OUDTSHOORN WILLOWMORE DE HOEK DE RUST N12 UNIONDALE GEORGE

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Margaret Bertina Woods
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1 OUDTSHOORN LEGAL NOTE: All climbing is very dangerous & always at your own risk. Nobody is forcing you to climb. You choose to climb, so choose to go home before the risks become too high. Remember even small injuries can take 6 weeks to heal. No responsibility for inaccurate or incomplete information will be accepted by the scribe or Mountain Club of South Africa. The landowners accept no liability at all. Climbers take full responsibility for themselves at all times. Fixed protection will become unreliable, loose rock is common, solid rock becomes loose & RD writers make up most of the information with a beer at the computer. This RD is only a guide & is no substitute for experience, training, common sense & a touch of caution. So you are on your own take care! NOTE FROM THE HUMBLE SCRIBE: So many routes have been added been since the bolting ban was lifted in Much detail is missing from all resources publically available. This guide is an attempt to make this info available to everyone for free! Please note that this is a web based guide, draft copy, a work in progress, easy to change & additional information will be greatly appreciated. So please send missing details, corrections, additions & adjustments to marshall@qsafrica.co.za. You are welcome to print this out, or use the info for a better guide. Feel free! Please send me a copy. Thanks to the following people & resources which were used for various details:. Roger Nattrass for Legend of Lost Limestone. 2. Tony Lourens for Western Cape Crags. 3. Justin Lawson for notes on climb.co.za wiki pages. 4. Jeremy Colenso for historical details & answering numerous questions. 5. Kevan Watkins & Jeremy Colenso for the first topo. 6. Beth Higgins & crew for a bunch of details. 7. Thanks to the MCSA EP Section for the space to post up RDs on their web site. 8. Special thanks to Debbie Thompson who patiently effects numerous web requests. DIRECTIONS: From Oudtshoorn take the R328 for 23km towards Cango Caves. km before the Cango Caves turn L onto the Swartberg Pass & Prince Albert Road. 6km further turn R, follow this tar road to De Hoek Mountain Resort. All the crags are within walking distance of the camp ground. N R328 MONTAGU SWELLENDAM BARRYDALE LAINGSBURG R62 TOWERKOP LADISMITH CALITZDORP N2 R62 OUDTSHOORN DE HOEK R328 N2 GEORGE DE RUST N9 UNIONDALE WILLOWMORE N9 R322 SEA R329 WATERKLOOF STEYTLERVILLE SANDVLAKTE N2 GLENCONNER R75 STUDTIS PINNACLE GORGE 4X4 ROAD UITENHAGE PATENSIE JOUBERTINA GRIPPS R322 BOOBIAAN KRANZ R62 HANKEY KAREEDOU KOUGA WILDERNIS PORT ELIZABETH WHERE TO STAY: De Hoek Mountain Resort has great camping, bungalows & chalets at reasonable prices. Telephone for reservations. Check out: or info@dehoekmountainresort.co.za. Note: reservations are fond of saying the resort is fully booked when it is in fact empty, so just pitching up at the gate is a good option especially if you are camping. The campsite can be loud when it is in season or there is a bike rally on. Tip: the tap water is over chlorinated, but the stream has perfect drinking water.

