Go back to India.
Go back to Bangalore To Lonavala.
Dukes Nose.
In the morning, we were joined by Punit’s climbing friend Kumar and his student Sahil who’d take us to the base of the Normal Route (5 pitch, 6b+) on the Dukes Nose formation. A quick, 30 minute hike brought us to the overlook and the rack-up point. Wow – a truly impressive looking prow of black rock. The climbing was fun and the steepness was quite a change of pace from the slabbiness of stuff we did in West Bengal and Karnataka. The steep 6b+ crux on pitch 5 got aided by us. Punit and the crew were waiting for us on the summit. After lunch, we drove 2 hours to Mumbai.
Photos
At the trailhead for Dukes Nose (Dec. 2023).
Dukes Nose approach (Dec. 2023).
Shirley on the (easy) approach (Dec. 2023).
And there it is (Dec. 2023).
Rack-up spot (Dec. 2023).
Dukes Nose in most of its glory. The Normal Route covers this terrain but there’s another half (?) below the obvious horizontal break that can also be climbed (Dec. 2023).
Racking-up (Dec. 2023).
Starting the final (exposed) section of the approach. Photo by Punit (Dec. 2023).
At the starting line of the Normal Route on Dukes Nose. Photo by Kumar (Dec. 2023).
Looking back towards Shirley and Kumar from the traverse to the start of the Normal Route (Dec. 2023).
Shirley traversing to the start of the Normal Route. Photo by Kumar (Dec. 2023).
New highway, including a tunnel and a bridge, being built (Dec. 2023).
Shirley approaching the start of the Normal Route (Dec. 2023).
At the start. Photo by Kumar (Dec. 2023).
Starting up the first pitch of the Normal Route on Dukes Nose (Dec. 2023).
Still pitch 1. After mostly slab climbing in West Bengal and Bangalore, the steep pitch 1 was a wake up call (Dec. 2023).
Higher on pitch 1 (Dec. 2023).
Shirley starting the first pitch of the Normal Route on Dukes Nose (Dec. 2023).
Looking back towards the view point where we started. Our friends are still there (Dec. 2023).
Pitch 1 (Dec. 2023).
The shadow of The Nose (Dec. 2023).
And some more of pitch 1 (Dec. 2023).
Shirley at the first belay of the Normal Route on Dukes Nose (Dec. 2023).
Starting up pitch 2 (Dec. 2023).
Higher on pitch 2 (Dec. 2023).
Shirley on pitch 2 (Dec. 2023).
Shirley higher on pitch 2 (Dec. 2023).
Kind of steep (Dec. 2023).
Shirley at the second belay on Dukes Nose (Dec. 2023).
Pitch 3. The crux of pitch 4 is visible above me and on the left. Click photo for a not so quick video (Dec. 2023).
Looking back at Shirley from the start of pitch 3 (Dec. 2023).
More views downward from the lead of the third pitch (Dec. 2023).
Shirley starting the third pitch (Dec. 2023).
Views from the third belay (Dec. 2023).
Shirley nearing the third belay (Dec. 2023).
Shirley topping out on pitch 3 (Dec. 2023).
Starting up the crux pitch 4. The crux bulge is right above; more bulgy than it looks here. Got aided by us (Dec. 2023).
Aiding the crux pitch 4 of the Normal Route. Photo by Punit (Dec. 2023).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead (aid) of the fourth pitch of (Dec. 2023).
Shirley (almost) out of the difficulties of pitch 4 (Dec. 2023).
Shirley arriving at the fourth belay station (Dec. 2023).
Leading the fifth and final pitch (Dec. 2023).
Shirley at the fourth belay station (Dec. 2023).
Wide angle view from the top of the Normal Route (Dec. 2023).
A closer look at some hikers at the overlook (Dec. 2023).
Shirley nearing the fifth belay (Dec. 2023).
Belaying Shirley on the finishing moves of Dukes Nose. Photo by Punit (Dec. 2023).
A view of some slackliners taken from the summit (Dec. 2023).
Posers at the final belay. Photo by Punit (Dec. 2023).
A small temple on the summit (Dec. 2023).
A chameleon on the summit (Dec. 2023).
Lunchtime on the summit (Dec. 2023).
The summit area started to get crowded and so we hiked down (Dec. 2023).
The crew on the descent (Dec. 2023).
On the hike down (Dec. 2023).
Shirley with the top of Dukes Nose in the background (Dec. 2023).
Back at the trailhead (Dec. 2023).
Waiting for our ride to Mumbai the following morning (Dec. 2023).
A friendly resident of the Lakeview Resort (Dec. 2023).
A highway-side overlook of Dukes Nose (Dec. 2023).
Punit at the overlook (Dec. 2023).
An early morning view of Dukes Nose from an overlook (Dec. 2023).