Routes in Asia for selected grade

Consider this a two-pitch route, in three acts. Not a traditional, linear line. The horse-shoe line traverses three different boulders. Climb through the short four- meter hand crack (5.4G), walk the ledge to the right, traverse right (5.5X), and then gain the opposite high-boulder (5.7R).

Creative protection on the second part of the route and ground fall potential on this 5.5 traverse. The airy top-out, from the right side of the ledge with potential to swing back into the rock is quite exciting. Equally exciting for the follower.

FA: Sohan & Amrit Appaden. May 21st, 2022

Chimney and Finger Crack

Facing south, the first half involves chimneying upto the ledge, protecting in the finger crack/seam, and then running it out to the topout.

The last eight-ten feet is the crux.

Exit via the scramble to the north-east and hike around.

Rack: A set of finger-sized nuts or cams.

Anchor: Hand-sized cracks

Natural Anchor: Hip belay

FKA: Sohan, Arun Bhat, & Dave X, Nov 27th, 2021

There are various routes here. I only went up the 5.7 for a warm up, but there was what looked like at least a 5.10S just around the corner.

As you walk along the base to the south, a couple of slabs separated by a channel filled up with mud.

Both sets of the slabs could be protected with gear or from the trees atop them.

Three lines here; one of which could be led on gear, and the other two are currently soloed.

The leadable line is to the far left, thin cracks take finger sized pieces (cams only). Or maybe pitons. The take-off crux here, and then easy line to the top.

The weakest (5.5) take-off section is to the right. And then follows a series of weaknesses diagonally going left. And top out towards the left horizontal crack.

The third line follows to the right, closer to the edge, and then exposed but easy climbing to the tree.

Three top-rope lines could be setup, with one from the tree in the channel, and two on either side about 8-10 feet below in the horizontal cracks.

FKA: Sohan. July 31st, 2022.

Top Rope anchors only on a tree pocked slab

An old school route, and one of my best adventures yet. But the route isn’t popular because of the nature of its climbing. There are bunch of such routes littered around Bangalore, and to understand these routes from the lens of modern climbing, one needs to experience them.

There is limited protection on this route after the first 60 meters. And the belay stations are just good stances in large buckets or on ledges. Body belays are more efficient as there is no fixed anchoring for the belayer. Ideally, the route should be soloed, as all the roped climbers are at risk if the leader falls.

The approach to the route takes 40 minutes to an hour. Map to the following coordinates (12.735434, 77.311752), and look for a small temple to park at.

The base is overwhelmingly a jungle now about 20-50 feet deep. So, requires one to traverse across fairly exposed lower slab of the hillock from the west. An adventure in itself. Look for a fold in the hillock, with a crack running to its left. Else, navigate to the base using the images provided below.

Gear needed, 50-meter rope (there is no possibility exit at any point along the route), and two-three slings. A rack including ball-nuts and big bros, (if you so wish to). There is possibility to place pro, only in the lower 60 meters. And there after the rack is just additional weight.

P1: 5.6. 32 meters. 5.4-5 slab for the first 15 meters with a tree at the end of it, and then an off-width crack for another 15 meters. The off-width crack starts from further left, but narrows to a fist crack, just below the tree, and continues as an ‘arm-bar’ sized off-width crack. The crux is just before the end of the pitch. Possible to protect with double finger sized cams just before where the crack ends. Wide gear might be needed for anchoring, or climb beyond to the tree, for about eight odd feet from the crack, and use it for anchoring. The tree seems healthy, but the root system didn’t seem extensive. Hence, we didn’t use it for anchoring.

P2: 5.5. 30 meters. Angle mildly left of the tree. Slab with large buckets. Might take ball nuts, along the way to protect, and a fist sized cam in another location. Not much to protect in the second half. End of the 30-meter mark, a system of large buckets, allows for a belay stance.

P3: 5.6+. 45-50 meters. Slab with moments, and no protection. The anchor station is in a large grass patch on a ledge. Might take larger pieces at the anchor station. A horizontal band of wide crack running across, behind the grass.

P4: 5.5. 30 meters. Aim right of the nostril shaped cave, and then straight up. End of the pitch is relatively flat terrain (still slab, but relatively easy angled)

P5: Easy scrambling terrain. Walk right below the cacti, and then continue straight up to a large cave. 50 meters

P6: 5.6/5.7. 20 meters. Continue on the headwall to the right of the cave (5.7), or alternatively from the left of the cave (5.6).

To exit, walk to the end of the plateau, and angle left. You should hit the well- marked goat trail.