2 There are plenty of B&Bs, hotels & other accommodation in the Oudtshoorn area. Take your pick. ACCESS: Access is completely open. HISTORY: Sean Maasch and Jono Fisher first went to Oudtshoorn around 99. They came back with tales of drilling pockets, enlarging them by squirting acid from a metal syringe into the holes, to create these perfect lines linking blank sections between tufas. This became the route ''Seven", inspired by the Brad Pitt/Morgan Freeman film remember the seven-deadly-sins. The drilling and chipping at Oudtshoorn has to be seen in the context of the era. Chipping, drilling and gluing was all the rage in Europe at the time, as climbers tried to create 8c routes that relied on endurance rather than getting the grade from a single hard move. This stands to reason if you consider that bouldering grades had only just touched the font 8a barrier with problems like Karma. At the time the existence of a limestone crag in South Africa was a big wind up, but of course the only people who knew where it was were Sean and Jono, who were not letting anyone go there without them. The whole crag then lay fallow for a few years, while Montagu was developed. Sean got married and had kids, Jono left the country to pursue his climbing/modeling career & Jeremy got involved in winning competitions to get sponsorship, and travelling to Europe and the US to climb. In 995 Jeremy Colenso ended up at Rhodes University on a Sports Scholarship. He & Shannon Law set out to explore the Eastern Cape sport climbing potential. In the same year (995) during a varsity vacation, armed with a Rhodes University drill and bolts they went looking for limestone in the most obvious place to look for limestone, the area around the Cango Caves. They came across the Main Wall at De Hoek, walked in, and saw the only line that had been bolted & because of the drilled pockets immediately recognized it as being the work of Sean and Jono. Their secret crag had been discovered. Jeremy & Shannon immediately set out to find out who the land belonged to and obtained permission to place bolts. Since the bolts were mostly sponsored by Rhodes University they had to strike a balance between easier routes and hard projects. In the interests of what is now known as 'eco tourism' Oudtshoorn municipality was convinced to sponsor some of the bolts. The king line, Short Circuit, was quickly sussed out. It got its name after a drilling incident: Guy Holwill had leant Jeremy his cordless drill that had been set up to be powered by a motor bike battery which hung between the legs in a separate bag. Halfway up the route, drilling on lead of course, during a really long stretch to place the next bolt, Jeremy pull one of the wires loose from the battery, which then touched the wire attached to the other terminal. The short circuit immediately set on fire the bag holding the battery. Just as the flames started to melt his harness and rope, he managed to pull the wire free of the battery, unclip the bag and toss it away from Shannon, down the scree slope, suffering only minor burns to his hand in the process. Other lines such as El Nino, Jonny Rotten, Sid Vicious etc were bolted and climbed around the same time and were training routes for Short Circuit which was climbed the following year, 996, after a number of visits. Paul Schlotveldt, Gunther Migeotte, Arno Naude, Keith James and Mike Roberts were also active in developing Oudtshoorn around that time. Jeremy sent Short Circuit in 996, Bitter Sweet on the Blue Wall was dispatched after a few tries in 997. A month or two later he bolted and began working Streetfighter. 998 saw Jeremy leaving for the on sighting potential of the bolted crags of France and Spain. SECURITY: Not an issue at all. Still take the usual precautions. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: Please educate your entire group properly on all these points. Never presume that they would know.. The major issue is San/Bushman paintings. Please don t touch, damage, disturb, wet or destroy the San/Bushman paintings. The whole of de Hoek is a San/Bushman site. Don t scratch in the dirt of the cave floor. 2. SANCF members please note that graffiti is not tolerated at any crags at all. Please do not add to the existing graffiti in the caves. The MCSA is in the process of removing the existing graffiti & are taking Kung-fu lessons. 3. Don t crap at the crags, close to the crags or on the path. 4. Don t make fires in the overhangs. This may destroy the San/Bushman paintings & leads to harvesting of wood. We don t want to encourage non-climbers to braai at the crags. 2

3 5. Don t leave any rubbish. 6. Keep to the paths. 7. BOLTING: a) Don t bolt close to or over any painting. b) Think before you bolt. Is the line in your mind really worth bolting? Will it add to the area? c) All fixed equipment STREAM must be stainless steel. d) All routes to be safely bolted. No massive run outs. DE HOEK MOUNTAIN RESORT POOLS BLUE WALL SHORT CIRCUIT AREA BEST SEASON: Oudtshoorn offers all year round climbing. Winter will be cold especially at night. In summer it will be hot. Short Circuit Sector gets shade early & Main Wall shade in the afternoon. Main Wall fairs well in poor weather & rain. FREEDOM WALL CURIOSITY CRAG SKINNY LEGS WALL THE INCREDIBLES WALL INITIATION WALL MAIN WALL THE WATCH TOWER ROCK TYPE: Steep limestone. This is the only limestone climbing in Southern Africa. There are about 90 sport lines & naturally protected route. USING THE GUIDE:. Crags and routes have been recorded as you walk-in to the crag. 2. Maps indicate general layout. They are not in perfect scale. Paths & tracks on the maps indicate general direction only. Paths may/will become grown over in a short period of time. 3. L and R will be given as if you were facing the crag. TO SWARTBERG PASS & PRINCE ALBERT R328 TO OUDTSHOORN STAR RATING SYSTEM * Good route at this crag. ** Good route in this province. *** Clasic in South Africa. ABBRIVIATIONS T Trad route, natural gear 6B Number of bolts HAZARDS, SAFETY & WARNINGS: Oudtshoorn is on the whole relatively safe. There are very few hazards. C Chains or top anchors Remember climbing is always at your own risk. Nobody is forcing you to climb. Just go home before the risks become too high.. Not many snakes have been spotted. Not much of an issue. 2. Baboons could be a hazard & should be considered very dangerous. Do not corner them or approach them in any way. Do not try to displace them. 3. Techno, house & other noise played full blast on poor quality car stereo systems. Calm pill will help or just stay at the crags till you absolutely have to return to your campsite. 3

