Vie in Western Cape del grado selezionato

Sitstart on a low ledge. RH to the rail and then LH up to a sidepull jug.

Sit Down Start. Around the corner, to the left of 'P. L. Traverse', sit with both hands in the long horizontal crack. Each hand is on either side of the arête. Climb up the arête to top out.

Standing start. Climb up the center of the slab starting from the dent in the rock.

Climb the LH arête and traverse to TO

Climb the easy arête

Sit-start with arête and climb up.

Start left on the face with the arrow on it. Sit/crouch start on black horizontal rail. Move up to the central top end of the boulder without using the arete.

Stand start and climb the face using the good rail to TO.

Bolts have been removed, route is unmaintained

You will need to walk about the length of the route along the ledge to find anything resembling an anchor.

Up the centre of the face perpendicular to the front face.

The blunt Arête.

The gear at the start is a bit tricky.

The second half has some fragile flakes.

Climb the layaway crack.

Standing start, climb the left side of the arch.

Left of 'Dragon's Tooth' is a right tending broken crack. Bum start with left hand in crack and a really positve undercling for the right hand. Climb to top out.

Start on the East side. Start on double buckets (large flakes) and climb up.

Just left of the path is a shell shaped boulder with a low overhang/ cave. On the left is a small wedged rectangular block. Climb the slab (without using the block on the left) using the single feature on the face to top-out.

Bum start on the right, layback and turn the knife, then climb to the apex.

Start left of 'Lightweight' Grab the sharp black knob, then a quick topout.

One row behind 'Spinal Contortion', west facing. Standing start below the flake, using side-pulls to continue to topout.

Look for the J-shaped boulder. Start on a block below a scooped white patch, climb the slab to top out.

This is the furtherest route to the left of the Arrow buttress. Really good crux pitch and very nice second pitch.

1. Smear up a small ramp and up the left corner. Step up and climb weirdly a small corner to the left and up all the way to the bottom of a crack that bends to the left. Belay at the bottom of the crack.

2. Climb the crack and traverse left to a small ledge.

3. From the ledge, climb up and traverse diagonally right through a foot rail. Climb up to a roof and traverse right around the exposed corner and up to the bottom of a long beautiful recess. Climb the recess until reach a horizontal crack to your left. Traverse all the way to the left using the horizontal crack to build a stance.

The decent is obviously to your left (if you face the top of the mountain).

The route starts around 10 meters left of the big groove/chimney that marks the start of Robin Hood route.

1. Climb up, slightly diagonally to the right to reach a big ledge. Make an anchor just above the chimney from Robin Hood first pitch.

2. Climb awkwardly up on holds and jams towards a yellow groove that can be seen from the belay station. Climb the yellow groove until reach a small roof and step right using a good hand jam. Step up and climb all the way up an easy corner to belay just by the left of two big blocks.

3. Step up the big blocks and pull up to a small recess and traverse right and then up to a big ledge.

The descent is just walking to the left of the buttress (assuming you are looking to the top of the mountain).

Crouch start on good jug. Follow jugs on and slightly right of arête. TO.

Reach/jump to holds in hollow, climb diagonally left to TO.

SS, climb R up corner, TO.

SDS at the arete traverse leftwards and up the vague groove.

SDS on the arete and climb the arete

Climb the middle of the slab

Sit-start with left hand on a gaston and right hand on a sidepull and climb the good looking arête.

Sit-start with left hand on an incut grip and right hand pinching the arête, top-out direct.

Sit-start with left hand on a good incut and right hand on an incut, left hand to a diagonal ledge and move up to a sidepull on the slab.

Sit-start a little right of Unnamed Arête with right hand up on a layaway pinch and climb the arête / slab to top-out.

Sit-start hugging the corner with left hand on a sidepull and right hand on a bad sloper. The big low footgrips are off.

A fair route which slips between Barrier Pinnacle and Barrier Crag.

Start: up the over hanging corner left of Barrier Pinnacle

1. Climb up the corner until it is possible to traverse left on slanting hand grips to a semi-detached block. Climb the Block, stepping off and traversing right to stance shared with Pinnacle.

