Ice Climbing in South Africa? Will Gadd Found the Lines.

"Like scuba diving in the Sahara or surfing in Kansas"

Updated Mar 5, 2025

Will Gadd

Photo: Garrreth Bird

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“Waterfall ice climbing” and “Africa” aren’t words you see together often, which is why a young local climber’s Instagram photo caught my eye: There was ice, albeit thin and scrappy, yet I’ve enjoyed climbing far worse. From my home in the Canadian Rockies, the ice climbing capital of the world, just the sheer possibility of ice climbing in Africa seemed so improbable—like scuba diving in the Sahara or surfing in Kansas.

Still, I was skeptical whether it was worth a trip. In my 30-year career I’ve climbed ice all over the world—in Greenland’s ice sheet, on the flanks of Niagara Falls, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro—and it seemed unlikely that I’d never heard about Africa’s southernmost tip. Ice climbing in South Africa sounded like a party trick; sure, there might be ice to be climbed somewhere in the country, but it was probably unreliable and small potatoes compared to the offerings in the northern hemisphere.

The Drakensberg escarpment is famous for epic hikes and peak enchainments. It was our first stop on this trip, and the climbing, Tim assured me, was just a few pleasant hours of hiking from the trailhead. Eight hours and 1,600 meters of elevation gain later—surely the most brutal “kick the shit out of the visiting athlete” effort I’ve been subjected to—we were at our campsite at 3,000 meters, fighting to erect our tents in 75 miles-per-hour winds. (Photo: Garrreth Bird)

I messaged the local, Tim Larsen, with a few critical questions about the area: How much ice is there to climb? How long is the season? Am I being catfished?—before he agreed to show me around if I visited. So I called what I half-suspected was a bluff and booked a refundable ticket. Larsen seemed shocked, as I thought he’d be, but to my surprise he stood by his words. A week before my departure, he simply affirmed, “Conditions are decent. You should come.”

Will Gadd climbs a steep ice dagger in South Africa. — Tim and climbing partner Colin McCoy wasted no time showing me the goods. The next morning, just 200 meters from our campsite, we made the first ascent of *Wind, Dragons & Ice* (WI6 M8; 200m) at the Giant’s Castle on the South Africa-Lesotho border. This route far exceeded any expectations I had for South African climbing. With its wildly steep ice pulls, a few tasty drytooling moves, and expansive views of South Africa’s vast grasslands, it was one of the best routes of my life. (Photo: Garrreth Bird)

On the first of my three flights, I researched the history of ice climbing in South Africa, which took far less time than the trip to Frankfurt. The first routes were established in the 1980s by visiting Brits, led by Jeff Ingman. While early ascents must have been epic—Ingman and company also had to contend with brutal two-day approaches through baboon-infested bush and razor-sharp grass fronds—modern climbers like Larsen experience much of the same adventure 40 years later. The climbs are just as remote, still largely unreported, and partners are only marginally easier to find.

And, yes, South Africa is absolutely worth the trip.