INITIATION WALL Follow the path to the Main Wall that starts about 50m outside the entrance to De Hoek. These routes are on the buttress before the Main wall is reached.

4 INITIATION WALL Follow the path to the Main Wall that starts about 50m outside the entrance to De Hoek. These routes are on the buttress before the Main wall is reached.. The Dark Ride 7 Derek Marshall & William Lesley (6B&C) Dec Southern Cross 6 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (4B&C) Ride the Sky 8 Derek Marshall & Craig Bester (5B&C) Dec Pins & Needles 8 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (5B&C) Initiation 20 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (6B&C) Dr Stein - 8 Derek Marshall & Craig Bester (0B&C) Dec Victim of Fate - 23 Derek Marshall & Craig Bester (0B&C) Dec Deja vu a la Buoux 22* Keith James (0B&C) 987 The following routes are just below the Initiation Wall. Unfortunately this slab was originally set in thick bush which burned & damaged the rock shortly after the routes were opened. 9. Loosing My Grip 8 Craig Bester & Derek Marshall (8B&C) Dec Jwab Cut 23 Derek Marshall & Craig Bester (7B&C) Dec Under the Blade 22 Derek Marshall & Craig Bester (7B&C) Dec 2004 INITIATION WALL

5 MAIN WALL This is the impressive overhanging face a few 00m before the camp ground gate. Very hot in the morning, but gets afternoon shade /2 33/ / / /33 30/3 27/28 / / 25 20/2/ 22/23 7/8 /9 5/ 6 3/ 4 /2 0 8/9 6/7 5 3/4 2 Please respect the Bushman/San paintings. Please don t touch, scratch, damage, wet or climb over any of the paintings. These paintings are irreplaceable heritage. Damage to the painting is illegal, carries a >R0 000 fine & hopefully time in jail. Damage to these painting will result in closure of the venue to climbing. Thus climbers should take karate lessons or be prepared to use draw flails in defense of the paintings. Yes, box! Make a stand! Fires must not be made at the Main Wall as we do not want to encourage general picnickers to start braai-ing here.. False Accusations 25 Jason Temple-Forbes 2006 Bolted by Scott Miller. 2. Half Lazy - Open Project 35-ish Jason Temple-Forbes 3. Blackie Lawless 26 Juan-dray & Derek Marshall (9B&C) Bitter & Twisted 26 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (0B&C) Rapscallion La Codge 24 Mike Roberts & Alan (Bra) Briers (9B&C) 998 Bolted by Keith James. 6. Seven Wimp Finish 29 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (8B&C) Seven 32 Tommy Caldwell (B&C) 998 Bolted & created by Sean Maasch & Jono Fisher in Closed Project 34-ish Juan-dray Marshall (9B&C) 9. El Nino 30*** Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (9B&C) 997 5

