Chosspile

Access

Please adhere to under mentioned access arrangements religiously. The Chosspile was closed due to a spate of muggings and later re-opened following negotiations with the landowners and huge effort from the climbing community led by Neil Margetts and friends.

Some of the history:

• Temporary Closure in place for the Chosspile
• Chosspile Rehab Project Phase 4
• Choss Work Meet this Sunday 22 may 2011 (and re-opening notice)

Updated October 2012:

Mt Amanzi do not own the land, it is owned by Rissk Estates who agreed to continue to provide acccess to climbers IF the land is rented and the access is controlled. A fence was put up around the land and the Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) - spear-headed by Neil Margetts - negotiated a solution whereby Mt Amanzi rent the property from Rissik and control access. There are are some benefits to them in that they do not now have a mass of partyers and crime accross the river from the resort and the residents of the resort can hike up the Chospile mountain. This highlights an important point; Mt Amanzi are not renting the property solely so we can climb, we are secondary. Even if there were 300 climbers a month they are making a loss. For this reason, we do not have too much leverage in climber access discussions, if we are more trouble than we are worth they can close it to us. This is one of the reasons they are insisting that everyone who enters is with an MCSA or University climbing club member as this is reassurance to them that all people entering are responsible and climb safely.

In addition, Mt Amazi agreed to this ony if we the climbers pay for the guard at the gate, an average of R500 per month. So who pays this? The MCSA, average of R500 per month. The MCSA also pay for the bolts on new climbs and any rebolting of old ones, R600 a time.

So, with this in mind, the is the access rules from 1 October 2012 until further notice, are as follows:

1. Every climber entering the property must report to the Mount Amanzi reception before climbing.

2. Entrance is R30 for MCSA members or members of a University climbing club. Cards must be shown and must have a photoo and sticker for year of membership.

3. A maximum of 2 guests are allowed with each cardholder. Entrance is R50 for the 1st and 2nd guests. Rather than grumble about this, join the MCSA or your University Club!

4. All climbers must sign the registry boook and indemnity, and if they are the card-holder, must write their club membership number.

5. Opening hours are:- Winter time – 1 May till 31 August – from 08H00 – 16H00. Summer time - 1 September till 30 April – from 08H00 – 17H00. This reflects the hours the guards are paid and their transport.

6. Officers at reception must ask for cards and check validity, it is in the interests of access that climbers remind the desk staff of this.

7. The guard at the gate must check the date and number of people indicated on the reciept, it is in the interests of access that climbers remind the guard of this.

Anyone found to be not complying with the above will be banned from the property and should the access be closed down, will not be very popular!

Sorry that ths is all so firm..but continued access depends on it.

The owners of the crag (Mr Bezuidenhout of Rissik Estates) is adamant that nobody must trespass onto the land from the dam wall side Legal action will be taken against anyone who does. Please adhere to this rule to avoid unnecessary trouble and considerably jeopardise future access and seriously piss off for the majority of the Gauteng climbing community.

Please stick to these rules to keep the access open and the crag safe.

Chosspile Route List

The Man Cave

First Cave after walking from parking.

#	ROUTE NAME / AREA	GRADE	# BOLTS	RATING	BOLTING/OPENED INFO	DESCRIPTION
	<THE MAN-OMETER TRAVERSE PROJECT>				BB. Andrew Pedley
	Violent Streak	32/8b	7 Bolts		BB. Andrew Pedley. FA. Andrew Pedley. 2012.	Attacks the grey water streak you can see for miles. Scramble to the top of the chossy pillar then power up and pull on. On the FA the first 3 bolts were pre-clipped.

Harry Potter

This crag is right of the Real Man Cave. Routes run from LEFT to RIGHT.

