Rocklands II - Fever Pitch

Right now i'm writing this latest update because i've got nothing better to do, quite literally, i'm sick as a dog. Had a decent day on Monday, woke up with a fever Monday night and its gone steadily downhill from there. Do they get the flu in Africa? I thought that was cold places primarily...

Anyway, so that's the latest. My ticks in the last few days are not climbing related, but consist of series one of Extras, with the guy from the office, numerous episodes of Only Fools and Horses, and some naff film called Death Sentence. The weather has cooled and it looks great for climbing. Our whole house is still out at the rocks now whilst i shuffle about feeling sorry for myself indoors.

To not set too depressing a tone things have been improving on the climbing front. Sunday the Beetle almost made it all the way down the approach road to the Sassies in one clean go with only one stop to dig it out of sand. Monday we drove to the top of the pass and hiked into the roadcrew sector. Downsides: Its 45 mins hike and the sector is quite small. Upsides: I climbed Ulan Batar, a 7b/+ stunning orange overhang that is just quality and had a play on the Cedar Spine. The spine (SS 7c, 1st ascent Lisa Rands i think) is touted as one of the must do's in Rocklands. Its a big overhanging arete, immaculate black and orange streaked rock with really interesting balancy, yet powerful moves on it. In about an hour i'd worked all the moves bar the top slap for a decent flatty, which is pretty scary, but with more mats (we only had one with us) i think it's on, so i'm massively psyched to get this done when i feel better.

Having come to Rocklands with no real idea of the problems i'd like to go at/ areas to go to, i feel like now i'm getting a better understanding of the place. I wouldn't say i have a firm tick list of what i want to do or anything but some things are starting to make sense. Cedar Spine is a must, Roadside area has some real quality, Sassie's has Pinotage that's sharp but good and there's the DePakhuis areas that we've yet to go to. However, i could still quote a bigger list of what i want to do in Font, no probs. So i'm still to be fully convinced i suppose....