Fine Time Buttress Tous Escalade traditionnelle 6 voies en paroi

This route is just right of Yellowwood Crack and the outstanding feature is the large overhang on the 5th pitch. The overhang is climbed with nothing less that perfect hand jambs and is well protected with cams.

1. 20 45m. Start at the small cairn and scramble 5 metres to the overlap. Step up onto the cantilevered block and place a bomber green alien. Balance up to the rail and move left to climb up the face. Continue up the more or less obvious line to stance with Extra Time.

2. 20 45m Climb up over dodgy flakes to a rail. Step left and climb up easily for a few meters. Place a good cam or two and do a crank up to a sloping hold and move left and up to the overhang. Climb diagonally up to the right to below another overhang. Rail under this on dodgy shattered rock to exit on the left. (Extra Time exits it on the right.) Climb the reachy dihedral to a stance.

3. 20m 15 Walk left and climb the easy right facing corner to a ledge. Walk left past the starts of Fine Time and Extra Time 3rd pitches and then continue left to a stance in a cave by crouching along a narrow ledge.

4. 30m 21 Climb up the left slanting chimney crack (good pro) until you are able to swing round onto the face. Climb bold moves up and right to the arete. There is a spike of rock which you can place a sling for pro. Climb easily up the face to a decent ledge and stance.

5. 25m 23 Climb easily up to the overhang and place some good cams. (Bear in mind that your second will curse you if you place them too deep!) Turn the overhang on perfect hand jambs. Place a small cam on the right to keep the ropes from jambing in the crack at the lip. Continue up the corner to a large sloping stance.

6. 25m 19 Step left and climb an impeccable recess to the "walk-off" ledge.

7. 30m 21

Climb up onto the blocks on the right and with an awkward start climb the cracks to a ledge. Place a large cam and turn the overhang with a reach crank. Continue easily to the large ledge system.

1. 45m 16 Climb the grey weather rib just to the right of the gully until one can step across to the left wall. Continue on easy weathered grips to the top.

Gear. Standard rack. No RP's needed. For convenience double up on 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1.5 inch cams.

Descent. Head left to the Timerity abseil.

The route traverses in from the right and the start is marked with a cairn.

1. (19) 50m Climb the crack just left of Fine Time to a ledge system and then continue up left up the parallel cracks to a ledge system. Move a few metres to left and climb the easy right facing corner to stance on large blocks below the huge recess above.

2. (19) 50m Climb the short orange/red corner on the right carefully to place good gear and continue straight up 4 or 5m. Step left to above your belay and climb the white-grey recess to a ledge. Move a little left and diagonal across a small orange face and climb carefully past the blocks and dodgy looking flake. Lay-backing works well here and there is a slot up right for your right hand. That way you can completely avoid using the flake. Continue up to a ledge and continue straight up the next groove to the next large ledge. Walk left past the large blocks and climb up to the dassie ledge. There are various options to reach this ledge. The straighter version is more like 20 and you can walk further left to an easy corner.

3. (20) 35m Move your belay left 5m or so and climb the grotty looking recess. Step up and place the gold camelot or equivalent. Straddle carefully for 3/4m to find gear. Do not continue up right up the recess: this is Fine Time. Rather step left into the steep left facing corner and continue up to easier rock to stand on a grey pillar on the right. Place good gear high up and lay-back steeply up to the right to a ledge shared with Fine Time.

4. (22) 30m Climb straight up the gray face tending slightly right. At the rail move left to below the obvious left facing dihedral. Climb this and belay below the roof in a semi-hanging stance under the roof. Shady if the sun has got to you.

5. There are two options: (19) 30m "Less Time". Rail left and climb the recess to easier rock to the top. (23/4) 12m "Extra Time". Rail out right and crank through the roof and continue up a few metres to a semi-hanging stance. You can combine the next pitch but communication is then poor and your second may end up prussiking if he/she falls off.

6. (19) 22m. Move right and climb the left facing corner. Move back left and find your way to the top.

Descent is an elegant and relatively safe 4 or 5 abseils. 60m ropes are recommended.

Walk horizontally 60m over blocks then bushes past the gulley and then blocks to find a thread below.

1. Abseil about 15m to a large ledge.

2. Look around at the back of the ledge and find a threaded rap point and biner. Abseil 40m or so and you find a point over a horn kept in place by a rock. It is easier to pull the rope from here.

3. There is another sling point over a horn about 20m lower and a bit to the left. (You can combine abseil 2 and 3 but pulling the rope down is then quite strenuous. What works well is if the first person to descend stays at the first sling point and then sorts out the rope which is usually twisted. Then the rest of the party can combine abseil 2 and 3. And then while they sort out the next point the person who abseiled first can come down on one of the ropes.

4. Abseil about 40m to an obvious ledge system and look to the left past a bush for a threaded rap point with a leaver biner .

5. Abseil about 40m to the ground. OR use the DOWN TIME Rap Route Or walk all the way round.

The route starts on the right of the "Extra Time" butress

1. (19 R) 40m Climb easily up the ramp and find some "not so good gear" placements. Step up onto the face and do a tricky move up and slightly left. Climb more easily to a ledge (often a little damp). Climb the crack in the short left facing corner to a good ledge.

2. (20) 40m Climb up rightwards past the triangular overhang to a ledge. Climb the steep face above (or the grey face right of the corner which is not as clean) to a narrow ledge. Move a few metres left and then climb the right facing corner and continue up to a good ledge.

3. (20) 20m Climb up the face to under the thin overhang and pull through on the right into a steep crack. Climb to the "dassie" ledge.

4. (21) 25m The original route climbs an obvious undercut but grotty recess on the left (19) but an improved version does a crank into the recess on the right shared with Extra Time. Crank into the recess and climb up the left side and pass the overhangs on the left. (Extra Time climbs the right side and then straight through the overhangs). Move past the bush on the left to join the stance on Extra Time on a small but good ledge.

5. (18) 15m This and the next two pitch can be combined. Climb up right on the clean grey face and head across the exposed face to below an overhanging crack.

6. (20) 30m Climb the overhanging crack and turn the overhang on its right. Climb diagonally left to the arete. Climb this and then finish up the corner to the walk-off ledge.

Descent: Walk left along ledge systems all the way to the Timerity Abseil

Leisure Time is the easier and direct version of Business Time. The route is destined to become a classic as it is the most direct route on the amphitheatre, has no stopper moves, has mostly excellent rock and excellent protection. It is nevertheless, a full service Yellowwood route with varied and intricate.

1. mostly balance climbing on the first two pitches.

2. mostly balance climbing on the first two pitches.

3. crank through the overhang on good jugs that then requires good balance and careful foot work to finish that pitch in the chimney which is cool and not at all unpleasant (and not grotty at all despite its appearance from below.)

4. is steep but easy

5. is burly but manageable with a cunning knee bar and hand jamb at the crux.

Most of the climbing is grade 18 and 19 and the 20 pitch on the direct Leisure pitch is well protected but classic Yellowwood climbing requiring focus and thought.

The Business Time pitch is tricky and bold. Make sure you have a blue and or black alien for the crux.