Exam Stress 8A

Marijus Šmigelskis has made the first ascent of "Exam Stress", The Classroom's longest standing project, which went down at around 8A. The new problem was the last remaining independent line at the area, which is home to many link-ups and eliminates and is notorious for it's sand-bagged grades. "Exam Stress" took Marijus several days of effort as the problem's brutally sharp holds only allowed for 2 or 3 serious send attempts per session.

Fallen Fighter

Marijus Šmigelskis has added a sit start to Joe Möhle's "Rise Up Fallen Fighter" 7B at The Scree, and bumped the grade up to 7C. Marijus also straighted the line out a bit by climbing straight up a blunt prow on poor slopers and avoided the better pockets on the left side as per Joe's original line. This new method is certainly harder, but it may be the only option for shorter climbers, and certainly adds to the grade.

JC at The Classroom

After a week of battling 40 degree temps in Rocklands, Julia Chen returned to Cape Town and visited The Classroom. The result was the first female ascent of the rather burly "7th Subject" 7A. Julia tried the first move a few months prior, a hard pull into high underclings, but had not attempted the other moves. This time, she sent the problem on her first try after working out how to do the opening move, flashing the top sequence.

 

Anro's first 7C!

Anro le Roux has climbed "Black Hoodie Rap" at the Vajra boulders at Redhill. This is Anro's first 7C and the 4th known ascent of the problem, which links the "Four Singers Extension" into the dyno finish of "Shark Lord Darren".

Dark Harvest

Marijus Šmigelskis established The Scree's hardest problem to date when he climbed "Dark Harvest" 8A+ last weekend. He had tried the problem earlier this year, but had to abandon his efforts during the rainy winter months as The Scree takes nearly 2 weeks to dry out. With summer on the way, Marijus resumed his efforts on the line, trying it during two night sessions after work last week and returning for the send on the weekend. The problems follows a series of tiny crimps up a steep prow and is possibly the best completed problem of the area.