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Flying is Fun

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Description

This crag offers fantastic sustained easy and moderate climbs. If only it was a bit taller…

Access issues inherited from Waterval Boven

Climbing Permits Wonderland

The Wonderland crags are spread over multiple private land parcels including Mountain Club of South Africa , Mahem and Tranquilitas. The Mountain Club of South Africa has negotiated for all climbers to have access to these properties via a climbing permit.

Permits will be offered at discounted rates to members of the Mountain Club of South Africa or guests at Tranquilitas/Mayhem. Following are the permit types and costs:

Day permits R60. Day permits for Mountain Club of South Africa / Tranquilitas members R30

Weekend permits R100. Weekend permits for Mountain Club of South Africa / Tranquilitas members R50

Month permits R600. Month permits for Mountain Club of South Africa / Tranquilitas R300

Annual R1600. Annual for Mountain Club of South Africa / Tranquilitas R1 200

By purchasing a permit you agree to the Conditions & Waiver Free parking to permit holders at Tranquilitas reception only and in demarcated spaces. Permits will be mandatory and people found without one will be treated as trespassers.

Permits can be purchased from Tranquilitas reception via SnapScan or Zapper. For annual permits e-mail book@tranquilitas.com.

For more information on routes, access and permits please see the following websites:

Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) http://www.mcsa.org.za/ Look at “Who we are” for the different sections of the MCSA

Mountain Club of South Africa – Johannesburg Section website https://mcsajohannesburg.org/ Click on “Access and Properties” for more information Click on “Contact” to get in touch with the MCSA for more information.

ClimbZA website http://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/South_African_Climbing_Wiki Welcome to the largest & most comprehensive online database of Southern African climbing information.

http://www.climbing.co.za/forum/ A forum site to find climbing partners or to find out more about different climbing areas and climbs.

Approach

A. Park at the Elandskrans Reception, as described for The Restaurant. A good path leaves the Elandskrans Resort just by the corner of the basketball court (past the swimming pools). Walk along the trail over open rocky grassland heading in the direction of the township until you arrive at the cliff edge (from where the Coven can be seen on the other side of the valley). Go down and right about 10m and there is a scramble down. If you have dogs or non-climbing friends there is a less defined but easier path about 70m to the left when you arrive at the cliff edge.

B. Alternatively, follow 'The Coven' approach, then reaching it continue down on the same path, take a left and follow the path curving right and up again to the left of the big boulders of 'Flying is Fun'.

Tags

Routes

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Grade Route

The arête at the bottom of the access gulley. A classic!

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Takes in the hand crack 4m right of the 'Visions of Cosmic Doom'. Uses the lower offs to the left or right.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

The wide crack just right of 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

The recess just right. Shares 3 bolts with 'MRI'. Can be awkward going right past the roof without technique. Trend back left to lower-off.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

The slab just right of the arête. Head for the arête after the 4th bolt. Going straight up the face is trickier.

FA: Clive Curson, 1992

The prominent crackline, using the tree or traversing in under the roof to start.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Direct start is 23/24 - height dependent.

FA: Clive Curson, 1993

The seam 2m right of 'Rip', using anything. Climb only the seam for a somewhat more specific exercise.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Crack line just right of 'Midnight Mission'. Fine line but there is a great temptation to step right onto 'Thermal' block at the crux. Probably 18 if you're short.

FA: Clive Curson, 1992

The easiest break in this area. Up the corner to a recess, using 5 bolts on 'Floating on the Storm'. Step back left to 'Floating on the Storm' lower-offs after surmounting the block.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Starts in the recess just right of 'Thermal'/'Floating on the Storm'. Pull through to a ledge. Continue up the recess and arête above. Go out right to the finish of 'Stone Cold'. (If unaware of that, one can easily climb past in search of further bolt or anchor, and be disappointed.)

