Sunday, December 31, 2006

KLOOFING IN THE GROOT RIVIER DECEMBER 2006.

Boxing Day. 26 December 2006. Kloofing the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma.

I had planned to take some of my sons-in-law down the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma Forrest. I had borrowed wet suites from a number of people and we had prepared for this trip quite carefully. This would be my second trip down the Groot Rivier as I had been earlier this year with Mike Perks. There is a Huge difference between being a follower of a confident Kloofer and trying to lead a group. Adrienne Wilson’s brother, Gavin, was visiting her from Cananda and I had asked him to join us. His wife Barbara had agreed to assist with driving. We packed ourselves a small backpack with some energy bars, chocolate, biltong and energades.

We managed to leave at about 06.00am. In my car were Gavin and his wife Barbara and Saul. Stefan took his car with my son Michael, my son-in-law Michael and a friend of his who also lives in the UK, Werner. We had a brief stop over at the Storms River Bridge and then drove into Natures Valley where we met friends of Charles and Ingrid. Johan and his son Jannes loaded us up in their bakkies and drove us to the Groot RIvier Bridge on the N2. This is located a few Kilometers West of the toll plaza. Saul had not been feeling well before we left and en route and was not sure if he would join us but in the end decided that this was an adventure that he would not like to miss.

Barbara took a photo of us at the bridge and then we set out. It was 09.00am and I had anticipated a 5 hour hike. Barbara said that she would wait for us in Natures Valley where the Groot Rivier crossed the road at the bottom of the pass.

We had to scale a fence and then set off into some fairly dense bush before emerging above a steep slope. We then headed west and tried to locate the valley where we would descend into the gorge. We were incredibly fortunate and found the valley first time and after a bit of a steep climb down some slippery and loose rocks we were into the valley that would lead us to the river. I was now certain we were heading in the right direction and we climbed down into the gorge. This section takes about an hour and should not be rushed as it is an adventure on its own. There are all kinds of tree ferns, indigenous bush and rock faces to be enjoyed. There are only a handful of people in SA who have ever had the priveledge to be able to do something like this and we wanted to savour the moment. Just as we reached the point where we could hear the river flowing we came across a sheer rockface. Fortunately someone had left a section of seatbelt webbing attadhed to a tree and we used this to absail down the rock. I was quite nervous but as the only one who had done this before had to take the lead. The webbing dangles over the rock and we eased ourselves over lowering ourselves until we could feel the rock below was firm on our feet. The rocks were all slippery and loose and we had to be careful not to slip to what could be a nasty fall. Once we were all past this obstacle we came to the river.

There was a strong flow of water and the waterfall looked quite formidable. I had brought some rope and I slung it around a tree and worked my way onto a rock from which we would jump into the river. The others followed one by one. We donned our wetsuits and packed the day packs carefully so as to limit the amount of water that would get into the food and drinks. We tossed the packs down into the river and leaped down into the pool below. This was between two to three meters depending if you climbed onto a lower ledge before jumping. Stefan was first then Michael and I was next. Once we were all in the river we began our swim down stream.

The wetsuites we used varied between full length and arms to shorts and sleeveless. People, like Michael Z, who used the full wetsuite seemed to get too warm. I used Nicci’s old wetsuite which was shorts and sleeveless and while I was not cold, I felt the cool water each time that I got into the river. I think that either will do fine in Summer but when the water cools down I would suggest that full wetsuites may be more suitable.

The back pack plays two roles. It is used to carry food and drink. But it is also an important flotation device. Everything in the pack is double wrapped in black bags and stays reasonably dry. Bottles and the pack itself help in keeping us afloat. I would generally put my arms trough the straps and float backwards with the pack providing a head rest.

This part is difficult to describe as it alternates between swims and rock climbing. We would hear the thud of a bag being tossed into the water and know that there would be a splash as someone followed. Each time we would get to a shallow section we would have these water laden back packs making us unsteady on our feet. Often we would topple over due to the heavy pack, the loose and slippery rocks and the sensation of gettting out of the water and onto our feet. At stages there were big boulders to climb over and down while at other times there were smaller loose stones. Walking with our feet submerged seemed to be the toughest as it is impossible to judge where to put the full weight of your step and you are likely to slip.