2. Move around the bulging corner, using good grips in a recess to reach a hidden flake, and continue up to a good stance or continue up a brown recess, traversing left under a overhang to exit up a corner to a broad ledge.

3. Lay-back up the right-side of a ramp until forced to traverse left onto the ramp. Continue up to a small one-man stance below an overhang on the right. Continue using a series of pull-ups, move left and up through the overhang. climb the block to a good stance.

4. Step across onto the face, then traverse left round a corner and up to a good stance below a black crack. climb the crack to the top.

One of the Peninsula's classics. Scramble up some easy cracks to the left of a crest of the buttress to gain a small tree at the base of a crack.

1. [13] 15m

   Climb the crack type fault to reach a ledge, traverse right around a the corner and up to a short right-angled corner. Climb this, then an awkward move to a stance.

2. [12] 25m

   Move right and climb the brown corner to the ledge above. Traverse right along the ledge all the way to the end of the ledge, then step up around the corner and further right to stance on a large rectangular block beneath an overhang.

3. [13] 15m

   Step off the block up to the roof, traverse right and through an awkward step up to clear the right side of the roof. Climb straight up the corner to the ledge.

4. [16] 12m

   Climb the shaley crack directly above the stance. Climb the obvious lay-back to an old fixed pin.

5. [13] 15m

   Step down, then traverse right ( past some old pegs and horseshoe) to gain the flat white face above, climb this (the Soup Plate) to a narrow ledge. Traverse right and do a wide step-across (the Donkey Ride) to gain the continuation of the ledge, and a stance.

6. [14] 15m

   From the right of the ledge, climb the fault to gain a ledge beneath a bulging face. climb the for a few moves, then move diagonally right to the corner on good holds. Climb up this to a ledge, then a stance above before scrambling to the top.

A delightful route which threads its way past the lines of the overhangs. The first three pitches can be linked by taking some extra large cams.

Start: to the right of Barrier Cave are two large red breakaways undercutting Valken Buttress. The first on the right is used by Valken Frontal, the left by this route.

1. Climb the pile of huge blocks that form a steep pyramid in the corner mentioned above.

2. Step off the highest block onto the red face on the left. Climb diagonally left. The stance is on a ledge under the overhang next to a white, loose block (Surprise!).

3. Traverse along the ledge and down to the right, over a long block onto a dassie ledge. Step down onto footholds and traverse out around the overhang with the hands high on the level of a projecting flake.

4. Climb the broken recess for 5m and at an old peg traverse left over 2m of smooth face until a good handrail is reached. Continue along the narrow ledge (which widens towards the left) until the ledge ends. Climb a short face, then traverse diagonally left to a ledge under an overhang. An alternative stance is at a fixed peg on a small ledge directly below the nose for the next pitch.

5. Traverse 8m right to a break in the overhang left of a projecting nose. Climb up through the break, and continue up the right-hand wall of the recess above to a rocky platform.

6. A narrow rib protrudes from the face above the stance. Climb a small overhang to gain a recess left of the rib. Climb the recess for about 2m to a shallow cubby-hole, then move around the right of the rib. Climb the rib to a narrow ledge.

7. Climb an irregular recess right of the overhang above the stance until it is possible to traverse left onto the crest of the ridge. The final stance is on top of the gendarme, within a metre or so either side of Valken D and Valken Frontal.

Start: this route starts below a noticeable square lipped cave (whose left end rises) about a pitch up. on the large grass and bush lined ledge which starts from the Band Stand.

Allow plenty of time to find the start.

Start: The route lies up the curved rib which is capped by an overhang, 12m right of Valken Ravine (Right-Hand Route), and to the left of Kasteels Gully. (take the Valken Ravine approach).

1. [9] 18m

   "Black Face Pitch." Climb the black face 13m right of Valken Ravine waterfall. Walk left to a corner 5m right of the Right-Hand Route.

2. [15] 28m

   Climb the corner to an overhanging flake. Step up onto the flake, then move up to a higher foot rail. Traverse right for 6m and climb s clean face with a tricky finish. Walk right for 19m to the next beacon beneath an overhang.

