Local climbing scene in SA - Whats happening??

[XMod]

lower roof/crux

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[XMod]

Then it zoots up this fine looking piece of rock

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[XMod]

And finally busts through the overhanging guarding the top

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Sorry I don't have any climbing pics of it yet - it kicked our asses when we tried it!

[Chris F]

Fnell. Quite a piece of rock.

[tygereye]

Here are a few of Phlip I took while he was still working the moves

[Turtle]

to think i taught him everything he knows about climbing.... hehehe

[lelikegogga]

Haha! Thanks all!
Ek wil net dankie sê vir my ma en vir my pa, en my ouma en oupa...

But seriously, great vision from the pioneering party: Malcolm, Greg and Ross.
Super stoked to be a part of the process!

And was it not for the communal beta concocting, cheating shenanigans with Danie, the route would probably still feel impossible. Thanks dude. Sondag ry jy hom in die grond in. Super alles!

[lelikegogga]

to think i taught him everything he knows about climbing.... hehehe

Ja en toe gaat sta kruip jy in jou dop in Eish

[justin]

JTF's project at Oudtshoorn on the The Incredibles wall is open.

The route is the extension of Dash (28) and is called 'Dash Be Quick' grade 31 (unconfirmed).

[justin]

Clinton Martinengo opened a new route Oorlogs Kloof last weekend.

The route is called the Tailor and goes at 26/7b and has 8 bolts plus chains.
You can find more details about the route in the Wiki - http://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Seamster_Buttress

Clinton also opened a new route at the Penthouse recently: Clinton Martinengo sends the ‘Hustler Project’ at the Penthouse

[Forket]

going to fernkloof tomorrow in tights

[justin]

Don't forget to post pic's

[Forket]

Fernkloof with the Pretoria Crew

[ScottS]

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[XMod]

Jusseee - check the tites! Lank retro - and matching nogal

[Gustav]

Ai-ai ... die mense van Pretoria af!

[SNORT]

Tony Dick, Deon Van Zyl, Bruce Daniel and I recently developed the Sublime Time Buttress on the West facing ridge of Yellowwood Ravine. We are not the first party to explore that crag. In 1981 Mike Scott with Peter De Tolly (he can still be seen cranking at CityROCK on Tuesday mornings) and John Moss did the "Red Waterfall route" at "F" grade. Sublime Time is the plum route there but all the climbing is excellent with the top red face providing 5* quality. The routes are 140 to 160m long and can be done in 4 or 5 pitches. There is a very user abseil descent on the right. Send me a PM for the high res picture which you can download on a smart phone and use as a route guide as you climb by magnifying the picture to see the detail!.

The approach starts at the same place from the N1 as the other YW routes. Continue to the pilon. Walk another 20 minutes or so passing through a shallow gulley and then soon after there is a short corner scramble of around 3m. Continue up about 30m and spot a cairn adjacent to the forest. Once in the forest go down and left behind a boulder, squeeze past a tree and then head up right for about 30m following cairns. Have tea at the stream. If it is dry go up about 20-30m and find a black barrel with water. Follow cairns diagonally out left and continue up the ramp for around 250m until at the base of the routes. Stay on the clean gray rock slabs and avoid the loose gullies on each side.

Sublime Time is the route to do but once you do the 19 pitch rap off and do the 20 pitch on the right. It is superb. You have plenty of time to do Some Time as well in a normal day if it is not too hot and you will end up having done 320m (1000ft) or so of excellent moderate climbing. In time I will post this all on the WIKI.

Sublime Time Buttress routes at Yellowwood low res.jpg (103.95 KiB) Viewed 10519 times

[Q20]

Faye Scott recent sent Secret Ninja (31) at Umgeni.

I was there with her a few weeks back when she went to 'take the draws down' as it was late in the season, and she thought conditions would deteriorate. However, on the way up she made it look so damn easy (in addition to incredible wasp avoidance skills), that the draws stayed up. A week or so later, send.

Respect.

[PaulB]

If I'm not mistaken, this is one of the Umgeni routes that escaped the dreaded Pedley downgrade.. so the first confirmed 8a+ by a SA woman?

[Q20]

For a sport route I would assume so.

Gosia Lipinska sent Triple Jeopardy on Table Mountain earlier this year. I think it officially survived the Pedley downgrade, but he would have to confirm. Seven or so locals have done it, with some murmurings about it maybe being very hard 30, but I think the potential downgraders were in the minority.

Semantics aside, both are superb achievements, and the way these women are going I think there will be plenty more to come.

