I haven’t climbed in almost a year now (remarkable, i know. It might change soon.) For some reason I’m feeling a lot of nostalgia for Rocklands (a climbing area in the Cederberg mountains of South Africa. Also, home of Rooibos tea–which actually can’t be grown anywhere else because it needs Cederberg soil bacteria).
When I’m asked where the best place i’ve traveled to is I often say Rocklands, even though it’s less than four hours from where I grew up. We visited three times during our road-trip staying for about eight months in total, living in sprawling tent cities, caravans and various communal farm houses. We participated in a kind of pagan ritual of extreme physical advancement, tribal collectivity, fire-cooked animal flesh, and appreciation of ze natural [as Fred Nicole would put it]. We were surrounded by some of the kindest, warmest and most inspired savages I’ve encountered and I am pretty sure I will count these times as some of the happiest of my life.
So I started this blog post at the time I wrote the SA Mountain article to share the pictures with people outside of SA and include some that didn’t make the article.
Photographers are Dylan Wyer, David Mason, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, James Kassay, Micky Wiswedel, Nathan Gerhardt, Nicky Ceria, Rus Vakrilov, Sam Davis, James Barnes, Courtney Miyamoto, Carolyn Wegner, Angie and myself. You all agreed a long time ago that I could post these (or I think you’re cool like that) but let me know if that changed and I’ll promptly take down anything inappropriate.
Also, many of these are of projecting, not sending, and some like Amandla and Sky remain unsent projects (sniff). Maybe this post will motivate me to do something about that.
Lastly we lost all our pictures from the main part of the trip when Angie was around climbing. The pics below were mostly taken right at the end of the season when it was just me. So no Angie I’m afraid :-(
So without further adieu, I give you a much overdue collective photo essay on La Rocklands 2014:
Rainbow over the Sassies: Rus Vakrilov
Mina Leslie Wujastyk on Barracuda: David Mason
Me on Barricuda: Dylan Wyer
Me on Barricuda: Dylan Wyer
Claire Langmore: James Kassay Collection
James Kassay at Fields of Joy: James Kassay Collection
De Pakhuys: Me
Claire Langmore: James Kassay Collection
Nicky Ceria on Green Mamba: Nicky Ceria Collection
Me on Green Mamba: Sam Davis
Me on Green Mamba: Micky Wiswedel
David Mason Collection
Flowers after rain: Me
James Kassay on King of Limbs: James Kassay Collection
Josh Muller on King of Limbs: Nathan Gerhardt
Donkeys on the road to Wuppertal: Me
Me on Derailed: Angie
Me on Derailed: Angie
Rockstock: Me
Nicky Ceria on Power of One: Nicky Ceria Collection
Nicky Ceria on Golden Shadow: Nicky Ceria Collection
Walking to the Rhino: Rus Vakrilov
Me on El Corazon: James Barnes
Cody Roth on Steakhouse: Me
Me on Shosholoza: Dylan Wyer
Me on Shosholoza: Rus Vakrilov
Me on Shosholoza: Rus Vakrilov
Me on Shosholoza: Rus Vakrilov
Me on Shosholoza: Dylan Wyer
Dylan Wyer on Shosholoza: Rus Vakrilov
Oranges on the way to Southern Cedarberg: Me
Marijus Smigleskis on Derailed: Me
View from the pass: Rus Vakrilov
Emma Twyford on Kingdom in the Sky: David Mason
David Mason on Creaking Heights: David Mason Collection
Max on Witness the Sickness: Rus Vakrilov
Looking up at the pass: Rus Vakrilov
Night exposure: Rus Vakrilov
Me on Big Short: Dylan Wyer
Me on Industry of Cool: Dylan Wyer
Me on Industry of Cool: Dylan Wyer
Me on the Rhino: Dylan Wyer
View from the main farmhouse at Alpha: Rus Vakrilov
Me on Roof on Fire: Dylan Wyer
Me on Amandla: Dylan Wyer
Me on Amandla: Dylan Wyer
Me on Amandla: Dylan Wyer
Me on Amandla: Dylan Wyer
Mina Leslie-Wujastyk on Joseph Malbos: Me
Charles Bradshaw on Minky: Me
Me on The Vice: Carolyn Wegner
The pass: Angie
Protea: Angie
Fields of Elysium: Angie
Fridi Krispel on Pendragon: Me
Me on Hatchling: Micky Wiswedel
Me on Mooiste Meisie: Micky Wiswedel
Me on Mooiste Meisie: Micky Wiswedel
Trusty camper: Me
Me on Sky: Micky Wiswedel
Me on Sky: Micky Wiswedel
Matt Fultz on Sky: Nathan Gerhardt
Me on Madiba: Micky Wiswedel
Me on Madiba: Micky Wiswedel
Me on Madiba: Micky Wiswedel
Fields of Joy: Me
Nelly on Slash and Burn: Rus Vakrilov
Nelly on Slash and Burn: Rus Vakrilov
Me unicycling with Grant: Coutney Miyamoto
Night exposure: Rus Vakrilov
In case you missed it, here’s the video from the trip.