The Glade

THE GLADE - MELVILLE

The Glade, although not that big, is a great spot for bouldering in Joburg. It offers a variety of great non-eliminate lines and a super training wall with excellent eliminates. Grades range from 6b to 7c+.

ACCESS The Glade is just off Beyers Naude on the right hand side of the road when travelling towards Melville from Cresta. The safest parking is at the Spar, which is 600m up the road. Park and walk down, i.e. back towards Cresta. They have recently put palisade fencing up around the glade, which I think can only be better from a security point of view but then this is Jo'burg so best to leave your valuables at home. There is a small gate in the palisading that you enter through. Follow the path, cross over the canal and walk about 400m. The South Side cliff face is visible through the trees on your left hand side across the river. Walk another 50m from the South Side and you will see the North Side boulders on your right hand side.

ROUTES

- North Side of the River -

There are three boulders in this area worth climbing on. The first boulder is as you walk in on the lower level. The second is on the upper face section and the third is to left of the upper face section and features a low roof.

ROOF BOULDER

1. Skid mark traverse (7a)

Sit start on flat holds as far left on the roof boulder as possible. Traverse the lip and top out on right hand side arete. FA Guy Hubbard

2. Taken by force (7b)

Sit start under roof section with both hands matched on flat undercling. Pull hard, right hand to jug. Climb straight out over lip and top out. FA James Roberts

3. Lucky Larry (7c+)

Sit start under roof section as for Taken by force. Pull hard, left hand to jug and right hand to 2 finger pocket. Move right under roof to access arete. Top out using the arete and side face. FA Russell Hattingh

UPPER FACE BOULDER

1. Guy's warm up (6b)

This is a great problem. Sit start on the jugs on the far left hand side of the upper face boulder (about 4m from the far left corner). Tend left on good holds and top out. FA Guy Hubbard

2. Global warming (7b)

Burly sloper problem. Sit start to the right of Guy's warm up. Using small edges go up tending towards the obvious sloping cubby. Match in the cubby and pop to a good side pull. Make sure you have a good spot as the landing is not great. FA Russell Hattingh

3. Lay back and think of England (7a)

This is a great eliminate. Stand start on the juggy block on the right hand side of the blank looking wall. Pull up to a small side pull with your right hand, layback and pull through to crimpers and then upper jugs. Top out. FA James Roberts

4. Sawtooth smile (7a)

Another classic eliminate. Start on the same blocky jug but go up with left hand to a good but sharp crimper. Pull hard to a poor crimp with your right hand. Finish up upper jugs. Top out.

5. The cruelest cut (7b)

This route is an eliminate in that the blocky jug is off. Sit start on the far right hand arete on a good side pull. Move up with your left to a series of poor edges on the arete. Break right to finish on the finishing jugs as for Sawtooth smile. The last move to the jugs is probably the hardest part.FA Russell Hattingh

LOWER BOULDER

1. TBC 2. TBC 3. TBC

- South side of the river -

I previously completely discounted the South Side of the River as their were a few homeless folks residing under the overhanging rock. Following a recent chat with a fellow Joburg climber I decided to give this area a go. Luckily there is no one living there now so I've put up a few routes. The problems aren't overly hard but the climbing is interesting and yields a few great sloper problems.

The crag is split into four distinct sections. So far I have only really looked at the left-of-middle section. This is between the bolted crack and the blank on-angle section.

1. The incredible Mr E (6c)

Sit start 5m to the left of the bolted crack. Start on a two good underclings in the roof. Finish on the rail half a meter to the left of the rail with the small tree. FA Russell Hattingh

2. Breaking & entering (7a)

Sit start with both hands on the block about 1m to the right of the bolted crack. Pull up to a small sloping undercling with your left, and then to a long crimp with your right. Move up to the first set of jugs and then through to the large flake up and right. Could be a touch harder if you are short. FA Russell Hattingh

3. Crack down (6c)

Sit start good holds below obvious undercling, about 2m right of B&E. Move up off undercling to layback with left hand and reach for a poor slap with your right. Move up slap the arete with left and then finish on jugs. FA Russell Hattingh

4. Guardian of the pine (6b)

Sit start as for Crack down. Instead of moving into the undercling move right onto the flat starting hold for Smelliot. From there go directly up. Finish as for Crack down. FA Russell Hattingh

5. Smelliot (6c)

Opened as a stand start. Start below painted number 55 on upper blocky section. Start with left hand on good flat hold about 1.5m off the ground. Move up with left to another sloping flat hold. Right hand up to slopy hold on arete. Pull through to thin crimper rail, match and finish on upper jugs. Sit start off the lower crimpers & slaps is quite interesting and a touch harder. FA Russell Hattingh

6. Open season (6a)

Warm up problem. Towards the middle of the section about 2-3m left of the blank, on-angle section of rock, sit start with your left hand on a smallish side pull. Pull up to a large flat hold, and then continue to move straight up on slopers and crimpers. Finish on upper jug. FA Russell Hattingh

7. Shuruga (6c)

This problem starts on the right hand side of the crag in the obvious overhang. Stand start on an undercling with your left at about eye-level in the middle of the overhang. Pull up to a sharpish sidepull with your right and then climb through the roof. Good jugs on the left arete. You can either top out, which although does not add to the grade is fun, or you can traverse right as soon as you have climbed through the roof and down climb on easy holds. FA Russell Hattingh

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