Welcome back to Roger Nattrass’ gear room, everybody!
Roger is a local legend in the South African climbing community – having started climbing back in 1984, he has nabbed coveted first ascents (including being the first South African to climb grade 31), established and bolted classic routes around the country, written the quintessential guidebook for KZN climbing, co-founded the Southern Rock climbing gym and shop, and much more.
With his many adventures over the years, he has amassed quite the collection of gear and recently decided to share some highlights with all of us on Facebook & Instagram. He has graciously allowed us to re-share these in the article series you are reading.
This week we’re checking out some bolting gear along with a pretty enviable collection of guidebooks.
Check it all out below, keep an eye out for part six, and enjoy ogling!
No 41: Drills. During my 34 years of bolting, I have owned 9 drills. I brought the first SDS rotary hammer drill to the RSA climbing scene (a Bosch Bulldog) in my hand luggage – after my USA trip in 1989. I also brought 100 bolts beaucse you simply couldn’t buy them locally back then. They were placed very sparingly. No bolts were “wasted” on top anchors and trad gear was used where possible. The original drills usually managed only 4–5 holes and weighed a ton. The drill top left is my current go-to workhorse. The two on the right (one is worn out) are super lightweight and are great for drilling in extended or powerful positions. The “fatty” bottom left is the last of the Nickel Cadmium models – so glad that tech was replaced by lithium. Watch out for hot drill bit tips on your calves when done with drilling the hole…
No 42: The grinder. This is a must for removing old or incorrectly positioned hardware. This is hands down the most dangerous thing you can do on a rope, as the grinder will zip through your line like a hot knife through butter – hence the steel cable backup that is always clipped to a solid piece nearby. Eyewear is also necessary and a couple of replacement discs. In spite of the dangers, they can be used safely. They sure beat alternate methods – hammers, hacksaws, cursing and sweating…
No 43: Guidebooks (part 1). One of the greatest joys of climbing is travelling to new and exotic climbing destinations. Guidebooks get you to the base of world-class climbs hidden across the globe. While app-based guidebooks are the new thing, nothing beats thumbing through a glossy guidebook before, during and after your trip. I authored the two guide guides top left and can attest that a guidebook author’s work is never done. I always add a short description to generate a little interest about each route – rather than a line on a photograph which seems to be the modern norm. A stack of well-used guidebooks on a shelf makes a great repository of memories and magical climbing moments.
No 44: Guidebooks (part 2). This is the first guidebook I ever bought: The Magaliesberg. Designed so that you could stuff the relevant page into your chalk bag and take it up the climb with you. The second pic has two old KZN guides at the top and the infamous “Book of Lies” bottom right (with a red cover). It was the first guidebook for the Western Cape. The small yellow guide was one of the earliest Boven guidebooks. The last pic is of the latest Kalymnos guide (Greece). We are heading there in September…
No 45: Mountain Books (part 1). If you love climbing and mountains, inevitably a few mountain books will make it to your bookshelf. The 9th Grade is perhaps my favourite as it explores the history of cutting-edge climbers and their landmark ascents; fantastic photography. Rock Stars was the first of this genre and is equally good eye candy. Finally, the best introduction to all things performance and training is The Climbing Bible – so good that I bought two copies and donated one to Southern Rock Climbing Centre.
And that’s all for now, folks! A huge thank you to Roger for sharing his expansive knowledge – keep your eyes on our Facebook and Instagram pages for the next chapter…
