The Original South Face Route.

The Original South Face Route. E2 **

This route is an excellent adventure on good sunny rock. Starting as for the Original route for the first pitch but the route soon changes in nature as you climb and traverse the south face on pitch 2. When we climbed this route in June 2003 we added the additional pitch after the hard move through the roof on pitch 4, this allows you to keep audible contact with each other. In the past pitches 4 & 5 have been combined to give one long pitch.

Pitch 1 (20m): Climb to the top of the obvious broken pillar to a large ledge called "The Gallery." This pitch is on poor rock, a good warm up and gear is plentiful.

Pitch 2 (30m) 5b: Bridge up to the top of the pillar on the left side of the gallery. Place a bomber no. 3 cam in the head height pocket and climb the steep face above (bold), up and left to a leaning flake. Climb up the flake to a good ledge and scramble along this for 12 meters, avoiding all the nesting residents, to a flake belay with some ancient pegs and bolts.

Pitch 3 (25m) 5b: Climb up and left on poor rock to another ledge and to the bottom of a shallow chimney. Climb up the chimney on huge dinner plates to a huge ledge and cave. (The Mouth) This was the bivvy site on the first ascent and the hammock bolts are still sound. (we used them) There has been considerable stone fall in this cave since the first ascent, under and around these large boulders live more furious feathered residents, tread carefully!

Pitch 4 (20m) 5b: Continue up the line of the shallow chimney through the roof of the cave, (strenuous) and follow the chimney on good rock and more huge dinner plates to a good ledge about 6 foot below a prominent roof. Make a hard move through the niche in the roof to another good ledge and Belay.

Pitch 5 (25m) 5a: Walk right along this upper ledge for a few meters to a left facing corner. Climb the corner and pull out onto the face above in an exposed position. Follow the right trending fault above on good rock to the bottom of the grassy Haven. Climb the grass precariously to a loose crack at the top of the Haven. (scary when wet!)

Pitch 6 (35m) 4c: Climb up and left to a better ledge, climb the big flake on the left to further vegetation. Swiftly pass the vegetation and vast amounts of spitting residents in such a small area, to a series of ramps and ledges leading to an easy wee chimney and the south summit.

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