News

Rocklands rule!

06.08.2008

My six week trip to South Africa has come to an end. I feel sad leaving because I can honestly say that Rocklands is the best bouldering area in the world. At least what I've seen. On the other hand I'm also pretty worn out after weeks of hard climbing and ready to change the scene. It's been an awesome trip and I'm happy with what I've climbed. Climbing Amandla was probably the hardest send of my trip. I also managed to climb Madiba and Moistie Meisie quickly in one session.

I also spend a lot of time and energy looking for new lines and doing first ascents. Problems that I put up like Solar Power and Hole in One are are really top quality problems.

Last year area called Kleinfontain or Black Label was found. This season the area got some amazing new problems like Scoop of Marmelade, The Hatchling and Sky. Hatchling is on this hollow boulder lying on top of another boulder so first you have to climb the lower block before you're really even on the problem itself. It must weigh tons and tons but with a couple of people you can get the upper boulder moving. That's a scary thought because you're climbing an overhanging side of it...

Sky is one of the best problems in the world if you ask me. In fact maybe even the best I've ever seen because of the pure style and movement on it. Perfect starting hold, maximum reach dyno to a fairly good crimper in the middle of the 45 degree overhang, match, iron cross dyno to a sloping edge and a more or less campus move to the top. The best thing is there's no way around it, just pure dynamic movement all the way. Perfect!

I had an awesome trip and I can't wait to go back! Here is my ticklist from this trip:

In between dreams 8A (hard!)
Black velvet 8A
Nutsa 8A+
Once upon a time.. 8A
Leopard cave 8A+
Pinotage 7C+, flash
Shoshaloza 8A+
Panama 8A+, 3 tries
Shark 7C+, flash
Barracuda 8A, flash
Hatchling 8A
Moistie Meisie 8B+, quick send, soft
Pendragon 8A
Oral Office 8B
Out of Balance 8A+
Madiba 8B+, 1 session, soft?
Steak house 8A+
Sky 8B+, one of the best in the world!!
No late tenders 8A, flash
Solar power 8A+, FA
Amphitheatre 8A+, flash
Josef Malbos 7C+, flash
Amandla 8B+, (8C?) with full swing!
Green Mamba 8B, close to flashing it
Hole in One 7C+, FA
The Vice 8B
Armed Response 8B
Stromboli 8A+
Ark 8A, flash
Quintessential 8B

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