OTTER HIKING TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2006.

SEPTEMBER 2006. OTTER TRAIL.

Aunty Mary’s Birthday.
Barbara’s Aunt Mary turned 80 this month. So Barbara and Gail drove down to Cape Town (where Aunty Mary lives) for a small celebration. They met up with Dawn and all stayed in Cathy’s flat. Barbara took the strechers and it seems that they had a good weekend. The drive was quite tough as the recent heavy rains in this area had caused the Kiemas Pass between Wilderness and George to wash away and the traffic was very slow. Barabra said it took them something like three hours to drive from Knysna to George.

Lady MPRG Athletes in Action
Within our running group we had two athletes competing in International Competitions this month. Tracey had been chosen to represent SA at the World Triathlon event in Luzanne, Switzerland. She had trained extensively for the event but as it turned out she had an athsma attack half way during the cycle and was not permitted to complete the race.

Meanwhile Margie Saunders was taking part in the world Biathle event in Manchester, England. Margie had also been training hard for her event and the hard work paid off as Margie is now the official world champion Lady Biathle in her age group. Talking of International players; Barbara & were watching international hockey and we thrilled to see Jenny Wilson playing such a huge role in a tournament where SA beat Spain. I think that Jenny scored two goals in the match that we watched.

KTV Market Day
This weekend was Ally and her friends’ KTV Market day at the Boardwalk. Barbara & other moms had been hard at work making stuff to sell at the stall that they had booked. Barbara & Ally made fluffy hearts with a hook attached. They also covered notebooks with fluffy material, made magnet matchboxes and fluffy ended pencils. The other members of the gang were: Megan (captain), Lara O and Lara S. I made two batches of crunchies for them to take along.

On the Saturday morning I went for a 15kay run with Earl. The rest of the MPRG were doing the Muirite Marathon. Then I collected Ally from Michael and drove down to the Boardwalk where we met up with Debbie Derry. After a bit of confusion as to which table we were allowed to use, we found ourselves a suitable table opposite the Wimpy and the children set up shop. They called themselves “Fluffy Heaven”.

Parents took photo’s. I really did very little as the children seemed to have everything under control and so left for work. At about 13.30 when I returned to the shop I was delighted to find that they had practically sold out of all their wares. And we were able to pack up reasonably early. I heard that there was a prize giving but Ally had arranged to spend the night with Lara Odendal in St Francis Bay and so I left carrying chairs and other kit.

That afternoon I seemed to kick my heels around for most of the day. Barara was in Cape Town so I cleaned the pool, washed her car and did very little else. Sunday morning after church I visited Macro to buy our headlamps for the Otter trail. I did some other shopping at the same time. That afternoon the people doing the trail came over and we set up our plans for transport and other logistics. I took out all the backpacks and hiking stuff formthe cupboard and set it up for the hike.

During the first week of September I had some head office people to visit our area and seemed to have a great deal of stuff to do as well. I had to plan for the hike and make sure we had everything we need for the trip. Especially having Ally along we don’t want to over pack. Also had to arrange for the tshirts. In the end I found what weems to be suitable at Edgars. They have a house brand dry fit type of shirt at a reasonable price. R100. As opposed to buying a Nike or Addidas at three times the price. I also discovered a new lady who does embroidery so was able to have the T-shirts individually embroidered for the hike. I enjoy doing this as it becomes a real souvenier of the hike.

Biathlon Season
On Saturday 9th, it was the start of the Biathlon season. I started off the morning with a 15kay run to the beach. Feeling quite strong was basically able to stay with the group. The previous evening I had bought a Snoek from the Spar. And then we had put this on the braai. It was a total experiment for me. It turned out more or less okay, but very bony and a little dry.

After the run I had to go to the office and then met up with Barbara and Ally at the Westbourne Oval where the run was taking place. Ally had done very little run training and was slower than when she is training hard. Megan Derry was also there as was MC Burri with his Dad, Marcus. When it came to our turn it was only Chris, Marcus and a few others in our age category. I was able to stay just behind Marcus and we ran just over 4mins for our 1000m.

