Paarl Rocks

South Africa

Go back to Smalblaar Ridge.
Go back to South Africa.

Sands Of Time
Sands Of Time. Photo by Ross.
A more leisurely start the following day with some cragging on the menu. We drove about an hour to a famous mountaintop granite dome paradise called Paarl Rocks (there’s even a little guidebook for the area). Here we climbed a 4-pitch gem (grade 18 or about 5.9) called Sands Of Time. Absolutely fantastic climbing in a wonderful location! Pitch 2 looks improbable from below (steep, faint looking dike) but climbs like a 5.9 wet dream (positive flakes and edges appear when needed). Kind of pitch that makes your sorry when it’s over. We also got on a line called Josef’s Birthday Party but I backed off midway up pitch 2: crunchy lichen covered slab going into some moss overgrown section (seemed well bolted though). Rounded out the day with the beer-wine-scotch routine.

Photos

Paarl Rocks
Driving to Paarl Rocks the following morning (Dec. 2017).

Paarl Rocks
Paarl Rocks from the drive in. Britannia Rock is on the left; Gordon’s Rock is on the right (Dec. 2017).

Paarl Rocks
Gordon’s Rock at Paarl.You can just make out two climbers on a slab route. These would be the only other climbers we’d see during our two weeks in the Western Cape (Dec. 2017).

Paarl Rocks
Shirley and Ross at Paarl Rocks (Dec. 2017).

Paarl Rocks
Looking down on the town of Paarl from the mountaintop Paarl Rocks (Dec. 2017).

Paarl Rocks
More views of Paarl (the town).

Paarl Rocks
Shirley and Ross scoping out Sands Of Time route on Gordon’s Rock (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Racking up for Sands Of Time. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Starting up pitch 1 of Sands Of Time (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Higher on pitch 1. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley following pitch 1 of Sands Of Time. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley topping out on pitch 1 of Sands Of Time. Britannia Rock is across the gully and Ross (in orange) is taking photos of us. Thank you!

Sands Of Time
Shirley and I on pitch 1 of Sands Of Time. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Starting up pitch 2 of Sands Of Time – fantastic climbing!

Sands Of Time
Starting the money pitch (#2). Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Higher on pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Higher on pitch 2. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Looking back towards Shirley from midway up pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Looking up from midway up pitch 2. Look at that amazing dike that begs to be climbed (Dec. 2017)!

Sands Of Time
Nearing the top of pitch 2. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley starting pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley on pitch 2. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley dike wrangling on pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley topping out on pitch 2. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley topping out on pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Starting the third pitch of Sands Of Time – wonderful climbing in a stunning position (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
More dike wrangling on pitch three (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Leading pitch 3. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Pitch 3 (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley nearing the end of pitch 3. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley nearing the top of pitch 3 with Ross in background taking some stunning photos (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
A closer look (also courtesy of Ross; Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Starting the 4th and final pitch of Sands Of Time – a moderate and well bolted slab (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Pitch 4 of Sands Of Time (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Belaying Shirley on top of the route with Britannia Rock in the background (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Top of Gordon’s Rock. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Orchids atop Gordon’s Rock (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Shirley hiking along the top of Gordon’s Rock towards the descent route (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Ross on the descent from Gordon’s Rock (Dec. 2017).

Sands Of Time
Verdant base of Gordon’s Rock (Dec. 2017).

Dyke
Starting up a route called Dyke also on Gordon’s Dome (Dec. 2017).

Dyke
Higher on the Dyke route (Dec. 2017).

Dyke
Shirley following the Dyke route. It’s two pitches but we were able to link into one by stretching a 70 meter rope by about 5 meters. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Dyke
Shirley on the Dyke route (Dec. 2017).

Dyke
Shirley and I on the Dyke route. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Dyke
Shirley hiking off the Dyke route (Dec. 2017).

Paarl Rocks
Quick lunch break in the shade at Paarl Rocks (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Starting up Josef’s Birthday Party route on Britannia Rock (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Pitch one of Josef’s Birthday Party. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Shirley on pitch 1 of Josef’s Birthday Party. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Shirley higher on pitch 1. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Shirley nearing the first belay on Josef’s Birthday Party (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Shirley and I on the first pitch of Josef’s Birthday Party. Photo by Ross. Click on photo for full resolution (Dec. 2017).

Josef's Birthday Party
Leading pitch 2 of Josef’s Birthday Party. The pitch goes straight into the moss patch visible in upper right. I balled off (Dec. 2017).

Du Toits Kloof Mountains
What time is it? Why it’s beer o’clock of course (Dec. 2017).

Du Toits Kloof Mountains
Shirley back at the Du Toits Hut (Dec. 2017).

Du Toits Kloof Mountains
Du Toits Hut (Dec. 2017).

Go to Lekker Time.
Go back to South Africa.