Charles Edelstein

USA Trip 2010

2010-07-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B-PvSljeg0wtMjhjMGFlMGItZWQzZC00NGFhLWFkMTMtYmI4MTQxNjUwMzJk&authkey=CP-lm6EI&hl=en

Captain Hook and Mellow Steady Flow 2 May2010

2010-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Tony Dick and I had a great day on the Ledge yesterday.

I first failed on Captain Hook in Dec 1986 with Clive Curson when I dislocated my thumb and suffered reversing the rail. I have tried the route many times since then and yesterday, despite a very hot and sweaty walk up IV with my family, did the tea thing and then at last put to rest one of my last great vendettas. The move round the roof is well protected by two bomber small cams - effectively a top rope - but the move itself is probably one of the hardest single moves I have ever done. The Ape index is quite critical for this move - even and especially if one does the knee bar. So the ostensible grade of 23 is rather irrelevant to me considering that I recently climbed 5 or 6 pitches at Milner graded 25 or 26, Africa Arette 25 and Prime Time Direct E56a (25).

Feeling quite stoked and confident Tony and I then went off to do Mellow Steady Flow 23. Tony led the first grade 21 pitch which I screwed up doing the move off the ground using the wrong hand. But I redeemed myself by on-sighting the next two "heady" pitches 20 and 23. The 23 pitch is rarely done and is extremely thin and intimidating. 2 very very old pegs mark the route and inspire no confidence. But they can be backed up by tiny but very good nut and cam placements. (Aliens or Metolius mastercams). Tony tried to give me the beta but it really does not help. Everyone will climb that pitch a little differently as it is size and reach dependent. So if anyone gets to do it, just work it out for yourself and take a selection of tiny cams with you and small nuts and RP's. The pitch is quite safe if you have the where-with-all and forearms to place the extra gear which requires some clinging on. And one then needs some reserve to finish the move to the ledge above which is off very small and not-so-positive crimps and foot holds. I rate this pitch at least as hard as Africa Arette first pitch and is comparable to Eternity Road 23 w.r.t. gear placements and difficulty.

Although it is scary it is actually quite safe but your belayer must be alert and watchful. This route is really worth doing and a brilliant test piece at the grade and it simply must get more ascents...

Towerkop and adventure of Epic Proportions

2010-04-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

To view our adventure story copy and past this URL into your browser....

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B-PvSljeg0wtOTY5ODE4M2YtYmQwMy00MmI3LTljYjktZTIwZDYyNzAyMGIx&hl=en

A Not So Slack Time on Slack Time Yellowwood Amphitheatre Western Cape 17 Febuary 2010

2010-02-20T04:58:00.000-08:00

It is my norm to set aside Margaret and my first liaison and wedding anniversary day for a very special occasion. This auspicious event occurs on the 18 February, it being our 21^st and 26^th anniversary respectively. My main aim in so doing is to go big and make it memorable. I usually succeed but the quandary always is whether to throw money at it – flowers, champagne, dream meal, romantic setting, double dose Viagra (for her of course), new triple speed vibrator, etc. etc.

Or, to go on an epic adventure.

I could not resolve the dilemma satisfactorily so I decided to do both. And so it was done.

To make the adventure more sociable I gathered together a motley crew of 3 unfit, underprepared and inexperienced mates of whom only 2 had any big wall experience many years ago.

So let’s start with the fact that we had only two head torches between the 5 of us.

It started badly: at 02h00 on Wednesday 17^th Lucy – age 5 - came through to the marital suite completely beside herself because she woke up in a state of despair that “hairy hairy”was leaving her.

That was not the end of it; Nick our 11 year old son (almost 12) woke up as we were about to leave at 05h00 and burst into tears because he was missing out on his unalienable right to 15 minutes preschool cuddles. Ho hum. Yawn!

We were strong, we were resolved and we prevailed and left them in their misery deciding we would leave in abeyance the decision as to whether they should undergo trauma counseling now or later.

SMSes to our mates, coffee and we were off. Things went spiffingly for a while: We all met on time at the Du Toit’s kloof lodge and Margaret and I left our van there as it was ready to whisk us off to the romantic chapter of our anniversary. Animated conversation saw us hike the trail to the base in just 100minutes. That’s fast, even for seasoned Yellowwood regulars. We made tea and set off for the start:

Charles racking up- Robert waiting

Margaret donning her harness

I led off, followed by Margaret and Mark Straughan who struggled on the short approach traverse to the beginning of the climbing. This was a bad omen but thought “let’s see how it goes”. He then proceeded to weight the rope – a very skinny 8.1mm ice-floss rope - on more than one occasion but the first belay ledge was attained uneventfully. Deon and Robert followed as a separate party and I only found out some two days later that Robert had taken a 5 m fall on the traverse when a foot hold broke.

I started up the 2^nd pitch (grade 20) marking critical foot holds with chalk. Again the rope was tested and stretched – this time by both Margaret and Mark - despite leaving several slings for assistance. My belay, consisting of an RP3 and a marginal rock 1 and the friction of my butt would have been viewed with disdain by any self respecting mountain guide. (Despite Mark having shed some 17kg and the nom de plume of Jelly Belly bestowed on him by his kids in the last 12 months since he became psychotic about climbing, he is still no light weight!)

When Margaret reached the belay said to me at this very early stage that the climbing was way too hard for her and Mark and that she was not having fun. I gave her my best dead pan poker face look of empathy and decided to bide my time.

Margaret noshing sweets at the 2^nd stance

RP3 belay above her!

It appears Mark was already cramping so badly while sitting on the ledge below that there were several minutes’ delay before he could get up. He, according to Deon, was dead locked in a sitting position and could not move. I thought it quite comic really.

I quietly thought about the fact that we were about a rope length above the deck and this would be a good time to bail or at least lower Mark to the ground.

Mark attained the ledge after going off route way left but managed not fall off and swing dangerously into the corner where he would have smashed a wrist or broken his ribs. Of course there was a minor epic hauling the pack which tangled in Mark’s rope as I belayed him.

Mark chirpy as always finishing pitch 2:

Note the cramped fingers of his right hand.

A passage in MacFarlane’s book, Mountains of the Mind came to me then:

“Risk taking brings with it its own reward. Life, it frequently seems in the mountains, is more intensely lived the closer one gets to its extinction, we never feel so alive as when we have nearly died!”

Deon on the second belay: He is still having fun

Mark’s enthusiasm infected Margaret inappropriately i.e. positively and I set up off the next pitch saying deceitfully that the climbing gets easier.

Charles leading off on pitch 3.

Margaret starting the pitch: is she smiling?:

I left aid slings again and made the next ledge. Margaret battled, Mark struggled and Robert whimpered – a little - while passing by the large loose flake that had completely terrorized Margaret a few minutes before. I watched bemused from above. Deon later trundled it. The noise of a massive rocks crashing down was very off putting for Margaret and added another dimension to being psyched out. The block was so big you could smell the cordite-like smell wafting up. 5 Klipspringer bokkies were seen bolting away.

Robert getting to the 3^rd

stance

Deon following pitch 3

Mark: Grimace or Smile and Margaret belaying on the next pitch

The next pitch was more forgiving and was free climbed by everyone except Mark as he passed the Monster jammed in flake.

Margaret on Pitch 4 waving???

Mark bypassing the monster flake and

stretching his cramping hands

I went up the next right facing corner and made a hanging stance short of the jumbo ledge so I could see Mark and Margaret and give them beta.

Mark and Margaret at the 4th stance: Note Marks cramped posture:

Deon coming past the Humongous flake

By this time my hands were really sore from hauling my climbing partners on very skinny ropes and I was also cramping. We were only half way up. We then more easily attained the face below the Krakadouw type cracks on the right and an exit gully on the left.

We waited and Deon and Robert did not appear. The sun was frying us by now and Mark started replacing “s” with “th” as his tongue swelled from dehydration. He did not dare sit down for fear of cramping and he laughed with glee as he had to pull his fingers straight with his teeth. (He stayed on his feet till we got to the car at about 01h00!)

We shouted and yelled and when more time passed, I decided to abseil down. I found Robert and Deon in a hanging stance off route to the right. I could not contain my frustration and let out several choice expletives…..

Of course that does not facilitate anything and Deon gave me back as good as I gave threatening to jump off the mountain. After some more fucking around we all assembled at the base of the gully.

We having fun yet? Shade at last!

I decided to go for the gully on the left as it seemed a little easier than cracks on pristine rock to the right and I headed up the first section that started on excellent rock for about 15m. But then I was faced with a very tricky move – probably grade 19 – with a 10m run out and a deck fall. Robert was leading behind me and he would not be comfortable doing this. I did the move feeling very gripped and continued up the gully that became chossy with dangerous loose rocks but got to a stance at full rope stretch 60m above.

I belayed Robert past the tricky bit and we all made the top safely.

The end is nigh….

Another mishap occurred then. I coiled the ropes and sent Mark and Margaret ahead to scramble the last 60m to the top. They went further east than what I did and got stuck. The way I went was also very tricky and I was pleased they did not come this way. Little did I know. I did not find them and haired off to the top only to reverse with very sore toes in my cramped climbing shoes. I found them and threw down a rope to belay them.

After some more delays because Mark, who was completely trashed by now, insisted on carrying a rope – he could barely talk and walk – reached the abseil chains on Down Time. The first abseil is probably one of the most exciting and scary abseils anyone can do. It goes over major overhangs and one dangles free from the cliff 200m above the deck. The first one to descend must place gear to keep the rope against the rock and the second set of chains is at a point where there is less than 30cm left of the rope!

Both Mark and Margaret reached the ledge completely shattered but by now I knew that things were on a winning streak. Short of getting our ropes stuck we would get down before dark. Deon made the dry comment that “Die son trek water, mense’’. I was calm but tense and very focused. I forgot that there was limited experience amongst my partners when it came to handling ropes and flying off into space on abseils.

I used the second set of ropes to reach the halfway ledge and I rushed down the next rappel on the first set of ropes forgetting to remind Robert about the ropes twisting when pulling the ropes from the second set of chains. They got stuck. We now only had one set left!

Meanwhile, a side show was going on at the halfway ledge and Deon wrote this: .”

“We were trying to free the ropes after the second abseil and were concerned that with all the tugging we would knock a rock off the ledge onto you guys.

Robert then picked up the rock and moved it to the left of the ledge to get it out the way only to reveal a black scorpion. I then moved it aside with an alien and we noted it in the middle of the ledge as we continued tugging away. We also did not want to it toss over the ledge in case it landed on you. You then advised us via cellphone to move to the left of the ledge and to free the ropes from the side. Our problem then was that the scorpion was not to be seen anymore so we found ourselves tugging at ropes with a scorpion on the loose.

The third abseil ends on a tiny ledge that was extremely crowded with the five of us and it was almost pitch dark and only 2 torches between us. I went down that last abseil which ends about 10m above the ground on a tiny foot rail whence one must scramble down. Deon and Margaret both struggled with this so Robert and Mark abseiled to a slightly higher ledge where there was an abseil point. But the second set of ropes got stuck after pulling it down for a few metres. Fortune smiled and there was just enough rope for them to get to the ground with stretch.

We composed ourselves.

Tea, water and food followed and at least it was cool.

I found a large dram of Malt whisky that I had left on a previous visit with Dave Vallet and this lifted our spirits.

And then – armed with only 2 torches – we embarked on the arduous, strenuous, tenuous and tedious scramble down to the car which took us 3 hours. There was to be one final mishap. Margaret needed to wee and at the time we were on a very steep and narrow part of the trail. She went ahead a few metres and all torches were switched off. Things seemed fine till she got up only to find that she had missed the trail but not her pants that flapped wet against her legs all the way down. We all fell over, ruined our shins and grabbed spiky bushes more than once. We drank beers at the van and I had to hand over the driving to Margaret as I could not stay awake- she ultimately proved the be the strongest one! We had been at it for 23 hours non-stop!

The next day Margaret and I went to Karoo1 Hotel and Village aka Karbonaatjies Kraal where we had a stellar romantic interlude under a star-lit sky with the milky way seeming almost touchable. I undeniably proved that for your relationship to last with your wife you must multi-fuckup – preferably with her along as a victim - and follow this up with great sex. Girls you must ensure you send your boys out climbing and multi-fuck-upping and then….. well, you know the answer.