The route was explored and climbed between 1984-85 by Shyam Krishnakumar, Y Sathya Prasad (Shyam’s brother), and Gajendra, after initial explorations by Shyam and Gopinandan since 1983. There is another resultant route to the right of Dhani (right of the fold/gully in the rock) that goes up for about 40 odd meters up to the trees, and up to below the overhanging section, and then hits a headwall, climbed in a similar style. While Shyam has led ‘Dhani’ multiple times over the three and half decades since, the only other person known to have led the entire route is Raghu (Sreenanandan AV).

Shyam, turned 60 in Jan 2019, continues to lead this route, with sure footedness, and is probably one of the oldest if not the oldest active climber around Bangalore.

Opened by Lopsang Thisring, Kamalesh & other members of 'The Climbers' in 1987 during IMF All India Camp.

Route opened by either Naresh, Paramjeet, Annie in 90/91 (5.9/5.10aR) as per Dini, or by Subhomoy, Kamalesh & Jagadeesh in 1994.

Back in Business is one of the first two routes put up on Achalu wall by Dinesh Kaigonhalli.

P1: 5.6. 30 meters. 5 + 2 bolts. First pitch starts to the right of the caves. Stand up on a ledge after the slab, and you are at the first bolt.

P2: 5.4. 25 meters. 2 + 2 bolts.

Second pitch is a walk up between large pockets.

P3. 5.7. 30 meters. 4 + 2 bolts.

Interesting pitch for a beginner route.

Route credit, Dini and team. Early 2014.

P1: 5.6 - 30 Meters -4 (+ 1) + 2 bolts.

After first pitch, the route merges with Back in Business second and third pitches.

P2: 5.4. 30 Meter. 2 + 2 bolts.

Second pitch is a walk up between large pockets.

P3: 5.7. 30 meters. 4 + 2 bolts.

Four bolts plus one shared with Back in Business.

This route is also a popular first pitch variation to get on routes number 7 and 8.

To get on Memory Loss or Basanti, veer right after the fourth bolt, and locate the first pitch top anchors to the right on easy terrain, after another 60 odd feet.

Route credit, Dini and team. Early 2014.

About 15-20 meters to the right of Broomberg. Just another slab route. A bit chossy.

Route credit: Dini, Prani & Seema. 2017

Crack line

Follow the trail to Khoday Neer, and the route starts just over the fort wall.

Rack needed: a set of nuts, and cams up to #3. Maybe a spare of #3 for anchoring at P3 start.

P1: 5.7G. 20 meters.

The route begins right next to a fort wall in a chimney, and traverses right after about four meters. A small but growing tree sticking out of the narrow chimney poses the crux of the pitch.

Past the tree, the line traverses to the right diagonally for about three meters.

Then the route continues straight along the dihedral crack. The corner has block of rocks chocked into it. Watch out for the odd shaky chock stone wedged in the crack.

Belay stance from a triangular ledge.

P2: 5.7R. 20 meters.

This is the same ledge from where the Khoday Neer P2 starts. Instead of following the left Khoday Neer crack, look to the right corner dihedral crack for the ‘TBONTB’ line. The crux begins right at the takeoff; an option is to high step on the right wall, while using an arm bar in the left crack. Very little to protect the take-off, until you get over the crux. But crux gets over quickly, and there-after, it is a 5.4 climb.

Keep right and go over a boulder to reach the base of the Pitch 3.

P3: 5.7G. 15 meters.

Pitch three gets interesting. It is a knife blade edge on a crack. It runs straight up for about 10 odd meters. This final pitch is the second half of Khoday Neer’s top pitch.

The crux presents itself after the first five meters. The problem here is not the grade, but the quality of the crack. The right-side edge of the crack is an inch- wide sheet of rock, or a flake. As you grip it, you realise that it will eventually break off.

FA: Kinsroc folks

Crux pitch runs from a bush to small tree. Long runout pitch at about 5.4 or 5.51.

First Ascent: Mohit Oberoi & Dinesh Kaigonhalli

A variation of Flesh Trade, first ascended by Gujju Razzak and Madhu on Mar 24th, 2016.

“Old Route Flesh Trade .. we went a bit on the left and then took a short traverse to right and up. It’s just a small variation. Climbing Style Trad / Solo ... It took us about 2 hrs to the top with ample time to sit and enjoy the sun rise and other small climbing moments” - Gujju

Diagonal Chimney

The prominent diagonal chimney, facing north, can be easily soloed out. The face to the left of the chimney (facing north) with some potential shallow cracks, could be a Grit style project? The east face arete has been high balled previously.

