Two 8A's by Natalie Bärtschi
"I was very pleased to find myself in better shape than the years before and finish off some classics like Caroline (7C+) and Pinotage (7C). My personal highlight was climbing Cinquième Soleil (8A) in a single session. It's a comp style dyno with a foot stab into a tricky and committing end which took me a lot more tries than the actual jump. It's rare to find these kinds of moves outside and therefore hard to compare grade-wise but I think the style of this one suited me particularly well. Another one that went down surprisingly quick was Mintberry Crunch (8A) in Echo Valley (near Cape Town), which I had already spent one session on 4 years ago. Definitely not the hardest for its grade but still tricky for me since I was pretty much climbing at full span on the crux moves. My main goal this year was Black Shadow (8A+) which I had already tried on previous trips. I could consistently do it in two parts but unfortunately couldn't quite put it together, so this will have to wait for next time."
What do you think has been the key to being stronger this trip?
Well, it‘s been four years since my last trip and I‘ve been training a lot, mostly for competitions which I think made me a more well-rounded climber in general. In climbing there are so many variables physically and mentally but probably the biggest difference I‘ve noticed is improved finger strength, mostly through continuous hangboarding and climbing on a spray wall (35-45 degree). However, I would still consider finger strength one of my biggest weaknesses, especially when climbing outside. I‘ve also struggled with heel hooks (which are oftentimes crucial, especially in Rocklands) because of some minor knee issues but this year it seems like my legs are finally strong and healthy, never skip leg day I guess 😉 Last but not least, I decided to reduce my workload as a chiropractor and I have been working part-time since last autumn which allows me to put more time into training and climbing in general. Sorry for the long answer but it‘s hard to pinpoint exactly what made the difference, I guess consistency is key!
Jernej Kruder sends Martin Krpan (9a) sans knee pads
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Piotr Schab has been in Rocklands for three weeks and sent 16 boulders 8A and harder. The hardest flash for the Pole was Moon shadow (8B) and Monkey Wedding wa…
Three 8B+ by Paul Robinson in Rocklands
Paul Robinson has added 15 boulders 8A and harder to his ticklist from his latest trip to Rocklands. In total, the 34-year-old has now done 1 061 such graded bo…
Book club 8B+ by Katie Lamb
Katie Lamb has done her fifth 8B+, Book Club in Rocklands. During the last month she has also sent Ubuntu (8B), calling it 8A+, and two 8A's. The 23-year-old ex…
Piotr Schab has been in Rocklands for three weeks and sent 16 boulders 8A and harder. The hardest flash for the Pole was Moon shadow (8B) and Monkey Wedding wa…
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Will Bosi repeats Return of the Sleepwalker (9A)
William Bosi has made the second ascent of Daniel Woods’ Return of the Sleepwalker (9A) in Black Velvet Canyon, after projecting it for 12 sessions. This was th…