Kasteels Buttress
Location: A bushed up track starts off the Kasteelspoort path shortly after it crosses Valken Ravine stream bed. (In dry weather the stream bed can be used)
Overview: The most difficult section is a short wall high up in Kasteels Gully, and here some parties prefer the 'Cups and Saucers' variation face which is around to the left of the gully.
Route Description:
Ascend the rough path beyond the Valken Ravine watercourse and parallel to it up to a rock overhang, then traverse left into the ravine watercourse and continue up to a cliff blocking the head of the ravine. In dry weather the watercourse can be followed from where where the KP path crosses it.
Traverse to the right against the cliff face, following the ledge. The ledge (and cairns) will guide you to a step which leads into a gully, this is Kasteels Gully. Ascend Kasteels Gully, scrambling through two rock bands.
There is an alternative to the second scramble (which requires good balance) around the left hand corner called "Cups and Saucers". This is a steep face with large handholds, but use of a rope is recommended for safety.
Having done one of the alternative pitches to where Kasteels Gully starts to open out you should traverse right out of the gully and onto Kasteels Buttress. Follow cairns to the right along the wide ledge under the cliff. Climb a narrow diagonal grassy gully up left until you run into a headwall. Take a long traverse right until almost at the corner of the buttress.
NB an alternative that is now often done is to continue past the diagonal gully out on a ledge to the front of the buttress and scramble up a blocky break to the large bushy slope and then move up to the track under the cliff that traverses across to the corner.
Now from the corner of the buttress with a view across Kasteelspoort to Postern Buttress, move up a faint track through lots of Coleonema (Confetti bush) and climb a step and two small chimney sections to pierce the wall. Go diagonally right and up to the the final corner which has a 'left foot on right ear' awkward step up. Easy scrambling and hopping across gaps leads to the large beacon on the top of the Buttress.
