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Rocklands, The Sassies, and Shosholoza

Posted on 10. Aug, 2009 by B3 in Rocklands

We had been in Africa for two weeks and some how our trip was more than half over. Today was the first cloudy day of the trip. It was time to head back to the Sassies. If I had to pick one problem in South Africa that stood out in my mind, over everything else, it was Shosholoza. Feeling well rested and with some momentum built from the previous day, I marched back out to the Sassies with renewed energy.

View from the Sassies

My initial burns felt much better than the first day, and then I changed the left foot smear. It made all the difference and soon Icmade the huge move to the good crimp. Once I latched the hold, the motivation came on strong. There are a few moments in my bouldering career when I have entered this deep zone of focus. Everything slows down, each second becomes pure and clear but at the same time I feel detached and indifferent. A perfect moment for a perfect rock climb. I don’t ever expect these moments, but I enjoy them when they come. This was the highlight of the trip for me and made me feel content with coming to South Africa. I was so happy to climb this problem! Everything else would be a bonus. Chuck got some great photos.

Shosholoza V12

Shosholoza V12

On the way out we stopped at some amazing San rock art. We hear that some of the paintings were potentially 80,000 years old.

Just another facet of South Africa which adds to the incredible experience.

Tags: Rocklands, Sassies, Shosholaza