Waterval Boven

The bus ride back to Maputo isn’t as bad as it was the other way. The bus is nearly empty and the driver seems to be in a hurry too. He’s constantly on the phone. The only thing I can understand is his two phase laugh - The wheezing pig. So, we arrive in Maputo at around two o’clock just in time to catch the next bus to the Border of South Africa to embark on yet another bus ride to Nelspruit.

After spending the night at Miki’s friends place sleeping in hammocks and hassling with the car rental companies we finally get a ride under us and start driving to Waterval Boven. The only perquisite for the car was an auxiliary cable socket. It’s good to be driving free and listening to your own music.

I’m expecting a place in the middle of nowhere. Stunning views of water falls and a tranquil atmosphere with climbing hippies camping and hammocks between eucalyptus trees. Just google “Waterval Boven climbing” and you get the picture. The reality is once again quite different.

WB is an African town just like any other. With tuck shops “opening soon..” and pretty much everything closed for Easter. Streets with aimlessly wondering locals and children playing or wrestling next to it. Basic houses of time worn concrete and wavy metal roofs. The place all climbers stay is called Rock and rope. It’s run by a wonderful guy called Gustav. He’s got the warm and firm hand shake of a true climber and even opens his little climbing gear shop for us at nine in the evening. The dorms are cosy and the water in the shower is warm. We have a few cold beers to complete the purging ritual.

Checking down at the Valley at Waterfall area

The true nature of Boven reveals itself in the morning as we abseil down to the Waterfall area for our first day of climbing. Endless faces of hard blood red rock contrasted with green trees and a vivid blue sky. The town’s atmosphere is clearly a diversion for the true beauty lies in the valley below. The climbing here is certainly world class and we enjoy every route. None of us is really in sending condition so we enjoy the easy routes and the joy of climbing itself. Have a little coffee and toast in between and continue for a couple of more routes. To get back up to town level we decide to seek for an easy trad climb called “Heck Tick” opened by Gustav himself. The “guide book”, a printed out flapper of A4’s, ensures us a wonderful uncertainty of the routes start. “Up an obvious corner to a roof 15 meters above. Then left to bypass the roof and up the face to a legde” After discarding it twice, we find A corner with A roof above which makes the face impossible to see.

Miki: “Didn’t take long for us to try finding trouble again.”

Johannes: “So who’s leading this thing?”

Joonas: “Well. You are.”

Just before the roof on "Heck Tick"

Might have a seed of truth in that but I’m still up for an adventure. So I gear up for trad and start jamming some nuts and cams! The beginning is easy and I get some bomber gear in the cracks with a nut on a long sling just under the roof. I traverse to left crouching under the roof and manage the high foot to find myself on the face. Crimping up the face I climb up to a large and comfortable ledge. After building my first ever trad anchor I belay Miki up and he belays Joonas. I contemplate a while on the essence of trad climbing this route has so wonderfully crystallized. Climbing up a rock wall in fully natural condition. I think it’s wonderful! From here we can see the whole valley as the afternoon sun gently tickles our faces.

Midway up "Heck Tick"

It seems as the rest of the climb is very easy. We snap a few nice photos and solo up to the ridge. Just a walk and abseil back to a railway we started from and the day seems a little too untroublesome. Maybe we have learned something from getting into trouble previously.

Hiking back after the first day

We walk through town under the intrigued eyes of the locals. Head for shower and grab a couple of beers for starters before heading out to eat. Driving some kilometres towards Nelspruit, we find a place called Hill Billy bar. They make the biggest ever pizzas and we hang out in the restaurant like it’s our own living room. We play pool and watch TV and the owner tells us that he’s heading out for a while. “If you want some drinks just help yourselves” Such a cool place!

The next day we take a trip to the “Restaurant at the end of the universe” We don’t get to see Armageddon but surely some more epic sport climbing. After warming up we decide to try a shot at “Flambeau 6c+” 

First moves of Flambeau

I go for the onsight and blast through an overhanging start. After ripping up through the moves I manage the awkward left hand gaston clip of the last bolt. Cross over with my right hand and match a crimpy ledge just before the anchor. I almost lose my mind as the lactics shred my arms to jelly and I take a fall not being able to find a foothold. The move was not obvious enough. A high foot to the left and I get to the anchor after a short rest.

We spend the rest of the day shooting photos at the same route. The feeling of hanging from 3 cams at 20 meters without a rope tries to choke me, but I manage the pressure and get a few cool shots of Miki and Joonas.

Joonas reaching for the clip on Flambeau

Miki feeling the gaston at the last clip

My photographing set up. My life depended on those three cams.

Gustav has given us a hint to follow for something different. After twisting our minds on two consecutive escape rooms in Johannesburg the following day we decide to follow his advice for multi pitch climbing at Eagle Mountain, previously called Mount Everest.

Thank you ‘Boven! The adventure continues!