As we swam we were able to float on our backs and look up to the underside of the bridge. Here we found quite a bit of debri from the construction of the bridge. But considering the enourmity of this project there was not a great deal of steel or concrete in the river.

We really had no sense of time or of distance but I estimate that when we got to the very narrow gorge where we swam under a waterfall would have been about half way. This section was quite spectaular as there was one point where we were swimming where the cliff face was quite sheer on either side and not more than two meters wide. Michael had brought an underwater camera and took pictures of us in the river and under the waterfall. This is quite an experience as the water thunders onto your head with force and is quite noisy as well. Up to now we were all quite chirpy and enjoying ourselves. The “Vasbyt” section was ahead.

After the waterfall it is still a very long pull to the end, there are long swims and long walks through bush and lots of loose gravel which gets into shoes and sandals causing irritation. This section should not be underestimated as it appears from the landscape that we are nearing the end but the end is still a long way off. Werner was generally in front but would often have to stop and empty his shoes of small stones and gravel. Saul was by now quite exhausted and was into a survivial mode. He did not complain but was clearly feeling the effect of the earlier nausea.

This is a really tough day. Exhaustion and hypothermia are to be expected. We stopped fairly often but while some of the group had been drinking regularly, I had not drunk or eaten enough and the effect of getting in and out of the water and the exersion of the day was getting to me. The body must use a huge volume of calories trying to warm up each time we got into the water. I should have eaten and drunk substantially more than I did. Finally we could hear the sound of the water pump and I knew that we were close to the end. At the water pump we took the short road out to the old N2 and met up with Barbara who had been waiting for us for about two hours. Seeing the car and Barbara was quite a relief. The walk to Johan’s house would have taken us 30 to 45 minutes more.

It was 15.30 and we had been on the hike for 6 and a half hours. Barbara took us to Johan’s house where we collected Stefan’s car and drove back to the group wating at the bridge. Stefan had a flat tyre but as Michael’s wife was waiting for him at the Storms River Bridge I pressed on. We regrouped at the Storms River bridge where we bought some coffee and something to eat. Michael & Lene left for Knysna. The road back to PE was quite busy and we took it easy. We got back home at 18.30 and I dropped Gavin and Barbara off with Adrienne.

Kloofing is a really tough thing to take on. Once you start there is no backing out as there is only one way and that is down stream. There is not chance of rescue from the outside. A cell phone would be useless as it would be saturated and there is at any rate no reception. The gorge is quite inaccessible to anyone except on foot.

Once I had offloaded our stuff I drove down to Summerstrand to give Varrin Karp back his wetsuite which I had borrowed. By now I was also starting to feel nausea and went straight to bed. The next morning I was still feeling unsteady and decided to stay at home for the day. Saul had also complained of nausea and gone straight to bed but was feeling a lot better the next morning. I think that everyone was stiff and sore in some way or another. Cathy and Saul left for Cape Town and the rest of us went to Ten Pin for a game. Stefan was the champ but only just managed to beat Nicci who had been the first to get a Strike.

Later that evening we heard that Cathy was also feeling poorly while Jacqui was quite sick at home. It could have been a tummy bug but for me it was an exhausting Christmas period of exersize, family and eating.

Thursday 28th
It is now four years since Jacqui and Michael were married in our front garden. And today Emily was dedicated by Jonathan and Anne also in the garden. People who came to be with Jacqui: Charles & Ingrid, Debbie and Samantha, Michelle and Werner, Beauty, Gail, Delene & Karen, Carrie, Ally, Jessica, Nicci, Stefan, Christian (slept), Aaron and Zara, Ron and Michael DeK. It was a good little gathering and quite emotional. Later that evening we went to Charles & Ingrid for a Braai and Jamming session.

GIDDY FAMILY DECEMBER 2006.