[SNORT]

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I spent quality time with Margaret my wife, my best friend, and greatest fan at Yellowwood today. We fashioned a wonderful route that I considered calling Wife Time but that sounds a bit twee. So "Quality Time" it is. It somehow winkles its way up some excellent grey rock and finishes steeply up the red face just to the left of Sublime Time. It probably overlaps with Red Waterfall route on the first and possibly the second pitch here and there but is by and large an independent route.

This is a great outing at the grade. And it is after all at Yellowwood.

Although it is only grade 15, there are several thought provoking moves and the last pitch is very steep! So, like all Yellowwood routes, it is not for beginners.

The rock is mostly excellent and the gear is good!

Enjoy

[justin]

Nice going Snort!

21 year old Andrea Biffi recently made a trip to Kalymnos where he went on a sending spree climbing 26 routes up to 8b. Andrea went on to send Gaia (8b) and afterwards onsighted Aegialis (7c) and Punto Caramelo (8a+).
- Click here for the full list of routes

[SNORT]

FYI: Andrea hangs around at CR and is the most unassuming young man you will ever meet. He comes from small village in Italy and was taught the mountains by his Dad. He also happens to have soloed the Matterhorn at the age of 19!

As any locally born Saffer flashed an 8a+

[SNORT]

Tini and I had a big day out yesterday and climbed Fire Start 23 on the Chess pieces De La Bat ridges. It is a 5* route on excellent gray rock. It was really hot and we were eaten alive by ants at the belay atop pitch 4 to the extent that I had to strip completely and balancing precariously on a small ledge swatted off hundreds of Ants from every nook and cranny of my body. I am sure you do not want the details.

Although it is graded as a hard route it is not as hard as the grade suggests. The first 22 pitch has 3m of very interesting strenuous climbing but is very well protected. The rest is easy. The second pitch also only has 3-4m of hard climbing and the crux is really placing gear but a fixed nut makes it very comfy. The rest is 17-19 climbing including the last 21 pitch and in fact the hardest single move on the last 4 pitches was actually on the 19 pitch. So in reality the tricky stuff is short and over quickly while still in the shade.

So do not be scared off by the grade. There is also a very nice shady boulder to compose yourself right at the route once you have come down the gulley.

[Warren G]

This thread should be re-titled "Snorts weekend Diary." No doubt someone else in the country is doing something worth writing up.

[SNORT]

Hi Warren,

I am an older guy who is trying to be 16. (My son's age and he is trying quite hard to be a lot older than me). And that means I still get very inspired when anybody does anything that's interesting and new and adventurous.

I am afraid to say another another rock-jock sending another moderately or even very hard boulder problem or sport route that has seen lots of ascents does not quite cut it unless it includes a super cool photograph.

On the other hand when a couple of keen young Brits come to SA and make it their mission to climb some of the classic frontal routes in South Africa including Klein Winterhoek, Milner and Smalblaar, then that is truly "feelgood" for me and for many other people. It fosters enthusiasm. That is what I am trying to do. I put this stuff on my Facebook page too and rather avoid bleeding heart stuff and what my dog had for breakfast (even if what is the CAT).

And it does seem to work! Yellowwood has seen more independent activity (which does not include me) these last few months than in 5 years. I reckon that is super cool.

I would love to hear what people are doing out there and where. I need to move on from YW.

So yes lets hear if folks!

[Warren G]

Hi Snort

Thanks for a full reply there, but that comment wasn't pointing at you at all, but rather everyone else (I'll write when I have something to say).

As you have answered so fully I must respond:

1. Do you think that trad climbing is the only type of "real" climbing? I ask because I don't believe in belittling another mans achievements simply because you think yours are better. Its those sorts of comments that ensure no one will add their two cents to this thread. That would be like a Mountain biker giving grief to a Road cyclist for not doing "Real" cycling. You enjoy what you enjoy and that's great, but others enjoy what they choose to do in their spare time too. If you choose to share it to foster enthusiasm that's fantastic, but then let them do the same.

2. The title of this thread is "Local climbing scene in SA- Whats happening??" Forgive me if I'm reading this poorly, but nowhere in that does is stipulate what in the climbing scene must or can't be reported here. If little Johnny sends his first 16 on top rope at Strubens Valley he is just as entitled to post it here as you are opening routes at YW. The same is true for other repeats.

[justin]

New trad route in Kloof Gorge
- Partners in Climb (21) at the Cellar (Kloof Gorge KZN) FA Warwick Hastie (Oct 2013).

First Pic: Up and coming youngster Josh Munstermann on the 2nd ascent of Partners in Climb (on fixed gear) .

Second pic: The gear required for the route.

[Marshall1]

.

[Warren G]

All good news! Great seeing Mr Hastie back out on the hill: opening a new aid route and single pitch routes in Kloof! Funny, I thought we had lost him to his rod...