There are at least five lessons to be learnt:

Never take anyone on a trip like this who on the one hand has only done Arrow Final on a top rope but who has extreme resolve, tenacity, endurance, staying power, fortitude, stamina, paraatness, steadfastness, determination, doggedness, perseverance, single mindedness and persistence to top out on Yellowwood and extend the day so he could share the first couple of hours of Margaret and my anniversary. (I am talking here about Mark Straughan). He surpassed himself indeed.
When you think you are not having fun, you actually are having some of the best fun you ever will.
When you are immersed in an epic adventure such as this, do not bail – ever! If you keep it together you will ultimately bring the out the best in your friends and yourself and you will realize that you can conjure up more strength than you ever thought you had. From the departure points of “I can’t or won’t” and “never again” you will change to “I can” and “I will”!
No matter how tired and sore you are, you can still go on and celebrate your anniversary in romantic style under a star-lit sky on the same day.
And you have to do this kind of thing if you want a set of buns and legs like this at the age of 46:

The challenge is out there for any group of mates. 5 of us climbed a 9 pitch route of 240m height on the main wall of Yellowwood in a day from Cape Town. Only one of us had big wall experience. At least 3 pitches were grade 19 or harder. Our average age was 48+

Fun Time - A new route on Yellowwood Butress

2010-02-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

11 February 2010.

FA C Edelstein, T Firman and F Davids

After all the vitriol that emanated from the bolting that the visiting German climbers did at Yellowwood I decided to go up there and deal with the problem. I fished out a builder’s hammer from my tool box and with Farrell and Tristan set out for Yellowwood at 05h30 in the morning on the 12 Feb 2010. The forecast was for 36 degrees C heat and I found solace in the fact that this was to be a training day and that I could improve on the 1.4kg I had shed from the barrel that was beginning to replace the six pack embedded in my rectus abdominis. (Go Google it…)

On the way up I thought better of my intentions and decided that the way to keep the destroyers away from this sanctuary of trad climbing was to open all the lines on trad. And the best way to do so efficiently was to start with the easier lines. The mandate to Tristan and Farrell was that we had to top out, no pitch must be harder than 19, the route must be safe and therefore steep and on good rock and the pro must be bomber.

We succeeded in fine style except for one pitch that can easily be fixed.

So this was the first one and there are plenty to come.

Slack Time is a seriously traddy trad route on good gear on steep rock. The photo has been taken off to the right side and is not ideal and gives the impression that the route is not straight.

But in fact it is mostly a direct line. Watch this space for a better photo and topo.

The climbing for its grade is very consistent and the rock quality is mostly excellent with Krakadouw type rock at the top. The pro is excellent and loose rock and vegetation is avoidable. It needs a few ascents to refine it and rid it off the odd flora and loose rock that is inherent on this kind of route. Experienced trad climbers can probably top out before the sun bakes the place and it would make a fine alternative to a day on the ledge doing Atlantic Crag and Jacobs Ladder -again!. It is technically easier than No More Bells but more accessible and it does require more “big wall” competence and temperament as retreating will require some experience at doing so on big cliffs.

It won’t be surprising if a route such as this becomes a very popular big wall country route and there are more to be done.

Pitch 1 : (19)Walk left along a ledge system to a cairn. Traverse low below an overhang past a green bush and step down after 5m to end below a steep white face. Climb up the right facing corner and exit left above it to a small ledge with a bush.

Pitch 2 : (20) Climb directly up from the ledge past the thin crux(tiny cam). Continue to the large left facing corner and up this to a comfy ledge.

Pitch 3 : (19) Move right and do a tricky stem move in a grey groove and continue diagonally right to the large overhang. Traverse left to a blocky stance.

Pitch 5 (16) and 6: (18/19) Climb diagonally right to the monster sized pillar and traverse to the right at its base. Continue up and right to a right facing corner and exit diagonally left to a bushy stance. These pitches can be combined.

Pitch 7 : (14) Climb up and left and up easy rock to a stance below shiny grey rock and easy cracks 15m right.

Pitch 8 : (17) Climb the crack system to the next ledge and stance

Pitch 9 : (20/21) Climb the overhanging jamb crack and continue up the steep crack and face to a stance on the right below a right facing corner. (Krakadouw pitch *****)

Pitch 10 : (18) Climb the corner and continue past a short chimney crack above. Continue up the left facing corner and exit left and then find your way to the top

Scramble off.

FA: C Edelstein, F Davids and T Firman Summer 2009 FA Pitch 9 "Krakadouw" pitch C Edelstein and Neels Havenga 20 Jan 2010

The Pit of Despair

2010-02-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

We forsook the overtures of the Yates’ to ply us with a masterful collection of South Africa’s finest wines including most if not all the Platter 5 star ones and headed off to Hellfire with our kids and young Charlie Yates. As usual Lucy, now 5, stormed up the slope and we were greeted at the Pit of Despair by a bellow from Charlie who could not contain himself when he saw the deep dark cavern in the torch light.

“Awesome…..’’

We descended into the pit and Margaret undid her voluminous pack from her shoulders and I dropped mine to the ground in great relief. Between us we had carried up and “eco-braai,” 15 litres of water, climbing gear for 6 of us and all the other bits of pieces. The kids passed out 2/3 the way through dinner.

We slept fitfully and as usual, I had to deal with the resident rastus at least 3 times.

Nymphette in the PIT!

We all climbed an easy route then next day and then fulfilled and exhausted we descended to the road and I cycled back to Du Toit’s Kloof lodge to fetch our vehicle….

Pretty cool.!

Margaret and
Charlie Yates

Duncan climbing

This is what happens to sponsorship money.

2010-02-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

It is my experience with sponsored climbers that they do not respect other people's money, time or property. They are happy to blow it or drill it away. They get speeding fines in your vehicle you lent them and they don’t pay, they use and abuse and lose your gear and don’t make good. They give back chopped ropes. They abuse your hospitality and your telephone and leave your place a mess. They feel entitled and life owes them something. Etc etc. They give nothing in return, although sometimes, if you are lucky, you get a thank you.

Sponsored climbers are banned from my house as guests.

Spot the bolt next to bomber gear!
So Joe Mohle and I were at Yellowwood yesterday and we climbed Your Mother His Face first 5 pitches to the halfway ledge.

The Germans claimed they placed 6 bolts and a few pegs on their route “Your Mother His Face’’. ‘’We used only 6 bolts on 9 pitches, because of our style, the TraSchlaBo-style (that means Trad-Piton-Bolt). At the belays there are always one bolt and one piton/cam or rock’’.

There were 13 bolts on the 5 pitches and 10 bolts at the stances up the halfway ledge. Total 23 bolts on the first half of the route. There were 4 pegs of which 1 was loose and therefore dangerous. At least 3 bolts were at the same level of bomber trad gear. Most of the bolts were 8mm! I counted a total of 3 that I considered were appropriate as fixed gear and that I may have placed in a similar situation although I would have left fixed nuts instead with slings or whatever. No bolts were glue-ins. So we have 8mm expansion bolts on YW!!!

No bolt is absolutely essential to save you from a deck fall or anything that may seriously injure you.

Joe in fact took a long fall off a tricky move onto two smallest aliens that I placed but I had backed off the move. The earlier bolt was completely unnecessary with two good cams just below and an RP3 (bomber) at the same level. You do a simple but very reachy crank to a jug with the bolt above your waist.

I know several British trad climbers that are capable of climbing that route without any fixed pro at all and I reckon even Clinton would do it as would several South African climbers in the past. Armageddon direct is bolder than any pitch on that route. They should have climbed that first!

Their route to the halfway ledge has some excellent climbing but so does every route at YW. There must be 20 unclimbed lines at YW. Their route does not follow any particular line and involves a lot of slab climbing in-between natural lines. It is what I would call an eliminate – a route you squeeze in once everything else has been done.

The grades of the first 5 pitches are – I think – 23, 24, 25/6 25/6 19. Joe freed all the moves. I lost interest after the 2nd pitch.

I found lots of shit and toilet paper completely exposed within 5 metres of the start of their route and just 3 m from the base of the wall. I know which South Africans have been there in the last 2 months and it isn’t them.

The climbers from Germany have lied in the media about their TRAPIBO. They placed a lot more bolts than stated in writing and many are completely unnecessary. Maybe the Dark Side name of their other route has something in it…

The question still has not been answered. Did they show any respect to the area, its ethics, its routes, its history and the previous ascentionists by doing any of the existing routes? If not, then I have no interest in them as climbers. They are just the same scumbags as everyone else that’s on the take pretending to be nice so they can get more of other peoples’ money to aggrandize themselves…

The German guys heard that they could take a drill to YW.

I am making it loud and clear that what they did is not acceptable. They can drill their own country…

Nick ran th 800m today

2010-01-28T23:27:00.000-08:00

I advised him to start slow. He jogged at the back and the sprinted the last 200m as if his butt was on fire.....

The Ledge today with Tony Dick 28 Jan 2010

2010-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Ledge at TM was very windy today so we went round to do Finale (19) a route Tony has never done. The cold rock made the holds in the rail feel smaller than normal. Finished off the 2nd pitch of Don't Squeeze I'll Laugh (21) and then we did the second ascent of the newly found last pitch of Boulder Highway (20) - not 22 as graded in the book. I have called this Stairway to Heavan as the upper part has not been done before as could be inferred from the lichen and loose bits of rock.

We then went and did a superb direct version of Jacobs's Ladder (19) and finished off on Myrrh (22)

Sport climbing is dead but bolting is a Tsunami

2010-01-26T14:01:00.001-08:00

47? Cool. You call yourself rocklooney. Well that's me too.

Trad is hard to get into, hard to do well and hard to justify doing. No glory really, nobody cares what route you have done. "'Nobody,'' as in the glam sponsored dudes wants to do them. I even conceived a movie about it. (Tea for three).

Recently sponsored glory seeker German dudes came to Yellowwood and claim to have drilled a mere 9 "essential'' bolts on a new route. I counted more than 40, some next to cracks and at least one on the first pitch of a new route that I have been developing. As far as I know they did not even climb the local classics. And if they did, it's not sexy enough so they ain't telling.

I heard today some Spanish dudes have also been there and placed a few less ''essential'' bolts. I wonder if they climbed Prime Time - a mere 23 grade pitch that has yet to receive an on-sight free ascent. But again, they probably will get kudos for a few nice pics and a big number on one or two pitches with comfy bolts in the ''essential'' places.

And guess why they came. Because of a bolted route called Newborn grade 29. Big no and very sexy. A route that probably less than a hand-ful of SA climbers are capable of climbing - but there are bolts, lots of them. Those same climbers would have a slim chance of on-sighting Prime Time (a mere 23, not sexy-yes?).

In no time, if this goes on YW will just be another bolted crag and it will face the same problems as that other un-mentionable place. (There is a meeting tonight in CT with interested climbers as to how to keep it safe from over-use and from the bolt gunners.)

It is easy to aggrandize one-self with a drill in hand and a big number on your route. Climbing mag will give you $100 for the pic and more for the article. And the equipment companies will throw money and gear at you so that they sell lots of stuff to wannabe's who see your pics and read your articles. (Remember I am in in the business so I know!).

At Blouberg (and elsewhere in SA) there are three routes that have no equal in SA or anywhere in the world. 25, 26 and 30+ (I could only free climb the first two) But the 3rd is still really worth doing at 25 A1. They all happen to have bolts on them and I drilled most of them. But they are still full-on trad routes and nobody is likely to go and on-sight them in the next 30 years which is probably the rest of my short life. Not one of those routes have ever been climbed without me present and the first one has been there for some 13 years now.

It's sad how few people will get out of there comfort zone. My 11 year old has walked up to Yellowwood, my 4, 7 and 11 year olds to Blouberg in a mere 4 hours 10min and we are all planning to go to Tower Kop in the next hols. I asked Ed February for the beta and he replied today:

1. Easter it can snow up there. This is a real mountain.
2. regardless it will be cold so take a wooly jumper.
3. There is a cave so accommodation not a problem.
4. The walk is +4 hours.
5. Start in the afternoon of day one and camp halfway at an old abandoned shepherd shed thing. May not still be there but its on a flat area with a stream and you can see the final steep bit.
6. To get to the summit is a rock climb of about grade 16. The route to do is Nefts route. This oke Neft was the first person to summit the mountain. He climbed the route on his own but nobody believed him so he went back again and left his socks on the top.

Great mountain. Real proper mountain.

ed

Check out: http://sites.google.com/site/towerkopin ... nformation

Hey, how can you resist....

The big problem with drill happy and esp. sponsored sport climbers is that they cannot leave anything alone. Give them half a chance and they will drill everything - even Yellowwood. Trad climbers don't go and ruin anything that I know of.......I will be removing the bolts placed by any dudes on my routes as long as I am able....

Bolting is a tsunami and it is gradually overtaking all the crags in the world and destroying our inherent commitment to adventure as human beings. Why don't the bolters go get their kicks like most people and fiddle their thumbs on playstation, smoke dope, take drugs, drink, drive quadbikes and motorbikes, gamble and get their kicks and kudos that way. It's not as if there aren't enough bolted climbs in the world. Leave some adventures for the next generation and the one after that and after that.

This is on Climb.co.za today UK climbing year end sport climbing article:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=2417

Very sexy.

Near the end it says: "'Dozens of guys have climbed 9a's, but we don't have space to mention them all.''

So it seems you don't get kudos even if you climb 30+ on sport now. You have to bolt something...