DECEMBER 2006..

Nearly at the end of another year. But the activity never stops. This month I have entered for the Xtreme Wild coast event for February 2007. I will not have Ron to second me but hopefully I will be able to tag along with Dave and his crew. Nicci and Stefan came to PE to collect their car. It was good to have the whole family stay with us. It had been ages since we last had all of them with us.

Nippers came to an end with a 100 club draw and braai. Unfortunately Donald had an operation to his knee and we did not present the Nippers with awards as we had done the previous year. ON the Sunday morning I entered an off road triathlon. I used Barbara’s bike but it turned out to be a disaster for me. I was entirely under prepared. All the other cyclists had a stuff called Slime Lime in their tubes to help in the case of Punctures as well as Liners which also help for preventing punctures. The triathlon started late and then we did the swim in the lake. That was fine and I then got onto the bike. I had no idea how tough the course was going to be. It was in the game reserve and on sand dune type sandy tracks with more Deviltjies and event thorns the size of knitting needles. I was soon pushing the bike up and down the hills as I found it impossible to ride in the soft sand. I then found that the front riders had been sent on a wrong route and they began to pass me. After about 5kays I realised that I had two flat tyres and so decided to walk back to the start. I got back tired and frustrated and so packed up and went to the beach to meet up with the family and the last nippers session of the year.

Barbara had agreed to drive a trailer full of Michaels stuff to Knysna and seeing the size of the trailer I agreed to accompany her on the Monday morning. We left at 05.00 and drove into a strong West wind the whole way there. With the drag and weight of the trailer, the wind and rain this trip took us close to four hours. It was not at all pleasant but I was glad that I had gone with Baabara as I would not have liked her to be on her own for this trip. ON the way there she read about a business where the owner of a house wanted to rent the house to a patrnership and then the partnership would in turn rent out furnished rooms on a self catering basis. She called this person (Jacquie Jorgenson) from the car and set up a meeting for the same afternoon. Nicci and Stefan had left us that Sunday afternoon, drove through to Knysna to meet up with Michael and then back to Plett where they stayed the night with Ena. Lene also left PE on the Monday morning so it turned out that at one stage we all drove the Plett to Knysna section at one time.

Once we reached Knysna Michael organised two men and we quickly off loaded the trailer and headed back to PE. On the way back we again drove through sheeting rain. It was so heavy that we had almost no visibility and had to slow down to a crawl. We stopped off at Plett for coffee with Ena and were back in PE at about 13.30. I still went to work that afternoon and Barbara met up with Jacquie. She was very enthusiastic about the venture and decided there and then that this would be for her. The investment would be R50 000 and we hoped to be able to recover this within two to three years. The following day I had a business meeting in East London and Kingwilliamstown. This was to be two heavy days of driving. We met up with Jacquie again and finalised most of the detail of the 11 Glen Street Business. Our back room was almost complete with touching up and Glazing still to be done.

We had a church function where the administration said thanks to everyone who made some kind of contribution to the continued growth and life of the church. Johnathan showed us the vision for the staffing and development of buildings and then we were entretained by a stand up Christian Commedian. Rowland.

The rest of the week is a blur as we get so busy at this time. Michael was struggling to settle in Knysna but at least his family was there. Jacqui’s little baby Emily is not entirely happy here. She is very clingy with Jacqui. On Friday we had a Christmas Carols evening with Charles & Ingrid. It was raining but we still had our Braai. And then Charles played the guitar and we all sang our Carols. Barbara bought a soccer twirly game and Ally loves to beat us all at the game. On the Saturday morning I had my first run in ages. I had taken a bit of a break. We did a 15kay and I managed okay but really feel that I am slowing down considerably. I had to do some officiating at the Lifesaving club for the senior club at summerstrand. It took most of the morning and I was quite exhausted afterwards.

