★★★ The Black Pearl 23

Arr me mateys, a fine voyage up the vertical Cederberg seas.

Avail yourself of the first pitches of Boomerang to gain the ledge over the huge roof. Start ~6m left of Boomerang pitch 3.

1. 17m (18) Step off a block to reach a high rail and past a small left-facing corner, with bush, to a ledge. At the overlap above, high step onto the face on the left to reach a good layback. Continue straight up the face and at the wide horizontal break move right to stance on the gangplank, just below the peg from Boomerang.

2. 15m (23) Step off the left side of the gangplank, leaving any Landlubber tendencies behind, and rail left over the deep. Use underclings to gain the bottomless corner and fight to establish over the void, no quarter given. Straight up to stance in the large boulders on the ledge. Suggest tapping left pinkie finger.

3. 30m (18) From the stance, move right to easily pull up onto the face. Follow the left facing features to a wide rail and move right to a narrow ledge (the large layback crack on Boomerang is just to the right). Head up and left for a few meters, then straight up to weigh anchor on the ledge.

4. 40 m (21) Reach the good, high hold (aye, you can use the cairn if you be short), then follow good flat holds until the angle eases. Cross Boomerang Direct and pull onto the right side of the bulge on the grey rock. Get some micro nuts in the thin seem and crank up to good rails. Pull up and right over the overlap into a vague recess, followed by a mantelshelf onto a smooth, narrow ledge. Head diagonally up and right past the overhang on its right side, then head back slightly left to the top and fly the Jolly Rodger

Tafelberg is a pure trad area. No bolting is allowed at all.

There is an existing bolt and chain at the top of the ascent/descent gulley and (to my knowledge) only one old route (Oscillation) that has an ancient, hand drilled, small bolt. This in no way means that any more bolts may be placed. There are also a few old pitons scattered around but even this is seldom necessary. Modern removable gear allows virtually all climbable parts of Tafelberg to be adequately protected.