Bigogwe is an impressive 500-foot cliff on the south side of the Ruhengeri - Gisenyi road (RN4). This cliff is iconic to many Rwandans and has even appeared on billboards in Kigali! With vigorous cleaning and more traffic, many excellent, moderate routes could be done here. As of August 2023, the cliff gets climbed a handful of times per year. The optimum time to visit is July-August, when temps are typically in the mid-70sF and it is dry. The cliff is situated at about 7,000 feet elevation. When combined with seeing gorillas and spending a night at a resort on the shore of Lake Kivu, a fantastic trip to Rwanda can be had!

We host professional climbers who have enough skills and gears for climbing

This marvelous rock has four climbing routes : 1.Bigogwe Boogie S 5.8, 2.Crack on the Mossy Breast 5.7, 3.Bigogwe Crack T 5.6, | Ngabo's Route .

1. Bigogwe Boogie

This is a fun, well protected route that should become quite popular. All of the bolts placed in 2023 were ⅜" (10mm) stainless with stainless Fixe hangers. On and near this route are various old bolts and pitons, likely from Rwandan military activity in the 1970s. Like the other climbs on the cliff, the first pitch may be a bit mossy because it is within the shade of the trees. The eucalyptus trees were planted circa 2010 to try and stop erosion on the slope below the cliff.

Start about 75 feet to the left of the central Bigogwe Crack route, below a steep face with a cleaned streak. This spot is roughly where the left shoulder of the cliff descends and starts to level off.

P1: Climb the steep face past a total of 11 bolts to a rappel anchor. 25m, 5.8.

P2: Climb up past six bolts to a rappel anchor. 30m 5.5.

P3: Climb up brown rock past seven bolts to a rappel anchor. 20m, 5.5

P4: Follow four bolts up black rock and past a bulge to a rappel anchor. 20m, 5.4.

Carry a dozen quickdraws and a couple shoulder length slings. Rappel the route with a single 60m rope.

Crack on the Mossy Breast

Description

With extensive cleaning, this route could be great; on a par with Little Finger at Roger's Rock in upstate New York or Walk on the Wild Side in Joshua Tree. Even in its vegetated state, it's worth doing.

Start in the middle of the cliff below an obvious vertical crack system, the line of Bigogwe Crack. This spot is roughly 75 feet right of Bigogwe Boogie.

P1: Climb up along the right edge of the prominent crack, protected by a mix of old pins and 2016 (8mm/5/16") bolts. Nine fixed pieces total. Bring one small wired nut for a bolt with a missing hanger and one shoulder length sling to tie off a piton. 30m to rap anchors. 5.6+/5.7-

P2: Diagonal up and left, staying just under a sea of vegetation, past eight bolts to a rappel anchor. Bring one shoulder length sling to tie off a root mid-pitch. 30m 5.6

Note: You can rappel straight to the ground from the P2 anchor with two 60m ropes.

P3: Climb straight up dark rock, staying about 10 feet to the right of a ledge with a large bush. Go up past a bulge to a smooth face. Continue up this smooth face past a few more bolts to a rappel anchor. About eight bolts total, one bolt is best tied off with a small wired nut. 30m, 5.6

P4: Continue up the brown slab past some more bolts and bushy ledges to an anchor just before the ocean of vegetation. 20m, 5.5.

P5: Continue up through vegetation to the top of the formation and then hike down.

Carry a dozen quickdraws, a small wired nut and at least one shoulder length sling.

Description

Start in the middle of the cliff below an obvious vertical crack system, the line of Bigogwe Crack. This spot is roughly 75 feet right of Bigogwe Boogie.

P2: Diagonal up and left, staying just under a sea of vegetation, past eight bolts to a rappel anchor. Bring one shoulder length sling to tie off a root mid-pitch. 30m 5.6

Note: You can rappel straight to the ground from the P2 anchor with two 60m ropes.

P4: Continue up the brown slab past some more bolts and bushy ledges to an anchor just before the ocean of vegetation. 20m, 5.5.

P5: Continue up through vegetation to the top of the formation and then hike down.

Carry a dozen quickdraws, a small wired nut and at least one shoulder length sling.

Location

Start in the middle of the cliff below an obvious vertical crack system, the line of Bigogwe Crack. This spot is roughly 75 feet right of the Bigogwe Boogie.

Protection

Carry a dozen quickdraws, a small wired nut and at least one shoulder length sling.

Bigogwe Crack

Description

This was apparently the original route on the cliff. It is also known as the "Standard Route" and "Breast Milk." Based upon the old soft iron pitons and homemade angle iron bolt hangers found on and around the route, this climb was likely done in the 1960s or 70s.
In August 2023, the first pitch was heavily cleaned. Pitches above were left choked with vegetation.
Start in the middle of the cliff below an obvious vertical crack system. This is roughly 75 feet right of Bigogwe Boogie.
P1: Climb up along the right edge of the prominent crack, protected by a mix of old pins and 2016 (8mm/5/16") bolts. Nine fixed pieces total. Bring one small wired nut for a bolt with a missing hanger and one shoulder length sling to tie off a piton. 30m to rap anchors. 5.6+/5.7-
The remainder of the description is from 2016:
P2: Nice, but easy climbing to the left of the crack, then unpleasant bushwhacking to a nice stance with bolts and a cable. 50 feet.
P3: Up the face above, eventually crossing the crack back to the left, then later back right to a semi-hanging belay with three pitons. 90 feet.
P4: Surmount the bulge above, then follow the off-width crack up a thin face to a cable around a chockstone and (higher) a cable and bolts hidden inside the wide crack. 60 feet.
P5: Up the crack and face to the right with some exciting, unprotected friction moves to a hidden piton on the left. Continue past another pin, then traverse left across orange lichen to a short inside corner leading to a grassy stance below a blocky outcrop. (Note: spectator children may boldly descend to this point from the top.) 110 feet.
P6: Climb the corner and face above to the top. 50 feet.
Hike down from the summit of the formation.

Location

Start in the middle of the cliff below an obvious vertical crack system. This is roughly 75 feet right of Bigogwe Boogie.

Protection

Carry quickdraws, slings and gear up to a #6 cam and a machete

Ngabo's Route

Description

Start about 20 feet to the right of Bigogwe Crack at a cleaned swath of cliff with bolts.
P1 Climb the cleaned face past 10 bolts to a rappel anchor. 30m, 5.8+
Note: Additional pitches could be done up and slightly right, skirting the right side of the mid-cliff jungle.
According to some locals, the Rwandan military did some climbing up the lower angled, moss-covered face further right. To make this climbing at all enjoyable, extensive cleaning would need to be done.

Location

Start about 20 feet to the right of Bigogwe Crack at a cleaned swath of cliff with bolts.

Protection

Carry 12 quickdraws. Lower or rappel with a 60m rope.

Climbing Ibere rya Bigogwe ROCK

1. Bigogwe Boogie

Crack on the Mossy Breast

Description

Description

Location

Bigogwe Crack

Description

Protection

Ngabo's Route

Description

Location

Protection