Routes in West Coast

Abseil/ Rap station. We used doubles ropes. A single 60m might work.

Solo the arête.

Solo up from below the roof.

Solo up the left streak.

Solo up into groove.

Start as or Set controls, climb the finger crack on the left wall at midway. Bolted stance. To be bolted.

The climb starts just right of the sweeping, overhanging roofs on the extreme right-hand side of the amphitheatre.

1. Take off from the corner block, moving up and right to an obvious break. Traverse right to easier ground. Continue up and then move left into a small open-book. Climb this to reach a 'diving board' ledge.

2. Start near the end if the 'diving board'. Climb the face to a good ledge. Follow a direct line and crack system to the summit.

Rail left where the very thin overlap pinches out. The route came about as we don't have enough balls.

Start up steep corner with a difficult move to gain easier ground. Tat point at tree.

Start 20m left of Gee-Wizz Kids at an undercut white face & crack.

On the left side of the crag, follow a vague groove, then straight up on flakes (sparse protection) to a tiny right facing corner. Move left and up through a final bulge to the top.

The aesthetic arete visible on the right as you walk up the gulley toward the Knobless Robot. Sketchy gear in places, possibly some loose rock.

Start in the narrow section of the path in front of a large boulder. Pull up to a rail and traverse right almost into a recess on the right side of the feature. Pull up and left on steep grey rock to reach the slabby right side of the arete. Step left and up the arete to the bulge. Step left to gain good holds, up ~2m then step back right and up to the top. Tat rap point.

A variety pack on increasing difficulty from arête to crack to corner topped with an airy victory lap.

Start as for Maiden’s Prayer

1. 40m (13) Do the first few moves of Maiden’s Prayer and then traverse right, under the Iron Maiden arête to an orange wall. Go up the easy break on the left to the first wide break. Traverse right to an easy grey recess facing to the left. Climb up to the ledge and right to the base of the brown arête.

2. 30m (17) Follow the arête and then straight up to the ledge, and stance below the left side of the large roof above.

3. 20m (21) Start as for Maiden’s Prayer pitch 4, by climbing over blocks into the corner. At the left facing flare above, send your tentacles right along the rail and swing out to the right to gain the lovely vertical crack in the face above the roof. Follow this until it ends and then slightly right to the ledge. Walk right over some boulders to the base of the large, white open-book capped by a roof.

4. 20 m (22) Climb straight up the strenuous crack to the roof. Without inking yourself, traverse right under the roof to a fist crack. Step further right under a groove to a hand crack that leads to a neat, airy stance. Note: Danger Shrew pitch 4 (21) does the same first move but then traverses right along the base of the right wall into a crack system that passes the roof on the right.

5. 20 m (15) Make an airy traverse left to a saddle feature over the middle of the roof. Straight up to the top.

Start on a ledge to the right of a tree. Rail to the right and up a blunt arete with a mantle to reach a break. Move to the next break then rail right and climb up past a rock-scar to the top.

Walk along left under the long overhang and exit out past a tree. The route goes up passed a large nose feature.

1. Start left of the tree move up slightly right and upwards, gaining a small ledge and then upwards for a few more meters until your reach a large ledge with a big block on it.

2. Climb up the chimney placing gear on extensions as you move up, twin ropes are a good idea to avoid rope drag (clip one rope left of chimney and then the alternate tope only after completing the chimney. Zig zag gently across the thin face (stay low before moving up) and stance in the shady corner.

3. Climb the layback with committing style and place small cams in the powder tufa's at the top of the layback corner to protect the second before moving out left on the ramp. Place some small micro nuts and micro cams in the thin rail of the ramp for 5 metres and stance where there is good gear and a wide ledge.

4. Climb the jugs straight up and then move slightly right on the thin face and then left again before moving upwards to finish.

The corner/crack on the right-hand side of the wall.

Start as for Bloody Mary but climb out right with a difficult mantle. You can walk down through a small gulley / valley on the left side of the rock.

From the first ledge above the ground, follow the large left facing brown corner, to the right of Water Karma. At the top of the corner step right and then straight to the top.

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.

Takes the vague arête on the right of the buttress at the entrance to the gulley.

Start: in the Bottom Cave, the last big room you get to as you walk down the Panic Sloot.

1. Fun little prow in the right back corner of the large room. Bouldery start with some big moves at the end. Escape left at the big flat roof.

