Vie come trad in Lion's Head

Follow the approach route following the base of the wall until reach a small cave with a small metal plate sign. From there keep going up in a vague path through the bushes until reach a wall with 3 big cracks on it. The one to the right is Millions. the small one with a few grassy bushes growing out of it is Silloette crack (the middle one does not look good for climbing). This is a good route full of protection and nice and easy moves.

1. Climb the small crack all the way up and smear up after the crack starts to turn back down. Build your anchor at some big blocks at the top.

Climb the obvious crack that starts vertical and bends to become almost horizontal. Once you see a thin crack coming from the ground meeting the big crack you will be climbing, pull up and smear to another crack (that is the end of Silloette crack). Make your way to some big blocks in order to build your anchor.

This route is a great one to practice unusual trad skills. Starts with a perfect sequence of chicken wing off-width, changes to hand jams, a roof and some smearing. Really fun! Starts 4 meters left of Gwilym's rest where there is a small plaque on the wall.

1. Left of a big tree there is a groove. Climb it all the way to the roof and over it until able to see a palm tree. Climb to the palm tree and go slightly right and up to belay from a big corner above the tree.

2. Climb the obvious easy but beautiful open book to the bolted anchors. A 50m rappel brings you back to the base of the route.

Start as for Huguenot Wall.

1. Climb the leaning blocky pillar, the move left to a vague crack/depression about 1.5 metres left of the main crack. Stem up the seam to reach the left side of the leaning flake.

2. Climb up the easy slab to a stance among boulders on an earthy ledge. Walk off to the left and down Descent Gully.

Classic easy route on Lion's head granite.

Start at the obvious leaning pillar 5 metres right of Gwilym's Rest.

1. Climb the leaning pillar and continue up the crack to a big leaning flake. Traverse right below the flake and then up onto a narrow ledge. Move right to a bolted stance.

2. Climb the crack to the right of the bolts and continue slightly left up an easy slab, then over some blocks on an earthy ledge. Climb a short, knobbly face to belay from a good ledge below a prominent right-facing layback. One can scramble off left at this point.

3. Layback up the corner and step left at the top. Climb onto a razor-thin flake and, stepping right, continue up the face above, aiming for a thin, exfoliating flake. Above and slightly left of this, a very thin crack up a smooth friction face takes you to a ledge in a depression at the top of the route.

Alternate start or single pitch to chains. Not a lot of pro.

Climb the face exactly between the hand crack of Huguenot Wall and the thin crack of the 'Huguenot Wall (Variation)' , directly to the bolted stance. There is no pro.

As for Huguenot wall.

1. Climb the forked crack to an incut ledge. Walk about 10 meters to a face and climb the face to a bolted anchor.

2. Climb the face to a crack that splits the wall in two just above you. Climb the crack an up to another bolted anchor. Two 30 meters abseil take you back to the ground.

Granite classic! Glue-in lower-off's at the finish.

1. Climb the crack just by the side of a groove that widens to a flary chimney. Climb the chimney (crux) and head to the top of the second huge poised flake near a tree where one can build an anchor.

2. Climb the face on the right of the groove all the way up until able to walk across to a tree. Belay from the tree or 4 meters up to use the bolts of a sport route. One abseil of 60m will take you back to the base of the route.

Climb the parallel crack right of 'Cross Cracks'

1. [15] 35m

   Climb the crack till you get the large flake/s on the left. Belay at the bittersweet cherry tree.

2. [17R] 30m

   Climb up and right to the corner, there is a piton in the continuation of the crack you climbed on P1. Traverse diagonally down right to an incredible crystal cubby hole. Clip the bolt above and find your way to the tree or rap station beyond.

1. [17R] 40m

   Climb the face on the right of 'Cross Cracks' aiming for 2 blind cracks,once at these they take marginal protection. When possible move to the crack of 'Scary crack', climb this for a bit and then stance above the flake/s. The bittersweet cherry tree makes a good belay.

2. [17] 35m

   Climb up and right to the corner, there is a piton in the continuation of the crack of 'Scary Crack'. Climb the blunt arete and the curving feature to access the pine tree/ rap point.

This is one of the first routes you can access from the approach hike. It starts in a groove/chimney one meter to the right of a medium size tree that is growing inside a small crack.

Climb the groove/crack to another crack all the way to the top. The decent is through a tight chimney to your left that is easier than it looks.

Climb to the left or to the right of the pillar. Bridge and jam your way up until able to start smearing up to the top.

Start a few meters right of Knuckleduster. Scramble up and delicately climb the right side of the fragile flake to an undercling. Traverse ~1m left (psychological micro nuts possible) and then straight up face to top. A fall just before topping out would be very serious.

A fun link-up that starts up the chimney on the Northern side of the boulder. At the rail (about half height), make a scenic traverse towards Camps Bay until you reach the edge of the enormous flake. Straight up this and friction slab to the glue-in lower-off's.

