The 6th of December Meltdown was a much anticipated date – the housewarming of Friends and Allies’ new home! This was our first chance to see the new gym and the entire community was in attendance. Our psych could not be higher!
The Hype Train Arrives
Up until the day, the upgraded gym and the 304 Tungsten Road location was the secret Area 51 of climbing locations for many in the Gauteng climbing community. Rumours were flying of a new climbing gym, the likes of which we’ve never seen before. Tales of amazing wall design, higher climbing walls with sturdy mats, brand-new climbing holds and more. There was a lot of hype to go see the secret revealed.
On the day, we arrived at the gym early for the event and just on time to see all the staff finishing up on the final touches for the meltdown. The new location is definitely an amazing upgrade. The titan wall design was something that we have only seen in international comps and now there’s one in front of us – loaded with problems for the Meltdown, with some impressive new holds to boot! It’s not just the climbing that got upgraded – it’s everything else as well! There’s spots to socialise, the gear and snack shop and the sound system.
Same, Same, but Different
It was great to see so many parts of the FA Naaf Street gym now finding a new home at Tungsten. Everywhere you looked you could recognize familiar items and some new add-ons in the space. It’s the same Friends and Allies heart we all know, just transplanted to a new and better home.
A lot of regular faces in the climbing community arrived for the event, all reacting with amazement when seeing the gym. It’s clear that FA-Tungsten has set the bar for what a climbing gym should be. We all agreed that this is the place to be at if you want to experience proper climbing and everyone can’t wait to spend time here.
Time to Get Chalked Up
The actual meltdown was impressive to spectate, with some of the strongest climbers in Gauteng competing with a wild mix of casual crushers. The Pretoria crew was especially excited to see Damian Blokker give the regulars in the male category a run for their money and he did not disappoint. Anj Jones made the FA family proud, topping all the female boulders and fighting her way through the rounds. In the end Alistair came out victorious in the male category and Courtney won in the female category – both with impressive beta breaks on the final boulders. It was great to see such talented climbers on the new FA walls.
After the comp it was time to party with friends, share the psych for the event and dream about what the future holds for the community. The outside deck area is great and the new seating options are perfect for chats. Everything felt so familiar – it’s a truly welcoming space. A bit later on the tunes started pumping. The set was great, it’s super exciting to think about the Friday parties that are going to happen there.
Overall, the event was so much more than just a climbing competition. In my opinion it was one of the most anticipated events for climbers to get together one last time before the December holiday scatters the community across the country. The unveiling of the gym on the day symbolises a step in the evolution of climbing in South Africa and I can’t wait to be a part of it.
All photos (c) Surefooted Photography, grab your pictures here.
