After climbing that last problem, on my last day, in the night, I sat down on the boulder, switched of my headlamp and told my friend & spotter Steve to give me a minute before going back to camp. I looked up over the african sky as the milky way twinkled above my head. I felt the cool breeze in the air and it was totally quiet. Or could I hear my friend Elmas minimal techno pulse somewhere in the background? I shivered and thought back on my 1 month trip. A big smile and a tear was the result of this moment, this is what it’s all about I thought to myself…
Here comes a bunch of photos and stories from the past 2 weeks.
I’m a tourist I said to myself. Rocklands is really great but I have to see more than rocks as I’ve come half ways over the globe. Fortunately I wasn’t the only one with these kinds of ideas. So, over 20 people left Rocklands to go to Cape Town for partying, friday prayer in a beautiful mosque near Long Street (I guess I was the only one on the team for this one though), city life, shopping and a safari. this is South Africa after all -I needed to see some elephants!
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the former ”Slave Lodge”. the name says it all.
drumming with the brothers at Longmarket.
the house of Justin Hawkins in Rondebosch/Cape Town. thanks for the hospitality my man. the barbecue was my favorite night at your place -what a feast!
playing around at Topside with Table Mountain & Cape Town in the background.
different animals… and with so many great problems it’s hard to say which one’s are the best. but if you are looking for some fun compression on an amazing piece of rock, the Rhino must be high on the list?!
After the big weekend we got back to Rocklands. I finished some other great classics such as Minki, White Mazda Club, Au Bord Du l’Eau, the Rhino, Ron Ron et Caramel, the Hatchling, Pinotage assis, Springbock, No Late Benders (I don’t know if this addition really ads anything but at least you get a bit of routeclimbing feeling), John Denver etc. And then there was more partying. of course.
boy wonder Enzo on the Hatchling. our friend Melissa flashed this problem on her warm up and then did it another 4 times for video. I’m glad I did it at least once!
Pinotage assis. a classic. photo: Scott Noy.
the party machines Elma and Damian from Katoomba/Blue Mountains/Ozstralia. and thanks mates for all the good times, your generosity and for letting a teamless guy like me be part of the team.
the prodigal son Adam attempting Livin’ Large. this boulder is one of the most beautiful ever and looks like one of the most dangerous, ever. fortunately he convinced a large group of people to bring pads and spot him this time. he previously had really bad fall from the top.
But after a month of bouldering, one bad fall (and one that could have been two bad falls -anotherone of the crux of A Splash of Red, missing the pads with one leg) I started to feel pretty beaten up. The last day at camp I got woken up by the rain falling on my tent. At that point it really felt like it was time to move on.
And whats the conclusion of the trip? -S.A. is an amazing melting pot with a lot of history, culture and great climbing. But this is also a place where I’ve understood what REAL rasism is all about… and, NEVER watch the movie Thor on the plane back home, no matter how bored you are or even if a (normally) trustworthy mate from Down Under has recommended it…
the Great Voyage continues.