Pre-Nup (19) trad
New trad route at Rooiberg, Cederberg. Get the Cederberg Wolfberg guide for all the info on where and how to get to this climbing area.
FA: D. Mercer and A. Wienand, 25 January 2009
Start: The route starts from the same level as the sport climbs on the Coolio Wall, approximately 4m to the right of Too Hot to Handle. 
P1 – 30m 14: Climb straight up the wall to the ledge above.
P2 – 30m 15: Directly above the last pitch is an undercut bulge. Climb to the left of the bulge till able to move right and onto the top of the bulge. Move straight up for 6m to a rail beneath a large overhang. Traverse left along the rail for 3m and pull up where the overhang peters out. Climb up to a ledge on the right. Walk right along the ledge for 5m till able to a recess and exit left onto a long ledge.
P3 – 12m 11: Climb a crack that flares higher up into a narrow chimney. At the top of the crack follow a ledge to the left for 4 m to belay below a small tree growing from a crack below an overhang.
P4 – 30m 17: Climb onto a thin projecting slab on the left and then stem across the corner above the tree. Follow the corner crack to the next ledge. Climb easily diagonally up and left to belay beneath an overhang in the top left hand corner of the face.
P5 – 10m 19: Climb the awkward layback/offwidth crack through the right hand end of the overhang. Exit onto a ledge on the left above. A number 5 Camalot will make the crux move far less scary (a number 4 barely fits low in the crack).
Swazi Kings F3/17
FA: D. Mercer and C. Turvey 28/03/2010
Destined to become a classic, this route challenges the climber with its variety of steep pitches on excellent rock.
Start: The climb starts at the base of the big red recess below the huge red roof. This is some 6 or 7m up slope from the start of Blunt Brothers. A convenient block on a ledge marks the start on the right hand wall of the recess.
P1 – 45m F3/17: Climb straight up from the ledge trending right to gain the base of a wide crack on the right hand wall (a loose block blocks the bottom of the crack). Follow the crack to a wide rail. Move left to a large flake in a vague recess. Climb the flake and a smaller one above it and continue straight up the recess to another wide rail. Above is a small roof. Climb up to the roof and pass it on the left – a finger crack a metre to the left provides a good layback hold (crux). Continue up to the short off width crack through the overhang above. A hand/finger crack to the left provides good gear and holds. Continue up to the ledge above.
Scramble 6 or 7 metres up and right to an obvious stack of blocks.
P2 – 25m F2/15: Climb up and left beneath a large roof. Rail left beneath the roof to the left hand corner. Pull up and climb easily to the ledge above.
The next pitch starts 5m to the right, below a narrow crack that flares and cleanly splits a roof some 4 or 5 m above.
P3 – 20m F3/17: Half a metre left of the flaring crack is a thin finger crack. Climb the thin finger crack to the roof, hand-swing right below the roof and pull up awkwardly onto a small ledge below a bottomless chimney. Follow the chimney and where it narrows move onto the face on the left. Follow the crack to another roof. Move out onto the face on the right and climb straight up to the bushy ledge above.
Some 6m to the right is an obvious break in the face above – this is the last pitch of Blunt Brothers.
P4 – 20m F2/14: About 2m to the left of Blunt Brothers’ generous beacon climb straight up (above a smaller cairn) pulling thrugh a small roof on excellent juggy rails. Continue straight up to where the angle eases.
Scramble to the top.
Pyramid Scheme F2/15
FA: D. Mercer and C. Turvey 2/02/2010
P1 – The Knights Who Say Ni: FA by Tony Lourens
This is a great route on good rock – recommended.
Start: The route starts up the crack of “The Knights Who Say Ni” on the left hand side of Block Buttress.
P1 - 20m F2: Climb the crack to an easy and obvious traverse. Follow the traverse right and climb easily up to a bolted stance on a good ledge.
P2 – 35m F2: Climb up and left onto a shattered shelf. Follow the shelf to the left. Where it runs out pull up through a small overlap and continue up to a ledge on the right (pitch could be broken here). Climb the undercut corner crack at the back of the ledge and then climb diagonally up and left across a face split by horizontal rails. At the left side of the face continue straight up the arête/corner to a good ledge above and to the right. This is at the right hand base of the blocky pyramid that provides the key to this route.