So, yes I do agree with Hector, sport climbing is certainly dead when it comes to adventure and commitment but bolting is only too alive.

I have no problem with sport climbing and sport climbers. It is the bolters that I have a problem with and the hundreds of thousands of routes will become millions and it will never be enough....

Sabi Park, backflips in the pool and ML's in White River Jan 2010

2010-01-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

Margaret Lucy and I went to Sabie Park this weekend. It was hot and so we spent hours in the pool. Lucy spotted Elephants at the bridge, M bought a ring at the hotel shop. Lucy did backflips in the pool and we had good sex to boot.

Schutte attorneys had work for me in White River and they are the most organized attorneys ever.

It was a great break. I did 100 pull-ups and many laps in the pool....

2010-01-11T00:12:00.000-08:00

Yellowwood Amphitheatre maintains its allure and enticed me up there on Saturday 2 January 2010. My victims were Dave Vallet and Nick, none other than my 11 year old son. As always, I had a plan, and a back-up plan. But a comedy of errors confounded all my plans and as a consequence Yellowwood remains a place that: “has a reputation for delivering the quintessential challenging multi-pitch trad routes of a very high standard and that requires above average skill, fitness and experience to complete a route in good style. Many attempts by even very competent climbers to top out are often thwarted by the steep and intimidating rock and also the afternoon sun and other factors that can result in the upper pitches seeming 2 grades harder than indicated in the route description.”

Firstly, despite the benign weather forecast for Sunday the 3 January, it was sweltering hot on the Saturday and Nick with a rather overwhelming dose of Scottish ancestry genes that has bestowed red hair, sparkling and piercing blue eyes, freckles, a fair skin and a poor heat exchange system in him, wilted in the 37 degree heat. David had dropped us off at the 1st electric pylon that was in line with the Yellowwood and then driven his vehicle to the Du Toit’s Kloof Lodge 4.7km away. His rucksack was about the same weight as mine but included a litre of Coke, 2 beers, half a litre of whisky, half a litre of milk,1.5 litres of water, food - including the essential Grabouw boerewors – and all besides his personal gear.

My pack included a laptop, 3 spare batteries, a DS playstation including the charger??? (WTF? How did that get in) , an I –pod, a harness and boots for Nick and various other paraphernalia related to doing a “hard core” route on Yellowwood.

We were to carry both packs until Dave caught up with us. This was not to be. We considered it prudent and expedient to leave Dave’s pack at the firs pylon which is about 5 minutes above the road, very visible on a big white rock for him to collect on the way up and he could decide what if any he carried of “litre of Coke, 2 beers, half a litre of whisky, half a litre of milk, and 1.5 litres of water, food….including the essential Grabouw boerewors – all besides his personal gear.” Oh, I forgot to include the sugar, gas etc etc etc….

Nick and I sweated up the hill

and from time to time I phoned and SMSed Dave to ensure that he knew, as pre-planned that if we could not cope, we would leave his pack at the designated spot at the first pylon. He did not answer his phone and this did cause significant concern but we nevertheless shouldered on in the steamy heat.

He caught up with us when we were about halfway or so up that very steep and fore-shortened hike and of course, he had not found the pack having gone to the pylon not where he had dropped us….. He also had left his cell phone in his pack…. The mind boggles indeed!

And to top it all, he thought then it appropriate that I should go down and fetch his pack despite the fact that I had unloaded it of 1.5l of water and had carried my pack and Nick’s up the hill. Of course I am just a mere 51 years old of pure brawn and muscle and he is in his early thirties having recently climbed Mont Blanc 5 times or so and done some serious hard core skiing down some outrageous couloirs in the Alps. (Dave I need the you tube link here

I was firm and simply said that “this doesn’t work for me Dave” and sent him down on his un-merry way. Since when, in the modern age, do you leave your cell phone aka back-up aka communication tool, in your ruck sack?

Nick and I were then benighted with one torch due to the delay and had a hungry sojourn at the base until Dave arrived and we had our boeries at 01h00. This is not a great way to start on one of the hardest multi-pitch trad routes in SA “Prime Time!.” I set the alarm for 04h30 to the lamentations and gnashing of teeth of Dave, lubricated by whisky which he did indeed find the fortitude to bring up the mountain….

The saga continues…..

Sunday 6 January 2010.

Nick was asleep in Lucy’s Micky Mouse bag.

I extracted myself from Lucy’s newer pink sleeping bag. I made coffee. True to www.weathersa.co.za it was cloudy and cool. I uncoiled the ropes and managed to unfurl Dave from his sleeping bag and after making vitriolic and disparaging remarks about the bolt that the “Germans” (I can think of several politically incorrect terms) had placed on the first pitch Dave set off and did a very fine and efficient ascent on lead at grade 22. I followed the pitch and I must add that the crux is very awkward technical stemming move that I have no confidence that I could climb without falling off next time. So is it 23?

I then set off up the pitch that I have coined the Nemesis – at least until that day. It starts off with a tricky stemming move with a fall factor 2 and you get to a good point of stability where there is a rail that takes a 3.5inch and a 3 inch cam. And then the coffee and the fear got the better of me. (Nick was still below us fast asleep enveloped in Micky). Dave warned me, he threatened me – I think he got angry too (never seen that before). I had to have a piss! The wind was up, blowing from the east (left). Nick was below us remember…. Just 30m or so below. I still had to piss!!!!!

I did!

Again lamentations, grumblings, threats, promises of being drawn and quartered wafted up from Dave to me through the mist that was accumulating despite my assurance that urine remained sterile for at least 20 seconds. But the pressure dropped under my harness and I could continue up into the fear and loathing that was the crux of the pitch.

I lurched upwards and place the size 2 micronut, the size 1 BD nut and stepped out onto the face where I trembled and then controlled. I did the sketchy move up and had to snatch the thin rail (which anybody taller than 5’3” doesn’t notice) and found the rail to be as thin as ever. I toe’d off on the right foot nubbin and placed the oh-so-shallow blue alien and the even less confidence inspiring tiniest purple alien. The jugglet above defied me once and then I crimped it and hastily placed the tiniest BD micro-nut on my rack. (I was distraught to find that I did not have no 2 with me which is stronger and fits better). I was beginning to blow as I had done 3 time previously! And as I punch out these words 4 days later my forearms are still protesting with lactic acid). I felt the next move, the move. It is an impossible move to read. You are in a left facing shallow dihedral on small holds (which I usually excel at) and one has to find a fingertips gaston hold behind you with your right hand that is not visible – you have to know it’s there!). I tried it and my right deltoid swelled, creaked, then groaned and said NO!). I sagged back down.

“Dave, I can’t do this!” I cried.

He shouted obscenities up at me that translated means “you can, you must and if you don’t I will rip you to pieces….. or something like that.)

I tried again, my fingers strained, my right shoulder burned. I selected the further sloping micro-edge to place my left foot. (The closer one was too off balance.) I stepped up, grabbed the gaston and gave up and decided to pull on draw on the micro-nut. I grabbed it and yanked it to test it and let go.

Dave shouted something; I looked away from the tiny micro-nut and thought NOT about it or about the two micro-cams 2m below me. This is what trad climbing is about. A bolt or fixed piece would ruin the moment, the pitch, the route and the overall experience. This is the sharp and very thin edge of what makes me feel alive. It made me think of the song Life is Live by Opus.

I sagged down for a final shake out on the impossibly small edge below the micro-nut.

I went up again.

My left hand searched and valois! I found the thinnest, tiniest but sharp micro-edge that allowed me to bounce to the good hold above. It was done!

I bellowed with delight.

The saga continues….

The sensible thing to do now, would be to make a stance as one is on balance and arms are blown. But that would denigrate the pitch. I continued up the tricky stemming corner with the sneaky knee bar and up to the rail. I went right on to the arête and this time had the right sized cam. Pumped, I did the thin move to the flake and made the peremptory comment to Dave that the flake might exfoliate and I would see some air time. I reached up, the flake held and then it was a cruise up to the belay ledge.

I was elated and although I did the moves I give Dave at least 49% credit for the free ascent owing to his encouragement. He literally shouted me up the pitch. And that is how one sometimes does these things – with a little help from your friends. Or rather, a lot of help.

Dave then followed. He had been on the pitch before and after several disgruntled sounds he succumbed to the finer nuances of the technical difficulties and gravity and stretched the two ice floss ropes. He then worked the moves a few times and came up.

So this begs the question? How hard is the pitch? Well, between us we free climbed Africa Arette 25 on Africa Ledge recently which is a test piece for its grade. And this is as scary and technically probably harder on a very uncompromising wall. As I already intimated, a bolt would ruin it. For the record I would grade it 25 with beta but the on-sight as to affirm the difficulty.

Dave the led the next pitch (22) sailing through the first crux but got a little unstuck on the second crux which entails a difficult mantel move after a long run out with only a tiny cam in a very shallow slot for protection. He eventually did it the more forgiving way by down-climbing a few metres and then climbing up on the left.

I led the next 55m grade 21 pitch which had become quite overgrown and was more demanding than I remembered.
Yellowwood Amphitheatre maintains its allure and enticed

Reaching the half way ledge was a great relief and lunch was had.

After considering continuing up Prime Time we decided to rather find new pitches on trad before other climbers applied the soft option and bolted more pitches. We found a steep thin overhanging crack and I set off up it. It was thin, tricky, but by and large safe. I sort of climbed all the moves with rests on gear and I got to a point where Dave mentioned that it was 4 o’clock and we had to bail. (In fact it was 14h00). I had also run out of gear and needed more RP’s and nuts. Nick was at the base alone and Deon Van Zyl, who was meant to come up and re-supply us with whisky and boerewors sent me an SMS that he was being subjected to a tax audit of all things???? So we rapped off as, under the circumstances, I had to get Nick down the same day.

The rest of the descent was uneventful except the 4.7km walk into the sun back to the hotel to fetch my van while Dave “guided” Nick down to the road at a leisurely pace where I had left my pack and placed the beers and the litre of coke in the shade to cool for them.

So there it is: Yellowwood reigns supreme. The amphitheatre looms ominously above Du Toit’s Kloof. She is seductive and entices you into her cracks. Then she rejects and ejects you and you leaves humbled and emasculated. Again a concerted effort to top out was thwarted. It is truly awesome……It is the quintessential uncompromising and unforgiving trad crag. There is nothing else like it.

FUTSOC 2010 wishes

2009-12-31T03:53:00.001-08:00

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.

FUTSOC

2009-11-29T08:46:00.001-08:00

FUTSOC (pronounced Voetsek).

Tony Dick is 62 years young. He skin is thin, his hair is white and his body is generally wizened, shriveled and withered. And yet, yesterday he was at the Ledge giving it horns. After a very hot and exhausting walk up to the ledge, I lead the very pumpy Arms Race crux, graded 23 and Tony followed whipping out the gear claiming that it is harder than any of the 4 routes at the Hole that are graded 24 or 25 that he did 2 days ago.

He then led the 2nd pitch and had a pretty good whirl at climbing the top pitch of TATWOC which is probably grade 25 trad. (Does that make it grade 27 sport?).

We had some lunch and finished off on Africa Lunch 23 with Tony leading the final pitch with aplomb. We were down by 5 pm.

The FUTSOC club (Fired Up Totally Stoked Old Climbers) club has just two members right now. Hilton Davies and Bruce Daniel are vying for membership rights (although they are a little young still). Tini Versfeld and Dirk have the credentials but are still in rehab after their injuries. And younger aspirants are always welcome to apply for honorary membership.

There are only exclusion criteria. Taking the cable car up to the Ledge is a definite no no. Climbing routes all day within your grade does not cut it at all! (You are not going to make the cut if you climb 25 on Sport and fiddle around on 19’s on trad.) Sagging onto gear is certainly not going to score you many entry points!. And don’t bother doing your 10th repeat of Jacobs Ladder or Atlantic crag…..

Now all this may sound rather provocative and puffy but it is really hard for us old geezers to keep at it all alone. Where are all the aspirants? We used to be so inspired by guys climbing hard grades. And it made us want to do them and do it harder and better.

Willem Le Roux, Dark Horse Dave Vallet Hector Pringle. Who else? There is a “Joe” from the Eastern Cape? Step up and do the harder routes… C’mon and embarrass us. Come show us that we are actually just Tired and Totally Wanked-out Old Climbers and raise the bar. Show us how “last generation” we are.

There is still a bottle of Lagavulin on any dudes who on sight Prime Time on Yellowwood in a day!

The Ledge, Du Toits, Wolfberg, Krakadouw et al is calling you up, loud and clear…

Remember "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

TTATWOC Newsletter 7 August 2009.

2009-08-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

TTATWOC Newsletter 7 August 2009.

Dear TTatwocians, aspirants and others.

