Ah Rocklands! What a place!
As the temperatures rise and our 2021 season seems ever further away from us, Bloc 11 took a step back to reflect on our community’s season in our local paradise.
We took to the polls, asking you all to give us your sector of the season and your most notable sends.
And, man oh man you have done us proud!
First up, Roadcrew, the sector of the season 2021!
Season favourite: Roadcrew
History:
One of the original sectors of Rocklands, opened by Fred Nicole, Michi Tresch and Cedric Bersandi in 2002. Well chosen by our community as the sector of the season, Roadcrew offers up bullet-hard rock and truly unique lines.
Access:
Roadcrew is one of the many climbing sectors of the famous Pass area.
Parking for Roadcrew is the same as any of the other sectors;
Drive to the top of the Pakhuis Pass road (R364) and park at the obvious parking lot.
You will then walk the main jeep track for roughly 15-20min, finding the path to the right leading to Roadcrew itself. This turn off is after the hair-pin bend in the jeep track and before the river bed crossing it.
Follow this well marked path as it ascends, first past a large pillar of rock (keep it on your right) then across an epic field, before heading towards the upper ridges of the Pass. (Roadcrew sits almost all the way at the top!)
The path fades as you reach the rock bands just below the sector – follow the cairns! There are plenty of them marking the way to the top. Take it slow and keep looking out for the cairns, because they are out there.
This leg of your journey should take you around 20min.
And then, as your reward, you get one of the best views Rocklands has to offer.
Permits are very important for the entire Pass area, and they are relatively well policed. You can buy your permits from the Kliphuis campsite, The Pakhuys campsite and Traveller’s Rest Farmstall.
Roadcrew classics:
Roadcrew is a relatively small area, with a huge concentration of utterly 5 star boulders, from 5A to 8B+! And I mean, could we expect anything less from the one and only Fred Nicole?
Classic 6s:
Roadcrew is, in the opinions of the staff of Bloc 11, the best sector in Rocklands for high quality 6s!
Besides for the two we mention below, get out there and try Demi Lune, Mannerheim roof and Mary’s roof too! (Roofs, roofs everywhere!)
The Roof is on Fire (6C)
Ah yes, Rocklands roof problems, gotta love them!
Aptly named by red rock lit up at each sunset. A very aesthetic roof problem demanding a strong core, Roof on Fire is good to climb at any time, as the problem is shaded all day. Late afternoons are great if you are looking for a great photo opportunity.
Some of the shelves are a little thin. Climb carefully through these.
Naadirah Moola, photograph by Travis Tippens
Albert Falanga (and Albert Falanga’s incredible speedo), photograph by Rebecca Pretorius
Orange Heart (6C+)
Give it your heart, it deserves it.
Climbing like a powerful moon board problem, Orange Heart is a true classic in the grade.
Perfect crimps, demanding body tension and a powerful explosive finish, Orange Heart is well deserving of its place in our list of classics.
Best climbed in the morning or evening, as the midday sun hits the boulder.
Take a moment while you’re there to look at Golden Shadow (8B+) in the cave behind it. (Ashima Shiraishi climbed it at 13 years old!)
Classic 7Cs
Tomorrow I’ll be gone (7C)
The picture perfect highball, with an unusual style for the usually overhanging Rocklands.
A true aesthetic beauty, Tomorrow I’ll be Gone demands precision and finesse (and a few dedicated spotters)
Crimpy, technical start moves lead you ever upward on this impressive face, culminating in an incredible arete finish.
This one is your go-to for early mornings and very late afternoons, as it bakes in the sun for the entire day.
Adam Findlay climbing Tomorrow I'll be gone. Photograph by Tiffany Wells
Tiffany Wells on Une Rime Stupide, Photograph by Adam Findley
Une rime stupide (7C+)
Yay, another Rocklands roof!
It may not be the most aesthetic boulder in the area, but boy does it climb well.
Tensioned unforgiving body positions on small holds and slick feet. No room for hookery, it’s toe downs and drop knees all the way.
The crux involves a move that if your body position is out by even a little, you’re going to swing and dab.
Sustained effort and a very droppable end section.
