Tranquilitas turned 20, and we celebrated the only way we know how: climbing all day, eating too much potjie and watching the sun go down over God No wall with a jazz band playing. First-timers who had never touched outdoor rock shared the campsite with ballies who have been coming here for over 15 years. Great climbing, great food, great views, and a community that showed up for all of it.
We kicked off with the last few registrations, then moved into the treasure hunt briefing, MC’d by Arielle Behr. The brief: 30 numbered carabiners hidden around Tranquilitas, from the campsite and trails to the top of selected climbs. Find one, bring it to the prize table at 18:30, and claim your mystery treasure. One ‘biner per hunter, because gold fever is real.
Climbers and campers scattered in every direction, and the hunt did what it was meant to – put people on trails and routes they might never have otherwise visited.
Meanwhile, at the donkey boiler
Dane, Dirk and Josh took on the hardest job of the weekend: potjie for over 150 people. The donkey boiler has just been upgraded so you can cook underneath it. This means it not only heats everyone’s showers, but also slow-cooks their dinner at the same time. A big thank you to the cooks of the day, they got a little roasted (both by the sun and fire) but it was well worth it!
Beginners’ Corner
Our Beginners’ Corner at Tranquilitas was buzzing with learning, from first outdoor climbs and lead climbing to cleaning routes. Even The Creche was pumping, with our youngest climber, a four-year-old visiting from Maputo, joining in on the fun!
Sundowners
From 16:45, climbers and campers gathered at the lookout, which now has a brand new deck built by Mike Behr and his team. The band was made up of Pieter Vorster, Ruard Booysen, Jeandre Hankom, Olwethu Sibiya and Shaun Longang. With God No wall behind them and the sun setting off to the left, it was about as idyllic as a Saturday gets.
Olwethu, the only woman in the band, stole the show with her drum solos, although the whole band certainly earned every round of applause. After a long day on rock, live jazz was the highlight of the weekend.
The Band
Treasure exchange
After sunset, everyone headed up to the lapa to swap carabiners for prizes. CityROCK co-owner and long-time friend of the Behr family, Robert Breyer, said a few words.
Two participants had gone treasure hunting the evening before, so they had to do a shoeie to keep their prizes. In their defence, they got to choose their own drink and drink it from their own shoe.
Dinner
Then it was down to the donkey boiler for Dane and Dirk’s potjie: beef (the clear favourite), chicken or veg, with slow-cooked vegetables, rice and rainbow slaw. Jean and Willem followed with an epic Boven pavlova and s’mores. Everyone went to bed with big smiles and full bellies.
Sunday morning
Mienke led a yoga class that was enjoyed by half the campsite, including half the jazz band.
Thank you
A massive thank you to the entire Behr family and Tranquilitas for twenty years and a very good weekend. Thank you also to our prize sponsors: Stanley South Africa, First Ascent, Adventure Inc, Buff SA, Sea to Summit SA, Mountain Mail Order, and Taipeng Xu for sponsoring a bunch of Suction Hands gear.
Here’s to the next twenty. Somebody check the lookout deck for gold!
