Routes in Africa for selected grade

pitch 7 to 12 continues up Active Side of Infinity and INXS

Climb up straight from Raptors, 2 pitches further

Starts between LAST MOON and SOMETHING OF VALUE.

1. 17m 21 Climb up to and through the apex of inverted V recess, then move up and right to belay in a hollow.

2. 30m 27 Climb the continuation recess and crack past two bolts on the headwall. Continue easily for another 15 metres to a ledge (shared with LAST MOON) (Alternative: 23 Climb the continuation recess but traverse right beneath the headwall, to a recess which is climbed diagonally leftwards to rejoin the last 15 metres of the original pitch). It makes sense to combine the first two pitches.

3. 30m 18 Climb straight up then slightly leftwards to a ledge.

4. 40m 14 Climb up to the Grassy Ledge.

5. 30m 18 Start about 5 metres right of the large flake lying against the back of the grass ledge. Climb a crack/recess leading to a ledge in the base of a left facing corner. Extending to the right is a very large roof about 25 metres above the grass ledge. Move right around the arête and continue traversing rightwards until able to move up to a hanging belay immediately beneath the widest part of the roof. A handrail runs right beneath the roof from the stance.

6. 15m 21 Drop back down to a level about 3 metres beneath the roof. Traverse right for about 8 metres, then climb diagonally left to a stance above the right end of the roof. (Alternative: 22A1 Rail right until able to pull round the lip. Traverse left to a stance on the edge of the roof).

7. 45m 17 Climb up for about 15 metres to a long ledge. From a point a couple of metres left of the widest part of the ledge, climb up then trend right across the face. Stance on a ledge a few metres right of a 5 metre long lens shaped roof. (Stance shared with TEDDY BEARS PICNIC).

8. 40m 21 Climb the right-hand crack/flake, and traverse right to a flared crack leading to ledge (pitch shared with TEDDY BEARS PICNIC up to here). Continue up and right to the LAST MOON Bivi Cave in the base of a left facing recess.

9. 45m 20 Crawl out to the right and pull onto the face 2 metres right of LAST MOON. Climb diagonally rightwards across the face, heading for the skyline. After a thin traverse right, continue right and up until able to move back left and up to belay at the right hand end of a large ledge (last 8 metres shared with MOONRAKER).

10. 40m 17 Climb diagonally right for about 10 metres, to a one metre block on a ledge. Continue more or less straight up to a large ledge. (This pitch climbs between ROAD WARRIOR and LAST MOON).

11. 35m 13 Walk left and select a pitch up to a broad bushy ledge. (Alternative: 17 fight right to the base of a third chimney).

12. 20m 16 Climb the face to the right of the right hand chimney. (Alternative: 13 Climb to the top if you climbed the alternative to pitch 11).

Notes:

1. Pitch 6 is tricky. The leader is well protected but the second might have an exciting swing.

2. Pitch 8 was originally graded 20, which is a sandbag.

The direct version of 'Sea Of Madness'.

Climbs the center of the wall to the left of 'Picture Book' (about 80m left of 'Fallen Angel'). Scramble up to the base of the wall next to a tree.

1. 35m 26/27 Climb straight up the slab past a peg and 2 bolts to where it eases. Move up and left and climb the steep crack with a tricky move onto the arête. Scramble up 10m to a ledge and rap point.

Climbs through the middle of the roof to the left of Finger Hatchet. Start as for Blood Before Tea and Finger Hatchet. Aim for a narrow, left-facing dihedral in green and red rock on the smooth wall beneath the overhang (the only significant feature here).

1. 27, 30m Climb easy rock to the base of the dihedral. 'Blood Before Tea' and 'Finger Hatchet' both go up and right on the diagonal rib. Instead, step left and climb the dihedral then step left and up to foot ledges and a vertical flake. Up and left again to the highest foot ledge. Traverse right and make a tricky move right to a jug, just above the level of Finger Hatchet’s rail. Crank straight up to get to the white under-clings at the start of the overhang. Climb these up and left, then power through the roof above. Climb slightly left up the short headwall to a fixed anchor (three nuts and a manky old peg – shared with Finger Hatchet). Either rap off or climb Blood Before Tea’s top pitch. Like the other routes here its straightforward to rig a top rope by climbing Lost Trail to just above the “A” and traversing across to the anchor.

