Vias em The Nose

Unfinished new route, not yet in a fully cleaned and climbable state. Will complete cleaning and final choss check once the PTSD from bolting it using a mixture of beaks, hooks and dark magic has subsided.

Captured in the Climb Singapore guidebook as a different and distinct route from 'First Blood' graded 5.8 / 5a. The guidebook description suggests this climb starts below the nose and joins 'Mega Hangdogging'. However, the precise details of how this original variation differs from it's non-original cousin appear to be lost to the annals of history.

1st pitch (6a/5.10b) up the left of the giant flake to the break, which marks the edge of the overhang. Traverse left and up the obvious crack, to run out an easy slab to the anchor. Has a bolt on the traverse and couple of bolts up the crack, if you don't trust placing your own protection.

2nd pitch (5a/5.8) runs up the arête and angles right up a series of cracks on a slab face to the anchor. Couple of football size loose rocks en-route so get the all-clear from below before moving up.

Starts the same as 'First Blood'. At the break instead of traversing left, step slightly left and climb the face for a direct finish.

1st pitch (4c/5.7) is an easy scramble up very chossy rock to the right of the giant flake.

2nd pitch (5a/5.8) is same as second pitch of "First Blood"

Updated the grade of the whole route to reflect the grade of the hardest pitch of this multi-pitch climb, as is common practice, on 10 Jan 2020.

From the top of the first pitch of First Blood belay from the left anchor. Traverses up and left before gaining a crack system allowing you to come back right. At the first bolt swing right onto the arete and up to the anchor following the bolts.

Alternate route for second pitch of first blood. From the stance goes right past the tree and runs straight up from there to the same anchor as first blood. Trad protection is scant, so best on top rope after leading first blood.

Starts from the ledge where the belay area for Alarette is, immediately to the right of Alarette's belay anchors, staying in the relatively sheltered corner for the first several meters before coming out onto the face and then punching straight up what would be the left nostril of the Nose.

The 5th bolt may currently be slightly difficult for shorter climbers to clip. Placement was forced by the quality of the surrounding rock. It is intended to protect the move over the bulge, and it is highly recommended that climbers clip the 5th before making the traverse out left to get over that bulge.

There are also a few blocks at the last 2 bolts which looked like they might come loose, but haven’t given way to tugging with body weight. Nevertheless, do be careful if you are giving the route a go.

Hardware comprises Hilti HSA-R wedge bolts with Petzl hangers, all SS316. Anchors are currently two bolts, each with a quicklink/maillon. The quicklinks/maillons will soon be replaced with rated SS316 quicklinks.

With all the craziness going on in 2020, and given the part of the Nose where the route is, Swab Test seemed the perfect name to memorialise the year.