This year marked ten years since CityROCK Johannesburg opened its doors. If you have been climbing since 2015 you probably remember the moment you heard the whispers about a new gym going up in Randburg. I remember my mom bundling us in the car to see just where it was and timing how long it would take us to get there with, and without traffic. Little did we all know that the longstanding indoor action cricket centre would soon become the home for climbing in Johannesburg. For many of us, the gym has been a second home over the last ten years. A home that many of us grew up in. So what better way to celebrate than with the return of CityROCKtober. A fun filled celebration of the gym, the community, and climbing!
ROCKtober competition & Mad Strong qualification
The main ROCKtober competition kicked off across two sessions. For Lead, Top-Rope and Boulder, climbers competed in a Rally style competition submitting their top ten climbs and boulders. Any climbs were in, with more points being scored for an onsight. On the boulder side, the route setters stripped and set a total of 40 qualifying boulders specially for the event. Using a handicap system, the winners for the men and women in each category were determined. This meant that anyone could win and we saw many longstanding members walk away with the prizes!
For the Mad Strong qualification, the top five points scored on each climb counted towards qualifying for the Mad Strong Showdown Final. The higher the number of the climb, the more the points were worth. The final would then be used to determine the winners for this category.
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Spectator Comps
Once the climbing qualification rounds were coming to an end, the spectator comps started. This kept the energy a-buzz as climbers tried to dyno, crate-stack, hang, belay, and clip their way to glory! Those who were competing in the main competition also scored extra points by taking part in the spectator comps. A break from climbing and extra points? A win-win. Following this came cake, and the much anticipated results for who made finals.
Spectator Comp Winners
How much does Bail Weigh? – Tyreke Michael
Speed Belaying – Josh McNally, 16s
Speed Clipping – Martinn Cronjé, 00:05:03s
Hang Challenge – Mark-Steele Smith, 01:02:58
Crate Stacking – Rosemary Steinberg, 16 Crates
Dyno Challenge – Luke Westman
Best Dressed – Chantel Becker
ROCKtober Results
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ROCKtober Winners
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Mad Strong Lead Showdown
The much anticipated Mad Strong Lead Finals saw a very diverse and stacked field. With some young guns, seasoned climbers, and old school climbers, all in it to win it. Both routes traversed through the arch and certainly wowed the the crowds. The mens route saw a dyno mid-way up followed by some technical compression moves. Josh McNally cruised to victory in the mens round by progressing the furthest onto the high wall. On the women’s side the youngest competitor, Jemma Erdey showed her climbing finesse as she navigated the technical roof section, pockets, and slopers to make her way to just shy of the top.
Mad Strong Boulder showdown
After the excitement of the Lead finals, the competition turned quickly to the Boulder finals. Here the competition was run in an open round-robin format with each competitor taking turns to attempt the boulder. A total of fifteen minutes was allocated to each of the four boulders. At this point many of the climbers had been climbing all-day but they somehow still had the energy to show their grit and determination throughout this final round. Taking the round in style and topping three of the boulders, Jemma Erdey cinched the double victory. On the mens side Luke Westman showed his stamina and strength by topping two of the boulders in the quickest succession.
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A big congratulations to everyone who competed. Whether you were here for the food and atmosphere or to win some cash, we hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did! A big thank you to all our members who have been there since day one, and to those that have joined and rejoined over the years. This space and community would not be the same without you and we look forward to the next ten years of banter, beta sharing, and psyche.
It was an awesome day, the vibe and energy was contagious!