Rocklands Round Up

Maniac (7B)... What a spot Caroline!!!!


That's what they look like when they are in good shape!

James Barnes on Feel the Flow (7C)

James crushing Black Spider (7B+)

Wow, it has really been more than a month since I posted on here... So much has happened, I've met so many people. I think that rather than giving you all a blow-by-blow of the trip I'm gonna tell you about the most important events, the highest highs and the lowest lows of the trip.

I guess I should probably start with Rockstock... That was quite a night. Justin Hawkins was wearing hotpants, singing along to Justin Bieber, it was really hysterical. Caroline Sino and the rest of the Spice Girls were having a good time, the Italian Mafia was out in their afros threatening grievous bodily harm, all-in-all it was great. Tequila was flowing, as was the jagermeister. The best part of the evening was getting to know everyone there just a little bit better.

Burger night at the Henhouse! Wow, there was a lot of wine, Jenga, human flag attempts on a slippery pole. Great night. Becky you are the best host!

My birthday was really fun... It was unplanned for the party part, but ended up going out for dinner with James, Joe and Colette that evening. It was really awesome to share the occasion with such great company. Michele, Stefano, Marco, Riccardo and Adam took me out for dinner another evening. It was really aweful service that night at De Kelder, but we made up for it with the company and the inexpensive wine...

Low points... Hmmm, there definitely were some. It was a crushing feeling to get there and have my skin get annihilated so quickly every day. I would rest properly and I would tape the fingers when necessary, but I found that no matter what I did, my skin was just too soft. I often would climb one day on and the rest one day just to let the skin grow. This was about the best strategy that I could employ to optimize my Rocklands experience.

My bouldering highlights were the days I spent working the hard lines, like Out Of Balance (8A), Nutsa (8A) and Wittness the Sickness (8A). I spent a lot of time on these problems and all of there were within my grasp, I just was not quite up to them. I also tried Green Mamba (8A) which wasn't too inspiring but Joe Kinder took some cool pics that illustrated my attempts...

Out of Balance (8A) was my major nemesis on this trip. I spent upwards of 5 days on it, climbing Question of Balance (7B) 8 or more times each session while trying to stick the crimp at the end of the boulder problem. It is amazing how easy that 7B became once the moves felt so wired in the brain. I struggled with the problem initially, as did James. It felt a lot closer to 7B+ than 7B, but when you get the body into the right position and the heel-toe cam in place, the moves all become very static.
Photos by Joe Kinder and Colette McInerney

An Amal Roof (7C) was a really fun problem, I did it the same day as Petit Heuco dan Rocklands (7B+). I repeated it first go after the break too. The first move was so much fun but I was really tired so it took me a long time to get it wired...

Photos by James Barnes

Nutsa (8A)! One of the classics in Rocklands. Here I am spotting Joe on his send... Thanks for the pic Colette!

One of my biggest accomplishments on this trip was Stretched and Pressed (7C+). I got on it on my first day of the trip and struggled severely with the big move on The Rack (7B), simply putting my feet in the wrong place time and time again. I was think I was just tired from the 16 hour drive the previous day. I fought for this one. Claimed it on my second day on the problem. Thanks Colette for the awesome photos!

Thanks Paolo Antoniotti for this awesome portrait from my first session on Stretched and Pressed!

I tried Ghost and the Darkness (7C+) during my last session at Sassies on my second to last day of climbing in Rocklands. I'm a little disappointed that I fell off on the last move and couldn't pull it back together for the send...

Awesome pic Colette!

Here's the ticklist:
Stretched and Pressed (7C+)
Throw Yourself Away (7C+) I injured my ankle badly while I was camming it in the roof. It caused me a great deal of pain for the rest of the trip and I am still not back to 100%. This is really irritating as I want to do the Shadowfax project (8b+?) but there is a right foot cam! Uggg.

An Amal Roof (7C)
The Bushoning (7C) okay, so maybe this isn't really 7C but it was still fun to do in 20 min.
Sunset Arete (7C) My first 7C in Rocklands
Cedar Spine (7C) perhaps the most amazing problem that I have ever done.
Last Day in Paradise (7C) Did this one and Cedar Spine on the same day, as did James Barnes!

