Spring Buttress
Location: Spring Buttress lies between Wood Buttress and Slangolie. The start is 200m along the pipe track from Wood Ravine, sharing the same route as Three Firs for the first 100m.
Overview: An interesting route following an intricate zig-zag through the rock bands with a spectacular, exposed (but easy) traverse. The scrambles can be tricky if wet. If doing the version with the higher traverse ledge a Rope should be used, and even on the easier version there is one descent pitch for which a roped belay is usually required.
Route Description:
From Theresa Avenue, ascend to the Pipe Track and walk 1.6km south. The start up the buttress is 200m along the pipe track from Wood Ravine, sharing the same route as Three Firs for the first 100m. The take off is marked with a cairn.
From the pipe track ascend to the first rock band at 425m. The Three Firs path goes right at this point. Traverse left for 100m and then ascend to the next rock band at 440m. Traverse left again on a ledge that narrows and make an awkward slide across a block (or squeeze behind if you are thin enough!). Ascend to a cave at the next rock band at 495m. Traverse 50m left and then ascend a long broken slope with a variety of routes possible either in the gullies or on the ridges until reaching the main rock band at 560m. NOTE the next section starts at the left hand end of the cliff close to the steep Spring gully whereas the easier version described pictorially below goes from the right hand end of the long cliff of orange rock. From this right hand corner there is a scramble route to get up to the long ledge just before the cantilevered rock mentioned in this version. NB note that the second slide show portrays the easier version which does NOT scramble up to the cantilevered block but continues to traverse right along a bushy ledge across the front of the Buttress:
Climb the 5m pitch in the corner to a narrow ledge. Traverse 200m right on this ledge through a cave - a good tea spot. From the cave step around the exposed corner onto a block cantilevered over Camps Bay below. Traverse the ledge some distance before you ascend diagonally right to a 2m crack. Go up the crack and then traverse back left and then up to a recess. Climb the recess in two 3m steps to an exposed block. Step down the other side of this block and traverse left onto easy ground. Go up the grass slope into an open gully and ascend this to the top of the buttress.
For an interesting and whimsical finish, about 100m from the top of the gully traverse 20m right under a cliff to the base of a 30m chimney. Scramble up the chimney to the top of the buttress (Grade 3). The main Apostles Path is 200m east.
Descent: Wood Ravine is the closest, but chose any number of routes off the Back Table.