Can just be done in one pitch with a 50m rope.

Climb the obvious crack on the North aspect of the boulder

Climb the obvious crack on the Southern aspect of the boulder

Start just right of 'Route by T. Hughes'

1. [18] 25m

   Head up the left side of a wide and dirty crack (deep groove) to an overhang. Pull diagonally up and right through the small roof and into the break out right. Continue up to the grassy ledge and walk across to the next cliff band.

2. [15] 42m

   Start a bit right of the 'Rainbow Crag' recess on a face. Up to join 'Rainbow Crag' for a few meters then step left onto the left bulging face of the recess. Move left a meter or two and then straight up to the top.

Opening new lines where other RD's are not detailed, hmmmmm! Startup the wide and dirty crack (deep groove) to the ledge, move slightly right to gain the rail (on the left) in the overlap. Move left and head up for the cleft/ notch in the skyline.

The route starts from the Tea Cave ledge directly where the abseil comes down from the bolted anchors (between Naught For Your Comfort on the left and Aquanaut on the right).

1. 20m (19): Pull up onto the steep white face and climb directly via a pocket and a thin gear placement to the ledge above. Cross over Aquanaut (which traverses left here) and move up to below a bulge. Pull straight through the bulge and continue to the bolted anchors. Cross the huge ledge to the start of the next pitch of Clifton Crest. Pitch 2 of Codgernaut takes the face between Crest’s corner and Excaliber, which climbs the front of the Gendarme.

2. 25m (18): Move up Crest for about 2 metres, then step to the right to gain the white face just to the left of a precarious looking jutting out block. Blast straight up the middle of the face past a few rails, till you reach a deep hollowed out rail about two-thirds of the way up the face. Step right and using a hollow flake, which forms the top of the rail, move up and right to gain the left edge of the Gendarme. Climb the edge on thin grips till it eases at the ledge above (this last section up the edge is shared with Excaliber). Follow either Excalber or Clifton Crest to the higher ledge and the abseil anchors.

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 a bit left of the Rainbow Crag recess. Climb up a short layback crack, then continue straight up a vague recess and a short crank onto the face above. Up easy ground to the top.

Start a bit left of the Spookies. Climb up a short face,and then the tricky arete to the right of the corner. A strenous pull through the roof leads to easier climbing to the top.

A direct line to the left of Greyscaling.

Start ~2m right of a low roof and follow a thin crack to a ledge. Pull onto the next undercut face and up to a ledge with a large block in the middle. Head up to the right of a vegetated recess and then straight to the top.

Start ~5m left of Stuffed Lion, just left of a corner crack. Climb straight up the white face to a ledge. Continue straight over blocky terrain to the base of a steep, brown layback crack. After a few meters, when the crack peters out, continue straight up, and easily to the top. The lower sections of this route have surely been done before.

Start up Greyscaling. At the ledge take the crack to the right of Greyscaling, then follow a curved crack. When this peters out climb straight up to the top.

Start on the obvious open book between Greyscaling and Stuffed Lion, which leads to a big ledge/stance. Take the crack up the clean brown wall to an overhang, pull through this and up a white face to the top.

Start ~4m right of Stuffed Lion directly below the centre of a roof ~10m up. Climb the short face to a ledge, step 1m left and up to a rail below the roof. (There is a loose block to the right, treat with respect). Pull through the roof using large, solid flakes over the lip to the next rail. Move up and right using an undercling and a jug to the base of a wide crack. Continue up and left to a ledge, and then over a bulge (large pocket on the left). Tend slightly right to the vague arete for a few moves, then step left and straight up to the top.

Start ~6m right of Stuffed Lion, just left of a bush in vague corner. P1, 20m (20). Climb up, step right over the bush and up to a ledge. Step left to a recess, then up to a white, hanging pillar. Move carefully across the pillar to the right, then up to a small roof below a short, brown face. Some tricky reaches bring you to the next roof. Pull through this on good holds, then tend left to a good ledge. Stance below a corner. This will be a grade or two harder if you are short. P2, 15m (15). Climb the crack system in the corner, near the top head left to a wide ledge.

Single pitch, 35m, bang in the middle between Cosmonaut & Aquanaut's pitches right of the Gendarme. Start 1,5m left of Aquanaut and hold the line to the ledge. From the ledge pull into the layback crack below the triangular roof 3-4m up; climb through the middle of the roof on good jugs; step left and go straight up the open book to the next roof; step out left from under the roof and go straight up, staying to the right of Cosmonaut. Hold your line up to the abseil anchors. The name came up after a debate on which knot to abseil off.

Single pitch variation right of the Gendarme. Climb Astronaut P1 to the ledge but rather than heading left up the corner crack, blast straight up the steep face above with a powerful crux dead point. At the bush on the next little ledge step ~1m left and then straight up to the bolted abseil anchor.