3. [13] 30m

   Climb a short distance up a crack beneath the overhang, then diagonally left. Once above the level of the overhang, move right, then climb an easy face.

4. [9] 8m

   Climb the corner directly move to a stance shared with Valken Ravine RH. One is now beneath the prominent bulge on Castle Rib.

5. [13] 15m

   A few overhanging moves on the right of the bulge enables on to traverse to a chimney, which is then taken to complete the route.

Start: the route is up a corner 50m from the Band-Stand on the KP. Its most noticeable feature is a large square block about 35m above the start.

The Route begins in the large recessed corner left of the black waterfall which forms the lower right wing of the buttress, just above the path which traverse across the buttress from the Band Stand to Barrier traverse.

1. Climb the corner for 18m to a roof, traverse left to a wall before climbing diagonally left around the corner and up to a stance.

2. Climb the face to a dassie ledge, traverse right 12m to a corner stance below a large square roof.

3. Climb the face then move right onto the corner. Ascend the corner to a broad ledge.

4. Climb the corner directly above, then scramble to the summit.

Start: the route takes an obvious crack and small tree 5m right of the Turret corner, or about 8m left of a vague arete.

1. Climb the crack to a cubby hole then exit the crack right onto a small platform.

2. Continue up the short face to a wide ledge, then climb an easy face on the left to the stance (below the crux of Turret).

3. Climb diagonally left, then traverse left 3m to the base of a short face. climb straight to a cubby and continue diagonally left to a ledge next to a large block.

4. From the blocks on the right end of the ledge, climb the corner to a short ledge below an overhang. Traverse right to the tip of a nose, then straight up to a wide ledge. Scramble to the top of the buttress.

Up the crack, step slightly right and then follow the weakness to the top.

"E'-ternal wondering, but clean, interesting pitches."

Start: begin at the huge square block a the left extremity of the long ledge below the final cliff, some 45m away from the cave. Further on the ledge drops to a lower level and becomes very narrow.

1. Step off the block into the smooth, steep recess. An awkward move is made onto a narrow ledge. Stance on the left of the ledge.

2. The normal route does a strenuous traverse across to easier ground. Some easy ground leads to a big ledge below a round corner, which is mostly undercut except for one break on the left. Originally this pitch started from the ledge with an intricate pitch of abseiling, and grotty climbing to bypass the blank section on the traverse to the left.

3. A Pull up onto a ramp enables a broken line to be followed up the large corner to gain the Halfway Ledge.

4. Follow the halfway Ledge left for 20m (C/D scrambling and an awkward exit) down to the ledge below. A short wall behind the ledge is climbed to stance in a narrow corner further on.

5. Step up the face and into another dassie traverse, follow left for 2m at two pillars, then up into steep faces over looking the Kasteel Poort.

6. Sensational climbing on clean, sound rock now lies up the faces. The line can be varied and stances made at a number of places. The Final stance is next to the prominent angled slab of smooth rock, lying on the top tree covered ledge.

"A climb worth more attention."

Start: a beacon will be found left of centre of the face between Fraser's and Postern "D".

1. Climb over a bulging and slightly undercut section into a crack and up to a little overhang 6m above the ground. Head right and slightly up 3m, followed by 9m of open face climbing to a narrow ledge.

2. Move up from underneath a slight overhang, over friction holds onto a bushy ledge.

3. Climb right under a small rock finger and onto a protruding block, then up the ledge of another series of blocks onto another bushy ledge.

4. Step up a slightly recessed face for 7m, then move left of an obvious flake and traverse right 4m over a handrail and up to the Halfway Ledge.

5. From the right edge of the blocks, and directly beneath a large overhang. Move up 1m or so, the traverse left onto a rib. Ascend the crack 3m, then move round the rock rib and stretch onto a short traverse to the right. A few easy movements lead onto the left of the ledge on which the "overhang" pitch of "D" Route finishes.

