When To Go
Due to the semi arid climate in South Africa, the ideal season to go is from Winter to Spring.
- Summer (Avoid) - From November to March, its hot and dry reaching up to 40 degrees Celcius.
- Autumn (Decent) - From April to mid May, cooler temperatures mark the start of the season.
- Winter (Great) - From mid May to end July, its cold but also wetter.
- Spring (Great) - From August to September, its cool with a few hot days and lower chance of rain.
We did our trip in Spring and have friends who typically go in winter.
The Climbing
A paradise especially for gym boulderers, there are close to 4,000 problems spread across a 10km stretch of road running through the mountain range.
The scenery here is surreal and the aesthetic formations, vibrant subsets, and raw beauty rivals the quality of the climbing.
The climbing style is more athletic with big powerful moves on steep walls typically ending on nice holds for a simple top out.
You won’t find as many slabs or slopers here. Compared to Fontainebleau, the moves are rarely as subtle. You’ll learn not to hesitate, pull hard, and don’t let go! For example, a V5 (6C) at the Plateau.
While there are climbs for all levels, most classics are upwards of V6 / V7 (font 7a to 7a+). Those climbing V8 and above will be able to easily tick off many of the top climbs within the day.
Here are the most popular areas we visited and enjoyed.
- Plateau - Flat open plateau with a great concentration of classic boulders. Easy access from De Pakhuys campground.
- Campground - Just behind the Kliphuis campground site.
- Rhino - One of the most iconic boulders in Rocklands on a formation shaped like a Rhino’s head.
- Roadside - One of the first areas developed by Fred Nicole since 1996 in the same general area as Rhino.
- Roadcrew - A smaller sector that also has beautiful easier classics in the V5 range. Check out The Roof is On Fire, Orange Heart, and Mannerheim Roof.
Rhino, Roadside, and Roadcrew are on the Pakhuis Pass. The higher elevation makes it good for warmer days. It’s about 2km to walk in so pack everything you need to avoid trips back to the car.
If you like to also check out the Hatchling, another iconic boulder, go to Kleinfontein. It’s on a private farm so be be respectful when climbing there.
Besides this iconic problem and The Sky (V13), there are a few easier classics as well such as Girlfriend’s Problem (V6) and The Fin (V6).
Topo
Online
27crags has all the latest problems along with superb maps of the trails and navigation. I would recommend this over the guidebook.
Guidebook
Rocklands Bouldering 2x by Scott Noy (2019) is the main guidebook for the area. The top down satellite images on this guide makes it more challenging to check the right line.
Transportation
Getting there
Cape Town is the closest international airport. Cederberg National Park is about 200km (2.5 to 3h).
Look up the luggage rules for your airline before deciding to bring your crash pad. Both Emirates and Singapore Airlines allow for around 300cm in length + width + depth.
Our Organic Simple Pad has dimensions of 91.4cm x 121.9cm x 10.1cm which puts it at 223.4cm.
Moving around
Clanwilliam is the closest town and there are buses (Intercape) which will take you to and from Cape Town.
However, a car is necessary as the sectors are spread across >10km stretch of the R364 road. We rented a small SUV (Volkswagen T-Cross) that fit 3 crashpads and 3 people excluding luggage. Bring lashings if you need to put the crash pads on the roof.
Most sectors require quite a lot of walking or scrambling so wear long pants and good shoes. Pack flip-flops to easily walk around the boulders of a sector.
Accommodation
Rocklands mainly has self-catering houses with kitchen, toilets, and sometimes a fireplace to keep warm in winter. Here are the most popular options for climbers:
- Depakhuys - Has cottages, cabins, and campsites. It’s right in front of The Plateau sector.
- Travellers Rest - Has cottages between 8 Day Rain and Danger Zone sector. It’s 10min from Depakhuys. Their restaurant at the main building has good food and wifi. World class climbers hang out at the big table in front of the fireplace during peak season.
- Alpha Excelsior Farm - Has cottages and retro caravans on a guest farm. It’s right in front of the Plateau sector next to Depakhuys. The Hen House cafe has good food, wifi, and is a popular place for climbers to socialize.
- Kliphuis (Pakhuis) - Has cottages and campsites right in front of Campground sector.
- Clanwilliam - The town just before Rocklands R364 road. It’s about 30min from the climbing area.
We stayed at Traveller’s Rest at the end of August. It was a 15 min drive to all the sectors we visited, and had a fireplace to keep warm. Booking a house for 6 was easy.
Gear
Many of the accommodations will rent crash pads. For example, Depakhuys rents them out from 130R a day with a 15% discount on rentals that are more than 7 days.
On a longer trip, bringing your own is the most economical. You can check the earlier section on transportation to see how we did this.
Food
Daily essentials
Stock up on supplies at Spar supermarket in Clanwilliam before driving over Pakhuis Pass. We visited every 2-3 days to buy groceries for our meals.
Restaurants
Traveller’s Rest restaurant (Khoisan Kitchen) has good pizza, burgers, traditional South African food, and beer. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Hen House on Alpha Excelsior Farm is also popular for food though they are usually not open for dinner. They have good coffee, breakfast, and lunch with a nice terrace to relax on a rest day.
Rest Day Activities
Active recovery
Walk the Rock Art Trail at Traveller’s Rest, go running, hiking, or mountain biking.
About 104km (1h40min) from Traveller’s Rest are nice hikes around amazing rock formations such as The Maltese Cross or Wolfberg Arch. We did not do any of these activities and it seems like you need a day pass.
Chill / Eat / Drink
On rest days, go grocery shopping at Clanwilliam, then relax at The Hen House or Traveller’s Rest. Near the popular hikes mentioned above are the Cederberg Winery, Nieuw Brewery, Stadsaal Caves and Stadsaal Rock Art.
Another popular restaurant is Muisbosskerm which is known for its seafood buffet. It’s 98km (1h10min) from Traveller’s Rest. Do note that you need at least 15 people to go (check their website).
Visiting Cape Town
Cape Town is hard to fit in a single rest day since it’s 261km (2h40min) from Traveller’s Rest but this amazing city deserves a few days on its own.
You can fit it into the beginning or end of your bouldering trip. There are also some areas close by listed on 27crags. For non-climbers, the Cape Peninsula and Cape of Good Hope are popular options too.
