By Donovan Gould
Wrestling the Bull
Olé! However, this is not Spain. I am putting one foot in front of the other up the steep India-Venster approach path behind the lower cableway station on Table Mountain, to reach the contour path. Tributaries of sweat are running down my face through my soaked yellow North Face truckers cap. I slowly make my way to the far end of Arrow Buttress, where, at the base, I am confronted by a prow of rock graced with some fearsome looking roofs. Above, as if gazing out of a widening window, the intimidating looking Africa Amphitheatre makes a fine backdrop to the Bullshoot Prow.
I have all the gear for my mission of top rope soloing a route opened by Tony Lourens and Willie Koen in 2015. It is a fighting route, aptly named El Matador. I hike up the steep scree path to reach the top out ledge of Bullshoot and El Matador, build an anchor in the rail and throw my static rope down the steep face. Whilst rappelling, I place gear strategically and clove hitch the rope in a manner which will allow me to ‘shunt’ my way efficiently up the pitch to work out the necessary moves. I finish the rappel through the grade 19 open book and stop at the bottom of the pitch on a narrow ledge. Some hikers on the contour path far below me greet me with a loud bird-like “ka-ka”. I echo their call. Okay enough horseplay, let’s do this! I move up the open book studying the gear placement, hand and feet opportunities, whoa, (some expletives too)! I hang off my shunt device several times. I make my way up to the final roof and hang once again from my shunt with pumped out forearms. I shake out and struggle to pull through the roof, then climb the final wall to reach my anchor at the top.
To lead this, I realise I need to bring my A-game. This is going to be a fight for me. I am not ready to lead this. I need to follow an experienced leader on this route before I attempt to lead it, I think to myself as I walk down the steep path back down to my car.
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