Vías en Africa para grado seleccionado

Sit start with an awkward left hand gaston edge and a shallow right hand pinch. Use bad feet to make a big reach up and left to a sloping edge. From there climb the arete and top out. The sit is the most natural start, but you can stand start on the same holds in a lieback with a high foot for a V5, or start one move in at the sloping edge for a V3. This problem is on the obvious steep blunt arete on the left of the two adjacent boulders when facing them from the trailhead

Harder than it looks. Stand start matching the obvious half-pad edge on the clean overhanging face (just across and a few feet from Blood Milk Breakfast). Delicately establish on the wall and make a desperate move to the lip. Finish with a sloping mantle

Climb the flake through the roof

The second should have a back rope for the first 9m. At the right-hand end of Upper Cliffs is a prominent chimney. This superb technical route starts just left of this feature, below a slab, Gain slab easily and traverse left to corner (bolt). Swing around left edge and ascend face above (crux). On up steep rock (bolt), to a final belay bolt. Up easily to top or abseil off bolt.

Mega classic testpiece. Has a bolted anchor.

Originally an aid route (Anvil Chorus).

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

Like the Dune quote this route is dramatic. It weaves through the steep bowl between the top pitches of 'Boggle' and 'Project 22' and finishes just right of 'Boggle' chains. There is no fixed gear and, for the hard bits, the gear is bomber. There are great views of it from 'Frog Gully' or the 'Boggle' abseil.

Find your way to the tree on the sloping 'Cedarberg Traverse' ledge. This is halfway up the crag, about midway between Project 22 and Suicide. There are a few ways to get here: a) The easiest is to rap in from 'Boggle' chains, placing gear. The second then removes the gear and gets hauled into the stance. This is a good option to excavate wasps. b) Climb 'Cedarberg Traverse' . This is easy, but dirty and scrappy. c) Climb the first pitch of 'Boggle' and traverse right, beneath the big roof, passing the chains of the first pitch of 'Climbing In bed with Madonna'

1. [28R] 25m Climb just left of the tree to a ledge with large loose flakes then traverse left to a ledge beneath a pillar ('Suicide' stances here, then traverses out left to 'Boggle' ledge). Climb to a perch on top of the pillar, then continue diagonally right up the break to a rail. The climbing to here is bold, although relatively easy (21ish). Place bomber gear and rail right along the lip of the roof until able to pull through on jugs. Climb up to the next roof, step left then bust through, initially on big side pulls to gain a short, left-facing dihedral. Climb the blunt arête to the next overlap, then move left and up to the obvious finishing break. Fight the pump up then right to the arête to a shake. Suck up the exposure and do the last few moves diagonally left to the top.

Start on the tea ledge on the right of the Gendarme. Starting on the left of the ledge, climb up the left side of the short, undercut section to a break. Follow the vertical crack to the wide rail below the roof. Conjure up some horizontal magic to negotiate the weakness through the roof to the good holds on the lip. Pull through and then left under the next bulge to a vertical break. Easily to the top. Consensus grading needed.

Possibly one of the best at Paarl and possibly the first of its grade in South Africa.

Gear: Small cams, rack of nuts and extra small to medium nuts.

The direct start to A Sudden Loss of Cabin Pressure.

The Honeymoon of Iker Pou and Neus Colom.

A set of Friends from 0.1 to 2. The route can be climbed with an 80m rope. All belays are equipped with two rings for the abseils.

All the bolts on Avalon, except the top one which is still ok, were replaced in October 2005 with 10 mm stainless. It is fully bolted, but has no top anchors so take a friend 1.5, friend 2.5 and a few big wires and some slings for the top. It is easy to scramble off from the top of the route. The original route breaks left at the last bolt (26). Carry on up and right for the direct finish (28)

1. [28] 15m

2. [13] 20m

3. [21] 35m

4. [22] 10m

Superb climbing with an airy finish

Climb either the first pitch of Daddy Long Legs or Redback to reach the peg stance.

From the left side of the peg stance, climb straight up for about 8 meters to gain a rail under a small overlap. Climb past a rather useful pocket and pull through the next overlap (just left of Redback anchor) to another rail. Place good gear in this rail below the vertical seam on the headwall. Gain this seam boldly (but safely) from the left and follow it to the anchor for Daddy Long Legs. A 0.4 camalot is useful for the last section.

Start: The route starts in the middle of the amphitheatre where a tabletop-sized slab of rock lies at a diagonal angle against the rockface. Scramble up the slab and go right a metre or two on the ledge to the first break consisting of a vertical crack.