Then we all drove across to the VP school where there is a “bubble’ over the pool which keeps the water at a good warm temperature. The “oldies” were first off and I managed to stay afloat for the 4 lengths of 25m each. Ally’s age group was next up. She had an excellent heat with a 45sec 50m. This was one of her best times ever in the pool and by my reconing she beat Megan by a split second. These were trials for the interprovincial in Bloemfontein later in the month.

That afternoon I collected the backpack for the Zeelies from Robin Holmes. He has to have a back operation and we spoke about the Namib Nauclaft hike for June or July next year. We will see how that works out. Another option is the Fish River Canyon again. I have had a lot of people wanting to do that hike. Tim came over and we watched the Springboks play the Australian team at Ellis park. It was the final game of the Tri Nations and we had lost all our away games but won in Rustenburg the previous weekend and managed a win again.

The week before the Hike.
On Monday I had to be in Jhb for a head office meeting. I got back from the meeting on Tuesday and the following day (Wednesday) Barbara & Lene went to George & Knysna for an interview for Lene and to register the children at a scool for next year. Michael is planning to move to Knysna to be the manager of a new Furncity shop that is opening there.

This was Wednesday the 13th September and Nicci,together with Christian, Aaron and Zara moved back to SA from London and they moved into a flat at 4 Nassua Single which the Stoney’s had built for their family. They plan to continue their Photo and Video business operating out of Cape Town. They specialise in Wedding photography and Viedeography.

The following evening was the Achilles AGM which Tim & I Attended. The Achilles committee is such a successful and hard working group of people and they really keep the club alive and healthy.


Clarendon Sports Day
I had taken the Friday as the first day of a week’s leave. It was Ally’s Sports day at Clarendon. It turned out to be a windy day with chairs blowing about but the kida had a great time shouting for their house. Clarendon house had a great start but fell into second place behind Jordan house with Windsor bringing up the rear. Barbara & I ran in the parent and child race and we both managed a second place. They have straight races, shopping trolley, pick up grocery, bean bag on the head, legs tied together races and a ball between the legs run. Dawn came through from East London that afternoon and we did the final packing of our backpacks.


Saturday 16th. First day of the Otter trail.
Rory and Nina came through with their combi as did Hannes and Jacqui. They had their eldest son, Calvin with them with a friend of his, Stuart. Jordan was not able to be away from school as he had band practice commitments. Then there was Deryck Le Roux and Rob Ermes in one combi.

The other combi consisted of Rory, Nina, Dawn, Ally and myself. John Kotze was due to join us but had come down with a bad cold. We were able to leave PE at just after 07.00am. We stopped off at Storms River Bridge for a coffee and hamburger. At the entrance to Storms River Mouth we registered for the Hike and paid the R80.00 entrance fee per person. Some of the group had wild cards and did not have to pay the entrance fee.

Storms River Mouth.
Hannes and Rory did the vehicle transfer to Natures Valley while the rest of us started the trail. It was overcast and chilly but we had a good first few hours. The trail has been made a good deal easier with a number of walkways, ladders and bridges to take away some of the boulder hopping. We came across some day hikers who turned at the waterfall. I had a swim but the others seemed a little nervous of the cold water. I do not blame them as the river water was freezing. The recent heavy rainfalls made the waterfall quite spectacular.

Hannes and Rory joined us shortly after we got there. They must have walked at quite a pace! The walk from the waterfall is about an hour and we got to the Ngubu huts at about 14.00. I think that Hannes was probably a little concerned about Jacqui as she had recently had an operation and was still in recovery phase. However it seems that right throughout the hike, Jacqui coped extraordinarily well. As Rob and I approached the camp we seemd to take a wrong turn and ended the day with some steep rock climbing which we really did not need with the packs at their heaviest.

