This past weekend, March 28-30, De Bos Backpackers & Camping was once again buzzing with stoked climbers, epic sends, and good vibes for the 2025 Montagu Rock Rally! With over 100 competitors and 140+ attendees, the crags were packed, the energy was high, and the party didn’t disappoint.
A Community of Climbers
We had an incredibly diverse crowd this year, making the event feel like a true community gathering. Our youngest climber was just 5 years old, while our most experienced participant at 66 years old showed that climbing has no age limit! The rally brought together students, international climbers, families with kids, and even dedicated boulderers taking on ropes for the first time.
The event was filled with wholesome moments, new friendships, and plenty of ‘belay-tionships’ being solidified as climbers cheered each other on throughout the day.
Climbing & Competition
The rally kicked off early with registration and briefing before climbers scattered across Montagu’s world-class crags. Legoland, Bosch Kloof, Bad Kloof, and The Steeple were all hotspots, offering plenty of challenges across the grades. The morning started off warm but bearable, with the afternoon heat eventually sending competitors back to De Bos for a quick swim before heading out for round two.
Meanwhile, our beginners’ crew at Legoland had an incredible introduction to outdoor sport climbing, with 21 first-time climbers getting the chance to climb and be belayed in a supportive and stoked environment.
Scoring & Results
This year, we moved away from the handicap system and introduced a new scoring format that ranks competitors based on their hardest climb sent. Points are awarded per climb, factoring in both grade and sending style:
- Onsight = +145 points
- Flash = +53 points
- Redpoint/Repeat = Base score
- Freepoint (top rope/back climb) = -52 points
Competitors could log up to ten climbs, and final scores were based on their total route scores and style bonuses. The top three competitors in each grade category took home the prizes!
Category Winners:
- MAD STRONG (Grade 26+) – Kimberly Hochreiter & David Miles
- SLICK SENDERS (Grade 23-25) – Kate Patience & Scott Spencer-Hicken
- RISING STARS (Grade 19-22) – Farron Smith & Stephan Smidt
- CASUAL CRUSHERS (Grade 18 & below) – Sinéad Mc Dermott & Thomas Stern
Beyond the podium, spot prizes kept the stoke levels high! Some fun awards included:
- Worst Shoes Award – A climber who crushed despite climbing in running shoes!
- Weekend Whipper – A well-earned helmet for a climber who took a memorable fall!
- Hardest Send of the Day – Luke Eberhardt sending ‘Wipe Out’ (Grade 31)!
- Most Years Climbing – Richard Behne, who has been climbing for 50 years!
The Party & Sunday Send-Off
Once the prizes were awarded, it was time to celebrate in true Rock Rally style. DJ Danny Phantom kept the beats rolling while climbers swapped stories, relived their best (and most hilarious) moments, and danced the night away.
Sunday morning was a slow but happy start, with climbers gathering over coffee, stretching out sore muscles in a restorative yoga session with the lovely Dani, and squeezing in some last climbs before heading home—already looking forward to next year’s rally!
Podiums & Gallery
Check out the full results and relive the action in our photo gallery:
A massive thank you to everyone who joined, our amazing sponsors, and the Montagu climbing community for making this event as special as ever.
Sponsor shout out- we couldn’t do this without you! First Ascent, Black Diamond, SCARPA, Petzl, La Sportiva, Buff, Osprey, Ocun, The North Face, Mountain Mail Order, Rainbow Glen, Route 62 Mountain Adventures, Breath and of course the beautiful De Bos.
Upcoming Climbing Events
If you missed this one, don’t worry—there are plenty of epic climbing events still coming up this year:
- Black Diamond Tradathon – 28 June 2025 – Monteseel, KZN
- Climb Angola Festival – 6-15 June 2025 – Serra da Leba, Angola
- Seacliff Climbing Festival – 30 May-1 June 2025 – Morgan Bay, EC
- Rocklands Rock Rally – 29-31 August – Cederberg, WC
- The Rory – Harrismith – 26-28 September 2025 – Harrismith, FS
We hope to catch you at one of these events—and of course, at next year’s Montagu Rock Rally 2026! Keep an eye out for further details coming soon.
Lost & Found: If you arrived home with extra gear or are missing something from your rack, send an email to [email protected] and we’ll try to sort you out!
