Routes as sport in Gauteng

A girdle traverse of the left-hand portion of the lower level of Struben's. Start on the left at the second bolt on the very first route, and continue at approximately the same height to the very last route on the right. It goes at about 18 in both directions (climbed both ways)

Follow the left-most line of bolts up the grooves and ledges to where you can reach the lower-offs. A slightly easier variation is found if you deviate 1-2m left after the first bolt.

Start up MEADOW LANE to the base of a thin corner groove, straight up the wall to the right. Climb the corner to gain the lower-offs on the left.

Go up the stepped groove in the slab 5m left of the nose, until the wall steepens at the third bolt. Less strenuous thyan the routes on the left.

Start up the short smooth face to the faint crack line 1.5m left of the nose. Can be climbed straight through the bolt line at the crux. If you choose to layback, there may be a temptation to use easier holds far out right. Climb the headwall slab to lower-offs..

The nose route. Experience a steep start past the ex-tree. Don’t hang around too long or gravity will catch up. Go straight up the crack to lower-offs on the right. ‘Legal’ holds can be used just to the right, but if you ignore all of these, the grade is about 20.

Probably led by various of the Margetts clan in the 80’s. Start 2m right of the root on the nose, following the double crack system to the base of the smaller groove at the top. Climb up this to lower-offs.

Start about 3m right of the nose. Climb steeply up a spidery crack system to easier ground finishing in the larger groove/recess.

Climb the shallow recess about 6-7m right of the nose. If it feels a bit hard, try a little technique. Continue up the crack above to lower-offs on a small buttress.

Go up the orange face, without making use of the major edge to the right.

Use the break to the right of the orange face to gain the summit, using the same lower-offs as A DELICATE ONE.

Go up the face to the right of the break used by THUGGERY. Pull into the base of the short corner, and climb to the lower-offs on the left, under the tree.

Go right after the second bolt on CATWALK to lower-offs on the right.

Climb the face just to the left of an obvious recess. Use the same lower-offs as WALKING THE DOG.

Up the obvious recess/corner.

The easiest sport route in the country/Africa/Southern hemisphere? Almost anyone should be able to lead it even with no previous climbing experience. Climb the face 8m right of the short gully. First ascent: Soloed in the 80’s.

If the root looks like becoming a bush again, apply a chainsaw. Climb the face 10m right of the gully past 2 bolts. Same lower-offs as for VISIONS OF URBAN GLOOM.

Start at the large recess/break. After the second bolt climb out right to gain the smooth slab which is followed to lower-offs.

Starting at the base of the recess, follow the line of weakness diagonally across under INFORMAL SETTLEMENT’s slab to the crack system to its right. Climb this and use IS’s lower-offs.

Start 1m right of the large recess and climb REDISTRIBUTION’s crack all the way from the ground using the same bolts.

Start at the base of a jam crack 4m right of recess. Climb steeply past the funnel feature, tending slightly right towards the top.

Starting at an ex-tree, climb up the crack line on great holds then move left past the bulge (ignoring the bolt on the right) to join FUNNEL OF FUNDS at the top.

Takes the smooth bulging orange face with two key horizontal cracks above this bulge.go left T the second rail. Slightly reach dependant, but a good line all the same.

Climb the crack and V-shaped groove right of COSMIC POLITICIAN. Finish at lower-offs either left or right.

Climb up to the large peapod groove to the bulge. The crux is using a layback move to the right, in the middle of the bolt line. The temptation to stray is great: nice move if you don’t.

Teeter up the smooth slab just left of the arete. It gets more positive – eventually. Finish leftwards to the lower-offs on DISTRICT SIX.

Climb the deep crack to the right of the smooth slab to the left of a long, elevated ledge.

The climb starts next to a bushy gully on the left, some 3m left of a whitish nose. There is a crack line through the bulge. Climb the small bulge on large jugs.

Climb the crack on the right of the bulge and 1.5m right of the nose. Move up, then right and up on layback holds.

The route up the smooth, whitish nose. Follow the thin crack line up the nose, without straying too far either way. A tad contrived. Go a little left after the third bolt to the GANG WARFARE lower-offs.