The rains are upon us and it is not deemed necessary to head for the mountain to have a wet epic. One has to merely find an appropriate spot in our house and bivouac where the roof leaks to have a similar experience. Which brings me to thinking of a German film we saw last week called the “Nordwand”. This is about the disastrous attempt of Germans Hinterstoissier and Kurtz and the Austrian climbers Angerer and Rainer. Despite the side show of the petty reporter it was a very credible rendition of what most likely happened on that dreaded mountain in 1936. Not since Heinrich Harrers book, “the White Spider” and Joe Simpson’s “Touching the Void” have I been quite so captivated by a Mountain Movie. It is German Language with sub-titles so it has a feeling authenticity. (no twangy – out –of-place American accents). The photography is awesome… http://www.viewedinburgh.co.uk/films/north-face-film-review-26490.html

Climbing has been little but Bruce Daniel and I added another variation to the second pitch of Africa Edge. We also found a really good nut placement on Mellow Steady Flow at the same level of the critical Rock 3. It is a big size 11 Wild Country Rock that slots sideways into hole at your nose where you are standing once you do the first crank from the ground to gain the gnarly white face.

Deon van Zyl has added two fine trad leads to his repertoire including Left Wall 20 which is a boldish route and on the same day we added a pitch off the deck that is not exactly awe-inspiring, but quite tricky and makes a change from the usual Frazer’s start. Deon also did a very bold lead of the first pitch of Don’t Squeeze I’ll Laugh 21. He got very pumped getting to the first belay ledge and had quite a serious run-out. Haven’t got him out climbing since….

We (Hilton, Bruce, Robert and I) also trashed our calves at Paarl Rock recently and we wobbled and whimpered up some of those tricky slabby friction things.

I have also decided that one cannot go through life without having an “affair” –especially as I am supposed to be having a mid-life crisis. So I recently snuck off with a super babe and climbed Jacobs Ladder with her. Most impressive is that my gorgeous mistress climbed Jacobs ladder with aplomb not having done so for 12 years. As a result of these tough economic times I decided I would have a low cost fling and settled on having same affair with Margaret who happens to be my wife – after all, it’s just a head thing. What gave the whole process authenticity is the following: late middle aged married couples cannot climb with each other without some serious acrimony. But we were like two young lovers and even abandoned our children after that to have lunch together and then…. after that…… you know…….

I strongly recommend it i.e. having an affair with your spouse.

CityROCK is in its 8th year, and yes, it is still a labour of love. We had a bouldering comp last Saturday that was immense fun. My not-so-small-mate-that-has-lost-15kg-and-is-always-low-on-house-points forsook watching us bludgeon the All Blacks into submission for a second time in a row and only left CityROCK at about 7pm that night.

Jacques our shop dude came up to me and coyly told me that there was a prize for the oldest climber and apologetically informed me that even though I was, I could not get the prize. Now how bout that? You gotta business that you pump money into all the time and you cannot get a prize – purely based on objective criteria = old age because you are an owner????? What next.

Anyway my not-so-small-mate-that-has-lost-15kg-and-is-always-low-on-house-points aka Mark Straughan, was therefore the oldest. He got incontinence pads and a Zimmer walking frame……At least that was the instructions from me.

We are expanding the climbing wall at CityROCK and almost doubling the climbing area….

The sun is out today and Bruce and Hilton want to go hurt their fingers at Silvermine. Me, I am coughing up pus so I will settle for a crank at CityROCK, lots of flu meds and coffee. I shall also make my daily sojourn up Cecilia forest to collect all the dead wood that’s causing a fire hazard from the recent felling. The petrol stations sell wood at R50 for 20kg = R2.50 a kilo. So my kids make pocket money by carting wood down which we burn to keep the house warm. It’s the only heating we have used this winter. Duncan, himself weighing in at a mere 27kg tried to stagger down carrying 18kg but eventually managed 12kg. I am gonna be broke soon but I suppose its better paying the kids than eskom.

I am initiating a new Orthopaedic practice at the Life Claremont Hospital from 7 September 2009. I am not quite sure why but it seems to be a good idea to go and do some proper doctoring for another few years or so. And I think my wife and kids want me out of my office so they can turn it into a games room.

December sees Kevin and Michelle Smith entering the fray in sunny SA. Kevin sounds unusually optimistic about climbing and mentioned desire to visit Milner, Blouberg, Rocklands etc. So any keen okes out there?

Tini and Dirk decked and shattered their heel and wrist respectively - April May 2009

2009-05-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

The sharp end proved a little to sharp for Tini Versveld who fell and hit the deck when a foot hold broke while attempting a direct variation of the last pitch of La Vida on Fountain Ledge TM on Saturday 9 May 09. Despite his candid and considered opinion of himself that he felt like a "right heel" it was actually his left calcaneus (heel bone) that was shattered and that required surgical re-assembly yesterday.

He is laid up but remains un-laid and lonely with his heel encased in a plaster cast and elevated on pillows at the UCT Private Academic hospital. So call him or sms him. Send me a PM for his cell phone number or make a post here and I shall print and take it to him or forward it.

Tini was just coming back into his own and was warming up for a red-point of his test piece "No Longer at Ease" 25. He recently ticked Sanitorium 25.

He has led a charmed life on trad being a bold climber on lead. This is his first injury other than bruises and scrapes in about 35 years' of climbing. This accident comes hot on the heels (sic!) of his brother Dirk's shattered wrist after he pulled a cam aiding a route called Bowstring on the lower buttresses of TM just 2 weeks ago!

Turkeys and Eagles at the Ledge 26 February 2009

2009-02-26T23:56:00.000-08:00

I was at the Ledge yesterday with Robert. Somehow, after his umpteenth attempt he "sent" Magentic Wall (grade 21 the reason being that to put out all the gear in the places he did made it at least that grade). 10 outa 10 for tenacity. He did it! He styled it! This is what climbing is all about. You try, you try, you fail and you try again. And hey. You do it. He did!!!!

Meanwhile, Tony and Darkhorse appeared and so did Hilton Davies and Bruce Daniels. One could call it an accidental TATWOC meet with one wannabe: Darkhorse aka Neil Havenga. Bruce and Hilton were cajoled, if not bullied, into doing an independent (albeit riddled with beta) ascent of the upper 3 pitches of Africa Edge. At the end of it I was throat hoarse (if not Dark Horse) from giving Hilton move by move and piece by piece and number by number beta on every inch of the route. But by golly gumdrops the old F***ker did it in sorta good style. At the last pitch he had to wait for me to abseil past and talk him up the arête. There he was lying on his back having placed the gear sunning himself on the ledge. I detailed exactly how you do it and once he turned around, did the mantel back-step and found the little divot on the edge he got it. Their ascent confirms the on-sight grade at 22. But once you know the tricks there is hardly a move harder than 20 on the whole route. He was coerced (by me) into agreeing that it was an “all time classic” on the Ledge. And indeed it is. Bruce muttered something to Hilton about my vision to spy out new lines. Now I know that I am pretty good at it but when somebody complements you, then its rather nicer than stroking your own ego. It’s a bit like good sex versus wanking.

This morning Tony tells me that Darkhorse gobbled up Sanitorium 25. This means he shook, rattled and railed up it like a turkey, not quite in the same style as the black eagles that were soaring around. I have to give Tony at least 60% of the credit for the ascent because he has forsaken me yet again and climbed with Darkhorse 3 times in the last week or so and nursed him up a variety of routes to train him up.

Another thing that struck me is that all my old mates were up to the ledge and I did not get an SMS or a phone call or an email inviting me. Only poor old Robert can suffer me right now. Last year all my mates would not climb with me claiming I was too fired up and climbing too well and this year, being stuck on my back for 2 months with sciatica I am not good enough? Fine friends I have! I think that perhaps they just can’t deal with me. Shame on them seeing as I have to live with myself all the time and they, only once or twice a week when I climb with them.

Anyway all’s fun, that’s good fun. My butt is a little better and I only spend half the day chewing pain killers and lying on my back. You all better start training up cause there are lotsa routes to do!

Wetpups campout 22 February 2009

2009-02-22T01:09:00.000-08:00

Kids being dragged behind a 4X4.____________Chocolate puke on Duncan's sleeping bag

Terror, Mayhem, Chaos and Anarchy. Our work was well done at the Wetpups Grade 1 and 2 Camp-out. The day ended with the kids being dragged behind a 4X4 after being fed bacon and egg rolls by Ray Cadiz. Prior to this every vehicle was clambered on, in and under; every nook and cranny searched and inspected.

But I digress and lets start at the beginning. It was perfect camp out weather. Nice and cool, and clouds threatening rain, which it did. The men precisely followed the rules. They bonded, puffed their chests, postured (just a little) talked about expensive toys, hunting and the like and us older dudes compared our various ailments. We benignly neglected our children who all got on famously around an endless cricket game. Some of the kids were very entrepreneurial selling everything from Marie biscuits to their Dad's cars to each other at cut-throat prices. Marie biscuits went for 50c and the cars, 25c each. Around my fire was a General Surgeon, a Plastic surgeon and me, an Orthopaedic surgeon and despite our children's best efforts there was no business to be had.

We exposed our kids to some very special education about certain things that adults do and kids simply don't and that includes drinking beer, wine and whiskey, telling naughty jokes and communicating in some choice language. And as the evening was just gaining momentum a mom was spotted but she scarpered when we told her that she would have to tour the camp-site and spend 3 minutes in each tent.

The kids ate and drank but I don't recall any of them eating anything that could be called food. Around 11 pm Duncan, my son begged to go to bed. But he really had to plead before I let him and only if he did not brush his teeth. And then an hour later a very bewildered kid came out from a tent into the rain where I was feeling a little miffed as Ray Cadiz was one upping me with his endless supply of fire wood.

This kid said he was getting wet in his tent so, as I had spare sleeping bag, I tucked him up in my van. About 02h00 this kid, Harry, decided he would part company with his meal which had consisted of a litre of coke and a kilogram of chocolate. This he duly puked over Duncan's back and into his sleeping bag. He then wondered off into the darkness back to his tent where Roger nursed him back to health and this morning he was running around fit as a fiddle again. Kids are so strong!

I was just settling down to sleep, around 04h00 and when Martin's dog raided my campsite and I spent the rest of the night listening to him crunching through JJ's spare rib debris.

Next morning another mom was spotted cleaning up after her husband, Clive Elliot, who ostensibly went off to run a marathon, but she also soon scampered off when I tried to get her to pack up my mess.

Of course the day had to end with a moment of high drama when I got locked in the pavilion clubhouse, without a cell phone, when on a visit to the porcelain. I just managed to attract attention with much hollering and banging but I was beginning to think I might have to don my Houdini hat and escape through the roof tiles as the pavilion is a veritable fortress.

Shocking this all must sound indeed. But believe me it was spectacularly successful and we all got to know the inner darker secrets of many new friends. And to boot the Cobras won the Pro20 cricket final and none of us got to watch it on TV!

Africa Edge 21 The Ledge Table Mountain South Africa

2009-01-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

Of late, my perspective of the “Ledge” on Table Mountain has drastically changed. I have been climbing here for about 30 years and have always thought that the best lines have been done. Well I can admit for once that it is most gratifying to be wrong. For some months now Margaret, my wife, and I have been regularly walking up India Venster and even our 10 year old son has recently joined us. We then race up Arrow Final and the Margaret takes the Cable Car down while I join my mates for another route or two. It was on one of these sojourns with her early in January that I noticed the arête that parallels Quake on the left and around which Quiver Crag winds. It is a classic ledge arête. Tony Dick and I, on our first outing this year and having rested (sic) for the last 4 weeks decided to look at it. Tony was intrigued that I suggested it as Jeremy Colenso had mentioned the possibility of a route on this arête just 2 weeks previously.

Glancing up one gets the impression that the arête will yield a few meters of tricky climbing and then the angle eases. In fact this is not the case. The first pitch is tricky and quite bold. It took several starts to work it out including placing pro around a dicky bollard on the right of the arête. On the arête at about 4m one can spy a good hold. A thin lie back move gets one to the hold where a less than optimal RP or other micro-nut and half-in cam was be placed on the first ascent. On a repeat ascent a pretty good Rock 7 (or an 8 will also work) was found to fit in a cunning constriction rendering the pitch much safer.

From here there follows a tricky step up to a rail. One then has some respite on the left of the arête but as it gets chossy you avoid the lichen by swinging back right around the arête to get to a rail and ledge. Again there is an easy option up left but sticking to the arête yields excellent airy climbing and the pro is good.

The second pitch starts on the face 3m right on good crimps to a rail that is thin to the right but much better to the left of the arête. Another little trick gets one to easier moves and another decent ledge. One can continue straight up on the left but this really amounts to climbing Quiver Crag and does no justice to this route.

The third pitch again starts around to the right of Quiver Crag with a powerful crank to a good rail. One is still in the shade if it still morning. A high nut/RP is placed and then a lie back move is made on the edge on the right which is rather reachy and balancy for us vertically challenged dudes. But a good rail with excellent pro is arrived at. One then steps around to the right and does awkward and balancy moves to get back left and into the obvious crack or a straight through lie back crank allows you to attain the crack. From there it is a doddle but still aesthetic climbing all the way to the abseil station.

