FUTSOC 2010 wishes

The inimitable, the indomitable, the stubborn, tenacious, one and only Roger Natrass is back on trad. He was enticed up to the Ledge on TM yesterday and in fine style made small fry out of Africa Edge aka L’Edge of the Ledge (22/3) and Africa Lunch (23). Despite cooking his forearms on the second pitch of l’Edge he got to standing on is feet and cruised everything else ignoring the beta and trusting his instincts.

It was while we and Dave Vallet were making tea at the Tea Cave that two Brits arrived with the India Venster route description download in hand:
http://www.climb.co.za/wiki/index.php?title=India_Venster_Trail that includes the following description:

“The trail splits and takes one left about 150m to the “Lily pond” where there is perennial water; or, right and around the corner to "Fountain Ledge" that faces west and the Atlantic Seaboard and ocean. About 100m or so to the left and before the Lily pond is an overhang where one can cool off and compose oneself in the shade. This is colloquially known as the “Tea Cave” where much posturing, psyching up, procrastination and tea drinking occurs. This is the centre of this little climbing universe and should you find any old geezers drinking tea there, you are likely to be heartily welcomed (which means that you are going to be dissed and insulted.) If anyone is nice and kind to you, it probably means that they disapprove of you and you should move on.

Ignore their manners, get over yourself, drink their tea, eat their biscuits and give as good as you get. They will give you invaluable information of the conditions and the routes and, if nothing else, make your day memorable.”

Roger, Dave and I caucused and decided that the Brits warranted being made welcome so we dissed and insulted them, their island where they live and I think their cricketers seeing as the England captain and two best batsmen are South Africans and their coach is from Zimbabwe. It was as we engaged these hapless creatures that our in-patriat team were being given a drubbing by the likes of Andrew Strauss, Keven Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. Anyway we resentfully gave them the tea, Alet’s rusks and the beta to find and climb Jacob’s ladder. And then told them to f**k off and go climb a rock.

They seemed to enjoy are overtures and then did indeed f**k off with a smile…

We continued with our tea.

I led the first pitch of Odd-shouters to upper Africa. Dave led the 1st pitch of Africa Lunch and to my great dismay I broke of the fragile flake that indeed kept the grade at a manageable 21 at the start of the first tricky move on the arête proper. Thankfully I was on a top-rope and only went slamming into the face on the left because a lead fall at this point is not pleasant. I now have to do a very challenging sketchy move using a rounded nubbin on the left and a painful finger tip mono on the right to reach the first good holds.

Roger then led the 3rd pitch with aplomb - a pitch that rarely has been on-sighted having spat off amongst others Dan Donovon and George Mallory.
Dave and I followed and I must say it does get easier once you have on-sighted it about 5 times or so.

It leaves to be said that I bid you all a motivated, inspired and passionate 2010. If you want to make it exciting and memorable, then get out a rack and go climb trad. (Roger had just been to Milner and could hardly remember the pitches, the moves and certainly not the names of the routes he had climbed there).
There is always tea at the Ledge, lots of pontification and provocation. You will not feel neglected and if you feel intimidated then get a hold of yourself and measure up……as I wrote on the Wiki: get over yourself, drink their tea, eat their biscuits and give as good as you get.