Operation route guide print is a go go go!

- Test the guide readability on the screen at A5 size: check
- Specify duplex printing in order to save paper: check
- Get quote from printers for printing & binding: check 
- Place order as per quote: check

And then I arrive at the printers. Shock. Horror. I’m handed a route guide the size of a door. I double check my mails, yip, there it is – I asked for it – A3.

So now, in the paraphrased words of Jack Parrow, I’ll be the guy at the crag with the fresh new book. 

The largest route guide in the universe (cellphone for scale):

I’ve ordered a new A5 sized print, and will be donating the larger than life version to the Appin Inn guesthouse where many climbers stay, hopefully it’ll be of some use there.

Coming up: Half price bungee at Orlando Towers. Sounds like fun, not sure if my nerves will hold. No big plans for the weekend (yet). Maybe start working on that long planned bouldering wall….. yesss, my precious, that sounds like a brilliant idea.

Got tickets to the Sun City Spring Bash and the Van-Fokken-Tasties gig (blame Tuks for that name ) on Thursday, and then flipping a coin on whether I’ll leave for the Roc Rally on Thursday or Friday. Going these alone at the moment <sigh>

Let’s set a deadline for learning to ride that unicycle too. How about end of October – and by riding I mean steady enough to commute from my parking garage to the office.

Let me stop there. I’m famous for loading way too much hay on my fork. If I can pull these off, I’d be quite happy. After that there’s still the multi-pitch climb at Swinburne and the kite surfing rig…….. the slackline, trad climb, the trip to the coast. The web-site, making ice, selling the plot, growing something in a pot.  

Mediocrity is no longer an option. Live while you’re alive, sleep when you’re dead.

Ursula doing the "Preying mantice ninja move" (not an officially recognized climbing move, but it proved effective in the end)

Someone also decided to removed some hangers, which I replaced on the day. A few bolts needed tightening too.

Francois in touch with his inner baboon. The surprised look is a result of realising what the sticky stuff he felt earlier actually was

Other semi-related news:
The Boven Rock Rally is coming up next month and Gustav has afforded me the opportunity to be a part of the organisation pending some work to be done by this coming weekend – hopefully a big announcement on SANCL.org next week!!!

Summer is coming and the time to go to Wellingtons Dome is running out as the summertime temps will be unbearable.  If that does not materialise, I’ve got some unfinished business at Swinburne, and I’m still keen to check out Harrismith – dug up that guide book earlier this week: there’s a 3 pitch grade 14 with my name on it.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, things are pretty much status quo. After SEVERAL day’s cleaning, the place is starting to resemble a state called clean. Some more grass to be cut, and ooh, while I’m on the topic let me phone the shop for a B.F.T. – the “T” is for torch……and the B is a capital, bold “B” at 15 000 000 candle power. Who needs a gun when you can singe retinas at 50m?

<phone call>

hmmmm, so much for service. As the specific BFT is discontinued, they won’t ship the stock between branches, so I’ll have to take a 200km drive to the branch that still has stock and back if I really, really want it. Thanks Outdoor Warehouse for service that makes the government departments look reasonable.

Right.

That’s it, I’m done.

We stayed at Appin House about 5 km out of “town” which has small but perfectly functional 2 bed rooms and an attached bathroom. The property also has a large farmhouse with several rooms and shared bathrooms as well as a barn with bunk beds. This is also the starting point for the Bald Ibis Hiking Trail. Camping is possible, but I’d much rather stay in the Appin House rooms with comfy beds and own ablutions – the cost is minimal.

The place is very popular amongst rock climbers. With building sized boulders all around, two large ones within 100m of the rooms and at least one fully bolted sport route on Rensburgkop topping out at 175m, it’s hardly surprising. It’s also famous for the yearly Rory Lowther memorial challenge, a hit among school climbing teams.

I’ll definitely be back. Not having climbed regularly in a couple of months, I managed to burn myself out quite quickly and had to sit out on a couple of must-do routes, and many more to explore. As a first time boulderer I had fun exploring - there are many problems in all difficulty grades, I’ll just say my bouldering pad provides a nice comfy landing . 

Note to self: bring own cutlery or at least dish washing stuff – the arrangements around this is a bit rickety.