Routes as sport in Tranquilitas

Steep start 2m left of 'Bush Fire'.

Take your thinking cap - very technical and balancey. Starts up a crease 2m right of 'Smoke At Dawn' at 'Bush Fire'. Step up left after 4th bolt toward the arête to finish at 'Smoke At Dawn' anchors.

Tagged. Start at the crease. At 4th bolt, go straight up face into a tiny corner and the right hand anchors.

Starts up 'Bush Fire' at the tiny fig tree, break right across the corner at 4th bolt to join 'Bonfire'. Climb past the 1st anchors to the top.

Nice looking line but not that good. 2m right of 'Bush Fire' is a left facing corner. Up this keeping right of the bolts to avoid unnecessary difficulty. Climb to the overlap, passing the low anchors, left to the arête and up to anchors.

3m right of 'Bush Fire', tagged FLAMES. Steep start on big holds leads to a slab, then at the 4th bolt head a bit left up 'Bonfire' (past the lower anchors – 11/12 to here) to its anchors.

Tagged FLAMES. Up 'Flames At Sunrise' to the 4th bolt, then straight up through the left notch in the overhang. A fierce reach will find holds near the 1st anchors. Or continue up right 2 bolts to higher anchors.

Follow 'Flames Direct' through the notch. Just above the roof, step right then climb up to high anchors on the right.

2m right of FLAMES climb a short crack. Continue straight up to the right notch in the roof. Head up right to the 'Flames In The Sunset' finish. Variations are possible (eg left notch, 'Flames Direct', 'Bonfire')

6m right of FLAMES is another short crack at ground level above which is a very thin reachy slab: there is a temptation to use the cracks on either side. Go straight up to a break just left of the main slab past a large precarious-looking block to finish at 'Flames In The Sunset' anchors up and right. Harder after the worst block was removed.

1.5m right of the short crack of 'Daniel' (and 1m left of a big tree) climb the slab to the overlap, passing another short crack. Some very thin moves past 2 close bolts gain the upper slab, which eases off at another crack.

Tagged. Leading his people up the easiest way through this part of the cliff. Just right of the (lower) tree, scramble up to the 1st bolt. Head left on narrow ledges clipping bolts marked black on 4-5 routes. Go up and left past 1st anchors and left past the overhang to the 'Bonfire' anchors. Top rope to clean.

A great 1st lead into an exposed position. Follow 'Moses' to the 1st set of anchors below the last roof. Lower off before the Red Sea closes over you!

Or is it Dendrophile?! Easy start just right of the lower tree at 'Moses'. Straight up to the overlap, and clip a bolt high up left. Use the 2nd (left-leaning) tree to gain the slab. Follow cracks to the top.

The narrowing chimney right of the angled tree.

Close-spaced bolts to encourage all those budding trad climbers. The major corner/chimney 2 - 3m right of 'Steeple'.

On the left of a small cave 4m right of 'Chimney Stack' corner, move through the bulge on sharp holds past 3 closely spaced bolts. Then what?!

At the cave, pull the hanging arête on the right into the thin crack which widens to hand size.

The lefthand route with a shallow open book in the upper section. Finish up a short crack.

Tagged. The middle route with the crux just before the anchors. Perhaps 17 if you climb at the bolt above the roof; most go 1m left.

The arête on the right, starting 1m right of 'Hellfire'. Step right to crux after the last bolt.

Start in the short corner 4m right of 'Hellfire'. Climb the slab right of the arête, finishing up the same move as 'Inferno'.

Start off the track up to 'Als Bells', about 10m up right from 'Hellfire', 12m left of 'Hot Spot'. Climb up & left to gain the arête with some difficulty. Up this past the overlap to the anchors.

Start 5m right of 'Angular', off a small block deep in the chimney. Diagonally left out of the cleft and up to the anchors. The direct start (2 separate bolts) submits to some grunty technique at about 15 [**].

Start at a fig about 3m right of 'Burnout'. Diagonally right up to the easier ground. Up and left to the notched overhang and anchors.

Tagged. Sustained - this may be the best slab route under 22 at Boven. At a pocketed crack in the smooth slab, up to the overlap and pull through off a block.