Hannes’ group took the first hut each night. Almost everyone seemed to pass out that afternoon. These two huts are located close to the sea a little distance apart. A recent addition to the Otter trail is the “Boma” that has been built between huts. We never made use of the Boma as they really did not look inviting and the fireplace is not the central point as it is at the individual huts.

Rory discovered that there are showers at this hut. The shower is located on the West side of hut 2. I never used the shower but had a swim instead. Just a reminder to all who have done this amazing hike: Plan to spend time in the “loo with a view”. This is a place to relax in solitude with better views than most penthouses can offer. I think that a group should take a communal magazine that is placed in the Loo each day!

The Crow Story
As I was sitting doing nothing in the hut I heard a rustle outside and went to look. There was a Crow strying to steal my packet of rolls. I had also set out the evening meal for later. Fortunately I did not lose any of our precious food to the scavenger but poor Deryck was not so lucky. He lost and entire pack of Kebabs to the Crow family. I heard him comment later that he hoped that it was Chili. My own experience is that our birds at home love Chilis and will eat them quite readily. Barbara sometimes experiences the extent of the burn when they have had some Chili and then “Kiss” Barbara they will burn her mouth.

We had ourselves an early braai and there seemed to be tons of meat and other goodies. Barbara & I had decided to have a meal of chicken and precooked Basmati rice. It was delicious. This evening we braaied at the first hut as the weather did not look too good and we needed the shelter of the overhanging bush. As it turned out this was a good decision as the rain fell intermittently all evening. This evening someone spotted a seal in the waves just in front of the braai area. I know that Hannes and others were convinced that this was an Otter.

Something that I learned this evening is that Salticracs are a far better proposition than Bacon Kips. The latter seems to disintegrate into a crumbed mush while Salticracs seem to stay whole. I was also envious of Rory with a loaf of health bread that he had brought. Rory gave Ally a handy stick on light that she used to do her Sidoku Puzzels. Ally, Dawn and Barbara spent many hours doing these puzzels while relaxing in the huts. Nina had a Sydney Sheldon book that absorbed her attention till late every evening.

Day Two of the Otter Trail.
On the second day we started off at about 09.00. The weather seemed okay until just before we left. A sudden shower had everyone putting their poncho’s over the bags. I tend to heat up very fast on the trail so stayed with my trail shirt and as we were under the canopy for most of the first section did not feel the rain. After a short climb the first escape route fooled the boys who walked quite a way before realising their mistake. We had stopped at a lookout point where Calvin and Stuart caught up with us. These two high school chaps really showed all of us older generation how fit and strong the youth is.

Our next stop was to walk onto the Skilderkrans view point. I was quite impressed with the way that Ally was managing the climbs and how she handled the danger of this particular section. From here you are able to see across to Bloubaai. But do not be fooled: there is still a long haul before you reach the turn off to Bloubaai.

Kleinbos River Crossing
We had to cross the Kleinbos River. Fortunately the stream was not flowing too strongly and we were able to assist one another across the river without incident. Carrying the heavy packs across this stream is always a bit of a challenge. Robin Holmes had told me of the time he did this hike and they were unable to cross the river. So they had to backtrack and take the escape route. There after the ranger had taken them to the next hut.

Bloubaai and the Monster Climb
We had planned to walk down to BlouBaai which is at about the 5kay mark. I was happy to see the bags lying at the turn off. The walk from the turn off is very short and normally well worth the extra effort. I walked down towards the beach but was just in time to see that everyone who had walked down to the beach had already turned back. The tide was high and the weather not inviting. From Bloubaai there is a VERY long pull to the top of the krans. Nina said it took her 45minutes. It must have taken the back markers an hour. I know that Rory was most unhappy with this day. He had thought that it was under two kays to the hut from Blooubaai whereas it was more like three kays.