Lloyd Lindsay died last week. He was 50 and had battled Cancer for the past 5 years. The Funeral was at the Kingdom Church in Summerstrand. I had met Lloyd while studying at Technikon for the Marketing Diploma. He had spent most of his working carreer in the Citrus Business. He had a Daughter who is a friend of Jessica Gendal so Tim was also there as were a number of people who I know. It was a very emotional service for me. A number of people stood up in the front and gave testimony to Lloyds life as well as a DVD presentation with Pictures of Lloyd from a baby to his last years. For me the part that hurt so much was the fact that he is out of the lives of so many people who trusted and respected him. I had not known him well but we recognised and acknowledged each other on a number of occasions particularly while running. I, like many others found him to be a likeable, easy going man.

Last week the Port Elizabeth Warehouse had an armed robbery. It seems that a number of men walked into the warehouse and then pulled out guns and demanded money. The staff told the robbers that there was no cash on the premises and they then demanded cell phones, jewelry and items that could be carried away. One of the staff members was in the back and called the police from his cell phone. The Police were quick to respond and a gun battle ensued with one of the police being shot in the leg and one of the robbers was killed while another was arrested. The one that was Killed was known to the police and they had, it seems, been tracking him down. The robbers got away with very little. But the staff were quite upset at the whole incident.

We decided against the Guest House with Jacquie Jorgenson. There were a number of reasons but most of all she was expecting an investment with no assets. I had to do duty at Summerstrand for the senior Lifesavers competition. It was a pretty boring day and I was happy to get out of there that afternoon. We were open on Sunday and so the whole weekend was a bit of a washout for me. Michael Z arrived from UK and He & I did a bit of swimming in the evening at Hobie beachin the evenings after work. I ran four mornings that week.

Here are a couple of emails that we received:
Hello Everyone

It was a day with no electricity until just now 7.30pm - as you can imagin Stefan and I were at quite a loss, but eventually got into things and had a nice lazy day at home. Felt a bit like camping, but luckily we have a gas stove, so we could boil water without having to use the fire.

The boys are in bed and we're about to resume our Rumikub challenge. We had a lovely night in Kermanus with our friends Melany and Marius.

Ann starts tomorrow. She spent the day with us on Friday and stayed after we left to clean the flat. I'm feeling very positive about her - she's very warm, caring and motherly. She also has two boys and a girl and her middle child, Owen was born at the same time ont eh same day as Chris and is also quite a sensitive soul. He was burnt last week when he knocked over the kettle and has been in Red Cross.

It's getting dark now and I'm glad to not have to use all the candles and tourches I've prepared. Missing everybody there and I know you're having fun without me!!

Please pray for a productive week for us.

Hugs and kisses all round and a special big one for Emily.

Niki @

Hi Peter,Barbara and Ally,

Everithing ok with you,so it is nice that you have your own geust house.
Iff i know some triathleets i will send them too you and i will tell them it is the best guest house there is( i know i was there with you and had a graet time )
I come back to IRONMAN South Africa from 11 march until 21 march and will stay in a hotel near the start off the Ironman.
They invided me to stay in a hotel so what can i say!!!!
My wife is comming with me and we will visit you when we are there.
Say hello too all your friends,i hope they are all ok?
Hope too here from you soon and see you in Port elizabeth.

Cheers,
Gerrit and Nadia.

Here is an email that Nicci sent on Saturday 16th December 2006.:

Check this email I found. Read from the bottom up. Can you believe I'm
actually here now.



Hi Dad,

You are right with everything you say. It is about enjoying the small
things in life.

There are things that are good. Like the church for example and my friends
and especially my sisters. I am so blessed having them here. It allows
Stefan and I to have a evening out every now and then on our own. And Jax
comes over almost everyday and helps with the kids and keeps me company.

There are little things that I do and I enjoy doing them, but I can just
feel that I am longing for something more. It is probably my own attitude
that will change how I feel and I know it doesn't matter where you live if
your attitude is not right.

I don't even really know what it is. I'm happy, not there is something
missing. There could be more. Maybe is is just the monotony of daily life
that is getting me down. I used to be an 'outdoor' person, but I really
can't even say that about myself now. I miss that.