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Takes the slanting crack just right of 'Blood in the Dust'. Continue up the arête and out right to the lower-offs at the high point.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Start up 'Frozen Flesh' crack. Move up left to climb the face just right of the arête. Finish at the same lower-offs as 'Stone Cold'.

FA: Clive Curson & Barbara Marcus, 1992

Follows the crackline right of the arete into a shallow corner. Climb the face straight above.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

The fierce-looking handcrack. Harder for midgets.

FA: Clive Curson, 1992

Start up 'Dying to Fly'. Move 2m left at half height to a vague seam. Climb this.

FA: Clive Curson, 1992

The first right leaning crack off the ledge, about 6m right of 'Doa'. A bouldery move to gain the slab.

FA: Clive Curson & Grant Murray, 1991

The other right leaning crack - more technical but easier than 'Dying to Fly'. Step right from the ledge - the first 5m are off-balance. Probably 19 if you work out the moves quickly.

FA: Clive Curson & Grant Murray, 1991

This is the direct start to 'Three Blind Mice', follow the crack from ground level.

FA: Clive Curson, 1993

From the base of the 'Three Blind Mice' crack, move diagonally right on the face to the 3rd bolt. Climb straight up, joining 'Three Blind Mice' to the top.

FA: Clive Curson, 1995

4m right of the ledge edge. A bit reachy. There is a lot of climbing around the 4th bolt.

FA: Clive Curson, 1992

The beautiful fingercrack 4m left of the corner. Start off a little ledge.

FA: Charles Edelstein, 1991

The jamcrack/layback in the corner. Finishes up the face on the left wall.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

The short crack 3m right of 'Recovery Room' corner.

FA: Clive Curson, 1993

On face holds 1m left of 'Fly By Night' ; uses same recess in the upper reaches, and the same bolts throughout.

FA: Clive Curson, 1993

Face move at left hand bolt line. Climb recess above.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

Face move 2m right of 'Fly By Night' avoiding the corner. Uses 'Bridget Climbs Again' bolts.

FA: Clive Curson, 1993

Using the corner where needed and the same bolts.

FA: Clive Curson, 1991

The next two climbs are on a big detached block facing 'Bridget Flies Again'.

The steep face on the boulder behind 'Bridget Climbs Again' . (Sandbagged and opened at 18!)

The steep face around the corner right of 'Bolder Problem'.

FA: Geoff Rehmet, 2005

A little down and right from the 'Bolder Problem' boulder is another block that has been covered in a plethora of bolts, giving a probably 10 or so short moderate (12-15?) routes.

Most of these seem to be un-named & un-graded. The Watervalboven PDF guide says: There are some more climbs on the left side of the large boulder on which 'Les Trois Meufs' is found. If the first ascensionist wants to name and grade them, then please post the updates on Wiki climb.

The following attempts to describe many of them.

This line starts lower down on the boulder, making it the longest on this face.

First bolt-line left of the crack.

Left-leaning crack in middle of face, two-bolts to anchor.

2nd bolt-line from the crack, left of the U-bolts up the left-side of the arête.

Might be Inspektor Bliksem Neer?

Just left of the arête, a short line of U-bolts, seeming to end at anchors on the face around the arête to the right.

FA: Don Poe, R.T.Bryer & Clive Curson, Mar 2017

The first route as you turn the corner to the left of 'Les Trois Meufs'. Opened by one of the local Police officers.

With so many bolted lines now on that face, it is unclear which one is actually this climb, and none of them have 6 bolts, or even 5 bolts & anchor.

FA: Alwyn Venter, 2001

U-bolts up the left end of the face with 'Les Trois Meufs'.

Up the face mid-way between the crack and the arête.

To the right behind 'Bolder Problem' is another block. Climb the crack.

FA: Gustav Janse van Rensburg, 2001

The face right of the crack in the middle of the boulder.

FA: Johan Olivier & Deon Vermeulen, 2003

Far right edge of the face with 'Les Trois Meufs'

FA: Jette Bollerup & Clive Curson, Jul 2017

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