USA Trip 2010

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Captain Hook and Mellow Steady Flow 2 May2010

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

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

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:

1. 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.
2. When you think you are not having fun, you actually are having some of the best fun you ever will.
3. 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”!
4. 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.
5. 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

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

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.

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…