This climb is 2-3m left of 'Als Bells' and perhaps 10m downhill on a west-facing slab. 2-3m right of 'Hotspot' there is a weakness up to the high 1st bolt; climb thinly to the anchors above the overlap.

At a lower level than the 8m gully, about 40m around to the left. Climb the corner crack with classic (traddy!) moves.

Start 1-2m left of the left hand crack, then follow it to anchors.

The right crack.

About 3m right of the cracks is a large right-facing corner.

5m right of the major corner, follow the bolts starting up a short corner. There is a 3 bolt variant start 2m left (starting 3m right of the corner).

Scramble 10m up the blocks left of the steep open book. Climb the obvious crack. Opened on Trad. [ GPS: S25 40 30.6 E30 22 11.1]

Climb the arête/face just right of the 'When You Need It' corner.

The obvious undercut open book. It looks harder than it climbs. Takes good gear. This and other climbs here are in shade from noon in the summer. Opened on trad

Climbs the front nose of the buttress 5m right of 'Als Bells'. Climbs diagonally up left past the loose looking “big guy” and onto the face. Opened on trad

Climbs an arête up to the crack in the face above. Starts 2m right of 'Respect For The Big Guy'. Opened on trad

Climb the chimney and crack system in a corner right of 'Soft Sabie Mark'. Opened on trad

The next right facing corner 10m right of 'Quack-Quack'.

Starts under the big roof just right of 'Squeeze Your Balls'. Follows the crack through small roof 2m right of the big corner with an off-width above. Opened on trad

This lil number starts just left of 'The Huffing Warthog' and rails out to anchors at the ledge on the left arête of this beautiful face. Top rope to clean. Options: Climb the last part of 'Om te Pee en om te Poep'; or rap off. Another 2 anchors higher up await the enthusiastic boulderer who will tackle the arête.

[Anchors] The striking crack line. Fist size higher up with chains on top. These can also be used for abbing after doing some of the other routes. Thanks to Gareth Frost & Daryll Margetts who aided up here first and for placing the anchors. Opened on trad

Shares the 1st 3 bolts with 'Arielle'. Climb up left on the right hand edge of the nice-looking smooth face to anchors on the left wall at 3/4 height, about 8m right of 'The Huffing Warthog'.

The extension of 'M J'. In its current state, loose and unpleasant. BEWARE! Don’t climb it. Natural Anchor

Tagged. Major corner on the left of the Creche. Opened by 'Arielle' on her 9th birthday. Climb to the anchors under the roof.

'Talia' Left hand Variant. Starting in the corner climb up right to the 2nd bolt on 'Talia' & up to the anchors 3m right of the major corner.

'Exodus' Left hand variation. Starts up 'Max' heading diagonally right, crosses 'Talia' & joins 'Exodus' on the long ledge. Finish up just left of the fig tree.

A longish traverse and a quick way to climb out after the day's climbing. Starting at 'Max' in the major corner, climb up to the ledge at 'Exodus' 3rd bolt. Traverse right then diagonally right over a small fig to exit above 'Crouching Tiger'. Belay at the chains above the huge sloping block, or lower back to the ground. Someone will probably have to follow the climb due to the difficulty of cleaning on rappel.

Marked. Max (Gus' Weimaraner) has soloed this more times than you can count. Starting at the major corner, go diagonally right (as for 'Bongo'). Continue along the ledge around the (2nd) small fig tree, cross the major crack line to a 3 bolt anchor. Clip them and lower to the ground for your first lead. The 2nd can clean the draws and rap off the anchors. Alternatively reverse the traverse leftwards, removing draws from the bolts as you go, then carefully down climb to the ground in the corner.

12 [20D] The extension of 'Max' along '1000000' (lower than DOUBT) traversing the whole slab to finish at the top of the arete at 'Kaj' anchors. Very cruisy so you can stop many times to admire the view onto the great red walls under the farmhouse. Can be climbed as 1 pitch (long draws may be useful) or broken into 2 pitches at the 3 bolt anchor of 'Max'.

The extension of MAX taking the high traverse of 'Doubt' to the 'Moaah' anchors near the arête. Clean on top rope.

Start 3m right of the major corner at a hard start. Straight up to the anchors shared with 'Dot'. Opened on her 13th birthday.

