The MCSA Supertramp Award has been awarded annually since 2005 under the auspices of the Magaliesberg Section to a South African adventurer under the age of 25 years. For the 2016 award, six applications were received. As it was the year of the MCSA’s 125th anniversary, the anonymous donor most generously provided R128 000 in total, enabling all applicants to receive an award! Some combinations and itinerary changes followed, and eventually seven persons in five parties carried the title of Supertramp 2016. All were MCSA members.
The youngest person ever to receive the award, Micha Stiller (17), covered 400 kilometres of rural Himalayan Nepal, solo and unassisted, over the course of three weeks, allowing him to immerse himself in culture and landscape virtually untouched by tourism.
Jed Johnson and his partner, Craig Burden, explored climbing in Ethiopia including sport climbing at Amore Gebel outside of Addis Ababa as well as climbing in the Gheralta Escarpment in the north east of Ethiopia.
‘Los Supertramps’ – Chris Arderne, Michael Kloos and Rick Kotze – bagged Pico de Orizaba and Iztaccíhuatl (the highest and third highest peaks in Mexico), rock-climbed at El Potrero Chico and had a lot of fun whilst gaining valuable experience.
The first female Supertramp, Tiffany Wells, together with Kirsten Roberts, climbed their way across South East Asia: Yangshuo in China, Cat Ba Island in Vietnam and Krabi in Thailand. Setting out for the best routes in each area, they did some of their hardest sends to date.
After visas for the planned trip to climb in Angola were refused, Alex Bester started in October with a quest to do 125 first ascents in different climbing disciplines in celebration of the MCSA’s 125th anniversary. He has already completed an admirable 58 thereof.
A veritable feast of Supertramp adventures was undertaken in 2016, concluding the wonderful era of the Supertramp Award on a high note. The MCSA extends its heartfelt thanks to the anonymous donor whose generosity has enriched the MCSA and some very fortunate participants. With the publication of the 2016 MCSA Journal, all Supertramps will have had articles published in the Journal and will have presented slides shows at Club evenings, further contributing to the MCSA in that way.
The adjudication panel’s loyal, excellent and timeous work is hereby acknowledged. For the full period: Steve Cooke (KZN), Russ Dodding (JHB), Ulrike Kiefer (JHB, MCSA Expeditions Convenor) and Dean van Der Merwe (ex officio, representing the chairmen of Magaliesberg Section); a long stint: Sonia Beard (CT); more recently: Marian Oliver (CT); stand-ins: Christina Spottiswoode (née Jongens), Otti Neser (MAG), Derek Odendaal (FS) and André Schoon (CT). Petro Grobler (MAG) acted as the convenor with no voting rights.
Petro Grobler
Photos supplied by the Supertramps