Petit Heuco dan Rocklands (7B+) sweet roof climbing
Ulan Batar (7B+) I got this on my last day in Rocklands... It was an epic fight, that's for sure...
Bushmaster (7B+) flashed this, not really 7B+, more like 7A+.

Panic Room Direct (7B) dorked the first move and then cruised it second go... Don't be scared by the top out, I could do it in the sun.
Crazy Leg (7B) almost a flash! Overshot the dyno.
Minki (7B) pretty fun.
The Rack (7B) was my first 7B of the trip and it was a stupid fight...
Poison Dwarf (7B) GOOOOOOD problem!

Flashed Springbok (7A+) and Les Pieds dans L'eau (7A+) both were a lot of fun and seemed to happen quite effortlessly.

Beer Belly Bandit (7A) this is a slab arete! FREAKING HARD.
Maties (7A) flash
Sunset Traverse (7A) flash --> The ultimate warmup in the sun
Colin The Librarian (7A) first boulder problem in Rocklands...
Love Actually (7A)

Lisa (6C+) flashed the slab!

If there are two 6Cs you MUST do: Creaking Heights (flash) at Roadside and Perfect (on sight) at 8 Day Rain.

Then there are a lot of the lower grades, mostly onsights and flashes for warmups. If you want to read more about these problems look up my 8a.nu profile.

Once I got back from Rocklands, I wanted to see how I felt on a rope again. NOTE TO SELF: 6 weeks of bouldering wrecks your endurance. I would recommend doing some rope climbing in between all of the bouldering.

I managed to get out on the rock this week: went to the Lost World and did an awesome roof problem opened by Wesley Black called the Three Amigos. I'd imagine it is around 7C. The next day Illona and I hit the Chosspile where she was crushing on Fossil Fuel, this is one line that will get her back here! I worked out all the beta that I needed for Anduril (8a+) so hopefully I'll wrap that up tomorrow...

The First Week in Rocklands

Rocklands! Such a beautiful place. I've never seen so much potential for hard bouldering as I see here. The problems here are often very sharp or at least very coarse on the skin. This first week has been such a hard adjustment to me. I'm used to walking up to 7C and crushing in a few hours. In the first week I haven't been able to achieve a single send above 7B. I think that it is possible that I tried to walk up to the boulders and push too hard too fast. As a result my skin started to suffer from the first day and I've been playing catch up ever since.

A small panorama of the campsite

The drive was an epic. We drove along the N12 until the Google Gods told us to turn. James and I quickly remarked at how cool the drive was and the road was in such great condition. 30km later we found out why: they had just laid the road and we were all out of luck. We had only 500km left to drive but the next 130km would be on dirt, with no cell reception. I quietly panicked in my head thinking, "Oh shit! Oh shit!" We hadn't seen a road sign in an hour and I was thinking we were out all this way on a dirt road and were going to have to back track. Fortunately we had just filled the tank in the last town so fuel wouldn't be an issue. We plodded on and eventually discovered we were actually on the right road, according to Google. At the next town we found a tarred road, cell signal and the GPS was back online. After debating at a crossroad for a few minutes we figured it out and were back on track. We drove on for another two hours before hitting the turnoff to Clanwilliam. I was excited. Only 140km left. 100km of which turned out to be dirt and relatively slow. It all paid off when I saw the De Pak Huis sign. The steak dinner in town was well earned for my 16 hours of driving.

Our campsite with Matt and Rachelle

The first day was really awesome. We headed up to the Fortress with Benji. Warmed up with a quick send of an project of mine (from 3 years ago when I was still a little boy), Colin the Librarian which is quite a tough 7A. After that I fell flat on my face trying the 8A extension: Fat Eagles Can't Fly. Benj told me not to worry, it's really hard and he hadn't been able to figure it out either. Up next was Stargate (7C+). I struggled with a crossover so found different beta to avoid it. This made me happy, but left me suffering on the next moves. I think I was really tired still from the epic drive. I was psyched to try Stretched and Pressed (7C+). I did the finish move really easily, first try so I thought that the problem would go down really quickly. I was wrong. The Rack (7B) had a really tough sequence for me that I couldn't wrap my body around for the better part of and hour-and-a-half. First time I made it through the move I made it to the top out move but I was too tired now and couldn't manage the mantle, a skill which I would soon realize to be quite good at...

