverse 2m right and climb up a short face, past a tree for 3m. Traverse left to some blocks, then up the the face to reach the ravine above.

4. Avoid the overhang above by climbing up right then left until a recess is reached. Climb the face until its possible to move diagonally left to a stance.

5. Climb through the overhang above and continue up a 6m ridge right until traversing right underneath another overhang. Proceed to a stance above.

6. Climb onto a thin block that peters out to the right. Climb the face right of Valken Parapet for 9m. An overhanging face with large grips will be seen above. Climb this overhanging section, traverse 1-2m right, then proceed diagonally left to a stance. Walk up the ridge to the top sections. The next pitch is in the recess of a ridge, right of the start of Valken Crag.

7.A Number of short recesses will be found to the right of the ridge. After 8m of climbing one reaches the first ledge. 10m of recess takes one to the next ledge,. A recessed corner with a large tree next to it is ascended for 22m for a bushy stance.

1. Climb about 2m up a corner above the beacon, then traverse left to a recess with a number of flakes lying against it. Climb the recess to until it is possible to exit left. Traverse 6m left and break through to the right of an overhang. climb 8m up a recess to a large ledge.

2. Climb the vertical face left of Valken Face.

"A popular route for the average party."

Start: 10m left of Barrier Cave was a Hottentot Cherry Tree.

1. Climb the face slightly right of the tree, moving left towards the top.

2. From the ledge directly above the tree climb up and diagonally right.

3. Straight up through a gap in the overhang, continue to the gully.

4. Climb the sheer but easy face which faces Barrier Ravine.

5. From 4m behind the last stance climb through a wormhole to a ledge From there climb on the right and then in the gully facing Barrier Ravine. Walk to Upper Buttress. Approach via the minor rock steps between the bushy ledge to the right of the amphitheatre. When two steps up, bear left until directly below s large overhang chimney on the buttress above.

6. The face on the right of the bushy recess is climbed. Walk to the left for a few meters.

7. A white open book recess. start on the left wall, end on the right wall.

8. Walk left along the ledge until it peters out. Climb via a jutting out flake to the broad ledge above. Walk to the left for 12m.

9. Climb the vertical while face for 6m to a narrow ledge. Traverse along this to the right for 12 to the base of a crack. Step right onto the lip of the overhang, move up 1m, then left to the crack which is then climbed to the stance 15m above.

10. The Grooved Traverse Pitch: Climb the chimney for 3m until under the overhang. swing left for 3m on good holds, at the corner ease into the groove, then continue along and down for a total of 7m into the head of the gully.

11. Traverse left along a narrow exposed ledge. Walk about 12m left.

12. Climb first the right then the left wall to the top of a deep chimney. Behind is another short chimney which exists on the left.

A good route of moderate difficulty. Would be more popular but for the walk in the middle.

Start: the route starts on the extreme left corner of Barrier Cave, about 3m Right of Valken Face.

1. Climb a small overhang at the corner and up a difficult crack to the ledge above.

2. Start midway between Face and Barrier Ravine routes. Climb a straight face for 6m until a small overhang is reached. Step right then up another 4m to a ledge, continue up for 8m (this is the crux of the lower sections). An easy crack slightly left is ascended for 6m. Stance beneath the the left of two cracks.

3. Climb the left crack and continue up the widening crack above to below an open face.

4. Scramble the face directly above the slope below the upper buttress.

5. Walk up to the upper sections which start about 13m from the corner overlooking Barrier Ravine.

6. Ascend the easy face veering left to the ledge above, and then up a small exposed chimney to a higher ledge.

7. Stand on a small ledge about 2m above the stance to a rail which allows one to traverse left into a shallow recess. Climb this to below a minor overhang, then traverse out to the left for about 5m, then up diagonally right to climb a small chimney, out for which you traverse diagonally left onto a large stance.

8. Climb an easy chimney in a corner to the right, then up a short face to the next broad ledge.

9. Walk along the ledge 30m to an obvious corner which is climbed all the way to the top of the buttress.

"The simian crux from the cave is a big challenge" in 21st century speak that means a bouldery start.

