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 nearly 800 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 http://www.easterncaperockclimbing.co.za/ or contact info@easterncaperockclimbing.co.za .

Area Name	Featured Image	Climbing Type	Description
Alicedale		Bouldering	Sand stone quartzite with more than 700 boulder problems. Updated PDF guide
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 210 problems, mostly easy to moderate. Updated guide
Cockscomb		Trad	Prominent mountain peak near Port Elizabeth. Walk-in 5 hours.Updated guide
Compassberg	image needed	Multi-pitch Trad	Multi-pitch trad routes on dolorite 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. Dolorite. Updated PDF Guide
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	A huge quartzite slab face at the eastern end of Baviaanskloof. Sport and trad routes. Updated guide
Hogsback	Steven Reed on 'Starstruck', Hogsback, EC	Sport & Trad	Sport & trad routes on dolorite above Hogsback village. Updated PDF Guide
Howissen's Poort	image needed	Sport	42 overhanging sport routes on sandstone quartzite close to Grahamstown. 1 minute walk-in. Updated guide
Joubertina	image needed	Sport & Trad	Sport & Trad climbing on quarzite in the Kouga mountains. Updated guide
Lady's Slipper	Eric de Beer on After Dinner Mint Boulder at Lady Slipper, Eastern Cape	Trad, Sport & Bouldering	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, more than 600 short trad 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	37 sport routes & more than 450 trad lines on sandstone quartzite mix. Access is sensitive. Please contact info@easterncaperockclimbing.co.za for more information.
Swartberg Pass		Trad	Easily accessed from Prince Albert Hamlet with cheap accommodation and excellent camping. Main crag (Horlosie) is almost 300m high and there are two abseil routes, one trad and one bolted. The bolted line more or less follows the route New Belly Dancers. A variation of the first pitch Dominator (21) is shown as well as an alternative slightly harder 2nd pitch (19). The top bolts are not at the tippy top (got dark).
The Grots	image needed	Bouldering	Bouldering area near Grahamstown. Quartzite.Updated guide
Van Stadens	Hydrophilic, The Beach	Sport	More than 300 sport routes on quartzite 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. Quartzite. Updated PDF guide
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. Updated PDF Guide

Eastern Cape Climbing Clubs

MCSA EP Section and the Rhodes University Mountain club.