De Kelders
6B+ – 7A+ · 4 routes · sandstone · Font
- Approach 9 min — flat sand and rock slabs from the Pakhuis Pass road, no scrambling
- Best season May to September. July and August give the best friction and the coldest conditions.
- Published
- Updated
De Kelders is a broad, sunny cluster of orange sandstone boulders with an excellent spread of mid-grade problems and the kind of friction that only Cederberg sandstone gives you. It is a good first area for anyone arriving in Rocklands for the first time.
The rock and the movement
Rocklands sandstone is rough, featured and covered in the small positive edges that make the area so popular. The movement is often about finding the sequence through a maze of usable holds rather than pulling hard on one.
The problems at De Kelders are mostly short and athletic, in the 6A to 7A range, with sandy landings and walkable descents. That combination makes it a comfortable place to try hard.
Season
Rocklands is a southern-hemisphere winter destination: the season runs from May to September, with July and August the coldest and the best. In midsummer (December to February) it is 35 °C and unclimbable.
Rain in winter is rare but heavy when it comes. The rock dries in a few hours in wind, and the sandstone here is far more tolerant of damp than the sandstone at Fontainebleau — but the local ethic is still to leave wet rock alone.
Facilities
Accommodation is clustered in self-catering farm cottages along the Pakhuis Pass road. There is no shop and no fuel within 30 km, so arrive with food and a full tank. Mobile signal is unreliable.
Routes · 4
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Hold types arete · sidepull · heel-hook
Open beta
Clean arete on featured sandstone. Climb it on the left until the last move, then switch to the right side for the top-out.
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Hold types slab · friction · mantle
Open beta
Introductory friction slab with good edges. The start of every local's warm-up circuit.
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Hold types roof · toe-hook · crimp
Open beta
Short, powerful roof with a hard exit. The toe hook is easy to place and easy to lose; keep the tension in your core.
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Hold types crimp · lock-off · sloper
Open beta
Three-move problem on small edges with a sloper finish. Short enough to try repeatedly and hard enough that you need a rest between attempts.
Crag ethics
Crag ethics
No chipping and no wire brushing. Brush chalk off the tops; the orange rock marks easily and the local community works hard to keep the areas clean.
