![A Climber's guide to Umgeni Valley](http://bloc11gear.co.za/cdn/shop/products/Umgeni-front__74427-1575032722_600x600_a9baff95-4764-4bb2-b8a0-1bb8b0faf612_{width}x.jpg?v=1660735451)
Umgeni Valley is a relatively new climbing venue situated in the sleepy town of Howick, 20mins North along the highway from Pietermaritzburg. Predominately a single-pitch Sports climbing venue with a few high quality trad lines found amongst the bolts (including the world famous ‘Crack Addiction’ and the X-rated ‘Hard Man’) The crag faces South-East looking over the valley to its sister crag at Hilton and down towards Albert Falls Dam. A great place for hot summer’s days as the majority of routes are out of the sun and shaded by the tall mist-belt forest surrounds. Grades are on the higher side with the majority of bolted lines being in the low to high twenties although there are a handful of teen grades.