The Joy Axis

While this is the name of a route we recently opened, this story is not about the route per se, but more about what the name embodies. How much could you really write about a short, easy route in itself? Well, colossal legal tomes have been grinded out over astonishingly little substance, so perhaps the question should be framed around quality. How good would the story be? Now this depends how much is attributed to the skill of the writer versus the inspiration of the muse. Although an entirely separate debate, in this case the route was most excellent, and is in part why we had such an obscenely good time climbing it. If fun were a currency, we were billionaires for a moment, and what provides our fun is what this wee scribble is about. The route was merely  a medium, a conduit if you will, for out enjoyment.

Big grins

Houdenbek is a farm in the Koue Bokkeveld. The owners, Charl and Johalet van der Merwe are most welcoming and the accommodation most comfortable. There is a sport crag right beside a lovely dam, and all this encompassed by subtle yet splendid rocky surrounds. Throw in some great hiking and you have a real winner. But wait, there’s more! The trail to the Heiveld Arch winds its way through a plethora of cliffs 15-45m high. Where better to have fun than in a playground?

The Choice Crag

The last weekend in August saw several overgrown kids squealing and grinning their way up the sandstone jungle gyms. We had not had any drugs (as far as I recall), but one could be forgiven for thinking we had. Our exuberant mood has permeated the growing topo too. Although a tad spicy, So Much of Happiness and So Much of Fun are neither misnomers nor sarcastic, simply an honest reflection of how we felt. Possibly the best part is that I really can’t explain why it was so much fun.  It just was. And that is just it.

Marian's shadow following her on the FA of Little M (15)

Sure, the people, the movement on rock, the discovery, the scenery and vibe were all excellent. Yet this does not explain it all, nor does it need to. The why is almost irrelevant; and the extended moments of fun are a story, and an end, in themselves. Mysterious in origin to everyone, including the kids in the playground. Within the vast complexities and stress of modern life, this particular recreational avenue really does it for me. Finding and climbing great new things with an equally psyched partner is just pretty darn hard to for me to beat.  Inexplicable and entrenched, it is an activity around which great fun can be had: a joy axis.

Thanks to Brenna, Marian, Malcom, Amrei, Claudine, Elsa, Javier, Mel and Rolfe for a grand weekend!