Outer Horn scrambling route

Looking at that route makes my legs quiver & the stomach turn.

Is this scrambling?

I am sure that it is quite exposed. However, don't forget we are looking at it head on, so it is going to look more extreme and vert than it likely is. Judging form the 2&3 which is in profile, it looks like a 60 degree slope, which in some passes is about as bad as it gets. Section 7&9 looks like the worst bits though, and you would have to be pretty confident to do these.

Hi @Intrepid
I took some time to look at your pic and beta version and compare it to our route - my only comment is that we did not finish in a gully (9); we finished up a ridge, and quite an exposed one at that. On your pic I would say that we traversed all the way to your point 2 and then climbed/scrambled up the ridge from there. I clearly remember that part - being on a very narrow ridge with the drops on both sides feeling like they went all the way down to the rivers in the valley floor below. Our abseil down was most likely down your gully #9.

R

Nice light in that last photo Intrepid!

This thread is making me keen to give the route a go as well. I've always overlooked the Horns.
RD reminds me of the std route on Spitzkoppe. The last pitch is supposed to be the easiest but its either a grovel in a horrible off-width crack or up a steep ramp next to the crack with no gear at all and airy views all around.

Well done Intrepid! Good job. Are you going to write up Inner Horn?

On Saturday, a team made up of Neil M, Tony M, Hobbit, Lorinda and myself went up Outer Horn Standard Route (graded C+). (photos by Tony Marshall).

We left Bell Cave at about 6:15, and made good time on the walkin to the climb. The clouds were high, giving us lovely cool weather, but threatening rain as well.

At the nek between the horns, we scrambled up and dropped our packs just over the south side. We took our climbing gear, raincoats, and a few small items and set off for the climb. Our topo had the nek cut off, so we took a guess that we needed to use the lower ledge, so we dropped down a bit - not a wise move! We ended up having to scramble up some nasty steep grassy slopes to get onto the higher ledge.

The south face ravine is reached very quickly - we anticipated a longer traverse. Nonetheless, it is pretty obvious when you hit it. We used the true left side to get up the ravine - it had quite a few thorns, but nothing serious.

The team heading up the ravine

We then hit the first slab. With about 20m of exposure, Neil went across first and set up a rope off a flake on the other side. This is the crux of the entire route (and is much easier to reverse due to the placement of the holds). There is a sloping foothold and a small crimpy foothold to get you across the 2m wide slab above an abyss. Lorinda and Mike got across it easily, Tony took a bit of time, and I took an age to get across. I genuinely thought I wasn't going to get up because of this bit (I struggle with traverse climbing, I am much stronger at going up).

Lorinda about to do the crux move - it looks easier in the photo, but you get some idea of the exposure

Once we were across this, we continued on the ledge. The second traverse was exposed, but easy.

Mike on the easy traverse

The third traverse was sopping wet, and the main foothold in the middle was loose mud, so we roped it again. This was much easier than the first traverse, but this one was harder to reverse.

Neil sets up the belay for the third traverse - note how wet it is

From here, the route takes a narrow grass ledge around the corner - a death fall is immediately next to you, but as long as you are careful, no ropes are required.

Note the drop next to me as I went around the easy but exposed corner

From here you follow the grassy nose of the ridge, till you hit a cliff above you. This is the C+ climb, which is very easy, easier than the top pitch on Sentinel Standard Route. We did rope it (Mike lead), mostly because of the roughly 200m fall if you slip.

Neil seconding the top pitch - most of the holds are big enough to sit on


Hobbit belaying under Neil's watchful eye

From the top of the pitch, you simply walk over to the summit cairn.

The team getting organised on top


Summit shot

I used a rope to downclimb the top pitch, while everyone else free soloed it. We roped the same traverses we roped on the way up, this time with a front and back belay.

I used my climbing shoes on the crux, and crossed it in no time this way round.

We stayed high on the traverse and came out 5m above our packs.

We had hoped to do Inner Horn after this, but it had started to rain, and the summits were in the mist, so we pushed on to Twins Cave.

Surprisingly there was very little water on this stretch, odd after how much water had been flowing on the slopes of Cathedral Peak the day before.