In This Issue
Crack Addiction: The best crack climbing in SA – part 1
by Tony Lourens pic by Garrreth Bird A few months ago, Joe Möhle contacted me. “Tony, we should do an article on the best crack climbs in South Africa for SAM. What do you think?” It was a no brainer of course! What a great idea. Which climber wouldn’t like to read and see great …
Climbing in Sicily
words and pic by Massimo Cappuccio Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, a surprising land, rich in history and traditions, where arts and cultures are intertwined. Influenced by various civilizations over time, Sicily has inherited from each of them a piece of artistic mosaic rarely seen elsewhere. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and …
The Joys of Kilimanjaro
words and pic by Matthew Holt I fidgeted in a socially distanced plastic chair in the Arrivals Lounge, feeling like I was rolling Monopoly dice approaching the ‘Go-directly-to-jail’ square, with more drastic consequences. Having come to view Kilimanjaro’s fabled snows, Mandy Ramsden and I were undertaking obligatory Rapid Antigen tests on arrival, with failures rather …
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, …
September – November 2021
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 78[/su_heading] Access, access, access Access! It has almost become a profanity these …
Slanghoek Amphitheatre – New routes on Cape Town’s backyard big wall
words by SAM NIGHTINGALE photo GARRRETH BIRD ‘Are we on?’ I extended a chalky hand towards Richard ‘Squeeks’ Halsey expectantly as we stood on the boulder mats of CityROCK gym. After a characteristic pause of careful consideration, he shook my hand. My excitement was tempered by Squeeks’ recognition of the potential size of the undertaking. …