Facing: Chimney itself faces North

Old problems. Information by Vineeth, name provided by Vikram Murthy

Crack

Gear needed: Rack upto #4

Starts on a block of rock, connects to another, gets on the face, and then connects to the off-width crack going diagonally left.

Couple of bolts were added on stance, and then, an anchor station was added when threatened by rain. The anchor station perverts the route and needs to be removed. Early attempts at ground up routes.

FFA: Sohan, Narayan Pai, and Karthik Vijayakumar.

A 3 bolt line

Anchor - Trees

Route by Shyam Krishnakumar & Sohan. FA: Shyam. November 9th, 2022.

Hand and finger crack

The crux is within the first 12-14 feet, and then a scramble to the top-out.

Finger-crack to hand-crack, and then a seam where it turns to slab. The crux move is the take-off and at the point of transition to the slab. More of a placement beta route than the movement beta. Simpler to boulder this line on the crashpads as the upper section is a scramble. But climbing on removable gear kicks up the challenge a notch.

Rack: Hand-sized pieces and lower.

Top-Anchor: Tree to the climber left and the cracks to the climber right (might need cleaning up. For top-rope anchor, long cordage (20-meter length). The tree branches atop the boulder are close enough to the boulder, but with a drop of about 20-feet, between the tree and the boulder.

FKA: Ravee Bhat bouldered and went right from the sloper, at the end of the crack. June 26th, 2022. A week later, in early July, Charan H. & I cleaned up the crack to be able to protect the line through the seam. No impact to the grade.

Corner finger crack.

This partially quarried high boulder offers a unique style of climbing for Bangalore.

Located a few meters to the south of the Breathe-in Off-width. Essentially the twin boulder that forms the Breathe-in Chimney/Offwidth

Take-off is the crux. If climbing on the slab alone, the grade kicks up a few notches. If climbing the corner, in any fashion, the grade drops to the one stated above.

The corner crack fills up with mud and the vine keeps growing back and blocks the crack. Needs to be cleaned up to climb free.

Rack: Set of smaller nuts, and finger or double finger sized cam.

Anchor: The tree about 15-feet from the edge.

FKA: Sohan & Amrit Appaden. May 21st, 2022.

One of the few, if not the only chimney around Bangalore that can be protected with non-wide gear. Also, possibly the FA of this high boulder. No signs of previous ascents were noticed on the top.

Squeeze chimney in sections with chock-stones along the way to protect, with a thin crack running the length of it.

Climb over the 12-foot boulder to the west leaning on the face, access the chimney and inch your way towards the chockstones, and climb through between them. The thin crack takes small nuts, and finger and double finger sized cams. If feeling bold, cams could be avoided, nuts alone.

Anchor: Hand to fist sized horizontal cracks will take tricams or intermediate-sized cams.

Natural Anchor, the entire top on the right-side or the stack to the south can be slung with a 15-meter rope, or further on the same stack, a smaller but substantial boulder will take a 20-foot rope to sling and protect, with extended anchor of five to eight meters.

Exit: The bolted top-anchor of Fire in the Belly

FKA: Sohan, Manoj Prakash, Amrit Appaden, and Srivats Vats. May 04th, 2022.

Finger and hand crack

Left of the offwidth on the Zen Garden boulder, facing north.

Start on the horizontal crack to the left, and then through the tree and then through the vertical crack. The start is simpler than it looks, and the crux is the commitment before the top out. Suggested to protect the traverse to protect the second. At the crux, at the top, finger jams or lean out to the right with the feet in the crack. Exciting top out.

Rack: Finger- to hand-sized cams/nuts to lead, and anchoring gear as mentioned for Peanut Stall. Offset nuts of the mid to larger sizes or the tricams shine here.

FKA: Sohan and Shyam Krishnakumar, Apr 27th, 2021

C2 线路开放 暂无FFA，预估FFA难度5.11

North-west rib and traverse of west ridge

Name translates as "Battery Chimney"

North face of the central summit

c4 .4-6

5.7+G through 5.9x variations. 350 meters. Trad, Five-Seven Pitches.

FA: Charu Sharma, Rohan Kanhai, Mandip Singh Soin, Oct 22/23, 1984, of the original Deepawali route

Deepawali was the first technical route opened on Savandurga in 1984. For the full story recounting the epic ascent look up the Outdoor Journal, summer 2013 edition.

