Lost World open for CLIMBING – 1 May to 31 August (closed outside those dates)
ACCESS IS SENSITIVE
A little bit of history
As most of us know, Lost World was sadly closed to climbing for many years. About 15 years ago, the owners at the time entered into negotiations with climbers to do a trial run, allowing climbers into the crag for the day, under certain conditions. One of these conditions was to be out at a certain time in the afternoon. Unfortunately some climbers chose to ignore this request and came out late. In short, this pissed the owner off, so Lost World was lost again, and this also ruined all future negotiations to “try again”.
The land was sold again, but Lost World remained closed for a further 6 years. Then slowly over a period of about 5 years the owners started allowing climbing there in the form of annual organised events, and more recently have agreed to fully open it to climbing again (at certain times of the year) for a small entrance fee.
THERE ARE CERTAIN CONDITIONS – PLEASE READ THE CODE OF CONDUCT FORM AND ADHERE TO THE AGREEMENT AT ALL TIMES!
About Lost World
Lost World is one of the most iconic trad venues in South Africa
All the walls and crags are comprised mostly of the very best quatzitic sandstone – beautiful orange and brown walls soaring up into the ever-blue skies. The rock is made for trad climbing – multiple, long aesthetic crack lines cleave the walls offering perfect opportunities for climbing and protection.
The main wall boasts a plethora of fine crack climbs up to 4 and 5 pitches long, like the excellent Jaywalker, the first ever route at Lost World, Remain in Light, Titanium Trip and Pigs on the Wing. The smaller crags scattered around the kloof also offer superb single and 2-pitch routes, like Find the Cost of Freedom, put up solo by AdK and graded 16 at the time – now upgraded to 19, and still demanding for that grade. Other short classics include Heart of Gold, Improbabilty Drive, A Sea of Existential Teddy Bears, and Stone Magic, and the absolute uber classic of the crag, Nuclear Waste, an exquisite 25-metre jam fest. Opened at grade 19, it has been raised to 20, but be prepared for solid climbing at that grade, and if you can’t jam, well . . .
But the main event in Lost World is the incomparable Wall of Darkness, a stunning dark and brooding wall 30 metres in height, and curving outward as you near the top, making sure the pump remains right up until you clip the anchors. The absolute classic of the wall and also regarded as one of the most revered test pieces in South Africa, is the outstanding Technicolour Darkness. A line which takes an elegant and unrelenting curving crack for the full 30 metres of the wall. There are seven routes up the wall, all hard, some scary and all put up by AdK in his teens.
So come prepared!
Most of the strategic anchors have been replaced with new double bolt anchors.
You will find a fully comprehensive and updated guide to Lost World in the Montagu Rock guidebook, or on the Montagu Rock App, which will keep you updated.
Booking and Payment
Please go to the booking page and complete the registration form, tick the relative boxes (Waiver and Code of Conduct forms), then go to the payment page.