I saw that Rob was taking as much strain as I was. I know that he was carrying quite a heavy pack with three beers per evening and two bottles of wine. I also saw that as we progressed on the hike he would pull some of the most amazing goodies out of his bag. As he and Deryck came up to the overnight camp, Rob stumbled on a loose rock and did a cartwheel. Sounds funny, but not to the hiker with a heavy backpack and a bottle of wine with only the cork to protect the contents! Seriously, Rob was lucky to escape with cuts and bruises and also that he had Deryck in the vicinity to lend a hand.

When we finally got to the Scott huts we were all quite exhausted and ready for a rest before supper. The weather continued to threaten rain but we were able to Braai again. I had taken an Idea from the Perks’ and precooked some mince. We made some rice to go with this and it seemed to go down well with our family.

By now I had noticed how many outfits Rory had with him. He told me that he had carried the Sleeping bag on the outside of the pack for the first few days so that he could fit in all the food requirements. But he had a few pairs of longs and clean shirts every evening. By the way; Rory and Nina did not suffer at all in the food department either. They had a variety of huge steaks, keebabs, sausage and ribs for each evening braai.



The Tornado and Whale
This evening we sat at hut two for the braai. The huts are situated at the mouth of a river. As we sat chatting at the braai Barbara noticed a pencil thin line of a tornado (See footnote for more about Tornado’s) coming down from the sky. To the West of this line we could see heavy rains falling. We estimated that this was taking place about ten kays out to sea. As we watched this unusual phenomena the tornado grew in size and made its way right down to the ocean where it churned up water and caused an upward fountain. Dawn was able to record this spectacular event on her camera.

Meanwhile I think that it was either Rory or Barabra who spotted a Whale in the bay just in front of where we were sitting. After a while we thought that there may be two of them. Some of the group climbed over the rocks to get a closer view. Ally & I were the last to get there and were soon chased away by the rain.

Day three of the Otter Trail.
The third day was to be one of our best. The weather was great. We started just before 09.00 and regrouped at the Elandsbos River. Some of us had a quick swim. As it was we all had to take off shoes for the river crossing. The beach at Elandsbos is worth a stop and we enjoyed a snack here. The day’s walk has many ups and downs. We pass the beach a few times and have to climb up and down some tricky rocky sections.

Hannes found a beach to have a swim. He and the boys were leaping off a rock into the pool below. They had just got off this rock when a huge wave washed over the rock. The wave was strong enough to have caused some hurt if they had still been standing on it. Rory & Nina were up on the top of the rock when this wave hit and, while they were not caught in the wave, I think it gave them a bit of a fright.

After this section there are a few climbs and then there is another monster climb up past the Balancing Rock. But when you reach the top of that climb there is just a short walk to the top of the Lottering River. One of the features of todays walk was the flowers that we saw. I think that the sunny sky after overcast wet days had created a special kind of magic. There were all varieties and colours of fynbos from brightly coloured vygies to Red Hot Pokers and Watsonia.

Crossing the Lottering River
From here you can see the huts on the other side of the river but it took us at least an hour or more before we reached the huts. First we had the long climb down to the river and then the crossing of the river. It was close to high tide and we had to wade across, carrying our backpacks on our heads. Hannes used a splash cover to float the bags across. A word of caution: it is best to take a pair of sandles or Rockies on a hike like this. If you should have to walk on rocks or in water you will find out just how tender your feet have become. Rory & Nina had taken a leisurely stroll from the swimming pool and we waited for them to get to the river before we all set off for the final 15minute walk to the Oakhurst Huts. These two huts are situated on the rocks overlooking the river mouth.

The Oakhurst Huts
Babara & I had our traditional sundowners and snacks on the rocks and enjoyed watching the sea pounding the rocks with the gulls flying past. There were a pair of Oyster Catchers pecking away at the juicy bits on the rocks a little way off the shoreline. We had a bold pair of Red Wing Starlings join us for some peanuts. Barbara managed to spill her precious glass of sherry so I galantly shared my beer with her. And Ally managed to knock the cup of beer over as well. Aah Well! We saw a pair of Dolphin swim past and expected to see the rest of the school but that was all we were to see that evening.

