★ Prometheus I 8

A good way up to cave 4 and beyond, not as clean and classy as The Caves Route but a nice change of scenery.

Start about 50m right of Black Orpheus, in a gully that is accessed by scrambling up just before the track drops down and starts heading around the northern side of the mountain. This route has many variations - this description is only one of them.

1. Scramble up the gully, left of Candy Mountain, then up right, into the prominent corner and follow the apron right towards Ross Miller Route until a ramp is met on the left. Scramble up this ramp to a corner belay below the first bolts of the Ross Miller Route.

2. Climb the left leaning gully, to a prominent steelwood tree. Belay from here.

3. Traverse right and diagonally up, following a line of small trees (slings) to a ledge, below a steep short gully. Belay from solid tree or gear.

4. Move left and up (grade 2) or climb the gully directly to avoid rope drag, heading in the direction of cave 4, either stop at the ledge at the bottom of the ramp in front of cave 4 or continue up to the prominent tree on the ramp. Find a suitable tree to break the pitch.

5. Continue up and towards the right side of cave 4 (facing cave) into the gully/chimney, with a cruxy move to top out into cave 4. This pitch can be done without rope. The most popular escape is the Cave 3 traverse (grade 2, now bolted, with anchor), on the left far side of the cave, to join Caves Route, or keep scrambling to the right and in the upper cave 4 to the start of Prometheus II (marked). Due to the weakness of the trees on this route, abseiling is not recommended.

Modern climbers establishing new routes have taken great pains to ensure any new routes do not interfere with the historic routes established many decades ago.

Retro-bolting of existing routes is unacceptable!

New routes shall make use of traditional protection where available.