The Petzl Rock and Road Trip     Awwwoooooooo...Yeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh! I hear a call of sending glory echoing up Badkloof valley in Montagu as I traipse along in my soggy sneakers with my well-used camera and notebook in my backpack. It's already five days into the PETZL Rock & Road Trip Western Cape 2010, and I can't believe how quickly the time is whizzing by in a flurry of disobedient wind, split fingertips, puffs of chalk and mad climbing antics. Tiptoeing over the makeshift pathway through the quagmire of mud, reeds and dassie poo I mentally recount each day, jumping from one half-sunk wooden palette to the next . . . Day 5 - Redpoint Challenge DAY ZERO The trip officially started off on Friday night at the MCSA (Mountain Club of South Africa) clubhouse, with a welcome event and a slideshow by Andy De Klerk (AdK). I blew through the door aided by a raging southeaster and landed smack in the middle of a large crowd of people, a mishmash of climbers, hikers and folk keen to hear AdK talk. DAY ONE Taking pictures high above the Atlantic Ocean, I think about the main message of Andy's slideshow. He talked about waves in the progression of climbing and how it is awesome to be part of a wave, but even better to watch the new one come rolling through. I ponder the various human waves taking shape in Echo Valley, up in the Kalk Bay mountains, where Day 1 of the PETZL Rock & Road Trip is taking place. It's a bouldering contest organised by Marijus that is open to the public too, and there are bodies being thrown at gritty chunks of rock left, right and centre. The young Jo'burg and Pretoria guys are working hard on The Core Boulder, the girls have prudently moved to Bonnie Dune where the more moderate problems lie and the older lads are working specific high scoring projects. I notice there is a lot of laughing, and the new friendships that begin to form tumble down the mountain together into the cosy bowels of the Brass Bell for ale and 'slap' chips. Jimbo Smith and Illona Pelser took the top spots for Day 1 and cheered in their wins over 'just one more drink'. DAY TWO Sometime on Sunday I am lying in a low cave that offers some of the only shade on Table Mountain's Upper Africa Ledge. I peer past my toes and let my eyes fall onto the scene of Cape Town's city bowl and harbour below. I laugh at how absurdly beautiful it is and how lucky we were to have the gale force winds disappear overnight to allow us to be here on Day 2. The climbers are trying out some of Table Mountain's classic trad test pieces and, despite having the routes pre-rigged, there are plenty of wide eyes and loud whoops of excitement in the intimidating... read more >> IMAGE: Cranking to the skyline at the Palace, Montagu. Photo KATH FOURIE