[JamieG]

Hmmmm, maybe you are right. It just looks a bit crazy. I guess I was thinking that you might as well just top rope it then if you are wanting to make it as safe as possible by having to put down that many pads. Although I appreciate a fall from height onto even a massive stack is still more dangerous than top rope.

Also I'm not 100% sure that placing and dragging in that many pads doesn't have an impact. Surely it could disturb quite an large area of soil and plant life, especially if you start building patios to put multiple pads on. Is that worse than a couple bolts. I don't know. I'm probably just barking up the wrong tree. 

[Wood FT]

Both the dws and the highball looked very impressive, particularly the dws - I wonder if there is much more?

[Bradders]

Hmmmm, maybe you are right. It just looks a bit crazy. I guess I was thinking that you might as well just top rope it then if you are wanting to make it as safe as possible by having to put down that many pads. Although I appreciate a fall from height onto even a massive stack is still more dangerous than top rope.

Also I'm not 100% sure that placing and dragging in that many pads doesn't have an impact. Surely it could disturb quite an large area of soil and plant life, especially if you start building patios to put multiple pads on. Is that worse than a couple bolts. I don't know. I'm probably just barking up the wrong tree. 

Doing something above pads, even that many, is a totally different proposition to top roping though. That highball looks a little bit like if you did Unfamiliar above pads without putting any gear in the break. It looks like he could have placed gear but I think in a way it's cleaner without.

In fact I'd go as far as to say highball above pads is maybe the best balance of style and safety; really pure climbing wise, still pretty scary especially on something hard, and yet probably safe unless you fell in a really uncontrolled way right from the top.

Cool problems anyway. That DWS feature looks incredible, absolutely begging to be climbed!

[JamieG]

Yeah I think you’re right. Definitely different proposition above pads than top rope. Just on first viewing it looked really weird. But I agree it’s a cleaner way of climbing without the faff of ropes. I concede the point. 

Agree the DWS looked cool. Looked like there were other lines in that canyon (if that’s the right word).

[webbo]

These don’t look like highball ascents, they look like headpoints. Either he’s brilliant at getting every move perfect first go or they are rehearsed.

[gardinrm]

That's what I thought. I get strong vibes that this was extensively rehearsed on top rope. Still amazingly impressive, and you would not catch me doing something that high. Certainly the mats became a little irrelevant after he got to the rest (which to me suggests this wasn't really a boulder problem but a committing solo).

For bouldering, I tend to prefer ground up ascents because this allows a shorter boulder to feel more serious. 'Life on Hold' comes to mind, and I think it was Dan who discussed how this gives a problem more longevity for the climber. In my experience it is definitely more memorable if you're not exactly sure how it tops out.

[monkey boy]

He'll have definitely done it in headpoint style. Which then does raise the question why so many pads? I know things can break, foot slips etc but you'd not leave the ground even thinking about falling on something this tall, especially as it doesn't particularly hard climbing from my arm chair.

Having said that if you've got the pads, then why not?! Great looking line!

[duncan]

The brief opening shots of the top rope and him hanging from the grigri established the style of the ascents for the whole film. It’s clear they were worked and he’s making no secret of it.

Amazing looking lines and climbing. 

[nai]

it doesn't particularly hard climbing from my arm chair.

Names and grades in the description if you click through to watch on Youtube (although you might have meant not hard for v9)

Séance (V11 FA)
Deepwater Solo (V9ish)
Sky (V13/14)
DOOMSDAY (V9X FA)

[Fiend]

Rocklands did have a bolting ban a while ago - climbers had previously bolted up several great sport routes, then the national park or whomever banned it so the routes are few and far between. That ban may still apply. I'm pretty sure Keen Youth did some cool-looking trad there.

[SA Chris]

There is a ban in place, all the sport climbs were bolted without consent way back in the 80s, but have been tolerated, and in some cases the bolts have been replaced as part of the Anchor Replacement Fund (ARF) initiatives. As far as I can see, any new sport climbing on the area has been done in private land or outside of Cape Nature Land eg https://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Truitjieskraal . I believe you can currently submit a request to bolt new lines, but I think few are bothered, though there is some activity. https://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Pakhuis_Pass

I have no idea where the DWS, but it's a massive area, so could be anywhere. There is a spot used for diving and some easy DWS on the Matjies River near the Sanddrif Campsite, but that doesn't look like there.

Personally I'd have whacked a fat cam in that break.

[teestub]

Mike Call Classic

[Will Hunt]

I may be being dense, but is there a way to download this so it can be watched in some software that might allow pausing, skipping etc?

[haydn jones]

https:// vimeo.com/201031897/e4d9978a9f

thats the link, just take the space out between the forward slash and vimeo.

[Will Hunt]

https:// vimeo.com/201031897/e4d9978a9f

thats the link, just take the space out between the forward slash and vimeo.

 

[Hamfunk]

Mike Call Classic

That was bloody brilliant! Thanks for sharing.

[Anti]

Because it's been too long without some Aidan fanboy scenes!

[tomtom]

Genius. Watch until the very end 😀

[Davo]

Thought this was absolute genius! Definitely quality!

[gme]

If that hasn’t put the whole saga to rest nothing will.

Made my evening.

[Adam Lincoln]

If that hasn’t put the whole saga to rest nothing will.

Made my evening.

The men in white coats en route to Doyles as we speak

[abarro81]

The men in white coats en route to Doyles as we speak

They're just the strippers he ordered for Christmas

[Doylo]

Interestingly I had an anonymous comment on the insta post accusing me of bullying G, said it’s not on considering I’ve had ‘mental health matters’ in past. Wasn’t too hard to work out that this was from a certain brummie who I used to defend when the whole world was ripping into him. I hope he’s happy now but he ought to think before coming out the woodwork like that anonymously. Plus i would hardly call it bullying. Most of the vids over the years have been G Worship. Maybe it’s a bit close to the line but I’m gonna stop now anyway.

[tomtom]

I loved the last two min - with the 'priest' and religious scenes. Like a father ted/withnell mashup at the pillbox. Winning.

Doylo on the dunny with a Gaskins head superimposed had me in stitches...

[JohnM]

I just had comic visions of the police pulling round the corner on Marine Drive at night and being like "What's going on here lads?".