Start between a large block and the face, boulder up and traverse right, then climb through the roof crack up to a ledge, trav. Right and finish up the thin crack.

Original grade 20 A3, freed at 28.

Start: from a ramp in the middle of the amphitheatre.

1. Climb the small corner to a handrail on the left. Gain a sloping ramp and traverse left to a belay ledge.

2. Traverse 10m left from the end of the ledge. Climb blocky rock at the end to a series of grooves. Belay next to a huge flake.

3. Hand rail the flake. Climb up and back right into a crack which is climbed to a ramp. Move right and layback to a ledge.

4. Climb the crack above to a sloping ramp. Move up and over a bulge. Rail left, then walk across to blocks on the Ledge of Forgotten Dreams.

5. Aid the crack and roof to a hanging belay (bolt).

6. A few free moves left before nailing the bulge to a rail. Aid left to a hanging belay in the corner.

7. Aid through the diagonal crack and up the wall to a hanging belay beneath the biggest roof.

8. Aid/free along the rail left.

9. Aid left into the corner, around and up a vertical crack. Aid and free moves lead to a sloping ramp belay (Bev Bivvi).

10. Aid the crack/corner to the roof. Go left and nail a thin crack leading to a hanging belay.

11. Climb diagonally right to a roof. Handrail left and turn the roof at its left-hand end. Move up to belay in a small corner on the right.

12. Start on the right, and handrail left across a flake to a blocky ledge. Go left to a ramp. Climb this to a wall and rail left to 'Ecstasy Ledge'.

13. Traverse right to the corner, stem it and move left. Climb the wall diagonally left to a ledge below a crack.

14. Climb the crack and continue to the highest ledge. Traverse/walk left and finish up the last 100m of LF route.

Start just right of the wide chimney,2m right of 'Set controls for the heart of the sun'. Climb the crack leading right and then the face to a bolted stance. (Can be bolted, needs ~10 bolts)

Start to the left of the Mirage nose.

1. Go 2m up the book then diagonally right to the block on the arête.

2. Scramble to the top.

A Classic

Follow pitch 1 of Knobless Robot until you reach the traverse out right (which would have taken you to the original stance). Instead of moving out right, follow the crack directly up to the small ledge. Can be done as 2 pitches (stance on the small ledge before the traverse out left).

Start in the groove right of the deep crack, progress up slowly tending left. Vertical for its grade, good protection. Tat anchor on top of the left spire.

Start to the right of the main white streak. The climb goes up the right-hand edge of this.

1. Up the recess tending left to a ledge & tree.

2. Climb the crack 10m to the left.

3. Climb up the groove above to a ledge. Walk 20m left to rappel.

This route starts on the oposite wall of Old Timer's disease route. The first pitch is very good but it has two big loose blocks that are a bit scary. The rock on the second pitch is very good, except by the chicken heads in the end.

The entire route can be climbed by using slings on “chicken heads” and bollards. Start at the cairn and head straight up.

Descent: The route ends at a thread point and biner or walk off to the right.

The Red Rain wall is flanked on the far side by a column with the Jeremy's Arete running on its edge. Around the corner there is an undercut crimpy face - the route starts about 1.5m to the right of the arete.

Pull up to the good rail and place gear; a couple of hard moves gains the wall where there is a micro cam and a cunning nut placement (looks blank from the bottom); go straight up the face, tending right where the grips run out 2/3rds up and then moving left at the top to the ab point.

Finds a break through the big roofs above the walk-in ledge between Maidens Prayer and Bat. About 20m right of the start of Lost Chord is a set of rails heading up and right above the roof. This is the first pitch.

Pitch 1. 15 m (24) Start where you can easily reach the first rail. Move right towards a small prong underneath the first roof. Use this to reach through to a good, sloping hold around the lip. Place a small wire on the right and then, with the aid of a couple of diagonal edges slightly higher up, pull through to the next rail. Hard and committing. Traverse right and up until able to get onto a small ledge. Stance on the right end of the ledge by a small, orange open book capped by a roof. Pitch 2. 55 m (21) Head rightwards up the book/arete then a bit left to a grey chimney. Above the chimney head up and slightly right again to a rail which is followed for a few metres right until one can pull up into a wide recess. Climb the recess and pull through the roof above using a layback crack. This move can be bypassed more easily 1m to the left. Head easily straight up to the large ledge below the massive open book. Pitch 3. 25 m (19) In the corner of the open book, behind a massive block, is the easy layback crack of Maiden Voyage. Start up this crack then move diagonally left into the parallel crack. Up this then exit left below some blocks. Stance below the large, prominent, white open book capped by a triangular roof. Pitch 4. 30 m (21) Pull up into the crack in the corner of the open book then move 3m right into a crack system that passes the roof on the right. Head up this system past the roof then easily straight up to the top. A superb pitch.

