Botshabelo, Bouldering

2A 2B+3A 3B+4A 4B 4C 5A 5B 5C 6A 6B 6C 7A 7B 7C 8A 8B

Map

8 7 4 9 3 2 11 1 10 12 13 5 6

1 Metropolis 2 The Playground 3 OG sector 4 Monolith 5 Down by the River 6 Big Daddy's crack. 7 Wetlands 8 Graveyard area 9 The Ark 10 The Mines 11 Blockbuster sector 12 Ridgeline boulders 13 Gully sector

Directions in Google Maps

Find Accommodation

Seasonality

Summary

Sandstone

Botshabelo is a bouldering area located just outside Middelburg. The best bouldering spot within a decent distance of Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Description

The rebirth of Gauteng bouldering after the loss of the great "Ezemvelo". Botshabelo is located just outside of Middelburg. We have no idea who is in charge of this place but rumors suggest the land was part of the "land Claim" act. The guys seem super friendly and open to climbers and happy to see some business coming in.

In terms of safety it seems good. However it is still South Africa so be careful. Don't leave valuables in the car and stay vigilant. This is important as popularity for the area grows.

In summer this area might just be unbearable but winter will offer some decent temps. The rock is amazing for climbing! If the area had more bigger boulders it would even compete with the big boys! A great place to learn about outdoor bouldering and to make your skin thick.

R25 cash per person to get through the main gate.

Access issues

Allowed

Take some money with. Sometimes you'll have to pay R25 entry.

Access seems good for now.

Make sure you load the map on your phone before you enter the area. Signal is quite spotty and you'll be lost without it.

Approach

Gentle

Park your car next to the graveyard and follow the path. If you have a 4x4 you could potentially park right next to the area. (be careful though)

Where to stay

No official best place to stay but Middelburg offers accommodation in abundance as well as some potential surrounding campsites. Staying in town is the best bet for quick access though.

Ethic

When opening new lines please take a picture and update the guide. This way we can share the psych! Breaking loose rock is acceptable for safety reasons. If you find a good line you can do some "gardening" but be reasonable. (nothing unnecessary).

History

History timeline chart

The first boulders were opened in 2013 and uploaded onto the crag absolute legends. If you ever read this, thank you, if it wasn't for you we would never have known. This is how it was later found and when more development took place.