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"When we reach the mountain summits we leave behind all the things that weigh heavily on our body and our spirit. We leave behind all sense of depression; we feel a new freedom, a great exhilaration of the body no less than the spirit." - Jan Christiaan Smuts |
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Tel:
+27 21 465 3412 (CT)
+27 11 807 1310 (JHB)
Climbing and exploration
The MCSA has been at the forefront in the exploration of mountains in South Africa, and most of the major first ascents were accomplished by members of the Club. Some noteworthy firsts include:- Table Mountain - more than 500 rock climbs, ranging from easy to extremely difficult.
- Du Toit's Peak - frontal route up the 400 m near-vertical Northwest Face (1950).
- Klein Winterhoek - Frontal Route, one of the greatest climbs of its time, up the exposed 400m rock ridge (1920). Also, Ocean of Fear, straight up the Amphitheatre, one of the biggest overhanging rock walls in the country (1983).
- The Drakensberg - Amphitheatre Wall, Mont-aux-Sources (1935), Monk's Cowl (1942), The Bell (1944), Devil's Tooth (1950).
- Blouberg - The 2 km North Wall is one of the longest vertical rock faces in the country with an average height of more than 300m. Climbing achievements here include Maleboch (1960), Moonlight (1966) and Wall of White Light (1985), the latter being one of the most difficult big-wall routes in the country.
- Great Spitzkoppe - Namibia (1947).
Abroad
Our members have also been active abroad, with a number of significant international climbing achievements to their credit. These include first ascents in East Africa, the Andes (Patagonia) and Himalayas:- Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro - several new routes during the 1950s and 1960s.
- Patagonia- East Face of the Central Tower of Paine, Chile (1974), which at the time was the highest vertical rock face ever climbed; East Face of Paine Grande (1984); East Ridge of San Lorenzo, Argentina (1986), one of the highest snow and ice ridges in Patagonia.
- Himalayas - Buddha Peak (1971), Ladies Peak (1978).
What makes the Mountain Club of South Africa special is its members and their love of mountains. Friendships forged in the mountains are longlasting and many tales originate from experiences shared in the mountains. Long years of membership is thus a characteristic of the MCSA.
Throughout the years many interesting people from all over the country have been (and are) members of the MCSA, such as:
- Statesmen, poets and philosophers: Kolbe, Louis Leipoldt, Jan Smuts, Marthinus Versfeld...
- Writers: WA de Klerk...
- Photographers: David Dodds, Reg & Malcolm Pearse...
- Botanists: R Compton, Elsie Esterhuysen, Helmut Meyer ...
... and OF COURSE, many excellent climbers and mountaineers
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