Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape offers a variety of different rock with lots of potential for new route development. The climbing venues are scattered broadly over the entire Eastern Cape. There are more than 700 sport routes, hundreds of trad lines & a few bouldering areas. There are a few indoor bouldering venues. The largest is at Rhodes University. The climbing community is fairly small, but quite active & welcoming. Climbing days are mostly coordinated via various whatapp groups. For more information please contact info@easterncapeclimbing.co.za

Map of Climbing Areas in the Eastern Cape

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Area Name	Featured Image	Climbing Type	Description
Alicedale		Bouldering	More than 350 boulder problems.
Nguniland	image needed	Trad & Sport	Quartzite slabs outside Kareedow in the Langkloof. 9 sport routes & 26 trad lines. Updated guide
Buffalo River	image needed	Sport & Trad	30km from East London. Short routes on dolorite, set in thick bush, 10 sport & about 500 trad routes. Some potential for more routes. Contact Allen Luck 083 756-4290 for access. Updated guide
Cape St Francis	image needed	Bouldering	Seaside bouldering. About 70 problems, mostly easy & moderate. Updated guide
Cockscomb		Trad	A series of walls & kloofs (gorges) about an hour from Port Elizabeth. Mostly trad routes.
Coffee Bay	image needed	Trad	Seacliffs, excellent short trad routes. Contact the Coffeeshack backpacker's lodge.
Compassberg	image needed	Multi-pitch Trad	Multi-pitch trad routes near Nieu Bethesda. Route guide is here
Crag-X Grahamstown	'The Celestial Omnibus', Crag-X, Grahamstown	Example	Bouldering in Grahamstown.
Fort Fordyce	image needed	Trad & sport	More than 70 sport routes & some trad.
Graaff-Reinet	image needed	Sport	Sport routes near the caravan park. There is no routes bolted only single anchors but the hangers are with Neil Keyser. Take care for loose rocks. Area needs to be cleared before climbing at the anchors. Contact Neil Keyser or Willem Avenant for the hangers.
Groot Rivier	image needed	Trad & sport	30km from Plettenberg Bay in the direction of Port Elizabeth. 7 sport routes. an amazing pinnacle. On-line route discriptions
Grips	image needed	Sport & Trad	At the start of Baviaanskloof. Sport and trad routes. Updated guide
Hogsback	Steven Reed on 'Starstruck', Hogsback, EC	Sport & Trad	Sport & trad routes above Hogsback village.
Howissen's Poort	image needed	Sport	42 overhanging sport routes close to Grahamstown. 1 minute walk-in.Updated guide
Joubertina	image needed	Sport & Trad	Sport & Trad climbing in the Kouga mountains. Updated guide
Keinrivier	image needed	?	description needed
Lady's Slipper	Eric de Beer on After Dinner Mint Boulder at Lady Slipper, Eastern Cape	Trad, Sport & Bouldering	The Lady's Slipper is owned by MCSA EP Section. Quartzite, mix of overhanging & slab routes. 52 sport routes, 333 trad lines & more than 80 boulder problems. Updated guides
Morgan Bay	image needed	Trad	Sea cliffs with a subtropical feel, about 575 mostly short trad routes with 7 sport routes on dolerite. Updated guide
NSA, East London	image needed	Predominantly sport climbing	In East London, smooth vertical mudstone or siltstone. More than 60 sport routes ranging from 16-32. There are a few trad routes. Updated guide
Pinnacle Gorge	image needed	Sport & Trad	More than 40 sport routes & about 450 trad lines. Access is sensitive. Please contact info@easterncaperockclimbing.co.za for more information.
The Grots	image needed	Bouldering	Bouldering area near Grahamstown. Updated guide
Van Stadens	Hydrophilic, The Beach	Sport	More than 200 sport routes about 35km out of Port Elizabeth. Updated guide
Waterkloof	Hydrophilic, Donovan Willis showing his guns on an unnamed 29 in Waterkloof, Eastern Cape	Sport	The kloof is a sport climbers dream. The area is pristine, the rock is excellent, the walk-in is short and in summer the kloof stays very cool.
Windmill Hole	image needed	Sport & Trad	In East London. 12 sport routes on vertical mudstone/siltstone ranging from 15-25. 15 trad routes. Easy walk-in.