Photos by sbaclimber

After happily placing a crazy number of knots and slings in the crack, I was now contemplating how to tackle the exit chimney.

Me, starting up the Südverschneidung, with enough knots and slings to protect a climb 4 times as long. Was looking forward to placing as many as possible in the crack.

This is what is considered a "rack" in the Elbsandsteingebirge (Sächsische Schwiez).

After Paul had placed the pro leading up to the crux, Pete decided to have a go at it. Although he had the right approach to the crux sequence, he unfortunately wasn't able to pull it off either.

Sean's checking out the new version of this route. The start used to involve some tricky gear and traversing, now it is a straight shot past some nice new shiny bolts.

James, pulling through the crux on The Unholy Grail, Peraki Valley.

Julia (jgoolia41) and James on the 2nd pitch of The Unholy Grail, Peraki Valley.

Pulling through the steep bit mid pitch. Down right fun in a good environment, the good exposure comes later.

3 of the 5 lines at Peraki...LtoR: Stairway To Heaven, 30 Pieces Of Silver, The Unholy Grail Not marked: Leipziger goes up the slab left of STH, and Lovin' Lickin' the Lichen to the right.

Socialclimber doing the FA of Sea Breeze. Turns out it is well protected with natural gear. Breeze is actually a bit of an understatement, it was downright windy!

Socialclimber on the first ascent of the newest trad line at Devils Gap, his second for the week. The man is an FA machine!

As much as I tried, lowe balls just didn't turn out to be the silver bullet I was looking for on Nudity. A standard set of wires and some C3s are the way to go for good gear!

Nudity is a great route with surprisingly good gear, once you have it sussed. The crux involves some fancy footwork and a bit of just plain "hangin' on".

Not as steep as it looks, this is a great trad climb around the 17 grade, with tons of gear. Kitter2000 belaying.

Apparently, a brown tri-cam works just as well, but I find just about any excuse to use a #4 cam is a good excuse. Big cam + big jugs......you just can't go wrong!

Socialclimber looking around for the critical hold to help him through the crux. He did eventually find it (it isn't where he was looking), and finished the route in style. Kitter2000 is belaying.

Technically, Moon Rise is a sport climb, but the setting is pretty alpine, IMO. Great place to take some photos though, as both I and socialclimber were doing. Oceans is just chillin'.

Most of the established routes on the main face are within this area. Colored routes are new as of 2006.

One interesting move, a couple of good pieces, and you're ready to pull around the roof. Don't let appearences fool you, it is actually very very easy. Photo by Yan

One interesting move, a couple of good pieces, and you're ready to pull around the roof. Don't let appearences fool you, it is actually very very easy. Photo by Yan

The start is pretty awkward, but once on the wall things get much better. Lots of small bomber wires and big jugs. Photo by Yan

Socialclimber checking out the gap through the roof to exit A Taste Of Shit. It may not sound very appatising, but he says it is good....

Most of the primary routes are located around the middle and right hand dihedrals and buttresses.

You know how they say, "double up your protection for the crux"!? Well, for Hamish, on Crack Of Delight (19), the crux started off the ground, and never really stopped. 5 cams place within 1m of each other while on lead and no more than 4m off the deck. First time in a real crack, so we cut him a little slack, and didn't make too much fun of his pro-technique. Photo by Robo555

Chances are, I was sizing up the thin crack with the loose block as my top out at this point. I ended up wussing out and exiting lower and right over the ledge. Photo by Chris B.