Oh well. This too will pass.

You know Madelein? Stefan's cousin? Anyway, she has a little boy, I think
about 6 months now. They have found out that he is deaf. Such hard news!

It's a holiday here today, but Stefan has a wedding and it's raining - so...
another boring day indoors trying to entertain the kids.

Love you dad.
Nix



-----Original Message-----
From: Niki Steenkamp [mailto:niki@steenkamp.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 1:40 PM
To: Peter Giddy
Subject: RE: SATURDAY


Hi Dad,

Well I'm okay. I do get a bit down with things sometimes, like the weather
for one and Stefan working so much, but generally I'm okay. I am happy that
I can be with the kids at home, but would like to have a better life style,
more healthy and outdoors. I feel very caged in here sometimes, but I think
that can come with being a stay at home mom.

But now we have a vision to be in South Africa and I am motivated by that.
I want the lifestyle that South Africa can offer on a day to day basis. I
know there are loads of things to do here, but we don't. Mainly because of
finances, but even when we had money we didn't do THAT much.

So as soon as we can get things sorted to leave, the better. I tolerate the
working hard and stuff now because I know that it is all going towards a
better life in SA.

Thanks for caring.
Love you



Hello Nix
Good to hear that you are feeling positive
about the weather, the children and the business.
But what about Nicci? how do you feel yourself?

This morning we had to assist at a race.
So we went for a run first and then did our
marshalling duties afterwards. It was a lovely
morning for a run on the Seaview hills. It started
raining a little later and so Hockey was cancelled.

Mom not feeling her best again today.
I wonder if you heard about Michaels luck?
If not I do not think that I will spoil his
Thunder. Let him tell you himself.

So it is raining today and so no cycling this afternoon.
Probably just chill at home this afternoon.
Mike and Lene plan to do some packing of their old house
so as to move to the new place by Tuesday and Wednesday.

Thats about what I can think of for now
Love you
DAD

16th December 2006.
Dawn & Richard came for a visit to PE this weekend.They will be leaving for Canada soon and so decided to have their South african Christmas in PE. Michael and Jacqui & Emily were at the beach for a walk. When they returned we all sat outside for a stir fry supper. It was a perfect still evening. ON Saturday morning I went for my normal run to the beach and back. There was a slight drizzle but perfect running conditions.

Michael and Lene seem to be a bit more settled in Knysna now. We sent a maid from PE to help them for a few weeks until they can find themselves a more permanent arrangement.

Dawn & Richard had a kind of Chrismas Dinner at our house on Saturday evening. Gail, Delene, & boyfriend, Jasmin, Karen, Johnathan, Carrie, the Zivors, the Kumms & Giddys were there. 15 People in all. It seemed to be a very successful evening. Michael & I had been for a run that afternoon along the beach promenade. It was the evening of the opening of the season. There were lots of people there, gathering for the evening of fireworks. There was a wrestling display that we watched for a short while.

On Sunday Charles & Ingrid joined us for a Lunch Braai. They also brought a guitar and while some of us sung carols, Charles & Michael were “jamming” with their guitars. After lunch, Michael & I went for a short run on the beach and met up with Barbara, Jacqui and the rest of the family. There was a Carols evening at Clarendon later that evening. Ally & I were actors in the nativity scene. Ally played an angel and I was a sheperd. Prior to the carols there were all kinds of games including a “photo hunt” which we enjoyed running around looking for the various photo’s that Mike Perks had taken and placed strategically around the field.

Monday the 18th is Rons birthday. Michael came with me to wish him a happy birthday. There was a funny incident with one of Ron’s friends, Corrie. He had his new wife with him and she was introduced as such. It made Michael think of someone showing the people in the group a new car that he had recently acquired. I had met Corrie on two previous occasions. Once on the bus to the start of Comrades and the second time was also at Ron’s house. On all three occasions he had a different wife. This just added to the comedy of the situation.

