I've just moved to Durban from Cape Town and am anxious to get back on the rock! KZN seems to be a climber's paradise, but I'm also looking for something closer to the city for weekdays. Are there any gyms/ walls/ random boulders closer than Southern Rock? I stay in Berea and work near Durban North so am ideally searching for something in those surroundings. I read that climbers used to train at UKZN and that would be a great option for me, but I don't know who to contact about joining or where to pitch up. Does anyone have some advice there?

I'd also love to meet some new climbing partners. I'm easily enthused to climb anything anytime - on weekends, that is. I've sent up to 19s on sport and led a 15 on trad.

The best thing to do is to get to Southern Rock anyway and get acquainted with the KZN climbers. They're a good, friendly bunch and they'll put you onto their whatsapp climbing group. Speak to is Candice or Ilona. Otherwise you could attend the MCSA Durban socials. They're closer to you, in the city (at Berea Rovers, mear Kings Park). Speak to Scott Sinclair there. Climbing at the UKZN wall has become a little tricky in that the security guards are insisting on seeing student cards but you can get a pass through the MCSA.

I live in Pietermaritzburg and have only been climbing for a few months.

MCSA's KZN site has a descent list of climbing routes, see http://kzn.mcsa.org.za/climbing/route-guides

The sites that I know are roughly as follows (I haven't climbed at all of them):
Drakensberg Mountains (crumbly rock with poor protection and harsh weather - my area of the world!)
Monteseel (the main climbing spot - over 300 routes, halfway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg)
Hilton/Howick Falls
World's View (the spot where I normally climb as its close to where I live - the routes are nice and well protected, but not very high)

MCSA KZN section does lots of Drakensberg climbing, I know they are doing Rhino Eastern Arete Route (about a grade 10) next month.

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If you are what you eat, rock climbers must be people who eat nuts...

Thanks a lot to both of you for the advice! Was planning to get involved with the MCSA anyway And I'll head to Southern Rock this weekend.