It is best to do this section of the route in 3 pitches both for the leader and the follower as there are large ledges at the start of each pitch. With rope stretch a second can deck if one combines pitches. The route is not trivial to do on-sight.

Anyway I did not rest there and considered adding pitches on the lower two buttresses and this was successfully achieved. With Robert Breyer another aesthetic pitch was added on an arête situated just off the trail where Africa Ledge ends on the corner of Fountain. It is a nice easy warm-up on good clean rock.

I then again returned on the 29 January to inspect the final buttress and again it yielded to my efforts and an interesting pitch evolved at around grade 20. As none of my mates wanted to play with me I did the first ascent solo using a TRE as a self belay device and tying it off every now and then. It was objectively fairly safe but subjectively quite scary.

The route was opened on-sight without pre-inspection or any cleaning except the second pitch that had a lot of lichen and loose flakes in places. The upper pitches had enough lichen and scary, brittle little holds to be very exciting at times. This has now been improved to render another stoncking good addition to the Ledge repertoire and a definite test piece for anyone who is maxing at grade 21 or even 22. Repeat ascents, as is so often the case, can belittle one’s appreciation of the “head” factor required to on-sight a route such as this. I certainly found it more mentally and physically challenging than the Good Doctor 22a route we have both done a few times. So time will tell.

Start: Just before the India Venster trail turns the corner from Africa to Fountain ledge there is a left facing corner. The first peg ascends the right edge on the clean arête.

Pitch 1 12m 16

Climb the arête to the top of the buttress.

Pitch 2 15m 20

Ahead is the next buttress. Start on the right on blocks under the huge overhang. Climb up into the corner and rail right onto the arête and round it to easier ground. Continue easily to the top.

Pitch 3 20m 21:

Step up on blocks to the rail on the right side of the arête and then to thin moves up to a good hold on the edge at about 4m. Place some pro including a half-in cam and an RP and a reasonably good rock 7 and then do a lie back into and under cling to reach the next rail. Continue up the arête with good gear on the left. Avoid the lichen and choss by staying on the arête higher up – the holds unfold as you climb. Belay on the large ledge.

Pitch 4 15m 20

Step up onto the face on the right around the corner to a thin rail. Continue up the arête to another large ledge.

Pitch 5 20m 22

Climb up to the obvious rail just right around from the main edge of the arête (see photo). Lay back up the right edge after placing a high micro-nut or RP and the step around to the right. Continue up a move and then back left into the crack and continue more easily to the bolted abseil point.

First ascent: Pitches 3 to 5 Charles Edelstein and Tony Dick January 21 2009.

Pitch 1 Robert Breyer and Charles Edelstein

Pitch 2 Charles Edelstein

Rock rally and meet Du Toit's and Hellfire 21 to 28 April 2008.

2009-01-29T07:49:00.000-08:00

Introduction:

The Cape Town section of the Mountain Club of South Africa confirms that a meet and rock rally will be convened in Du Toit’s Kloof region from 21 to 28 April 2009. The meet is open to everyone and not limited to club members. The MCSA Du Toits kloof hut will be used as a base for most of the activities.

Du Toit’s Kloof sports some of the finest classic country trad routes, some wickedly good crag trad routes and some very challenging sport routes.

At the end of the valley near Rawsonville there is a completely un-developed boulder field second to none.

And finally, there are several easier sport and trad routes to cater for all needs.

The Du Toit’s Kloof range also has some of the most adventurous hikes and rock pools for those less inclined to the vertical.

The format of the meet and rally will be somewhat different to the past. The rally will be held over 36 hours and there will be several categories. The score attributed to an ascent of a route will depend on a variety of factors including whether it is on-sighted, or top roped or red-pointed. And also it’s accessibility and difficulty. A variety of super prizes have been pledged for each category.

The provisional programme is a follows:

Tuesday 21 April 2009

Meet and Greet at the MCSA clubhouse in Hatfield street, Gardens from 18h00 onwards. Bring and Braai and a cash pub i.e. bottle store prices (but as things are developing we are sure to get a round or two thrown in by our sponsors).

Anybody who participates in the meet or the rally will qualify for a free entry at CityROCK, Indoor Climbing Gym (www.CityROCK.co.za) anytime on Tuesday for climbing and bouldering prior to the social. The gym is well attended on Tuesdays by many of our local rock jocks who train there. Overnight accommodation will be provided at CityROCK for those in need.

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Convene at CityROCK 41 Anson Street, Cnr Collingwood, Observatory, at 09h30 for registration and head for Paarl Rock and then on to Du Toit’s Kloof. Accommodation will be provided at the MCSA hut.

Thursday 23 April 2009

Guess what? more climbing….An ascent of a major country route will count towards your score in the competition. Climbers with local knowledge will assist with the beta.

Friday 24 April 2009

More climbing or a rest day fishing trout at the Du Toit’s Kloof lodge

Evening social at the MCSA hut: Free Pasta meal; Movie, talk, slide show….Music, you name it… Again, our sponsors are making some good noises and there no doubt will be free beer too…. Aaaahhhh…. We have a generator! Noisy but nice! But Lights out at 22h30…. I mean the generator.

Saturday 25 April 2009

5am! Rock Rally starts.

(Late) Registration for the Rock Rally at the MCSA hut from 07h00 to 09h00.

19h00 Social, talk or movie and (spit) braai by at the Du Toit’s Kloof lodge (or at the MCSA hut depending on availability). Die-hards sleep on a ledge somewhere. But there will be a few bonus points awarded for attending the social and a few more for anyone on a proper bivvy!

Sunday 26 April 2009

Rock Rally continues and finishes sharply at 5pm at the MCSA hut. Although if you proved you epic-ed you will probably score some bonus points but you must have a functioning cell phone!

And while we hang out getting the geeks to work out who won or who should have won, we are surely going to have another feast and as already mooted, this is likely to be sponsored. There will also be a slack line competition.

This must happen at the MCSA hut for the simple reason that no-one will be allowed to drive, (through fatigue of course!)

Monday 27 April 2009 (Freedom Day)

Free day to do whatever. Climb on Paarl rock, chill, hiking, kloofing. Again our local talent will be there to sandbag you…

Tuesday 28 April 2009

Back to Cape Town and farewell…

Backup plan if the weather is bad.

Montague is but an hour from Du Toit’s and we shall divert to there if necessary. Check out www.Debos.co.za for camping and accommodation.

The rally and the social events will be arranged at Montague if the Du Toit’s Kloof weather is poor!

Costs:

There is a nominal cost of R50 per person to cover (some) of the costs of the event including permits, designer T-shirt’s and other bits and pieces. The entire event is being organized by volunteers and any profit will go into buying beer or be allocated to next year’s event.

All accommodation at the Du Toit’s kloof MCSA hut will be gratis but one must be self catering depending on our sponsors. Watch this blog and the relevant websites for updates or subscribe to caperocknews@yahoogroups.com. To do so, send a blank email to caperocknews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Transport to and from Cape Town will be provided by us local dudes gratis. But we must have numbers ASAP.

It helps to have a Wild Card so please let us have your number.

Should we divert to Montague then camping costs R30 per person but transport will be provided.

What to bring:

Ideally bring a climbing partner and climbing gear; sport and trad if you wish to do both.

You need camping gear as there are limited bunks in the MCSA hut.

Please try to plan and print route descriptions in advance. Info about many of the trad routes is available on the climb.co.za wiki. Greg Hart and Ross Suter have committed to publishing the “Hellfire route guide” well in advance.

Food and booze supplies can be obtained at the Spar in Obs, walking distance from CityROCK prior to departing on the 22nd. Once at the hut arrangements will be made to replenish supplies at Paarl which is 20 minutes drive from the hut.

Finally, this is your sport, this your passion. Arrive! and the bleeding heart organizers will make it happen year after year. Without your support, the sponsors will stick to pumping time, money and effort into the “bling” activities like cycling where you don’t have to be a winner to look like one.
Let’s give our sport some horns…..Capice!

TATWOC first ascent on Table Mountain 25eish

2008-12-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

TATWOC: (Tired and Totally Wanked out Old Climbers!) 25eish.

About a year ago I noticed a break through overhang 2 metres or so to the right of the start of “Touch and Go” and sent Tony up there on the sharp end. He fiddled and flailed and grumbled that the rock was crumbly and pro was sketchy. I followed on a top rope and could not quite agree with him despite his disparaging remarks.

About the same time about 20m below this break we noticed a tricky looking step up to an under-cling and a move to a jug and then up some thin looking bouldery moves. Tony tried this too and bailed. It seemed too bold and hard for us lesser mortals.

Some weeks ago, in separate incidents Tony and Tini sent the 1^st pitch and I inspected the 2^nd pitch and sent that too after pre-placing a nut. A route was morphing into shape.

I added a 3^rd pitch which is a busy grade 21 pitch that happens to use the crux of Touch and Go but instead of moving across the face, it ascends straight up once pulling round the roof.

The last pitch proved much more challenging and my first attempt on the sharp end was very scary. So I succumbed to my fear and inspected it on a top rope. This resulted in a nut being stuck in a hole and expanded to prevent it falling out by a sharp smack with a hammer on a blade peg. The nut, a rock 3, does not inspire confidence on direct inspection and I find it hard to clip as I have to use a very thin crimp to reach it. So it is still committing! Once clipped, one can reverse to the ledge and test it.

The top part of this pitch is extremely difficult to “read” and this resulted in me placing another fixed nut at the last rail purely as a marker. Without it, one would have no idea where to pull up onto the final “head wall” and the phrase “sand bag” comes to mind. The top pitch is already much trickier than the first 3 pitches and ideally one wants a route that is do-able for us mediocre climbers even if we are a little better than the average. Unfortunately there are very few, and probably only one local climbers that can, with abandon, jump onto committing trad routes on TM and even he, Clinton, is nursing a dicky shoulder injury at the moment and showed no enthusiasm of late to do so.

So TATWOC is born. Ably supported by Adam Roff, I did a clean ascent last Saturday, 20 December, at the ripe young age of 50 years and 7 days. This with knobbly finger tips, an arthritic PIP joint of my index finger, swollen and stiff hands, a chronically sore neck and severe sciatica. Besides this, I had a major crisis as I was in a sub-prime deficit with house points and this resulted in me feeling a little pressurized for time but it probably resulted in me getting the red-point of the last pitch as I had no time to dither.

I also had to pay dearly for being late as I got banished from the house by 08h00 Sunday morning with all three kids including Lucy who is still very Ma – verskrik and warned not to return for at least 36 hours.

I consider TATWOC a fine route and a great addition to the test piece repertoire on TM. It has 4 pitches that are challenging, each, in their own way. Even the 21 pitch is no push over. It is as straight a line as one can expect on TM sandstone and has all the attributes of an excellent TM trad route. It is by and large safe but scary. The last pitch can probably be straightened by pulling directly through the overhang above the nut fixed in the hole but this will make it much harder and beyond us “better than average” mediocre climbers and possibly even beyond some “really good climbers” but I do intend pursuing this.

There are no other routes on TM that exhibits 4 pitches of excellent quality on clean rock and certainly none at this grade. I just hope that other climbers at least attempt it and enjoy climbing it as much as I and my mates, who participated in the making of it, did.

The overall grade for the onsite is 25 or harder as it has so many tricky pitches! With beta or a red-point one can knock off at least a grade or even two. I felt it was about 24 having worked it before. There is also some lichen on the top pitch that can be removed to improve the route.

Climbers involved in TATWOC include Tony Dick, Tini Versveld, Bruce Daniel, Adam Roff, Dave Vallet, Robert Breyer and Willem Le Roux.

TATWOC Grade 25eish!

Start: The route is situated on Fountain Ledge and starts 20m below the start of Touch and Go. Scramble up from the path to the first proper rock face 20m below the steep overhanging break of Touch and Go. Walk right along the ledge for 10m to below a scooped undercut face just. If you look up at 3m there is a thin under-cling slot that takes small Alien cams for pro. Taller dudes can place these cams by standing on blocks. Up left of the scooped face and left of a blunt arette at about 3.5m one can see a pillar box slot that is an invites gear placement and a hand hold.

Pitch 1: 23

Step up onto the scooped face and tenuously – if you are short reach round to the pillar box slot. Place good small cams in the horizontal slot just to the left. Move up on thin holds to easier ground. Climb straight up to a ledge below the overhang. Lean back and see the fixed nut up and to the left.

Pitch 2: 23

Move up to the higher, second rail above, and the traverse left 2m to below the fixed nut. Move up past the nut and then to easier ground that is a little run-out and scary but quite safe. Continue to the ledge

Pitch 3 : 21

Climb the grey face to a mantel onto a ledge. Climb straight up the left leaning crack to another ledge. Step right and up onto the undercut face and climb diagonally to the Touch and Go stance under the large overhang. Avoid drag with slings and climb through the Touch and Go roof to the right and step onto the face. Climb up slightly left for 3m and then stance on the Touch and Go stance.

