The Word: Crowded but good. The Crag Classic: D Minor (** 15) Sun/shade: In general the area gets sun until late afternoon, however there is a small selection of routes on the back or side of the pinnacles which give shady options all day. Wet weather options: Not really, although Cadenza, Tannin and Wraith withstand light rain. Style & Length of Climbs: Easy to intermediate, numerous cracks, 15-60m. Available Grades; Best Grades: 7-28; 7-25
The Details: The Organ Pipes is the well named row of pinnacles and buttresses directly uphill from the Pines. This super-convenient location combined with the attraction of bundles of starred sub-20 routes has made it possibly the most popular single crag at Araps. Consequently, the easy classics are all well worn, as are the walking paths in the area - please do not stray off the existing trails as recent efforts have been made to limit the impact of climbers by blocking off unnecessary paths. Crowds and queues are the rule rather than the exception here.
Access: 3mins walk straight uphill from the Pines.
Descent(s): Rap stations exist above several routes (2 ropes needed for some), otherwise find your way back from the top of the cliff into the Organ Pipes Gully and walk down this.
Described L to R.
The Organ Pipes.
D Minor Pinnacle
This is the pinnacle at the L end of the Organ Pipes with an obvious crack up it's middle (D Minor). Rap chains at the top - a 50m rope will get you down over Aardvark.
D Minor Pinnacle viewed from the rear, with marked routes being Aardvark (18) and Cadenza (20), while Lemmington (19) tackles the face at far left (the side wall of Piccolo Pinnacle). The Pines campground is visible down in the background.
* Cadenza 20m 20 (OS)
A good route which finds a moderate way up the imposing smooth back wall of the pinnacle. Shady most of the day. Great gear up initial tricky layback, to rest at start of traverse. Traverse airily out R into steeper territory, ignore piton, bang in gear, and haul over lip. Wander up to belay from chains.
Me swinging across the traverse after the nice layback start.
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Me pulling the final moves as the rain buckets down over the plains.
** D Minor 33m 15 (OS)
The obvious crack up the front of the pinnacle is probably THE most popular route at Arapiles - expect a queue! Easy enough to do as a single pitch, just use extenders! Easily up slab, then nice moves on vertical stuff (beware a big loose block!) to the rest area. Pull double overhangs on jugs, belay and rap off chains (go over the back of the pinnacle if you've only got a 50m!).
D Minor - Rob hanging off the final crux bulge during his onsight, with Central Gully Right Side and the back of the Bluffs visible in the background.
* Aardvark 18m 18 (OS)
This route is on the NW side of D Minor pinnacle, across the chasm from Piccolo Pinnacle. Don't scramble directly up the chasm, instead walk around the L side of the pinnacle then down into the chasm. Tricky start up undercut crack past great gear, then juggy section to top flake. Good cams, then nice balancy moves to chain.
Aardvark - the steep fingerlocking start.
Aardvark - a spicy run-out at the top makes you appreciate the jugs!
Piccolo Pinnacle
** Lemmington 18m 19 (OS)
A lovely testing wall route directly opposite Aardvark and accessed the same way (not up the gully). Set an anchor first, or your belayer might tumble down the gully, and take several microcams for the top 9m. A delicate step R to start gains beautiful climbing up a great flake to half height. Thin wall moves lead up and slightly L before a tricky traverse R gains a juggy flake and a big pumpy crank to the finishing jugs. The gear for the belay is awkward but adequate.
* Piccolo 40m 11 (RP)
A nice little climb, which amazingly has some fixed wires - the result of leadfalls, on an 11?? The crux is the clearly visible blank bulge, but is nowhere near as bad as it looks. Plenty of pro as well, plus a quick descent.
Centre Buttresses
Best descent for Libretto and Diapason is to rap 20m from DRB above Stentor (check the guide before you go, they're a little tricky to find). Don't finish your rap on Piccolo Pinnacle - swing away from the Pines back into the gully so as to continue rapping down past the tricky downclimb. The alternative to this rap requires a scary sidle around a narrow sloping ledge above a nasty 5-10m drop to get back into the Organ Pipes Gully.
