Trad mission - Exposure in F major

[thomsonza]

Hi All,

Have firm plans to go and do Exposure in F major before Christmas. If anyone has any information to share it would be much appreciated.

Are there any access issues?
What is the perspective on bivvying either at the base, at the top or both?

[SNORT]

Not worth bivvying. Walk up early and do the route.

[pierre.joubert]

No access issues either. No fence. Just funbos

[bergie]

2 of us tried it a few years ago......and got spanked badly!
We had very little info on it, but gave it a go anyway. To share my now slightly less limited knowledge:

1. don't believe anyone when they tell you there's a path
2. start early. get to the base at sunrise at least.
3. take enough water, the approach is huge
4. take a warm jacket, the wind got rough up there
5. make sure you stay on course. we got lost after a few pitches and tried climbing something way out of our imagination.
6. if you find half a rack of gear, it's mine...

and last but not least

7. take a camera....the view is insane!!

ps. if you are looking for someone to join you, i'm keen to try again. Just don't rely on my navigation skills.

[thomsonza]

Thanks for all the information so far guys!

[vander]

If you haven't already seen this:

http://www.climb.co.za/topo/pdf/Exposur ... f_Trad.pdf

Great day out!

[Oakley]

When are you planning on going?

I might want to do it between Christmas and mid January... any takers?

[henkg]

Stay at the MCSA Du toit's kloof hut and do an Alpine start.

On-sight it if you are super fit and the route is well within your capabilities, else I recommend you take someone with that has done the route.

You will likely spend more time than planned navigating the route. The walk off is the hardest part and will become epic without water on a hot day.

Hard day ahead...

[Ray]

I did it twice last season and both times managed to do something wrong on pitch 5. We topped out pitch 4 in a recess with a peg that has a very good looking open book above it. Dont climb up, but traverse right from the stance almost (past another open book) until you can work your way up easily to the roof, and continue right until you can stance (semi hanging) below the end of the roof.

I have heard of a few parties that just go straight up after P4 and get stuck/have to down climb.

(the second time I did it I traversed immediately from the P4 stance but climbed too early (in the second open-book) and it was a bit harder than 13 )

Oh, and combining Pitches 1&2, 8&9 and a few others I cant recall really speeds things up.

Ray

[thomsonza]

Thanks for all the good info!

I'm told the grades are harder than what's listed?

[Brent]

One of the most beautiful routes of its grade anywhere.

The comments about the so-called pitch 5 are correct. Take care here (this route has had fatalities). Getting sucked into going straight up instead of doing a little traverse round the corner to the right is a very easy mistake to make, and can have potentially severe consequences. It is best to take someone with who has done it before.
Also, take care on the scrambles on top after the rope pitches... you don't need to rope them, just be a bit 'adult' about not f*cking it up there.

And just for the record, it is mostly on Cape Nature land. Strictly speaking a permit is required. This is why nobody parks on the N1, as it's an immediate heads-up for the rangers. While I'd never condone anyone breaking the law (not on an open forum like this one) ... well.... you know.

(why yes, I've always gotten a permit... cof cof ahem)

And enjoy it, it's awesome!

[Uwe]

Exposure is a very nice country route, however, the route "Thunderbolt" (just to the left of Exposure) has much better rock quality and the line is easier to follow. It's graded 23 but you can aid both cruxes if need be.
Walk-in and out are (to state the obvious) the same as for Exposure.

Enjoy!

[thomsonza]

Uwe, thanks for that info, good to know.

Any idea where I can get a RD for Thunderbolt?

[Brussel]

I took most of those pics in the pdf someone pointed out.
Awesome, awesome route!
As people said dont get lost up that open book, I think there might still be a nut up there that I left behind...it seems fine but then gets thin fast!

As for the grades, the crux is 17 but has good gear and is superb climbingthe rest is all 15 or less...it really is a superb climb.
If you need a guide or are looking for another climber let me know...

[vander]

If you need a guide or are looking for another climber let me know...

Just be sure to have your game face on if you have Brent guide you! You will be sprinting up to the start of the route, he will build anchors faster than you can put on your shoes, will not stop to drink water while climbing and drag though fields of huge dry Protea on the way out at full speed

On the upside, you won't go off-route and you'll do the whole thing in record time

Was a great day out! Thanks Brent!

[Brussel]

hahahah vander! yeah it was good day
walking slowly and drinking water is for sissies

[paddy]

If you haven't already seen this:

http://www.climb.co.za/topo/pdf/Exposur ... f_Trad.pdf

Great route and great topo drawing. The drawing is by Adele McCann and was published in her topographical guide, "Cape Classics". It would be great if the compiler of the above topo would recognise the source of the drawing.

[Justin]

Hi Paddy - thanks for letting us know, I just send you a mail.

