Mountains are made from rocks
First featured in issue 15 (December 2005) of SA Mountain Mountains are made of rocks. Sounds obvious, really. Problem is just how well those rocks are stuck together. Pull up on a Cederberg jug or a Montagu crimper and you know that this is quality quartzite. A Drakensberg lead is a far more fragile, frightening …
Watch Dave MacLeod soloing the Orion Face Direct on Ben Nevis in Scotland
“For a long time I have wanted to solo the classic big ice route Orion Face Direct V,5 on the north face of Ben Nevis.”
December 2021 – February 2022
Read the editorial and check out the contents of the latest issue. With up-to-date news coverage, training articles, gear reviews, celebrity profiles, technical tips covering a wide variety of subjects, event reports, big glossy pics and enthralling articles. [su_heading]SA Mountain Editorial – Issue 79[/su_heading] Can you live with the idea of not doing that route? …
The Lost World – Trad Festival 2021
words by Tony Lourens Photo Garrreth Bird The very name ‘Lost World’ conjures up visions of mythical mountain landscapes shrouded in tendrils of clingy mist. A place where fabled figures wander amongst a Tolkienesque setting of twisted and tortured rock walls, adorned with cracks and painted in colours from a Post- Impressionist’s palette. Lost World …
Sylvain Burki Profile
words by Charmaine Kritzinger photo Micky Wiswedel Born in Cape Town, South Africa, to Swiss-French parents, Sylvain embodied the perfect balance between refinement and ruggedness. Hedi and Ernest, Sylvain’s parents, freedom seekers themselves, met 45 years ago, travelled the world by ship, and were offered a place to stay in Bakoven. They ended up raising …
Mkhulu (8A) Rocklands – The mother of all roof cracks
words by Joe Möhle photo by Gustav Janse van Rensberg The story of Mkhulu started in much the same way as many other projects that have come before it – wandering around off the beaten track, scrambling up gullies, bashing down ravines, squeezing through tight alleys, then back-tracking to the last turn-off to try another …
Jakob Schubert Repeats ‘Alasha’ and ‘Es Pontas’
words by STAFF pics © Sebastian Marko & Michael Piccolruaz Austrian power house, Jakob Shubert, fresh from Olympic medal glory and also from being crowned Lead World Champion a month later, has made the first repeat of Alasha (9a) and the third repeat of Es Pontas (9a+), making him the first to repeat both routes, …
Riversider with Niky Ceria
Image: Andrea Cossu Niky Ceria has spent countless hours and days developing new lines in the North West region of Italy. Riversider is all about the process of discovery to ascent.
Climb4Hope SA Montagu 2021 Event Report
Raising funds for people and animals in need By Tony Lourens Wow! The Climb4Hope annual fundraising event has really grown over the last three years, from only 20 or so in the first year to over 50 this year (and counting). Again it was a great and successful event, with approximately 50% of the field …
Cautionary Tales – Swan Lake
by ANDY WOOD illustration by RICHARD SMITH Featured in issue 33 (June – August 2010) of SA Mountain. Swan Lake at the Mine is a well-respected test piece among Cape climbers. For many up-and-up climbers it is an exam, and one with a high failure rate. The crux comes after a small roof and involves …