Start on the right side of the red amphitheatre. There are two cracks, one with a jammed block/'pillar. Use the right-hand crack (beacon).

1. G2: Climb the crack. Traverse right until able to climb a smooth recess to a ledge.

2. F3: Climb the recess, traverse left at the top.

3. G1: Walk left to a recess with a tricky start and a small swing left below a small overhang. Climb up moving right at the top until able to pull through the roof by a detached block. Continue straight up to a big ledge in a recess.

4. F2: From the left-hand end of the recess climb up and left around the corner onto a sloping ledge. Traverse immediately left in the direction of a tree on the left. Just before the tree climb up and right to a stance below a sloping tamp and a crack.

5. G1: Tricky take-off on rounded holds. Continue up the crack and move left to a belay.

6. F3: From the belay move up again on rounded holds until able to move easily up to a ledge with a tree.

7. G3: From the tree climb up the crack and through to the top.

On the front of the Gendarme is a square recess capped by a roof. Start at the left-hand crack.

1. Climb the off-width, move right and up the wall tending diagonally left to a ledge.

2. Walk left to a corner leading up tot he roof. Climb up and traverse left to a layback crack breaking through.

Climb the vague arête that forms the right side of the right wall of Cocoa corner. Beware- there is a large loose block at the top of the arête. Avoid this by traversing right a bit below it and climb the face just to the right to the top.

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.

Start on the central pillar and climb up over a small lip on 'ok' gear. Continue up over a small roof and straight up to the top of the wall on good rails. Descend off the back via a sketchy scramble or ab off using tat.

On the ledge above the second, shorter abseil on the Gendarme there is a huge block up and on the climber's right. This route follows the striking arete above the end of the ledge.

Start on the right of the arete. Climb to the rail below the crux and place some solid gear. Use small crimps on the right hand face to reach a thin rail and then ease left to the big hold on the arete. Alternatively, a bit more satisfying but a grade or two harder, use a pinch on the arete itself to go straight up. Crank a couple more moves until able to get in more gear then head to the top.

Klein Winterhoek Frontal

The route follows the immaculate line of the tapered pillar immediately left of the amphitheatre. This is R of a large groove/gulley that drops down the middle of the face.

From Campsite in Kloof follow rough path up then trending up r steeply onto grassy shoulder. Walk up grassy shoulder to the rock. Start Scrambling, heading vaguely up and R for the base of the pillar. There is a broad grassy ledge one rock band below level of base of amphitheatre. This rock band is the crux of the scramble. Various ways. Probably easiest to traverse to R skyline. You should now be on level with sickle of grass running into base of amphitheatre. (about 1.5 hours from campsite)

Scramble a further rope length or so to start of first pitch – a short R facing corner above a little ledge. There may be a beacon.

1. Up Corner. Traverse L below obvious smooth open book. (Original route goes up the smooth book above – it’s HARD!! They stood on each others’ shoulders). Traverse about 10m L of book, up ramp L then back up diag R on Pockets, then Rails, cracks, then Ledge. Belay above start of pitch.

2. (Fixed wire above belay is in the wrong place. Next corner R is correct. Original route traversed further R to awkward corner – pin. Not recommended) Up and R steep pull into corner, out L then Up to small ledge below Bullseye Overhang.

3. Up L of bullseye overhang. Then Either up crack step R onto Nose and straight up followed by C grade straight up pitch, or 5m L into corner/groove, up this out L at top. followed by C grade 50m diag R pitch. Belay at narrow ledge system where rock steepens below clean wide open book.

4. Diagonal R pitch or straight up depending on what you did for pitch 3

5. (Spikes Pitch) Up Open Book out R. Up L on suspect rock into shallow groove. Up groove till forced out L, up to good long ledge system going left.

6. (Yates Traverse) Traverse L on ledge system, moving up slightly after about a rope length. Pass a beacon, belay on a massive chockstone in a massive chimney. This chimney is part of the groove/gulley system that runs the full length of the face.