6. Starting on the face forming the left closing edge of the ledge, climb up to the final beacon.

A series of entertaining pitches with big belay ledges. No one ever does the pitches through the lower bands on Postern.

Start: at the right corner of the top band at the level of the path to Postern Cave. A few meters from the corner is a number of shelf platforms below a steep face broken by a twin crack with a bulging rib in the middle.

1. From the shelves climb the left crack to a ledge.

2. Ascend the right wall to a handrail under an overhang. Traverse right and move up on the corner to a ledge. Scramble up the slop ahead to the next pitch.

3. A corner of rock with a little overhang barring entry to it. a fun pitch which can be avoided if time is short. Takes you to the Halfway Ledge

4. A step wall with some black streaks a few meters right of "D"'s pitch through the overhangs. A strenuous pull up into a vague break up the face. Continue up the face, at one stage moving right to avoid a blank section. Eventually a traverse line right is reached which leads to a dassie platform below a prominent bulge of rock on the corner with a clear drop blow it. Stretching and standing up awkwardly to a hold, then pull through the bulge and mantel, over the drop, to the top.

1. Move left and up to the start of some rails. Step right onto the steep wall, using hand jams in a horrendous crack for a higher finger rail. Pull up into a niche. If the traverse move is done to low down its a F2.

2. Continue up the wall on the left using cracks and rails until a bulge above some easy crack to a ledge on the left.

3. Continue diagonally left across a face, then climb a wide easy crack to a ledge on the left.

4. Ascend a short face behind the ledge, then move up to a crack with a short wall above, blocking entrance to a recess capped by an overhang. "Spring Balance" comes in from the right, goes up the crack and recess and pulls through the overhang via an exposed move out right. Pull up to a bulge on the left of the crack, traverse right back to the top of the crack and get into the recess by the jams in the corner of "Spring Balance" Step left onto a big flake and move on an exposed corner with an awkward reach for a finger-rail. There is a hidden footrail just around the corner. Climb up the wall to a stance on the very edge of a rib at the end of a ledge also gained by "Spring Balance".

5. Above the ledge is a horizontal slit. If you face the wrong way and get the wrong left up into the slit to will battle and struggle and never reach the elusive diagonal grip on the left corner. (Around the edge is the direct continuation of Balance) The face leading to the big grassy ledge below a prominent overhang. Balance traverses to white slab below this and goes up the chimney on the left. To avoid extensive damage to the ecology by having a to garden a new pitch, we decided to do the Balance" pitch.

6. Climb the bushy recess to the overhang. Traverse left across the slab to climb the chimney, exit right (instead of left for Balance's stance). Climb an exposed corner to a ledge with a blocked chimney behind it (used by the Matters).

7. Climb the crack in a black and yellow striped face right of the chimney. Above this the crack can be followed but it is more exhilarating pulling up on small edges on the smooth face to reach a ledge. A short wall is surmounted to gain the Woody Spring traverse. Walk nearly a rope length left to a corner with a view into the ravine. Those who don't want to climb more than grade 16 can walk off here.

8. The only less than excellent rock appears on this pitch. These are upside down recesses. Climb up onto the ledge just right of the corner and up steep moves to a little overhang. Pull around this, traverse left, climb up to below the brown, rough rock overhang blocking the way into the left wall. One delicate move out and finger troughs are reached for superb, steep, exposed but easy climbing up to a big ledge next to a huge "Spring Crag" Beacon.

9. Move right to the steep undercut rib, which is climbed to beneath the overhang. Reach around right to take a crack (past a tea-cup handle grip). Climb to a ledge. Move left and down under an overhang (passing the last pitch of "Spring Balance") to the leaning block and yellowwood tree at the last pitch of "Crag"

10. Stand up on the steep wall on the right, above the tree. Rail to the corner and pull up to a foot-ledge. Using a high rail swing left over a dizzy drop, get the feet onto some prongs, and pull up into a rough recess with a flake in it. Move up this into a crack, which cuts diagonally right. One ends up lay-backing spectacularly up the side of Horses Head to finish right on top of the block.