Starting 1m right of 'Talia' 1st bolt, climb up and right passing just left of a fig tree to anchors under the roof 6m from the major corner.

Using 'Return Of The Avatar' 1st 2 brackets, climb up and continue left of the fig tree to the 'Exodus' U-bolt anchors.

Gently scrambles up from left of the tree, heading diagonally right to easily accessible chains.

Starts a couple meters left of 'Milou', up generally easy slab to bolted anchor at the base of the obvious arête in the upper part of the cliff.

An extension of either 'Bob' or 'Milou' -- climb the striking arête near the top of the cliff.

Starts just left of the tree at the base of 'Crouching Tiger'. Halfway up the face there is a u-bolt anchor before the final crux. A must do, especially if you are old enough to walk.

Shorter and easier than 'Milou', stopping before the final crux head wall. Use the 3 bolt anchors to the right on 'Max', or the 2 bolt anchor on 'Don'.

A direct way to the 3 U-bolt 'Max' anchors. Start up the faint crack 1m left of 'Crouching Tiger' tree. After 4 U-bolts, trend right onto 'Crouching Tiger' crack.

The extension of 'Garfield' to the chains near the sloping block at the very top.

Starts on a block just right of the tree growing out of the crack line that makes up this route.

Originally 10 bolts, now extended another 3 (U-bolts) past the original anchor, to bring total to 13 bolts, and finishes on anchors visible at the skyline.

Follows the double black mark-ed bolts, starting at 'Max' finishing anchors. Can be accessed in a few other ways eg up 'Felix', 'Garfield'. From 3 U-bolt anchor move right then slightly down & cross cleft. Traverse right till black water streak on ROSY/MORT. Climb diagonally up into the tiny recess, then continue diagonally right to the top of the arête at 'Moaah' anchors. The view and situation on the face here would merit several stars even with poor climbing. Which it isn’t.

Follows the red mark-ed bolts starting at 'Max' s finishing anchors. Can be accessed in a few other ways (eg 'Crouching Tiger'). From the 3 bolt anchors, traverse right 2-3m along the ledge then up to the next ledge and continue traversing right crossing the cleft about 2m higher than '1000000'. Continue rightward crossing the black water streak ('1000000' comes up here), then go diagonally right to near the top of the arête at 'Moaah' anchors.

Shares the first bolt with 'Crouching Tiger', then climb up the slab.

Start just right of 'Mel', following U-bolts up diagonally rightwards then up to anchor.

Starting up 'Als' first 2 bolts, move diagonally right to the big crack/cleft above the tree. Up the left hand side of the cleft following MTYJ (brackets) to chains. Currently run-out above the tree.

Traverse up and right following the black mark-ed bolts (and cable!). Start up 2 bolts of 'Als', up another move as for 'Jane', then traverse behind the large tree and across the square ledge. Step up right onto the slab, similar to 'Kaj', and traverse right to the 3 U-bolt anchor at a ledge close to the arête. From here one may rappel/lower off, or bring up a 2nd then do any of the 4 right hand routes on this slabby perched face. Can easily be soloed up or down with the via ferrata but know how to use the via ferrata safely before trying this. The via ferrata becomes way more technical and exposed going around the arête into the gully.

Boulder up the arête of the left facing corner (harder if you keep left of the arête), then step across onto the main face and up. An easier alternative is to start right of the arête, follow two u-bolts to ledge, and then stepping left onto main face.

A better start to MTYJ, 1-2 right of the arête. Follow U-bolts to the ledge, then up the cleft starting on left. Currently run-out (for a 10 leader) above the tree.

Start inside a straddle width chimney 20m right of the obvious 'The Huffing Warthog' crack. Reach a large picnic ledge after 2 bolts and continue onto the main face going slightly left.

From the block, go up and right following U-bolts, and staying on the slab left of the black water streak.

After toppinig the block, go right for a few meters, then follow P-bolts up crossing the black streak.

Traverse even farther right, past the black streak, and follow U-bolts up to anchors.

(12D or 7D from ledge) From the ledge, go up and right towards the arête (anchor at start of arête ), then climb the exposed arête .

May be worth climbing 'Mort' / 'Rosy' and the lowering to the ledge & anchors at the start and just climbing the arête .