We had brought some fillet steak for the third evening. Barbara & Dawn were too tired to really enjoy it so we saved most of it for the next day. I think that Ally was quite happy with that arrangement as she could enjoy steak rolls for her lunch on day four. The night at the Lottering river was quite scary. At about two in the morning a huge wind rocked the cabin and driving rain lashed down at us. Barbara got up and saved our clothing that we had left outside. I think that many thoughts of having to abandon the days walk must have taken place. But when I got up at 05.00am I was pleasantly surprised to see clear sky and only a light breeze.

We had planned to leave close to 06.00am to try to make it to the Blaaukrans River Mouth while the tide was still low. Low tide was at 08.30am and the 10 kay walk from Lottering to the Blaaukrans River Mouth is four & a half hours for Dawn and a little less for the faster walkers. Fortunately there are Kilo Markers all the way along. The only one that we missed was the 5kay marker. The Six kay marker can also easily be missed as there is a rocky climb at the 6kay point.

This section of the hike is not that tough but should not be underestimated as there are lots of rocky climbs up and down as well as a number of hills. We did the first four kays at about 20mins a kay but then slowed down quite considerably once we reached the more technical sections. The recent heavy rains made the pathways quite mushy to walk in. I know that more than one person had a really muddy boot by the end of the day. Ally in particular would get her feet stuck in mud every now and so often. Barbara, Dawn, Ally & I were bringing up the rear. While we walked Barbara spotted a Knysna Loerie. It is not often that one sees these elusive birds but once spotted, their bright red wings give them away. Today we had to walk in a variety of weather conditions. At stages the rain would be coming down quite strongly and at other times we were in sunshine. However as Dawn & I reached the point above the Blaukrans we saw that a number of the group had gathered at the top. Hannes, the boys and Rob were down at the river.

The Blaauwkrans River
Hannes was trying to find a crossing point but the tide was coming in too strongly and we would have had some dangerous swims. Added to that all our kit would have got wet. Just at this time the rain was coming down and I was not sure what to do. I tried to phone the emergency number (Andre Reily, a Ranger) we had been given but there was no reply. I left a voice message and it turned out that he was in a meeting all morning. In the end the decision was that we would take the Escape Route (E6).

This was to be a never ending climb. It seemed to go up and up and up. The steps were huge and I used my hands to pull myself up some of the steps. I reached the top quite tired. Calvin and Stuart had run down to assist anyone needing help with bags. I think that Dawn & Barabra were quite happy to allow them to carry bags up to the top. Rob had also been right down to the river and I could see that the water on his brow was not the result of rain drops.

Blaaukrans River Bungy Camp
At the top I was now cold and miserable. The cold West wind was blowing and the rain started to fall once more. We were on the forest road and off we went. Dawn sets a good pace on this type of surface and she tended to lead the pack. It did not seem that we had walked that long when I heard shouts behind us. And we all turned around and went back. Now we were walking into the driving rain. I was really cold.

It seemed that someone had found a different route and I was in no mood to argue. Fortunately Nina had the presense of mind to think. And we walked to where the Blaukrans River Bridge Bungy-Jump camp was. The strangest thing of all was, as I reached the National road, my phone rang. I was expecting a call from the Ranger and was surprised to see that it was Dawn’s husband, Richard, calling from East London. Dawn had a short while to explain to Richard where we were and what was going on.

The Coffee Shop.
Probably the most scary part of the entire hike was crossing the national highway. Nina found us a shortcut and we were fortunate enough to come across a man who worked here. He called the people at the Storms River Mouth and they sent someone to fetch us. Meanwhile we all congregated at the Coffee shop where we had something to eat and drink. Some of us were able to phone home.