#	ROUTE NAME / AREA	GRADE	# BOLTS	RATING	BOLTING/OPENED INFO	DESCRIPTION
	Drako	24/7a	14 Bolts		RBB. Rory Lowther.	Pitch 1 is 21/6b+. Pitch 2 is 21/6b+. Use 2 ropes to abseil all the way or go from chains to chains. Currently no chains at stance to abseil from, but large tree stem out right works well to.
	Bolts from the Blue	15/5b	Natural Gear		FA. Stephen Malloryn OR Cara Wessel. <Unless you were simul-climbing or suffer from schitzophrenia pick one>.	40m Climb the face left of HARRY POTHEAD, starting 7m left of HP. Tricky poorly protected start. Fire up to the top past two trees. Last 15m also poorly protected.
	Harry Pothead	19/6a+	6 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Short route with easy start, follows large flaring crack up to end of small roof on the left with anchors just around lip.
	Hogwarts Warted Hog	23	9 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Climb toward the left crack in the small roof.
	Chamber of Secrets	25/7a+	8 Bolts		BB. Rory Lowther. FA. Steve Dunnet.	Route starts 8m below small roof with decent climbing into a corner below roof then follows right crack out of corner and through crux roof to anchors on the face above.
	Dobby	23,24/6c+,7a	8 Bolts		BB. Debbie Mulder. FA. Rory Lowther.	Just to the right of Chamber of secrets, climb overhanging rock on the right of small roof to anchors in small open book.
	Dodgey Glue	19/6a+				To the right of DOBBY. A cruxy start next to a large root. Glue in anchors have been used.
	Man Thang	24/7a				To the right of DODGY GLUE. Glue in anchors used.
	The Philosophers Stoned	20
	Harry Goes Trading	13	Natural Gear			Easy climbing for 20m, starts to right of the Philosophers Stone in the open book, up to a stance on a ledge with big tree to abseil off.
	Moaning Murtle	23/6c+	7 Bolts		FA. Roland Magg.	Starts 20m to right of The Philosophers Stoned, on a rock ledge. Line follows middle section of rock, with face climbing until over bulge of rock then into a small roof with the crux.
	New Route -- SALAZAR suggested	18/6a			BB. David Tapp. FA. Daniel Hannah. 2010.	Start 5m right of Moaning Myrtle. The route takes an almost straight line to the bolts, with a crux at 1/3 height and a tricky move onto the top of an overhang near the top. Good climbing.
	Spongify	22/6c	8 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Start 2m to the right of SALAZAR. Climb into early crux move and continue to easier, fun climbing on face above. Beware a ground fall from the low crux. The small tree at about 2m has been used as a hanging belay to make an early ground fall less likely.
	Voltamor	19/6a+	8 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Climb through 3 small roofs to ledge with chains above the last roof.
	Diffindo	20/6b	7 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Short line with easy start, until crux move getting onto and through small roof.

The crag now moves uphill and steps back to a long face with a corner at its left end.

#	ROUTE NAME / AREA	GRADE	# BOLTS	RATING	BOLTING/OPENED INFO	DESCRIPTION
	THE BLOODY BARON	15/5b	12 Bolts			Start in the corner, just left of the chimney. Move left onto slab and then a few metres higher up, move right into a short right-facing corner. Climb this to ledge, then move left into left facing corner. Steep moves at the top take you to the chains. Some long draws are useful just as you go into to top corner to avoid rope drag. One can also climb the right arête at the bottom. There is a dire warning about rope drag written on the rock at the base of this climb. Please ignore it but do take care to ensure that the rope runs clear from bolt to bolt, doesn't get trapped under the tree or round any rocky bulges.
	Quidditch	23/6c+	7 Bolts		FA. Neil Margetts. 2008.	This route takes the hanging slab right of the previous route. Start as for THE BLOODY BARON but branch right to the base of the hanging slab and up this to the top. There is a bit of a run out from the top bolt to the chains, but it is safe.
	The Balls of Hagrid	20/6b	9 Bolts		BB. Neil Margetts. FA. David Tapp. 2010.	Climb THE BLOODY BARON for five bolts, then break right across a slab until under a black corner with a prominent crack. Swarm up the crack to an overhang and move left through it to the slab and chains above.
	The Slab of Snape	16/5c	15 Bolts		BB. David Tapp & Neil Margetts. FA. Neil Margetts. 2010.	The first route on the main face. Climb a series of ledges then up to good holds under a small overhang. Move left under the overhang and up the slab (crux) to the chains. 60m ESSENTIAL.
	Harry Catastrophe Left Hand	13/5a	7 Bolts		FA. Dylan Morgan. 2004.	Start about 6m left of Slitherin, 3m left of HCRH. Straight up to the chains with one bolt right of the line at half height. The crux is in the first 3m.
	Harry Catastrophe Right Hand	15/5b	6 Bolts		FA. Mike Grant. 2004.	Start just left of Slitherin. Turn the overhang with one hard move before following the shallow recess to the ledge and face above. This route shares its upper section and anchors with HCLH.
	Slitheren	14/5b	10 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Climbs the obvious corner to the left of centre on the face. Climb to the short layback crack and into an undercling, step out left to easy climbing up an open book corner. Fun climbing for 20m.
	A variation of Slitherin 18	18/6a				Heads right, onto the face at the overhang. The climb can then be finished up the face to the right of the arete or straight up the arete. It's a little artificial but if you climb the arete try not to resort to footholds other than on the arete. Move slightly right at the top to the anchors of Raven's Claw. Both anchors are now 100% as of 16.1.10
	Ravens Claw	17/5c	9 Bolts		FA. Ronald Magg.	Follow the obvious line of bolts to the right of the Slitherin variation, face climbing for 20m to chains. Both anchors are now 100% as of 16.1.10
	Griffindore	17/5c	10 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	This route is to the right of Ravens claw and heads up the middle of the face/slab with 3 crux moves otherwise some good climbing.
	Huff 'n Puff	18/6a	9 Bolts		FA. Rory Lowther.	Cruxy, bouldery start and crimpy end, but easier section in the middle.
	Cramcakes and Scumbags	20/6b	6 Bolts		FA. Louis Smit OR Wiliam Graham. 2004. <Do you have an alias?>

The Lord of the Rings

This crag is past the Harry Potter section following the scree path all the way too the top large cave.