Lost Trail climbs the large, A-shaped recess on the true right, about halfway between 'Coffin' and Help-Help pool. This route tackles the fiercely overhanging right retaining wall of the “A”. The meat of the climb is a fantastic boulder problem with good gear preceded by a nice but easy intro. Descent is by rapping off three fixed nuts - bring some tat for these. Alternatively top out on Lost Trail (30m of easy choss). It’s straightforward to rig a top rope by climbing Lost Trail to just above the “A” and stepping right to the fixed nuts.

Start at a neat platform at the base of a left-facing corner below the “A”.

1. 27, 30m Climb the left-facing corner to a ledge on the right. Continue up the wavy flakes and step right above them. Lost Trail comes in from the right here. Climb up to a small foot ledge level with the wide, bottomless crack on the right retaining wall (17ish to here). Climb up 2m to a ledge in the belly of the “A”, reach far up and right to place a good wire, then down climb back to the level of the bottomless crack. Starting at the obvious hand-jam just above the wide crack, launch onto the steeps. Use the right arête for the first half, then finish leftwards to rejoin the crack for the last move or two. Ends on a good small ledge with fixed nuts above.

Located on the same wall as 'Dance Across the Centuries'.

1. [27] 35m Climb the bolted line on the right of the wall.

Up the arete to the right of 'Terminator' .

1. 18m 27 Climb up to start easy section to ledge. Clip bolt and climb up arete past peg to roof. Pull through roof and top out. The peg can be backed up with a #00 technical friend.

Just right of 'Strange Days' , this is an extension to Shaun Harris' boulder problem GREEN BEETLE (7A+), found just left of the right-facing, black-streaked dihedral.

1. 15m 27 Climb GREEN BEETLE, and then continue straight up. The route is naturally divided into three sections, followed by a top-out scramble. The middle section is the red point crux, with a very reachy move to a good rail (between the all three sections are good rails - the only places on the route to get in gear). Luckily the gear between section one and two is bomber, but the problem here is that you are well above your gear (small cam and a nut) when you go for the second rail, and the first gear rail is only 3.5m above deck. The second half of the route is super easy and also well protected. Sling the tree before the run-out scramble and finish the route.

Notes:

1. The line is very intimidating, as the gear placements are few and far between, with a possible deck fall if you miss the rail after the red-point crux.

2. The route was top-roped before being led.

3. Gear was placed on lead, except one piece, to protect the second section, to prevent the possible deck mentioned.

The climb is just about opposite Frog Gully and starts up 'Doggle'. Start as for 'Doggle', pull into the white corner (high nut), exit it, to easy layback slab rests, then move left to a huge loose looking white jug and more shaking to prepare. Move up the chunky arete to a flat hand-shelf, then forge on up the headwall on slopy jugs moving left to last gear in a finger-sized horizontal break (helluva pumpy to place, small cam and nut) then some more hard moves on fingers to reach left to a big hidden undercling far out left, then way run-out grabbing of semi jugs and the finishing jugs.

This is a fully bolted sport climb. Start at the first bolt which is more a few meters downstream and opposite 'Frog Gully' . The bolt is a few meters downstream of a prominent upstream facing open book ('Suicide') at river level.

1. [27] 35m

   Foreplay: Step off ledge above river to clip bolt. Move diagonally right past next bolt and climb crack above to cubby hole. Up steep bulge and onto easier ground. Move diagonally right about 5m into corner below roof. Pull through roof at corner on right and up into leftwards trending crack system. Exit onto ledge system at same level as end of the 'Boggle' first pitch.

2. [27] 10m

   The bit in the middle: Climb through the roof above sharing the stance with pitch 2 of 'Boggle' . There are chains here.

3. [27] 20m

   Afterglow: Climb the bolted line on the wall above.

Starts up SLIPSTREAM.

1. 35m 27 Just after the crux of SLIPSTREAM, SLIPSTREAM avoids the awkward corner and moves right. RHYTHM OF YOUTH moves into this corner and up to the roof. Traverse left to the arete and then diagonally up left to a ledge. From the ledge move diagonally up right and up to a steep but fairly easy crack to another ledge. Traverse left 3m to the very steep white crack (noticeable from the ground). Climb the crack and make hard moves through the roof and onto the short wall above. Climb this and exit onto the ledge with rap tree.

Note: Wild climbing on superb rock, with truck catching runners. Two friend 1.5's will make the crux more appealing.

