Woody Left Hand Route
Location: Climbs the left hand side of Woody Buttress above Postern Ravine
Overview: Fun route for small groups (because of the chockstone gully bit which is loose and potentially dangerous) This climb uses Peter Zoutendyk's pitches above Postern Ravine, and Mike Scott's lower variation to Woody up the diagonal bushy gully. This gully section can be avoided by doing the Wood Buttress route until the bottomless recess below the Chimneys and then traversing and is the recommended best way to do this route.
Route Description:
Start from Rontree Estate parking, and access the Pipe Track which is followed to the start of the Wood Buttress route path. At the first rock band, move around to the left to bypass the first scramble on Woody, and then up to the cliff to the left of the normal Woody pitches.
Here there are 2 short pitches of B/C climbing, which will need roping for safety, or avoid them by going on up Woody. When on the big ledge with the cave at the corner, go up the usual track until you can traverse over far left along the base of the rock towards the big diagonal bushy gully.
Ascend the gully in a meander, and crawl under the big chockstone to exit though a gap. Continue up the ridge on the left of the gully until on an open slope. Follow cairns (or your nose) upwards on the left side of Woody until you are on the ledge at the undercut recess pitch on the normal Woody route.
This gully section can be avoided by doing the Buttress route until the bottomless recess below the Chimneys and then traversing AND importantly DO NOT DO THIS GULLY WITH A LARGE PARTY.
Now traverse left around the corner on a narrow rock ledge, and then diagonally up to the big orange cliff left of the crux chimney pitch on Woody Buttress. From here, take another narrow rock ledge leftwards, with 2 step down moves, and then ascend to a short sloping chimney which is the only reasonable way up. Use of a rope is suggested here for all but the most experienced rock scramblers.
Above this a vague path takes a line up the slope to below a long overhang. Although possible to continue up this way to the head of Postern ravine, rather traverse right under the overhang to join another track cutting back up left on a diagonal line to the summit of Wood Buttress. Now stay on the left and scramble up big blocks to the top plateau and then play hopscotch over the maze of rocks and gullies until meeting the Apostles path!
