Paarl Rocks | chossclimbers.com

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

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

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

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

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).

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

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

More views of Paarl (the town).

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

Higher on pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

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

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

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

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

Shirley starting pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

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

Shirley dike wrangling on pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

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

Shirley topping out on pitch 2 (Dec. 2017).

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

More dike wrangling on pitch three (Dec. 2017).

Leading pitch 3. Photo by Ross (Dec. 2017).

Pitch 3 (Dec. 2017).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orchids atop Gordon’s Rock (Dec. 2017).

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

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

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

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

Higher on the Dyke route (Dec. 2017).

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).