Routes in Western Cape for selected grade

Start on the ramp below the left hand ar6te of the Main Wall. Climb the arête, exiting on the left higher up to finish on great jugs.

Start as for Iron Maiden.

1. 25m (18) Pull up to the roof and traverse right until under the roof and onto the face on the right. Make a semi hanging stance at a rectangular ledge, more or less in the middle of the face.

2. 32m (17) Step left from the stance and then head straight up the face and follow the left side of some fin-like features to a ledge. Belay at a wide vertical crack. Move ~3m right for the next pitch.

3. 10m (15) Climb straight up, passing a roof ~3m up to a wide ledge.

4. 25m (18) Climb the face directly between Iron Maiden and Maidens Dare. Pull onto the face just right of two, long narrow roofs about 1m apart. Head straight up, using the left of 3 short, vertical cracks to a ledge. Move ~20m right for the last pitch.

5. 30m (19) About 5 meters right of the Maidens Dare chimney is a break where you can pull up and move left onto an undercut, projecting feature (between the roofs each side). From here head up and slightly right to the top.

"The two Jeremy's were in fact the first to climb the upper Sands of Time traverse dyke but instead accessed it via a large flaring crack coming in from the right" Start: Either climb the first pitch of Sands of Time, or scramble up into the Splitter Gully. The route begins below a large crack / groove moving up diagonally left.

1. No bolts. Climb the potted face to gain the diagonal crack / groove and follow it left to the 2nd stance of Sands of Time.

2. 4 Bolts. As for Sands of Time.

3. 7 Bolts. As for Sands of Time.

The big obvious right facing crack. Been open for ages! What a keeper! follow the enormous open book at the right end of the Amphitheatre to a break at the base of steeper ground. Step right and charge forth through the chandelier of rock to a small facey finish. Find a tatted touchstone for a sweet descent. To come to this crag and not climb this route would be a shame.

"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.

Climb the far right of the three main cracks on the face of the Sphinx. Follow this crack line up to the base of the balancing block. Climb up the front of the block all the way to the top.

A consistent, direct line to the left of 'Central Direct'. Along the first long traverse of 'Tafelberg Frontal', there is a large rectangular block with a roof above it. The route starts below the left side of this block.

1. 15 m (14) Climb the easy break to the block.

2. 20 m (19) From the left end of the block, pull up to just below the roof and head left on good holds until able to pull over onto the face. Head up and then slightly right to stance at the base of a narrow chimney (shared with 'Tafelberg Frontal')

3. 30 m (17) Start up the chimney part of 'Tafelberg Frontal', then move right onto the middle of the orange face. Head straight up to a narrow ledge.

4. 50 m (19) Start up a crack and then blast straight up the wall, aiming for a left-tending corner crack just below the summit. This crack forms the first (not the second) left-facing corner about 5m left of the massive flake at the top of 'Central Direct'.

Start by aiding (A1) up on three well camouflaged studs (bolt without hanger) to reach a twin crack system. From here free climb up. Old bolts!

The route starts in the obvious left facing dihedral near the top of the ravine.

Note: P3 & 4 are sandbagged and some of the rock quality is questionable (on those pitches).

1. Move into the crack from the left, gain the dihedral and climb up to a stance on the right (it is possible to combine P1&2).

2. Climb up to the left to gain a dihedral. Move right and continue up the corner and face above. Stance below a thick, hanging undercut flake.

3. Climb up the shallow recess on the right of the hanging flake and then traverse left below roofs before pulling through a break above that leads to a shallow undercut dihedral.

4. Climb through the crack in the roof above, then move diagonally left to clear the next roof on its left hand side. Continue to the top.

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.

This route starts on the face, 4 meters to the right of the arête of the crack corner of Pigs on the wing route and ends on 1 meter right of the arête.

A fine outing with varied climbing, ample exposure, stupendous stances and a little bit of spice.

Start as for Boombox.

1. 40 m (17) Start at the end of the ledge directly below some underclings that allow you to reach a higher rail. Pull up to a second, wide rail below a roof and traverse out over the void. Pull up to the next level and traverse right a further 30m until a vertical crack below the steep corner with the Dark Arête on the left. Pull up to an excellent stance.

2. 18 m (19) The Dark Arête. Pull up into the steep corner and then move left onto the easy but exposed arête. Climb this to another great stance on the rippled prow.

3. 35 m (19) From the stance, step up onto the shelf on the right. Traverse 4m right to some narrow vertical slots (small cams/wires). Pull up on great edges to a monster pocket. Step left and head up for a corner. Climb the light brown wall on the right of the corner to a ledge. Traverse right under the roof, then climb straight up to the big ledge. Stance at a right-arching layback crack, in brown rock, just right of some stacked blocks.