Climbs the face to the right of the nose. There are some great incuts on this one. Go slightly right to lower-offs overlooking the large recess.

Start up the featured arête to the right of a large recess about 4m right of the CITY SLICKER nose. Climb the juggy rock, going left at the top to the lower-offs. Crux is just after the first bolt.

Start at a small jagged block. Climb the face, trending somewhat right at the top to lower-offs.

Start below the boltline through a shallow scoop about 1.5m left of the prominent red corner. Climb to lower-offs above.

Climbs a striking red corner all the way to the top.

Between the corner and a dark recess is a vague break through a face with glue-on blocks – right above the tree / roots. Most remaining holds feel solid, but exercise some care. Go left at the top on bug jugs (rather steep).

Climb the smooth, light-coloured face to the right of the dark crack / recess. Don’t reach past the edge of the face.

Start up the excellent left-facing corner just right of the whitish face. The corner flattens out higher up.

About 5m right of SKYWALKER is a recess with a deep crack on the left and a ledge on the right. Climb the corner on the right of the recess (using a jam near the top) to lower offs on the arête to the right. Can get a bit muddy and mind the loose rocks at the top.

Start 2-3m right of the BAD KARMA recess. Climb the smooth orangey-red wall on good incuts. Tend left towards the arete. Not as easy as it looks, and much harder for midgets.

Climb the smooth overhanging face to the right of DRUGS AND DEATH on thin holds. A bolt exists at the top which can be used to top-rope the route. Note: If you use the grips on the left, the grade drops to 23.

Start 4m right of the BAD KARMA recess. Climb past a tree root on a ledge 1.5m up. Climb the crack above to a notch in the roof. Give the scree above a definite miss. Also a little reach dependant.

Start 1m left of THE RED ZONE. Climbs through some dynamic moves to the ledge at mid height. Pull through the overhang above on 2 underclings to the jugs above.

Climbs a crack line about 7m right of the BAD KARMA recess into a groove between 2 small buttresses. Start just right of the first bolt. Much harder (25) if the holds left of the arête are not used or if you are vertically challenged. This route and those to the right had seen previous top rope action.

Climbs the bulging buttress just left of STREETFIGHTER, using the first 2 bolts of STREETFIGHTER and 2 hanger bolts out to the left. Don’t use the crack to the right.

Climb up the well defined crack with hand-jam to cubby hole. Pull out left onto the smooth buttress at the roof. Watch the rope on sharp edges when lowering-off. Reachy. Originally graded 22.

Start 1.5m right of the STREETFIGHTER crack. Stretch/balance up to a good jug. Pull past the right of the roof to 0.5m to the right, using good technique for maximum brownie points.

Start 3m right of STREETFIGHTER. Climb up and left to a well-wedged small flake. Pull the steep finish to clip off a good rail just left of the lower-offs. Without hooking the block to the left the grade goes up somewhat. Short persons may also find this harder.

Climb the crack in the corner. Crux is just before the second bolt. Since the first bolt broke out with a chunk of rock, the climb is dangerous to lead.

Climb just right of the corner

Climbs up a series of small ledges a few meters right of SERIOUSLY NOW.

Shares top anchors with RED FRED.

On the left hand side of the Upper band, slightly above the rest of the cliffs is a steep red broken buttress with a large thin flake 3m high in the centre, at its base. Climb the crack on the left hand side of the flake to its top, then step up left to above a small overhang. From there continue up slightly right via a small recess to the top.

Climb the crack on the right of the flake (see INTO PINK) continuing up to the corner above, then at its top climb another small corner, just to the right of the ridge, to the top.

Straddle up short dark brown square recess to the right of THINK PINK, and just to the left of a cave with blocks in it. Step left at the large block which is at the top of the recess. Has a tricky start.

Walk down 10m from THINK PINK to a lower buttress with a smooth undercut bulge at its base. Balance up bulge along a ridge 1m to the right of white streak, to a flared crack underneath an overhang. Pull over overhang and continue up easier ground to the top, keeping to the ridge.

