This is the first night that I slept all the way through. I jumped out of bed so excited to climb finally we are here, I have been dreaming of this place since last year when I saw the article in 'climbing mag' that Cedar had written about the NorthFace team. I am happy to report this place is fucking huge, endless in every direction. Really the only problem with this place is that it is so big access can take hours of hiking but it is worth every step.
Right off the bat we meet this American guy Tom, that Jenn and Nick had met earlier in their travels while in Asia. He takes us up to the top of the pass to Rocklands proper. This area hosts most of the problems that I have seen pictures of including 'Nutsa' 8a+ this amazing over hanging bulge. This place is stacked with amazing problems of every grade. The great part about rocklands is that you can climb any grade all day long. I warm up slaying problems left and right so happy like a kid in a candy shop. I don't know how many times the words this is amazing roll off my tongue, but it never gets old. Because of the endless boulders only the three star problems have been choked up there is no need to climb anything but. Down the way a few meters I stumble apon the ultra classic 'Roof on fire' I have seen many shots of Lisa and Fred Nicole on this problem. I am so psyched to try this thing. Its just as good as it looks in the videos and climbs even better then I could of imagine on incut crimpers completely upside down.
The Next day we go to the boulders near the campground. Its the weekend and I am excited to see many other boulders. Good because there is no guide book for rocklands just a few spotty topos that people of jumbled together. I few minutes later I am sprayed down with beta and can hardly remember any of them. Ok I'll try this 7b 'Poison Dwarf' that a few others are trying. I get the flash. We wander through the boulders to another 7b called Minky this thing is amazing. completely horizontal on big sloping edges absolutely beautiful. Its nice have a possie of boulders one for the gym of mats and two for the increase in beta. One of the French kids jumps on and flashes. "How did you do that" we all say because this thing is super beta intensive including knee bars and weird sequence toe hooks. I saw a video he said. Still I am impressed many goes later I finally send. Man that thing was super hard for me.
We head up to another area called arch valley. Very apropriate because the problems climb through and around the many arches that snake through the land scape like a sea serpent. Speaking of snakes I hope I never see any. By this time after completing many of the problems here my fingers are red and very sore its time to be done. I need some rest and I need to grow some skin.
Its Bills Last day so we head for Capetown. This is a good chance to get food and rest But I can't wait to be back.
Our cottage is very nice and huge there are six beds in the whole place and plenty of room for us to not get cabin feaver in the next seven weeks.
I've got my eye on many hard problems and Hopefully I will send an 8a during this trip that is the goal.
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