The Rory has been a much beloved event for many years in South Africa – often bringing together climbers from across the country, all dressed up in teams, to tackle as many climbs as possible across Swinburn in a single day. The Rory which was started as a memorial event for Rory Lowther ran successfully from 2004 to 2014. After returning in 2024 for the twenty-year reunion, it was clear that the momentum this event carried for ten years had certainly not been lost. This year, in partnership with CityROCK, the The Rory returned once more. Taking place at Mount Everest in Harrismith and run in the familiar rally format, this event was one for the books, with many new and old faces coming together for this special event.
While The Rory is a chance to escape the city for a fun weekend of climbing, it is also a chance to unite the climbing community in a celebration of both the life of Rory Lowther, and climbing itself. There certainly was not a dry eye in sight when Eric Lowther opened the event by speaking so fondly about Rory’s life and his relentless ambition for climbing. Though it is always hard to remember the past, even after twenty-one years, it is clear that the spirit of Rory and his joy for climbing continues to live on in these events. The Lowther family continue to embody and uphold this purity within the sport, and we hope to see The Rory return for many years to come. This weekend was a reminder about why we all love climbing and how powerful the community can be when brought together under a single purpose.
Climb Time
The morning of The Rory dawned cool and misty, with the sun struggling to break through the clouds. By 7:30am, climbers had gathered for the briefing and the much-anticipated countdown send-off. Not before long, came the iconic countdown – “Three, two, one…” -a voice clip of Rory himself from a bungee jump years ago. Another element that makes the Rory so special. As his voice rang out, the rally officially began. Climbers sprinted to their cars, racing to reach their pre-planned routes, the air buzzing with energy and anticipation.
This year saw nineteen teams participate in the climbing competition with many more attending to support the event and climb casually. As always, safety is a priority and helmets are (as they should be) compulsory for all climbers. Whether you were lead climbing or top-roping the atmosphere at the crag was full of warmth, encouragement, banter and of course, some good old joshing.
Burn-a-thon
If you were there to climb or just to support, the Burn-a-thon certainly did not disappoint. Designed as the ultimate spectator competition to round out the fun day of climbing, the Burn-a-thon is a series of back-to-back pairs events. Starting with an egg and spoon race, then an egg toss, and then a three legged race. The Burn-a-thon rounds out with a classic sack race, and finally an apple bob. If you were feeling brave, there was also an option to take your chances on retrieving a BarOne from a container of flour instead of bobbing for an apple. The catch? Well… you may have eaten a Mopane worm…
Prize Giving
After a full day of climbing, laughter, and joy, the Rory concluded with the much anticipated prize giving. Teams could log up to ten climbs, and final scores were based on their route scores and style bonuses. The top three competitors in each grade category took home the prizes!
Category Winners
Mixed Team: Team Hang Nuts (Shaleen Maloney and Dylan Williams)
Male / Male team: Mighty Ducks (Kieran Steyn and Ryan Minnie)
Junior Team: (Irene West and Sophie Bretherick)
Beyond the main event podium, spot prizes kept the excitement and laughter going. Some fun awards included: best dressed, biggest flapper, worst camping setup (two people camped in a pop-up Temu tent!), and worst climbing shoes.
A big congratulations to everyone who participated and climbed their hearts out -this event would not have been possible without you. If you missed the title this time, we hope you will be back for glory in the future.
The After Party & Sunday Send-Off
After the prize giving, a social braai brought the event to an end, in the same way it started, with the community all gathered together. In the lapa the rugby game was streamed followed by the IFSC World Cup for the die-hard climbing fans. Rain arrived around 9pm and continued through the night into the next morning, sending climbers home a bit earlier than planned the next day. Nevertheless, it was a weekend full of climbing, connection, and unbeatable gees!
A big thank you to the Lowther family for sharing this event with us and allowing us to celebrate your family. An especially big thank you to KC Lowther for all her assistance in organising the event that brought so many people in our community together. A thank you also goes to CityROCK alongside Mountain Mail Order, for assisting with the administration, scoring, and prizes on the day of the event.
A portion of the proceeds from this event went towards the MSAR. In supporting the Rory you are also giving back to the greater community.
Until next time, safe sending everyone!
