Soho Crag

Approach

From the top of the streamline, traverse left beneath a small buttress until you reach a corner system with some large trees growing down it. Scramble up this making good use of the root system and some fixed lines in the upper part. This brings you to a small ledge at the bottom of the left side of the wall. Its best to scramble across to the right side where a small platform is present and set up base here.

Routes

Soho Crag

1) Blade Runner *** F5
A titillating romp up the prominent knife blade arete just left of the main Soho crag. This route will get you going with exposure even though the overall angle is gentle. Access is from the far left end of the fixed rope across the walkway at the base of Soho Crag.
1. F3+ (12m, 6 Bolts) Start on the easy slab, tending right to pick up the very base of the arête. Follow this up to belay.
2. F5 (28m, 14 Bolts) Ascend the prominent arete with help from good holds on either side. After arriving on top of the arete itself and clipping the last bolt, swing left over a small bulge and make a big move up to a hidden jug to finish on top of the large block.
F.A. Ed Pramuk, Tom Chew & Phyllis Hsia (April 2006)

2) Electric Sheep *** F6a+
The slabby wall to the right of Blade Runner provides another fine climb. (27m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Brian Smeets (2017)

3) Shunt Hunt * F5
The slightly vegetated corner. (27m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Gianfranco Bigazzi (2017)

4) Ming Dynasty * F5
Start at the anchor at the far left side of the crag. Climb left up onto ledge with tree and ascend the prominent grotty crack up the left side of the narrow wall before joining a long diagonal crack system parallel to the left side gully. Turn right and head directly up the most prominent vertical crack to the top of the wall and bolted belay station. Originally climbed on gear at VS 4c. (27m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew and Ed Pramuk (2005)

5) Club 64 *** F5+
Looks can be deceiving. The scrappy looking narrow wall left of the crack appears unworthwhile from the bottom yet provides surprisingly fun climbing. Ascend the bulging lower wall with good holds appearing just when you need them. Trend slightly right in the upper part to breach the bulge at the top of the crack. Thin absorbing climbing up the slab above soon eases in difficulty bringing better holds and the top of the crag. (28m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Ed Pramuk & Phyllis Hsia (2005)

6) Club 64 Alternate Finish F5+
As above but break out right on the upper slab aiming for the anchor on Old Bailey. (28m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Ed Pramuk & Phyllis Hsia (2005)

7) Old Bailey ** F5+
Start up the scrappy crack and corner at the left end of the wall. Follow this, passing an in-situ tree and wasps nest, to just before the crack closes out. Reach up and round the arete to search out a good hold and swing around the arete on to the slab above. Compose yourself before searching your way up the exposed slab above, following an intricate line that links what few gear placements were available when the line was first climbed on gear at HVS 5a. (28m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew & Ed Pramuk (June 2005)

8) Scare Master ** F6a+
Easy when you know how, desperate until you figure it out. Start up the bolted thin crack at left end of the wall and establish yourself beneath the small roof and arete. Search franctically for any good holds above the roof before quickly yarding your way up to the security of the steep slab above. Follow the delightful arete above on its left side, clipping bolts around the corner on The Escalator, to the top of the wall. (25m, 11 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew and Ofer Fishler (2005)

9) The Escalator * F6b
Awkward moves up the bulging lower wall leads to tricky moves to get through the small overhanging. Continue up the interesting wall and arête above (climbed on its right side) to reach the lower off at the top of the crag. (25m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Emman Lacoste, and Ed Pramuk (2005)

10) Centralsauras ** F6a+
Start in the centre of the thin walkway beneath the main wall. Steep moves up the initial wall lead to an easing of the angle and the start of a spine like feature. Snake your way delicately up this until tricky moves past a good jug brings an easing of difficulty on the slabby wall above. The climb shares an anchor with the three other routes so expect a traffic jam if the crag is busy. (26m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Dan Hannah and Ed Pramuk (2005)

11) Peel Street *** F6b+
The route of the crag and a trip up this climb alone makes a visit to Soho Crag worthwhile. Start up the steep wall to the left of the curving flake, at the start of the thin walkway traversing the base of the crag. Make big moves on good holds up the steep wall and then trend slightly right as the angle eases off, crossing over Thin Line, to reach a steep blank looking wall where the real fun begins. Search for holds and set up the delightfully intricate face, aiming for the sanctuary of the lower off at the top of Lan Kwai Fong. (24m, 12 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew & Ed Pramuk (2005)

