Copyright:
MCSA-KZN 1998 ©
Routes
on the Warrior Wall are described in two sections, the Upper (upstream) and
Lower (downstream) sections. These are separated by the 'Sands of Time'
dihedrals. The quickest approach is to scramble up to the Access Ledge on the
Power Wall and then walk downstream along this ledge until you reach the bottom
of the Rocky Gully separating the Power and Warrior Walls. From here a short
walk downstream brings you the base of Upper Warrior Wall. There is a large,
permanent sandbar that stretches across the base of the Upper Warrior Wall, but
the base of the Lower Warrior Wall is usually under about a meter of water.
When
climbing on the Upper Warrior Wall it is a good idea to take a rope bag or
towel to keep your ropes out of the sand. The climbs are listed from left to
right. The prominent, blocky, right-tending corner of 'Batman' and the
pronounced right-facing dihedrals of 'Sands of Time' are obvious reference
points for climbers new to this venue.
1. Hummer (26) [5B] ***
Opening
party: Damion McHendry (16 June 1997)
About
10 m downstream from the 'Sands of Time' dihedrals is a major left sloping
recess. Climb the U-bolted line up the orange prow on the right of this recess.
Exit left via the crack at the top of the recess. There are no anchors as yet.
Note:
[07 July 2003] The bees seem to have moved off now and it appears that not
only top-anchors, but also the top one or two bolts are missing. I cannot see
how it is possible to climb this line - if you are capable of climbing this
grade, please sort out the bolting and update me on the details. Thanks, GP.
2. Pass the Ammo (19) **
Opening
party: Rodney Owen, Gavin Peckham and Jonathon Wigley (27 October 1996)
Start
a few metres left of 'Sand Jam'. Climb easily up to the start of a short,
left-sloping finger crack that is followed to the top. Well protected except
for the fact that the best gear placings are also the best handholds.
3. Sand Jam (17) **
Opening
party: Eric Penman and Harley Green (1993)
About
25 m left (downstream) of 'Batman' are two pronounced, right-facing dihedrals.
By various means, (usually through the middle of a small fig tree!) climb
easily up to a ledge at the base of the dihedral on the left. Climb the
left-hand dihedral. It is probably better to start up 'Sands of Time' and then
move across to the base of the 'Sand Jam' dihedral.
4. Sands of Time (16) [C] ****
First
known ascent: Richard Knott (1992). Probably first climbed by Stewart
Middlemiss in 1986.
This
line takes the dihedral just right of 'Sand Jam'. Climb an easy ramp to the
base of the right-tending dihedral, which is then followed to the top. This is
an excellent and well protected route.
5. A Piece of the Action (18) ***
Opening
party: Shaun Cooke and Neil McQueen (1992)
Start
from the same position as 'Sands of Time'. Boulder directly to a solitary bolt then move
left around a small bulge. Continue right to a recess then back left to a
ledge. Finish straight up for the last four metres.
Note:
Shaun Cooke writes, "I named this route to reflect my good fortune at
being able to open a route at a time when such prestigious climbers [McQueen;
Camp; et al] were involved in developing the area. Neil [McQ] completed 'The
Works' later that day and before coming up with that name he jokingly suggested
calling his route 'The Action' but decided that this might reflect too
negatively on my route !"
6. Cally's Line (17) [6B;C] ***
Opening
party: Gavin Peckham and Anthony van Tonder (15 June 2003)
Start
2 m upstream from 'Sands of Time'. Step up onto a large block. Clip the first
bolt then move strenuously onto a small ledge at the base of a smooth sided
recess. Climb the recess to reach another small ledge and then climb straight
up the face above to reach a large ledge with chains. The top part of this
route possibly coincides with 'Piece of the Action'.
7. Peaceful Protest (17) [7B;C] ****
Opening
party: Craig Pearman (1992) Retro-bolted.
About
5 m upstream from the 'Sands of Time' corner there is a smooth sided,
right-facing recess which is capped at about 4 m by some bulging rock. Start up
the left-hand edge of the recess and pull through the overlap just left of the
recess (strenuous) to reach a small stance. Climb straight up for a couple of
metres and then continue up to the chains on a big ledge by tending slightly
left using good layaway holds. If you can't pull through the overlap, you can
'cheat' by starting up the 'Conan' crack, stepping far across left onto a flake
and then moving easily through onto the small stance.
