USSA 2009

The annual inter-university climbing championship (USSA) was held at The Barn in Pretoria, with lead and sport climbing events. The University of Cape Town dominated in the men's bouldering, claiming all three podium positions. Marijus Šmigelskis flashed all three of the finals problems, Andrew Wood topped out all three, flashing two and Duncan Fraser managed top out two, both on the flash attempt. Ilse Labuschagne climbed very smoothly and also flashed all three of the ladies finals problems. Julia Chen topped out all three, flashing one, and Emma Boyd got close but did not manage any top outs.

	Mens	Ladies
1.	Marijus Šmigelskis   (UCT)	Ilse Labuschagne   (TUKS)
2.	Andrew Wood   (UCT)	Julia Chen   (UCT)
3.	Duncan Fraser   (UCT)	Emma Boyd   (WITS)

Mat and Greg send

At Coppermine in Redhill, Greg Streatfield made the 4th ascent of "Pandemonium" 7C and Mat Rowe got the 4th ascent of "Panic Room" 7C+ on his second session on the line. Mat then moved on to Bonnydoon in Topside and did the second ascent of "Real Champs Get Thisty" 7C+ in only 20 minutes of work, proving suspicions that the line will be far easier for taller climbers.

Two P's and an FA

The last weekend of June saw several good sends in Cape Town. At Coppermine in Redhill, Andrew Wood and Mat Rowe got the 2nd and 3rd ascents of the super classic "Pandemonium" 7C, both on their second sessions on the problem. Andrew then found an alternate sequence for "Panic Room" 7C+, bypassing the crux pull of a poor sloper pinch, but says it probably won't work for taller climbers. Dom Riordan then made 3rd ascent of "Panic Room" the following day, using the orginal method (which may be 8A according to several other cape boulderers). Andrew then continued his great sending form at Bonnydoon in Topside and established an excellent little compression problem named "Real Champs Get Thirsty" after a cheap softdrink company, also somewhere around the 7C+ mark...

March Hits

Andrew Wood made the second ascent of "Parthenon" 8A at the Deadwood boulder at TDA. He was close to sending the line before having to return home to KZN for the university holidays in December 2008. Upon his return, 5 or 6 more sessions yielded success on the problem.

One of Redhill's longest standing and most tried projects fell to Marijus Šmigelskis when he sent "Mayhem", at a fairly modest grade of 7C. The line features a big pull to poor pinch sloper above a sketchy two-tiered landing.

February Hits

Surprisingly another new problem was put up at the main boulder at TDA. A fairly obviously line at that which somehow got overlooked over the years! Marijus Šmigelskis added an alternate sit start to "Skunk", starting as for "Invisible Monsters" and climbing straight up and slightly left to create "Monster Skunk" 7C.

At Redhill, Andrew Wood sent the classic traverse testpiece "Elfen Lied" 8A on his 1st try after two previous sessions working the line. Later that day, he made an impressive flash of the powerful "Madness the Magnet" 7B+. Marijus Šmigelskis added a harder finish to "The Crazy 88" which involved a big throw to poor slopers, to create "Pai Mei" 8A+.

Marijus on "Pai Mei".

 Edvinas Šmigelskis visited Turkey's premier bouldering area, Bafa Lake and managed to get some impressive sends in on his 2 week stay. The highlights were fast sends of "Epifanic" 8A+, the dyno problem "Kill Bill" 7C/8A and "Moon Safari" 8A.

Edvinas on "Epifanic".