Wednesday 14 September 2011

Rocklands 2011

For the last 6 weeks I have been in South Africa at the  magnificent Bouldering area called Rocklands. the Boulders are situated about 3 hours from Cape Town nr a small town called Clanwilliam. When you first drive up the pass towards the boulders the view is incredible, boulders litter the mountain sides for as far as the eye can see. Wonderland!
We were staying with a big team of Brits from around the UK in a large farmhouse belonging to the Travelers Rest. The accomodation was fairly basic but had loads of comfey sofa's and had a real homely feel to it. This was short lived after 15 people all living togeather attracted all kinds of wildlife from Tics to mice... now I felt like we were in Africa!
The weather in July was pretty hot but the prevailing psyche of loads of amazing looking problems won over and I felt like I was climbing well and enjoying climbing some great problems. I started off doing a few classic 7c's and a couple of 7c+'s and felt pretty fit from this springs sport climbing scene.
I had set myself a little challenge before I went away and this was that I was only allowed to drink beer if I had climbed and 8a or above.. This proved to be a good motivator and I was soon dispatching 8a's left right and centre. After climbing a few classic 8a's I turned my focus to one of the best looking boulder problems I have ever seen called Black Shadow. It was so hot that I went out one night to have a go with head torch's, I pulled on a couple of times but it was still way too hot. My next session was better and I should of done it but I fell off the last move 3 times. I had a double rest day went back for revenge, I changed my sequence at the end and did it first go from the start topping out in a sea of glory!
The weather over the next few weeks improved because we had a weekly day of rain that cooled the air down a bit. With these improved conditions I went up to try a amazing looking roof called The Vice (flashed by Ondra). This was the first time I have a tried an 8b and my first session went well. I managed to do all the moves and link it in 2 sections, spirits were high and I had another double rest day and went back up for another look. Something was different I felt rubbish and the conditions didn't feel very good, I couldn't do the links I did on the first session and I decided to leave it for a while and go and do some other slightly easier problem's.
I had a great week climbing some classic high problems like Cedar spine, Splash of Red and flashing Tomorrow I will be gone and I felt like it was time to have another go at The Vice.
VOID.... I walked up feeling positive and arrived at the problem to a sea of people! no joke there must have been 10-12 people trying it and another 15 watching! not good. I tried to warm up and try the moves but it was ridiculous. One person was trying the end as someone else was going from the start!
I decided then that I didn't have enough time to do it and I was more psyched to get some more classics done instead and leave the Vice for another trip. I then walked over to another sector and dispatched a classic problem called Nutsa 4th go.
All in all I had a great trip and met some really sound people and would defiantly go back in a few years time.
I have listed below some of classic problems I did:

Black Shadow

Splash of Red






































Lu on Caroline 7c+















Black Shadow 8a+, The Ampetheate 8a+, Nutsa 8a, Witness the Sickness 8a, Pendragon 8a, Barracuda 8a, No late Benders 8a, Out of balance 8a, Spash of Red 7c+, Ghost in Darkness 7C+, Caroline 7c+,  Cedar spine SS 7c, Une rime stupide 7c+, Winne 7c, Tomorrow I will be gone 7c, Tea Garden Roof  7c, Pinotage 7b+.