Rocklands lies 3 hours north of Cape Town, South Africa, and is part of the spectacular Cederberg Mountain Wilderness Area. Accessible from Cape Town International Airport via the N7 national highway.
Firstly, what makes Rocklands a world-class bouldering destination, is the rock. Cederberg sandstone is coarsely grained – very featured – offering high friction. On a single boulder, you can find cracks, pockets, huecos, slopers and crimps – a veritable smorgasbord of features for climbers to sink their digits into.
The scale of Rocklands is mind-blowing. Spread over an area of 1000 km2, 27 Crags lists over 5000 routes across 106 sectors. Thousands of problems across all grades! Besides giving boulderers a huge playground, the sprawling boulder fields also thin out the crowds. Even in peak season, the number of climbers is nothing like in popular bouldering destinations in Europe or North America.
Besides world-class bouldering, Rocklands is also known for its ancient rock art and its incredible wildflower blooms. This springtime spectacle sees the landscape carpeted in brightly coloured Namaqualand Daisies. It is also home to the renowned Rooibos tea, made from an endemic local plant.
Rocklands is also popular for sport climbing, hiking, scrambling and trail running because of its dramatic, otherworldly sandstone formations, pristine wilderness, and extensive network of trails.
GYMRHINO acts as a promotional tool, introducing people who haven’t heard of Rocklands to this incredible place and hopefully inspiring them to visit one day. It serves as an educational tool by explaining the relationships between the natural environment, the local community and tourism. Lastly, GYMRHINO helps to raise funds for community, climbing and conservation initiatives involving Rocklands
DreamHigher is a Cape Town-based public benefit organisation using climbing to support vulnerable youth. They provide long-term climbing programmes, coaching and mentorship. Through regular gym sessions, outdoor climbing days and trips to places like Rocklands, they help young people build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging in the climbing community. Experiencing the freedom and adventure of climbing outdoors gives their young climbers a chance to bridge social barriers and connect with nature in a way they otherwise could never access.
DreamHigher runs on climbing community support — donations, volunteers and people who care. If you’d like to get involved, get in touch. No contribution is too small – every bit helps.
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