Routes as trad in Witteberg

A bold route for summer days, strong arms and good nerves. Epics have been had here.

Start: the start of the route is the same as that for Exposure in F Major.

1. Climb the left hand variation on the first pitch of Exposure.

2. Scramble along the ledge to the left and climb via a short chimney/crack to the top of a pillar next to a tree.

3. From the pillar move up 5m then right (2 Pitons) and pull up to a handrail. Continue right to a stance.

4. Climb straight up, then move slightly left and climb up to a ledge. traverse left to a point directly above the start of pitch 1.

5. Pull up through a small overhang then move left. Climb up the recess (6m) then swing right to a small ledge. Climb up a shallow recess , past the overhang, then move right to reach a corner. Layback up to a small stance.

6. Traverse left around a corner (12m), then diagonally left to a niche. Move up to the right then back left to a small stance. Climb up a jam crack to a better stance (3m)

7. Move up a recess to brown flakes then up a jam-crack on the left. Move up via large flakes to a stance.

8. Walk left to the end of the ledge, then traverse around the bulge to a ledge at the bottom of a gully.

9. Move left into a chimney, ascend this and move out into an open gully.

10. From the block indicating the start of a traverse to the right, step down and continue right and climb up to a grassy ledge.

11. Climb a grassy grove and step right at the top. Climb up to an overhang which is side-stepped to the left.

12. Climb a V-shaped grove to a creaking block at the top of a crack, swing right on tiny footholds and pull up onto a small flat ledge. Continue up via a nose to the right to a small stance.

13. From the stance swing down to foot-grips below a slab. Climb the slab into a scoop, step down, cross a crack and up on the rib to the right to a small stance.

14. Traverse right around a bulging corner.

15. Step down, traverse right to a spectacular corner (E1), then up via a smooth hand-jam crack to a stance.

16. Climb a water-shoot type ramp to a small stance below a bottomless crack breaking through an overhang above.

17. Climb the crack to below an overhang, step down onto a corner on the right, move around this up past a ledge and up the face above. Traverse left to an expose corner and up via a crack to a stance.

18. Traverse somewhat left and climb more or less straight up to the top.

"Shot your bolt yet?"

Thunderbolt first five pitches:

1. Climb the left hand variation on the first pitch of Exposure.

2. Scramble along the ledge to the left and climb via a short chimney/crack to the top of a pillar next to a tree.

3. From the pillar move up 5m then right (2 Pitons) and pull up to a handrail. Continue right to a stance.

4. Climb straight up, then move slightly left and climb up to a ledge. traverse left to a point directly above the start of pitch 1.

5. Pull up through a small overhang then move left. Climb up the recess (6m) then swing right to a small ledge. Climb up a shallow recess , past the overhang, then move right to reach a corner. Layback up to a small stance. After the fifth pitch, Thunderbolt traverses left under some large overhangs, later traversing back right. This variation, starting form the stance above pitch 5 of Thunderbolt - goes straight through the overhangs, joining up with the final pitch of the original route. Thunderbolt Direct :

6. Climb up and to the right, then slightly left to a smallish stance.

7. Climb up to a spire below the overhangs. Climb the spire to a small but comfortable stance at its apex.

8. Move slightly left off the spire and up (1 aid point) to below the large overhang above. Continue to the right and over the lip of the overhang to a small exposed stance.

9. Move up the slab and then diagonally right through two small overhanging sections (6m of grade 16 climbing with points of aid). Climb the recess on the left.

10. Continue up the recess to where is ends and then left on to pitch 18 of the original route.

11. Traverse somewhat left and climb more or less straight up to the top.

Classic and sensational, it is the textbook introduction to country climbing.

Start: about 1km from the Hut along the road to Worcester, a farm road turns off to the left through orchards and crosses the river to a conspicuous bungalow, A sloping ridge immediately behind the hose leads straight up to the left of the face. After passing a large scree curving up into the face, first to the right then back to the left. Using this to cut out 60-70m of bushy buttresses. The climb starts at the first rock band encountered after following the sickle, about 45m right of the skyline of the buttress.

1. Climb an obvious chimney crack to a ledge.

2. Scramble diagonally left to the skyline and follow the ledge for about 60m round to the left hand side of the buttress. Scramble up to the next rock band at the foot of a prominent rib of rock.

3. Climb a sloping break left of the crest of the rib.

4. Climb an obvious break right of the crest of the rib.

5. Climb along the line of least resistance to a projecting rib of bulging boiler plates.

6. Traverse 10m right onto the crest of the ridge. Climb a short recess and follow two chimney cracks to a platform on top of huge blocks.

7. Step off left and traverse about 3m. Climb up a short face and go slightly right to the base of a narrow crack. Move up the crack to the top and then right and up to a stance.

8. Scramble up on the right then traverse left to the skyline. Continue around the corner for 3m, the up 3m to gain a narrow foot rail on the level of the overhangs. Traverse left around a block to gain a stance, or 2m up to a better stance.

9. Descend to the lower stance, then traverse 3m left and up a few blocks to a shallow recess. Climb up the recess 5m, then diagonally right to a small foot rail. Traverse right into a recess with a crack in it. Climb this recess then move left to a ledge.

