Monkey Buttress, Braemar Hill

General:
A relatively recently developed crag offering single pitch trad and sport routes at an easily accessible location on Hong Kong Island.

Note: The rock here seems to weaken considerably when wet, please avoid the crag the crag after prolonged spells of wet weather such that the existing features remain as intact as possible.

The easiest approach is to take either the No. 23B or No. 25 Bus to the bus stop at the top of Braemar Hill Road. Alternatively, take the MTR to Tin Hau and use a short taxi ride to reach the end of Braemar Hill Road. Follow the steps down the hill, from near the end of the right side of the road, to a stream. Cross this, enter a small clearing and follow the dirt trail that leaves the right side of the clearing up the hill. Close to the top of the dirt path an overgrown path leads right in to the vegetation (look for a large boulder amongst the vegetation and head for this). Follow this path to the top of the crag. Access to the base of the crag is made down the right side (when looking downhill).

1 - Monkeys Thumb - VS 4c

Scramble up a short crack to reach a wide ledge. Move to the right side of this and climb the short groove above to a bolt lower off.

2 - King Kong - F7b+ **

Start at the right end of the wall. Pull off the floor on a so so crimp and follow a line of good holds left. At the end of the traverse make hard moves left to get established in the flake. Follow this to the small roof before moving left onto the ledge. Step back right above the roof and make a long reach for a positive curving crack. Climb this to a small overlap and make diffivcult moves directly up the wall above to a good pocket. Easier moves above bring the lower off.
F.A. Stuart Millis and Kevin Wotherspoon (2005)

3 - Gorilla Warfare - F7b **

Start on the small ledge at the base of the corner. Step left and climb the flake to a small pocket. Difficult moves up the wall above this may or may not bring you to a large pocket (crux). A further section of thin moves leads to the curving flake, which is followed to the top.
F.A. Stuart Millis and Kevin Wotherspoon (2005)

4 - Cheeky Monkey - HVS 5a **

In the corner of the main wall and the outcropping is an obvious crack with a dead tree growing our of it half way up. Follow this to the top, avoiding using the tree. Quite easy layback and stemming until one awkward move to a small ledge on the right wall. Hangers have been placed at the top of this route.
F.A. Steve Kos & T Thorman

5 - Back to School - F6c ***

The best line on the crag. Scramble up to the small ledge at the base of the crag. Make thin moves up the wall to gain the base of a hanging flake. Move left from this to a second flake (slightly hollow so be gentle). From the top of the flake use a good pocket and very thin flake (be very gentle with this one) to make a big move right to a series of horizontal pockets with a line of bolts (of uknown origin) beneath them. Finish up the groove above these.
F.A. Kevin Wotherspoon and Stuart Millis (2005)

6 - Monkey Business - F7b+ **

Follow the hanging flake through the small roof and reach up and left to a good pocket. Climb up and rightwards following a line of very thin flakes until it is possible to reach a big pocket on the blunt arete. Move up and back left from this pocket, using some exceptionally small crimps, until you gain the right most of the series of horizontal pockets. Layback this and reach up and right (run out) to regain the blunt rib, which is followed to the top.
F.A. Stuart Millis and Kevin Wotherspoon (2005)

7 - Hell - E2 5c *

At the right side of the main face of the crag is an obvious crack. Begin by scaling the small horn-like boulder at the bottom to a gutsy move into the wide crack above. Continue up the strenuous crack until the top. This is a large crack and requires large gear (#4,5 cams, etc.) for it’s duration. There is nowhere for anything smaller.
F.A. Martin Lancaster & Steve Kos

8 - Evolution - F8a ***

Follow a series of pockets and flakes up the wall to reach small holds beneath the overlap. Undercut the flake and reach up to gain good side pulls on the wall above. Use these, and a couple of sharp pockets, to gain a large pocket and sloping shelf. Make powerful moves up the thin groove before an intricate series of moves brings the crack above. Follow this to the lower off at the top of the wall. A slight variation finish is also possible at about F7c+ - Devolution: Having powered your way up the groove, make a blind slap around the arete for a sloping pocket before finishing more easily to the lower off - however, this kind off avoids the main challenge...
F.A. Stuart Millis (2006)

8a - Mere Mortals - F7b+ **

Follow Evolution to the large pocket and sloping shelf. From here move up and right to climb the blunt rib above, using sidepulls in the groove and pockets out on the right wall. Would be three stars if not for the fact its a cop out on Evolution...
F.A. Kevin Wotherspoon (2006)

9 - Teachers Pet - F7a **

Start to the right of the arete, stood on a small boulder. Make balancy moves up and left to get established on the wall before swinging around the arete, on a good pocket, to gain the narrow face proper. Trend to the left of the face and follow the arete until it is possible to move back right to good hanging flake. Follow this to the lower off.
F.A. Stuart Millis and Kevin Wotherspoon (2005)