4. 50 m (19) Climb the layback to a delicate flake (with small gear in a thin crack to the right). Move up and left to a ledge, then slightly further left until able to climb the orange ramp. Head for a narrow overlap which is passed on the left. Romp up the headwall and near the top tend slightly right to a large flake and featured face (left of a water runoff feature). Belay from the huge, convenient mushroom.

1. Runout

2. ??

Follows the most prominent crack lines on the Paarl Rock dome. Start below a narrow crack that becomes off-width, 13m right of Turmoil of the Skin.

1. Climb the crack.

2. Continue up and stance below a layaway crack.

3. Climb the layaway and then through the bulge.

4. Exit right and scramble to the top.

1. The base has a big step of 2.5m in the middle, start here and take the face above to the ledge, then head over easy ground to stance at the foot of the Step Over Block.

2. From the block's left corner closest the cliff take the arete to the top.

Climb (solo) the slab / face about 30m to the left of Carlito's Route.

1. Take the obvious left slanting break to the ledge, diagonal left and stance at the base of the Step Over Block. Average pitch Scramble behind the Step Over Block to the base of the obvious crack (the left one) running up the face.

2. Start in the corner on the left, then follow the crack onto the face all the way to the top. The last few meters are in an open book/chimney.

Old bolts!

The first not so nice looking crack system. Chains at the top.

Start about 2m right of Deucalion and pull up rail (#4 Camalot useful). Head up a wide corner and then straight up the face, just right of centre. Near the top there is a long move to a large horizontal pocket. At the next hand rail, traverse left and finish as for Deucalion.

The first pitch described hereunder starts about three meters to the right of the crack pitch of 'Quiver Crag'.

1. [F A2] 27m Climb a slight crack in a white face using four pegs. Continue up free to an overhang above. Move to the right and up to a stance.

2. [F A2] 20m A chimney-like crack on the left is climbed to an overhang. Follow a crack to the left and upwards around the block then reach for the top of the block.

3. [E] 10m Walk clockwise around a big block and ascend a chimney to a stance on the right.

4. [19] 37m Climb up 2m and traverse to the right to a corner. Continue to the right for about 2m. The pitch goes virtually straight up from this point. A resting point will be found 8m above, slightly on the left, followed by a crack to another resting point a further 10m above. Climb the face above using layback holds to a ledge. Ascend from the right of this ledge.

Start: about 200m from the top of the ravine the path runs close to the face on the right. At a level slightly higher than this a steep juggy face leads to an obvious crack.

1. Climb the face moving diagonally right then back left to gain the base of the crack. Ascend the crack to a stance blow a small overhang.

2. Pull left through the roof over jammed blocks. Continue up to the next set of roofs, Move left, crank through the double roofs to gain a rail. Traverse left and move up to a stance.

3. Climb diagonally right up to the top.

Follow the short layback past a small tree (take care with gear). Tend right to intermittent crack up the face. Continue up the wide cracks and breaks (#4 Camalot useful) finishing on the right side of the summit block.

The opposite side of the flake starting from a ledge up to bolted chains.

Head straight up the red face to the left of the cleft between the columns. There is enough gear but be careful. After a series of rails, continue up to the right-hand side of the column (slightly run out). Finish up the steep, blunt arête and pull over the top where the columns kiss each other.

Nice climbing, but first gear pretty high.

1. [19] 8m

2. [12] 12m

3. [14] 22m

4. [14] 6m

5. [16] 11m

6. [16] 20m

7. [14] 21m

"A dirty, sharp, loose and grovelly crack" - Andy de Klerk

Take the Tube left of Flint Hard and follow the left side of the higher feature and step back right to the chains of Flint Hard at the top.

"Strange route but worth it for the amazing headwall crack above!" Climb the tree to a bolt, get on the wall and climb up to a crack, then diagonally left using edges to a bolt. Aid (A0) through the overhanging crack using 2 bolts and continue climbing the crack when you can place the first piece of gear.

Gear: Slings, small to medium cams, rack of nuts and extra mid-range nuts. Double ropes help reduce rope drag.

Start up the wide crack feature, but at a good horizontal pocket, head up and right on white rock. Continue up, passing a ledge (which is on your right) until a ledge system is reached. Belay here and then rope traverse left to abseil from the big tree above the wall on the left wall of the wide corner.

Start on the right side of the gray/white pillar. Climb up onto a block, carry on up and left to access two cracks on very orange rock, climb this slab, headed for the roof/ corner above. Exit the coner to the right, then up a pocketed face. Above and right is a bolted stance, which is a good place to belay from as your seconds might fall at the roof crux and this ensures less work for yourself.

