[Johnny Brown]

I've got to attend a meeting in Capetown at the end of next month. Seems like it would make sense to spend a little longer than a day there, so anyone got any knowledge on local climbing? I know nothing other than there is a cablecar to descend Table Mountain.

I'd be most psyched for some multi-pitch tradding, as I'm doing plenty of bouldering here at the mo....

[grimer]

The editor of the climbing mag, SA Mountain Mag, is a good guy, Tony Lourens. Email him at the mag and ask him where to go. He lives in Cape Town.

[hairich]

adam there is loads of single and multi pitch on table mountain at all grades.its great cause you just hop on the cable car back down.there is bouldering too around capetown.think it is called silverhill.jerry did some stuff there.off to s wales now to do my first job for can.cheers fella

[SA Chris]

The bouldering is in Silvermine Nature Reserve - it's the nature reserve that runs along the top of Cape Point, but the bouldering area is often referred to as Topside.

JB, spend a week if you can, or longer.

Table mountain is the obvious place for multipitch trad if you are staying around CT - routes from scrambles up to I think E8ish. All with spectacular views and on immaculate grey Sandstone. You can either walk up (bit hot in Feb) or get the cable car to the top and walk down to the start of the routes. If you want to do some further afield the Cedarberg is a few hours away, and there is a lot more to it than just Rocklands - you can do Energy Crisis like Joe Simpson and Ed February did on telly.

What sort of meeting is it? Will there be climbers there you can hook up with? If not you can try posting here
http://www.climb.co.za/forum/viewforum.php?f=25&sid=16a76bdf64d09ac1a0059b6c363a5621

or enquiring here http://mcsacapetown.co.za/

Otherwise you could head down the wall on an evening an see if you can sort anything out

http://www.cityrock.co.za/

There are a few locally based guides, but they would probably charge you.

http://www.highadventure.co.za/

http://www.capeclimb.co.za/mountain_guides.htm

I'm afraid my local contacts have either quit or I've lost touch with them. If you know Dave Birkett, Mary might be able to put you in touch with someone.

I think they have Cape Rock by Julian Fisher in Outside - a bit out of date, but worth a look.

For a quick fix there are loads of smaller bouldering spots close to the city.

some topos (of varying quality) here

http://sites.google.com/site/cutloosebouldering/topos/cape-town-bouldering

Llandudno is a lovely spot - bouldering is OK, but setting is sublime.

Or you could sack it all off and go surfing on Muizenburg, lovely beach, warm water, and spotters on the cliffs to warn you about sharks!

[Johnny Brown]

Thanks guys, that's all really useful. It's an IRATA meet so there should be some climbers I can hook up with. Should be a good trip!

Surfing sounds equally good! I take it its an okay break for punters? Warm water as in no wetsuit?

[SA Chris]

Just about every surfer in Cape Town learns at Muizenburg. Nice flat profile beach - no shore break and slow breakign waves with the power of the whole Southern Atlantic behind them.

There are hire shops right on the beach - go to the one at the end by the turning circle, not the first one. In Feb you should be OK without a wetsuit for an hour or so (still wear a long sleeve rashie and loads of sunblock though or you will fry) but a thin shorty would make a longer session more enjoyable. We had whales and dolphins out back. Unfortunately you will be out of whales season, but dolphins are always about.

And crowds are rarely an issue



You need to get a pic of the famous bathing huts too

[Johnny Brown]

Wow, looks amazing! Reckon this could be my kind of business trip!

[dave]

Just make sure you've got diplomatic immunity.

[gruffalo]

If you going any ware near J berg Boven has some amazing climbing..

[SA Chris]

I don't think Boven bolty clippy is what JB is looking for. Plus it's a long haul from CT.

[SA Chris]

You still here? When you leaving?

[Johnny Brown]

Meeting is in three weeks or so. Any beta on flights?

[SA Chris]

If you can get down to London do the direct to Cape Town. Virgin Atlantic is apparently good.
Don't fly BA in case you end up buying a custom board and get screwed for shipping

From here we have gone via Paris with Air France and via Amshterdam with KLM.

Just use

http://www.skyscanner.net/

and see what comes up. I have flown the daytime flight before, and I personally prefer it as you don't feel like you need try and sleep (which I don't actually manage to do) and don't spend a day or so as a zombie on the other side.