Routes from the LEFT of the crag towards the RIGHT. This crag is in the shade most of the day with some areas being in the sun late afternoon. This crag is mostly overhanging.

#	ROUTE NAME / AREA	GRADE	# BOLTS	RATING	BOLTING/OPENED INFO	DESCRIPTION
1.	Pipeweed	22/6c	8 Bolts		FA. Dewald Kloppers.
2.	Frodo / Exit Planet Dust	18/6a	9 Bolts		BB. Rob Brinkworth & Mark Olver. FA. Rob Brinkworth OR Sarah Houghton. <Please pick one, as I'm sure you both didn't clip the chains at the same time>
3.	A Shortcut to Mushrooms	21/6b+			rebolted Feb 2013
4.	Voices of Saruman	23/6c+
5.	Gandalf	24/7a			rebolted Feb 2013
6.	Mourn not overmuch	25/7a+
7.	Halfling	27/7b+
8.	Gollum	25/7a+			rebolted Feb 2013
9.	Gollum extension <add name>
10.	Big Bully	29/7c+			BB. Wesley Black. FA. Dario Zanon. 2012.	Ground extension.
11.	Bully for Brontosaurus	28/7C	10 Bolts		FA. Peter Lazarus.	Starts in cave.
12.	Tyrannosaurus Rex	27/7b+				Starts in cave.
13.	<Richard Lords bolt line running through cave open project.>					This will go after Shadowfax has been crushed. Needs new bolts.
14.	Shadowfax	33/8b+			FA. Andrew Pedley. March 2013.	Originally bolted by P. Martin. Rebolted by AP in 2009
15.	The Chossfather	28/7c			FA. Andrew Pedley. 2012.
16.	Don't Deck	23/6c+				There was a tree, but the muggers came and chopped it down.
17.	Don't Let Go ( a.k.a mount doom on a stick )	28/7c			FA. Brian Weaver. 2012.	Leftward extension of Don't Deck. Take long slings.
18.	Don't Deck Extension	27/7b+				Rightward extension of Don't Deck ending on Fossil Fuel.
19.	Shelob	24/7a			BB. Wesley Black. FA. Wesley Black. 2011.
20.	Anduril Flame of the West	30,31/8a,8a+			BB. Wesley Black. FA. Joey Kinder. 2011.
21.	Fossil Fuel	30/8a			BB. Peter Lazarus. FA. Ralph Brucher.	Just before going for the big pinch there was a drilled pocket which was never used in any of the ascents and is now filled up to avoid cheating.
22.	<Ralph's Open Project>				BB. Ralph Brucher.
22.	<Pieter Martin's Open Project>				BB. Pieter Martin.
22.	<Colin Crabtree's Open Project>				BB. Colin Crabtree. 2002.
23.	Grimslade	27/7b+	6 Bolts
24.	Unfinished Business	23/6c+	7 Bolts
25.	Hobbitry in Arms	20/6b	6 Bolts
26.	Ramble On	18/6a

The Wall of Aglarond

This wall is past Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, through the gulley and past some scree slope.

Routes from the LEFT of the crag towards the RIGHT.

#	ROUTE NAME / AREA	GRADE	# BOLTS	RATING	BOLTING/OPENED INFO	DESCRIPTION
1.	Seventeen	17/5c
2.	The King of the Golden Hall	17/5c	8 Bolts		FA. Andries Smit OR Derek Pienaar. 2003.
3.	Mr Gamgee	20/6b	9 Bolts			FA. Andries Smit OR Derek Pienaar. 2003.
4.	Tarrawankie	19/6a+	9 Bolts		FA. Andries Smit OR Derek Pienaar. 2002.
5.	Legolas	22/6c	14 Bolts		FA. Andries Smit OR Derek Pienaar. 2002.
6.	Lady of Lorien	22/6c	11 Bolts
7.	Aragorn	21	14 Bolts
8.	<unknow name>	22,23/6c,6c+			<Add FA>
9.	Sauron	18/6a
10.	Blue Flowers	15/5b	6 Bolts		FA. Rob Brinkworth.