Safely getting down to the base of this off-width is more spicy than the route.  The edges right and left of this wide crack are abundant and substantial.  The use of the crack is for gear only on this short cruise.

Hand Cannibal

Scar aka Inflammation Crack

Song to the Siren

Upper Your Volta

Assegai

Evolutionary Leap

Cape of Storms

Jabu and The Lion.

Heart of Darkness

Rhodesian Ridgeback

Man-Chimpster United

The African Queen

Prism of Shadows

Revenge of the Rhodesian Flycatcher

Prime Eight

Blue Nile

Bagheera

Mountains of the Moon

Astral Abyss

Nowhere Girl

Drag Queen

It is steep but with edges. The crack is seldom used for hands, but often for gear. The rock quality is superior and the crack takes cams or stoppers well. Some thoughtful movement half way up gives the line its crux and some added thrills.

If not yet comfortable with trad climbing, do the sport route to the left  (Prism of Shadows), which leads to the same anchor and gives you a top rope on the trad line.

Climb into an esoteric realm where bottomless voids lead to a higher existence.

The abyss may swallow all belongings.

Climb a pile of solid Jenga blocks to get to the start of the routs.  Start plugging micro cams and clipping the occasional bolt.  Climb face crimps and tip jams that make the 20mm rung on the hangboard feel like a jug until you get to the easier climbing at halfway.  Then some mindful 10+ climbing to the anchor.  Can easily be toproped from the 9 or the 11+ with very minimum shenanigans.  Would only be better if the hard climbing was longer!

Nice climbing to a burly crux, then more good stuff to a tricky finish.

A forgiving line with holds ever present.  One move is a bit reachy... therefore the +. One of the best in the Jungle for its grade.

Start up a small groove to some hard moves getting over a roof. Carry on up the face then move back right to the arete. Up this to anchor.

Some cool climbing, again on bomber stone.

This unusual and exhilarating route has three parts: First is the "LEAP!" After clipping the first bolt dyno for the finger edge, straight arm mantle and make sure you clip the second bolt!  Then pinch the arete while pulling up on tiny feet to stand on the larger previous finger edge.  Clip the third bolt and jug into the 5.9 crack of "African Drag Queen" that leads to that route's two bolt anchor.  Clip the left 1/2 inch bolt of the anchor and hang your trad gear on the right bolt prior to moving up and left onto the three bolt face.  The face is demanding especially for shorter climbers!

What a gem! Get on this route!

-Start out in the corner by the thorns and stem-start. OR if clean enough, you can pull yourself straight into the crack.

-Then you follow the finger/tight-hand crack up and utilize the left crack above the bushes to reach a handledge.

-Beware the two blocks, I tried moving them a bit and they seem solid (the higher one even moreso), but we'll see with more traffic.

-You now pull into the AMAZING (for me) small cups Splitter! #3's (more like 2.5). Climb it straight up, or stem out to the right wall when needed to keep things 5.9

-Pull into tight hands with plenty of face holds on either side to the top.

- You can use a fallen tree and two other strongly rooted trees in the meantime for an anchor and belay your partner up. <-- recommended

(otherwise rappel down, and retrieve your anchor later. It is easy to get to. You will have to walk away from the cliff a bit to pull your rope)

(**Note 1: I cleaned a lot of lichen, thorns, and blocks big and small from the route and on top, so topping out shouldn't be TOO terrifying.**)

(**Note 2: I tried cleaning the block with the X, but it would not trundle. I will try to return with a crowbar to free it.)

Start up the easy (5.6) wide chimney, takes a 6" piece or stick clip the first bolt.

Move right and make hard moves getting on to the arete proper. Dance up the arete with a few more tricky moves to anchor.

A perfect arete climb on bomber rock.

Starts as for African Queen but move left towards the arete. Up the arete then move right to burly moves up the crack and then back left to the arete. Finish straight up and then right to anchor.

As good as it gets on perfect rock.

Yet another challenging arete in the Jungle.  The sharp corner becomes blunt and overhangs between the 3rd and 4th bolt.  Herein lies the beta intensive crux. A wild left hand reach off of a right hand finger pocket gets you to easier climbing on a sharper corner. This little ridge is no "dog day afternoon."

This demanding route has consistant .11 moves prior to the the .11+ moves about 2/3 of the way up.  Exit a mantle to easier and juggie climbing left to the northwest arete and chains.

Start up crack until it thins out then some long moves back left past a few bolts to anchor. Super good climbing on perfect rock.

Steep with throws, interspersed with smiles. Well bolted by the first ascensionist.  The line weaves between the bolts and a combination of side pulls and one joint edges. This moves you closer to the same anchor as Astral Abyss which is to the right.

This climb is where rainbow light reflects darkness and uncovers new possibilities.

We were so conflicted setting this line.  Finding good rock in the Jungle requires vertical to over-hanging which eliminates the weathering to some extent.  We are trying to establish more 8s and 9s but they are hard to find here on decent rock. This line is vertical but had tons of choss both on the face and in the crack.  By spending a day crow-barring tons of death blocks away we exposed some nice and stable edges on the face. Then, because the best line wandered back and forth across the crack and there are still some structural weaknesses, we committed to a strictly sport route in an effort to save 5.8 and 9 climbers having to interpret rock quality while placing gear.  We believe this was a safe compromise.

The route starts on a bouldery face which requires a lieback to gain feet for a left moving traverse.  Then the moves are back and forth across the crack on big face edges. The path is obvious following the well bolted line. The exit mantle or the start is the crux depending on your strengths and/or weaknesses. There is an easier start that requires leading directly up under the second bolt but would be a bad fall if you missed the clip!  You would also miss the recommended opening moves and easy first bolt.

This line starts on face passing one bolt prior to reaching the fingers crack which winds its way up and right.  The crack takes gear well and there are two significant rests.  The crux is just under the first rest ledge.  A photogenic line that took some cleaning...see below!

vimeo.com/174040775

Do the “Evolutionary Leap” start and continue straight up the arete.  Switch back and forth across the arete and finally link back up with Evolutionary Leap at the anchor.  I recommend stick clipping the second bolt with just a carabiner to keep the rope out of the way.  After the first 3 bolts it departs from Evolutionary Leap and continues up on its own route.  Bolting assistance from Roy S. and Sean M. 70m rope required.

This has 3 star climbing on 2 star rock which gets more solid the higher you go. Great moves all round and will get better with more ascents.

Solid for the grade with a pumpy finish.

Very easy to set a TR from the top.

Bolt at start, then up thin crack/face to move right past bolts and finish up Song to the Siren. Super good climbing on rock more like CA Sierra granite.

This exceptional route starts on the southeast corner where gear is a bit tricky but steadily improves as you cross over the shoulder to the obvious crack in the small left-facing dihedral on the east side. The route takes a "J" bend on ever steepening rock creating a bit of rope drag if not well runnered.  It is possible to get to the chain anchor and bring up a second to do the much more difficult three bolt face above (see the route "Evolutionary Leap").

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Dark Continent Area