1. Climb the square recess up for 4 meters and move slightly right and up to a ledge. Climb the weird short crack section to the proper base of the mountain.

2. About 10 meters to the right of the crest there is an easy recess/crack. Climb it basically straight up to a roof, moving to diagonally right on the face just below the roof. Continue up and slightly left to the base of an obvious crack.

3. Climb the crack straight up passing through a cam in-situ. At the top of the crack, continue going up using the face on the right hand side to an obvious corner/ ledge.

4. Climb broken rock up for about 10 meters. Careful with loose rocks here. Continue diagonally right to an obvious right facing corner.

5. Climb the corner for 10 meters and traverse right for 4 meters. Continue diagonally right to a right facing corner close to the edge of the cliff.

6. Climb the short (less than 2 meters) stepped crack and traverse left to a vegetated ledge. Walk and scramble up moving always diagonally left until able to find a cairn. Stance here. A more interesting variation is to climb the crack to the right moving up pass a bush and traversing left around 2 meters above the bush. After the easy exposed traverse scramble up to the small ledge with a cairn (suggested grade, 11).

7. Scramble up till able to reach the base of a recess/chimney. Climb it to a ledge on the right.

8. Climb the short crack through a gap to a big vegetated ledge. Walk across it to a face with a big face crack boulder tending towards the left. Climb it to a stance on some big blocks in a beautiful vegetated ledge.

9. This is the best pitch of the route if you choose to do the 16 pitch. It is obvious once you get there. Climb the crack in a flat wall and continue up on good holds on a slightly overhang wall. Climb the break to the left and up to a good undercling. Continue up slightly to the right and back left to a short ledge. From here you have the option to climb the crack on the far left of the ledge or pull straight up on good holds but not great foot in the first pull. Continue up to a ledge with some big blocks.

10. Mantel up a small face and traverse left to a crack around the corner. Pull through it and traverse left to an obvious break. Smear and mantel up through the gap to a vegetated ledge. Cross it and scramble up to the base of a big recess on a white face.

11. Climb the recess to a bushy steep walk section. Cross it and scramble to ledge. Cross the ledge to the base of a big chock stone in a crack.

12. Pull through the chock stone and scramble up through the gap and up to the top.

Take the arete on the left end of the wall to a right tending crack to the top. last few meters need a clean, sorry. Start up the Rectangular face to the ledge, then step over to the arete.

This route has mixed quality rock. The first 4 pitches feature loose and friable rock and care must be taken. Pitches 5 to 9 are on excellent compact sandstone.

1. Scramble up the slabby and vegetated wall, aiming for a rock ledge on the left. Upon reaching the ledge (cairn), step right onto the wall and continue up, trending slightly rightwards, and aiming for a ledge beneath some large roof features.

2. Above is a large triangular roof, and above that an even larger more rectangular roof. Bypass the first triangular roof by ascending a chimney like crack (no pro) on the righthand side of the belay ledge. From the top of the chimney step left and across a gap, to follow a narrowing ledge that leads out to the extreme left of the large rectangular roof. Mantle to gain a vertical break. Follow this, trending slightly rightward to gain a large ledge.

3. Towards the right hand side of the ledge is the only feasible looking line: steep and clean rock that leads up and right towards a small ledge beneath a roof. Pull through the roof on huge jugs, then climb diagonally left to stance behind a large block.

4. From the stance, climb straight up to gain a ledge. Move right, and from the middle of the ledge pull through a small overlap to gain the dihedral above. Once established in the dihedral, rail left to an exposed corner. Pull up into a large crack containing a chockstone, which is followed to a ledge.

5. Just so you know you're still on route: the defining feature of this belay ledge is an enormous block that looks poised to tumble into the void below. The other defining feature is the short layback crack at the back of the ledge. Follow this crack. At the top, step right and head up a few meters to gain a ledge. Following the ledge, do a rising traverse for a few meters and stance at an obvious break/crack.

