Micky Wiswedal sent Seven (29) at Oudtshoorn last week

Arajan de Kok redpointed Streetfighter (aka: Two To Win) at Oudtshoorn and Douw Steyn sent Monkey Pump (29) at the Scoop in Montagu this last weekend.
Nice going guys

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I went on 2 NSA on sunday n reli had an awsum day sent my hardest routes i have been attempting.

Kalashnikov culture (22) and
High hopes (24)

i might be wrong but i heard that Douw sent 'Up for Grabs' 31 ... and the same weekend i got on Seven, JTF opened a new line which is an extension to Squeeze Play called Hard Play at 29. You can also do the same extension by going straight up from El Nino ... we were thinking that El Hombre would be a cool name for that if anyone is keen on opening it

Jimbo was working his new project this weekend which looks awesome! he wants to call it Live Wire but i think everyone else is going to overrule him and just call it Jimbo Love

I'll add to Rope Gun's post and mention he's only been climbing for about a year and he got the 24 on his 5th attempt over 2 days. I think it's not bad for a new guy.

Can anyone help, he is fairly strong but strugles to hold done a sequence. Is there any kind of training we can do.

Nothing much to brag about, but did my first trad lead this weekend, a 3 pitch route in Limpopo (Gr 16 at the hardest). Wow, trad climbing is incredible, I'm hooked! Now to build up my rack. Matt: thanks for the cams and nuts! Thanks too to Errol for the training.

Our party opened 17 new pitches at Pinnacle Gorge. Most were single pitches.

My stepson opened 5. He lead his first trad route on Sat. I'm seriously stoked.

Ah Ray sounds awesome! Lank jealous! did you take a few pics?...Glad you like em.

Nadine Methner sent the very overhangin Firestarter (29) at Waterworld this weekend

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Methner's on fire!

Nice work.

Ian Kotze and I had possibly the best day out on rock in our lives last Wednesday. I landed in CT at 10pm on Tues night from jhb, crashed for a few hours at Ian's guest house. We left at about 3h30am, drove to Wolfberg, hiked up and started Celestial Journey at about 8. Topped out at 12ish, walked down, had lunch, and carried on up Energy Crisis. We were back at the car at 7, had a shower and trundled back to CT. What a day! Celestial Journey must be the best route in the country - no trivial climbing, interesting moves all the way, bomber gear and an amazing view. Energy crisis gave us wild exposure and interesting tradding on the two cruxes. Kudos to the first ascentionists of both routes.

KZN climbers in Montagu

A KZN contigent consiting of Simon Lowe, Benjamin de Charmoy and Candice Bagley have just finished off with a trip in Montagu.
Having timed the weather well, they managed to catch a few cool days of climbing.
Candice's hardest route was Holy Moly (26) with Simon & Benj cranking really well, in particular, Simon sending The Activist on his 2nd go and Benj getting Strange Days

Must be noted that Candice was not there for the full duration of the trip.
I had the pleasure of watching both Simon and Benj redpoint Twisted Steel at the Scoop and they both cruised it effortlessly!



Above: Simon Lowe redpointing Twisted Steel (29) at The Scoop
Photo: Justin Lawson

In Oudtshoorn, Jason Temple-Forbes has sent The Quickening (think Highlander). The route is situated to the right of Sid Vicious and goes at grade 28. The route is 40 meters long leaving you with a massive pump for the last few meters of climbing.
Note: You can get down with a 70 meter rope (if you mange to get down with a 60 meter rope let us know)
The routes requires +- 17 draws!

Jason opened the route 2 weeks back and described is as a big journey

More pics of Simon and Benj redpointing Twisted Steel in the gallery

The KZN'ers Montagu trip tick list is as follows:

Wednesday 11/11/09

The Steeple:
The Church of Fredrico (23)
Simon Lowe - Flash
Benjamin De Charmoy - Repeat
Candice Bagley - Onsight

Losing My Religion (22)
Simon Lowe - Onsight
Candice Bagley - Onsight
Benjamin De Charmoy - Onsight

