Whilst you lot have been squabbling in the sandpit up at yellowwood a few of us snuck out to Tafelberg during the last year and plucked some of the fine fruit that Tony’s guide book has brought to light. I’ve been wanting to climb this line for about 15 years and for a brief few months this year was fit enough. Gosia, Francie and I opened the route in various degrees of style in January. We went back last weekend to watch Gosia, Douw and Willem get their noses bloody on Saturday, but finally crush it on Sunday. A stout effort.
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Willem Pitch 3 (23+).jpg [ 227.98 KiB | Viewed 1370 times ]
There are more pics but maybe Justin can help me load them as it won’t let me do more than 3.
This is an incredibly gymnastic route with more heel-hooking than any other trad route I’ve been on. SNORT I will buy you a bottle of Lagervulin if you onsight every pitch of this route. BUT should you weight the rope you will buy me a bottle. I prefer Ardbeg.
I will add RD to wiki when I work out how the hell to. Meantime RD is below with another route we opened last year. The yellow/green line is another project I bin eyeing for years and started with Gosia. It is 2 pitches of 24ish so far. She will donner you if you climb it without her. I alas am taking a small nap in the early afternoon of my climbing career.
Please respect the fantastic wilderness that is Tafelberg.
Enjoy!
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Vuvuzela 22
Tafelberg. Blue Line.
This route follows a direct line to the right of Digeridoo on the main wall. Prominent features are the purple nose on pitch 3 and the massive corner system on pitch 4 right of the last pitch of central direct.
Do any 2 pitches to get to the belay at the end of pitch 2 of Tafelberg Frontal
1/15m 16. Climb straight up to left facing corner to Ledge. Belay on large Block on Right.
2/ 25m 20. Climb into awkward undercut feature above block, reach left to finger crack. Up pass overhang on R, then thin moves to exit. Stance on L under roof crack (as for Digeridoo)
3/30m 19 Traverse 3m left climb up 3m and Traverse back R onto purplish nose. Follow the steep break in impeccable rock. Exit R. Climb straight up easy rock to belay next to a block. (if you step R round the nose and go straight up grade drops to 15)
4/30m 22/23 step off the block into fierce thin crack, up to roof. Reach desperately through, then move diagonally up left into the massive left facing corner system. Climb this to roof and stance on the R.
5/ 10m 22 Move right into the short but sharp layback crack to finish
FA: Adam Roff, Francie Bϋhrmann (2008)
Crouching Tiger Hidden Giraffe 24
Red Line
Takes big corner system dodged by Grappler, then up the hanging nose above, to spicy nip in the last pitch. You need a #4 camalot for pitch 2.Start midway between Gotham City and Grappler at pockety rock below layback edge at 5m.
1/15m 21. Up pockety to layback, up this then diag R to flake. Up past rails and R to finish.
Walk R to base of corner behind some blocks. Start on L.
2/30m 23/24 Up onto narrow ledge to move R and up to wide rail. Feet in move R to base of corner. (#4 cam). Desperate move up into book. Follow to roof. Turn on R up to balanced block (don’t touch!). Swing left and mantle on ledge.
3/25m 23/24 Up and R to touch grappler but keep going up where grappler rails R. Hard traddy pull into crack. Up to big roof. Traverse R to skyline. Up to ledge.
4/50m 21 step onto nose directly above where you came up. Up to Roof. Reach round for rail. Rail L till can stand up. Step L then onto nose. Romp to massive ledge below last pitch of Frontal.
Walk left about 30m and scramble up onto a thin rectangular block under a low overhang. This is just L of big jumbled blocky corner system and is the top block of a pile of 3. If you are in the right place there will be a fred flintstone briefcase left of the block.
5/30m 23 Walk L to end of block and place gear – camalot #2 in a slot under overhang. This is the jesus piece. When you’re ready, traverse L under overhang, then hard move up to laybacks. Up crack. Straight to summit past the last mew as the tiger curls up to sleep again.
FA: Adam Roff, Gosia Lipinska, Francie Bϋhrmann (Jan 2009)
First Continuous Free Ascent: Gosia ‘pixi’ Lipinska, Douw ‘the ou’ Steyn, Willem ‘biceps’ le Roux (November 2009)
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