General
A scattered collection of blocs on the hillslopes above the Motherlode, some well established and largely climbed out but also a host of largely untouched blocs awaiting someone keen enough to walk past everything else and do the hard work devegetating and cleaning them.
Access
The blocs are best approached from Choi Fai Estate at the bottom of Jat’s Incline, which has parking at the estate as well as minibus service (No. 16 from Ping Shek Estate in Choi Hung). From the bus stop, walk up Jat’s Incline until reaching the staircases just before those leading to the Sam Fung Temple (三峰廟), about 5 minutes from base of Jat’s Incline.
The sectors at Sunset Forest are best accessed via a small concrete footpath a short distance down the road from the main staircase leading to the Sam Feng Temple. This concrete path leads you quickly to a small concrete platform, from which a small dirt trail accesses the forested hillside beyond in its back left corner. Follow this trail directly up and into the forest to quickly reach the blocs themselves.
Blocs
The various blocs in the left part of the Hilltop Sector are best accessed from the Motherlode in the Underworld Sector, taking a relatively well-hidden and pretty overgrown trail (keep an eye out for hiker ribbons) up the hill in the area just off to the left of the Friction Slab.
For the blocs in the right of the sector (Star Walking & Platform), follow the streamline to the east (right) of the Motherlode Bloc up the hill and past the Gold Golem Bloc. About 30 m uphill from this a dirt trail breaks off left and leads you to the Star Walking boulder.
Lumberjack Blocs
Located high on the hillside, the Lumberjack Bloc is a great little bloc with a host of moderately hard, typically overhanging lines.
1) Stu’s Traverse (sds) * V3
Start matched on a sloper at the left end of the face, just above the point where the base of the boulder becomes undercut. Make a tricky left to right traverse along the lip to eventually finish up the far arete.
2) One Four (sds) * V4
Start matched on a small crimp just left of the big jug. Pull on and slap your way to the lip above. Prob just a V3/4 one move wonder.
3) The Lumberjack (sds) *** V2
A short powerful and punchy line up the arete. Start with left on the big jug and right on the crimp right of the arete. From these make powerful moves up the arete utilising positive holds on either side.
4) Man of Steal (sds) ** V4
Start with left on a small crimp on the right side of the low ledge and right on a small crimp beneath the oblique overlap. Move up from these to a large sloper, before breaking out left to a pinch that facilitates a slap to the top of the bloc. Some people will be able to keep their left foot in one place throughout the whole problem, and will likely find it very soft for the grade. Others won’t be able to do this and will find it evil…
5) Flex Luther (sds) *** V4
Follow the previous line to the sloper, then moving out right to the glued flake before making a powerful long move to the lip. Either rock back left to finish above the sloper or, if you’ve plenty of gas left in the tank, make a left to right lip traverse across the whole of the block to finish as for the next line.
6) One Pump Chump (sds) *** V6
Start on a positive undercling and good crimp just right of this. Move up through the overhang above via crimps, pinches, big slaps to slopers and a victory leap to the lip.
Star Walkin’ Blocs
A collection of blocs and walls that includes a fine lip traverse as well as some of the fiercest faces that can be found at Sunset…
1) The Monument * V4
Start using a positive left crimp high on the arête and a lower crimp on the face for the right. Establish yourself odd the floor (crux) before continuing up the wall above.
2) The Monument (sds) * V7
The left arête of the upper face can also be climbed from a tricky sit start using some poor slopers low down on the left arête coupled with awkward body positions. Fortunately these quickly lead to the positive holds on the stand start and an easier top out.
3) Tectonic (sds) ** V6
Sit start in the middle of the triangular face at the crimpy flake before tackling the gently overhanging wall directly above this.
4) Star Troop ** V4
Start on the sloping ledge at the left end of the long lip, roughly where it transitions to an arête. Get established on the lip and then climb the arête to the left.
5) Star Walkin’ *** V5
One of the best lines hereabouts. Start from two small crimps just below the lip on the lower part of the bloc. Make powerful moves to gain the lip, before romping leftwards along this to the small face on the left side of the bloc. Transition from the lip to the right arête of the face (crux) and then finish up this.
6) Star Walkin’ Ext *** V8
The extension to Star Walkin’ from matched on a rounded boss at the end of the lip considerably ups the overall difficulty of the line, with some desperate and insecure moves required to reach the original line.
The next lines are located around the corner on the right side of the bottom of the Star Walkin’ bloc.
1) Glitz * V4
Start matched on the positive ledge and make a big, powerful slap for the stepped lip above, toping out through this should you fortunate enough to latch it.
2) Glitz (sds) ** V5
Sit start beneath the left arete of the narrow face using a positive right crimp, poor left arete and a solid heel hook. Make dynamic snatches to the good ledge before making even more dynamic moves for the lip of the bloc. Top out directly above this.
Platform (Valhalla) Bloc
A short distance up the hill and to the left of the Star Walking Boulders is another fine face, this time with a platform constructed under it’s right side to save you from all the falls you’ll inevitably take on the desperate lines it houses.
1) Odin’s Rage * V9
From small crimps on the left side of the face, follow even smaller crimps up and left throught the wall above to eventually obtain more positive holds on the lip.
2) God of War ** V9/10
Start on two positive, but small, crimps in the middle of the face. Make a huge throw out right to a high edge (crux) and then continue up and left along Valhalla to finish.
3) God of War (sds) Project
The sit start to GoW is still a very hard project, starting from the obvious edge on the lip and whatever else you can find to pull on this general area?
4) Valhalla *** V5
Start with a high crimp for the right and a lower undercut a few feet beneath this. Move left to get matched on the crimpy edge in the middle of the face before romping up the victory jugs up and left of this to finish. Can also be started from the positive edge in the middle of the wall for Valhalla High (V3).
5) Valhalla (sds) Project
A sit start from immediately below the original start holds on Valhalla appears feasible (or not?)
6) Mimir *** V8
Start crouched with the right arete and a low undercut to the left (hint: a toe hook by the right start hold helps with this). Cross to crimps above the left start hold (i.e. the start of Valhalla) and then work your way directly up the wall above via more small crimps to eventually gain the lip, which is turned to top out.
7) Hades ** V9
Start as for Mimir but work your way over into Valhalla and then finish up that.
Treetop Bloc
An interesting but short overhanging face with potential to give several one (or two) move wonders up it.
1) Dazed and Confused ** V6
Start on the positive crimp on the right side of the lip and small crimp immediately above this. Work your way left along the lip until it is possible to gain several juggy holds slightly higher up on the left side of the bloc. Top out using these (easier said than done once you’re pumped silly).
2) (Open Project)
The sit start to Dazed and Confused from the snappy flakes and small crimps low down.
3) (Open Project)
Start with a poor crimp (sorry – broke off now) in the break and a positive right sidepull. Make powerful moves to the lip before attempting a beached whale top out through this.
4) First Blood ** V7
Start with the positive side pull flake for the left and a good right sidepull too. Try and find some feet that allow a slap to a sloper on the lip above and then better holds above that. Top out above this.
5) First Blood Part II (sds) (Open Project)
A harder sit start to the above line from the same right hand hold but a lower poorer left starting hold.
6) Final Battle (sds) (Open Project)
An even lower start to First Blood, starting matched in the large pocket/ledge deep under the roof.
Squatter Blocs
Several lovely looking blocs sadly somewhat inaccessible in parts due to a well-established squatter structure right next to them (we’ll keep an eye on this to check it is actually inhabited). The blocs in the lower photos have currently been cleared but no lines were attempted.
The main squatter bloc has potential for some steep low-to-mid grade routes if we can work around the squatter development adjacent to it.