Holy Moly (26)
Candice Bagley – Red Point

Thursday 12/11/09

Midnight Mass (22)
Simon Lowe – Red point
Benjamin De Charmoy - Onsight

Holy Moly (26)
Simon Lowe – Red Point

The Shouting Stage (29)
Simon Lowe – Red point
Benjamin De Charmoy - Red point

Saturday 14/11/09

Lost World:
Daze of Thunder (28)
Simon Lowe – Red Point
Benjamin De Charmoy - Red point

The Scoop:
Cool Like That (29)
Simon Lowe – Red point (2nd go)
Benjamin De Charmoy – Red point

Sunday 15/11/09

The Palace:
Neuromancer (23)
Simon Lowe – Onsight
Candice Bagley - Onsight
Benjamin De Charmoy – Onsight

The Activist (30)
Simon Lowe – Red point (2nd go)

Moonaboos (27)
Simon Lowe – Onsight

Cyberpunk (25)
Candice Bagley – Red point

Strange Days (31)
Benjamin De Charmoy – Red point

Thursday 19/11

Waterworld:
Firestarter (29)
Simon Lowe – Red point (2nd go)
Benjamin De Charmoy – Red point

Saturday 20/11

Scoop:
Archaeopteryx (26)
Simon Lowe – Onsight

Twisted Steel (29)
Simon Lowe – Red point
Benjamin De Charmoy – Red point

Monkey Pump (29)
Benjamin De Charmoy – Red point (2nd go)

Ben Dover (29)
Simon Lowe – Red point

More pics of Simon and Benj redpointing Twisted Steel in the gallery


Benjamin de Charmoy on Monkey Pump (29) at The Scoop
Photo: Justin Lawson

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ANOUNCEMENT:

Paarl Rock is turning out to be quite THE bouldering spot!

Wow, what an amazing surprize! Who would have thought ...

Paarl Rock Revival! Viva Paarl Rock! What an amazing venue! bouldering, sport and...trad climbing co-existing peacefully!

That place fully deserves a mention - its really 'happening' right now!

Check out Niel Mostert's guide - but sooo many pproblems have been added already!

j

Tony Dick, Snort and Dave Vallet played on the whimp version of Cool Cat (24) on Fountain Ledge. It is called Pilgrims Progress and is ostensibly only grade 22. It is solid British E4 and is at least as hard as Arms Race......Anybody done it recently?

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I did Jacobs ladder yesterday. First proper multi-pitch trad climb. It was so much fun. Although the scramble up to the route proved to be the crux

Pea1nut. You the dudes that came for the beta? You scrambled in the wrong place if you found it hard.....

Yeah, that was us Yeah we figured, we scrambled up this open book feature about 50m to the right of the ledge where it starts

Re. Pilgrim's Progress. Mike Scott and I did it a few years back. I don't think it's as hard, or as bold, as the first pitch of Arm's Race. Quite enjoyable I recall. Deserves more traffic.

Hayibo! Amazing!!

Arms race we have all done a few times and it is quite straightforward. If you have the beef you can actually lace it with gear which I did on Sunday. Tony and I did Pilgrims Progress a year or two ago and Tony led it and tested a runner. I led it this time and although it was not quite on-sight I certainly was not familiar with it.

I didn't fall off but found it very challenging. I suppose when I do it again familiarity will result in contempt...`

Yesterday, despite conjuring up every possible excuse in the book which included me having a cold, walking up in the heat, hangover, low house points, cramping while merely pouring tea blah blah blah. Dave Vallet and I climbed Africa Arette 25 in near perfect conditions. Dave did a fine flash ascent of the first pitch because I managed to convince him that it is in fact a sport route (there is a VERY friendly peg at your waste as you do the thin reachy crux.) He merely trembled a little and did not shake himself off as he has been wont to do.

I overcame my fear of the start of the second pitch by managing to find a nut placement just above the Damocles flake. I had to place the nut by using a little stick that I brought up with me. (Taller guys will reach it easily).

I also found another cam placement above the flake and kept a cool tool when doing the move past the expanding flake higher up. The rest was a synch.

Africa Arette is simply one of the finest routes anywhere. It spectacularly climbs the steep Arette on the right side of the Cuckoo buttress on upper Africa Ledge. The grade given is for the on-sight lead but the technical grade is probably 23 for the first pitch and 24 for the second. Because of the potential seriousness of the second pitch, (your belayer has to verify that the cam - grey alien size - is good as you place it blind) a more appropriate grading would be E4 6a for the first pitch and E5 6a for the second. The severity grading that I mooted many years ago would fetch the Grade 23 S1 for the first pitch and 24 S3 for the second.