Starts opposite DOGMATIC. Scramble up a gully to reach the base of steep red wall.

1. 10m 27 Start at the poor peg. Up to a rail and then to a 2nd and 3rd rail passing two bolts. Rail left and finish up a vague crack.

Note: Fully retrobolted in 2005

Starts 6m to the right of QUINTESSENCE.

1. 10m 27 Clip the peg from the ground. Climb to the pegs under the overlap and then follow the crack system to finish.

The direct finish to BLADERUNNER.

Climbs the face between FEAR OF FLYING and VALKYRIE.

1. 25m 27 Climb the face past the three bolts and exit diagonally right to join FEAR OF FLYING. Continue to the clouds.

Start on the large ledge at the beginning of the second pitch of CANDLEHORSE. Climbs the far right end of the steep red wall to the right of CANDLEHORSE.

1. 20m 27 Climb the wall following the bolts to a rail. Easier climbing leads to a ledge. Wander up the right to the top.

Start 10m downstream of GABOOM from a sandy patch.

1. 20m 17 Up tree on white rock to a muddy ledge. Walk left to tree. Up tree until forced back onto rock. Continue up to ledge beneath very overhanging corner/ crack on left.

2. 10m 27 Climb the corner/crack.

Start from the river bed at the base of the boulders, a spot is a good plan here to stop the climber falling backward into the rock. Continue up as for 'Vandals'. This variation adds a bit of pump to the already sustained 'Vandals'.

Steps out over the pool. Tend leftwards to finish on 'Vandals' chains.

Step out over the pool and follow four bolts leftward finishing up the crack. Additional natural gear is recommended.

Starts just right of the arete moving up slightly rightwards up to a cubby hole with chains on the left of this. This route has been recently re-bolted.

The line going up the middle of the smooth pink face. Excellent technical route.

Start the climb from the tree growing over the lower pool. Climb the face straight up to the groove between the two small roofs of GLASS MENAGERIE and THE LOOKING GLASS. A good route but with one very hard move.

Orange spearhead like boulder, with ripple marks all over, that cannot be missed. Starts as a sit start bottom right, moving out left and then up the middle of the boulder.

Rightward extension of Don't Deck ending on Fossil Fuel.

SD Climb up the arête to jug on top.

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.

Starts with some technical face climbing up to a big roof where the fun begins!

Starts on a crimpy face up to a ledge. Follow the bolts to the right where the pump begins! Steep climbing up mostly good holds to the chains. Nice and long and pumpy!

Awesome line! A must do! Shares a start with Keep walking Johnny. At the ledge branch off to the left. Long and sustained

Powerful bouldery line through a scoop/roof.

Sit start next to the tree on a side pull and a pinch, Head up and diagnally left taking care not to dab against the tree. Use the tree to get down safely once topped out.

Sit start on the big edge on the corner and top up directly above.

Start under the overhang. Left hand on pocket,right hand on crimp. Move right to left face of open book. Top out.

Currently, the route closest to the waterfall. A tricky start leads to some fun and heady pulling.

Start off the tree stump and head leftwards.Hardware provided by MCSA.

In front of a small clearing and a large yellow arrow painted on a boulder.

Starts off a large boulder. Up then rail wildly left then up the leaning prow to some trickery, way too much fun. Bolts provided by Boven Fund/MCSA.

Start in the corner of 'Changeling' then head right and up the fun technical face. Hardware provided by Boven Fund/MCSA

Starts in the corner behind the thicket, past through the roof with a grunt, might be nice to have a draw in the bolt ‘above the lip’. Hardware provided by Boven Fund/MCSA

Climb diagonally right up the middle of the obvious west facing face.

A slabby looking line on the golden wall between 'S.W.A.T. Team' & 'Eldorado'. The line weaves its way through a series of balancy moves.

Climb the bouldery face 5 meters right of 'After Thoughts'. Intense start with an interesting finish.

Start at the base of the chimney that becomes 'Up Alard's Crack'. Follow bolts left and up then step over and continue diagonally right after the steep section. The bolts leading straight up on the headwall is an open project. Take long draws for bolts no. 3, 4 and 7 if you want to take out a bit of rope drag.

Starts at the base of a steep rightward trending corner amongst the trees. Climb this with effort then moves leftwards to a slab and rest, before tackling a technical and airy arête. A great journey!