8. Conan (21) ****
Opening
party: Neil McQueen (1992)
About
a meter to the right of 'Peaceful Protest' is a thin crack line capped by some
overhanging rock at the top of the crag. Climb the face on thin holds keeping
just to the right of the crack to reach a large ledge just below the
overhanging rock. From the ledge, handrail out to the right, over the nose of
the overhang. From the furthest point out on the overhang continue straight up.
9. Mandela's Choice (16) ***
Opening
party: Gavin Raubenheimer and Gerald Camp (25 October 1997)
Start
as for 'Yush' but move left at the nose and continue up a slab. Move left past
a small fig tree to a recess which is followed to the top.
10. Yush (20) ***
Opening
party: Gerald Camp and Ian Manson (1994)
Start
one meter left of 'Batman'. Climb up two metres to below a nose. Step right and
climb a steep shallow recess with a good crack line to reach a large ledge.
Scramble up easy rock to the top or move off to the right and abseil off a fig
tree. Well protected.
11. Batman (17) *****
First
known ascent: Gerald Camp (1992). Probably first climbed by Stewart Middlemiss
in 1986.
Climb
the prominent, blocky, overhanging, right tending (!) corner. The crux move is
low down on an easy looking slab that reeks of bat pee! Sustained higher up,
but well protected. You can either top out or lower off the chains at the top
of 'Cat Woman'. Please take some mothballs and toss them into the big crack.
Hopefully this will persuade the bats to go and live somewhere else !!!
12. Cat Woman (18) [9B;C] *****
Opening
party: Gavin Peckham (23 September 2002)
This
route follows the line of bolts up the face to the right of 'Batman'. Climb up
to the second bolt either continue straight up - fairly tricky - or move across
to the right and pull up onto a small ledge at the base of a large, flaring
recess. From here, follow the bolts up the face to the narrow overlap near the
top. Apparently you are supposed to pull through the overlap and continue
straight up to the chains. This is much harder than18 and in practice almost
everybody moves left at the overlap and finishes up the last couple of moves of
'Batman'. This line is an old classic that has been top roped for years due to
the total absence of gear. It has only recently been bolted and properly 'opened'.
13. Bird Child (16) ***
Opening
party: Unknown
Start
as for 'Cat Woman'. From the step at the base of the recess, climb the right
tending corner and then exit up the Mfecane dihedral. Copyright: MCSA-KZN 1998
© [Comment: The dihedral at the top is
at least 18 and if you have fat fingers, it is even harder.]
14. Mfecane (23) [5B] ***
Opening
party: Gerald Camp (1992)
This
line provides a tricky exercise in thin slab climbing. Start a couple of metres
left of 'Dingane's Manoeuvres' and climb straight up the smooth wall past four
bolts to a ledge, then continue up the short dihedral above. The bolt placing
is not ideal and there are no top anchors.
15. Dingane's Manoeuvres (18) ****
Opening
party: Neil McQueen (1992)
Climb
up the large, left-facing corner just upstream from 'Batman'. Towards the top,
move out right into the cubbyhole at the base of an off-width crack on the
right hand face. Climb the off-width to the top (crux). This route requires
several large hexes or cams and a few small wires. The off-width can be
protected with a #6 Friend if you have one. A #4 can be positioned at the base
of the off-width but will be liable to 'walk'. Make sure you have bomber gear
in the rail level with the base of the cubbyhole. This will give a safe, but
spectacular fall if you come unstuck on the off-width. Variation: Instead
of moving out right to the off-width, carry on straight up the corner to the top
(19) Linden Feirrera and Kanji Yoshimura (02 October 2005)
16. Shaka (23) ****
Opening
party: Neil McQueen (1992)
Follows
the arête right of 'Dingane's Manoeuvres'. A bouldery start leads to a mantleshelf
move protected by a bolt. Move onto the right hand face and then up on easy
holds, tending back to the arête and a second bolt. Thin moves to a jug are
followed by a pleasant finish.
17. Cetshwayo (25) ****
Opening
party: Brett Clarke (1992)
Just
right of 'Shaka' is a corner with a tree growing halfway up. Climb the left
tending groove/corner to the right of this. Strenuous, and a little difficult
to protect.
18.
Open Project
Start
just right of Cetshwayo and climb straight up through the roof to the
coldshuts. The grade is probably about 26 to 28. There are chains at the top of
the route.
19.
Project - Craig Robertson.
An
open project by now?
20. The Works (24) [6B;C] ****
Opening
party: Neil McQueen (1992)
Follow
the line of bolts through the inverted "V" in the centre of the wall.