With Tini giving me the beta I flashed the second pitch about 5 years ago and I was so terrified I promised myself I would never do that pitch again. But I revisited it with Willem a couple of weeks ago and found a way of bringing the risk down to an acceptable level.

It is now merely Terror-ific

Candice Bagley sent El Nino (30/8a) at The Main Crag, Oudtshoorn last weekend.
Nice one Candice

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go candice!!!!!!!!!!

Farrel Davids,Snort, Joe Mohle and Charles Green had fun in the heat (36 degrees) at the Ledge on TM yesterday. Joe and Charles did quickfire ascents of Don't Squeeze I'll Laugh

Farrel tried Cool Cat but could not work out the trick to get to the rail and then got pumped out on Pilgrims Progress - and had to hang on a piece. This again confirms the grade at 23. Him and I then did a fantastic new?? pitch taking the arete to the right of Eternity Road. Joe seems think that there is a picture of ADK on it but I am not aware of it having been written up. In any case we called it Stairway to Heavan in keeping with the context. It is a fantastic 28m pitch but the top needs a bit of lichen removal. It avoids the pitch of Hagar altogether by staying on the face and left side of the arete.

We then finished off on the Good Doctor 22 which - on-sight without beta is closer to 23....

Jimbo Smith pioneering Deep Water Soloing in The Malolotja Nature Reserve in Swaziland.

"An amazing spot - just wished we'd had some climbing shoes with us!"
Photo: by Zoe Duby

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KZN climber Candice Bagley is slowly getting used to the climbing style in Montagu. This morning she redpointed the short and powerful route 'Simply Irresistible' (27+) at Waterworld in Bad Kloof.
A couple of days prior, she almost sent Neanderthal Rex (7c/27) at the Scoop on her second go (she's heading out again this afternoon for another redpoint attempt)
Go Candice!!
(Candice Bagley also recently sent El Nino (30/8a) at The Main Crag in Oudtshoorn)

Apologies for the strange pic below (I took it skew and had to rotate to give the pic justice (show how overhanging it really is).

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Had a great day yesterday at Yellowwood. Perfect leading weather which means you are cold more than hot. Even led the crux pitch with a fleece on. A bit windy and cloudy.

The usual 03h00 start. Walked up in 90 minutes with Farell and carried up 5.5l water so left some behind.

Got on to Prime Time and once you know the 3rd pitch (22) it’s more like 21.

I overcame my trepidation of the giant flake at the start of the crux and managed to lead up to the crux without too much sweat. Only problem was that I started cramping before the crux and especially my thumb which cramped into my hand making it very difficult to climb. It is not easy using ones teeth to pull your thumb out of your palm and then latch onto something before it cramps back there. So the crux eluded me again. It is much harder than 23! And that’s in perfect weather. It is at least as hard as Out To Lunch if not harder. It is harder than the 1st pitch of Automatic for the People and much harder than the second pitch of Liquid Sky. It is about as hard as the 1st Pitch of Liquid Sky at 25/26 – to on-sight that is. Beta also does not really help with the on-sight. It is probably easier if you are really tall because you can put out the gear and then reverse to the rest and then perhaps reach the high jugs and pull through quickly as opposed to doing the side-ways move on the tiny lay-a-way crimp and the moving up on the crimps to the right.

Anyways there is a still a bottle of Lagavulin for any-one who does a proper on-sight of the route in a day without beta…

In the spirit of getting everyone to contribute to this topic even if its not a 37, I'm going to add my latest send at Strubens (yes Strubens) from here on out no-one should be shy to add anything I have been working "Heavy Duty" the 24 at strubens (there is only one) I havent climbed it very often because I was starting to get frustrated and irritated with it (it was becoming my nemisis ) - at one stage I made it to the 2nd last hold and popped off, subsequent attempts left me even more frustrated because I couldnt get to that 2nd last hold. Finally in December I pulled it - I feel FRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEE

2 Feb 2010 - David repeats his 1978 all-time classic The Dream on Table Mountain. Good staunch G3/21. Not bad for a guy who's had two head operations and should be dead from brain cancer! Bruce and Hilton were there to rejoice!