Classic 8s
Amandla (8B+)
The mega classic! Opened by the Legend himself (Fred Nicole if you weren’t sure) on absolutely perfect rock.
Amandla gets its name from the Xhosa apartheid protest song of the same name – translated as Power to the People.
A poignant nod to our country’s troubled history, it also held the crown for hardest line in Rocklands at the time it was opened.
A true test piece, Amandla is well worth the effort.
Steve Bradshaw on Amadla, photograph by Dylan Wyer
We also asked you:
What was your favourite shoe of the season?
Of the many suggestions that came through we managed to narrow down the four most popular shoes used this season. They are the Scarpa Drago, La Sportiva Solution, Tenaya Oasi and Scarpa Instinct.
It’s not surprising that these four were the season favorites when we look at the individual specs of each shoe. We see prominent attributes that are similar across the board; down turned toe, sticky rubber, high performance. All 4 are also suggested to be suitable for bouldering and steep terrain.
When we put these shoes against each other on Instagram the poles were all incredibly close. The final decider came down to the Scarpa Instinct and the La Sportiva Solution. La Sportiva Solutions came out top in the final pole.
The La Sportiva Solution has always been a Rocklands favourite and has been one of the most consistent climbing shoe brands South Africa has had exposure to. The Scarpa Instinct is relatively new to the market, only being supplied to South Africa at the beginning of this year. Even with this potentially affecting popularity it still made the top two favorites and with a steady supply to the public we foresee it only becoming more popular next Rocklands season.
What was your favorite boulder pad of the season?
The top 4 popular pads were the Mad Rock Triple, Black Diamond Mondo, Big Rig (yay for supporting local!!!) and the Mad Rock Duo. As with the top shoes, the top 4 boulder pads of the season had some similar specs between each other, the most obvious one being that they are all big! I mean, all you want in a boulder pad is that it covers as much surface area as possible with thick foam so that when you fall, your landing is as comfortable as possible.
However, when things are big, they also become heavy! With any of these pads you are looking at carrying anything between 7kgs (Mad Rock Duo/ Big Rig) to 10 kgs (Black Diamond Mondo / Mad Rock Triple)! With the added weight we suggest, for comfort, to source a pad with a waist belt as well as padded straps, which most of these pads have.
After a nail-biting preliminary round of poles the final decider came down to a show down between the Mad Rock Duo and the Black Diamond Mondo Pad. An honorable mention must go to the Big Rig Climber which is a South African Brand which hit the market this year, we look forward to what they have in store for us next season! The final pole was neck and neck till the last few hours where the Mondo took over the Mad Rock Duo, winning with 58% of viewer votes. In the words of a friend shouting to me at the top of the boulder after a send, ‘You can do anything if you’ve got the Mondo’.
Sends of the Season
Thank you to all those who entered into our Season Sends competition on instagram, so inspiring to see how hard everyone sent this year!
Bloc 11 collaborated with See Sea Cape Town to give away some stylish shirts and share the psych with our community. Thank you to See Sea Cape Town for being part of this wonderful collaboration.
Congratulations to our winners!
We sat down with Benita Van Aarnt and Johann Jansen Van Vuuren to get the low down on this year’s proudest sends.
Benita in the Sea See shirt she won
Benita Van Aarnt:
Girl on our mind (6B+) Close Plateau
Benita’s instagram post:
“After one year of bouldering I have surprised myself with what my body is capable of. From sending Girl on our mind to start sending purples in the gym what a milestone.🤩
🌷The first time I went to Rocklands this year I saw a couple people sending this route and I was mind blown like how the heck never thought that few months later I would complete the same route.
This year of bouldering I have surprised myself a lot and been very thankful for the supportive community it has allowed me to push passed boundaries I did not think I could. Super excited to see where I’d be next year.”
#milestone #girlonourmind #oneyear#bouldering @bloc.11@see_sea_cape_town #rocklands#rocklandsroundup2021
Interview with Benita:
When did you start climbing and what drew you towards it?
I started climbing one year ago in October. Gym had become boring and I was looking for something new and exciting.
How long have you climbed with Bloc 11?
My one year climbing anniversary was in October, and I started climbing at Bloc 11 one year ago too.