Pitch 1 20m 21: Climb the crack for a few metres. Step right and climb up to the roof. Rail left then go up to a big pocket on the left. Reach up to a rail and traverse right above the roof. Climb up to intersect the next roof on its left. Go up the corner then step out right onto the arête. Continue up to the big bushy ledge to stance where Pitch 2 directly begins up the whitish wall above;

Pitch 2 40m 23: Start up the white wall using little rails and pockets to reach a small rail 4m up. Rail right for 2m then climb a crack with a piton. Head up and leftwards over a couple of little ledges. On a ledge walk left along a solid rock razor. At the end climb up leftwards towards a roof. Climb through the roof and continue up to the Right Face – Arrow Face Traverse. Scramble up the back of the Breakfast Rock to stance on top;

Pitch 3 25m 26: At the entrance to the tunnel scramble up onto the rock shelf on the left. Stand on a jammed flake and climb up to the roof. Rail left for 8m (Camalot #3 and #4). At the horn lean out and climb up at a piton to reach the roof above. Rail right for a metre or two then climb a flake and a wall to reach a big rail. Continue up a corner to exit on the left and climb up to a good rail and ledge. (The Right Face Arrow Face Pitch);

Pitch 4 30m 23: Walk 3m right then go up the first break. Climb up to the corner that goes through the small roof. Climb the corner and the arête to the right for a couple of metres. Step across to the left and rail out for 3m. Pull up into the Post Box then up to a thin rail above it with a piton. From the piton go 1m right and climb the steep edge to a little ledge. Go diagonally up leftwards for some way to reach a hanging stance with a piton below the hanging corners.

Pitch 5 30m 23: Climb the hanging corners angling up leftwards. Break through the roof at the left end and climb the wall to a big ledge. Bring the party up then walk 10m up and over to the left and around the corner (passing Africa Safari’s arête) to make a stance directly below the big crack through the huge dimpled roof.

Pitch 6 35m 28: Climb up to the roof then hang upside down to climb the crack to the lip and then 2m up the wall to the first rail. Traverse a long way left and upwards to a break where you start up left then at a roof go a little right and up a finger crack and up to a roof with a good rail. Rail left to the little Diving Board, climb up onto this horizontally wedged flake without pulling it off, and continue straight up to the big camping ledge.

Pitch 7 25m 22: Step off the big flat rock and pull up to get onto a semi-sitting ledge. Go a metre or two to the right to the obvious post box for a Camalot #2. Climb the break up on the left to get onto the wall. Go up and left to the attractive white wall. Climb the blunt arête and head up to a good ledge;

Pitch 8 15m 23: Lead off to the right and climb the crack through the enormous roof. Go up the corner then exit left onto a small stance;

Pitch 9 15m 28: Go up right into the crawling ledge. Climb the underside of the biggest part of the roof to get to the pointy tip. Get onto the wall and climb the arête and the wall to the left to get up to a small ledge and stance. Bring the party up then scramble and then walk left along the ledge. Scramble up to the obvious rock platform below the big arête to stance;

Pitch 10 20m 20: From the platform pull up the steep arête and continue up to the roof. Go left for a few metres to a break, through the small roof. Continue directly up to the top.

Descent: Cable car or India Venster walk.

Fun for the whole family Start: Halfway along the dassie crawl ledge about 3 meters right of Bust Up. Belay by a large boulder.

1. 28m (24) Climb the left-leaning crack to a powerful move about 7 meters up. From this climb straight up to a wide break. Pull through the overhang and continue straight up and then move right 2 metres to stance on a small triangular ledge with good gear (finger size cams) in an intermittent vertical crack at about head height.

2. 25m (28R) Climb straight up for about 5 meters (Shared with Bust Up). Move right onto the arête for a couple of moves then follow the break diagonally left to the rail 2 meters below the big roof. Move ~1.5m left, then up and right to the next rail using a square pocket. Pull through the roof and move back right for ~1.5m. Place a crucial wire (No. 7 BD stopper) on the lip and run it out on pumpy, technical moves to the anchor in the next rail (the fall from the last hard move is scary but safe).

Variations: A direct version that is more suited to taller folk still needs to be climbed (Platinum Orb, 29ish). This avoids the left detour by using 2 large pockets and pulling directly through the large part of the roof.

An even more indirect version moves left to the Redback anchor (Silver Orb, 26ish)

The very thin crack that is right of trader Vic's as you enter the gorge. Climb up on tiny holds and tiny wires (preplaced for fa) to arête then easier ground to top

On the left of THE POWERS THAT BE.

1. 20m 28 Climb up the wall past the bolts to the top.

