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621 Hits
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69.88% Score
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1 Votes
Page Type:
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Route |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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F1***** |
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Number of Pitches:
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4 |
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Overview
The climbing on this route is never hard and is well protected. The hike from the hut to the summit and back is hard going however and the round trip takes about 8 hours. The first ascentionists did not take the exact line used today.
Getting There
Follow the route via Ribbon Falls described in the Cleft Peak hike. When the contour path is reached,3 hrs, turn right and down into the Tseketseke River valley. Turn left up the stream and boulders to the hut 800m further up stream, 4.5 hrs from hotel gate to hut.From the hut walk up stream for 30 minutes until a grassy gully is seen on the right. Scramble up this to the top of the ridge. 1 hr from hut. Turn left and up to a shoulder below a small peak called the Sharks’ Fin.Then traverse on the huge sloping grass band all the way across to ridge the north ridge of Pyramid. Then up to a small saddle and carrying on up through broken rock bands and into a bay high below a rocky part of the ridge.Leave any excess gear and water at this point. 2.5hrs from hut to the start of the climb.Route Description
Start in a small bay just as the ridge steepens
1. 50m (C ) From the left side of this bay, scramble up a short piece of rock and then move diagonally left for 45 meters until the ridge is less steep. Some old abseil points might be seen in this area. Protection is minimal, and many people solo this pitch. Walk about 200m up the broad ridge above until a big prow of rock blocks the way.
2. 220m (F1) From a piton belay, climb up a blocky right facing recess for 10m. Then move up left onto a block and below a fist sized crack above. Climb this crack up to a stance on the ridge above and an old abseil point. Large and medium sized cams and wires needed.
3. 345m (D) From the stance climb up an easy crack and along the narrowing ridge. Climb down to the right onto a ledge passed the “window” and abseil chains. Then up again onto grass and belay at the wall below the summit cone.
4. 440m (D) Move around to the right, then straight up onto a ledge and follow easy enjoyable climbing to the top.
Descent: 3 abseils. Abseil 48m from chains just right of the last pitch to the “window”. A 50m diagonal line to the left ends on a grassy ledge near the bottom of the crux. Scramble 200m down the main ridge till above the start of the C grade scramble. A small cairn marks the position of the abseil chains 45m to start of pitch 1. 1hr from summit to end of 3rd abseil. Retrace the route back to the hut. (2hrs).