1. Climb the recess by standing on the block forming part of the fireplace. Climb the recess to the overhang, then traverse left for a meter to mantel for a ledge, then continue traversing left about 3m until one stances with Valken Parapet.

2. Move diagonally right for 5m to a handrail which is followed for 2m to a corner on the right. Just a little left of the corner is a small stance, climb past it and continue 4m up the corner to a good stance.

3. Climb the face directly above bearing slightly left for 4m to an overhang section. Swing across to the bottom of an overhanging recess. Take the recess for 3m to where is joins an overhanging section, ascend this section for 3m then head diagonally left for 4m to a good stance (those grips appear to be rotten but are sound). Traverse 6m right to a large semi-detached block overlooking the crux of Valken Frontal.

4. Directly above the overhang shadowing the stance is a smooth face. to reach the face ascend the block on the right before moving left 3m. Climb up for 6m on small grips and traverse right to a small stance. Take another 6m face, moving left to a ledge.

5. 4m of flake climbing leads to the ceiling of an overhang. Traverse 6m right to a good stance below a large crack.

6. Climb up a short face into the crack before continuing to a small stance.

7. Climb 5m up the corner above to a small overhang. Traverse around the corner back into the crack, and keep on traversing onto the face on the right to a ledge. Proceed along the ledge for 7m.

8. Either climb 5m up and move to the fault, or climb the fault directly to the top of the Buttress.

Just around the corner of the right end of Barrier Cave, below a pocketed face.

1. Start in the right-hand corner underneath the overhang and climb to the stance.

2. Climb out 3m and then 7m to the dassie stance on the left.

3. Continue along the dassie crawl until it becomes too narrow, then descend 3m. Traverse on tiny holds to the corner and continue to a stance above a nose. Note: the direct variation (grade 16) starts by moving up and around to the right to a narrow ledge on the extreme right hand edge of the overhang containing the cave. Stretch up to a small grip and move up past a slab block into the corner. Traverse left to the stance on the nose.

4. Climb straight up for 15m, traverse 3m right then up onto a small block and continue to a stance to the right.

5. Climb straight from the right edge of the ledge onto the face and continue up over some packed boulders to a large stance on the right.

6. Ascend the staircase looking corner for 13m, at the top traverse onto the face then continue 5m to a small stance on the right.

7. climb the fault straight above to the top of the buttress.

"Arm yourself for this one, the name is apt."

Note: read the 1973 MCSA Journal which has a write up about the ascent- proper work went into this route.

Start: The Route begins in the first large breakaway right of Barrier Cave, about 1m left of the original start of Valken Frontal.

1. Ascend a rounded face to a dassie ledge. Standing on this traverse 4m left to the edge of a flake. A series of semi-layback moves leads to a small ledge.

2. Climb onto the narrow ledge to the left, then diagonally right to a very small stance below a bottomless crack. (This stance is on the traverse of the original Frontal Route).

3. Pull up into an undercut face, step right and into the bottomless crack. Ascend the crack to a cubby-hole (strenuous). Swing around to the right and hand traverse 2m to a ledge, crawl across the gap to a stance on the nose.

4. Traverse 3m right beneath a long narrow overhang. Pull through the overhang using a concealed diagonal finger-rail Step right and up into a rib like projection and reach across to a small flake which is just right of the overhang above. Lay-back up the side of the overhang and mantelshelf onto the narrow ledge above.

5. Traverse 14m left to a bushy ledge. Climb the right angled corner to the ledge.

6. Traverse right 4m over a large block to a narrow slit on the vertical face. Climb the slit to some blocks. Move right onto a small ledge.

7. Move up about 2m and traverse eight to the base of a crack. Climb this until it reaches a small overhang, step 2m left to another slit, parallel to the first and climb to a narrow stance on the left.

8. Climb through a crack in the overhang and follow the break to the final beacon.

A fairly direct line running through Valken Surprise. A bold crux pitch.

Start: Left of Valken Surprise blocky first pitch is a set of roofs running up diagonally left. Start midway beneath these roofs.

