Most of the routes Barry opened are classics

Two of his climbs were the hardest on TM at the time – Postern Crest and Touch and Go

Barry’s leading was bold and he climbed with minimal gear – Tackies, single rope round the waist and 3 rope slings (no nuts, Cams, pitons)

The pitons on 3 of his climbs in the 60’s are due to the influence of partners like Rusty Baillie.

Barry never had a leader fall.

L to R: Barry at the base of NW Face Du Toit’s Pk, Barry leading Consternation Corbel ‘G’ on Kasteels Buttress 1960, 70 yrs MCSA membership 2019

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Dave Carter

• Bill Martley

• Graham Kaye

Climb starts left of Barrier cave.

The top section was opened first and the bottom band climbed later.

Leader put his hand into an inhabited Crows nest in a crack on the 2nd pitch.

Last man on pitch 4 crawled into a filthy Dassie ledge to collect rocks for the beacon.

Leader was too short for top crux pitch so party handed up a large stone to stand on.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Dave Carter

• Lance Scoble

Top roped the black waterfall rock section.

Usual problem of having to slog up Barrier ravine between bottom and top sections.

Climbed in a misty NW wind, but top sections were sheltered.

First pitch is hardest F move on the route.

Opening Party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Dave Carter

Climbed because the massive big overhang on the corner was a challenge.

Barry recalls that he reacted to some climber who said that end bit was not possible.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Dave Carter

• ‘Honger’ Hastings

Long climb of 15 pitches.

Lower overhanging waterfall section attempted by both B. Cameron and Chas. Kaplan.

Manufactured a ‘beacon of rocks’ belay for Crux ‘Cave traverse’.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Tom Fraser

• Jimmy Easton

• Ron Fox

• Andrew Gruf

Crucifix pitch crux just right of original Barrier Edge pitch to which Barry opened the ‘Sit-fall off variation.

The 2nd pitch is a diabolical Dassie traverse where the body hangs half way out.

Left a break at the 3 way stance for a future climb which became Fingertip Face.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Charlie Hankey

• Leslie Thomas

First of Barry’s 1957 Blitzkrieg of G routes.

Some pitches had been investigated in 1956.

This route is harder than the Mamacos climb next door, Fountain Corner.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Charlie Hankey

• Isaac Perez

• Leslie Thomas.

• Neville Gilliat

Various pitches had been top roped by N Gilliat and party but lack of belays was a problem.

Classic clean climbing on excellent hard sandstone.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Rick Williams

• Robert Hollingdale

• Charlie Hankey

• Leslie Thomas

• Hans Graafland

Barry’s large party was due to his typically generous offer of climbing with anyone around.

On this occasion, he had a 19-year-old Hans Graafland (recently arrived from Holland) who fell off almost every pitch.

Many pitches had been previously climbed some with a top rope, but still Barry had a close call on the last couple of feet of a pitch where he could have fallen 110 feet to his death. It was an awkward balance move up on to an impossible ledge, and he hoped the balance would not push him away from the overhanging face above. Later they pulled out a loose block making the pitch easier.

Rob Hollingdale (cf Waterless Pk epic – 1959 Jnl) stated “The third “G” pitch (crux above the Dassie ledge) is as clear in my mind now as when we opened it. Pull-ups, hand traverses, overhangs, etc. says it all. I felt as if my arms were being dragged out of their sockets!”

Higher up, Charlie Hankey leading, did handswings until he fell off on a pitch they abandoned that was later used for the climb ‘Paper Tiger’ Barry’s Jnl article stated: The climb is exceedingly difficult and strenuous, and should only be attempted by a leader capable of mastering the most difficult of present day G routes.

Opening Party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Keith Fletcher

• Rusty Baillie

• Brian Clark

Barry’s name for this climb was ‘Dead Man’s Gulch, which the MCSA rejected. The name arose due to the perception that anyone falling into the gulch like recess on the climb would be dead in a short space of time. Every member of the party sported some minor injury on the day of the ascent. To surmount the overhang above the Dassie ledge Barry stood on Brian Clarke’s head as he was tallest man. Subsequent parties have used a sling on the piton that the opening party placed purely as protection for the leader. This is safer than the scary business of standing on someone who is trying to balance on the rocky Dassie ledge. This is the first of Barry’s climbs where a piton was used for protection as prior to that Barry led his climbs with only 2 rope slings.

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Paul White

Humorous name as a Face and Nose already existed.

Only G move is the ridiculous take off on 1st pitch, avoided by taking a ‘shoulder’.

Forgot matches to light stove for tea so shouted to Cablecar and a box was thrown down.

Opening Party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Paul White

• Lindsay Birch

• Rusty Baillie

• Bob Reinecke

Barry anticipated this climb when opening 39 Steps in 1953, hence the 3 way stance. Second time Barry used a piton to protect the crux moves. There are only 2 slots for fingertips in the slit in the recess below the hand traverse, and many climbers use the piton instead.

Opening Party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Paul White

• Rick Williams

Barry and co worked on this route during the whole of 1961. While prospecting Barry abseiled to have a look down the crux from above and could see a useful psychological slingpoint of parachute cord high up. It subsequently was proved useful in practice, but it was Paul White who found the piton point when he eventually had a go at leading the pitch.

Paul retreated on the rope after placing piton on the crux. (This piton held many leader falls over the years until eventually pulled out when Tony Dick took a flyer.)

Rick drew second straw and managed to lead through. His hands were opening from cramp as he pulled up onto the ledge, and said it “felt touch and go”.

All 3 rested holding the piton on the opening ascent, and mentioned it in the write up.

Barry commented in the MCSA Journal article that “it is advisable for any party attempting this route to be familiar with the technique of prussiking”.

Right: Barry’s picture of 1st attempt at Crux by Paul White

Opening party:

• Barry Fletcher

• Paul White

• Joan Quail

Probably the least attractive of Barry’s climbs as the only one where he had to ‘Garden’.

Shady long chimney left of the Africa Crag nose and right of the ‘Bustup’ broken nose.

Opening Party

• Rick Williams

• Barry Fletcher

• Paul White

UCT party had climbed bottom third of the face in 1961 using mechanical aid. Plenty of abseil inspection and retreating before opening ascent over 2 days. Key move involves leader taking a shoulder on the 2nd man who has to do a pull up while standing on a loose flake to give the leader enough height to reach a rail.

The poor rock and undercut face half way up is avoided by a long traverse left. This section was climbed in 1976 by Williams and Chinery using mechanical aids.

Opening Party

• Keith Fletcher

• Binky Kohler

• Barry Fletcher

• Rick Williams

Barry won a case of beer on bet about top overhang not being climbable. Route has 10 pitches, all of them overhanging, hence the name. The hanging flakes pitch is scary as some move slightly when pulled. This is the 3rd of the climbs utilising the “3 way stance”.

Opening Party:

• Rick Williams

• Keith Fletcher

• Barry Fletcher

• Doug Berrisford

• Leon Kaimowitz

Due to poor weather, they climbed as 2 parties on the opening ascent, Rick and Keith in front. Rick Williams had 2 previous attempt to find a route up this massive wall. Minimal aid on the crux needed as it is undercut and smooth.

Left: Sit-Fall off pitch on Barrier Edge

Right: Direct start to Valken Frontal