Me sending The Rack (7B)

Day two spent trying Cedar Spine (7C), Last Day in Paradise (7C) and Ulan Batar (7B+) with no success on any. By the way: Last day in Paradise is razors in a roof: tape or perish. I completely dorked the beta on Cedar Spine and was really tired by the time I got to Ulan Batar. All in all, it was a learning experience. I did manage to fight my way up a 6C called Demi Loon though.

James on Last Day In Paradise

Day three: rest! A trip to town for shopping was in order. Jonathan, Robbie, Matt, Rachelle, James and myself all climbed into my car and went to town. The nightmare came to light when we tried to pack everyone into the car with groceries afterward! I was very happy to be driving.

Day four: Champsite and Riverside. Matt and Benji did Kingdom in the Sky (7C) at Champsite very quickly. It is an awesome problem with decent crimps for fingers and horrible footholds. My skin was still not happy even after the rest day. I managed to flash a 6C+ slab called Lisa. This was fun. At Riverside I jumped on Au Bord De L'eau (8A) with Benji. Very cool problem that revolves around two monos in a nearly flat roof. I love it! The holds are very coarse so I'll need to go back when I have some more skin. White Mazda Clan (7C+) was the last thing I tried. I could do most of the moves and I think I did it pretty much in overlapping sections except for the final move which I didn't manage till later.

Me, Rachelle and Benji on Kingdom in the Sky (7C)

Day five: Plateau. I woke up early and went up to the Plateau. I did a bunch of easier boulders for warmup, onsighting a bunch of 6B+. I was on my own so I only had 2 pads with me and no spotter. It was kinda nice though, I missed being up early in the morning and being psyched. No one else in the campsite is really a morning person. I moved over to Minki (7B), worked out the beta and sent it. Went back to Poison Dwarf (7B) and worked out the moves. Couldn't send it in the morning session though as the finish was in the sun. Got it really quickly in the afternoon session though.

Day six: Back to the Champsite and Riverside for some sending action well, other people's sending action. I managed a 7A which had a really tough mantle to start off the day, then Rach sent Kingdom in the Sky. Benji crushed Au Bord De L'eau! I was psyched. I got back on White Mazda and did all the moves this time and got in some good links but it wasn't gonna happen on my third day on.

Day seven: Rest. I went for a 5km run in the morning to go visit Benji at the Hen House and then went into town again to do a grocery shop. Matt and Rach left this morning for Cape Town with Arjan so the campsite is feeling a little empty. It was great having them there. Matt and Rachelle are such great people, so psyched and so much fun to be around...

Day eight: Fields of Joy! I love them! So awesome! Warmed up on a 5C/6A slab which was fantastic. Then did Panic Room Direct (7B) second go. Worked on Macho King (7C+) with Paulo and Michele Caminati, the super strong Italian we've all seen in CORE. We all spent about two hours working out beta and getting it dialed in. Michele then sent the problem and they headed down the mountain. I tried to flash Barracuda Rail (7B) but failed on the last move. Oh well, moved down to No Late Tenders (7C+) where I met an awesome American couple. Mike managed to send in a while and Becky worked on Dirty Lies (7A+) which is really fun too. I fell off the finish jugs on my flash when my foot slipped. DUMB ASS! Oh well.

Today: I got my ass kicked on Who The Fuck is Minki (7C) couldn't get my heel to stick on the inside sloper. Gave up and then tried Throw Yourself Away (7C+). I was psyched to be able to do all the moves in 5 minutes and do overlapping links right off the bat. I might hit it for a late afternoon session if the pads are back by then. Benji nearly flashed it and Joe Mohle crushed it first try today. GOOD FUN. Well, wish me luck!

Cranking into Number 1, Boven part II

We ended up going out for Pizza on Friday night. Was great. There was a lot of pizza, 25 of them to be exact. Good evening.

