Can anyone tell me if the RD for Hooper's route on the Bell in the Drakensberg is sufficient? I've heard rumours that route finding can be tricky. What is the rock quality like?

Thanks in advance
Lukas

_________________
"I have no more friends, and my nuts are too small!"

Hey,

Don't have the RD in front of me - thats the left-hand of the three as viewed from hotel - Wong's is the central?

(a few traverses and 3 pitches proper?)

Yes the description is perfect. At the very start of the scrambling we started too high, but easily corrected.
There is not a hell of a lot of gear - 50% of it uses stakes or pitons. There's only one real kak-don't-fall-off move.

Gavin R is the man for the best best, but welcome to give me a shout for any I can remember.
Bell cave is a swell spot, sometimes limited water. Just arriving there is an experience.

Ant

Yip, that's the one, all the way around on the south face. 2 pitches proper according to the RD. Although the RD says it's better protected than Wong's Are the pitons in situ?

kak-don't-fall-off - HAHA!!!

Did the Bell Traverse last year during Easter for the first time - what a hike! Planning on spending 9 days in the berg and doing 5 climbs. However the weather shall decide . All I see on the Cathedral Peak webcam is rain rain rain...

_________________
"I have no more friends, and my nuts are too small!"

Lukas, what weather webcam is this?

http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com/

http://www.cathedralpeak.co.za/weathercam.php - looking bright this morning

Classic link

_________________
Climb ZA - Administrator

thanks, but you're still gonna burn for bolting holds onto a cliff

lol go shorti!! But let's not mutate ethics into fascism - that post by forket was by far the nastiest post I've seen on this forum, and given that this is climbZA, that's one hell of an achievement!!!

Even better (just the latest image): http://www.cathedralpeak.co.za/current.jpg

@ant: Weren't you perhaps on Wong's route? That is 3 pitches proper, and has one stance protected only by 2 old pitons according to the RD. Sounds familiar?

_________________
"I have no more friends, and my nuts are too small!"

Various RD's has been documented and illustrated since 1944.

Notable differences in the approach path and number of piches has been identified.

MCSA Journal 1944, pg 23 & scetch pg 24 describes 6 piches and illustrating an Z like scramble approach visually from the eastern side to the foot of the final face

Rock & Ice Climbs of the Drakensberg 3d Edition pg 86 & scetch pg 203 describes 3 piches and illustrating a direct upwards scramble approach visually from the eastern side to the foot of the final face.

Serpent Spires pg 105 describes 4 piches illustrating a direct upwards scramble approach visually from the eastern side to the foot of the final face.

Yet another book (where i unfortunatly lost the name) pg 192 & 193 illustrating a direct upwards scramble approach visually from the eastern side to the foot of the final face as pitch one.

Encounters with the Dragon, pg 100 illustrating a direct upwards scramble south eastern side approach to the foot of the final face, after a traversing along the entire eastern side.

Therefore three approach scrambles to the foot of the final face can be considired. Two of which is found in more than one reference.

The increase of standard rope lenth over the years may be a reason for stiching some pitches together, or a general feeling that scrambling is not considered as a pitch.

Scrambling by definition or perception may differ or has yet to be determined. Some plausable alternatives to “scramble” may at times mean “slab climbing “or even “grass ledge climbing/walking” (this would be the grass ledge formed at the base of the slab) .Keeping protectability and exposure in mind, the climber self needs to decide if rope is required (or at times usefull) for either direction of this scramble to the foot of the final face.

For the Z like scramble look for a rocks depicted in the following picture, taken facing a northern direction



For both the possible aproaches look for trees that has seen some interesting 'wear and tear' as in the picture below. taken facing a eastern direction



For the a direct upwards scramble approach look for a rocks depicted in the following picture. taken facing a northern direction




Contributoins to this BETA in regards to gear used will be much appriciated.

_________________
I can climb any grade... as long as its a 14!

starting from the bell-cathedral neck traverse to the northern side of the bell and up a break in the rockband




In the picture below, busy scrambling upwards and right just passed a break in the rockband below, with bells northern face in the foreground. showing the traverse along the north side of the bell




In the picture below, busy scrambling upwards and right just passed a break in the rockband below, with bells northern face in the foreground. showing the last bit of traverse back to the hotel side of the bell around the north east corner

_________________
I can climb any grade... as long as its a 14!

after turning the north east coner, some RD's suggest that the scramble to the first pitch start about here, as shown in the picture below




I would like to invite anyone who has climbed this route and can remember how they scrambled to the start of pitch one to contribute to the following picture. The missing line indicate the area where route finding is difficult. Photo taken from the east.

_________________
I can climb any grade... as long as its a 14!