We are doing our best to corrupt him into a crack climber. Slip and slide, and try his best not to jam, we will eventually succeed. Photo by socialclimber

...and experiencing the typical Castle Hill "no edges for your feet". At least there is a good crack for him to hang on to. Photo by Robo555

The top section of Phil McKrakin is just a series of solid finger locks, one after the other. Unfortunately, the feet and gear are rediculously thin, which would probably explain the bolt. Photo by socialclimber

Phil McKrakin is a pretty typical limestone crack. Irregular enough for cams to be bit questionable, but not enough for wires to be solid. Small tricams to the rescue! Photo by socialclimber

Unfortunately, the flake that makes up the left side of Phil McKrakin just keeps getting thinner and thinner the higher you go. The jams are solid, the feet thin, and there is a high bolt, so it is all good! Photo by socialclimber

Graded at 18 (5.10a), but the lichen and very thin gear at the top make this seem a bit harder. Great route anyway, especially considering it is one of the better ones around. Photo by socialclimber

A pretty good route to learn trad climbing on, at 15 and with plenty of cracks. Gets rather daunting and takes some placement finding skills at the top though. Photo by socialclimber

Otepatotu is definitely not a winter crag! Though we did manage to get on one of the few routes that gets any sun at all (for about 1/2 hour).

...or at least this one is. Not an easy route to protect, but it is there if you are ballsy enough to keep looking for it. The vegetation doesn't really help much either.

...but also a very quality route. Recommended for any climber that climbs 14 or above. Tons of great placements on great rock.

No, he's not catching flies, it was quite windy and hard to hear. Hopefully, someday, we will get a good photo of this route, but it isn't likely. That is one heck of a drop-off below.

If you can't tell by him all bundled up below, it had gotten quite cool and breezy by this point in the day. Kind of a bad photo of the route, but this was taken while on the sharp end of a first ascent flash (okay.....I know...it was 'only' a 16....).

After the next placement, he missed the following 3, making for a very serious runout. Turns out, the gear is actually pretty good if you look for it.

doogle, concentrating hard on hanging onto some gnarly side clings to get through the roof on Shortcut To Mushrooms.

The roof on Shortcut To Mushrooms spanked me hard, but doogle just pulled right on through. The half-smile on his face can only mean he just set the jam above the chockstone.

... on Shortcut To Mushrooms. Great climb with great pro, but a really rough couple of moves through the roof. Photo by doogle

Daniel holding on as tightly as possible through the very thin crux of Slippery When Wet.

socialclimber looking.... Now that the hard part is over, the fun can begin. When Hell Froze Over starts with a bouldery start, and then offers some awesome jugs for the midsection. Photo by Daniel

socialclimber thoroughly enjoying the beautiful weather while pulling the crux of When Hell Froze Over (named for the freezing weather during the FA) Photo by Daniel

Too bad it had gotten quite cold by this point. Beautiful route if you are warm enough to feel your fingers though. Socialclimber belaying.

Once you have found your way up to it, the Christian Principles Slab has some quality routes on it. CP is a little dirty in spots, but a good exposed steep line non-the-less. Kit is belaying.

22x cams (21=BD..., 1=DMM) Not shown: 2x #2-13 BD stopper sets 1x #1-6 BD micro stopper set 3x BD hexes (not a hex person) 1x #0.5-4 Camp tri-cams 1x #1-5 Camp Ballnuts 10x lockers (9=BD...) 4x belay devices (1x8, 2xATC, 1xSRC) 11x quickdraws (10=BD...) 14x BD trad/runner draws 23x BD ovals 1x Grivel nut tool 2x Mammut Infinity ropes 4x 5.10 Hueco shoes 1x BD Half Dome helmet 1x Petzl Elios helmet 2x harnesses (BD Bod/Momentum)

I was feeling a bit awkeward here, but once I got the fingerlock above the roof, it was all good. The crack to the left is Hangman, and to my right is Perigrinus and Flying Buttress (respectively l. to r.). Photo by Robo

At this point I was still enjoying this route, and looking forward to the wider section where I would be able to use some of my bigger gear. Too bad I had forgotten how greasy it is in that section. Photo by Robo

Steve headed up Oily Bullah. To the left and right of the yellow line are Mysterious Ways and Calling the Flock, 25. On the very red arete further to the right is Mind The Fushia and Cash Cow Machine.