On that FAAAAR Ridge!

Clinton Martinengo re-visited his problem "Drag Queen" at the Topside and managed to add a harder sit start, uping the grade to 7C+ and called it "Drag King". He then moved to the Lookout and opened a problem left of "Fit Birds" which he named "Great Escape" and also graded it 7C+.

Redhill's Hardest!

At Redhill, on the Vajra boulder, Emile Esterhuizen opened "Elfen Lied". The line traverses a steep face on poor slopers and crimps. Although he refuses to grade the problem, those that have tried it think it's somewhere near the 8A mark, which would make it the area's hardest problem.

Down South

Near his home in Simon's Town, Emile Esterhuizen opened two really cool problems, "Ooze smug" is a diagnal line crossing an overhanging face. Emile is always reluctant to grade anything so Marijus Šmigelskis tried the problem as well and reckons that 7C+ would be a conservative grade. Emile added "Koi Kaze" 7B, to a roof further uphill, an amazing problem with a striking resemblance to the pocketed limestone roof Chris Sharma climbs in "Rampage". And, at Redhill, at the Mushroom area, he opened another roof problem which he named "Zan Koku na Tenshi no Teeze" 7C, meaning "Cruel Angel's Thesis" in Japanese.

Echo Valley Additions

A number of new problems have been added to the boulders of Echo Valley in Topside over the past few years.

At the Graffiti boulders, Clinton Martinengo, Marijus Šmigelskis and Craig Reed opened two problems:

• "Monsters Inc" 7B - SS as for "Ryan Was Here" then climb left as for that problem, at the good hold on the arete, continue left and up across the face to top out as for "Doubt and Expectation". 

• "Duty Calls" 7C+ - SS on an undercling just right of "The Man Who Stepped Off The Page Of a Storybook" and climb the arete using the small crimps.

At the "Through The Core" boulder, Brian Chase opened the slightly eliminate "Pudgy Bitch" 7C+ a few meters right of "Osiris". From the pic below, sit start with both hands on 2 and a heel in 1. Do a big move to grab 4 as a gaston with the right hand, then match and move a bit right to top out up the slight prow. The slab and crack/rail on the right is off route

Way back in 2002, Dale Posthumus opened "xomox" 7B at the Halfway House. The problem sit starts with an undercling/sidepull for your left hand and a crimp for your right, then move up to the heuco and straight up to top out.

Ard Ay Repeated!

Clinton Martinengo made the 2nd ascent of Jerry Moffat's "Ard Ay" 8B at Topside on a sweltering spring day after numerous sessions to work the problem. To make matters even more challenging, the Argus Cycle Tour was happening the same day, blocking the normal access route to the boulders. As a result, Clinton was forced to do the long steep hike up from Boyes Drive in the heat!