6. Ignoring the obvious break above, climb diagonally up and left to stance on a triangular platform.

7. Above is a clean and juggy wall with an obvious square finger of rock jutting out. Aim for this feature, bypassing it on the right hand side. Step left and climb the steep and gnarled crack to gain a small rectangular platform (possible stance). Step right and climb up to a narrow ledge with a loose block on it. Follow the ledge to the right and around the corner, climb up and gain a large ledge.

8. Walk left about 8m. Round a corner and climb an easy break up to another ledge. Walk a few steps right and climb the easiest part of the clean grey face. Stance at the next ledge.

9. From the stance, move diagonally left, aiming for a large flake. Layback up the flake and top out.

Descent: head East and find the Apostles Spine footpath. Follow this South, towards Grootkop. Before reaching Grootkop, turn right (West) and follow a narrow but clear path that leads towards Oudekraal Ravine. Descend Oudekraal Ravine and back to the foot of Corridor Buttress to retrieve your bags.

Route with a country feel to it. Some friable rock though good overall (with some lichenous section). Right side of south wall. In the shade most of the day.

1. 13 - 25m

2. 14 - 30m

3. 14 - 50m

4. 16 - 30m

5. 12 - 25m

6. 13 - 30m

7. 11 - 35m

Descent: at the top, head East and find the Apostle's path. Take right, following this South, towards Grootkop. Before reaching Grootkop, at the fork take a right again, heading West, and follow a narrow but clear path that leads to Oudekraal Ravine. Take right and descend Oudekraal Ravine and back to the base of Corridor Buttress.

Starting just left of the overhang at the far left of the crag, climb the face tending very slightly right. Stance at the level of the abseil point.

Start at the extreme right of the traverse ledge on the left of a huge detached flake of rock.

1. [16] 20m

   Climb up behind the huge flake, then move left and pull up on to a ledge. Move left around the corner on to the front of the buttress. Climb up a short corner then traverse left to stance beneath a dark grey face.

2. [16] 20m

   Awesome layback moves to climb the left side of the grey face and pull through a small roof to establish yourself in a spectacular position beneath another small roof. Traverse right for 5m of glory then climb up some choss to stance on a comfortable ledge.

3. [15] 18m

   Climb to the roof, then make an exposed traverse to the right until you can climb into an obvious corner. Climb up and stance.

4. [12] 30m

   Climb diagonally left across faces to the top.

The open-book on the left of the wall. Cross to the left side of the open-book and top out at the top of the crag.

1. [13] 12m

2. [7] 11m

3. [11] 15m

4. [16] 25m

5. [16] 22m

1. [12] 12m

2. [13] 18m

3. [14] 22m

4. [14] 9m

5. [12] 12m

6. [13] 12m

7. [16] 23m

After scrambling up to the staircase ledge (grade 10 scramble), walk left all the way to the end of the ledge to a grey face. Climb up to a standing up exposed, but easy, traverse to the left and around the corner to a half tree (it used to be a big tree but someone cut it and left only the tree trunk). Start climbing from there.

1. [16] 25m Climb straight up the flaky wall to a ledge. Go up to the start of a flaky crack system (the start is awkward) and follow this system, which goes slightly diagonally left, to the end of it. Step right to the face and up till able to reach a wide rail (there are two small rails just above it). Build a hanging belay here.

2. [16] 25m Climb the stunning traverse until forced to move up. Climb straight up to a flaky steep crack system to a small ledge with a big hole on it. Belay from this ledge.

3. [16] 20m Start at the far left of the small ledge climbing straight up on good holds the steep wall to a bulging face. Move slightly right and up into a wide but short crack to a huge ledge. Build your anchor here. Scrambling leads to the top.

Pages 44-48 MCSA Journal 1945

Pages 112-114 MCSA Journal 1959

1. [15] 30m

2. [13] 10m

3. [12] 18m

4. [13] 12m

5. [14] 12m

6. [12] 9m

7. [13] 25m

1. [12] 30m

2. [15] 22m

3. Dassie crawl

4. [14] 12m

5. [14] 6m

6. [15] 30m

7. [14] 6m

8. [15] 10m

1. [12] 27m

2. [12] 23m

3. [15] 27m

4. [16] 22m