Aasvoëlkrans A Bed & Breakfast in Montagu, Western Cape, South Africa

The Castle in the Sky rock climbing route

Stuart & Regula Brown have recently finished bolting ‘The Castle in the Sky’, a new ‘monster’ rock climbing route on the Aasvoëlkrans Hiking Route, which starts at our Bed & Breakfast.

Route description

Castle in the Sky 19/6a 18 bolts 60m
FA Stuart and Regula Brown, 4.11.08

This route has a little bit of everything and a bit more - it just keeps on going it is of very good quality.

Warning!

This route is not to be approached with a normal sport climber attitude. It has a very big “trad” route feel and the leader should be comfortable with grade 19. Communication between climber and belayer is limited due to the length. After the half way mark you cannot be lowered off.

Do not attempt to clean the route by lowering off. The route has some loose rock on it so don’t pull on everything (& think about taking a helmet). One is able to make a semi hanging belay at half way if things get a bit airy, some good cracks for medium to small nuts and a bolt. Have some longer slings for rope drag.

Do not rap off the route, there are birds nesting lower down in the gully.

Route guide

• Approach from Aasvoelkrans, walk up the trail to the beacon.
• Just before the beacon as the path takes a right turn, take a left to the saddle overlooking Cogmans Buttress.
• Kit up here and leave rucksack.
• Follow cairns first to the right then down the slope to the left to the lowest point of the face.
• Descend via a lower off from a bolt with a leaver biner into the gully and walk up the gully and down the slope to where the rucksacks are.
• Look for two large cairns for easiest way down.

Route photo

Source: climb.co.za