Go back to Cape Peninsula.
Go back to South Africa.
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2028-300x225.jpg)
Smalblaar Ridge.
Up pre-dawn the following morning for a 15 minute drive to our next objective. We parked on the side of a highway and started hiking up through a burnt out wasteland. Fynbos fires are a natural and periodic occurrence and this latest one passed through the area a day or two prior leaving some smoldering patches. The hike got progressively steeper and we finally arrived at the base of our climb some 3 hours after leaving the car. The goal for the day was a handsome looking ridge on the right side of Yellowwood Amphitheater (site of new and intensive route development; almost all strictly trad no less).
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![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0118-300x199.jpg)
Soot-covered Shirley.
Photos
![Du Toits Kloof Mountains](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0028-2-1024x681.jpg)
Shirley at the Du Toits Hut – our home for the next four nights (Dec. 2017).
![Du Toits Kloof Mountains](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0031-1024x681.jpg)
Spacious interior – though maybe not quite as cozy as the Agtertafelberg Hut from a few nights prior (Dec. 2017).
![Du Toits Kloof Mountains](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0038-2-1024x681.jpg)
The hut had an outdoor pool. Here Shirley is checking for any swimming Rinkhals (click photo for more detail – not ours, but a screen shot of a Snakes Of SA community page on Facebook).
![Du Toits Kloof Mountains](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0035-1024x681.jpg)
Wider angle view of the pool and the hut (in the trees; Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0051-2-681x1024.jpg)
Shirley and Ross starting the approach hike up to the Yellowwood Amphitheater early the next morning. 3+ hours to the base of the route with the initial hour through this freshly burnt out area (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0056-1024x681.jpg)
Bit of a wasteland (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0062-2-1024x681.jpg)
Interesting flora on the hike up (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0071-1024x681.jpg)
Views of Yellowwood Amphitheater from the approach gully. Smalblaar Ridge forms the right edge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0082-1024x681.jpg)
Looking back at the approach gully (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0079-1024x681.jpg)
Shirley and Ross traversing the Yellowwood Amphitheater on approach to Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0074-1024x681.jpg)
Looking at the left side of the Yellowwood Amphitheater – our goal for two days later is visible just left of center (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0086-1-1024x681.jpg)
Shirley near the base of Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8902-1024x683.jpg)
Base of Smalblaar Ridge. Chest Pieces formations form the backdrop. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8899-1024x683.jpg)
Racking up for Smalblaar Ridge. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8908-1024x683.jpg)
Shirley (red) and I (green) scrambling up to the start of the technical climbing on Smalblaar Ridge. Photo by Ross. Click photo for full resolution view (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8916-1024x683.jpg)
Leading the first pitch of Smalblaar Ridge. Photo by Ross. Click photo for a full resolution version (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8923-1024x683.jpg)
Leading pitch one of Smalblaar Ridge – much longer than the description implies. Click on photo for full resolution version (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_1965-1024x768.jpg)
Shirley topping out on pitch 1 (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_1963-768x1024.jpg)
Looking towards the Chest Pieces from Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_1980-768x1024.jpg)
Shirley on pitch 2 of Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_1990-1024x768.jpg)
Shirley on the short crux of Smalblaar Ridge. This is pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2028-1024x768.jpg)
Topping out on pitch 2 or 3 (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_7363-768x1024.jpg)
Leading pitch 3 of Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2032-768x1024.jpg)
Shirley on a fun fin pinching move on our pitch 4 of Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2068-1024x768.jpg)
Shirley nearing the top of Smalblaar Ridge. We stopped about 30 feet below the summit mostly for the cool photo op (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_1973-1024x768.jpg)
Views towards the beer from high on Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2087-1024x768.jpg)
Topping out on the route (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_7372-1024x768.jpg)
A nice lunch spot (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_7382-1024x768.jpg)
Views towards Worcester on the “other” (vs. Cape Town) side of Du Toits Kloof Mountains (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_7370-1024x768.jpg)
Summit views (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_7390-1024x768.jpg)
Hiking off the top out point of Smalblaar Ridge and towards the descent gully (visible on left; Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2094-1024x768.jpg)
Some kind of bird of prey but not sure which (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_2098-768x1024.jpg)
Shirley in the descent gully. Lower portions were freshly burnt (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8925-1024x683.jpg)
The last short rappel in the descent gully. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8931-1024x683.jpg)
Shirley out of the descent gully in a burnt out area up high. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0093-681x1024.jpg)
Ross, Shirley and Smalblaar Ridge (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0118-1024x681.jpg)
Shirley covered in soot during our descent through the freshly burnt out areas (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0110-1024x681.jpg)
Yellowwood Amphitheater (Dec. 2017).
![Smalblaar Ridge](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_8941-683x1024.jpg)
Resting on the long and hot descent. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).
![Du Toits Kloof Mountains](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0121-1024x681.jpg)
Subtle beauty of the Du Toits Kloof Mountains (Dec. 2017).
![Du Toits Kloof Mountains](https://chossclimbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DSC_0545-681x1024.jpg)
Shirley and Ross heading in for a beer session at the rest area bar in the Du Toits Kloof Mountains (Dec. 2017).
Go to Paarl Rocks.
Go back to South Africa.