The Hump

The Details: Access: Follow the tourist trail up to the saddle behind the Cathedral with great views out L of the Hump, with the Glossop Skins buttress being fairly obvious, it's the largest clean slab and you're looking at it in profile. The rap station is on top of it, be sure to get your bearings. Continue up the tourist track for another 400m or so, until about 100m past the Cross Purposes buttress (keep it on your R) to where the tourist trail switchbacks L up towards the summit. Here you're almost below the Footbinders Revenge area (ahead and slightly L as you've approached). At the switchback break R for about 80m to the faint saddle , then veer R again to a small rock outcrop. This is split by a bumber of small gullies or chasms, choose the easiest one you can find which will deposit you out on a wide rock platform. If you kept your bearings it should be fairly obvious which one is the Glossop Skins buttress. A view of The Hump (on the right) and The Cathedral (on the left). The highest part of The Hump is a massive 90m slab with classics such as Glossop Skins (** 90m 25) (marked GS) and The Initiation (** 90m 18) (marked I) up it. Other routes initialled are: CP = Cross Purposes (* 15m 20), which takes the obvious crossed dykes visible from the Cathedral (see photo below) and makes a good landmark; S = Sans (* 30m 18) (note the guidebook topo has it wrong - see the online update); and FR = the base of Footbinder's Revenge (12m 21); and R = Redbacks (sporty ** 23). This is the view of The Hump from the Cathedral, with The Horn obvious off in the distance, and Dreamworld being the little boulders at far right. Note, to access the rap chains above the very obvious Glossop Skins buttress it's not possible to traverse around the clifftop, instead follow the tourist trail until you're above the Cross Purposes buttress (with obvious dykes) at top left, then break back R to scramble between those boulders nestled in the trees to emerge on a big flat area above GS. Ariel Area This shot shows the Ariel Area, as viewed from the boulders just above Glossop Skins. So if you have this view, GS is directly behind you. Ariel takes the clean face on the R, while Footbinder's Revenge takes the largest clean face on the left. Daughter of Ariel 12m 18 (TR) A good toprope problem that should not be bolted. Starts just L of Prospero's Cell, tricky face to deep pocket, then step R across PC to climb the arete 2-3m L of Ariel. * Ariel 12m 17 (OS) Sustained goodness. Short initial corner, then up the middle of the face past 3 bolts. The crux is probably past the first bolt but it barely lets up after that. Son of Ariel 12m 15 (OS) Start as for Ariel but then walk 6m up R to the arete. Climb the arete, a little on the R side. Nice enough but a bit too short really. The Hump Main Cliff * On Remand 30m 19 (OS) Follows the arete up the upper half of the main cliff, clearly visible in the first photo above as the rounded arete which appears to be directly below Footbinder's Revenge. I got quite scared on the first two clips on this - pre-extending the first bolt in particular would make it a much safer proposition, and the star probably only applies if this is done! An easy enough scramble down the gully to its base, then up the #3Fr flake for 6m. A few hard committing moves to the first bolt, and sustained insecure moves continue for about 8-10m until well above the 2nd bolt. Clip the 3rd at waist height and doddle up the runout finish. With new DBB and easy access to the base this is now a good toprope proposition too. Me enjoying the nice moves in the safety of the nearby 2nd bolt of On Remand. Me running it out to the 3rd bolt of On Remand with the awesome views over the plateau beyond ** The Initiation 90m 18 (OS) A fantastic route up a crack blasting up the right side of the huge Glossop Skins buttress. I wouldn't argue with a 3rd star. It would be just as good at grade 15 if you skip the first 10m. Rap down the Glossop Skins Buttress (35m then 40m), and swing R on the second rap to where a flake/crack becomes obvious. Might be worth trying an overhand knot for your ropes because pulling a fisherman's over the rock wore straight through the sheath on one of our ropes. 1) (** 14m 18) The thin fingers flake/crack, with good stances and good gear for the first 7m followed by semi-campusing up fingerlocks with shit feet (crux). Be sure to place high gear from the last stance at 7m. 2) (* 22m 12) Lovely easy flake/crack up a steep slab - not many routes at this grade get you up a wall like that! Belay at small sloping ledge off cams up under a flake above. 3) (** 25m 14) Steeper undercling/layback flake section for 5m then easy for another 5m until it fizzles out. Ignore the dodgy old bolt and slot a good #3Fr then a blank smearing traverse down R past 2 bolts - exciting position, good pro. Once at the flakes on the far side slot a #2Fr to protect your second, then continue R to the big chockstone in the first chimney. Don't go down R to the grassy ledge with fixed sling, but pull onto the chockstone and trickily up onto the next big chockstone to the base of a splitter crack in the R wall of the chimney. 4) (** 20m 15) A beautiful textbook hand crack for 12m, widening to fists, then wander to the top. We did it in 3 pitches by combining p1&2, and it'd go in 2 pitches by skipping the 3rd belay (provided you extend gear before the p3 traverse, and from the end of the traverse to the start of the handcrack). John on pitch 2 of Initiation The view looking back towards The Cathedral from the top of Glossop Skins. A view of The Hump and Ariel Area from up at The Horn, also showing The Cathedral. © 1999-2007 Will