Sports Climbing in South Africa
Principal Venues:
Waterval Bovern
Outdshorn
Montagu
Rocklands
Truitjies Kraal
Paarl Rock
Cape Peninsula Crags.
Access:
Access is often by permit. Always check the current situation before climbing with The Mountain Club of South Africa. http://www.mcsa.org.za
Websites:
Guidebooks:
“Menu for The Restaurant” by Gustav Janse van Rensburg.
ISBN: 0-620-31108-8
“Western Cape Rock” Sports climbing in the Western Cape by Tony Laurens
ISBN: 0-620-33272-7
Accommodation:
Rock and Rope, is the ideal base for Waterfall Boven. http://www.rocrope.com
Debos Guest Farm is the campsite of choice at Montegu http://www.debos.co.za/
The Sanddrif Campsite at Dwarsrivier Farm is just one option in the Cederberg.
Climbing:
The Bovern
The climbing is described as a tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe at Waterval Bovern has the highest concentration of excellent single pitch bolt routes in South Africa. There are over 500 routes on superb compact quartzite described in the recent (2004) climbing guide “Menu for The Restaurant” by Gustav Janse van Rensburg.
Outdshorn
Outdshorn is the only limestone crag in South Africa
there only 30 routes but the area is worth visiting and the climbing is
excellent. Oudtshoorn is about five or six hours' drive from Cape Town. Take the
N1 to Worcester, then turn off onto the R60 towards Robertson. Drive through
Robertson and Ashton to Montagu. From Montagu, take the R62 and pass through
Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn. From Oudtshoorn, follow the
signs towards the Cango Caves. About 30 km from Oudtshoorn (and 1 km before the
Cango Caves), turn left into the Prins Albert road. Drive for 5km to the De Hoek
turnoff (on the right). De Hoek is about 1 km down the road.
The crags are all on private land and the access to them is very sensitive. It
is imperative to check the current access with the manager of the adjacent De
Hoek campsite.
Outdshorn
Topos.
Backpackers Paradise, Oudtshoorn (Little Karoo), South Africa
Montegu
Nearly half of the routes in the Western Cape lie in and around Montegu
which is 200km east of Cape Town. They are predominantly single pitch routes on
excellent hard sandstone. Montagu is a rock climbing paradise with over 300
bolted routes at all grades, all within walking distance of De Bos and good
climbing weather most of the year. Stuart and Regula welcome you to De Bos,
Montagu, Klein Karoo, Route 62, Western Cape, South Africa.
De Bos offer a variety of accommodation, self-catering rooms and bungalows, B&B,
back packers barn and camping.
The Cederberg
The Cederberg is a very beautiful and unique mountain range and is well known for its awesome trad climbing and world famous bouldering at Rocklands. Some good sports climbing can also be found in this area at Truitjies Kraal.
Paarl Rock
For something really different visit Paarl Rock which is situated about 60km north of Cape Town. The rounded granite domes provide for some exciting slab climbing, the best of the bunch being Park Life 27 and Children of a Lesser God 22.
Peninsula Crags
Table Mountain with its fantastic traditional routes towers over Cape Town Cape but for the sports climber a visit to the accessible Peninsula Crags can easily be combined with a trip to Cape of Good Hope nature reserve and Cape Point.