10. Traverse 2m left, climb an open recess and out to jutting rib on the left. The stance is on the ledge that runs left. Traverse along this ledge 60m to a stance immediately left of projecting red overhangs. Note that there are several direct variations through the rock above the traverse before reaching Pitch 11

11. Pull up on a slab. Move up and then an awkward move over to the corner on the left. Traverse left to a chimney and climb up to a ledge.

12. Follow the recess above to a ledge.

13. Move diagonally left. A high handrail will enable one to traverse out left and gain a small ledge.

14. Traverse left along the ledge for some 8m. Climb a rib of square, broken blocks to a narrow ledge. Traverse 9m left under a small overhang. A step across enables one to gain skyline corner/rib and traverse to a small block stance.

15. Traverse left to a shallow depression and climb up to a small overhang. Traverse left to the corner and then up it to a stance.

16. From the stance, move left of a meter of so and continue up a chimney/crack to a wide ledge. Walk right and continue further up the chimney/cracks to a stance.

17. Two rope lengths along the knife edge lead to the summit.

For a real rock route – this is it!! Exposed in Summer, exposed in Winter.

Start: the approach is the same as for Pisa Wall but, after ascending the last gully, traverse right along a grass band that narrows at a waterfall. Traverse underneath the waterfall and then cut left up the slope into a gully running down from the face. Walk up the gully and scramble up onto a shoulder at the foot of a rock rib.

1. Either ascend the recessed chimney to the right of the rib, or else up the rib itself.

2. Continue up the recess above and exit left at the top.

3. Climb across slabs diagonally up to the right to gain a stance under red overhangs.

4. Climb up to the right of the overhang, then back left and up a Layback edge. Ascend this and then move right across a shallow red recess to an edge. Continue across the edge into a recess and climb up to a tiny stance.

5. Climb up a metre or so and then continue around the corner to the right. Continue up to a handrail under the overhangs. Traverse to the right to a very poor stance.

6. Climb up above the stance and then move up to the left to a prominent recessed chimney. Half way up the chimney it is possible to move out to the right to an exposed nose which is climbed to a stance.

7. Proceed up diagonally right to a stance on top of a block next to a gully.

8. Climb up a recessed chimney, leaving it on the left hand side to reach a fair stance.

9. Climb up diagonally right until it is possible to move up to the left on spaced footholds and cup-holds in the face. Continue to a good stance. This pitch is steep and sustained and should not be underestimated, especially in cold weather. Many climbers who walked the crux have come to grief here.

10. Continue up a shallow recess above the stance, then climb up to the left and up to a very small stance.

11. Climb up slightly to the left into a prominent recess with well weathered rock. Continue up the recess until forced to exit to the right to an obvious stance.

12. Go straight up above the stance to a flake forming a prominent crack. Climb up the outside, or alternatively up the inside of the crack to a wide ledge.

Scramble up to the right. One short “E” grade pitch up a recess follows. Zig-zag up approximately 100 metres of “C/D” grade rock to the top of the ridge, choosing the line of least resistance.

Descent: go down ramps and ledges in a north-westerly direction. This will bring one out on a vlakte between the Witteberg and the Kromrivier Dome. One can either descend the gully which separates the Witteberg from the lower ridges which feature the ‘Cascades Route’. The top of the gully will be recognized by the ‘V’ shape of the rocks at its head. Alternatively walk across the vlakte in a westerly direction towards the top of the Cascades. A good path will be found which goes down the ‘A’ ridge towards the tunnel.

A steep and fairly demanding line on the buttress behind Du Toit's Kloof Lodge and below Exposure in F Major

Approach:

From the Du Toit’s Kloof Lodge parking lot, take a track to the river and find a suitable crossing place. On the other side of the river aim for a distinct, low angle ridge that leads up to the base of the buttress. Near the top, head right to the large, rectangular face approximately in the centre of the right hand wall. Scramble up to a small overhang

Descent:

We managed to do 5 abseils directly from tree trunks in the gulley to the right of the route. Most convenient if you can pull it off.

Description:

1. 35m (19) Start just right of the small overhang. Head up and left across the face following the line of least resistance. Sparse gear. At the top, traverse left until just past a grey pillar.

2. 40m (19) Head up a crack on the right of the pillar for a few meters before stepping left across the centre of the pillar to the left arête. Climb this and then easily to large ledge.

3. 40m (18) Right of some huge boulders is a vague corner crack. Follow this and tend left to some brown and broken rock (take care). From here, follow the vertical crack system on the right wall of the left corner system. At the roof, traverse 3m right to stance on tiny platform with two trees. [The left wall of the right corner system, directly below these trees, probably has better rock but will be substantially harder]

4. 12m (22) From the stance, climb the excellent finger crack on the wall to the right of the corner until it terminates. Traverse left to above a tree in the main corner and then up a chimney and layback to a small stance.

5. 40m (23) Head straight up the steep corner. At the first triangular roof, pull right, then step left and under the next roof until you come to a break where you can pull up to the right. Establish here and then tend steeply up and left to a projecting block. Pull over this to a big ledge. A sustained and exposed pitch.

6. 40 m (21) Climb a blocky feature on the right to a wide roof crack a few meters up. Crank through, then continue easily for 30m to large ledge. From here scramble off left to reach the top of the buttress.

RAPPEL DESCENT IN RED ON TOPO