Anyone who travels to South Africa witnesses a culture of class, color, and inequality that takes you back. With so many people serving you in low paying jobs with poor cultural tipping standards, your affluence gets shoved in your face. We are certainly the global 1%.
While your elite socioeconomic status hits you from one side, the Rocklands climbing community gives you a shot in the opposite direction. People here are extremely strong. The elite. The climbing 1%. To give you an idea, I spent 3 sessions working The Rhino (V8) before I got the send. In most circles, this is strong. But I'm amongst the weakest climbers visiting the area. In these 3 short sessions, I witnessed about 10 climbers flash the problem, while several others sent it within a few tries.
What the Rocklands takes in ego, it gives back in amazing sunsets
So it’s easy to feel like a bad climber at the Rocklands. What’s interesting is that I’ve heard climbers of all levels expressing this sentiment. In separate conversations, a V5 climber, a V7 climber, and a V10 climber each revealed to me that it is difficult, sometimes embarrassing, to climb amongst so many strong people.
One of my favorites, Roof On Fire (6c+/V5). Photo: @natalieclimbs
The lesson here is that it doesn’t matter how strong you climb — someone will always be there to roll up, flash your project, and leave you feeling a bit weaker. Tomorrow, you could be 3 grades stronger, and you’ll still face the same issues… if you decide to let it get to you. But you shouldn’t.
Because there are plenty of poor individuals who are happy with what they have, and plenty of wealthy people who aren’t. There are content V2 climbers and frustrated V11 climbers. In the end, your “wealth” in life or in sport doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you decide to be happy with what you have, that you make the most of your situation, and that you strive to improve — as a climber and as a person.