You don't have to fly with a pad. Pads can be hired in the valley — but there are only so many of them, so reserve yours when you book your bed.
Where can you hire a crash pad in Rocklands?
At three of the basecamps, or online through Padadise. de Pakhuys, Rocklands Basecamp and Alpha Excelsior rent pads themselves. At Traveller's Rest the pads belong to Padadise, a rental company with more than 200 pads in Rocklands: you book online and collect on the farm. Reserve when you book your bed rather than assuming a pad will be waiting.
Traveller's Rest, via Padadise
Pads are rented through Padadise and collected at Traveller's Rest. Padadise shows which pads are free, their price and how many days each has been rented, and emails the collection details after you book.
book online padadise.com →de Pakhuys
Rents crash pads (book online, pay on arrival) and asks you to book well in advance. A permit office too, and its own bouldering within walking distance of the campsite.
pad hire listed depakhuys.com →Kliphuis (CapeNature)
The CapeNature campsite, with the Campground boulders behind it and a permit office on site. No pad hire that we could confirm — bring one or hire elsewhere.
no pad hire listed capenature.co.za →Rocklands Basecamp
A small shop on the campsite hires bouldering pads and sells essential climbing gear. Freeda's Cottage comes with two pads included.
pad hire listed rocklandsbasecamp.co.za →Alpha Excelsior
Rents crash pads and climbing shoes, and gives half of it to the Rocklands Association for Development. Tell them when you book.
pad and shoe hire alphaexcelsior.co.za →We are a guide, not a hire company — these links go straight to each operator. Rates change, so confirm price and availability with them. Hire through your accommodation and the pad is usually waiting when you arrive.
Should you bring your own pad or hire one?
The honest answer depends on how long you're staying and what your airline charges for a bulky bag.
| Bring your own | Hire on arrival | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Long trips and full seasons | Two- to four-week trips, and anyone flying light |
| Baggage | Usually oversize or an extra bag — check your airline's rules and fees | Nothing extra to fly with |
| Cost shape | One-off flight cost, then free for the whole trip | A daily or weekly rate — ask the operator |
| Certainty | You know exactly what you're landing on | Depends on availability; reserve ahead for June–August |
| Hire car | Pads are big — a hatchback fills up fast with two or three | Same problem, so factor the boot space in either way |
Airline oversize rules and hire rates change constantly, so check both before you book. Either way, a pad in the boot and a pad on the ground decide which problems you can actually try.
How many pads does your crew need?
Rocklands landings are rarely flat. Expect rocky, sloping ground, undercut boulders and high topouts — the sort of place where a second and third pad turn a problem from reckless to reasonable.
| Your group | Pads that work |
|---|---|
| Climbing solo | 2 pads — one is not enough on uneven ground, and you have no spotter |
| A pair | 2–3 pads |
| Three or four | 3–4 pads, and take turns spotting |
| A bigger crew | One pad per climber, and someone who'll carry them |
A guide, not a rule. The honest test: would you be happy falling from the top onto what is under you? Fewer pads does not ruin a trip, it just narrows what you can try.
What else does the sandstone demand?
Rocklands rock is grippy, sharp and unforgiving on skin and rubber. A few things are worth packing properly rather than picking up on the way.
- A boar's-hair brush — and never a metal one. Wire brushes strip the surface texture off sandstone permanently.
- Two pairs of shoes — the rock eats rubber, and there's no resoler up the pass.
- Serious skin care — file, salve, tape. Split tips end more Rocklands trips than bad weather does.
- More chalk than you think — cold, dry days and long sessions get through it.
- A sit pad and a flask — you'll spend a long time resting between burns in the cold.
- A proper daypack — pads carry the gear in, but water, food and layers still need somewhere to live.
Looking after the rock
Never climb wet sandstone. It soaks up water and weakens badly — holds snap and problems are destroyed permanently. Give it a day of sun and wind after rain. Brush your chalk off when you finish, and use a soft brush, never wire.
Access, the daily cap and the rules themselves are CapeNature's, not ours — carry your permit and check the current conditions with them before you travel.
Last updated 13 October 2026 · pad hire as published on each operator's own site — rates and availability change, confirm with the operator