Was it the gods or the dogs that were kind to us?; but we finished the climb in the most impossible weather conditions. It was spectacular!!

Hector Pringle arrived at Blouberg accompanied by Maija Burkhardt a senior contributor of Climbing Magazine. He posted this note on www.Climb.co.za: “We were at the Blouberg parking on Friday night and were too scared to get out the car because of the most insane electrical storm ever. One lightning bolt lasted about 8 seconds, arcing horizontally right across the sky. The ascent of this route is a huge effort and it must have taken balls of steel (and a certain lack of discretion!) to keep going. Awesome job guys.”

There is nothing in the world that could have made for a more memorable and exciting experience. The plan worked (except for one move!). There is little doubt that this is by far the hardest undertaking of it’s kind in South Africa as Clint has red-pointed all the major test pieces in quick time in South Africa over the last few months including Ocean’s of Fear (29) trad., Jabberwocky (33 or 8b+), and Streetfighter (34 or 8c). So the jury is out as to whether it will entice the Burkitts, Macleods, Caldwells, Hubers Trotters and Berdots to show us how it is free climbed in a day…….Until then we have to plan to do a continuous free ascent.

Dog of Thunder Grade 30+ (5.13) with one rest (or 25 A0 [5.12 A0] for us lesser mortals).

Start. The start is immediately to the right of the start The Dream of White Dogs about 100m beyond great gulley. Three bolts are visible.

Pitch 1: 25m 25. Clip the first bolt with some difficulty and do tricky moves into the recess. Climb up the recess to the bulge and lay back and mantel strenuously to gain easier ground. Continue up the shallow recess to a semi-hanging belay after 10m or so.

Pitch 2: 20m 23. Climb up and slightly right to place a good medium sized cam to the right of the pillar 5m above. Step left at the base of the pillar and avoid the obvious undercut flake to gain the recess on the left of the pillar. Do technical moves to gain good holds. Continue through the overlap above to gain a small but good stance.

Pitch 3: 55m 21 Climb directly up for about 4 m and then tend diagonally left to avoid the white rock to gain rappel anchors. Continue up tending a little left and then back right to gain a pillar. Climb this and find an overlap that leads to easier ground. Continue to the shattered ledge and bolt and nut belay.

Pitch 4 and 5: 35m 25. Step off the right end of the ledge and climb the recess to attain an obvious overhanging crack. (Shared with “Delicate Sound of Thunder” grade 21) At the crack step right to gain a right facing recess. Climb up to the left 2m to attain a perch. (One can stance here with small cam belay). 3 bolts are visible up and to the left. Climb up 2 m from the perch step right and then back left. Continue on good holds to the overlap below the bolts. Continue past the bolts to a ledge and good nut runners or belay. (grade 25) Climb up the run-out face diagonally right to attain a right facing corner-crack (20). Continue to the bivvy ledge.

Pitch 6: 15m 16R. Traverse carefully15m to the skyline to a peg and bolt belay.

Pitch 7: 20m 30+. The Ningenator pitch. Gear = Bolts and cams. Above are several bolts. Climb up to a rail and move left to a rest at a medium cam placement. Rail right for about 5m to a bolt and move up over a bulge to gain a left facing corner. Continue easily to a bolt belay on a good ledge.

Pitch 8: 15m 22+. (The “Measuring up….pitch.” Add a grade or so for every 1cm you are shorter than 165cm.) Move right past two bolts and do a reach move (for some) to reach a juggy recess/crack on grey rock. Continue easily to a ledge system and clip the bolt to keep the rope direct for the second.

Pitch 9: 15m 30+ Martinengo’s Nemesis “Abraxis in the Sky”. Climb past the bolts on edges to a two bolt semi-hanging belay. (Take at least two small cams 1.5 and 3cm or 3⁄4 and 1 in). The crux is a long reach to a non-hold after the last bolt before the Belay.

Pitch 10: 20m 30+ (What is takes…..). This pitch has several bolts but also requires a large cam, some small cams and medium nuts. Gain the crack and continue strenuously to a hard undercling move. Continue up and to the left and follow the bolts. At the last bolt do a tricky mantel and move right to a small cam and nut belay directly above the previous stance. This pitch is a real fight if you are rushed after the other hard pitches.

Pitch 11: 20m 22. Climb up on the grey juggy rock and then step left to a ledge. Above is a stunning lay back crack. Step up left into a crack and continue 3 m or so. Move right into the layback that is extremely slippery when wet. Climb up to the overhang and clip the bolt on the left. Reach high to a rail and then continue to a bolt belay.

Pitch 12: 15m 19. Climb directly up and move left to gain gnarly crack system. Continue to a bolt and gear belay.

Pitch 13: 30m 20. Continue up the bird shit crack and do some funky moves through the blocks above to gain easier ground on grey, juggy and a little scary rock. Continue to the top to a bolt and sling belay.