On Saturday morning Tinie Versfeld, Ross Suter and myself begrudgingly walked into the cable car station (the cable car is cheating) but we knew our weather window was tiny and time was not on our side.
The operators warned us of high summit winds and that they couldn't guarantee us downwards passage. We shrugged them off, our plans resolute. Today was Africa Arete day!
We didn't waste time at the top and soon we had all rapped down to Upper Africa Ledge.
My rush to get ready soon slowed down when I noticed Tinies priorities were firmly focused on his cup of tea, I followed suite mimicking Tinie, he's like a wild cat in long grass, stalking the mountain, sneaking up on it. The tea is only a ruse to make the mountain drop its guard and expose its weakness.
Tea over, I watch the old boys casually solo the 1st pitch, they may move slow but they are solid and at home here.

I piece together from the banter that this is Tinies annual pilgrimage, a route opened by him and Dave Birkett some 26 years ago needs taming at least once a year to keep it in check, to subdue it if you will. I think its Tinies way of whipping his own butt a shake out of the tool-shed to free it of rubbish and cobwebs if you will.

Tinie, cruises the first pitch, I have no idea what's in store for me... Africa Arete was always somewhere far down the line for me. Large, scary and not a novices gambit. To be honest had I been given more time than the cable ride up to opt out I would have wiggled out of it.
Alas, roped up I follow Tinie first.
The 2nd pitch is stunning, a tricky yoga stem start gets you on to the arete and you balance up vertical seams looking for little in cuts, I feel great but I move slow dialling in on the subtleties to move, the beta is not in your face, you work it out and the arete is forgiving.
Ross follows me and we regroup on the most magnificent perch. By this time I notice the cloud formations on Lions Head, the saucer shaped clouds lick their way up the face, I give us an hour tops.
Its 11:15 as Tinie sets off. The 3rd pitch (actually the 2nd as the old boys don't count the first) beta needs to be remembered, a layback right hand with a toe hook to high left hand open crimp gets you back on the face, I cant see see what's going on from the stance but I can hear Tinies dialogue as he winds up. Ross is solid on belay, years and years of practice show as he moves to Tinies rhythm, the rope-smithing is like art, organised chaos that is neither pedantic nor unsafe and it is beautiful to watch.
Tinie sends, triumphant we can just hear him shout off belay.
Ross and I have been watching the clouds come in and we are now bathed in a cool, moist grey blanket. In the three quarts of an hour that it took Tinie to summit the weather had rolled in, Ross makes a good call to stay put on the stance and calls me into the line up. Im super psyched at the opportunity and knowing that I'm on the soft end I don't care about the cold or wetness and want to test myself on the legendry route.
The start initially has me stumped, I want to keep my lower body in the stance cave, looking for security, only when I free myself, commit to the right hand crimp layback and stretch out am I am able to move. Soon on the face its dream like, I cant see more than 3 metres all around me and the gravity drops, there is no more exposure I'm climbing in a fluffy white cloud.
I marvel at Tinies blind gear placements, a cam placed underfoot and a high completely blind nut placement around the corner show years of trickery at work. It takes me some stretchy moves to free the gear and the cold eats at me fingers, they are numb by now. To add we all have all our gear on whilst it soothes me from the cold my layered gear constrict my forearms like wet puffies, I begin to feel the pump.
I get the right hand pinch move, allowing me to flick around to the right of the layback and start to move into the crimps, I hang on for a while fighting, but its not my day, near the end of the crimp sequence my wet and cold fingers lose the battle. I sit tight on the rope for a minute and absorb the atmosphere, it rejuvenates me and the rest allows me to see the sequence and the second try is much easier, I'm excited to see Tinie at the top. He's wet, cold and shivering by now but he doesn't show it, his face is serene whilst his eyes seem to glow, the adrenaline fuelling them with fire from his taming, yet again of the Arete.
The climbing is done for the day. We rescue Ross from the ledge and are soon setting back and the base stroking each others egos and celebrating yet another victory for Tinie over his obsession with one of the cleanest and boldest line on Table Mountain.
Thanks for the invite boys, sign me up for next year again please.