Joey and I getting our butts kicked

Dylan tying in to climb the Beast 8a+

Saturday saw me back at the God No! Wall with Joey. Was a really cool day. Warmed up on Burning Spear and go so flash pumped that I couldn't do the last move! Irritating. But it's all good. Afterward I did two massive links on Rodan. First link found me falling off half way through the second major boulder problem which was an amazing feat for me seeing as I had never caught the dynamic move from the ground. So I added about 8m to my previous highpoint here. Joey took a burn for warmup and did the sequences so he had them solid in mind.

Second burn got me even higher, I managed to make the next clip and fall off moving for the "butter knife crimp." I am really psyched about it. After this, Joey cruised Rodan. He looked really solid until the very last move, which he almost fell off of. But he held it and in 5 attempts the route was done, 8c it remains.

We headed over to Raptophilia (8b) to watch Paul working on it. I also gave it a burn and Brendon Salzer took some good photos (still to come). I then watched Joey waltz right up it, 4th go over two days. Good work! Second ascent. At the end of the day I did Burning Spear (7c) guess that would have been 4th go.

Sunday was a rest day for me. I watched a bunch of people climbing routes all over Wonderland. I saw James crush Stitch It (7c+) and Dylan fight hard on Pit Fighter (8a+). It is good to see everyone cranking so hard, it also made me glad I left my shoes up in the car, no temptations. James and I had a celebratory meal and then went to the lodge and sat there quietly for the rest of the day, I think it was kind of necessary to have a moment of calm during a rest day after so many days of cranking.

MONDAY! The main event for me. I woke up and made breakfast for James and myself and then we headed out to Superbowl. I put the draws on Lotters for James and brushed holds. He almost got it on his warmup, just had to figure out exactly what to do with his feet. I jumped on Strata and made it through the crux effortlessly. I however realized that the foot sequence I had to get to the chains wouldn't work while I was tired so I quickly hung out there and found a new one. Then James crushed Lotters and it was time to play the waiting game. I knew that I wanted to wait 45 minutes. It took James 10 to climb and clean Lotters so I had another 35 minutes to sit around and wait.

I was pretty excited and a little nervous. There was more to this climb than it being a hard 32/8b. I knew that if I sent this one it would propel me into first place on the 8a.nu ranking game for the sport category in South Africa. So when I busted through the crux the second time and got my feet up on those little smears and then into the big slot I knew it was mine for the taking. I guess all I needed to do to get the number 1 spot was work my ass off and send Andrew Pedley off to Brazil. Ha Ha Ha! I can't wait to climb with him again, I miss the psyche that he brought to the crag every day we climbed together. Watching him climb Rodan was an awe-inspiring feat of mental courage. He just would not give up. Again and again he fell at the same spot and yet he persevered and climbed it in the end.

After I did Strata I was so amped that I wanted to do something else as well, so I walked up to Hypertension (8a), tied in and sent it placing draws. It felt great to feel so fit. I hadn't even been on the ground for 5 minutes after sending Strata. I guess you could say that I achieved a bit of a personal goal this weekend, all the hours of hard training and torture paid off. The next trip is about to begin in the morning: 6 weeks in Rocklands. I can't wait. I have some good goals and a bit ticklist in the making. Time will tell if the boulder power is there for me.

Witness the BOVEN fitness!

Thursday: Boven is always great. Whether the weather sucks or it is brilliant, I always manage to have a great time. Sure there are days that are better than others, but I can tell that this trip is going to be exceptional. After arriving, Illona and I missioned down to the Superbowl and put up some draws on Snapdragon and Strata. On my second go I managed to get two moves higher in the crux than my previous high point. If I get two more moves then it'll be all over. Illona crushed every sequence on Snapdragon, her endurance is just lacking a little after all the bouldering and time away from these loooooong routes here. At the end of the day we walked past God No! and Illona managed to on sight Little Red Riding Hood (25), GOOD JOB! I got on Monster and red pointed it for training. Such a fun line. The evening was awesome, hung out with Joey and Colette some; watched some of their time lapse sequences of clouds and stars. Really brilliant to see. I wish my camera could do that. Video editing looks to be quite time consuming, but the results certainly justify the time.

