Cape Town city edge bouldering on the foothills of Table Mountain overlooking Vredehoek, Oranjezicht, Higgovale and the city centre: known as CBD - City Bouldering District.
The boulders aren't packed together like Rocklands, but once you know your way around, you can get a full workout whatever your grade, even after work, directly under the Table Mountain amphitheater.
Fit it around a Rocklands trip for variety; while in Cape Town enjoying the city day and night life and beaches and try out some gnarly problems in an amazing atmosphere.
Best Seasons: year round. Adjust your time of day:
Mid December to April: this Is Summer in Cape Town, although you can add a month either side for weather ‘bleed’:
- Nov/Dec can be hot, windy, then erratic with variant conditions tending toward more hot/less wind into late Dec. January/Feb tend to be hot and dry (by Cape Town standards).
This is the perfect time to schedule late afternoon into evening sessions. The heat dome from the CBD, and the city lights and sunset, make for spectacular dusk sessions. Mid Morning to afternoon can be windy and too hot: up to 36 Celsius but it depends...(!)
Don’t go climbing too early...suggest 4:30pm with best conditions as sun goes over Kloof Nek circa 5pm; you can climb until 8:30pm when it gets dark or later.
At this time of year it’s generally too hot for hardcore Rocklands visits, but Cape Town city is at its best for lifestyle and beaches and restaurants and wine estates.
Stay in / around the City Bowl and you will fit in some magic bouldering as the sun goes behind the mountain, lit by the city.
The heat dome and short walking add an hour+ of climbable / warmth factor to CBD bouldering vs Top Side/Echo Valley throughout the year
May-August/Sept tend to be most cool/wet and suited to morning / midday sessions. Watch the weather over the weather apps; take a chance and you’ll be rewarded. Wind is less and conditions for harder problems perfect.
Overview:
The 3 main areas are accessed by 5 different parking areas indicated on the map:
- DEER PARK generally refers to the area between Tafelberg Rd and Upper Vredehoek accessed either from Tafelberg Rd down or Upper Deer Park Drive up.
> from the parking above Deer Park Drive to Split Boulder, Tree Traverse Boulder, Hamstrung Boulder, Triangle Boulder, Blackened Boulder, City Vista Boulder;
Drive up Deer Park Drive East (a one way), just before the top where it curves to the left take the right and then left to join upper end of Dear Park Drive West (this top 20m is not a one-way). IF YOU ARE BOULDERING INTO THE EVENING, PARK IMMEDIATELY ON THE LEFT BEFORE THE BOOM TO AVOID BEING LOCKED INSIDE. Else continue driving up gravel road and park on right under trees. Path starts on the Devils Peak side, ie left as you face mountain, through a locked boom. Take this path tending left and immediately a right at first junction point taking you winding upwards
> From the Parking on Tafelberg Rd walk down to River Boulder, Surprise Boulder, Ross' Boulder, Big Bad Block, Yosemite Boulder, City Vista Boulder.
Park at the large parking area on left as you drive along Tafelberg Rd, the 2nd parking area after Platteklip Gorge hiking trail start. Walk down gravel jeep track where the boom and bench are found. To get to River Boulder it is possible to drop straight down the left side of the gorge at the start of the trail, or via Surprise Boulder by doubling back left along the gorge after where the jeep track makes a sharp turn to the right toward Big Bad Block. You cant miss the other boulders down on the left if you continue along gravel road.
If you carry on downwards, you will reach all of the Deer Park Lower Boulders also
- DEER PARK SCHADENFREUDE AREA is accessed either from parking at the top of Molteno Rd, or from parking on Tafelberg Rd near Lower Cableway Station depending on your destination:
> from Molteno Rd to First Date Boulder, Schadenfreude Boulder, World Cup Boulder
Park at the top of Molteno Rd and follow the concrete then gravel road up and turning left at a gravel T-junction; 15-20 mins
> or from Tafelberg Rd to Roysten Vasey boulder if this is your primary purpose.
Walk down from the parking along Tafelberg Rd; you can see the large Roysten Vasey boulder from the road. Best access route is along the ridge/rocky line running down the left of the boulder from Tafelberg +-5mins
- LIGHTS AREA refers to the area above Tafelberg Rd, near the Table Mountain lights, which when they are occasionally on allows for awesome night climbing and a spectacular backdrop of Table Mountain.
Park just before the Electric Box on right of Tafelberg Rd as you are driving on small gravel pull-off, marked “Table Mountain Light C", The path starts behind bushes immediately right of the electrical box.
Follow single track up bearing right if you want to start at Warmup Boulders o4 straight up to start at Slab Boulder.
Walk-in 5 mins
There are still some prime FAs to be done, if you search. Please let me know and I will add lines and topos for you, or approve your additions using 27crags app or website.
The problems that always deliver and that I keep returning to are:
>Tree Traverse 7B (40 moves) (Tree Traverse Boulder)
> Done 7B (40 moves) and the reverse The Great Undojng 7B (Training Boulder)
> Toward the White 7A (15+ moves) (Toward the White Boulder)
> The problems at Purgatory and nearby Nooner Boulder
> Schadenfreude and nearby World Cup Boulder problems.
> Gaston Roof at Big Bad Block
> Roysten Vasey boulder
Safety:
Deer Park in particular is busy with mountain bikers, trail runners, hikers and dog walkers, and since the explosion of these sports activity levels are high and safety is good.
Lights area will likely have no other mountain users, and is close to the road. I have never seen any person other than boulderers or rangers in Lights area.
Because this guide has taken a long time, and some of the Boulders and Problems renamed, I have tried to use the current Boulder names for the sake of coherence and continuity, and also show both the original and "aka" for current Problem names.
I hope using this guide will help you explore this incredible landscape, become stronger, be more happy and meet me sometime in the CBD by chance.