Pitch: 4 25ish or eish.

Clip the fixed nut and test it if you dare. Climb to the rail. Move left 4m to where the overhang peters out and climb up on brittle feeling flakes to the next rail. Rail back right to the fixed nut directly over the start of the pitch. Pull onto the face above and continue straight up to the jumbo ledge.

Descent: The abseil chains are 5m or so to the left and down 2m on the edge.

2008-11-29T03:22:00.000-08:00

Oh my oh my oh my……… Tsk Tsk Tsk Tut tut

I despair:

I have verifiable evidence that some of the COCK and Bull members are straying from the path, losing their way and being unrighteous. We need to recalibrate them before they further stray.

The culprits went to Montague and Hellfire this last week and have been pushing numbers and clipping bolts!

Oh woe is them!

So dear stalwart members. Please berate them and release them from their blasphemy before they tear their finger tendons, rip up their rotator cuffs, get stiff necks from doing overhanging climbing and succumb to further doing de-bottling bolted routes….. This stuff can really mess with your head.

What’s more there is evidence that they were on-sighting routes they have not on-sighted previously.

Oh woe is them indeed!

Just a km or so down the road, yesterday on Yellowwood there was a TATWOCian flailing and failing on the third pitch of what, is for now, the direct start of Prime Time. The pitch entails some very heady, scary and airy but safe tricks that exit round a roof onto very thin holds and thin gear. (He used 3 shallow placed small Aliens including an offset black.blue a blue alien and a black alien i.e. a 0/1 a 00 and a 01.) He then placed a small RP that is excellent when placed well but very hard to do so. Read on…

The TATWOCian was then, having placed the RP, too pumped to do the very tenuous stemming move to reach the finger jug.

So the RP was tested and as it was weighted it slipped and popped……

down the tiny crack it was in and seated itself better. Gulp! Phew. No air time!

Dave Vallet was belaying and he also tested the gear and thought that a discretionary bolt would allow for a more user-friendly ascent but I am pretty sure there are several hundred if not thousands of hard core Brits, Austrians and even Americans who would hike this pitch.

My feeling is a fixed RP and/or a fixed nut in the lower rail (that can be replaced from time to time) is a better option. That way you don’t have a deteriorating fixed piece in situ that would ruin the commitment that makes the pitch very, very exciting and memorable.

The pitch then continues up a left facing corner to an overhang. The moves required include some funky stemming, lie backs, and even a knee-bar and there is excellent pro. At the overhang there is a rail that takes you onto a very exposed arête and then some more airy-scary but safe moves take you up to a rail and then right and up to the stance below the 22 pitch of Prime Time.

The problem with this busy marvelous pitch, which is technically 23 or so and definitely 24 to lead on-sight, is that TATWOCians would universally feel like the route should end there but unfortunately one is but a mere 60m off the deck……… Hoh hum……

Well back to business: Wednesday 3 Dec is TATWOC day. See you all at the ledge.

And Ged Desforges response: He did Prime Time with me earlier in 2008

Big numbers? Bolts? Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Here's my tuppence worth.

Let's face it, sport climbing in South Africa is shit. Waterval Boven world class? Please, I've done better climbing on my chin up bar (except for Monster, that's good). If you want to see what good sport climbing is, go to Spain. End of story. As for Montague, don't even consider trying to tell me that's good. I've seen better multi-gyms than that.

However, the trad you boys have got is certainly something to be considered carefully. My screensaver at work, and picture on my fridge is of my foot, below which can be seen a notorious Cape Town orthopaedic surgeon abseiling down, with much of the yellowwood amphitheatre beneath him. In between me and him are several bits of gear, put in place to keep him in contact with the rock. I doubt there'd be much bouncing if the anchor ripped. Above me is a solitary rock 6. This was one of the most memorable moments of my year/life. Luckily I managed to take a snap to etch it in my mind. In the distance the sun was setting, and half an hour later we'd be abbing down the lower half of the wall in pitch black. This was the end of one of the most memorable days climbing I've ever had.

The pitch with the crucial offset blue alien was fun, and the steep finger crack was great until i got cramp in my arms and nearly peeled off. But the crux pitch! Now I'm not one for foul language, but fuck me. That was something. I just couldnt make myself make the moves onto the detached, booming pillar. I hung on the belay, trying to force myself to do it, knowing how much Snort wanted to get up this route. He'd done that pitch, and once I'd committed he coaxed me up to the roof, warning me to save the green alien for higher up. Fuck that, the first decent break and I stuffed in every cam I could find to put some emotional distance between me and that pillar. The pinchy, pumpy, crumbly stuff above that was the stuff dreams are made of, especially when you're staring a perfect green alien slot in the eyes, wishing you'd saved it. That belay was a nice one. Stumbling down to the road at midnight, after 14 hours on the go, a long way from Cape Town, and an even longer way from Sheffield, tired, hungry, thirsty, bleeding; I couldnt have been happier.

Point is you lot have got some of the finest adventure climbing imaginable. Don't waste it. I'll be back soon, so keep your filthy mits off that crack line we abbed down.

Cheers

Ged

2008-10-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7572894/Invitation-to-Charles-50th?secret_password=mh3bwr1ef9vy8q8j9j0

Down Time; A New Descent on Yellowwood Amphitheatre

2008-10-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

Down Time:

A new descent off Yellowwood Amphitheatre:

Om Wednesday, 23 April 2008, two old guys, average age 47 or so, hauled, amongst other things, a large battery pack, 6 litres of water, drill, bolts, rack, two ropes AND ten monster size 10mm maillons up to the top of Yellowwood amphitheatre via Smallblaar Ridge. They established a 4 station rappel route to the right of Prime Time and Newborn and left of Armageddon Time and Smalblaar ridge. The first station starts on a ledge 3 m down from the very top. There is a large cairn built on the ledge which is easily visible when looking down. And there is a smaller cairn on top. It is easy to find if one susses the line out from the base where a bolt and hanger is visible about 5m up at the bivvy site. The rappel line is to the right of the middle of the amphitheatre and (obviously) to the right of the huge overhangs that cap Newborn and Prime Time.

At the top it is about 30m or so left of the gully that one passes if walking from the top of Armageddon Time.
Critical Beta!

We used two Blue Water ice-floss 8.1mm ropes that may be longer than 60m. The first rappel is slightly overhanging and requires placement of directional gear to keep the ropes to the face. About halfway down there is a bomb-proof rock 6 nut. Be sure to clip it on the way down and leave it there for the next party. Consider making a station there if you are not sure that your ropes will reach the ledge below. It can easily be backed up with another larger nut or cam! Continue placing gear to pull the ropes to the face below this piece. Otherwise you may have a long prussic.

The second rappel is slightly less than 60m.

The 3rd rappel is again at the limit of these ropes to a small standing ledge but should be fine if your ropes were long enough for the first rappel.

The 4th rappel does not reach the ground and one can either scramble down the last 5m or use the single bolt and maillon for a last 5m rappel.

If your ropes are not long enough for the first rappel, then rather walk-dassie crawl left about 70m along the halfway ledge to the rappel chains on Newborn. It will be safer that way. (We hope to improve on this situation during another visit).

Finally! Be sure to untwist your ropes before pull-down. You could be in for a long night!

Thank you Leonard Rust for permission to use the photo of the wall and routes. Your topo is slightly incorrect for the 3rd pitch of Blood is Sweeter than Honey. It takes the left version.

The First Ascent of the Nostril of El Cap

2008-10-14T01:32:00.000-07:00

So there we were Friday 19 September 2008. Clint and I climbed the Nostril of El Cap aka the first 9 pitches. As usual we were maxing out our time, energy and logistics. Yesterday Clint was amongst other things, the day before on Thursday:

Disempowered
shut down;
humbled;
spectacularly unsuccessful,
broken,
brutalized,
and beaten
chewed up and
spat out

of Tales of Power.

I was to leave the valley the next day, Saturday, latest at 4pm to get the red eye flight to JFK and then home. We got to bed at 23h00 and awoke at 03h00. Drove to the base of El Cap and then started climbing. We got in ahead of a Norwegian party but a young dude was ahead of us soloing but he was very efficient.

We were going fairly quickly and passed an American party at the stove legs but then a Swiss party kept us waiting above the immaculate 8th pitch. I then led the 9th pitch determined to use the full force of my personality to get past the Swiss dude belaying at the stance. He was friendly and we chatted about Fred (Nicole) and Rocklands and all. Meanwhile I pulled in the ropes and put Clint on belay. The temperature was sunny but perfect: partly cloudy and a nice breeze. Dolt tower was but a pitch and a scramble above us and we were cruising and I was going to speed past the Swiss. I knew we would win because they had puff adder ropes and a Beeeeeg haul bag.

Clint was a little tardy starting to climb. He was in a deep and serious discussion with the American party that we had just passed. He seemed to be having trouble putting on his one shoe. I know he was grumbling about sore toes but come on!

Climb when ready I said again……

And again…..

The I saw the American dude feeling him up and I am wondering what the f**k???

Turns out the dude was trying to find his shoe that had got lost. Now, lemme tell you, you can’t climb those cracks with only one shoe. But there was only one. Indeed!

Maybe the American dude was pissed off and had snatched it and hidden it.

Maybe the grumpy Swiss dude had chucked it off.

But , there was only 1 shoe!
So it came to pass that we only climbed the Nostril and instead of being exhausted somewhere below or above the great roof 17h39 the time I am writing this up drinking beer, tea, whisky and wine and recounting the great escape from the Nostril….

Oh and by the way, we found the shoe quietly nestling on a rock at the base of the rap route of the Nostril – some 300m below our high point.

So the beta of the story is that El Capitan can sneeze and easily blow you off. Or maybe we were just shooed off.

So Saturday it’s back to thrashing up Tales of Power and Separate Reality and then, relatively un-exhausted I shall cruise to San Jose, JFK, JNB and CPT.

Dog of Thunder

2008-10-09T23:47:00.001-07:00

Blouberg

It is an impressive cliff, rising more than 1000 feet out of the African savanna – the so called Springbok flats. It faces north and is bathed in golden sunlight for most of the year. The climate is temperate and allows for year round climbing, often in near perfect conditions. One rarely runs foul of the weather here but summer electric storms can be very fearsome and exciting and heat waves can wilt even the most intrepid climber.

The sandstone rock is of excellent quality and lends itself to traditional gear placements but here and there bold sections with long run-outs favor the placement of the odd piece of fixed gear. Most of the cracks are horizontal rails that traverse the wall at regular intervals allowing for excellent nut and cam placements but vertical cracks and chimney cracks also wander up and provide homes to thousands of swifts.

Blouberg is a wild and remote place but very user-friendly for trad climbers. There are several other rock faces in the area which are mostly unclimbed; one of which is the nesting grounds of the endangered Cape Vulture. These creatures spend hours languidly floating on the thermals and frequently come up close to inspect climbers high up on the wall in the afternoon.

It is here that my challenge has become my nemesis. The main wall is more than a mile wide and it is steepest at the first section on the left. There are three blank sections on a bulging and then gently overhanging headwall. The cracks and rails that cicatrize the rest of the wall are deficient here, and the holds are thin and far apart. It is my 6th attempt at finishing the route with various partners over the last 4 years. It is no mean feat to climb at Blouberg with first time visitors rarely managing to climb even one of the moderate routes. Without local knowledge Blouberg presents a serious challenge to all but the most experienced trad climbers. Even the walk in is complicated on poorly defined cattle trails. But once you are there it is an expansive place that captures ones soul and is the most compelling place to climb that I have ever encountered. It draws me back time after time to pit myself against its challenges. It is without equal.

Clinton Martinengo is presently South Africa’s best all round climber but has only become skilled at trad climbing over the last 5 years or so. His tick list of sport routes is un-equaled in South Africa and he has done some of the hardest trad first ascents. We first rappelled the wall 4 years ago to inspect the line. We went down with a drill as we knew that there were blank sections that would be impossible to protect with natural gear. This year we have already returned twice, again with a drill and the experience of Tini Versveld and Tony Dick and the young rock-jock Marijus Smigelskis. Both Clint and Marijus are the best rated South African boulderers registered with 8A.NU. Both times we were spectacularly unsuccessful at linking the route despite managing to free all the moves.

It will require absolutely perfect conditions. The crux pitches start halfway up the wall with several demanding pitches to get there and the wall only escapes the sun well after mid-day. Anything short of the ideal conditions increases the difficulty substantially; heat lessens the friction on the face and saps the energy and cold cramps up the fingers and increases body tone and muscle in-efficiency.

