The cliffs are big, wild, often remote - and still being discovered. And it's a climate for being out in. South Africa offers some of the best, and most diverse, rock climbing in the world. Gear up, chalk up, and start cranking!
Ever since the German climbing magazine Rotpunkt published an article about Waterval Boven in 1993, foreign visitors have been flocking to this Mpumalanga town for some of the best sport climbing in the universe. The Restaurant (officially known as "The Restaurant at the end of the Universe crags") offers more than 500 routes, and there are still numerous untouched rock faces in the area.
With routes ranging from scramble-easy to a superhuman 33 - and a number of natural or "trad" (traditional, or unbolted) routes - there's something for everyone here.
Outside Durban, there are also a lot of sport climbs, and a few close to Johannesburg. En route between these two major centres, you'll find some wonderful bolted routes in good hard sandstone in the eastern part of the Free State - notably at the Mount Everest nature reserve near Harrismith.
If you're more of a traditionalist, don't worry. You can revel in miles of unbolted rock in the fantastic, virtually pristine Blouberg in the Limpopo, the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, the Magaliesburg in North West - in close striking distance of both Johannesburg and Pretoria - or in the miles and miles of fantastic mountain ranges in the Western Cape.
One of these deserves special mention. The Cedarberg, two-and-a-half hours' drive north of Cape Town, is a world-class bouldering area - and boasts some of the best trad rock climbing routes in the country.
But for a close-to-city experience, nothing can beat Cape Town, with hundreds of sport and traditional routes within the city limits. The city is built around Table Mountain, a national park consisting of two great, hard rock types - Table Mountain sandstone, which gives nice positive edges, and Cape granite, which offers fantastic friction climbing.
- Confused about the South African climbing route grading system? Peak High Mountaineering offers a handy rock grade comparison table.
Mountain Club of South Africa - Founded in 1891, and one of only two clubs in Africa to be affiliated to the world mountaineering body UIAA, the MCSA offers climbing, mountaineering and hiking opportunities to its members and is involved in mountain search and rescue, training, conservation of mountain areas, procurement of access for mountaineering, and competition climbing. The club has 13 autonomous sections:
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- KwaZulu-Natal
- Eastern Province
- Magaliesberg
- Stellenbosch
- Free State
- Hottentots Holland
- Amajuba
- Namibia
- Paarl-Wellington
- Tygerberg
- Worcester
South African Climbing Info Network - Comprehensive, updating information an news on crags and routes, events, climbing gyms, competitions, climbing stores and resources.
SA Bouldering - Prefer to go low and rope-free? This site will point you to the best routes in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State.
Climb ZA - A comprehensive climbing resource. The website offers news, information, a climbing directory, local weather and a classified ads section.
Wildways Mountaineering - Promotes the safe enjoyment of southern Africa's mountainous regions though education, training and guiding services.
Cape Town School of Mountaineering - Mountaineering training company offering a wide range of activities, from kloofing (canyoneering) to rope access to guided trips and client-specific coaching.
Peak High Mountaineering - Hiking and mountain climbing trips - including guided ice-climbing in the Drakensberg - for people from all over the world.
Roc 'n Rope Adventures - Based at The Restaurant (officially known as the Restaurant at the End of the Universe Crags) in Mpumalanga.
Allard's Bigwall Climbing Site - If you thought that southern Africa doesn't offer big wall climbing, take a look at Allard Huffner's site - and think again!
SA Mountain Magazine - The magazine's website.
Active Africa Adventure Tours - This adventure tourism operator offers rock climbing tours in Cape Town and the Western Cape.
Adventure Dynamics - Major mountaineering expeditions, mostly outside of Africa, but including a Mt Kilimanjaro package and a guided climb of the Sentinel in the Drakensberg.
RockSport Mountain & Outdoor - Site for GPS, rock climbing & hiking in southern Africa. Offers a diverse product range, and tons of free climbing, hiking and backpacking information for the international and local visitor.
UKZN Mountain Club - Primarily a sport-climbing club, but also undertakes big-wall climbing, traditional climbing and hiking. Based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the club is open to non-students as well as students and scholars.
Wits Mountain Club - Website of the University of the Witwatersrand's rock climbing club.
Rock Addiction - This great rock climbing site has a chat forum, detailed route guides, training tips, photos, news, upcoming events, feature articles and more good stuff.
City Rock Indoor Climbing - The first indoor climbing gym in Cape Town, and the largest in South Africa. Its has 24 different topropes, 10m high, 400 m² of wall climbing area, a dedicated beginners' and kids' wall and 10 lead routes for experienced climbers.
Exploration Society of Southern Africa - A non-profit organisation founded in 1988, Essa provides a platform for "the conceptual and physical exploration of the Southern African landscape". The society organises expeditions, holds discussions and presentations by world-class adventurers - and throws good parties.
De Bos - Guest farm, backpackers lodge and camping for climbers wanting to explore some great routes in and around Montagu in the Western Cape.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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