If you live near the Musgrave centre in Durban, then your best bet is to visit the UKZN climbing wall on a Tuesday or Thursday evening sometime between 18:00-20:00 (Old Mutual Sport Hall - Gate 9 - On Francois/Rick Turner road).
You can also meet climbers at the MCSA KZN section socials on the first Wednesday of every month. Location - Berea Rovers, Jacko Jackson drive, next to the ABSA stadium Kings Park.
The blurb I was e-mailed about next weeks event (
3 Feb 2010) follows:
A Climber's Guide to Kwazulu-Natal Rock - South Africa
Slideshow, Book Launch and Climbing Quiz!
Roger Nattrass has just brought out his new guide book to KZN Rock and he will show a few images from the book and talk a little about the process of creating such a guidebook while giving thanks to all those involved. There will also be a few prizes for trivia questions from the book so get studying!
The author will sign books and suggests others bring their books and pens to get their mates to sign their pictures.
The MCSA has guidebooks for sale for R200 per copy so bring cash!
He will also bring old books to show everyone how things have changed plus a few of his favourite foreign books to show people how they motivated him.
Roger has also graciously offered up a R500 bar tab for drinks, so get there early! The slideshow will start at 19h30.
Roger's slideshows are always very well presented and great fun, so be sure to not miss out on this excellent evening!
*****We will also have membership forms on hand for new members and will make the registration process as easy as possible. This would be a very good opportunity to bring new members along to the club and get them registered. Details on membership can be downloaded here:
http://www.mcsa.org.za/kzn/mcsa-apply.pdf **********
Review - by Ian Anderson
Roger Nattrass first raised the bar with his Climber's Guide to Natal Rock back in 1994. Now he has produced a new guidebook that is simply outstandingly! All subsequent SA guidebook authors will curse the high standard that he has set for the genre. It must have cost a bomb to print as it is full colour throughout (on glossy art paper) with over 180 photographs, some of them glorious double-page spreads. The book is a visual feast - that alone is reason enough to want it on your bookshelf. A Climber's Guide to KZN Rock has been divided into four sections: Kloof Gorge, Shongweni, The Umgeni River Valley and a section on Trad Climbing. All of the popular crags are included: The Wave Cave, Umgeni Valley, Howick Falls, The Canyon and Monteseel to name a few. Around 800 routes are described (about 550 sport and 250 trad routes), each with a personalised description that will draw you to climb the line. This is not a book of lists!
The introduction has travel-related information, a commentary on the geology of the area and a brief history of crag climbing in KZN, including mention of all the legends who founded many of KZN's crags. The maps are clear and the descriptions interesting and motivating. Numerous topo drawings supplement the information. Each chapter opens with a list of recommended routes and every route has a tick box. The index has been pain-stakingly constructed with all the routes sorted by grade, sport and trad, star rating and alphabetically.
If the book has any problems they lie with its size. At 256 pages it's no flimsy photocopy to stuff into your pack. It also looks so good that you will want to leave it on your coffee table, not buried in your climbing gear. I bought two copies to solve this dilemma - and suggest that you do the same!
but I so want to climb??