But we have a plan:

A 1000 mile flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg at midday on a Thursday. Then a car rental for the 5 hour drive to the Frans’s kraal to arrive there in the late afternoon to walk up 3 hours to the cave in the cooler evening air by torch-light. Next morning a 3 am start to hike to the top of the North Wall and then rappel the wall with the view to working the moves on the crux pitches and stashing food and water and bivvy gear on the way down. We would reach the base of the cliff by the time the wall is in shadow and then climb the 5 pitches to the bivvy stance where the crux pitches begin. With some luck we would even crack the first hard pitch dubbed the “Ningenator pitch.” Funny thing though, is that despite the fact that I conceived the route I probably don’t have snow-ball’s chance in hell of actually freeing the crux pitches. Age and attrition has weakened me. But no matter, desire and dreams can end in a satisfactory result. If failure wasn’t part of the agenda then the allure would fade.

But the setup has to be spot on. And training is essential: more the mind than the body.
------------

And so it was that on Friday 24 November we rappelled down the wall with heavy packs including a drill and 12 litres of water after waiting for the rain to stop. No further bolts were placed on any of the pitches but three rappel points were improved with bolts. After depositing our bivvy gear at the palatial ledge 130m above the ground we continued to the bottom where we dumped the drill and Clint and Stew’s approach shoes.

In very humid conditions and thunderheads approaching Stewart led the first pitch in fine style with Clint and I yelling beta at him.

I then sweated up the next grade 23 pitch where I had intended to place a bolt but had refrained to do so because Clinton had discovered a critical, but tiny cam (Alien zero) placement. This of course was missing from the rack having been left on the rappel as a directional. The smaller black diamond Z cam did not fit well but had to do. I did not even bother testing it. Clint had on-sighted this pitch a little further to the left when we had tried the route 6 weeks previously but I did a more direct but very tricky version with a desperate pinch and using small and awkward foot holds above suspect runners. I attained the belay ledge pumped to the max and streaming with sweat.

Clint then led the next pitch to the shattered ledge. On our previous visit I had thought this pitch also needed a bolt but it yielded to grade 21 climbing and good enough trad gear placements.

At the shattered ledge the tension began. It was rapidly getting dark and the mother of all thunder heads was approaching from the north-west. Lighting crisscrossed the air with many bolts arcing between the clouds. Clint was the man for the next grade 25 pitch but he had visions of being fried by lightning and was being disobedient and cowered next to us on the ledge. Stew and I cunningly convinced him that there was no ways that the lightning would be interested in him despite the fact that he was carrying about 40 shiny biners and a whole rack of other metal bits. We suggested that he could always leave all that stuff behind and solo the pitch!. We sure weren’t offering to go up.

Clint tentatively set off and about after climbing up 15m or so the heavens opened and he had to lower back down to us. We resigned ourselves to a miserable night but an hour or so later the storm had passed and we had stayed relatively dry and warm on the ledge protected by the overhanging headwall above us.

Another hour passed and Clint set off with a torch in the pitch dark and somehow, at snails pace, freed the pitch on wet rock. Amazing! As the conditions were alpine we sent him off on the next run-out grade 20 pitch too and gained the bivvy ledge where we feasted on boeries and bread and chamomile tea. Clint was rather disgusted that I had forgotten the Ceylon tea and if he wasn’t such a nice guy he might have hurled me off the ledge there and then – I know Tini would have!

The next morning the conditions were perfect. We were woken by a cacophony of bird calls. I have never heard such a chorus. The swifts were out and there was plenty of aerial plankton to feed them. The air was crisp and clear and cool and clouds kept the sunshine in abeyance. After coffee Stew set off along the sketchy grade 16R traverse to the stance at the start of the first hard pitch while I lurked on the stance sorting things out and taking photos. I could not see Clint but he red-pointed the “Ningenator” pitch and Stew and I followed clinging desperately onto quick-draws and slings. I could not even do the moves to reach the bolts and thankfully cranked on the slings. I haven’t felt so inept since I began climbing.

We called the next pitch “Measuring up….22+ ” The shorter you are the harder it gets as it requires a long reach out to the right and up off a thin left finger grip and tiny foot holds. I actually peeled off although I had succeeded in freeing it about 2 years ago on a previous attempt. Stew led it with some hesitation but Clint sailed through easily.

“Abraxis in the sky” - grade 30+ - is what Clint called the next pitch. I named it “Martinengo’s Nemesis”. He had two attempts but both times could not reach and stick the move above the last bolt. It’s very hard! Stew and I used those silver juglets and footholds to complete the pitch.

Clint then did a phenomenal red-point of the final difficult pitch. It is desperately hard with varied climbing including difficult hand jambs in a soggy crack, long reaches off underclings and then he almost blew it on the last tricky move which is only about grade 22 because he was so pumped. He hung there for about 15 minutes. He reckons it’s the hardest he has had to ever try.

Stew and I embarrassed ourselves again and yarded up to him. One of the few moves I managed was actually the one that almost stymied Clint. (I told him to climb with glucose candy in his pockets in future.)

We were home and dry – or so we thought. Those damnable thunder heads were rolling in again and it started drizzling!. This time we were exposed and lightning strike was a real danger. We set up a rappel but I started climbing the next grade 22 pitch with a single rope doubled so as to facilitate a quick retreat if necessary. But the weather brightened up and I managed to climb the pitch fairly quickly and free except for the one, very wet lay-back move that Stew also aided. Needless to say Clint freed it but his 1.8m helped I’m sure.

We composed ourselves at the next stance and again decided it was worth the risk to continue despite the tremendous power of the thunder storms all around us. The next two pitches are grotty but we managed to top out and shake hands and then down we went back to the bivvy to a leaner and drier dinner. Again the heavens opened and dumped tons of water all around us.

Was it the gods or the dogs that were kind to us?; but we finished the climb in the most impossible weather conditions. It was spectacular!!

Hector Pringle arrived at Blouberg accompanied by, +++ Editor of Climbing Magazine. He posted this on www.Climb.co.za: “We were at the Blouberg parking on Friday night and were too scared to get out the car because of the most insane electrical storm ever. One lightning bolt lasted about 8 seconds, arcing horizontally right across the sky. The ascent of this route is a huge effort and it must have taken balls of steel (and a certain lack of discretion!) to keep going. Awesome job guys.”

There is nothing in the world that could have made for a more memorable and exciting experience. The plan worked (except for one move!).

Dog of Thunder

Start. The start is immediately to the right of the start The Dream of White Dogs about 100m beyond great gulley. Three bolts are visible.

Pitch 1: 25. Clip the first bolt with some difficulty and do tricky moves into the recess. Climb up recess to the bulge and lay back and mantel strenuously to gain easier ground. Continue up the shallow recess to a semi-hanging belay after 10m or so.

Pitch 2: 23. Climb up and slightly right to place a good medium sized cam to the right of the pillar 5m above. Step left at the base of the pillar and avoid the obvious undercut flake to gain the recess on the left of the pillar. Do technical moves to gain good holds. Continue through the overlap above to gain a small but good stance.

Pitch 3: 21 55m Climb directly up for about 4 m and then tend diagonally left to avoid the white rock to gain rappel anchors. Continue up tending a little left and then back right to gain a pillar. Climb this and find an overlap that leads to easier ground. Continue to the shattered ledge and bolt and nut belay.

Pitch 4 and 5 25 35m. Step off the right end of the ledge and climb the recess to attain an obvious overhanging crack. (Shared with “Delicate Sound of Thunder” 21) At the crack step right to gain a right facing recess. Climb up to the left 2m to attain a perch. (One can stance here with small cam belay). 3 bolts are visible up and to the left. Climb up 2 m from the perch step right and then back left. Continue on good holds to the overlap below the bolts. Continue past the bolts to a ledge and good nut runners or belay. (25) Climb up the run-out face to attain a right facing corner-crack (20). Continue to the bivvy ledge.

Pitch 6 15m 16R. Traverse carefully15m to the skyline to a peg and bolt belay.

Pitch 7 20m 30+. The Ningenator pitch. Gear = Bolts and cams. Above are several bolts. Climb up to a rail and move left to a rest at a medium cam placement. Rail right for about 5m to a bolt and move up over a bulge to gain a left facing corner. Continue easily to a bolt belay on a good ledge.

Pitch 8 15m 22++++. (The “Measuring up….pitch.” Add a grade or so for every 1cm you are shorter than 163cm.) Move right past two bolts and do a reach move (for some) to reach a juggy recess/crack on gray rock. Continue easily to a ledge system and clip the bolt to keep the rope direct for the second.

Pitch 9 15m 30+ Martinengo’s Nemesis “Abraxis in the Sky”. Climb past the boltson edges to a two bolt semi-hanging belay. (Take at least two small cams 1.5 and 3cm or ¾ and 1 in). The crux is a long reach to a non-hold after the last bolt before the
Belay.

Pitch 10 20m 30+ (What is takes…..). This pitch has several bolts but also requires a large cam, some small cams and medium nuts. Gain the crack and continue strenuously to a hard undercling move. Continue up and to the left and follow the bolts. At the last bolt do a tricky mantel and move right to a small cam and nut belay directly above the previous stance. This pitch is a real fight if you are rushed after the other hard pitches.

Pitch 11 20m 22. Climb up on the grey juggy rock and then step left to a ledge. Above is a stunning lay back crack. Step up into a crack and continue 3 m or so. Move right into the layback that is extremely slippery when wet. Climb up to the overhang and clip the bolt on the left. Reach high to a rail and then continue to a bolt belay.

Pitch 12 15m 19. Climb directly up and move left to gain gnarly crack system. Continue to a bolt and gear belay.

Pitch 13 30m 21. Continue up the bird shit crack and do some funky moves through the blocks above to gain easier ground on gray juggy and a little scary rock. Continue to the top to a bolt and sling belay.

The beta.

To free climb this route in a day ground up without any beta and in anything but near weather conditions would be an enormous feat and is then probably grade 30++. And an on-sight flash ascent without the beta is an even greater challenge. So, don’t read the rest if you are a purist!

Probably the best way to do this route would be to rappel from the top as we did on the first ascent and stash water and snacks and bivvy gear and climb the first 5 pitches to the bivvy ledge on the same day, finish the route on the second day and the rappel the route to collect the bivvy gear. However, the problem would be to find the top rappel point.

If done ground up, then hauling is no problem if one has 60m ropes except it is a little tiring. All of the crux sections are less than 30m long so hauling can be done in 30m sections up to the bivvy ledge. The second can tie in the middle of the rope or climb on a single rope. If one is not going to rappel the route and top out then leave your bivvy gear on the bivvy ledge tied to the end of one of the ropes and climb pitch 6 tied to the end of one rope and tie directly in to the other rope when the leader reaches the stance at end of pitch 6. Do the same for pitch 7 and only haul once you get to the top of pitch 8! Just carefully direct your ropes as you go.

The last two pitches detract from the route so one can rappel from the bolts on the 11th pitch or even the 12th pitch unless you are a purist and feel you must top out.

Ground up I would suggest one climbs this route as close to December as possible in cool partly cloudy weather with a temperature forecast of no more than 28 degrees C. The sun gets off the face before midday in summer as the wall is north of the Tropic of Capricorn so start climbing by midday. This allows access to the bivvy ledge on the day.

Take a full rack of cams to 3 ½ in with doubles in the ½ to 1 inch range and a standard set of nuts. RP’s are not essential.

Carry at least 4 litres per person.

Pitch one: A small cam (green sling Alien) protects the start of the layback crux. Look for it in an under-cling slot. A large cam can be placed in the bottom of the lay back and a rock 8 placed side-ways one the left provides good comfort for the mantel move!

Pitch 2 : Once one steps left at the base of the pillar and into the recess above the flake there is pro with small cams and also a big cam on the left. The good holds were very slippery on the first ascent due to heat and humidity. There is a bomber tiny cam placement here with the purple sling alien fitting best.

Pitch 3 : Watch for rope drag. It is a little run out but safe enough.

Pitch 4 : Slippery if humid and hot but good pro except the start. Be careful.

Pitch 5: A bit run out but straightforward.

Pitch 6: Take care on the traverse. Get your bivvy gear across to the stance at the end of the traverse as this is also a rappel point.

Pitch 7: Take Clint or a cheat stick

Pitch 8: If you lead it and you are short there is a bolt at your knees so not too scary. Can probably use rope tension to reach right.

Pitch 9: Take Clint or a cheat stick.

Pitch 10: Same.

Pitch 11: Nice pitch; safe good gear.

Pitch 12: A bit grotty but safe enough

Pitch 13: More grotty but requires some care and also safe enough.

Rappelling: Do not combine the first two pitches; your rope will get stuck. Use a 60m rope doubled for the first two rappels.

The next rappel is overhanging so keep the rope in by placing gear (medium cams) on the way down. This gets you to the stance above pitch 9.

The next rap is sideways and requires directing the rope and clipping to the bolts at the stance at end of pitch 7 and then placing gear on the rail to reach the bolt above the stance below and clipping both ropes to this as well. The last person to rappel unclips the one rope but leaves the other clipped to the leaver biners at the stance above pitch 7 and also the bolt above the stance below. The rope to be clipped is not the pull down rope as the knot won’t feed through the biners.

