Build My Own FeedBD athlete Kevin Jorgeson sends big in Rocklands and scores the coolest flapper you've ever seen...
Kevin Jorgeson has just returned from a month-long trip to South Africa's famed bouldering mega-zone, the Rocklands. Below is his trip report and photos, including the coolest looking flapper ever.
As climbers, we can all relate to having a photo of a distant land, hanging on our wall, calling us to come experience the potential. Potential for adventure, amazing rock, great alpine conditions, or whatever your calling may be. For me, this photo was taken by Reinhard Fichtinger of two climbers walking into the Roadside area of Rocklands, South Africa. 
Despite the crisp depth of field, discerning one boulder from another is nearly impossible. The landscape is pure rock. As a climber who draws motivation from exploring beautiful first ascents, I knew that I had to visit South Africa, to this land of rock.
Every new climbing day brought an opportunity to establish something new. Balancing the desire to establish new problems with the desire to climb the mass quantity of area classics was difficult to say the least. Finding new lines was the easy part. I would stand in the middle of whatever climbing area we were at, turn around 360 degrees, find the most prominent line I could, and 9 times out of 10 it was unclimbed. Perhaps this was because I was looking for the biggest lines as well....but I digress.
The first time I did this, I saw an amazing boulder perched precariously on the edge of a 30 foot cliff. Hanging over this cliff was a beautiful overhang, sculpted with holds. After a quick inspection on rope, I realized that I did not need to bring my usual arsenal of brushes for cleaning first ascents. The rock was perfect. With no lichen to scrub or holds to break, I found a quick sequence and pulled the rope. With a first move crux, it was instantly committing, however the relatively easy nature of climbing allowed me to enjoy both the movement and the exposure without too much nervousness. Because of it's location, with a great view of the valley, I decided to call this one Welcome to Rocklands. 
With so many amazing classic boulder problems in Rocklands, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to repeat as many as I could. It was while trying the coolest arete I've ever seen that I received the coolest flapper I've ever had. The climb is called Cedar Spine and it is simply perfect. It has everything a boulderer could ask for: an obvious starting hold, interesting movement, ergonomic holds, a high crux and a flat landing! Needless to say, I couldn't walk past it without giving it a go. While the hand holds are quite obvious, you are often squeezing with your feet on the arete, clamping hard. While reaching high around the arete for a good hold with a sharp thumb catch, my right foot slipped, shock loading my right hand. It held for a moment, before giving way, sending me to the pads with some skin left on the rock.
I immediately taped it up to stop the bleeding. Frustrated, I called it a day. Unwrapping the wound that night, I realized that Rocklands had actually given me a painful treat that seemed to say, "From Rocklands with Love."
How can you be frustrated about a flapper when it looks this cool? I couldn't. To my disappointment, it healed rather quickly, leaving nothing but a memory. Fortunately, there was still more rock than will ever be climbed waiting for me to go enjoy. And enjoy I did.
— Kevin Jorgeson
United States / English 