Michael & I have been running a short 5 or 6 kays in the evening along the promenade. After which we have been swimming out to the pier. We have had two good experiences. First we were swimming when a rescue helicopter came and did an exersize of dropping and then lifting a patient from the sea just past the pier. When they began the second exersize, Michael & I swam out to the area and were right under the blades of the helicopter. The swimming was very difficult due to the water being driven into our eyes. Then the second experience was when we had swum out past the pier and saw two dolphins swim within 10 or 20 meters of where we were swimming. It is a good sensation to be so close to nature.

And then it was Christmas eve. Cathy arrived with her boyfriend, Saul from Cape Town. They had left early on Saturday morning and after a brief visit to Michael in Knysna they were in PE Saturday afternoon. The next to get to PE was Michael and Lene. They had left on the Sunday morning early but then had car trouble and just after Humansdorp called us to say the car would need to be towed in. Barbara & I were fortunate to be able to borrow a tow rope from a garage owner and when we got to them they had carried on slowly but eventually the car gave up completely and we towed their car back home.

That Christmas eve was very relaxed as we sat outside and had a simple Sphagetti Boglognaise. Michael, Saul & I had been for a short run and swim at the beach and it was a good time to be able to chat a little and get to know Saul. We had agreed to delay opening of the presents until Nicci and Stefan arrived from Cape Town the next morning. They had spent Christmas eve in Ceres with family there and left for PE early Christmas morning. We had our Christmas Stockings. Michael and family slept outside in the tent for the weekend. The Service at church that morning was full as ususal. We arrived there at 08.20 for 09.00am and were first into the church. But it soon filled up and I was glad to be able to sit all together.

It did not seem long before Nicci and family all arrived in PE and the Present Opening Ceremony began. Barbara took her traditional role as chief distributor of presents. I was surprised when she callled out my name first but when I saw that she had bought me a Video Camera I realised why I had been selected first. I was able to film some of the family sitting there that day.

This would be a First for us. It was the first time that we had the whole family, as it had now developed, together under one roof. Ally ws now 9 years old and would be going into grade four next year. Cathy had her boyfriend Saul. Nicci and Stefan, Christian, Aaron and Baby Zara who was not quite a year old but who was nearly ready to walk. Jacqui, Michael and their Baby Emily who was now just over 9 months old. Michael, Lene, Jessica, Joshua and Daniel completed the list. That made it two Grandparents, Five Children, one boyfriend, three sons.daughters in law and seven grandchildren. There were 18 people in the house. It was Chaos. Crying erupted on a regular basis, The smell of nappies was everywhere, rubbish bags became a problem and genereally we tripped over each other whenever we walked though a passage.

Barbara and the girls made a supper for us. It was a simple roast chicken with vegetables but went down well and the Christmas dinner took on a new dynamic.

Boxing Day. 26 December 2006. Kloofing the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma.

I had planned to take some of my sons-in-law down the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma Forrest. I had borrowed wet suites from a number of people and we had prepared for this trip quite carefully. This would be my second trip down the Groot Rivier as I had been earlier this year with Mike Perks. There is a Huge difference between being a follower of a confident Kloofer and trying to lead a group. Adrienne Wilson’s brother, Gavin, was visiting her from Cananda and I had asked him to join us. His wife Barbara had agreed to assist with driving. We packed ourselves a small backpack with some energy bars, chocolate, biltong and energades.

We managed to leave at about 06.00am. In my car were Gavin and his wife Barbara and Saul. Stefan took his car with my son Michael, my son-in-law Michael and a friend of his who also lives in the UK, Werner. We had a brief stop over at the Storms River Bridge and then drove into Natures Valley where we met friends of Charles and Ingrid. Johan and his son Jannes loaded us up in their bakkies and drove us to the Groot RIvier Bridge on the N2. This is located a few Kilometers West of the toll plaza. Saul had not been feeling well before we left and en route and was not sure if he would join us but in the end decided that this was an adventure that he would not like to miss.

Barbara took a photo of us at the bridge and then we set out. It was 09.00am and I had anticipated a 5 hour hike. Barbara said that she would wait for us in Natures Valley where the Groot Rivier crossed the road at the bottom of the pass.

