If the wind is blowing SE which is common in summer, we have what Cape-Climbers refer to as the "Schlauk Factor" at some of the crags; the rock becomes so slippery and even damp that it seems as if someone smeared oil onto the holds. Climbing is near impossible unless you have a bucket of chalk to compensate! This effect is caused by sea water being blown onto the crags (from afar that is).
Crags affected: The Mine, The Hole, Silvermine Crags, Elsies Peak, Kalk Bay Crags, Peers Cave...
The rock friction is rarely if ever altered on the climbs that start at the "Ledge" on Table Mountain, Clifton sector of Lions Head and the Apostles
When the North Wester blows, it generally means that bad weather is on the way (but it could take a day or two to arrive.) The air can be warm and balmy before the clouds race in from the Atlantic. If Lions Head mountain is covered in cloud there is a high chance its going to rain in the next couple of hours.
Trad: Lions Head granite, Lower Buttress of Table Mountain, single pitch Apostles, Above Llandudno.
Sport: Eish, this is a complicated question! Typically low cloud comes in from SE, which will write off Hole (and surrounds), Mine, Kalk Bay, Peers Cave. Basically you're left with Silvermine and Higgovale Quarry.
When a so called cold "front" approaches then the best escape is to head to Montagu where a rain shadow protects the area from rain. As the front moves in from the sea over the peninsula there will be some delay before it gets to Paarl and then the Du Toit's Kloof range will also hold back the front for half a day or so. So one can climb at Paarl Rocks or Hellfire crag for a morning or afternoon. Unfortunately, as the "front" approaches it can get very windy in the Du Toit's pass as it acts as a chute.
The Cedarberg can also be considered but depending on the size of the front, it can rain there too.
Of the crags within an hour two of Cape Town, Karbonaatjies Kraal is the last crag to be affected by wet weather.
Loading map...
{"minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"mappingservice":"leaflet","width":"auto","height":"500px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"zoom":false,"defzoom":14,"layers":["OpenStreetMap"],"image layers":[],"overlays":[],"resizable":false,"fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"cluster":false,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clustermaxradius":80,"clusterspiderfy":true,"geojson":"","clicktarget":"","imageLayers":[],"locations":[{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Lion%27s_Head\" title=\"Lion\u0026#39;s Head\"\u003ELion's Head\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Lion's Head\n","link":"","lat":-33.936523999999999,"lon":18.388513,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Higgovale_Quarry\" title=\"Higgovale Quarry\"\u003EHiggovale Quarry\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Higgovale Quarry\n","link":"","lat":-33.942326999999999,"lon":18.401026000000002,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Nursery_Ravine\" title=\"Nursery Ravine\"\u003ENursery Ravine\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Nursery Ravine\n","link":"","lat":-33.984239000000002,"lon":18.417674999999999,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Hout_Bay\" title=\"Hout Bay\"\u003EHout Bay\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Hout Bay\n","link":"","lat":-34.025717,"lon":18.384647999999999,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Silvermine_Crags\" title=\"Silvermine Crags\"\u003ESilvermine Crags\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Silvermine Crags\n","link":"","lat":-34.075626,"lon":18.407665999999999,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Peers_Cave\" title=\"Peers Cave\"\u003EPeers Cave\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Peers Cave\n","link":"","lat":-34.114646999999998,"lon":18.400713,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/The_Underside\" title=\"The Underside\"\u003EThe Underside\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||The Underside\n","link":"","lat":-34.089345999999999,"lon":18.427492999999998,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/The_Mine\" title=\"The Mine\"\u003EThe Mine\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||The Mine\n","link":"","lat":-34.091406999999997,"lon":18.437106,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Lakeside_Pinnacle\" title=\"Lakeside Pinnacle\"\u003ELakeside Pinnacle\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Lakeside Pinnacle\n","link":"","lat":-34.091833000000001,"lon":18.453671,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Muizenberg_Buttress\" title=\"Muizenberg Buttress\"\u003EMuizenberg Buttress\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Muizenberg Buttress\n","link":"","lat":-34.099581000000001,"lon":18.460622999999998,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/The_Hole\" title=\"The Hole\"\u003EThe Hole\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||The Hole\n","link":"","lat":-34.104343,"lon":18.459679000000001,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Kalk_Bay\" title=\"Kalk Bay\"\u003EKalk Bay\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Kalk Bay\n","link":"","lat":-34.128503000000002,"lon":18.441911999999999,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/wiki/Table_Mountain\" title=\"Table Mountain\"\u003ETable Mountain\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Table Mountain\n","link":"","lat":-33.957884,"lon":18.403618999999999,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Slangoelie\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Slangoelie (page does not exist)\"\u003ESlangoelie\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Slangoelie\n","link":"","lat":-33.978841000000003,"lon":18.378917000000001,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Corridor_SF\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Corridor SF (page does not exist)\"\u003ECorridor SF\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Corridor SF\n","link":"","lat":-33.985729999999997,"lon":18.377462000000001,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Postern\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Postern (page does not exist)\"\u003EPostern\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Postern\n","link":"","lat":-33.973332999999997,"lon":18.391667000000002,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Spring\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Spring (page does not exist)\"\u003ESpring\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Spring\n","link":"","lat":-33.975647000000002,"lon":18.388047,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Kasteel\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Kasteel (page does not exist)\"\u003EKasteel\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Kasteel\n","link":"","lat":-33.970362999999999,"lon":18.390034,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Valken\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Valken (page does not exist)\"\u003EValken\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Valken\n","link":"","lat":-33.968738000000002,"lon":18.392025,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Barrier\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Barrier (page does not exist)\"\u003EBarrier\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Barrier\n","link":"","lat":-33.967474000000003,"lon":18.392626,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Bee\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Bee (page does not exist)\"\u003EBee\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Bee\n","link":"","lat":-34.003760999999997,"lon":18.353577000000001,"icon":""},{"text":"\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-parser-output\"\u003E\u003Cp\u003E||\u003Ca href=\"/w/index.php?title=Kleinkop\u0026amp;action=edit\u0026amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"Kleinkop (page does not exist)\"\u003EKleinkop\u003C/a\u003E\n\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/div\u003E","title":"||Kleinkop\n","link":"","lat":-33.988219000000001,"lon":18.374199000000001,"icon":""}],"imageoverlays":null}