12) Centraline *** F6a E1 5a ***
Start up the curving flake at the right end of the crag and follow this up to the base of a very thin crack line splitting the wall. Move up a short way to small notch before launching up the extremely thin crack above using an assortment of small nubbins on either side until you reach a good ledge jug. Follow the crackline above this, which eases considerably in difficulty, to the top of the crag. Originally climbed n gear at E1 5a. (25m, 13 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew & Ed Pramuk (2006)

Thunderbolt * HVS 5a (not shown on topo)
This meandering route, with classic start and scary traverse in middle section, is essentially a slightly easier scenic detour of Centraline.
Pitch 1 (5a, 25m) – Start on flake as for Centraline but turn up and right when possible, following an easy slab out right to join Lang Kwai Fong where a distinctive thin crack zig zags sharply back left. Move up a diagonal crack at first before traversing back left (run-out) to join the main crack of Centraline, where a traditional belay can be rigged above the bulge.
Pitch 2 (V Diff, 22m) – Jam up the crack above and scramble at low angle to the high anchor. Better yet, skip the belay and push on to the top of Centraline in one pitch.
F.A. Tom Chew and Chen Fan (2006)

13) Squeeze ** F6b+
As the name suggested, aline squeezed between Peel Street and Lan Kwai Fong, with the crux being staying as independent of these lines as possible… (25m, 11 Bolts)
F.A. Ed pramuk & Tom Chew (2005)

14) Lan Kwai Fong * F6a
Start just right of the curving flake near the right end of the wall (just above the fixed access rope). Tricky moves up the initial wall leads to pleasant climbing up and towards the arete. From the belay station push on through to the top of the crag, as for Botanical Gardens. (25m, 11 Bolts)
F.A. Ed Pramuk and Tom Chew (2005)

15) Staunton’s Cafe * F4
Start at the far right hand side of the crag and climb the right arete to a belay at half height, or better yet, push on through up Botanical Gardens to the lower off at the top of the crag. The climb also forms an easier alternative start to the climb, Lan Kwai Fong, about F5. (26m, 9 Bolts)
F.A. Phyllis Hsia & Ed Pramuk (2005)

16) Botanical Gardens * S
From the belay ledge at half crag height amble up the wall and upper right arete of the crag. Best combined with an ascent of Stauntons Cafe. The climb can also be approached by climbing a trad line, Aviary (Hard Severe) that starts 2m right of the tree at the top of the access rope and follows a wide shallow groove to the midway anchor.
F.A. BenJack Phillips & Ed Pramuk (2005)

17) April Fools F3
A short pitch above the anchor for Centralsaurus. (8m, 2 Bolts)
F.A. Dan Hannah & Ed Pramuk (2006)

The following routes are around the corner on the right side of the wall

1) F3
Start near the large tree left of “Castle Steps” and climb the low angle slab before continuing up the arete. Shares the last bolt of April Fools using a long sling.
F.A. Tom Chew & Ed Pramuk

2) Castle Steps – Severe
Start in the left corner of the crag at a small gum tree. Climb the shallow slab to the intersection with the rear overhanging wall and protection in the seam. Pass over a small overhanging protrusion in the middle of the wall above and finish up and left to the high bolted anchor atop April Fools.
F.A. Ed Pramuk and Jason Eng (2004)

Soho West

Soho West consists of two walls accessed by following the fixed ropes right of Soho Crag .

1) Round About * F4
Follow the trail up right side of Soho Crag and stay to the right. Climb the bolted route on the far left from a small belay area. Allows easy access to top of Easter Sunday or to Castle Steps and the trad projects. (10m, 5 Bolts)
F.A. Ed Pramuk & Phyllis Hsia (2006)

2) Easter Sunday ** F6c
Start just right of Round About and climb the middle of the wall on small holds to the sloping block near the top. (9m, 4 Bolts)
F.A. Martin Lancaster (2006)

3) Blunt Force Trauma F6b+
11m, 8 Bolts
F.A. Francis Haden (2023)

4) Unnamed F6a+
12m, 7 Bolts
F.A. Ed Pramuk & Gianfranco Bigazzi (2005)

5) Justifiable Expenditure F5+
Questionable whether its really necessary expenditure but it’s not my money so…
F.A. Francis Haden & Vanessa Wong (2023)

6) Forbidden Colours * F6a
11m, 7 Bolts
F.A. Francis Haden & Vanessa Wong (2023)

7) Soho So So F5+
Definitely so so…
F.A. Francis Haden & Vanessa Wong (2023)

8) Repeat Offender F5
7m, 3 Bolts
F.A. Francis Haden & Vanessa Wong (2023)

Soho East

Soho East is the wall immediately left of Bladerunner, accessed from the end of the narrow walkway beneath Soho Crag.