I remember Rob talking to Trish. His comment regarding the hike: “this is not for sissies”. After the morning that we had experienced I totally agreed with him. That day I remember thinking to myself: “I wonder if some of the group think that we are being irresponsible in taking Ally, at 9years old, with us?” Taking Ally along had given us a great deal of joy. Barbara had done all the real work of being there for her. But for myself; my thought is that this is a character builder. And I simply love her company.

Rescue & riding on the back of the Bakkie to Andre Huts
The bakkie that was sent to fetch us was just big enough for all of us and our kit. Dawn had the prime spot in the front but still refused to share her Beanie with Barbara who was freezing in the back. We were all squashed up like sardines but the ride was still quite fun. Jacqui nearly lost her hat in the wind but by some lucky fluke the hat became caught in some of the gear instead of flying off the bakkie.

The route we took was back towards the toll gate, then right crossing the N2 in an Easterly direction and then back across the Highway over the bridge just to the East of the Toll Bridge. We then drove back along a very long road to the point where we would normally have had to collect wood. We would never have made it if we had to walk this whole way. From here it was a short walk down to the Andre huts. Of course we did carry wood down to the huts where we discovered piles of wood at the Boma and under hut one. As we walked down to the camp we were reminded of the last time we walked down this hill: Suzanne and Tim had this misunderstanding of the lost Bone/phone. But that’s another story.

The Andre Huts
This had been a really different and eventful day. We finally reached the huts at about three and finished off the day in style. It was a bright sunny afternoon. We were able to hang our wet stuff out to dry. The Shower here is quite spectacular. It is an open shower with a view to the sea. Probably one of the most unusual but welcome showers of the entire East coast of South Africa. We were soon gathered around the fire with an abundance of snacks and drinks. I had our second fillet steak to braai. This evening we had the steaks with Smash. Rob had an amazing variety of snacks.

Poor Deryck was down to the bare minimum as his rations had been curtailed by the crow on the first night. But I really don’t think that any of us suffered from lack of sustenance on this hike. In fact I don’t think that I have ever seen more eaten by so few under such tough conditions. I remember Rory handing round some delicious (Merino Butchery I think) Sausage. This is unheard of on the last day of a five day hike. Rob came up with a dessert of Licorice All Sorts. Mmmmm.

Day five of the Otter Trail
The next day were we greeted by a clear sky and a light breeze. Perfect walking conditions. We started off at 08.00. We had started each day with thanksgiving and a special prayer asking for Jesus to accompany us on the trail. I am quite certain that the comment made by Rory: “We are going to be fine as this is a group from the church” was totally true. It was not so much that we were Christians but more that we invited Christ to be part of the hike every step of the way. The last day of the hike starts with a 30minute hill climb. But thereafter there is a lot of contouring along the edge of the cliff. There are also a few short ups and downs but no technical sections.

Ally leads the group
On the last day Ally lead our little group, setting up a cracking pace. I was able to chat to Ally and this was my best day for being with her. We spoke about the various flowers and she spotted the King Protea, the Pin Cushion Protea, the Erica and various other flora. Ally had managed this hike very well with no whining or moaning.

There is one particular lookout point on this section of the walk that should not be missed. Hannes in particular pointed out the ledge that overlooks the sea below. The ledge is in such a position that the hiker is about 140m above the sea and the ledge jutts out so that you are actually directly over the water itself. Don’t get too close. There is no protection. We finally reached the end of the trail and climbed down to the beach at Natures Valley. Barbara and Dawn had seen a whale and tried to alert us but we were too far ahead.

Natures Valley
From there it is not far to the lagoon. The heavy rains had caused the lagoon to breach and we had to take our shoes off to cross the Groot Rivier and then a short walk on the tar road to the campsite. The walk from the huts today took us exactly three hours. Nina had a floppy moment and had asked Rory to fetch her from the Natures Valley car park.

