Extra Time 24

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 prevailing ethic for Yellowwood is tread lightly.

"Tread lightly" means no bolting of belay stances unless all possible alternatives have been completely exhausted. No placing of bolts for running belays that are not absolutely essential. No use of pitons, unless necessary. No use of power drills is accepted!

Climbers are asked to respect the prevailing ethic which is intended to preserve the aesthetic appeal of Yellowwood as a world-class Trad climbing destination.

It is essential for first time visitors to do an ascent of one of the existing classic trad routes to appreciate the committing and adventurous nature of the climbing at Yellowwood. Older routes such as Armageddon Time (and the direct), Blood is Sweeter than Honey and Time Warp are all test pieces for their grade. And newer routes such as Prime Time (and the direct) and Fantastic Time as well as "routes in progress" of which there at least 3, are no less demanding at the grade. Most, if not all the trad routes on the main wall have at least one "R" (run-out) pitch but none are "X" rated. There is minimal fixed gear and very few fixed stance

A new route on Yellowwood, Fighting The Dark Side Of Gravity, has had all its bolts removed, except for two that are essential for the leader on Pitch 3. Two non-essential pitons have also been removed.

There has been much debate about Yellowwood and the most active Yellowwood climbers have talked extensively so as to settle the ethos of this high-value cliff.

In a recent meeting Adam Roff, Jeremy Samson and Hilton Davies distilled the following:

Yellowwood is a very special Trad climbing venue and there have been some mis-steps in route development at the crag. Newborn was bolted many years ago before locals had given much thought to bolting and ethics. It is a legacy that shall remain, but should not be seen as guidance for route development at Yellowwood. More recently four new routes have been established by visitors who have made extensive use of non-essential bolting. Whilst route development is encouraged, non-essential bolting is not; and these new routes are getting their non-essential bolts removed. They will remain as good adventurous routes.

2014: There have been no less than 10 new multi-pitch trad routes established at Yellowwood in the first 5 months of this year. Together they constitute no less than 60 pitches or, combined, more than 1500m of climbing. All the routes have been free-climbed with the vast majority of the pitches of being moderate grade and only 2 pitches of grade 22 and one of grade 24. The routes are all well protected and no fixed gear was necessary.