Ignoring the last post as best I can I still think you’d agree throughout my postings from South Africa there has been a slight undertone of disappointment with the place. Partly im sure that resulted from being ill a fair bit and renting a car that really struggled with the roads, leaving us a little isolated, oh and the bugs were tedious. However I also think the place had been put on too high a pedestal in climbers eyes and that also contributed to it inevitably being a bit of a let-down.
The fact is it is a great venue to visit on the world circuit when others are out of season. It is still relatively cheap to exist here. The roads are improving all the time and when the guidebook appears things will become a lot easier. You will climb and look at some of the most amazing lines/features of rock anywhere and for the super elite (8b and above hitters) there are numerous world class problems/projects for you to cut your teeth against. Compared to Font/Swiss though the lines may be better but the actual quality of climbing (the thing I really came to do), the intricacy of moves, the comfortableness of the holds, the amount of rest days you need to take etc, Rocklands is the loser in my view.
Thats my general take but specifically im also pretty disappointed with my climbing performance here. When I left Font I also left plenty of projects but who wouldn’t (ok maybe with the exception of Ty Landman). In Swiss I felt the weather crapping out and some bad rest decisions were the only thing that really stopped me pushing my grade and I was only there for three weeks. However here in SA I had more time, illness/car/warm weather for sure were problematic but ultimately I can only really think of one or two climbing days when I felt I really hit good form. I have pondered why this might be the case and I think psyche could be behind it.
Im halfway through this climbing year out now, when I embarked on it I hoped to take something away from it apart from just the climbing memories. One thought is pre this time out I viewed my job/day to day city life and commitments as a hindrance to my climbing life. Now I don’t have those things I actually think they may have complimented my climbing life rather than get in the way of it. This is not a regret but a good thing I think, it means hopefully I can get more comfortable with my work/life/climbing balance in the future when I do get back to normality.
Ok so the hardcore climbers reading this have perhaps started to think they have a pretender in their midst. No climbing for a week and talk of a balance between a job and pulling down. Please do not dismiss me just yet...im thinking ahead with excitement to the beauty of climbing in the US in fall, the proper cold temps of winter to really keep your skin intact and maybe ill have time to fit in a follow up trip to Font/Swiss in early 2010. Now thats what im talking about....
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