We had to scale a fence and then set off into some fairly dense bush before emerging above a steep slope. We then headed west and tried to locate the valley where we would descend into the gorge. We were incredibly fortunate and found the valley first time and after a bit of a steep climb down some slippery and loose rocks we were into the valley that would lead us to the river. I was now certain we were heading in the right direction and we climbed down into the gorge. This section takes about an hour and should not be rushed as it is an adventure on its own. There are all kinds of tree ferns, indigenous bush and rock faces to be enjoyed. There are only a handful of people in SA who have ever had the priveledge to be able to do something like this and we wanted to savour the moment. Just as we reached the point where we could hear the river flowing we came across a sheer rockface. Fortunately someone had left a section of seatbelt webbing attadhed to a tree and we used this to absail down the rock. I was quite nervous but as the only one who had done this before had to take the lead. The webbing dangles over the rock and we eased ourselves over lowering ourselves until we could feel the rock below was firm on our feet. The rocks were all slippery and loose and we had to be careful not to slip to what could be a nasty fall. Once we were all past this obstacle we came to the river.

There was a strong flow of water and the waterfall looked quite formidable. I had brought some rope and I slung it around a tree and worked my way onto a rock from which we would jump into the river. The others followed one by one. We donned our wetsuits and packed the day packs carefully so as to limit the amount of water that would get into the food and drinks. We tossed the packs down into the river and leaped down into the pool below. This was between two to three meters depending if you climbed onto a lower ledge before jumping. Stefan was first then Michael and I was next. Once we were all in the river we began our swim down stream.

The wetsuites we used varied between full length and arms to shorts and sleeveless. People, like Michael Z, who used the full wetsuite seemed to get too warm. I used Nicci’s old wetsuite which was shorts and sleeveless and while I was not cold, I felt the cool water each time that I got into the river. I think that either will do fine in Summer but when the water cools down I would suggest that full wetsuites may be more suitable.

The back pack plays two roles. It is used to carry food and drink. But it is also an important flotation device. Everything in the pack is double wrapped in black bags and stays reasonably dry. Bottles and the pack itself help in keeping us afloat. I would generally put my arms trough the straps and float backwards with the pack providing a head rest.

This part is difficult to describe as it alternates between swims and rock climbing. We would hear the thud of a bag being tossed into the water and know that there would be a splash as someone followed. Each time we would get to a shallow section we would have these water laden back packs making us unsteady on our feet. Often we would topple over due to the heavy pack, the loose and slippery rocks and the sensation of gettting out of the water and onto our feet. At stages there were big boulders to climb over and down while at other times there were smaller loose stones. Walking with our feet submerged seemed to be the toughest as it is impossible to judge where to put the full weight of your step and you are likely to slip.

As we swam we were able to float on our backs and look up to the underside of the bridge. Here we found quite a bit of debri from the construction of the bridge. But considering the enourmity of this project there was not a great deal of steel or concrete in the river.

We really had no sense of time or of distance but I estimate that when we got to the very narrow gorge where we swam under a waterfall would have been about half way. This section was quite spectaular as there was one point where we were swimming where the cliff face was quite sheer on either side and not more than two meters wide. Michael had brought an underwater camera and took pictures of us in the river and under the waterfall. This is quite an experience as the water thunders onto your head with force and is quite noisy as well. Up to now we were all quite chirpy and enjoying ourselves. The “Vasbyt” section was ahead.

After the waterfall it is still a very long pull to the end, there are long swims and long walks through bush and lots of loose gravel which gets into shoes and sandals causing irritation. This section should not be underestimated as it appears from the landscape that we are nearing the end but the end is still a long way off. Werner was generally in front but would often have to stop and empty his shoes of small stones and gravel. Saul was by now quite exhausted and was into a survivial mode. He did not complain but was clearly feeling the effect of the earlier nausea.

