August Hits

The Redhill testpiece "Chaos" 8A has finally seen some action. Dominic Riordan got the second ascent followed by Edvinas Šmigelskis, and Shaun Harris. Dominic returned shortly after to add a lower start off the pedestal, bumping the grade up a notch resulting in "Entropy", his first 8A+. "Chaos" was originally opened by Emile Esterhuizen at 7C but he had deviated slightly from how the project was intended to go, and so Marijus Šmigelskis claimed the first ascent of the proper line in 2007 which required a big pull off a sloper rail to small slopey edges.

Andrew Wood has been busy cleaning up at TDA. He added a sit start to the "Skunk Dyno" at 7C and then clocked in a few days of effort to make the second ascent of the traverse "Chinese Nosebleed" 7C+. Then after a few more sessions he did the extension "The Last Line of Defence" 8A as well, his first of the grade.

Donovan Willis has added another hard problem to the boulders of Kaapsehoop. "The Frailty of Sentimentality" 7C was a long term project in the Forest sector and is likely to be hard for its grade.

Emile Esterhuizen completed his long term project "Möwe" at Redhill. The line which follows the lip of a large roof will weigh in somewhere around 8A+ or 8B mark and is harder than Emile's previous creation "Koeberg" 8A+ at Topside. The problem starts on large underclings and then moves rightwards on tiny letterbox slot crimps to make a powerful move to a gaston before topping out.

Woody send Voodoo Thursday

Andrew Wood has made the 4th ascent of the desperate TDA testpiece "Voodoo Thursday" 7C+ after 4 sessions of working the problem. This is Andrew's first 7C+ and comes only weeks after climbing his first 7C, "Caveman" also at TDA.

Andrew on "Voodoo Thursday"

Black Shadow for Marijus

In Rocklands, Julia Chen did "Creeper" 7A, which is the right hand start to the ultra classic "Human Energy" at the Plateau Boulders. Marijus Šmigelskis sent "Black Shadow" 8B. It took Marijus 2 afternoons to work out a sequence for the problem, then returning a few weeks later, he managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory and fell off from the finishing hold. The next Friday, he returned to send the line on his first go of the day...

Marijus on "Black Shadow"

July Hits

The Plateau Boulders in Rocklands have seen a lot of action lately and it seems that everyone is lining up to send the area's testpieces. Clinton Martinengo, Jon Reading, Marijus and Edvinas Šmigelskis, Scott Noy and Marc Efune all sent "Weichei" 7C+. Clinton Martinengo flashed "Louder Than Bombs" 7C and "Arch Baby" 7C, and Scott Noy did "Shadows of Ourselves" 7C+ at Kleinfontein. Julia Chen sent the super crimpy "Model Robber" 7B as well as "Teapot" 7A at the Campground Boulders. "Born Into Struggle" has also seen a lot of ascents, including a flash by Marijus and a consensus has been reached to downgrade the line from 7C to 7B+. Dale Posthumus is making a return to bouldering and repeated "Sunset Arete" 7C in a single session after having tried the problem briefly a few years ago.

Dale on "Sunset Arete"

At TDA on the Deadwood boulder, Marijus Šmigelskis added an excellent new problem called "Parthenon" 8A. It starts as for "Hip Hip Chin Chin" and then moves up and left through the steep wall using the big moves off small crimps to join "Xibalba". At the main boulder, Monique Harris dispatched her project and sent "Skunk" 7B, and Julia Chen got the first lady send of the crimpy sit start dubbed "Super Skunk" 7B+.

At the Roadside boulders in Rocklands, Julia Chen has probably become the first South African lady to climb the notorious "A Question of Balance" 7B. Although she got close to climbing the problem in one day, the moves took their toll and she returned send it on her next trip. Ben Harper and Marijus Šmigelskis also made repeats of the Roadside classic "Pendragon" 8A.

Julia on "A Question of Balance"

Martin Renz has been active in the Eastern Cape and has added a bunch of new problems to the boulders of Alicedale, the most notable being "Yoma Yoki Direst" and "Afterglow" both 7B+. He also repeated "Raptor" and "Joe Lives" both 7C in Hogsback.

Durbanites in Rocklands

Durban locals Mathieu Schneuwly and Benjamin and Rachelle de Charmoy made their annual winter pilgrimage to Rocklands and managed some good sends despite the rain storms that lasted more than half their trip. Rachelle sent "Model Robber" and "Directors Cunt" both 7B and Mathieu and Benjamin cleaned up around the Plateau Boulders with double sends of "Weichei" 7C+, "Born Into Struggle" 7B+/7C, and "Louder Than Bombs" 7C (which Mathieu flashed). Ben also tied up a project from last year and dispatched "Caroline" 7C, as well as the awesome dyno "Black Velvet" 8A. Mathieu also came close to doing "Black Velvet" and stuck the jump a couple of times minus the first move. Not bad at all for a bunch of sport climbers...

Rachelle on "Director's Cunt"

Mat sticking the "Black Velvet" dyno.