1. Climb the face, then break through the overhangs above and to the left of the big roof. Follow some overlaps up to the left, then climb directly up a lichen-covered face to gain a ledge to the right of the loose white block on Valken Surprise, and below the crux of Shock Absorber. Move 8m right and stance at a long crack.

2. Climb up into the corner above, move out right onto the arete (hidden nut placement around the corner before doing the move is strongly advisable), then pull up to a ledge on Valken Surprise leftward traverse.

3. Climb up directly behind the stance and pull through a series of small overhangs, passing right of a prominent white nose (Valken Surprise goes left of the nose). Continue up to a platform stance shared with Valken Surprise.

4. Starting Left of Valken Surprise, climb the wall above, crossing Valken Frontal and finish up the steep wall left of Frontal's final pitch.

A delightful route which threads its way past the lines of the overhangs. The first three pitches can be linked by taking some extra large cams.

Start: to the right of Barrier Cave are two large red breakaways undercutting Valken Buttress. The first on the right is used by Valken Frontal, the left by this route.

1. Climb the pile of huge blocks that form a steep pyramid in the corner mentioned above.

2. Step off the highest block onto the red face on the left. Climb diagonally left. The stance is on a ledge under the overhang next to a white, loose block (Surprise!).

3. Traverse along the ledge and down to the right, over a long block onto a dassie ledge. Step down onto footholds and traverse out around the overhang with the hands high on the level of a projecting flake.

4. Climb the broken recess for 5m and at an old peg traverse left over 2m of smooth face until a good handrail is reached. Continue along the narrow ledge (which widens towards the left) until the ledge ends. Climb a short face, then traverse diagonally left to a ledge under an overhang. An alternative stance is at a fixed peg on a small ledge directly below the nose for the next pitch.

5. Traverse 8m right to a break in the overhang left of a projecting nose. Climb up through the break, and continue up the right-hand wall of the recess above to a rocky platform.

6. A narrow rib protrudes from the face above the stance. Climb a small overhang to gain a recess left of the rib. Climb the recess for about 2m to a shallow cubby-hole, then move around the right of the rib. Climb the rib to a narrow ledge.

7. Climb an irregular recess right of the overhang above the stance until it is possible to traverse left onto the crest of the ridge. The final stance is on top of the gendarme, within a metre or so either side of Valken D and Valken Frontal.

"The name is better than the climb"

Start: The route starts at the same place as Valken Surprise.

1. Climb up the edge of the blocks for 5m then hand-swing right on a rail above. Continue up a corner on the right to a stance.

2. Move left up a lichen covered face, then zig-zag up obvious breaks to a stance. This stance is shared with Valken Surprise 5th stance if the above description is used.

3. Move up a brown face to a prominent overhang above, then follow the only break through that overhang by jamming the feet and lying out horizontally to reach the grips above. Pull through and up the face, which brings one onto the large ledge that forms part of the "D" route, approximately halfway up the bottom sections. The climb continues up the prominent vertical face above.

4. Take the obvious recess which requires a short traverse move in order to bring one diagonally up to a "right-hand" stance. The occasional Climbers Friend indicates the line of ascent.

5. From the left side of the stance, move diagonally left to a small stance. The only break is up the broken face on the right, for 6-8m, followed by difficult diagonal moves for another 6m left into a small crack (off balance). Continue up the crack to a stance above.

It's possible to either traverse off here, or scramble up the rocky section above.

A pleasant route with a disjointed top section.

Start: about 6m left of the tree at the start of Valken Face.

1. Pull through a black corner. climb up about a meter on the face and traverse left to a small corner. Pull up, then move right and up to the ledge above.

2. Scramble left over a boulder to a small black amphitheater to the left of the second pitch of Barrier Ravine. Climb unto a small cave under an overhang, using the block to the left swing around the block and move up to a stance.

3. Scramble up some minor rock-work and slog up Barrier Ravine to the upper sections. Where the slope abuts the main buttress, there is a large and apparent overhang. The Parapet Starts immediately to the left of the overhang, but Crag continues way over to the right where there is a square shaped overhang about 20m up. In a fault slightly to the right are the pitches which lead up to and turn this overhang. Scramble up about 6m to a large beacon.