6 0. Jonny Rotten 27** Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (9B&C) 997. Hard Play 29 Jason Temple-Forbes 2. Squeeze Play 23 Scott Miller (9B&C) Phallic Mechanic 24 Paul Schlotfelt & Clee Roy (8B&C) The Vice Pudenda Menda 23 Scott Miller 2006 (9B&C) 6. Closed Project 34/35 - ish Jason Temple-Forbes 7. Goony Goo-goo 22 Deon Hugo (8B&C) Fin, Fang, Fly 23 Jason Temple-Forbes (B&C) 2006 Start up Goonie Goo Goo then branch off left. 9. Going, Going, Gone 29 Sean Maarsh 20. Little Up 24 Andy Davies (7B&C) 2. Up for Grabs 32 Tommy Caldwell (B&C) 998 Bolted by Roger Nattrass. 22. Closed Project Sean Maarsh 23. The Quickening 28 Jason Temple-Forbes 24. Lost Safari 28 T.Zwolak (9B&C) 2004 Extension to Sid Vicious. 25. Sid Vicious 27 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (2B&C) Mama Africa 3 J.Kudtaty (2B&C) Paws 26*** Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (9B&C) 996 Previously known as Tears for Fears. Bolted by Arno Naude 28. Talons Closed Project 32-ish Juan-dray Marshall (24B&C) 30. Big Foot 26 Jason Temple-Forbes (8B&C) Menopause - 27 Jason Temple-Forbes (3B&C) Kohler-Turkstra 3 Tommy Caldwell (0B&C) Closed Project 34-ish Clinton Martiningo 34. Closed Project 34-ish Jason Temple-Forbes 35. Streetfighter 34*** Grant Campbell (3B&C) 2006 Bolted by Jeremy Colenso in 997. Canadian Grant Campbell called it Two to Win, but after much bickering the old project name was re-adopted & has stuck. Was the hardest route in Africa till Adam Ondra opened Mazawattee (35) in

THE WATCH TOWER Follow the path from the Main Wall. The Watch Tower is the obvious semi-free standing pillar. Routes are recorded from L to R: IN PROGRESS. All Along the Watchtower 9 Scott Noy 2006 2.

7 THE WATCH TOWER Follow the path from the Main Wall. The Watch Tower is the obvious semi-free standing pillar. Routes are recorded from L to R: IN PROGRESS. All Along the Watchtower 9 Scott Noy Dust till Dawn - 2 Scott Miller Supafly - 2 Scott Miller 2006 Curiosity Crag Up and right from The Watch Tower, a large crag with a slabby base 4. Curiosity Killed the Cat - 22 Scott Noy 2006 Route may need higher chains to prevent rope drag. SKINNY LEGS WALL Follow the path from the Main Wall & passed The Watch Tower. Head across the slope and up to a Bushman cave. Scramble up to a blocky ledge left of the cave using the metal staples that were fitted by Douw Steyn. Routes are recorded from L to R. Closed Project 34/35-ish Sean Maarsh Follows break veering left. 2. Skinny Legs 27*** 30m Jimbo Smith 2008 Start on tufas, up yellow wall to top tufa system. 3. Closed Project Douw Steyn up slab onto overhanging face THE INCREDIBLES WALL Follow the path from the Main Wall & passed The Watch Tower. Head across the slope. Where the path goes up to Skinny Legs Wall, continue down the path.. Mr Incredible 3*** Jason Temple Forbes 200 Very long line running up the entire left side of the overhang - Check the knot in the end of your rope! 2. Closed project 26-ish Higgins and Jason Temple Forbes Step off viewing platform to finish at chains of Mr Incredible. 7

FREEDOM WALL Above & R of the Initiation Sector. Sweet easy sector.. Freedom Fighter 4 Craig Bester & Derek Marshall (5B&C) Jan 2004 2.

8 FREEDOM WALL Above & R of the Initiation Sector. Sweet easy sector.. Freedom Fighter 4 Craig Bester & Derek Marshall (5B&C) Jan Calculated Sacrifice 2* Derek Marshall & Martin Rehm (6B&C) Dec Chasing After the Wind 20* Derek Marshall & Martin Rehm (6B&C) Dec Under the Sun 2** Derek Marshall & Martin Rehm (6B&C) Dec * Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (6B&C) Lord of the Dassies 2 Martin Rehm & Derek Marshall (6B&C) Dec Dungeon Dassies - 2 Martin Rehm & Derek Marshall (6B&C) Dec Closed Project 24-ish Derek Marshall (2B&C) 9. Closed Project 24-ish Derek Marshall (2B&C) FREEDOM WALL

FORBIDEN WALL & WAVE This is the perfect overhanging, wave like wall in the valley to the L of the resort gate. Unfortunately it is super smooth & basically un-climbable without altering the rock.

