Klaasens Buttress Traverses

Route Description: Refer to captions on the slideshow. Good idea to go with someone who has done it before. A short piece of rope is useful to assist party members who are not happy pulling up awkward moves. This route is not recommended in wet weather as it could be dangerous.

Note that a more popular climb is to only do the bottom traverse that has the Dassie crawl. Start from a descent path off the Constantia Corner track that goes down a gully at the South side of the Buttress. At the end of the traverse exit is on the traverse shown in the slideshow for starting the triple Traverse route.

Another variation is instead of doing the tricky top traverse is to continue following the beacons (cairns) going up the De Villiers dam side of Klaasen's and then along a ledge just below the very top of the buttress.This is full of fascinating chockstones and tunnels, and it leads around the South corner where it is possible to work out an easy way up to the top.

Another variation is instead of doing the tricky top traverse is to continue following the beacons (cairns) going up the De Villiers dam side of Klaasen's and then along a ledge just below the very top of the buttress.This is full of fascinating chockstones and tunnels, and it leads around the South corner where it is possible to work out an easy way up to the top.

To get onto the summit block a convenient huge yellowood growing up a cleft provides a monkey bridge onto the summit.

Alternative route description: Same buttress but rather different descriptions!)\

The route can be approached either via the Constantia Corner route or via the Jeep Track and then taking the Constantia Corner in reverse from De Villiers dam (see variation section).

Follow the Constantia Corner route passing the famous Camel rock. About a minute and a half's walk past Camel Rock a faint path leading to the left (westerly) should be taken. The path descends as Klaassens Buttress is approached. Descend past a cliff face on your right hand side, ignoring the first large cairn at the tip of the cliff face. The route leads further down up to the base of a ledge with a low overhang (dassie ledge / cave like ledge). Climb onto this ledge, either by stepping on the outside of the overhang or by ducking / crawling under the overhang along the ledge.

Traverse along this ledge (in a north easterly direction, turning northerly later on) until a small gully with lose stones (leading right and up) is reached. Ascend this gully keeping right of a large boulder in your way. Climb the 4 m B grade pitch that's right in front after ascending the gully. There is an optional C grade pitch round the exposed right hand corner, this pitch is not recommended.

At the top of the B pitch go to the right scrambling up easy rock steps until you are on top of a large slanted boulder. From the boulder follow a traverse to the right (south easterly) until another B grade pitch is reached. Ascend this to reach a lovely tea spot. To continue the traverse, squeeze through between a boulder and the cliff face and follow a feint path that continues along the cliff face. Keep to the cliff face as long as possible ascending to the top incline using any of the easy B grade scrambles along this path. Once on top of the Klaassens back ridge, search for one of the many paths leading to the peak.