Nina Arthaud does three 8A+’ in Rocklands

Nina Arthaud, with two 8A+’ under her belt, reports from a great trip to Rocklands, where she managed to send; Vintage (8A+), Green Mamba (8A+) and Law and Order (8A+).

Can you tell us more about the trip and your hardest ascents?
I spent three weeks in South Africa, and it was my first time there. We stayed in Cape Town for a few days. We were able to explore, see penguins, and there are also some great boulders there.

Then we went to Rocklands. What I loved most about it is how disconnected you feel from the rest of the world, in a beautiful place where you can meet amazing people who share your passion.

As you probably know, there are so many boulders there that it’s hard to choose. The ones that stood out to me the most were Vintage, Law & Order, and Green Mamba.

Vintage is a slightly isolated boulder, and what impressed me was the beauty of its shapes. I don’t think any other women have done it before, so I had to find specific beta that worked for me since I’m a bit shorter than the men who had done it before.

Law & Order is a lovely boulder where many different methods are possible, so you have to find the one that works for you! From this boulder, you can see beautiful sunsets, and if you’re lucky, there are also zebras. I tried this boulder on a beautiful sunny day and was lucky enough to send it at dusk, just before heading back to our place.

Green Mamba sticks in my memory for the quality of the rock and the movements it requires. I think it’s the stickiest rock I’ve found in Rocklands. This boulder is a traverse -not too hard, but quite tricky, and the slightest mistake can affect you for the rest of it. It has a tougher section with a big move to a small crimp. I had a lot of fun climbing this boulder with some really kind people.