9 FORBIDEN WALL & WAVE This is the perfect overhanging, wave like wall in the valley to the L of the resort gate. Unfortunately it is super smooth & basically un-climbable without altering the rock. Beware there are two bee hives occupying this section of rock. Not nice honey bees nasty kranz bees! IN PROGRESS. First Last Everything 26 Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (??B&C) 998 Bolted by Ian Manson. 2.?? (No details) Ed February 998 This is very close to the bee hive on the RH side. 3.?? (No details) M.Jenner This is the upper tier above the Wave. 4. Fair Ground Attraction 9 Jeremy Samson & G.Reay (??B&C) 998 Climbs the featured face. 5. Playing Field 2** Jeremy Samson & G.Reay (??B&C) 998 Climbs the crack/seam. Excellent route. 6. Perforation Arête 24 Jason Temple-Forbes (??B&C) 998 9

SHORT CIRCUIT AREA BLUE WALL 5 4 8 7 3 6 2 20 9 6 2 SHORT CIRCUIT SECTOR 0 9 8 7 5 4 3 2. Toilet Camper 0 Craig Bester & Derek Marshall (7B&C) Jan 2004 2.

10 SHORT CIRCUIT AREA BLUE WALL SHORT CIRCUIT SECTOR Toilet Camper 0 Craig Bester & Derek Marshall (7B&C) Jan Snow Blind - 2 Phil Oliver & Jacques Redelinghuys (T) Obvious L trending trad crack. 3. Käpten Blau Bär 22* Martin Rehm & Derek Marshall (5B&C) Jan Aces High 26** Derek & Juan-dray Marshall (6B&C) Honig Bär 2* Martin Rehm & Derek Marshall (9B&C) Jan Mach 3 28 Martin Renz (8B&C) Behr Hug 24** Mike Behr (6B&C) Barely Legal 25*** Magnus Wagener & Derek Marshall (5B&C) Jan Brother Bear 25** Morné van der Mescht & Derek Marshall (5B&C) Tokiloshi Gaan Jou Vang 28 Juan-dray & Derek Marshall (6B&C) Gillette 20 Jeremy Samson (6B&C) Empire of Sand 7 Derek Marshall & William Lesley (5B&C) Dec Live Wire - Closed Project Jamie Smith (9B&C) Bolted Dec Closed Project Jamie Smith (9B&C) Bolted Dec Closed Project 33-ish Juan-dray Marshall (5B&C) 6. Short Circuit 3*** Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (5B&C) Chicks Dig It Too 20** Ian Manson (0B&C) Chicks Dig It 8** Ian Manson (0B&C) Closed Project? Jason Temple-Forbes (0B&C) 20. Closed Project? Jason Temple-Forbes (0B&C) 2. Pump Action - 28 Joe Möhle 20 (3B&C) 0

Barrier Reef 7 Shannon Law & Jeremy Colenso July 997 (4B&C) 2. An Ostrich s Life is Short, Hard & Brutish 26* Shannon Law & Jeremy Colenso July 997 (5B&C) 3.

11 BLUE WALL Walk-in as for Short Circuit Sector, but walk a little further before venturing into the bush. Up the slop on a vague path. BLUE WALL 2. Bitter Sweet 3** Jeremy Colenso & Shannon Law (7B&C) Nov Bobbejaan 33** Klem Loskott 998 Bolted by Jeremy Samson. BARRIER REEF BARRIER REEF Barrier Reef 7 Shannon Law & Jeremy Colenso July 997 (4B&C) 2. An Ostrich s Life is Short, Hard & Brutish 26* Shannon Law & Jeremy Colenso July 997 (5B&C) 3. Battery Powered Vorr-Vorr 25* Craig Bruton (4B&C) July Great White 26** Shannon Law & Jeremy Colenso (5B&C) looks easy-ish?? (No details) 6. looks easy-ish?? (No details)

12 BUSHMAN CAVE This is the impressive looking smaller cave about 300m up the valley to the L of Short Circuit Sector. Unfortunately this cave has very limited potential & will yield very few lines without extensive manufacturing. There could be some bouldering in the cave.. Open Project 35-ish Clinton Martiningo (9B& no Chains) Adam Ondra tried this project in He said it would take him some days to free & would probably be 9a or harder, but it would go. 2

1 Updated 18/08/2016 Derek Marshall

1 Updated 18/08/2016 Derek Marshall Updated 8/08/206 Derek Marshall LEGAL NOTE: All climbing is very dangerous & always at your own risk. Nobody is forcing you to climb. You choose to climb, so choose to go home before the risks become too