Frustration Buttress

Route Description:

From Constantia Nek, follow the ring rd past the turn off to Hell's Gates (where the road crosses Disa Stream) and continue on the road for 150m to Frustration Ravine. Go up Frustration Ravine for about 100m and look for a faint track leading to the left.

Climb out of the ravine up a steep bank, zig-zagging right and left to avoid bush and rock, then find a left diagonal ascent line through the small rock bands, aiming for the high rock band on the the lower part of the buttress. Continue on up the buttress, keeping as near the ridge line of the buttress as possible as this has cleaner rock and less bush.

Continue up through several rock bands, moving right or left as necessary to find the required breaks but trying all the time to stay as much as possible on the ridge line. None of the bands present any major difficulties. While the bush is thick in places, it can generally be avoided and there is nothing that presents major problems. However, long pants may be advisable for those who don't like scratched legs!

Near the top a maze of cracks are encountered which require some careful navigation, especially in the mist - it's easy to get disoriented. A compass line may be useful if caught in the mist. The maze continues on top as one heads west towards the Apostles path. It may be only 500m from the top to the path, but it's quite rough going.

Descent: The quickest is along the Apostles path to Slangolie Ravine and down into Disa Gorge and back along the jeep track, but many other back table options available. Take your pick.

Recce party: 22 July 2008 U3A CMCA: Tony Heher and Colin Bridge, Peggy deKock, Margie Growse, Roger Hendry, Kathleen Holtzhausen, Lucille Krige, Martyn Trainor, Elizabeth Trew.

This was an old route climbed many years ago. There was no sign of any path, but a few old, mossy cairns. More cairns have been erected and U3A CMCA and MCSA have subsequently climbed it a number of times so a path is developing.