Olympic Climber Mel Janse van Rensburg Trains with Waterval Boven Kids on Snapdragon Showdown Wall
What better way to launch a new climbing club and climbing wall than with a visit from your hometown Olympic star? Last Saturday (13 September) Mel Janse van Rensburg returned to his roots in Waterval Boven to train with the kids from the Emgwenya Mountain Club on the incredible Snapdragon Showdown wall
For the Club, which was formally registered as an NPO this year, having a training session with a Paris 2024 Olympian is pretty epic. Mel, who grew up climbing Boven’s local crags, shared techniques and inspiration with the young climbers at the wall.
It’s a perfect full-circle moment – Mel cut his climbing teeth on Boven’s legendary routes before representing South Africa at the Paris Olympics. Back in SA for a few weeks (from France where he is studying Engineering), Mel spent some time passing on what he’d learned on the competition circuit to the next generation of Boven climbers.
The wall itself is a testament to what happens when the climbing community rallies together. Mel and another of SA’s top climbers, Chris Cosser, famously sent the endurance classic Snapdragon a total of 57 times in the Snapdragon Showdown to raise funds for the wall, while local legend Roc ‘n Rope Adventures together with the Mataffin Sports Trust and Sport Unplugged pitched in HUGELY with money, time, and massive amounts of energy and enthusiasm to make the Snapdragon Showdown wall a reality.
The Emgwenya Mountain Club has been active since 2012 and recently formalised as a registered NPO, focusing on getting more kids into climbing, hiking, and kloofing. At the moment the club has a regular group of around fifteen children ranging in ages from ages from eight to seventeen, that participate in weekly group sessions both outdoors and at their new wall. The club is also looking at starting a girls only session at the new wall to help build some girl-power.
Saturday’s session with Mel was a perfect start for what they’re trying to achieve – giving young climbers access to Olympic-level mentorship right in their backyard, from someone who knows these rocks like the back of his hand.
If you’re passing through Boven, swing by and let the kids show you their moves. Trust us, they’re keen to demonstrate what they’ve learned from their local Olympic hero.
How to get involved
While the local climbing wall marks an incredible milestone for the Emgwenya Mountain Club, help and donations are always needed and appreciated. At the moment, the club is still in urgent need of a 550gr PVC tarpaulin to protect their mats from the rain. Children sized climbing equipment or outdoor gear in good to new condition is also always welcome. To assist in any way, please reach out to Claire directly by emailing: [email protected]
The Emgwenya Mountain Club operates out of Emgwenya/Waterval Boven, Mpumalanga, focusing on youth climbing development and conservation.