1) Root Route F3
A three pitch access route that goes from bottom to top of Soho East, providing access to numerous routes on the large block up and left of BladeRunner. Originally started from halfway up the fixed rope left approach trail on the first ground platform (7m scramble above the base trail) but with a new first pitch added starting from the walls left of the handline used to access Soho Crag in 2021:
1. F3. Climb the short wall into a corner to reach a bolt belay (7m, 2 Bolts)
2. F3. Follow the low angle slab to anchors at the base of the main block (23m, 8 Bolts).
3. F3 Follow the slabs to the left of the overhanging “Nose” route to a belay high in the corner. (24m, 10 Bolts)
4. F3. Continue up the corner and around the back of the block to reach its crest.
F.A. Ed Pramuk & Phyllis Hsia (2006) originally climbed on gear at HVDiff

2) No Roots Allowed VS 4b
Steep slab starting near to Mother of Slabs climbing the prominent left leaning crack. Then tend right near the top over concrete ramparts put in by HK Slope management to keep us all tight and together presumably. Continue diagonally up and right with protection below the top lip. One bolt re-direct at lip for protection across class 4 slab to base of The Nose.
F.A. Ed Pramuk & Phyllis Hsia (2006)

3) The Nose in a Day * F5
A recent addition up the front face of the nose. (18m, 9 Bolts)
F.A. Francis Haden & Vanessa Wong (2021)

4) The Nose ** F4
Spectacular but short-lived overhanging jug filled route up the nose of the large block starting at the second pitch on Mother of Slabs. Grade and exposure stiffens the further right you stay. After top out, continue up to mid-height common bolted anchors. Recommend that belayer extend left to avoid rock fall. (17m, 8 Bolts)
F.A. Phyllis Hsia and Ed Pramuk (2006)

5) The Nostril F5
Start and finish as for The Nose, sharing the first two bolts, but veer left before the second one. Finish at the mid-height common anchors. (15m, 8 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew and Stephen Skelton (2006)

6) Loki F5
Start as for Nostril but continue traverse left (try not to use the slab), then up through some entertaining movement with three more bolts on your left. Finish at the mid-height common anchors. (15m, 8 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew and Stephen Skelton (2006)

7) Beal F6a
Start as for Loki, but traverse a bit further to good footholds just above the slab where one runs out of positive hand holds. Begin vertically here using slanted underclings for the right hand. Proceed upward with greatly increased difficulty sharing bolts on your right with Loki for which the route was originally bolted (recommend to climb Loki first leaving a long draw on the second bolt to avoid clipping during the crux). Finish as for twin Loki. (12m, 4 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew (2006)

8) Arbuthnot Flakes F6a
Climb the vertical wall using prominent but small flakes to pull onto the small shelf at midway. Only thin footing, balance, and/or reach get you up from there (crux). (7m, 3 Bolts)
F.A. Tom Chew (2006)

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alberto

Dear friends, climbers, hikers and outdoor lovers I am back one more time to give you another update about Central Crag Maintenance Project. Over the past weekend we completed the SoHo Wall Maintenance Part: – 9 anchors were added to SoHo Wall. Previously only 4 anchors were used to serve over 12 routes (trad or sport climbing) for the whole sector. – 2 Existing trad routes were retro-bolted upon F.A. climber permission: – Old Bailey F5a (12 bolts – 27m) F.A. Tom Chew, Ed Pramuk (June 2005) – Ming Dynasty F4c (12 bolts – 27m) FA Tom Chew, Ed Pramuk… Read more »

Ed

Since the route was almost never sent and was overgrown and quite dangerous as a trad route I thought it should be bolted as it is a quality route and more people will enjoy it now that it is bolted. I think the grade is 6a not 5a. The anchor is not made for top roping but is adequate for lowering off. Also squeezed another route to the right of peel street hence the name “squeeze”. Has same finish as peel street. 6b+.

Enjoy, Ed

Jon

We were up climbing @ Soho crag this last weekend and noticed that climbs #3 and #5 (Centraline – E1 5a) appear to have been (retro)bolted – just FYI. Personally, I appreciate the effort (provided all permissions were sought etc), as I wouldn’t think of carrying a trad rack up to central crag! Although the newly placed anchor at the top of route #5 appears to be somewhat.. unconventional (steel chain held directly to the wall by long bolts & nuts – i.e. no hangers – bolted linearly / non-equalized). Ended up climbing to the safer looking Centralsauras/ScareMaster anchor up… Read more »