Start about 2.5m right of Dreadnaught. A tricky first move up the centre of the short square face leads to a small ledge. Continue up the next short section to a darker grey face. Climb just left of the middle of this to a small overlap. Pull through and straight to a wide ledge. Move about 2m right and head up the left side of a whitish face. Continue up a vertical crack and a last short section to reach the big ledge.

Start about 3m right of Relic News. Climb the corner and then step left. Pull up onto the next shelf and step back right to a crack in the darker grey rock. Follow this crack and move right to gain the next vague corner. Climb up a few meters the traverse across the face and up to the next ledge. Place gear high in the Wild Things Run Free narrow corner but climb the arete to the left. Continue straight up to the big ledge.

A Cape Argus Newspaper from 25 March 1933 was found shoved in the crack at the start of this route, still readable.

Don't go up the V- Notch, keep right up the open book. Traverse left under the roof. Opened it cause I can't read an RD. Harder if you are short.

Start about 3m right of the Headline '33 corner. Follow the break above the boulder to a right tending series of layback flakes. At the ledge, move 2m right and climb the right side of the short faces above (do not climb the lichenous corner to the left as there is a large, loose block in the crack). Head up to the left of a large clump of grass, and then step over the grass and up a tricky recess. At the top move slightly left and then straight to the big ledge.

The direct version (20/21) starts up the next break right from the start of Newsflash. A better, straighter line, but if you can't reach the square two finger pocket from the ground it will be much harder.

A direct line, that is both better and easier than it looks. Essentially climbs ~2.5m parallel to Beware the Dark Horse P2 all the way. Start about 2m left of Beware the Dark Horse. Pull up to a short white face and over this to a ledge. (Sunset Crag crosses this little ledge and heads of left). Head straight up a thin seam in grey rock, past some good rails, then straight up a white face (between the lichen). Continue straight up to the bulge in the grey section above. Pull thought this (crux) and then finish up great holds to the top.

Plumb line between the second pitch of 'Beware the Dark Horse' & 'Blueberry Hill'.

Start between 'Beware the Dark Horse' and 'Blueberry Hill'. Climb up to a triangular undercling on the first overlap 3m up. From the ledge, gain the blank looking face directly above and stay left of the crumbly flakes, going onto good jugs – you run it out a bit at this point (there are some micro nut placements if you have time to fiddle with gear) - the hard pull onto the face is right above good gear though, and the jugs higher up are bomber. Hold the line straight through the undercut crack system (crux) that is capped by a small triangular roof; and then onto the belay ledge – there is a threaded abseil point from which to belay.

Single pitch just right of Blueberry Hill. Start up a short face directly below a steep crack, which leads to a prominent sharp arete. Pull up onto the arete and climb directly to a ledge.

Single pitch just right of Simba Serendipity P2 (which follows the line to the left of the roof). Climb straight up to the middle on the long thin overhang (can stand on a ledge to the right). Pull through roof to thin rail (aliens useful) and up excellent crack. Climb the central of three columns stemming left at one stage to reach a rail.

Start 5m left of Juggernaut P2. Straight up to small ledge. Move right into short, bottomless corner (tricky) and then straight up face and steep prow to ledge. Small cam useful for the crux.

Start 3m left of Juggernaut P2. Use a short, undercut face to gain the rail. Tend left and up through a steep blocky section to below a roof. Pull straight through the roof just right of the crack (sneaky undercling) to a left leaning ramp and short open book above. Easy ground up to ledge.

Start to the right of Juggernaut up a crack system that moves up and slightly right across the steep face to join the Y-shaped recess on Cat’s Pyjamas. Head straight up the face above, then a short arête and then a final bungle with an intermittent crack on the right hand side. Scramble up to the big ledge. Abseil point to the left.

Start up the break left of Mane Course and pull right onto the shelf. Climb the open book to the roof. Continue up the steep, flaring crack above to the next roof. Reach straight over the roof to find good holds (and small cams for gear). From here, a funky but difficult crux sequence leads right and then up onto the face above. [There is a key, large flake under the roof, which seems solid, but treat it with respect]. Continue straight up to the ledge with a small tree. On the left side of the ledge climb straight up the right hand side of two short faces to the big ledge. Abseil point to the left. Consensus grading needed.

Excellent single pitch located on the Gendarme level vegetated band, near the start of Cat's Pyjamas. Almost 5 star. Start up a short crack and then a short face to first roof - pull through (tricky) to a rest below the second roof. Hard moves at the lip lead leftward to a rail and then up to a small ledge with a bush. Up easily to big ledge.

Takes the steep crack to the right of Mane Course. Starting on some large boulders, follow the crack through a tricky, thin corner to the roof. Gain the next good hand rail and tackle the humbling crack to the big roof. Traverse a metre right and up into a recess. Step back left and follow a vague arete easily to the big ledge.