Friday: I just had a pretty short day at the crag but quite eventful. Today saw Joey Kinder on Rodan for the first time. Within a few minutes he had done all the moves and was having a lot of fun. His presence was quite inspirational. After my warmup on Big Bad Wolf (I still love that dyno) and placing draws on Burning Spear (28), Illona and I realized that we weren't going to be able to make it through to the Superbowl for us to continue Snapdragon and Strata respectively. As a result I ended up on Rodan. I did all the moves really well. I was gonna say easily, but then I'd be lying. It is still bolt-to-bolt at this stage but my aim for the weekend is to manage to link from the ground till the bolt before the undercling pinch. Looks like we're all going for pizza tonight at the Stone Circle. I'm looking forward to it quite a bit. I can't believe I forgot my camera! STOOPiD

More updates to come... Hopefully with some pics

Good Times and New Hype!

The last two weeks haven't been particularly exciting. I did manage to take Yvette to eZemvelo last Sunday for the first time, we loved it. The day was for shooting some photos and videos of the boulder problems I have done recently. I am really psyched about the whole idea of making a movie as a promo for myself and Vertigo. I spoke to Kyle about doing the soundtrack for the film and he is psyched, will be great for his music to get out there to the world too.

I shot this movie of Total Reflection

Healing Power 7C+

During the week I spend a bunch of time at Chosspile. It was the first time I'd been there since it reopened. The path is in really good shape and will increase one's fitness level, that's for sure. I started working an open project of Wesley's. Really good climbing. It starts just left of Fossil Fuel and ends on the same anchors. Neither Paul nor I could manage it but when we went back, Joey Kinder climbed it and crushed it second go, after he did Fossil Fuel second go. KICK ASS!

Joey and Colette are fantastic! Joey is so psyched, so excited about climbing. Colette gives off the same vibe! We had some very interesting discussions in the car relating to life in South Africa. It can be quite an eye-opener to someone used to being in the United States or Europe. They went on a tour of Soweto the previous day, saw the apartheid museum and listened to real intense stories. We spoke about it in the car (while I got us lost on both ends of the trip).

Afterward, back at Monte Casino, Joey met up with the primary school kids. They seemed so excited to meet him and he was fantastic with them. Colette snapped some awesome pics! We had more time to chat at dinner, Chinese food is always good. I was quite curious about what life is like as a professional climber and being the girlfriend of a professional climber. They told me some of their stories and I was impressed about the stress involved with constantly being on the move, not really staying in one place for more than a season or two. Joey is also a very keen film maker, having shot multiple short films for himself and others. At the slideshow that evening he showed us the new adds he shot for Sterling Ropes in Europe recently.

I'm really looking forward to spending some more time with Joey in Boven and then Rocklands later this month! He is psyched for Nutsa and Black Shadow. I'm psyched to do Nutsa and wouldn't mind trying Black Shadow to try it out. Would be fun.

Saturday I was back at Chosspile. I mangled my finger on the crux of Shadowfax! Wasn't pleasant, but managed to do some really tough links on the route. I think I'll be pretty close to sending it in a short time. I shot some video of myself on one of the attempts. Once I'm done editing it, I'll put it up!

As far as training goes over the past two weeks, I've been taking it very easy, a bit of a down period before the long road trip begins. I've been making grips for the new Edelrid Brian Weaver Signature Series, very excited to see how they turn out.

I'm about to get my hands on the new Mad Rock Conflicts, look out for a review after a few weeks in Rocklands...

Hardcore Thursdays!

The last few weeks have been fantastic. I have managed to spend a great deal of time on the rock again. Thursday 2nd of June I managed to hit Fernkloof! Fantastic day. I finally managed to put down the second ascent of Paul Brouard's A Will To Cower. The line was fantastic. I had a long struggle on it, but the conditions were fantastic and on my 5th go of the day I stuck the big move to the sloping two finger hold. The boulder problem preceding this move revolves around 3 bolts of tiny sloping crimps which are a real pain to hold on to. The best sequence turned out to be playing catch up with one hand following the other. The feet also had to moved 3-to-1 for each hand movement. Was a great deal of climbing for so few holds.

Afterwards, I jumped on to a project, the only project, at Fern. This one is an open project that Andrew bolted a while back. Starts left of Acromax and finishes on the same last move. I found a way to do most of the moves individually, but they are insanely hard. Maybe they'll feel better in the future.