This is a really tough day. Exhaustion and hypothermia are to be expected. We stopped fairly often but while some of the group had been drinking regularly, I had not drunk or eaten enough and the effect of getting in and out of the water and the exersion of the day was getting to me. The body must use a huge volume of calories trying to warm up each time we got into the water. I should have eaten and drunk substantially more than I did. Finally we could hear the sound of the water pump and I knew that we were close to the end. At the water pump we took the short road out to the old N2 and met up with Barbara who had been waiting for us for about two hours. Seeing the car and Barbara was quite a relief. The walk to Johan’s house would have taken us 30 to 45 minutes more.

It was 15.30 and we had been on the hike for 6 and a half hours. Barbara took us to Johan’s house where we collected Stefan’s car and drove back to the group wating at the bridge. Stefan had a flat tyre but as Michael’s wife was waiting for him at the Storms River Bridge I pressed on. We regrouped at the Storms River bridge where we bought some coffee and something to eat. Michael & Lene left for Knysna. The road back to PE was quite busy and we took it easy. We got back home at 18.30 and I dropped Gavin and Barbara off with Adrienne.

Kloofing is a really tough thing to take on. Once you start there is no backing out as there is only one way and that is down stream. There is not chance of rescue from the outside. A cell phone would be useless as it would be saturated and there is at any rate no reception. The gorge is quite inaccessible to anyone except on foot.

Once I had offloaded our stuff I drove down to Summerstrand to give Varrin Karp back his wetsuite which I had borrowed. By now I was also starting to feel nausea and went straight to bed. The next morning I was still feeling unsteady and decided to stay at home for the day. Saul had also complained of nausea and gone straight to bed but was feeling a lot better the next morning. I think that everyone was stiff and sore in some way or another. Cathy and Saul left for Cape Town and the rest of us went to Ten Pin for a game. Stefan was the champ but only just managed to beat Nicci who had been the first to get a Strike.

Later that evening we heard that Cathy was also feeling poorly while Jacqui was quite sick at home. It could have been a tummy bug but for me it was an exhausting Christmas period of exersize, family and eating.

Thursday 28th
It is now four years since Jacqui and Michael were married in our front garden. And today Emily was dedicated by Jonathan and Anne also in the garden. People who came to be with Jacqui: Charles & Ingrid, Debbie and Samantha, Michelle and Werner, Beauty, Gail, Delene & Karen, Carrie, Ally, Jessica, Nicci, Stefan, Christian (slept), Aaron and Zara, Ron and Michael DeK. It was a good little gathering and quite emotional. Later that evening we went to Charles & Ingrid for a Braai and Jamming session.

Email from Dawn:
What, no one on Skype! Had a lovely Christmas with the family, Christmas eve with Ray and Steve and Christmas day here where we had a Christmas tree and present opening both upstairs with Trace and Mark and downstairs with us - really managed to drag it out!
Trace, Mark and the boys went to Lake Louise yesterday and then on to Panarama where they spent the night with friends. Asher has now moved onto the 'green' slopes having outgrown the nursery slopes and Cale is learning to snowboard. We elected to stay at home on the grounds that we have done nothing but travel around for the past month or more. It snowed all day yesterday and during the night and we have a ' winter wonderland' outside our windows this morning with the promise of sun today. Should be really beautiful but means the snow won't last too long. Will have to clear the driveway before we can go through to Ray and Steve for tea. Fortunately Mark bought a snowplough for the tractor in our absence so will only need the shovel for the paths.
Kiska loves the snow and spends most of her time rolling in it and playing outside with her ball, only coming in, leaving little heaps of snow and water, to let us know how great it all is!
Showed the photos of Digby, Barbara, and Ray and Trace both fell in love instantly. Ray and Steve now locked in battle over the virtues of a Great Dane versus a minature Yorkie.
Will send some photos later, in the meantime love to all and keep in touch (constantly)
Lotsaluv,
Dawn

Our new years eve was a quite evening with Pat, Gerald, Nicci & Stefan , Jacqui and Michael’s family. We played a kind of charades game and ended the year quietly. The next morning Michael left for Knysna.