Extract from Wolfberg Cracks by Jason Orton
Celestial Journey Buttress.
Celestial Journey
Start: At a boulder below the smooth grey groove 25m up.
PI: 35m 22 From the boulder, climb the crack and follow the groove to a ledge on the right.
P2: 15m 20 Climb the groove and corner above to a large ledge.
P3:30m 22 Climb the smooth grey face until a rail at 10m enables one to move 3m left to a peg and up to a small ledge. Continue to another ledge. Belay across to the left.
P4: 10m 19 Step left and climb the grey wall past a peg to a big ledge. Scramble up and right to the groove in the orange wall.
P5:20m 21 Climb the left-facing offwidth and crack to a big ledge.
P6:30m 20 Climb the crack above past a block to a groove which leads up to a hole. Rail 3m left then go up and left to a ledge and the top.
FA: D. Davies and R. Barley 1978
Split Images
The exact description of this three pitch route has been lost to memory but it is thought to be almost the same as the first three pitches of House of Games. Pitch 2 is definitely the same on both routes and the latter route is now seen as being an extension of Split Images.
FA: A. de Klerk and D. Kelfkins 1982
House of Games
Start: 8m right of Celestial Journey at a shallow groove on a blunt aręte.
P1: 15m 17 Climb to a rail then go left and up to a ledge.
P2: 20m 23 Climb the open book then move right and up to belay on the left.
P3: 20m 21 Move up 3m to a rail then traverse 7m right and follow a crack and face to a large ledge.
P4: 35m 22 Starting 2m left of Afterglow's 2nd pitch, climb the grey face moving left and up then diagonally up to an overhang. Move up and left sharing some of Afterglow's 2nd pitch.
P5: 8m 21 Climb the face from the lefthand side of the ledge.
P6: 20m 19 Climb the offwidth to a ledge.
P7: 18m 17 Climb a crack to a roof and stance on the right.
P8: 20m 21 Move up to the roof then traverse left and exit as for Celestial Journey.
FA: D. Shewell, J. Samson and A. Forsyth 1988
Stretch 'n Snatch
Start: Below a line of cleaned rock 5m right of House of Games.
P 1: 20m 21 Start on the right and move left onto the face which is climbed past two bolts and an overlap to the ledge above.
P2: 35m 23+ Climb up to the thin crack in the orange face above. Climb this past a bolt until forced to dyno to a rail. Traverse 2m right then go up to the large ledge (bolt abseil anchors).
FA: P1: R. Suter and M. Gowans 1990; P2: J. Fisher and R. Suter 1989
Afterglow
Start: In a left-facing corner right of Stretch ‘n Snatch.
P1: 50m 19 Climb the corner past a ledge until forced out left.
Move up to a roof then out right and up a crescent crack. Rail left to a groove then go up 25m to a ledge.
P2: 20m 21 Move right off the ledge and climb up rightwards then back leftwards under thin overhangs and past a peg to a ledge. Walk to the left end of the ledge.
P3: 10m 19 Step left and climb the grey face past a peg to a wide ledge. Scramble back over ledges to a rounded crack.
P4: 20m 18 Climb the crack until able to rail left to a large ledge.
P5: 30m 18 Climb up the grey wall above to a square right-facing orange recess. Rail right and climb to the top.
FA: R. Smithers, M. Hafner and R. Barley 1979
FFA: M. Roberts and C. Leslie-Smith 1984
Alone in Space
Start: At the base of the obvious huge yellow crack system.
P1: 50m 15 Climb the crack past a yellow pedestal to belay on the ledge below the 'guillotine' flake wedged in the crack.
P2: 20m 22 Climb up to a chockstone runner then descend and cross the roof crack. Continue up the crack to belay below the chimney.
P3: 15m 15 Step left and climb a smooth chimney to a sandy ledge.
P4: 19 Climb up inside the attic go through the window then follow the crack system straight up to a ledge.
P5: 40m 20 Walk left until able to climb onto the orange wall. Climb diagonally rightwards to the right edge of the face until able to pull over an exposed overhang above the aręte to a stance.
P6: 5m Scramble up jugs to the top.
FA: D. Davies and R. Barley 1978
FFA: M. Roberts and R. Smithers 1978.
Energy Crisis Buttress.
Energy Crisis
Start: In the left-facing corner with the obvious layback crack.
P1: 15m 20 Climb the corner crack to a good ledge.
P2: 35m 15 Climb a groove for 5m then traverse right to the edge of the buttress and go straight up to a ledge.
P3: 20m 13 Climb the groove to a big overhang then traverse left onto an exposed face.
P4: 10m 18 Move up to a rail and traverse left around the buttress to a ledge.
P5: 40m 17 Climb up on the right of a hollow flake then step right and continue up bulges to a large ledge.
P6: 25m 17 Climb the red comer and traverse right to an exposed ledge then follow the grey wall to the top.
FA: R. Barley and R. Smithers with M. Hafner on P5 and P6 1979
Ballad of a Thin Man
Start: Just to the right of Energy Crisis below a small roof.
P1: 30m 22 Climb up to and through the roof, then follow the thin crack up the face. Climb through another small roof and continue straight up to a stance.
P2: 20m 17 Continue straight up the rib to the stance before the obvious leftwards traverse of Energy Crisis.
P3: 30m 18 Begin the traverse left but move up at the first opportunity and climb diagonally leftwards below the smooth face to a ledge around the comer.
P4: 15m 13 Climb straight up to the big ledge.
P5: As for Energy Crisis pitch 6.
FA: J. Samson, B. Woods and B. Daniels 1990
Energy Supplement
Start: Below a chimney 5m right of Energy Crisis.
P1: 35m 17 Climb the chimney and corner to a ledge on the right.
P2: 30m 15 Move up and left to traverse around the buttress. A step-over leads to a dassie traverse and a ledge.
P3: 30m 16 Climb on jugs to a ledge then over the awkward bulge above the left of 2 beacons to a huge ledge.
P4: 25m 17 As for pitch 6 of Energy Crisis.
FA: M. Scott and Co. 1993
Bioplus
Start and P1: 35m 17 As for Energy Supplement.
P2: 20m 19 From the block, climb straight up to the right end of the large block in the roof above. Pull through to a large ledge.
P3: 30m 17 Climb the easy corner to a ledge. Move up directly above the comer to a rail then up the face above the arete to join Energy Crisis at the narrow ledge. Move right and follow the grey wall to the top.
FA: J. Orton, G. Fish and E. Long 1997