Basic Instinct 7c+

Basic Instinct is a boulder problem in the Faith, Hope & Charity area of Rocklands, South Africa, graded 7c+. It follows an arete and crack in an exposed position overlooking the lower Rocklands sectors, with a committing topout well above the pads. It is a lesser known, rarely repeated line by Rocklands standards, more often mentioned on visiting climbers' tick lists than actually climbed, and it sits among the sandstone boulders scattered through the Cederberg Mountains that make up the wider Rocklands bouldering area.

History

Bernd Zangerl established the problem in 2004. Its name comes from the topout: Zangerl has said he had only one crash pad and no spotter and had to rely on instinct to finish safely above the fall, rather than any planned sequence for the final moves. That reputation for a serious, high topout has followed the route since, and it remains graded 7c+ with relatively few recorded ascents compared to more popular Rocklands lines of similar difficulty, in part because climbers tend to prioritize better protected problems of the same grade over a line known mainly for its finish.

On film

A Month In Rocklands with Kyra Condie (2025), covering Condie's fourth season bouldering in the Cederberg and shot by Carlos Mason, includes Basic Instinct among the established lines she climbs while searching for a single project worth committing to for the trip. The film treats it as one stop within a broader season of Rocklands climbing rather than a standalone focus, part of the working-through-problems phase before she settles on her main goal.