A big cave located hidden down at the water. A lot of roof boulders at the lip of the cave, where kneebars, heel-toe cams and a lot of core strength come in handy. Sportclimbers can indulge themselves too in one of the 7's or 8's. You won't find a lot of 'easy' climbing here. So guns out!
Stays dry during rain, but stays wet after much rain. In summer it can be really cold in the inside of the cave.
Note: a lot of boulders use a 'traverse grading', because of the length of the problems and the amount of moves. This is somewhere in between a boulder and sport grade.
This rock massif is owned by the Union Belge de Spéléologie. The massif has several underground entrances that lead to an underground cave with hot and cold springs. It is best to discover these only under the guidance of an expert.
The first boulder dates back to 2009, when Thierry Hardy climbed 'Les Petites et les Grosses Couilles', then as an 8A. Over time, the grade got deduced to 7B+/C, but this made the cave better known. At the time, this was one of the only 8A's in Belgium!
Over the years, the cave has not received much attention, probably due to the harsh nature of the routes or the difficult conditions that the cave often enjoys.
From 2018 on there was some more climbing and the ascent of 'Ode to No One', by Micha Vanhoudt, was one of the few 8c's in Belgium. Exceptional, to have such a horizontal hard route in Belgium.
During the Covid19 period, climbing on home soil was more obvious. Koen Baekelandt opened a few of hard routes and link-ups here, with the crown jewel: Helm's Deep, 8c+. This one is still waiting for a repeat...
