Rakabat Canyon Mostly Trad climbing 12 routes in unknown area

A great climb with a tricky hand/fingers crack and an airy second pitch. The climb twists and turns a lot.

Time: About 4 hours up and down. Approach 30 mins to 1 hour from rakabat east entrance.

Gear: A full rack.

• P1 f5: Scramble up the ramp, climb the hand/finger crack and question your ability to jam and balance. Belay under the small roof from the big thread.
• P2 f-5: Head up to the left where the crack widens and you feel the air between your legs. Reach a bulge with no hand holds, heading right to a sheltered section and up the slab.
• P3 f4: Pull over a jagged corner/crack head up more slab. Careful your ropes don't get stuck in the crack here as you climb. Head right to the summit.

Descent.

Walk off to the opposite side, repel to reach the valley floor where crack in the back is.

A mega classic, the first 3 pitches are pure quality with interesting sustained climbing. Pitch 4 can be either direct (6b), or down then up the chimney (5). Needs large cams (camalot 5 or 6) for the upper offwidth pitches, double if you want to feel secure. Bolted Anchors. Upper pitches get sun earlier than lower.

1. 5c layback getting steeper, green cams for the top.

2. 6a twin cracks

3. 5c layback

4. 6b direct using peg or 5 going down into then up the chimney (loose blocks on top)

5. 5c

6. 4a

Descent: Rap via the route.

A big jaggedy crack of variable width and creative protection. Guide book says it's a f4 but it could feel harder if your not used to the awkward style.

Time: 4 hours up and down, if you know where you're going 2 hours. Approach 30 mins to 1 hour from rakabat east entrance.

Gear: Full rack.

• P1 f-5: Straight up the crack, Reaching a small ledge/cave on the right with a big thread (40m).
• P2 f4: Exit the cave back into the crack where it opens up more, with bridging and standing on what could be brittle spikes and flakes. Belay from a big flat ledge with a roof on the right just before the crack opens and flattens out
• P3 f3: Climb / traverse right to reach a bigger plateau (limited useful protection).
• P4 f3: Optional, scramble to the summit. If not head up right to the ridge line.

Descent.

Follow the ridge line steeply down generally staying on the right side snaking back and forth. There will be some down climbing and maybe some cairns. Eventually trending more to the right, heading for the canyon crossroad. It is possible to get down without abseiling.

A tough first pitch and an exposed hard to protect but fairly easy 2nd pitch.

Approach: From the east entrance to Rakabat canyon just after the under/over boulder scramble up the ramp to the first pitch. About 20-40 mins from rakabat east entrance.

Gear: A full rack.

Time: Roughly 4 hours up and down.

• Pitch 1 f5: Head straight up pulling over the bulge to poor holds.
• Pitch 2 f5-: Head up the slab hard to protect. There is a big flake on the right side wall don't use it sounds very hollow. Head to the corner on the left.
• Pitch 3 f4: From the corner cruise up the ramp to the mini summit.

Decent.

Using the tat on the huge blocks head down the other face into the gully. Walk down the gully a bit and find the abseil about midway in it back to the start.

A single pitch trad route. From the right of the pillar to a bolted belay (in common with routes Odeur de Rhum / Soumises). Rock quality not very good, not recommended.