It is already two weeks since I posted my blog about the amazing Afrikaanse Taalmonument in a small town called Paarl it is time to show you another great attraction that belongs to the village.
The Paarl Rocks just outside of town are not only belonging to it, they also were the namesake. In 1657 the first white named Abraham Gabbema came to the city. when he saw the domed granite rocks, which were wet with dew, the luster reminded him of that of a pearl - hence the name.
The whole mountain is about 728m high an is a natural monument consisting of two rocks that you can climb as well as several hiking trails that start from there and a Dam behind the mountain.
Our first stop was at Gordons Rock, the smaller one of these two rock climbing heavens. For me these two rocks were like paradise as I love to climb and explore new areas. Gordon rock is a very easy climb and not really that big so that you only need about 20mins to explore it. A few steps to the base of the rock and you´re ready to get your 360 degree view from the top.
Some parts are so steep, that you have to walk sideways to make it up.
I´m always fascinated by nature especially by some of the rock formations. I always wonder how such huge rocks got up here. This question occupies me every time I see something like this and every time we discuss it with the same outcome...could only be from a vulcano. There is simply no other logical explanation in my eyes.
There is even growing a small tree on the top of that huge granite rock. Fascinating.
Later that day I learned that you can also climb Gordons Rock from the other side but you will need proper climbing equipment as you really need to climb and not creep up like I do.
From the car park you have easy access to the second rock Bretagne Rock. Name comes from the french people as they were the first white people that also started the wine growing back in 1687.
That rock was a bit more challenging as it was way steeper than the other one and without the chains they installed it was almost impossible to get to the top.
Halfway up we already had a great view over the mountains in the distance. If you zoom in close enough on the last photo, near the huge gap in the rock, you can see two people climbing Gordons Rock. Looks pretty scary from down there.
From here the actual challenge started and I had to do it on my own since Fidi could not climb due to her twisted knee. It already looks so freaking steep from down there and it really is. I could have done it without the chains but I would have not felt really comfortable and with them its much easier as you can pull yourself up.
I stopped in between to explore the rock. Quite amazing that it only needs a bit of wind to bring seeds up here and some rain to let them grow.
After I reached the top I had one of the most amazing views I had in a while. A real 360 degree view with breathtaking mountain ranges. I´m not sure what that mountain range is called but we drove through it when we came back to Cape Town from our road trip.
Paarl and its surroundings is definitely worth a visit and its something that is not necessarily mentioned in your travel guide. Due to that and the fact that it was a morning during the week we were lucky again as there were hardly any other people except us.
If you still got energy left you can walk down the stairs to the Dam, which also is a beautiful walk in between to two rocks with great views over the Dam. We only walked down a little bit and listened to the birds before we returned.
Both sites, the Afrikaanse Taalmonument as well as the entrance to these two rocks cost a small entry fee that was worth every cent. Something to mention is that the road leading to the rocks is a pretty rough dirtroad that I would not recommend to drive with a two wheel drive during rain. In our case it was totally fine although the tires did not really like it. :)
If you ever happen to be near, go and check that beautiful town out.
you will find this post on pinmapple as well
[//]:# (!pinmapple -33.742878 lat 18.942835 long Paarl Rock - Climbing on Pearls d3scr)