The weekend was great. I went to Blyde River Canyon with Hector Pringle, Ian Kotze, Richard Behne and Hilton Davies. I hadn't met Hilton or Ian previously and I was not disappointed. They are both characters of note! My first day there was a long one that started off very slowly. I followed Hector on three lines, an 18, 19 and then a 27/28+. The 28 looks fantastic! I cannot wait to try it again someday. The first line I led was really hard, 30+ at least. Ended up aiding it. I think that Hilton and Ian called it a 22 A1. It is really cool. I loved it. I think that it will be best to boulder out the beginning, possibly 7C/+, into easy climbing above. FANTASTIC. Sunday was much better for me, I was feeling much more comfortable on the rock. I tried a crack called Aqua Balls (22) but I couldn't manage it. Truth be told, it's not my style and it hurt my hands a lot. Tape would be great for next time. Afterward, I managed to flash a 20 and a 21. Both are absolutely amazing climbs. The 21, Prelude to Luca, is a long route, 35m of crack. First is offwidth, then fingers, then fist jams! Don't use all your #3s too early or you'll end up running it out for 5m+ like me before you can place something bigger. Nothing smaller will go either. The topout is also a lot of fun as you bust through the roof with interesting jams and a heel hook!

Aqua Balls (22)

Hector, Ian and myself

I was really shaken up after the days in cracks. My left wrist really took some strain. So much so that I had to see a doctor about it. Turns out that I have Carpel Tunnel Syndrome in my left wrist and the recommended recourse is surgery. I'll let that one slide for as long as I possibly can, that's for sure.

Wednesday Flex and I headed off to Boven, climbed Jabs twice in the cold and wet weather. Thursday was also frigid, cold enough that I was definitely not taking off my shirt, needed to wear thermal pants too. I wasn't really feeling on top of my game, did two attempts which were frustrating. I was feeling pretty bleak and didn't think I was in a sending mode. I ended up taking a third go which I was gonna use as training.

I quickly moved through the lower crux but my fingers were cold and sore. I sat in the double kneebar, kept my hands under my armpits and in my elbows to rewarm them. After a minute or two I moved on, did the next few moves effortlessly, clipped the crux draw and came back to the jugs below. I shook out for a minute, focused deeply and moved into the crux. Double undercling, left hand to lower sidepull, right foot up, bounce the left hand to the higher sidepull with the thumb catch, move the right foot, right hand to the really small hold, move the right foot on to the face, left hand to the micro, left foot to the decent hold (don't lose your balance), left hand again, right foot, left hand stab to the slot! GOT IT! Keep on moving, don't let go! Move through the clip, move through the underclings, catch the jug after the traverse! WOoHOo! Fantastic, now if my hands are just able to hold on to the frozen holds. I recovered some steam and then forced my way to the top. I was very happy to reach the finish holds. I almost fell off twice because it was horribly cold, wasn't even pumped but it was a journey. I didn't find the route that hard overall. It was really fun and I'm glad it only took 14 attempts.

I ran up Hell Yeah (27) afterward. Was great climbing, just too bad it has all those massive ledges on it.

Rest day on Friday.

Saturday, tried Backcountry Butcher (31), got butchered. Flex send Jabberwocky. I onsighted African Rain (26) later that day and then tried to climb Rodan (34). Didn't make it to the chains on this attempt and had to cheat my way to the top on Sunday to clean it. Was feeling a bit unmotivated but this all changed when I flew up Rude Bushman (24) and then got on Strata (32). Fran was belaying me on my first try and a big piece of rock broke at the first bolt and whacked her on the head. I felt horrible but it was just a bump and she is fine. I worked out the moves for Strata in two goes, apart from 2m of climbing but I am pretty sure I have a good idea how to do it. I'm very excited. The route is very fun and atypical of Boven. Great stuff.

Monday I managed to do some training at the boulder cave. I set myself a really hard boulder problem. I can do the moves, but after it gets to around 15 moves, the power-endurance starts to run out. I did some campus training too.

Did one or two 1-4-7 moves with my right hand. I can touch the middle of the plank with my left hand but could not get the fingers over the top of it. It is really just a matter of time. I am really enjoying my time on plastic, it is making me quite a bit stronger.