Up using the in-cut footholds and a rung for protection only to the first small U-bolt, to an obvious foot-rail at 3m. Go left along this to the arête – using several in-obvious under-clings. Up the arête to a ledge shared with 'Kaj'. Climb the arête as for 'Kaj', but use the anchors just right of the arête to minimize rope drag. Easier if you are tall.

Start left of the bolt ladder to the foot rail, as for 'Boy'. Continue up the easy notched arêtelette in the face. It gets thinner at the top, going up slightly left to a better hold. Could be harder for short climbers.

As for 'Kajboy' to 5th bolt. Continue up straight or slightly right, via a 2cm foothold and Rright slanting crimp to a hard finish. Will be harder still for shorter climbers.

Climb up to the ledge above the bolt ladder. Not using the tree or ladder is 13. Up to the smaller ledge and stem the gap to gain the arête on the other side. Up this on ring bolts noting the (safe!) stacked blocks at top.

Looks like a nightmarish, downward-flaring, overhanging chimney. A happy surprise awaits you. Start at the back of the chimney 6m right of the bolt ladder. Up and traverse outwards on footrails. Beware loose stones deep in the slot. It may be necessary for the 2nd to follow to clean this route.

Start on the broken looking corner with an hourglass feature halfway up the arête.

Approach from the left to gain a platform beneath a tree. Step across onto blocky rock. Climb the prominent layback crack. Halfway up the route changes from crack climbing to face climbing.

Not as closely bolted as most other climbs at 'The Creche'.

Climb onto a ledge towards a crack leading steeply through the double and up.

Start 2m right of 'Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky'

10m right of 'Excuse Me While I Kiss The Sky' is a big right facing corner/chimney. Climb up tree roots into chimney.

Start about 3m right of 'Palaver'.

Just left of 'I.M.O. Julius'. Route name on first bolt.

Starts up a creeper fig tree and into the chimney.

Not such a pretty face when viewed through the fig tree. But the upper section has great climbing. Negotiate the blocky little corner 2m right of 'I.M.O. Julius' thru the fig tree to access this narrow face between 2 chimney lines. Take care with some of the blocks down low.

Start up 'Brutus' for 5 U-bolts, stepping left onto 'Darth' face just above the fig tree, just below the crux sequence. These are very sweet moves, lay-backing right and left.

Climb the chimney, as for 'Cesar', but stay outside the cleft, stemming left onto 'Just Another Pretty Face' to avoid moving into the bowels of the earth, where the climb steepens. Up to anchors just left of the cleft.

Climb the fun chimney left of 'Woodchoppers and Waterbearers' and discover the cave system. Protected by 4 U-bolts on 'Brutus', then 3 U-bolts inside the chimney. Use anchors above and left of the cleft.

Climb up the right arête. Avoid using opposite side of chimney. Then move right onto the face after the small roof.

About 10m R of 'Aapstreke' is a bolt line up a corner right of a steep gully.

Overbolted? Could be your 1st 16. Pull onto the face 1m right of TOL. Continue up the slab, 1st slightly left, then up. The holds become a bit thin just before the anchor.

Use the 1st pitch of 'Gungadin' up to the belay ledge. Follow the P-bolts up the middle of the face.

1. [18] XXm

   This ledge can be used to climb all pitches above – 2 extra bolts lead leftward back to 'Sonny Boy'. The ledge can be accessed more easily at ~ grade 11 by starting up 'Sonny Boy' then heading right after the 4th bolt – to practice 2 pitch climbing. [7D]

2. [19] XXm

   From the belay, go diagonally right up the slab. This steepens below a corner, which is followed up to the anchors. The 2 pitches can easily be done as one [16D]

20? From the belay, go diagonally right up the slab. This steepens below a corner, which is followed up to the anchors. The 2 pitches can easily be done as one [16D].

Starting at a multi-stemmed tree, climb the curved crack to an aloe. Step left onto the ledge with a block, climb the face following the corner for 15m. Rail out left on face up to an ab tree. Take plenty small gear.

Start up 'Walking on Sunshine' curving crack at the multi-stemmed tree for 4m, then right through the rooflet, and straight up to anchors.