UKC Logbook - 'Snakes and Ladders Approach (Old)'

"although this route is not a conventional climbing experience, its equivalent to HVS and provides an unforgettable experience of the history and danger faced by past generations. the route contains: rusty ladders with missing rungs and dark dripping tunnels far underground. this is not in any guide, but here is a brief description:
A tunnel leads from the east side of dalis hole and skirts around the deep echoes of hades to emerge in calafornia, an impressive arena enclosed by huge walls. climb the chain on the left wall as you leave the tunnel. this leads to another tunnel, which exits opposite dalis wall where a secret hole at the base of the crag provides the entrance to tasmainia. scramble up the lower part of australias vast oil drum glacier to a set of ladders on the salt pans level. these gain access to g'day level, high up in quarries.up here, away from most of the post-quarry foraging, workmans coats and boot lay ready for tomorrows hard graft.a series of abseils and ladders down the heaven walls gain the base of the lost world, a truly forgotten and ethereal place. walk through into mordor and ascend ladders to the khyber pass. continue up the hillside until an incline on the right leads down to the main track through the quarries. doesnt count if you take headtorches!" climb mag.. slightly altered.

Additional route info can be found here:
http://davetalbot.net/snakes-and-ladders/

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User	Date		Notes
John1458	7 Nov, 2022	Show βeta βeta: The rope replacing the missing rungs on the ladders out of Mordor has seen better days and is core shot in places. Could do with replacing. I wouldn't want to do it again without being on a rope as a back up.	βeta?
Show beta βeta: The rope replacing the missing rungs on the ladders out of Mordor has seen better days and is core shot in places. Could do with replacing. I wouldn't want to do it again without being on a rope as a back up.
Guy	9 Sep, 2022	Show βeta βeta: Hand over hand up the chain is not as hard as it first seems.	βeta?
Show beta βeta: Hand over hand up the chain is not as hard as it first seems.
wabbajack	15 May, 2022	Show βeta βeta: Please note, theres only 1 fully functional anchor bolt at the top of the approach now. I used a 120cm sling to clove hitch onto the bolt its self, as the hanger seems to be missing..
Show beta βeta: Please note, theres only 1 fully functional anchor bolt at the top of the approach now. I used a 120cm sling to clove hitch onto the bolt its self, as the hanger seems to be missing..
gazj1986	4 Dec, 2021	Show βeta βeta: Aid climbed up the chain on alpine draws which took some thought to retrieve my foot loops. Finding the entrance to tunnel of love took longer than most of the sections.	βeta?
Show beta βeta: Aid climbed up the chain on alpine draws which took some thought to retrieve my foot loops. Finding the entrance to tunnel of love took longer than most of the sections.
Isaac_Blanc	20 Jun, 2021	Show βeta βeta: The whole route can be done with a 40m rope, including the abseil into The Lost World, even though guide says you need a 60m. This doesn't require any sketchy down climbing.	βeta?
Show beta βeta: The whole route can be done with a 40m rope, including the abseil into The Lost World, even though guide says you need a 60m. This doesn't require any sketchy down climbing.
Alex_Handhold	24 May, 2021	Show βeta βeta: Not for those without a decent head for heights or distrust of old rusty ladders. Only one chain remains but it's a smaller diameter to the old one. You can clip this with regular quickdraws(I didn't realise this until I ran out of HMS), and it's probably wise to take a few short slings for footloops. It's best not to look at what's securing the chain to the top of the route, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life. There's 2 bolts for setting up an anchor at the top. The abseil back down into Dali's hole has a chain around the tree. The tunnel to Australia is fairly easy to find, you have already walked past it when heading to California. We took the left route out of the tunnel(past looning tube) and up the scree dead ahead/slightly left. The ladders are rusty as shit and those things will fall to the ground one day in the not too distant future. The good news is that most of them have been loosely secured with some old dyneema. Best not to question the age of the rope, or what anchors it to the rock. I used a couple of crabs on a sling as makeshift via ferrata gear, my partner climbed unprotected and much faster, presumably to lessen the odds of being around when they separate themselves from the rock. The abseil into the lost world has loads of tatt left around the tree, seems solid enough. A 50m rope will get you to the first ledge with a bit of a scramble to the bottom, a 70m would make your life a little easier but not essential. Overall 10/10 day, but wouldn't take anyone I cared about dearly.
Show beta βeta: Not for those without a decent head for heights or distrust of old rusty ladders. Only one chain remains but it's a smaller diameter to the old one. You can clip this with regular quickdraws(I didn't realise this until I ran out of HMS), and it's probably wise to take a few short slings for footloops. It's best not to look at what's securing the chain to the top of the route, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life. There's 2 bolts for setting up an anchor at the top. The abseil back down into Dali's hole has a chain around the tree. The tunnel to Australia is fairly easy to find, you have already walked past it when heading to California. We took the left route out of the tunnel(past looning tube) and up the scree dead ahead/slightly left. The ladders are rusty as shit and those things will fall to the ground one day in the not too distant future. The good news is that most of them have been loosely secured with some old dyneema. Best not to question the age of the rope, or what anchors it to the rock. I used a couple of crabs on a sling as makeshift via ferrata gear, my partner climbed unprotected and much faster, presumably to lessen the odds of being around when they separate themselves from the rock. The abseil into the lost world has loads of tatt left around the tree, seems solid enough. A 50m rope will get you to the first ledge with a bit of a scramble to the bottom, a 70m would make your life a little easier but not essential. Overall 10/10 day, but wouldn't take anyone I cared about dearly.
Stacy Hackner	18 Apr, 2021	Show βeta βeta: There used to be two chains for the California HVS; now there is only one and it hangs by gravity alone, no attachments. (The second chain lays on the ground nearby.) It is possible to Via Ferrata it, but you need a big Boa. Two bolts inside the cave entrance. After top rope belay set up, I inchwormed up the chain.
Show beta βeta: There used to be two chains for the California HVS; now there is only one and it hangs by gravity alone, no attachments. (The second chain lays on the ground nearby.) It is possible to Via Ferrata it, but you need a big Boa. Two bolts inside the cave entrance. After top rope belay set up, I inchwormed up the chain.
CantClimbTom	28 Aug, 2020	Show βeta βeta: Fittingly... The only 1 crab I owned that could clip the snake/chain was a DMM boa. It must have felt at home!
Show beta βeta: Fittingly... The only 1 crab I owned that could clip the snake/chain was a DMM boa. It must have felt at home!
RossEdwards	24 Aug, 2020	Show βeta βeta: Probably the best adventure to be had in Snowdonia	βeta?
Show beta βeta: Probably the best adventure to be had in Snowdonia