Gear: 60-meter rope is optimal, but a 70-meter rope will help you reduce the number of pitches required to climb the routes. Full rack up to BD Cam #3, doubles of intermediate sizes, a set of nuts, a few tricams will be immensely useful. A dozen alpine draws and anchoring gear.

Committing route with possibility to exit only upto the first 60 or 70 meters, assuming you have double ropes or a tag line.

Five to seven pitches, depending on the rope length, and with multiple variations (at the time this documentation, there are five variations to the route), with each deserving its own name, and with its own grade. All these variations start from the same point and converge into the same penultimate pitch, which is a long gulley.

The first 10 odd meters are hard to protect but an easy 5.5/5.6 terrain. Thereafter, you could either stick to the right side slabby dihedral crack, or with a 70-meter rope cut across the slab to the left to trees you see to the further left of a horizontal off width crack.

If you chose to stick to the right side, again you have a choice between taking the horizontal off width crack which is hard to protect and can get hairy, or continue up the Navaratri version, which is the yellow line in the topo image.

The Green dotted line in the topo is the original Deepawali line and has a sandbagged grade for a short section. It is harder move than 5.8, and as per the admission of the First Ascensionists, it is much harder grade and they got over the crux by standing on the shoulder of the fellow climbers.

If you choose to follow the solid yellow line connecting to the blue dotted line, after the second pitch, you will encounter a short section of 15-20 feet of a 5.9x line. This line is part of the Scott Crack or the Crack route. Aside from this one section, the rest of the line is easier to protect and holds no surprises.

The hard-green line at the top section is a variation that directly gets onto the technically easy but hard to protect slab. Opened by Samiran Kolhe & TT Niranjan.

All the route variations converge back into the gully. At the end of the gully (a large tree blocks further progress), traverse right with a short bouldering move over the slab, and the terrain eases up. The terrain is very easy. You can stand and walk. But if you are roped up, go across to the wall, use the cracks to put in a piece and clip the rope to avoid the rope getting caught in the thorny bushes, and continue up to exit right over a boulder.

Bonus climb: On the plateau before the final exit, to the right, there’s a crack formed by a large boulder leaning against the right-side wall. A short 15 feet section. Use a #3 cam to protect and exit to the intermediate plateau.

Once you have topped out, to exit, scramble over the boulders to the right, until you get to a slab that will take you directly over to the main Savandurga plateau. Follow until you meet the trail, turn right and exit. 40-60 minutes’ hike to the base after topping out.

Make a traditional anchor on top to bring up the second. There is a rappel anchor on the face. Use the anchors on the face climbs to get down safely.

Start 2m right of Silk Road. Up the crack to the right of Silk Road. One of the only trad climbs at Makuiwa, and a good climb for beginner leaders. Easy to bail from or move over and clip bolts on Silk Road if needed.

North face of the east ridge

Name translates as "Four Seasons".

Left part of the north-east face

Its just around the first point to the right of the arch as you come out to the beach. It runs off the pebbly beach up a crack going right. Rock is soft and loose but has passable protection for active pro. At the top of the crack traverse right to a big nosey flake to set up top rope anchor for the sea cliff face, which has a sustained ~6a route directly up to the nose.

One of the classic Japanese alpine routes. Loose rock, not much pro, lots of old rusty pitons, bad anchors. Top out with 200+m siun climbing then hike down, or rap 4-6 pitches down depending on anchor condition.

Not really a climb, but scramble up to access the anchor ledge for the sport climbs. Start in front of the cockpit, top the slab, can sling the horn for protection, and there is one bolt [unconfirmed] on the main cliff when you step over the gap.

Right part of the north-east face

'Don't Be A Coward' 左侧路线。

Gear:#.5-#4

有两个顶，第二个顶需要钻过第二个石头洞。个大的从左边钻，个小的可以从右边钻。

不建议爬顶绳，磨绳非常厉害，双绳从洞外下降。

Left part of the north-east face

Anchor：树

Gear: C4 #2-#6

Same anchor as More fun than shopping for shoes.

East face

与 '猪钻孔' 共顶，大坑清理。不钻大孔，钻左边的小孔，体验十分奇妙，体型较大者慎钻。 C4：3-6

Translates as "Sound of a stream route" F1～3 This route is on the rock formation known as 'Seal Rock'

From Choroševsky pass

与 '猪钻孔' 共顶，大坑清理

North-east pillar of the north ridge

North face by Zindon pass

'Born To Simple' 右边，起步稍显破碎，后半程夹角愉快缝

Anchor=2bolts

Gear Advice: C4 #1, #4, #5, #6