P3 – 20m C: Scramble up and to the left to the top of the blocky pyramid.
P4 – 15m F2: Climb up into the recess on the right, reach high for an excellent rail and move across the corner onto the face on the left, directly above the belayer. Continue straight up a vague recess to a narrow ledge under another large roof.
P5 – 35m F2: Traverse easily to the right for 6 or 7m. Climb up to a rail beneath a roof and traverse back left for 3 or 4 m to bypass the overhangs. Climb straight to the top.
Blunt Brothers F3/17
FA: D. Mercer and C. Turvey 3/02/2010
Good rock all the way, pitch 4 is particularly good. Recommended.
Start: Where the path to Rooiberg meets the rock face it turns left to follow the wall. It soon climbs steeply up into the prominent corner below the great red roof. A short way up on the right hand side is a ledge on a corner under a large overhang. On the end of the ledge is a pointy white block.
P1 – 30m F2: Traverse right from the white block across the easy angled face to the corner. Hand traverse a further 5-6m to a detached block. Belay at the block.
P2 – 40m F2: Climb straight up the face above the block. Move slightly left at the top of the face and continue up to stance at the base of a recess capped by a triangular roof.
P3 – 20m F2: Climb the left hand wall of the recess heading diagonally up and left to a block stack on the edge of the overhang. Climb the block stack, pull through the small overhang above and continue up to a long broad ledge.
Walk 10 – 15m to the right to a big recess capped by a huge triangular roof. The next pitch climbs the layback crack at the back of the recess on the left.
P4 – 16m F3: Climb the crack till forced left. Do a tricky move up to gain a hand rail below the dassie ledge. Follow the rail (and sparse footholds) to the left till forced to pull up onto the dassie ledge. Follow the dassie ledge to the left to a broad, bushy ledge.
P5 – 20m F2: 8m to the left of the dassie ledge climb an obvious weakness in the face above. Jug-haul up the face to where the angle eases.
Scrambling leads to the top.
Paramor F3/17
FA: D. Mercer and C. Turvey 30/03/2010
Challenging some impressive roofs on excellent rock, it is better than its neighbour, “Pre-Nup”, but also more sustained.
Start: About 10m to the left of the sport route “Huge Jugs” on the Coolio wall is an undercut, juggy crack/fault in the middle of a face.
P1 – 35m F2/14: Climb the juggy break and continue up to below a small roof. Turn the roof on the left, step back right and continue straight up to a large ledge that broadens to the right. Climb up on the left onto a large block and from here up another couple of metres to a long narrow ledge.
P2 – 30m F3/16: Walk 3m to the right and climb up easily. Continue up and slightly to the left on spaced protection to below the roof. Immediately to the right is a fault that breaks through the overhangs. Move right to follow the fault through the roofs. Above the next narrow ledge the fault continues as a wide crack, climb to the left of this wide crack to the next broad ledge.
P3 – 25m F2/15: Continue straight up a narrow crack that trends slightly right. Follow the crack through the first roof and pull through the next roof directly above to stand on a gently sloping shelf. Step right and pull up the next face using a protruding, loose block. (By stepping 2m to the right one can climb Pre-Nup’s recess avoiding the loose block) Climb diagonally up and left to stance beneath an overhang on the extreme left of the face.
P4 – 10m F3/17: Move to the right to pull through the overhang using the off-width crack. A number 4 Camalot just fits and a dodgy nut can back it up. This pitch is shared with Pre-Nup and can be avoided by going left around the corner from the stance and following very easy rock to the top.
Getting There:
Rooiberg is on the farm, Nuwerust in the Southern Cederberg. Nuwerust is owned and run by Louise Esterhuizen and Steven Windell and offers good camping and some chalets.
From Cape Town the most direct route to Nuwerust is via Ceres. From Ceres drive over the Gydo Pass and on towards Op-die-Berg. Just after Op-die-Berg take a turn off on the right signposted to Cederberge. The road soon becomes dirt. Follow the road for about 50km. After passing Mount Ceder Guest Farm continue over the next pass to reach Nuwerust on the right.
To book accommodation call (027) 482 2813 or contact Louise on info@cederbergexperience.co.za.
Check out www.cederbergexperience.co.za
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