[Uwe]

Plz send me your email address and I'll forward you a file with the original RD and the comments I jotted down after the climb.
I cannot remember who the source of that RD was? Probably someone here on the forum

[Hilton]

Thomson
Maybe I can help you get started. I've been up there seven times and done five different routes, including one yesterday, and so my info is pretty fresh.
Leave Cape Town at 3:30am
Stop on CT end of the bridge over the Molenaars River at 5am (light enough without headlamp)
Drop off one climber with all the kit (he/she can make a slow start up the hill)
Drive car to Du Toits Kloof hotel and park there
Jog back (took me 13 minutes)
Head up rightwards aiming for the massive grey scree with green trees high up near the bottom cliffs

Not on Exposure but a different route, Neels Havenga and I started climbing at 7:30 and topped out at 3:30. We got back to the hotel at 6 and after a quick beer we headed off and were in Cape Town by 7:30.

We did an old Hans Graafland/Henri Snyders route called Pisa Wall. It is utterly shite climbing and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Although maybe I judge it a little harshly because for 15 of the 23 pitches we didn't have an RD until it magically re-surfaced in the food bag. Aside from the crap and dangerous climbing it was still a fantastic day on a great mountain.
The three times I've done Exposure I thought it was quite a nice route.
Hope that helps you get going.
Hilton

[Richard]

Hey Hilton. I don't recall Pisa Wall being so bad. Admittedly I have only done it once, in 1980. It was our first country route though, and we used the Journal RD. I certainly don't recall any particularly bad rock. At a later stage we did try something called The Sailor's Route, further left. Now that was awful!!!

[Hilton]

Hi Rich,
You're probably right. Looking at the photo in the journal I see where the route does a big arc to the left skyline and easy terrain we went straight up just left of the big red roofs. It was grim. Dark Horse was saying how gripped he was seconding! And I was gripped for him below me while I was gingerly working up slightly overhanging jenga. As for one hanging stance...eish. Anyhow, as Dave Cheesmond always used to say - it's good training.

Thomson, another bit of info-
Drink at least half a litre while driving. We each had a litre to drink on the walk up and 1.5 litres each on the route. A little way down the big descent gully there was a good stream where we each drank a litre. Then fine until a beer at the hotel.

[Stu]

It was I who put that topo together guys

Didn't mean to take credit for the drawing at all, just thought it would be cool to have something to carry on the journey. So compiled what was available.

Justin, please remove my name from the topo.
If you want you can add my name in very small print at the bottom as so: the lazy-plagiarising-bugger-who-used-someone-else's-work

Edit: I actually copied Adele's topo from an old photostat copy, wasn't aware it was from Cape Classics at the time..

[paddy]

No worries Stu and we thought your compilation RD was great. We also thought that it was unintentional. It was just that copies of Adele's topos were starting to pop up without crediting her (eg her topo of the Spitskop Standard Route was copied in the new Namibian guidebook without asking her permission or crediting her - defenitely not cool). Adele put major effort into these drawings so we were keen that she gets acknowledged.

[amm]

No problem Stu

What is your email address ?

Adele

[Stu]

No worries Stu and we thought your compilation RD was great. We also thought that it was unintentional. It was just that copies of Adele's topos were starting to pop up without crediting her (eg her topo of the Spitskop Standard Route was copied in the new Namibian guidebook without asking her permission or crediting her - defenitely not cool). Adele put major effort into these drawings so we were keen that she gets acknowledged.

Agreed, great looking topos

No problem Stu

What is your email address ?

Adele

PM sent

[Brussel]

I was up there yesterday with a mate, for those who have not yet done the route, a little teaser:


There were other climbers too, but they started some time after us, with the 37 degree temps they must have suffered. Anyone know who they were? would be keen to know what time they got down as we were on pitch 4 or 5 when they started to climb...

I am not walking fit at the moment and having a slightly sprained ankle too made the walk out pretty hard going...my legs are SORE!

[vander]

Thanks for sharing Brussel!

[Uwe]

Hi Brussel,

The 2 other climbers were Anita and myself. The temperature on the hike in wasn’t too bad, we parked the car where the decent gully hits the road, which reduces the walk a bit.
You were looking nice and smooth on that little traverse out to the right and generally speaking very well in control - I reckon you finished in record time.

We topped out at 1930 just before sun set – beautiful from up there, ... but then the long trot out through that gully started. What a schlep.
I wonder if the (supposedly) 5 hour walkout via A-Ridge wouldn’t be the better option!? Has anyone done it recently, please let me know!

However, we were not on Exposure but on Thunderbolt direct. I had the route slightly easier in memory and also way less overgrown – I wonder if the mild winter encourages the liken to grow? Had it in my eyes the whole day.

But standing on that tiny and soooo exposed nose (after the grade 21 pitch) is an experience in itself.
After all a very nice day out :-)
Uwe

[Justin]

Cool video Brent