To the right of PURPLE FRENZY is an obvious crack leading to an open hook above with blocks in it. Climb initial section (crux) to cubbyhole, then continue up steep crack above on good grips to the top.

About 7m to the right of BUMBLE BEE is a 4.5m high thin crack with peg scars in it (dark rock). Climb the crack to a small ledge and instead of moving up left to easy ground, reach right to another crack/corner, which is followed to the top. If the block on the right is used to straddle, the grade is reduced.

Two ridges are mentioned in LAUGHTER OF THE MORTALS. Climb up the right side of the right ridge on big jugs to the top.

Move up the centre of wall which is to the right of TEA BAGGING to the top (avoiding good grips on TEA BAGGING and the crack on the right)

To the right of TEA BAGGING is an obvious, attractive scoop shaped overhanging face with two corners on either side. Climb the left hand corner to the top, moving left near the top.

Climb the scooped face up the middle.

Move up diagonally left, starting half a metre to the left of the start of TIDAL WAVE, to the rail. Move up to a bolt. Continue up through the overhanging rock above, past the second bolt to the top. Do not use the grips that would normally be used for the routes on either side for handholds or footholds.

Takes the vague slightly right-slanting break about 3m left of the large chimney filled with chockstones.

Climbs the left side of the white face that leads up to the ledge shared with Akkadis and Legovaan, and continue over the bulge (reachy for hobbits ).

Climbs up the left side of the white slab.

Climbs up right of the white slab.

Climbs the centre of the face 4m to the right of LEGOVAAN and AKADIS, completely ignoring the incredibly ancient (and also extremely dodgy) pegs on the left.

Climb up onto block in recess, step left onto face and up arete.

Climb up in recess onto block, move right into crack, climb up tending left.

Climb up nose right of Knersis using hangers and expansion bolts.

Up layback and jugs to top. Variation 16: traverse in from right.

Climb up steep burnt face using tree at base to reach first jugs. Variation 22: climb up not using tree.

On the far left hand side of the main cliff, starting from the ground follow the evident crack to the top. Bottom bolt keeps rope out of climbers way. First Ascent: BB: Derek Pienaar & Andries Smit. Nov 2002

Start 2M to the left of ROCK DOCTER and climb straight up, keeping in line with the bolts. Dont move too far right.

Start 1m to the left of CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS, climbing up jugs into a corner under an overhang. Pull through overhanging block and up the ridge to the top.

The climb follows the obvious chimney/corner to the left of the overhanging buttress.

Starting from the ground, climb the left ledge of the butress just to the right of CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS. Don't use the wall or outcrop behind you. Variation: Use outcrop - 20

Starting about 1,5m to the right of WHIPLASH. A smooth face with a thin seam leading to an overhang. Follow seam through the small break to a ledge (8m). Continue directly up from the ledge. The climb is graded as not using the good grips from the climbs on either side.

Starting 4m to the right of CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS, climb up on good holds to the rail just under the overhangs (4m). Pull through overhang, moving up rightwards following the thin knobby convoluted crack.

Three meters to the left of ZEPPELIS is an overhang 5m up with obvious under clings of its base. The overhang has 2 square corners facing left at the lip. Climb directly up and through the left hand corner. A harder version is not to use the jug of CHALKIES.

Start as for the route to the left; climbing up diagonally right to the corner on the right (mentioned in CHALKIES ROUTE) and follow CHALKIES ROUTE to the top.

Start as for ZEPPELIS but rail left above the bulge 1,5m and balance up into a corner. Move left on a higher crack for a further 1m to reach corner/crack. Continue up the corner to the top.

Start of as, and use the first two clips from CHALKIES ROUTE then move slightly right to the overhang, and climb over the nose. Follow CHALKIES to the top. (Consensus grading needed)

Start as for ZEPPELIS but traverse left for 1m only. From here climb straight up the crack system and overhanging bulges.

To the right of the main buttress is a deep undercut bulge near the ground. The climb starts in the obvious corner right on the middle of the buttress above the undercut. Follow the corner without exiting too far right.

Clip the first two bolts from ZEPPELIS. From hereon move up and keep left. Climb up the white bulged nose and continue to the topout.