Descend from Conifer Crack by walking back and a little L through the the narrow bushy corridor which leads through to the Organ Pipes Gully, which you enter by scrambling down through a hole in the rock! Note: about halfway down the Organ Pipes Gully is another downclimb under a large boulder which is quite unpleasant - this can be avoided by heading over to the R side of the gully (under the Flashing Blade) where a much easier track appears, it looks a bit exposed but bear with it, it's quite ok.
A shot of the centre left of the Organ Pipes, with marked routes being Aardvark (18) on the D Minor Pinnacle, Piccolo (11) taking the narrow rib, D Major (10) which goes into the big slot, Libretto (16) which follows the yellow rock then steps L round the top roof, and the climber is on Diapason (7).
* Diapason 55m 7 (OS)
Hmm hardly a classic, but I can see why beginners flock to it. Goes ok in 1 pitch, drag can de kept minimal by not placing gear within a few moves of the last ledge. I thought the finish was pretty hard for 7!
** Conifer Crack 75m 9 (OS)
Two good long pitches. 1) (** 35m 9) Up the slabby crack/corner on the L side of the buttress, with a really nice juggy bulge at about 15m and nice corner climbing for a good way above. 2) (** 40m 9) Up the front of the narrower rib for a few metres then move R to the twin V-grooves which shoot up the R side. A good sustained pitch but take care with the rock - there's a surprising amount of loose stuff, big and small, and the consequences of a fall on under vertical jugfests like this doesn't bear thinking about.
** Libretto 49m 16 (OS)
Only just scrapes in for the second star - it's good, but not a classic. 1) (** 24m 13) Good, though much easier than the guides suggest. Nice and consistent at the grade with the usual sinker wires and honking great jugs. 2) (* 25m 16) Step L to lovely 6m glassy corner off the ledge - looks hard but is surprisingly easy with a few nice fingerlocks and nice stemming. Much easier conclusion, joining D Major (10) for an awesome overhanging juggy finish.
Libretto - me mid-crux, belayed by Peter.
Didgeridoo Pipe
The stylish steep narrow yellow pinnacle beneath the Red Wall. Has DBB and rap chains (35m rap), but take extreme care getting to them from the top (Red Wall), ie stay roped up.
** Didgeridoo 35m 11 (OS)
The way it's described in the new Mentz/Tempest guide, it's not really worth doing if you've done Horn Piece. Nevertheless it's a fine route, with plenty of steep climbing at the grade. Follow HP to final bulge then step L and up nondescript flake to chains and DBB. Rap off.
** Hornpiece 30m 13 (YP)
Great! Lotsa pro and lots of nice moves, getting quite airy by the top thanks to the narrow fronted pinnacle you�re on.
Red Wall
Totally enveloped in chalk and grease from endless flapping hands and feet - imagine how much worse it would be if the wall was at ground level! This is the steep wall (coloured red - surprisingly enough), towards the R end of the Organ Pipes, perched 35m off the deck above the Didgeridoo Pipe. There are chains above Tannin and Wraith (30m rap to ledge - a single 60m rope does reach), but for Wyrd you apparently go to the top and walk down.
** Tannin Direct 30m 20 (OS)
Just as good as Tannin. As for Tannin for 12m, but instead of taking the obvious traverse 3m under the roof, continue up to the roof trending slightly L. Good stance under roof and bomber #0.5Fr (extend it), then use an undercling on the lip of the roof to place a #1Fr up under the flake above the lip - it's mainly flaring but there's a bomber spot (on the R end) if you have a good close look. Use a juggy sidepull on the flake to get over the lip, then some awesome steep moves up more juggy sidepulls lead to a reach to some good holds, there's a fine little stance here, before continuing up the challenging thin headwall, rejoining Tannin about 8m above the roof.
** Tannin 32m 19 (OS)
Good climbing in a great position. People rave about this route far too much though. Easily up initial flake/ramp, then follow laybacks to traverse line below roof. Step R, delightful through roof, and continued good climbing up and L to easier ground and chain.
** The Wraith 40m 21 (YP)
An excellent route. Well protected up to the crux, but take a small offset wire for pro just past the crux - there�s a good flaring placement. Very nice climbing.
Red Wall, with me rapping down Tannin Direct (20). Tannin (19) goes R around the end of the roof then back up L to where I am, while Wraith (21) takes the sheer wall on R of shot.
Tannin - I'm the tiny white dot in the middle! (On the left facing red wall). This is a view of most of the Organ Pipes, taken from the Pines.
