2019/09/16 © Derek Marshall 1 Climbing Venues

Port Elizabeth 30 Coombs Gorge 37 EL urban crags & boulders Toorberg Swartberg 1 Lady's Slipper Amatolas 38 Yellowsands & Inkwenkwezi 44 Graff-Reinet 49 Toverkop 2 Van Stadens 31 Fort Fordyce 39 Lalapanzi 45 Compassberg 50 Oudtshoorn 3 PE urban crags & boulders 32 Hogsback 40 Morgan Bay Transkei 51 Gamkaskloof Bouldering 4 Sleepy Hollow 33 Stutterheim 41 Bola 46 Hole in the Wall 52 Swartberg Pass 5 Elands River Langkloof Winterberg 47 Hill of Execution 6 Kirkwood 19 Nguniland 42 Mary & Martha 48 Port St Johns 7 Cape St Francis 20 Kouga Wildernes 43 Hangklip Groot Winterhoek 21 Uniondale Pass 8 Tygerhoek Garden Route Aliwal North 9 Naga's Kloof 22 Titzikama N2 10 Eagle Gorge 23 Groot Rivier 11 Momentum Gorge 24 Piesang Valley 12 Pinnacle Gorge East London Mthatha 13 Cockscomb 34 NSA Middelburg 14 Grootbos & Kleinbos 35 Windmill Hole 47 48 Port St Johns 15 Nivera 36 Buffalo River N10 43 45 Queenstown Coffee Bay Baviaans Tarkastud 42 46 Nieu Bathesda 16 Grips Cradock N6 17 Kudu Kaya 41 Stutterheim 44 Graff-Reinet 33 18 Waterkloof 32 39 Hogsback Grahamstown 40 31 38 25 Alicedale N9 R63 King Williams Town 26 Howison's Poort Fort Beaufort N2 34-37 15 East London 27 Moodie's Alicedale R67 25 30 28 Bouldering 29 R329 Grahamstown 28 29 Thornkloof 26-27 18 8-14 52 R75 51 6 49 50 R322 17 16 N2 Uniondale Uitenhage R62 21 20 Ladismith R62 19 4 2 1 Oudtshoorn 3 23 24 22 5 More route guides can be found on N2 Plettenberg Bay 7 www.easterncaperockclimbing.co.za

Updated 2017/12/21 © Derek Marshall 2 General History Maria Maan is a lovely spot for civilised easy access bouldering, with family & Sunday In the days before the elephants were hunted out, apparently Witteklip boulders were lunch afterwards. Walk-in is flat grass. Landings are good. There is good shade. The used by elephants to rub against & this has led to some of the boulders being rubbed beers are cold & the Sunday lunch is flipping lekker! So far, there are only easy smooth. Perhaps Bushman would have sheltered amongst these boulders, but today problems, but there is potential for harder problems. there are no traces of them except a few painting sites in nearby Van Stadens Gorge.The Inqua & Damasqua Khoekhoen would have visited these boulders. Henry Access Lichtenstein in his book Travels in Southern Africa 1803 – 1806 reported a For now, access is via booking Sunday lunch. Khoekhoen settlement on the heights above the van Stadens River crossing. This would have been roughly where Woodridge or the Van Stadens Flower Reserve is today. Apparently many Khoekhoen artifacts have been found in the area. In the days of ox-wagon travel, Wittekip was an outspan area for refreshing oxen & horses. Later the near by train station, school, private nature reserve & the original farm that Maria Maan stands on was name after The Witteklip.

From a bouldering perspective; Witteklip was unknown to climbers before 2017, as Random Hazards & Environmental Points the boulders were lost is a thick wattle & • Please pick up as much litter as you can, yes other peoples’ litter. Let’s make- gum tree forest. Rob Mac Geoghegan this-a-thing to do… re-called seeing them, but his claim was • Please try not to damage any vegetation. dismissed as it seemed so unlikely. Finally, • Crime should not be an issue. on a rainy day, exploration lead to trespassing in from the train Directions & Map track side & the boulder’s existence

• Get smart, use Google to get there! ☺ confirmed Caroline Marshall organized the first access & book us lunch. Thanks Caroline!

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Maria Maan Restaurant

Park Prophet’s

11 Cave

4/5

N2 CT N2 PE

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1 Closed Eyes Paradise  ⚫ 5 SS up the easy ramp to R of arête.

2 Cry For Deliverance ⚫ 5 SS under the bulge. Directly through the bulge.

3 Euphoria 5 SS under protruding small roof. Directly up.

SS on ramp open book. Throught the steep break 4 My Mind‘s Eye ⚫ 5C above.

5 Seven Sirens & a Silver Tear ⚫ 5 SS below corner, move L to exit.

6 Sister Nightfall ⚫ 5 SS in diagonal crack, directly up.

7 Moral High Ground 5 SS on ramp, directly up.

8 Sweet Caroline  ⚫ 6A+ BS on sidepulls, up over bulge.

9 Spit Out the Bone ⚫ 4 SS, up the easy ramp.

10 Lekker Kossie ⚫ 5B SS, up ramp break.

11 My Father‘s House  ⚫ 6A BS in sidepull. Up on rounded arête.

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126A+

136A 136A 10 11 4/5

12 The Other Side  ⚫ 6A+ BS, LH on crimp & RH on serrated side pull. Directly up. ⚫

BS, LH on serrated side pull & RH on jug. Traverse low, all the 13 The Path to Decay  ⚫ 6A way R till the natural end.

14 Eat Me Alive ⚫ 4 BS, up the easy break.

15 Boere Kos ⚫ 5 BS on crimp rail, directly up.

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