7. Up Bulging wall L of chimney on face holds (tricky) into easy chimney (another one). Up this move L to thin crack up to massive ledge. (walk-off ledge from oceans etc). Next pitch starts on R of bivvy spot.

8. Up rickety rock on ridge, over block down, up past block, up layback, belay on R. Beware nip in tail of this pitch!

9. Scramble to the top.

Descent: From summit follow beacons North along top of wall towards Groot Winterhoek. These lead to large grassy gulley which is followed to grass slopes and eventually back to the shoulder you started on. Descent to campsite about 2 hours.

The left-hand side of Central Buttress extends out westwards in a prominent, fin shaped feature. Muscle Beach climbs the nose of this feature.

Start at the base of the undercut crack and climb the nose to the top.

Climb and stem up the right side of the deep chimney until forced to exit onto the right pillar. Move onto the easier than it looks overhanging face and climb on good jugs until reaching a platform on top. Either ab off here or continue up the new gray face on the left on easier but unprotected terrain. This goes to the top of the spire, and a large slung cord anchor. (The obviously loose block jammed in the chimney to be cleared).

Climb pitch 1 & 2 of Saturday Afternoon Fever. Then scramble up and right to the obvious crack system going up to the large roofs.

1. Climb the crack to a ledge on the right.

2. Rail left and walk off left.

Start up the wide, overhanging crack to the base of Sting. Move up and left to into a left-facing brown corner. Traverse left for ~2m and then up to the top.

Traverse under the first bolt to start. Interesting and sustained sequences on pockets to reach the finish crack.

After an aid move to get onto the route, four varied pitches take you to the top. Starts at the crack through the big roof between Danger Shrew and Odyssey. Bring your bow tie and flowers.

Pitch 1. 30m (20 A1) Aid through the roof to reach a large jug on the face. Carefully climb up into the wide recess and more gear. Head straight up to the roof, using the crack to the right if needed. Traverse left passing the wide vertical crack on the right side of a large block. Continue traversing left to the base of a shallow corner. Pitch 2. 50m (17) Straight up the shallow corner, then up to another crack that leads to a short face below the roof. Traverse ~2m right on thin moves and then up to the roof and rail out right until the roof ends. Continue straight up on easier ground to the huge ledge. Walk ~20m right. Pitch 3. 20m (21) In the middle of the face is a narrow overhang several meters up. Start below and right of the right-hand end of the stepped overhang at a thin layback. At the ledge, step right and then follow a series of small laybacks up the face to a protruding block. Traverse right below the block and up to the grassy ledge. Stance in some boulders below an obvious thin left-facing prong a few metres above. Pitch 4. 30 m (20) Navigate the wide gap up to the long prong. Gingerly step onto this prong to gain good holds up and left over the bulge. Continue straight up to the top.

Pull off the ground on good rails. Pass the blank section with a long reach off an undercling. Place a blue alien (or equivalent) in the undercling feature to prevent a ground fall. A series of stretchy moves takes you past a ledge to the top. May be harder if you are vertically challenged.

Climb the white streak.

A Yosemite type crack on the corner of the Gendarme just before the amphitheatre comes into view. Start next to a boulder 10m right of exodus. Climb the hand-crack 1.5m left of the corner to the overhang. Pull through and climb the finger-crack to the rappel anchor.

Start several meters to the right of Pedestal Corner. Climb the features on the part of the wall where it makes a blunt, 90° turn.

About 50m right of Coming Of Age are three parallel, rightward tending cracks like giant Velociraptor claw marks. The route climbs the middle crack.

1. Climb the crack past two overlaps to the roof. Reach out right and pull round the roof and onto a small, bulging slab. Make a semi-hanging stance here. Combining this and the next pitch could work but rope drag might be a problem.

2. Climb the steep crack to the big roof. Hanging stance in the corner.

3. Rail right and pull through the roof in the crack. Follow the crack until it runs out and then continue up on the grey face to the top. Descent: Scramble up and left into the big Panic Sloot Gully and thence to the top.

Climb the layback crack in the corner to a bolted stance.

Takes the obvious corner to the right of the nose.

Climb the centre of the east face of the small pillar, to the right of the cave art, encountered on the path from the second car park. At the top, walk across and step across the crevice to the main buttress and find a suitable abseil point.