A classic line.

Start: Behind the Middle Block.

1. Move up left and do an awkward mantleshelf to gain a narrow ledge. Traverse right 8m along the ledge to an obvious recess and climb this to another ledge about 14m above. Immediately behind is a sloping ramp which is climbed to a stance with a large flake on it.

2. Traverse 2m right and climb to a small ledge. Traverse right 5m, then climb a sloping ramp to a small pinnacle. Traverse left until it is possible to move up to the Halfway Ledge. Walk left about 30m to a large block.

3. Using a sling to reach a bollard protruding from the face, pull up and continue to the ledge beneath the large overhang.

4. Traverse right over some loose blocks. Where the ledge ends, move up 3m to a small stance with a loose block on it.

5. Move left onto an exposed corner, then traverse 13m left into a chimney. Climb the chimney, then continue up over a very large detached block on the right and climb the recess immediately above, exiting left onto a ledge. Move along the ledge and climb up to a broad ledge and the end of the route.

Climb the slab / crack.

1. [17] 35m

2. [19] 40m

Takes the next, wide bottomless crack to the left of Shore Break, after the roof, and continues up this moving slightly left. Where the crack becomes wide and bushy, tend rightwards onto the wall to take the obvious breaks on cleaner rock to the top.

Walk below the crag till to just before the path steps down/ Just before the trees. The route starts in an alcove with a fairly large cairn.

1. 19 15m

   Start on the left of the alcove till able to stem across, pull up to the right of the bulge to gain a pedestal. Step right to gain the finger crack. climbs this to exit left and up to the top. Once at the ledge walk 4-6m left.

2. 19 25m

   Climb the recess to just a few meters below the roof, when possible traverse left. Continue diagonally left on good rails.

Start left of the 18 on the main face.

1. [17] 20m

   Climb straight up to stance on a small ledge in front of a white face.

2. [19] ??m

   Crux pitch. Stay on the white face all the way parallel to the 18.

3. [18] ??m

   Join the 18 for the final part of the route

Lower-offs and top rope access.

A good route on the South Face with a fine handrail.

Start: about 8m right of the water drip. Pitch 1. 16m (10) Move diagonally left for 8m, then negotiate a dassie traverse for another 8m to the base of a shallow, Y Shaped crack on a brown face.

1. Climb the Y-Shaped crack for 4m, then traverse right towards and then onto a loose-looking block. Move diagonally right to the right hand corner of the face (above the water drip). Climb the easy recess to the broad ledge above. Walk right for 9m to the base of a recessed corner.

2. Climb the recess to a small overhang, move 1m left, then pull though the small roof to a rest. Climb the corner above on fingertip lay-backs to the overhang above. Rail 7m left & up to a comfortable stance.

3. Climb up and right onto the obvious protruding flake beneath the roof. "Turn the overhang" and up 3m before traversing left to a 7m face to a stance.

4. After an awkward start, climb the face diagonally left for 10m to a small ledge. Continue up, trending left to reach the ledge beneath the final pitch or Edge. Take Edge to the top:

5. Climb the recessed face for 2m, then traverse right around the exposed corner. Move up via some mantelshelf moves on a narrow ledge. Climb the obvious chimney up and right.

Notes: it is recommended to traverse diagonally left to join BE at the end of pitch 4.

Climb the crack.

Starts about 3m left of the right end of the crag.

Dance up the Arete before merging again with the Tigris to wander right, past a tree to a prominent ledge.

1. [17] 12m

2. [17] 15m

3. [19] 12m

4. [14] 12m

5. [19] 20m

6. [12] 5m

The third pitch on the book says it is a 15 but I had climbed a 17 and 18 pitch before it and those all felt easier than the third pitch, that's why I am suggesting a grade 19 for it. The second pitch is an amazing 18 pitch, really fun.

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.

Climb the right-facing corner and rail right under the big roof. Pull up into a crack on the headwall. Follow this until it peters out. Continue straight up to the top of the wall.

1. [12]:

   Climb the obvious crack past a tree growing out of the crack up to the base of the second crag.

2. [19]:

   Climb the outside of the crack and then the obvious steep crack (instead of traversing right for the scramble).

Very nice route. Crack line and right facing corner up the pinnacle. Tat and maillon at top.

Short but engaging start to finish-technical

, one of the best in the 'Valhella Area'

Start: the next column right of 'Valkyrie' Climb the obvious crack to the top.

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.

Start a few meters right of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Climb up the crack feature to ledge and join the forenamed route to finish.

The top pitch is really good!