Climb the second thin crack and wall to the left finishing up easy ramp. Was done with preplaced long runner.

From sentry box climb crack and wall to left following diagonal seam left over bulge. Up into hanging corner and traverse right onto head wall following crack. Up to shared anchors

Takes a rising line on up the obvious leaning wall on the true right (east) side of the kloof, starting 20-30 m above the kloof base – access is best by an easy ab down the ramp of 'Cannon Fodder' ±50m downstream of the junction with Cedarberg kloof. An easy 15' stroll from Utopia. You can see 'Geomancer' from the top looking upstream from the top of the 'Cannon Fodder' slab. With a spare rope abseil off an obvious big tree on a flat ledge/block at the top of the 'Cannon Fodder' corner, down the slab to a perched belay about 10 m above a massive (meters across) chockstone. The climb starts off the slab beside a very white niche. Make hard moves to gain a corner. Move up the corner until you reach a point where there is a wicked slopey handrail just around the arete to left (place high gear in a corner before you go left) – reach the rail, cut loose and campus left then up with difficulty before you can step left to a jug rest. Face climb to a tricky hand-jam and bomber gear below the steep headwall. Continue up right and then slightly left up to before the ledges. Gets shade until 1-2'ish.

Start up layback, move left then up to rail, do a tricky move to a ledge, move to next ledge then up scoop and continue straight up.

Head down to the Honeymoon Suite cave and traverse right past the start of Danger Mouse. Below the right-hand end of the upper roof is a corner with an obvious crack. Looks tough for its grade!

1. 30 m (28) Climb up to the roof, through the crack, and up into the corner. Rail out right through the upper roof and head up easily to the ledge above. Descent: Walk a few metres right and scramble up a level to the Sunset Platform.

Starts a few meters right of Wolfgang, off a big block. Follow the line of bolts to a small ledge, continue up the wall above to the anchor. Some trad gear also required to protect the route.

Climbs the row of 4 bolts about 3m right of the arête, heading for the break above.

Climbs the overhanging blocky wall opposite 'Pasta Noises' and "Trundle Time'. Holes for about 5 bolts drilled, but no bolts added. Will need additional trad gear.

One of the finest lines in the country. The roof and crack immediately right of GOT, joining that route's belay ledge. The name and date are provisional, since the route has only been top-roped.

left ext

A few metres right of 'Heroes' is a right trending line. Hard for the short but 27 for those with a wingspan. Stays dry in heavy rain.

A chipped route that was ironically chipped by Guy Holwill.

Right ext.

Starts by the black streak. A tricky compression start lead to lots and lots of fun. This is your chance to be The Bovenator. Stays dry in heavy rain.

Three holds were "created" to make the climb through a blank section possible.

Jason Temple-Forbes

Ground to top in one giant and stunning pitch. Moves right after chains. Use two ropes and drop one at half height ledge (up and right of half height chains). Can work crux headwall move on top rope with belayer at top.

A classic sustained route, a must do!

Hardest line on the wall goes into and around the large roof on the upper part. Get acrobatic for the Queen of Sheba. Niels made this one too.

Start 2 m left of 'Freak On'. Climbs the wall just to right of the black water streak (always damp) via thin moves then busts through the roof with effort. Chains are below the huge roofs.

Tackles the short prow with some poor holds! Bouldery and fun.

Step off the huge block to start. A tricky slab, and a powerful sequence through the roof near the top.

Start up the first 5 bolts of 'Big Bad Wolf' then head right up some good sequential climbing that gets harder as you get higher. A rest before the crux detracts from the climb. A 70m rope is required to get all the way down.

ClimbZA

The obvious arête, probably very good.

Linkup: Start up Baseball Brat and finish on Taxi Ride / The Baseball Bat Treatment.

📹 Video

Fully bolted. Start on slab below first bolt. Move straight up to anchors. First section is tricky and technical to a large block. Climbing past this block is the crux, with different methods better suiting different heights of climber: either go straight up on poor crimps before moving right, or get a heel-lock and toe-jam in place either side of the block and reach straight for a small but positive crimp up and right. Finish on small crimps to top. Grade subject to debate, bu last 3 people to climb the route suggested 7b+ as the grade so that will be kept for now. FA and date unknown.

Old bolts! Stick-clip 1st bolt.

The arête behind the tree. Super technical on-balance moves, low in the grade.

Long sustained crux. Consensus grading needed, could be harder. Backstory - was listed as an open project in guidebooks since 2015, but it was just an idea for a cool route. Bolted in May 2023.

Mega power problem just right of the arête. Stick clip the first bolt.