4. Layback up the edge of some large clean-cut flakes, below an obvious fault to a stance about 6m up. Continue up a smooth, slightly overhanging right angled recess. Beneath the overhang at the top of the recess traverse left to a stance around the corner on top of the square overhang.

5. From a huge poised boulder on the left, climb a clean, mildly exposed face to a broad ledge.

6. The next stance is reached via an easy corner to the right.

7. A tricky start up a crack for 3m. Above this, traverse left and up to a ledge 3m wide. The ledge to the left tapers down to about 0.5m. Continue along for about 12m where the ledge broadens slightly before petering out on the face.

8. Climb 3m up a black projecting corner on the left face, to a narrow ledge. Traverse 5m left along this ledge where, by a wide step across onto a broken face a small stance 5m up and left is reached. {Sorry, the grammar here is horrendous, but this is a verbatim copied from the 1978 guide. Please climb it and better this!}

9. Climb a 6m crack above the stance and continue up easy rock to a broad ledge. It is possible to traverse off from here.

10. Start up a corner 7m right. After a hard start the route veers right to the final beacon.

Often used as a descent.

Start: on the right side of the buttress the rock protrudes at the base, and the path to Barrier Cave passes by. On the left side of this about 3m up is a large tree next to a small ramp. The rock is well polished by foot traffic.

Description: Climb up the corner to the base of the ramp, ascend this to the ledge above, then walk along a well trodden trail to the right behind a tree and climb a short tricky crack to another ledge 3m higher. Now walk left to the corner. A tree acts as a good belay. Climb up about 10m until you can traverse left (the 'Piano Traverse') to a short crack. You can belay here which makes communication easy, or move back and up another crack on the side of a stack of alarming looking blocks to a ledge above.

Continue up the gully, climb a crack moving onto the smooth face on the left side near the top to a loose slope. The crack now continues up to the top of the buttress but is filled with bushes, so climb the steps on the left. At the broad ledge above, walk left and scramble through a short rock band. Now head back diagonally right for the skyline of the buttress where you should see an obvious hook shaped prong of rock.

Continue along the crest of the buttress, which includes one or two short chimneys until, near the top, a smooth face is reached. This has a canopy overhang on the right. Move right and up onto the pinnacle of loose rock under the overhang. From the top move to the overhang, traverse left until you can move around and up a crack to the top.

Notes: Like When I'm 64, this route starts on the "D" traverse ledge, and as such there are several ways of approaching it, probably the most fitting would be veering right off the third pitch of Valkenism.

Start: From the left side of the "D" ledge, just before a bushy ramp.

1. Climb the thin groove in the smooth face.

2. Continue to the top of the buttress.

Start: This route starts on the "D" route ledge about 6m left of Valken Corner. As such the route can be approached from several ways, but the easiest would be doing the Valken D route, however Valken Corner would be a more fitting start.

1. Climb a tricky recess leading to an old peg of Valken Needle. Move slightly right through a small overhang, then up a clean crack. Continue diagonally left up the blunt rib to the top.

A Mamacos special, an excellent hard route.

Notes: one could link the first 4 pitches below into one pitch, then the top 2 pitches with 60m ropes, but don't try that with 50m ropes for the first 4 pitches.

Start: The route starts about 10m right of the South West corner of Valken Buttress, and to the right of a Hottentot Cherry Tree.

1. Move up a thin slit to a stance at the bottom of a fault which seems to cut off a pinnacle from the main buttress.

2. Continue up the fault exiting right to a small stance.

3. Move diagonally right, to a small, exposed but comfortable stance.

4. A delicate traverse right and then up leads to the bottom of a brown recess. Climb the recess for 5m to the overhang. Move right then up for 2m where it is possible to stop, (and partially rest the arms) on a small block, which also has a vertical loose flake on it. A short movement left and up follows. Stance 3m further on a higher at a Wild Olive Tree. Note: One is now on the broken ledge with the "D" route diagonally left. Directly above the tree is a shallow recess about 45m high with a ring of overhangs across the top.

