was up at hellfire a couple of weeks ago. had a look at the "dragon rider" project in the pit of despair - that thing looks in-friggin-sane! anybody been on it? (saw a maillon on the last bolt before the chains). any guess as to the grade? i have not had a look at mazawattee or street fighter so can't really compare..... anyways, purely academial for me - have to do "judge dread" 1st which has to be the hardest 22 in SA

anybody know of other projects out there that could push the hardest grade in South Africa?

The Pipeline in Bad kloof, Montagu - there are 3 projects there (bolted many, many years ago)
There has no to be so much more potential around the country - they're still finding new areas in Europe!
Judge Dread is an awesome route!!

_________________
Climb ZA - Administrator

Chosspile has some super desperate projects. 33 and up. At Boven there are 2 projects left of joy division, look super hard. one hasn't been fully equipped. We bolted a cool proj prob 31 and harder at the triple tier crags. so if you wanna climb hard there is def super hard projects around. they just need sending!

Hey guys, a few weeks ago playing around Peers cave and saw a route that runs through the entire roof at the end of a big cave! Looks insanely hard apparently a project of Matts, sounds like 33 or harder!?
Just another to the tally of hard routes in CT

Which Big Cave??? Hopefully not the National Monument archaeological site cave area!?

_________________
Climb ZA - Administrator

If I'm not mistaken, it's the cave left of Trump/Hannibal the Cannibal. The project looks insane!

have any of those routes at Pipeline been opened?
I think i saw a rope hanging there last time i walked by, seems to have been hanging there for a while now...anyone working it?
off the topic: The Beast at Pit of Despair must be the hardest 25, jeez!

_________________
safe

None of the Pipeline projects have been opened. The rope might belong to Matt Bush!? I know he was working one of the lines on a toprope (with a shunt).

_________________
Climb ZA - Administrator

Yeee-aah! Dragonrider is gonna be sick! Crux hold before the first chains (the one you lunge for from the cave wall at the main roof level) could do with some reinforcement as there are some incipient cracks around it, also rock quality was not fantastic through this stretch although we have knocked off all the loose junk. The final roof (second chains) is also very hard and may need rebolting? Id be keen to hear any input if anyone has got on it. Probably wont be that hard but cant really tell without getting on it properly -joke! Im still busy contemplating the 5million pullups I'll need to do to get that strong! The link of the full Dragonrider is over 40m of climbing and will be the only line going from the very bottom of the pit to the top!

Judge Dread is cool and stiffer if you are short of reach for the upper crux. There is a definite trick to the first crux involving layways on the wall to the right of the ledge, get above ledge level before sidling left, much easier than swinging onto and trying to mantle the ledge.

For the Beast dont miss the Knee bar! If you thought it was good then you gotta try Venom 25 which goes directly up from the big wedged rock at the hang out spot in but at the top of the pit. Very inobvious and pumping (route gets harder with every move off the deck) crux sequence. Spectacular fall potential right over your head as you sip your tea!! Just dot sit directly under anyone climbing this line as there is still the odd patch of loose rock on it (although all the holds are cleaned and re-inforced where required, ie safe).

Matts project at Peers cave is absolutely insane!!!!!!!!!!! Looks harder than 'Underground' (a semi-famous 8c+/9a in Europe) so you can probably add a few digits to the grade estimate!

There are still some exceptionally hard lines to be had at Kalk Bay crags that are already bolted, now is the time to hit them before the summer SE sets in ruining conditions there for most of summer. Some re-organisation of the bolts on these will work wonders although this will require a special permit for some of the routes that are in an archeological site

Cool thread BTW!

thanks for the beta! i've been trying to mantle the 1st crux and then go straight up. feels harder than 23 that way.... but he, real climbers warm up on this grade

Don't forget Pedley's line in Boven Rodan. It will go 8c or 8c+. It's an absolute monster!

_________________
I hate this real world place... I'd be more than happy to live out there rather...

Ooooh oooh! and the Gorilla Killa Project (I think) at the wave cave, 9a? Simon also has a 8c(+?) project there that looks sick.

_________________
I hate this real world place... I'd be more than happy to live out there rather...

Any news on Digital Warfare?

Was there a countrywide pact not to mention any of these projects to Ondra when he was visiting?

Hahahahahahahaha!
Didn't he get Mazawattee second go or something?
Ridiculous.