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Find Climbers In Your Area

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south africa 22-Nov-2005 At 2:46:20 PM Nottobetaken

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Part 2:
Cape areas (Cape province)
Undoubtedly the most important venue for climbing in SA. Loads and loads of areas to choose from. Rock quality is mainly superb - with a lot of quartzite (if not all) - and a lot of areas are reminiscent of Grampians type rock (and colour). Montagu (in the East) is on average steep - with sport routes. Loads of little crags all in the same area. Comparable areas such as Norton Summit (South Australia), the Sadinista Cliff (Grampians) and bits of Bundaleer thrown in for good measure. If you're going up the Garden Route by car - then check it out. Current guidebook was released only a couple of years ago (I think!) - but the older one by Guy Holiwell (for the Western Cape) is also probably available.

Table Mountain is a must do - even if you just hike it (or take the Cable Car). The trad routes however have got to be some of the most outstanding positions anywhere. Try the much hyped Jacobs Ladder (16) - and breathe in that air when you're on the 3rd pitch - with 2 kilometres of space beneath you - running down to Camps Bay. Totally out there. Or do the easier Arrow Final (11) which ascends the outrageously exposed face under where the cable car goes up. A good one to freak the tourists out on...

Paarl Rock - strange in that it is granite - but a good place to visit. Trad and up to 3 pitches in length. Little Dutch Boy (19) would probably be one of the better routes to do here. Worth a visit - especially if you're wine tasting at one of the many excellent vineyards nearby.

Silvermine - rock quality second to none and big classic sport routes. Not far out of Cape Town. Some bouldering here as well.

The Mine/The Hole - steep sport routes close to Cape Town. Probably not worth visiting unless you're climbing above Australian 23.

Rocklands (Cedarberg) - there's too much info readily available on this spot already. The best bouldering venue in the southern hemisphere (reportedly). Also some routes - and I think the bolting ban has been lifted, so there'll be plenty more where they came from!

Oudtshoorn (Western Cape) - easily accessible from the Garden Route if you're heading along that direction, just take a left at George and head into the desert! Also home to the Cango Caves - one of the biggest underground caverns in the southern hemisphere - so worth a visit. Brilliant limestone climbing (all bolted) with some very hard routes. There's a couple of 18's on the right wing of the main cliff, and a great 21 & 23, but generally speaking you won't get much change out of grade 25. Some of the most amazing looking lines in the country here though - including El Nino (marketed as the best 29 in the country) and the outrageous Short Circuit (31) - the latter of which has been described as being the most amazing limestone tufa route outside of France (20m of stalactite/tufa roofing!) If you're climbing Australian 25 or above - then this place shouldn't be missed.