[T_B]

If you can get down to London do the direct to Cape Town. Virgin Atlantic is apparently good.

We flew with Virgin to CT and for various reasons I won't bore you with, I wouldn't recommend them. If I went again I'd try South African Airlines. Can't be any worse than Virgin and also direct from London.

[the_dom]

JB - you're welcome to PM me.

I live in Cape Town but spend most of my life bouncing between Jo'burg and Cape Town. If I'm around (which I am on the weekends), I'm happy to give you the bouldering/surfing tour (I don't do any trad).

dom

[Johnny Brown]

Cheers Dom, at the mo its looking like a mon-fri trip, unless its significantly cheaper to travel weekends.

[SA Chris]

or just stay until the next week? You won't regret it.

[the_dom]

Cheers Dom, at the mo its looking like a mon-fri trip, unless its significantly cheaper to travel weekends.

Well, I can offer a couch over the weekend, albeit with the caveat that I leave hideously early for the airport (5am) on mondays..

[SA Chris]

Little guide been put together, which might be useful if anyone is visiting.

http://www.climb.co.za/2011/11/llandudno-bouldering-guide/

bouldering itself is quite nice, but not world class. However, setting is sublime, and nice if you want a beach day with a bit of a play on the boulders, and is gorgeous at sunset (get there before 4 though, as parking can be a bitch).

Nice surf beach too, but you will need a wetsuit, as it's on the Atlantic side, and there is no place hire boards.

[nai]

Resurrection, time to get the duster out.

Off to SA for the family jollies in August.

We have 5 days in/around Cape Town then fly East for the second week.

Now I've realised Table Mountain has rock routes I wondering whether it's worth negotiating a pass and hiring a local guide for half a day.  Is the situation and quality of the climbing sufficient to bother?  If so, any stunners around E2/3 (19/20?) you'd recommend?

Also, any recommendations for cool stuff to do in the area with the kids aside from all the touristy shizzle.

Cheers all

[SA Chris]

Hire a guide as second option looks like Ross is still going (http://www.highadventure.co.za/), or try hook up with a local or other itinerant traveller, posting here might be productive http://www.climbing.co.za/forum/ . Trad routes on TM are highly recommended, situations are fantastic and the rock is excellent quality. You can either hike up or get the cable car to the top (with family?) and walk or ab to the base of the climbing.

Touch and Go is one I've only heard good things about at the 20 grade, but E2/3 is more like 22/23 ? grade. Hardest I've done is Jacob's Ladder which is ace.

I think choice of route will be dictated by choice of approach.

You may be victim of weather in August, all depends what weather fronts are doing at that time.

[nai]

Cheers Chris

Hire a guide as second option looks like Ross is still going (http://www.highadventure.co.za/), or try hook up with a local or other itinerant traveller

I was thinking of a guide to save taking gear and carting it around for 2 weeks for the possibility of half a days climbing.  Plus it would ensure epics and faff are all minimal and chances of getting a route done increased.

E2/3 is more like 22/23

Yep 22/23 looks more like it, picked the wrong conversion chart initially, must be two wrong ones out there then.  Pictures of Touch & Go make it look hard enough though.

You may be victim of weather in August, all depends what weather fronts are doing at that time.

Yep, aware it's winter and might all come to nought, beginning to wish we'd allowed less time for Cape Town and were heading east earlier.

[SA Chris]

CT is all about weather fronts. You might hit it lucky and have a week of great weather. Where are you heading eastwards to?

[nai]

fly to Durban then we have six days free, plan at the moment is Umhlanga then onto St Lucia.

[SA Chris]

Sounds good. Umhlanga is a bit touristy, get to Lord Prawn if you like seafood. The beaches are ace, spot called granny's pool for safe swimming for kids. Water will be chilly by SA standards, but warmer than UK or Cape Town.

At St Lucia do the boat trip up into or on the lagoon to see some amazing wildlife, and check out when the croc feeding times are at the wildlife park (might be only every couple of days) otherwise they don't do much, just sit around digesting and looking impressively enormous.

Worth seeking out in the wildlife park is (was?) an exhibit which has the diary of a big game hunter listing the amount of animals hunted / slaughtered each day. Eyeopening and heartbreaking.