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Climbing Outdoors
There are some great outdoor climbing opportunities in Gauteng and the surrounding provinces. Many of these venues are only accessible to Members of the Mountain Club of SA, so be sure to check out www.mcsa.org.za, or get information from a helpful staff member at your local climbing gym, before you venture out! You can also read up about “EVERYTHING CLIMBING” at www.climbing.co.za.
Bronkies
Bronkhorstspruit is a town 50 km east of Pretoria, along the N4 highway towards Witbank. It lies on the border between Gauteng and Mpumalanga. One of the most popular crags in Gauteng, Bronkies is on the banks of the Bronkhorstspruit River. It used to be a trad climbing venue but bolting has become increasingly popular over the last couple of decades and it now has 56 sport routes in three different sections. The best climbing is in the intermediate grades with some superb cranking on good, solid quartzite rock.
Classics in these grades include ‘If Women Were Gods’ (20), ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ (21), ‘Hello Clarice’ (22) and ‘Memoirs of a Belay Bunny‘ (23). If you’re looking for more challenging climbs, ‘Rat Kid’ (25) on the Right Side, and ‘Black Out’ (27) in the Middle Section are test pieces. The Right Side has numerous easy climbs that are ideal for children and novice climbers. ‘Austin’s Mojo’ (15) is a good choice for its grade. Bronkies faces south-west so it is a good summer crag. Bring along your down belay jacket in winter as it can get a bit chilly
The Chosspile is the closest proper sport climbing crag to Johannesburg. It also has the full spectrum of grades, from super easy, to 33 and beyond. Affectionately known as “Choss”, the crag overlooks the Hartebeespoort Dam, and with very good views, it has been a popular hangout for a couple of generations of Gauteng climbers. Unlike the crag's name there is some good rock and fine routes here. The rock is a quartzite with interesting features - pinches and holes and blocky jugs. Climbs range from slabby to desperately overhanging. There is a bit of a slog to walk into the crag but you will have plenty shade in the trees at the base of the cliff. The sun leaves most of the face by midday.
Access to Fern Kloof is through the Bergheim Resort in northern Magaliesberg, close to Rustenburg. It is a relatively small sport crag, with a couple of routes below grade 20, but most of the good climbing is grade 24 and above. All the climbs are in a kloof beside a small stream, and since the walls are shady and cool from mid-morning onwards, it’s a great crag for a hot day - there is even a rock pool to swim in a little higher up the kloof.
King’s Kloof lies in the Chancliff district of Krugersdorp. This crag is very new, having been bolted only a couple of years ago, but is very popular for both the tranquil, picturesque valley setting, and because the climbing is reasonably tame. The cliffs were formed by huge geological forces and are much like the Cape’s folded mountains with spectacular formations and varied aspects. Generally the crags on the right of the river (facing downstream) are in shade in the morning, while the crags on the left are in shade in the afternoon. It can be hot in summer and is warm and sunny in winter, so it is a good winter option.
Melville is a small steep buttress, which has about 17 climbs ranging from 14 to 24 in grade, so it is a good beginner-to-intermediate crag, or somewhere to work out after work. The routes are fairly short and bouldery (10 to 12 metres), and the very polished white quartzite takes some getting used to, but it’s worth persevering as the climbs are very good quality once you get the hang of them. The biggest appeal of this crag is its proximity to Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, but it has some outstanding lines, such as “Zionist Energy” (23) and “Chalkies Direct” (22). “Slush Arms”, a pumpy 23 that involves pulling through an overhang then working out the moves on a thin, knobbly convoluted crack, ranks among the best in Gauteng for its grade. 
This crag is one of our finest assets as far as sport climbing is concerned. Although Strubens is a small crag, its location close to Johannesburg’s northern and western suburbs, and large number of easy routes, means it is very popular especially with beginners and children. There are about 40 bolted climbs, all short (between 6 and 10 metres), with many boulder-type problems.
Waterval Boven in Mpumalanga, meaning “above the waterfall” in Dutch, is arguably South Africa’s best sport climbing arena. With more than 700 routes from “nursery slopes” for kids to several routes in the 30s, Boven, also known as The Restaurant, or The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, is South Africa’s climbing Mecca, consistently rated as one of the top rock-climbing destinations in the world, attracting year-round international visitors. Less than three hours from Johannesburg, Boven is the perfect spot either as a quick introduction to climbing or for an extended holiday with a vast area of distinctive, vertical orange cliffs begging to be climbed. The crags next to the waterfall are particularly spectacular and have graced many a climbing magazine, helping to put Boven on the climbing map. Both sport and traditional climbing are fantastic, and while it’s difficult to single out specific routes when there are so many superb lines, the following sport routes deserve mention.Acknowledgements to our online sources and crag images: Mountain Club of SA, Climb ZA, www.nightjartravel.com and SACIN.