Godbold Award

The Godbold award is an initiative by the KZN section of the Mountain Club to incentivise Drakensberg climbing.

To achieve the award, members must summit 7 out of 10 of the following peaks by a new or existing rock or ice climb.

Sentinel
Devil's Tooth
Mponjwane
Bell
Pyramid
Column
Monk's Cowl
Western Injasuthi Triplet
Giant's Castle
Rhino

Whilst this award is only open to KZN members, I thought I would share the idea here for the sake of general forum interest and also so that new 'berg climbers could have an idea of some of the classics.

tiska wrote:
Interestingly the award is only open to KZN MCSA members? And back dated for ascents from 2004.

I've pinged the first 8 but I'm out on both counts above!

Congrats! That is an impressive list.
I am not sure why it's only for KZN members or why that particular year but I'll try and get some input from Gavin sometime.

I've done the first 7 since 2004, but I'm a member of Joburg MCSA so I don't qualify either because of that.
Tooth, Column and Western Trip have a "big 3" connotation in my mind, so definitely keen to get Western Trip as soon as I can get it. I have small rocks from the summits of Tooth and Column alongside me as I write this.

The list certainly represents fun and very classic peaks. Of course it doesn't represent the ogres like the Mnweni Pinnacles and North Ifidi, though they are very fine and awesome peaks otherwise.

Here on Vancouver Island we have what are called "the Island Qualifiers" for members of the Alpine Club of Canada, Vancouver Island Section. If you climb all of them you get the Rick Eppler Island Qualifier Award. These peaks are all alpine classics (some quite renowned) and also very appealing and beautiful peaks. Not easy to bag though, typically everything here takes 2-3 attempts and this has definitely been my experience so far (haven't succeeded on any of them yet!). More info here:
accvi.ca/index.php/island-qualifiers

@Tiska: I have a photo of your entry in Column's summit log

I'm always very happy for VE members to start initiatives. Important here is, as tiska mentioned, that this is not infringing on what KZN Section has started, and whatever we do in this regard, it should enjoy their blessing.

Indeed Berg climbers are an extremely small group (beyond interest in Angus-Leppan), and its great to see some interest and discussion picking up, as with the Khulu concept.

Can I leave it to the Energiser Bunny Team (Viking and Macc) to look into what we can do and liaise with KZN Section?

I agree with the sentiments above and think tiska's idea is a good one.
I have had similar thoughts - more along the lines of a check-list of all peaks or routes that VE members have climbed in the berg. I would find it most interesting not only to see who climbs, where they have climbed, at what frequency and over what time frame, but also to see what peaks and routes get what kind of attention and what we feel about certain peaks and routes. I agree with intrepid re: "the big three" of the classics and they almost have an intimidating factor in my mind!

If we get this going, and I will chat to the section about it, I'd prefer to see it more as a challenge or "honours roll" than an award. A "get your name on the list" type of thing to encourage others at having a go..
The reward for me is a personal one that you feel when you reach the summit of each peak (or when touching down afterwards!)

That said, whatever we can do to drum up a bit of interest is worth a shot.