This is a fine route that somehow uses every type of climbing technique to make
it to the top, hence the name.
21. Supreme Being (27) [5B;C] ****
Opening
party: Roger Nattrass (1993)
This
is a technical and powerful line. A bouldery start leads to a rest under the
overlap. Long stretches and cranks are the solution to this imposing problem.
22.
Project [5D] Andrew Russell-Boulton
An
open project by now?
23. Iklwa (23) ***
Opening
party: Gerald Camp (1992)
Climb
the face past two bolts then continue up the corner above. The line has good
gear and an enjoyable crux at the second bolt.
24. Purple People Eater (21) ****
Opening
party: Craig Robertson (1993)
Start
just right of Iklwa. Climb diagonally right to the cubbyhole - very strenuous.
Tend left up the face above on good fingerlocks and edges. This is one of the
best routes on the Warrior Wall.
25. Dingiswayo (16) **
Opening
party: Gerald Camp (1992)
Start
at the obvious left-facing corner with a small fig tree at the base. Climb the
corner until it steepens, then follow the easy ramp to the left and continue
straight up to the top. The ramp (crux) is unprotected.
26.
Open Project
Start
as for Dingiswayo and then try to make it through the roofs.
27.
Project - Angus Lamming
An
open project by now? Start a couple of metres right of Dingiswayo and try to
make it to the top. Two bolts have been placed low down.
28. Mthethwa (18) **
Start about 20 m right of
'Dingiswayo'. Climb up through an upside
down "V" shaped crack.
Continue up to the left of a tree then on up a smooth recess to the top
blocks.
29. To Be Free (A2)
Opening
party: Gerald Camp (April, 1999)
Start 7m to the right of
'Mthethwa'. Climb the beautiful, thin,
left-slanting, crack and then climb directly up the face above.
30. Senzangakhona's Sin (16) **
Opening
party: Gerald Camp and Allison Pridgeon (now Camp!) (1993)
Starts
about 20 m left of the upstream end of the Warrior Wall. Follow the obvious
right-tending crack until near a tree, then continue left up a shallow
dihedral.
31. Arachnid Left Break (16) ***
Opening
party: Richard Knott; Gavin Peckham; Rodney Owen (25 April 1999)
Start
as for Arachnid. From the small stance below the fig tree, step left onto the
face to reach an exposed position below a small ledge that forms the base of a
large recess. Move up onto the ledge and then climb to the top via the back of
the recess, or up the arête on the left (easier).
32. Arachnid (15) **
Opening
party: Eric Penman, Donovan Gosher, Kirsten Head (1993)
About
10 m before the arête at the upstream end of the wall there is a right-sloping
ramp with a thin flake line on the adjacent face. Climb a short face to the
ramp and then climb the ramp using the flake line. Mantle onto a small stance
below a fig tree and then step right below the tree. Exit up to the right of
the tree by following the line of least resistance.
33. Scorpion (14) ***
Opening
party: Gerald Camp, Donovan Gosher, Kirsten Head (1993)
This
line takes the blocky arête at the upstream end of the Warrior Wall. Start on
the rock ledge, just to the right of the arête, in the Rocky Gully between the
Warrior and Power walls and then climb the arête, moving left around the arête
near the top.
34. Flaming Haggis (16) **
Opening
party: Gavin Raubenheimer and Gavin Peckham (12 October 2002)
Start
on the rock ledge about 3 m to the right of 'Scorpion'. Climb straight up the
face to a ledge 3 m below the top. Climb the final rock band to top out about 3
m to the right of the arête. Protection is adequate but tricky. The route would
be greatly improved by some decent gardening.
35. The Deadly Goldfish (11) **
Opening
party: Gavin Peckham and Des Porter (21 March 2003)
Start
about 2 m to the right of 'Flaming Haggis' at the beginning of a crack line that
runs up diagonally to the right. Climb the crack line to a point about 2/3 of
the way up the face. Tend slightly left and then finish straight up. Well
protected with some interesting moves but tends to get sandy and vegetated.
36. Taylor's
Halt (08) *
Opening
party: Des Porter (21 March 2003)
Start
up the gully about 4 m to the right of 'Deadly Goldfish'. Climb straight up to
a small tree. Pass this on the left and then head to the left to finish up
'Deadly Goldfish'.
37. Guppy (11) **
Opening
party: Gavin Peckham (21 March 2003)
Start
about 2 m to the right of 'Taylor's
Halt' . Climb easily up a slab and then up the crack to the right of the block
at the top of the crag. A very short but pleasant line.