When we got to the Combi we realised that we had a flat battery. We were lucky to find some local people who assisted us with the loan of their battery to get our vehicle started. Once the combi was going Rory did not turn off the ignition until we reached the Storms River bridge. Most of us were able to shower and clean up for the ride home. We had borrowed Gerald’s trailer and loaded all the kit into the trailer and the people into the combi.

The drive home
Our next stop was the Storms River Mouth were Hannes collected his combi and we set off for home. The stop at Storms River Bridge was welcomed as we were able to buy ourselves hamburgers and cold drinks. Rory did all the driving in our combi on the way home. I am sure that he was feeling quite sleepy and felt that I should have relieved him for at least some of the way. I had a good snooze and felt quite refreshed when we reached PE. We had a big surprize when we got home. Our Daughter, Nicci and her three children were there. We knew that they would be coming but expected them only the next day. Nicci had made a big stew and Michael, Lene and his family also enjoyed the meal that Nicci had prepared for us.

Tired Legs
Yes. I did have tired legs for a few days after the hike. The following few days I was quite stiff and sore. On Saturday I went for my first run and really battled. Fortunately I had Gerald to run with as the rest of the group had dropped me. On the run Gerlad picked up this huge kitchen knife and I think that the two of us must have looked quite menacing to anyone passing us.

Start of the Nippers Season.
The following Sunday was the start of the 2006/2007 Nippers season. I had agreed to assist with coaching again. Ally would still be in the under ten’s group. We did not do much in the way of training but it was more of a work party and setting up for the following Sunday. It was good to see the Nippers people again. Lee, Varrin, Warren and others. Nicci brought her family down to the beach for the morning. Ally has no trouble with hooking up with friends and that morning she invited Cayli to come to our house after Nippers. Cayli’s mom is Tanya and it seems like she is going to get involved with coaching this season. Tanya is already a lifesaver at Summerstrand. That evening Ally spent the night with Cayli. Sunday was a public holiday so Monday was a day off for many. Some of us turned out for the run. It was quite windy so we did a 12 kay to 14th ave Walmer. Later in the day Tim phoned me to go for a run so I did a further ten kays with him.

The Path to Reconciliation.
We discovered something that I had never seen before. On the Walmer side of Upper Valley road there is a Pathway erected in 2003 by the Young Family. It starts in 1903 and works its way through to 2003 with dates and quotes along the way. It ends overlooking Baakens Valley and has three large blocks of stone with the word Reconcilliation carved in the middle stone. Later that afternoon we took the children to the cycle place in Walmer and then I showed the family this little pathway. This running twice seemed to set me back as on Tuesday I ran again but by the afternoon my knee was quite sore & I had to ice it. That afternoon I gave blood and was given a writing case which is something that they do when you give 4 pints a year.

Gelvandale 15kay.
On our trip to Kingwilliamstown, Tim & I spoke about doing the 15kay race on Saturday. Neither of us have been active members this year and we were overdue for a participation league event. On the way back from King I had decided to stop over at the Crossroads Stall. This is a stall run by a group of men who have had hard times and are now trying to recover. Although John, from the Monday evening group, calls it the funny farm and tells us that many of the chaps smoke Dagga in the fields. John had also announced, very proudly, on Monday, that his daughter had been appointed as head girl at Collegiate for the coming year.

The Crossroads Stall is ten kays this side of Grahamstown at the turn off to Salem. At the stall I bought a Outeniqua Yellowood tree, about a meter tall, for R35.00. They hav e all kinds of vegetables, plants and other goodies. I also bought some cabbages (2 for R5.00) for the rabbits and a bottle of Honey. I was delighted with the purchase as I had been wanting to plant a Yellowood in our garden but never gotten round to it. When we were in Johannesburg for Ena’s Birthday party, Keith had shown us the indigenous trees, mainly Arcacia, that he planted in front of his house. And my brother, Ian is busy with the reforestation of indigenous trees at his farm in Costa Rika. So now this was to be my opportunity to join the tree planters.