The next rappel is almost 60m and is a little overhanging. Rappel about 3m and then us a medium cam in the rail to keep the rope in to the wall. Continue to the bolted rappel point about 5m below the shattered ledge.

The next rappel is only about 25m to a bolted stance. Don’t miss it. The last rappel is 55m to the ground.

The bivvy.

The bivvy is very comfy and there are 3 mats there. Don’t throw off any rocks as these can be used to shit on and then thrown off.

One can also bivvy less comfortably on the shattered ledge. The shattered ledge and the main bivvy is protected from rain unless there is very strong wind.

There is a good but exposed bivvy at the end of pitch 11 but it is a bit pointless. Either top out or rap down.

Climb with one torch per person!!

To Bolt is not to be...

2008-10-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

To bolt is not to be! Bolts, Bouldering and Consumerism

I have been reading bemusedly the debates and the slagging vis-à-vis bolting for some years now and it is clear that climbing can be compared to religion. Everyone has their personal beliefs regarding the style, ethics and finer details of how climbing routes should be created. There are literally thousands of articles that try to define these parameters.

However if one applies some thought, one realizes that all sport is extremely esoteric if one considers the “hierarchical needs of the human being”. Most sports played in the world have something to with controlling a ball (not always round) according to a certain set of rules that are continually modified. Soccer is the most common sport played. Other sports are “athletic” and are measured by how fast, how far, how difficult and so on. Then there are other categories such as the wheeled sports and flying etc. Then there is sport rock climbing which is still categorized as an “extreme” sport although I consider it to be really “gymnastic”.

So one may ask: “What actually is a climbing route?”

In the broader sense I propose that one can view a sport climbing route as a game. The game entails following a trail up some “challenging,” less than horizontal part of terra firma and several rules apply whereby an individual’s abilities and achievement can be measured and compared. In this sense sport climbing is comparable to other sports except that the accolades and rewards are more mature and clearly defined in sports such as soccer, cycling, skiing and so on. These “accolades” include trophies, world ratings or medals at the various events organized around the world. When it comes to “rewards” – well, cash is still king and every year the media proclaims the highest earners in the various games that are played.

And this is where bolted sport routes and bouldering finds it niche. One can argue that the very essence of climbing a bolted or boulder route is that a fairly objective and comparable scoring system can be applied to the game of climbing so that the members of society can grant “accolades” and “awards” or “rewards” for a given level of excellence and achievement. This is the way that climbing has evolved to “level the playing field” to bring it line with other sports. And the spin off from this is the explosion of commercialism in climbing in general to the point that there are now more indoor climbers in the US than outdoor climbers. One needs only to see the proliferation in the media coverage to appreciate how climbing has evolved over the last 10 years. It is merely a question of time before the rules are clearly defined and climbing and its subgroups such as ice climbing finds it place in the Olympic games.

This evolution has led to the conflict with the traditionalists where virtually every route climbed has its individual character, rules and ethical nuances. Not the least is the level of commitment to danger that many routes require. In fact some 20 years ago a collection of articles was published called “The Games Climbers Play”. This vividly portrayed the individuality and esotericism of climbers. Perhaps one can view a “traditional” climb as a dangerous adventure rather than a game. And the accolades and rewards are more abstract to the point that it can arguably call a “fringe lunatic” activity.

And here lies the problem when traditionalists try and compare their achievements and abilities. Any route that is “created” using fixed pro is by and large contrived to suit the relative style, abilities and ethos of its creator. “Subjecting the climb to our own level of mediocrity” to paraphrase Duncan Elliot. Most, if not all, traditionalists have put in fixed pro at one time or another to bring a particular route to an acceptable level of risk for that individual. (We also, all, use other aids such as chalk and sticky rubber on our shoes and modern gear is much safer than in the past that all alter the seriousness, character and even difficulty of a route).

Furthermore, any metallic attack of the rock, especially the insertion and removal of pitons will change the nature of the climbing. Nary a route on the big stone (El Capitan) would be free climbed today without the thousands of ascents where piton after piton has been smashed into ever widening cracks to the point that fairly large camming devices now fit. And more, the speed ascents would not be possible but for the “manufactured” holds and fixed pro. Give it a few more years and a few more pegs smashed into the thin crack under the great roof on “the Nose” and maybe someone else other than Lynn Hill or Tommy Caldwell may be able to fit their finger tips and free the pitch. Lower down, one of the classic routes in Yosemite, Serenity Crack typifies the kind of route that is directly a product of holds and gear placements that have emerged from the ironmongery performed on it over all these years. But for this I doubt it would actually have been climbed at all even if it was bolted as a modern sport route. But it would be without question a completely different route – perhaps another miserably thin friction eliminate at Yosemite with a hairline crack running up a fairly non-descript piece of rock.

Many of the classic routes have had major modifications and are completely different in character from their first ascents during the “Golden Years”. I find it intriguing, that I have never read an article that truly evaluates the modern achievements of free or speed climbing of these “chipped” routes while putting the evolution of the route into any kind of perspective.

The most bizarre aspect of the bolting furor is that the loudest critics of both camps are also the ones putting in the time, money and energy in one form or the other while the majority of climbers/users are merely “on the take”. Most sport climbers have contributed little if anything to climbing itself; most have never done a first ascent of a route, assisted with maintaining a walking trail or placed or replaced a fixed piece of gear. They probably laugh at the worker bees and gleefully clip another bolt that cost R20 each and a lot of time and effort to place.

So what claim of “ownership” does a first ascentionist have on a route?

I think a pragmatic view is that the first ascensionist can, at best, claim a long term “lease” of a route if he/she has climbed it ground up free without any fixed protection and preferably without any aid that damages or marks the rock – and this would include chalk. If the first ascentionist has “manufactured” the route in any way, “ownership” can only last as long as he or she maintains the character of the route and ensures that the quality of the fixed pro is as good as on the first ascent. As we all know, this is rarely done. Having said this, why make every climb accessible to every yob. It certainly can’t be altruism. If it’s so important to climb it, then top rope it and move on. Only one’s ego can drive the process of bolting or retro-bolting every route and this act undeniably changes a route’s character for ever. But then there is the argument that there is nothing stopping a trad climber from using removable gear on a bolted route, if they so choose.

Routes that are oft repeated (“consumer routes”) accumulate chalk on the holds and this has a far greater visual impact than the bolts. Chalk also marks the holds and critically alters the technical difficulty of most routes. This problem, at least in South Africa, is rare on trad routes but pervasive on bolted routes.

Finally, anybody that cannot see the link of bolted routes to consumerism should undergo a reality check. Bolted routes allow for climbs to be concentrated, accessible, faster, cheaper, less complicated and safer than “trad” lines. Unfortunately “consumerism” is engulfing climbing. There is an explosion of sport climbing around the world. Many of the Thailand beaches are over-run with climbers. The sewage can’t keep up and every visitor to Tonsai Beach will get sick sooner or later. I have been twice and will not return. The crags in Spain and France are a mess. And here lies the problem with bolting, it does unquestionably promote consumerism. There are probably hundreds of thousands of good routes all around the world that nobody could climb in ten life times. And yet, “more is better”. Does it really matter that there is fine line to climb that is not bolted. Go top rope it.

The climbing commercial market has also grown exponentially since bolting proliferated with listed companies sponsoring individuals and events throughout the world. Apparel companies are flourishing and there are even fashion trends that initially started with shiny “loud” lycra but has now evolved to a more grungy, very expensive, gothic look (which is by and large very impractical in our sunny weather). Climbers are invading areas in hordes where before only a few die-hard trad climbers would have bothered to go in the past. In tandem with this, bouldering has also proliferated and chalk-marked boulders litter many a roadside around the world.

It is mandatory to control “consumerist” bolting in ecological sensitive areas which in my view does not include most of the Cape Peninsula including Paarl rock area seeing as there are roads and trails and picnic spots everywhere not to mention the hundreds of wine farms. The Cape Peninsula is fast becoming a world class tourist area and climbing could be one of its main attractions. With it must come the controls that should probably directly include the commercial “for profit” businesses that would benefit from tourists. Areas such as the Magaliesberg and our internationally famous “Rocklands” is another matter altogether and very careful management of these areas is necessary, both in the proliferation of bolted routes and boulder problems. There really are enough less sensitive places to climb around the world.

So in conclusion, the debate on bolting should not be driven by sentiment if we accept how esoteric climbing really is. There is no right or wrong. However individuals should be prevailed on to display some humility and curtail their personal gratification and aggrandizement and enrichment and respect the style of existing trad routes. There is always the option of top-roping a route, or pre-placing gear if you really feel you have to climb it. At this stage I think it is imperative to leave those routes alone. All things being relative there are few left. Go and find your own lines to climb if you cannot get enough satisfaction from the existing routes. South Africa has limitless potential and it merely takes a bit of time and effort to explore new places and open new routes. There is more than enough for the sport climbers to play on without changing the character of the older routes. A route without character is just a blur and a number and a tick; soon to be forgotten.

Astroman

2008-09-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Yosemite is home to one of the most concentrated collections of trad Crack climbs in the world. The route Astroman is arguably the most famous route of its kind and is just hard enough or easy enough to entice or inspire any seasoned or "wanna be" trad climber. It is the quintessential test piece and in 1993 Kevin Smith and I climbed this route under the most abysmal weather conditions. We were rained on and snowed on but the discomfort was way second to the suffering I experienced in the Harding Slot, the infamous 5th pitch. We had to bivvy without any bivvy gear after finding the final 10m of the route, the top 5.10c face streaming wet with water. That night it stormed and snowed and there was a massive rock fall off the slopes of Half dome that nearly scared us to death. And the next morning we had to wait, frozen, fatigued and miserable until almost mid-day for the top 5.10c face to dry where Kevin, leading went off route and took a whipper. But we weren’t going to go down…..

On Sunday, 15 September 2008, exactly 15 years later - almost to the day - in near perfect weather except for a very sunny and hot lead of the 5.11b 6th pitch, I repeated the route with Clinton Martinengo who suffered as much as I did in the Slot all those
years ago. He was so shattered that he bumbled down the descent at half pace, slept till 10h00 the following the morning and then slept most of the afternoon and right through the Bourne Identity blaring on the TV while a wrote this post.

Astroman was first climbed in 1958 the year I was born by Warren Harding, Chuck Pratt and Glen Denny as a sieged big wall route. There is ample evidence of old pins and pin scars. In 1975 or ’76 it was freed by Ron Kauk, John Bacher and John Long alternating leads with the other two jumarring. Ron Kauk then led all the pitches free the following year.

As is the case in so many Yosemite “free” routes there are several placed of fixed protection and there are ample pin scars. However, unlike so many free routes, if not most of the hard free routes, there is not one move that is made easier by pin scars. The “changing corners” pitch has improved finger locks from pin scars but these are actually misleading as it is a stemming move and the finger lock’s don’t help at all and in any case they are rounded and poor. So it is one of the purest free routes in Yos. I noticed that a fixed bong peg that was in situ about 10m up the Enduro crack in 1993 had been removed when we did the recent ascent. It was very comforting to race up to the bong and clip it without having to place a cam from a very strenuous position.

In 1993, when I was Clint’s age, 34, Kevin and I got stormed off from the third pitch on our first attempt. We returned two days later but due to wet and cold conditions only started after nine am. We did the original 5.11c second pitch which has by far the single hardest move on the climb and Kevin failed on this on the day after having on-sighted two days previously. I took over the lead and he did the Enduro pitch. I got the “slot” pitch which I thrutch ed up in complete terror and then it rained on us again and we had to wait an hour for things to dry.

I recall having great difficulty on the “changing corner” pitch but fared much better this time and worked it out quite quickly but Clinton didn’t find it easy by any means.

Clinton led the top 5.10c pitch which is barely protected by a mashy and poor cams but is not too hard in the context of the route.

But I succumbed to the “slot” this time. I had climbed the Enduro pitch in the sun and having only been in the Valley for a 5 days and very little crack climbing under my belt I already felt wasted and decided to save my energy and hung on the rope. It leads me to conclude that the way to do the “slot” is to lead it. Getting going and into the slot is so tenuous that any amount of rope tension can help or confound your efforts. When leading it one places a cam in the crack in the back and it allows the weight of the rope to pull you in and up ever so slightly which is no hindrance and may be of help. When following, the rope tension, even a slight tug, pulls you outwards and away and is a real nuisance. Also your desire is stymied when following it whereas you are a lot more committed when leading it. So if you want to free the “slot”, lead it.

Clinton’s comment when we finished the route was that Gosia would have to find someone else to do it with as he was never doing the slot again but we agreed that in 15 years time we would find a young 34 year rock jock to lead us up the slot. Maybe one of my kids? We’ll see….