The crack in the sky! Can abseil in to the ledge, or access by climbing Pitch 1. Great photos from the top of the crag.

Climbs the corner just right of a proud and steep knife edge 10m right of 'African Rain'. Slightly lead out but safe climbing slightly spoiled by a halfway ledge. You need a 70m rope for this cruxy cruise.

A two bolt boulder problem. Something to throw yourself at when the rain won‟t let you climb anywhere else.

A very long climb which takes the long corner immediately right of 'Vorpal Sword' (shares the first bolt). Not sustained but a superb line. A popular route. Belayer must keep rope close at the 3rd crux to avoid impact with the ledge! Need a 70 m rope

10m left of 'Dexter's Lab'. A fine route with an arete high up. Low in the grade.

Begins with a boulder problem following the crack 6 m right of 'Moondance'.

Up the tricky steep face then some easier climbing before a testing finish. The extra bolts at the penultimate bolt are not the chains, just a mistake by the bolter. Solid 7b+.

Starts on white rock just right of the drip by the fallen tree. A scrappy start (may be wet in summer) leads to jamming followed by fun, sustained climbing up the right-trending groove, then left through the roofs.

The line between 'Coach' and 'Full Animal'. Start by the white-stemmed tree and veer right onto the clean face after the third bolt. Choose your power animal wisely for the two distinctly different cruxes. Beware of wasps in the crack above the third bolt.

Several meters left of 'Snapdragon', right of 'Coach'. Use slings on the three bolts after the half-height rest. Remember to go full animal on the lip of the roof. MCSA bolts.

Starts about 30m right of 'Snapdragon' up some loose looking (but solid) rock. A hard crux (knocking on 7c) unless you can jamit...

The amazing orange wall. Five stars for the beauty of the line, and the climbing is pretty good too. Tricky start (easier on the left) then up. Probably 7b+ but 7c sounds better. Was opened at 27+.

This route blasts through the roofs on jugs, heading slightly right. Pre clipping the 3rd bolt and unclipping bolts 1 and 2 avoids rope drag.

Up the technical face then right-facing corner above. Was 27 then 26, now 27....

Takes the steep line just to the right of the tree growing up the cliff.

Climbs the next line, a few metres right of the tree growing up the cliff.

The route climbs a really obvious square arête then rails out rightwards wildy!

Stunning! Better than 'Lotter's Desire'? In the middle of the face. Name written at base. The first bolt is very high but the climbing is super easy. Don‟t stray left at the top, just trust those feet and go!

Climb the ‟Indian Creek" type corner 20m left of 'Joy Division', left of a very steep leaning wall.. The bolt can be seen from the ground. Great climbing with a single stopper crux.

Starts just right of 'Monkey Monkey'. Thin start.

Approach by scrambling down the chimney behind the 2nd apartment-sized hanging block. Climb the overhanging rock in the small theatre, past two bolts, exiting up the left hand crack.

Climb the sequential left hand edge from a hanging stance to a single bolt. Can be dusty.

Wild pump up mega steep rock just to the right of 'Keep the Faith' corner. Can be dusty if not climbed recently.

Around the arête and corner - it starts about 5m from the corner.

Solid at the grade! Starts just right of a very steep smooth wall next to tree roots. The huge break up the wall is a few metres to the right.

WOW! A graceful sweep of technicality, possibly best 27 in Boven. Up the centre of the buttress starting from the base. Some extra bolts made it less sporty some years back.

Clip first five bolts of 'The Pit' and move left, blast through the roof to the right of the 'Black Magic' seam and up the open book corner. Take a couple of long slings.

The bolt line up a prominent steep slab a few metres right of the aforementioned bowl. Starts off a big ledge. May your fingers have thick skin!

Start on the flat underclings on the roof, do one move to a good edge, then top out.

Sit start, R.H on an undercling edge. L.H on a sidepull. Pull up going to a 2/3 finger pocket. T.O going left.

Stand start using pockets and crimps. Go up to the midway undercling/roof. T.O tending slightly right.

Sit start. Head up the face with the obvious black streak on it.

Sit start on a good ledge bottom far right. Traverse all the way left and top out.

Don't let the jugs fool you.

Start on good crimps and dyno up.

Sit start and left hand crimp and right hand crimp and climb leftish up overhang

Start on right hand good crimp and left hand good sidepull and climb up prow

Start on big pocket and climb straight out.