5. Climb the recess until a ledge on the left is reached near the top.

6. Traverse 8m right, then climb straight up, finishing on an exposed ridge. (Valken Edge Finishes up the recess on the right). The top of this pitch is directly above the tree. Scramble from here to exit above.

Start: 6m right of Valken Wall, left of a large tree. That would also be 26m right of the "D" route start, and within 10m of the end of the West facing wall.

1. Climb the broken face left of the tree for 9m. Continue left to a ramp, then lay back the ramp to a stance shared with Valken Corner.

2. Continue directly above the stance via the left hang overhanging corner to a large stance.

3. Climb a short face above a bush, continue right, then up a corner to a small stance next to a loose block.

4. Climb to a hand rail beneath the overhang above the block, then traverse right for 2m on small grips until it is possible to proceed upwards to a higher hand rail. Continue to the right corner. Climb up, then continue via a short recess and face to the large ledge above.

5. Walk diagonally left to the base of a shallow, brownish recess left of Valken Corner. Straddle up on sparse grips to a piton via the most feasible route, then move diagonally left to a one man stance.

6. Move left 1m round the corner the climb up bearing right, in the process using a lay back move to gain a face. Continue up the face for 10m, then move left up to a narrow ledge. traverse 8m right along the ledge, down 2m, continue to the corner then finally climb up to a comfortable stance.

7. Climb up a recess bearing left. Turn the overhang to the left in order to avoid the loose flakes on the right. Continue straight up to a stance.

8. Climb the face avoiding bush, then continue via some slabs to the top of the buttress.

"Un-nerving rock difficulties pushes the grade."

Start: 12m right or Corner, and in the corner left of Valken Edge.

1. Climb towards the right edge of the "Skelter". The stance is around the corner. Looks rotten and flaky.

2. Up the corner to below a small, triangular ceiling. Swing left using a flake shaped a half moon cheese. and continue to traverse left on blocks until a break through can be made.

3. Continue up the face to a small stance beneath a ceiling.

4. Climb right around the corner to a shallow recess. climb a thin crack to a small block. continue to the left round a corner and climb over a bulge to a stance.

5. Hand traverse left to the edge, then up to the last stance.

A superb route spoiled by some bush on the top sections.

Started: about 30m right of the corner of the South and West walls is a grey face (facing West). At its base are two trees, and the rout starts between them.

1. Climb the grey face to a small platform.

2. Move left then up to the roof of a small orange overhang. Traverse right then continue for 25m up a vertical fault before moving right again over a loose blocks to a stance.

3. Traverse left 4m around a pinnacle, then up a 4m crack. Move left and up to a ledge. Continue traversing along the ledge until a stance is reached about where the ledge broadens considerably and continues around to the base of the bushy gully on the Valken D route.

4. Move up and right onto a large block then continue diagonally right (delicate). Continue up to a stance below a large overhang.

5. Move right beneath the overhang then up a tricky crack and continue up taking the line of least bush resistance to a broad ledge. Traversing right on this ledge brings you onto the South Face route which can be followed back to the base of the buttress.

Start: From a shady shelter behind some trees, about 20m higher up from the grey face used by Valken Edge. A Brown wall looms above, split by a brake leading to a stance.

1. Climb the face to the roof, then move left to gain the base of a prominent scoop. Climb the Scoop, then swing right around the corner on sharp edges and move up into a stance.

2. Wedge up a wide, overhanging crack on the left, then hand traverse left at the first rail over an alarming drop until energetic pulling up can be made.

3. From a higher ledge (shared with Valken Edge) climb a short groove on the right to a platform.

4. Traverse left and up into a huge recess, which is hidden from sight around the corner. Climb up, avoiding the 'Damocles Blocks' and exit strenuously at the top onto a ledge full of blocks.

5. Step up to a crouching traverse line and move left around the corner, stretch down to a lower rail and power jam across a rough rounded rail to the corner.

6. Climb the face behind the stance and finish on the right-hand skyline.