(She’s a Bloc 11 original!)
I did a beginner’s class at Bloc 11 2 years ago, got the itch and started after the hard lockdowns. Gym had become quite boring and I was looking for something fun and fresh.
I feel inspired at Bloc 11 – everyone is so friendly, sharing beta, being excited for one another. I also find it so impressive, as a woman, what my body is capable of through climbing. The bulk I find from climbing makes me proud of myself!
No need to have anyone open jars for me anymore!
I feel like Bloc 11 is a place for breaking stereotypes and building respect for yourself and others.
Want to speak more about the send?
Girl on our Mind was my one year milestone, and I am very proud of it.
I sent Girl on my first attempt of my third session under the boulder, after two working sessions on it. The first of these working sessions was at the Bloc 11 Studio Rocklands Retreat.
(You can learn more about our Rocklands Retreats in one of our upcoming blog posts!)
What drew you towards the climb?
I always love watching people in the cave at Bloc 11, it’s always very impressive! So, seeing the cave section of Girl really enticed me.
I think the cave section of the climb is probably my favourite part. Great holds that aren’t too sharp, Position dependent movements and great flow!
Cave climbing makes you feel like you have a super power! It’s such a great feeling of control. Like, you’re hanging from a rock, but you are in complete control.
What’s next?
I’m not sure! I am still very new to Rocklands
Johann Jansen van Vuuren:
Kasteelpoort (7C) Fortress
Johann’s instagram post:
Not really a pic of me climbing, but rather post send #rocklandsroundup2021
I’ve always seemed to miss out on a Rocklands season, but this year I finally had the opportunity to head there for a solid week.
Before the trip my hardest problem was a 7a+ and I was keen to get a PB, but also just to see as much of Rocklands as possible.
After a couple warm up days we moved over to Sassies and I attempted, very arrogantly, to send Un petit hueco dans rocklands – 7b+ with made up beta and poor light. I fell on the last move, and even with great spotting, I still bl*#@ down. Smashed my shin, busted my toe and bruised my ego.
I still went over to Pinotage – 7b+ though and had a couple of goes. Did pretty well but couldn’t stick the big move/dyno. On the last attempt I somehow got my foot stuck on a drop knee, and messed my knee up. No sends in the 7b range and broken.
The next day we went over to Fortress to attempt Kasteelspoort – 7c. I thought it was worth working the moves at least. After struggling to get my climbing shoes on, busted toe, we started working some of the moves. It was way more in my style and after a while I had a go at it. After a couple of goes and last move falls, I actually topped out. If you look closely you’ll see my leg still bandaged.
My Rocklands season was a week long. I left completely broken but happy. Still haven’t sent a 7b though. Thanks again to my Rocklands guide @fifi_stardust
Interview with Johann:
When did you start climbing and what drew you towards it?
I started climbing in 2008, while in Varsity. Myself and a couple of friends were drawn to the idea of climbing because it seemed so adventurous and beyond us at the time. With Converse All Stars and 2nd hand gear we slowly made it work.
How long have you climbed with Bloc 11?
I only started climbing at Bloc in 2017. At first I was against “just” bouldering. But I was hooked from the moment I walked in.
Want to speak more about the send?
I really enjoyed Kasteelpoort.
Zoe (Baker) and I tried some of the beta. I could not do some of the moves, so had to take a more direct line.
This worked in my favour though. I would say this is as close to my style of climbing as it gets.
What drew you towards the climb?
A couple of friends were heading there (Fortress) to work out some of the beta. I’ve never even attempted a 7c and didn’t expect to send anything that day. I was curious to see how it felt on something a bit harder.
Where is it?
The Fortress, Rocklands
What’s next?
I’m sadly not getting to climb that much these days. So I would like to get some mileage on 7a’s and 7b’s when I’m back in town (Johann is currently canyoneering in the United Arab Emirates). And then hopefully tick of another 7c
Another season for the books. And what an astounding season it was.
Until next year Rocklands, let’s get training!
We will be bringing your new blog posts every month covering training tips, gear reviews and special insights into how to make your next Rocklands season the best one yet.
Watch this space!