On Saturday morning I first had to scratch out my running vest and then even deeper in my drawer somewhere I managed to find the licence numbers to pin onto the vest. Now came the most delicate part of all. The shorts. I have to be very careful that, in the dark, I do not take out the wrong shade of blue shorts. I then collected Tim at 05.30 and we drove down to the Gelvandale Swimming pool where this race starts. It was good to see so many of the Achilleans there. After we had registered, Tim, Bob, Graham & I did a short warm up run. Graham is even more injured than I am and he had decided to walk. We also came across Treloar and chatted to her for a short while about the Biathlon and Baithle. She shows a keen interest in Ally’s progress.

The race started at 06.30 sharp and Tim and I took it very slow. At the start of the race I had met Joy and Gary, both members of Achilles who I had not met before. Also there were Liz, Leslie, Justin, Tony and a number of other Achilleans. Davera was there. I am sure that she planned an easy morning as she will be leaving for Hawai for the World Ironman Championships in ten days. We passed Liz A, Peter P and Tom D and then caught up to Graham Nell. The three of us ran together for a good couple of kays. What I love about running with people like this is that they kays seem to fade much easier as you chat along the way. There are some nasty hills during the first half of this event. Going up a hill we passed Marlene from Cowie Striders. This lady is a Grandmaster but we only passed her after five or six kays.

What that I enjoy about running in this suburb is the way that locals stand in their bare feet, shorts or pajamas, often holding babies, and cheer you on from their driveways and veranda’s. In our own suburbs we hardly see a sole. I saw a grandmother with two children as they walked to the shops. The grandmother was quite happy to walk down the street in her pink gown, slippers with the two children in tow. Different! Another thing we came across, was a group of five men standing next to the road, each of them holding a quart of beer and a cigarette in hand. We wondered if they were starting, or if this was merely a continuation of last night’s party. During the long marathons like Two Oceans, we often see supporters cooking breakfast on a Scottle Braai with a beer in hand. But somehow this was different.

As we reached the halfway mark I mentioned to the others that I could see Moff just ahead of us as well as Bob not too far away. This seemed to give Tim new energy as, with five kays to go, he charged off ahead to catch the two of them. Graham also seemed to get stronger and moved on just ahead of me. We passed Moff. Then, with about three kays to go, Marlene came up from behind me. Now I felt hurt. This lady is no spring chicken and here I was battling to stay with her. We ran together to about two kays to go and then I decided that I would have to try to stay ahead of her. While drinking a coke at the finish I saw that Leslie, Joy and Gail must have had a great run as they looked as if they had been there for ages.

I ran as hard as I could to the end. I was not able to cach Graham who knew that I was going to be trying hard. I have no idea what my time was but I do know that I am very happy to be able to take part in an event like this. During the past week I had become very aware of how fragile we all are. A longtime member of the MPRG, Jacqui Wilmot, now Nieberg, has fallen victim to cancer and is undergoing Chemotherapy. Jacqui has a ten month old baby, Alexandra. There is also Lloyd Lindsay who is also very ill with cancer and Susan Burri who is still very weak after her renal failure and being in intensive care. It seems so unfair that here are three wonderful people who have never abused their bodies with smoking etc. And who have stayed fit with running and other sports and who are now not able to take part like we can.

I am no longer getting old. I am old!
After the run we went back to my car. I then realised that I had not locked the car before we left. Also that, while I had tied the Key to my shoe, I had somehow lost the rest of the bunch of keys and could not open the steering lock. Tim and Bob helped me search. Eventually Bob found my spare set of keys which was in the consol but the rest of the bunch were lost. How this happened in that short time of the morning is a clear indication of the aging process that is setting in. I simply could not remember what I had done with the keys an hour and a half earlier. Anyway a short while later Tim found the bunch in the ashtray. As we stood chatting at the car, John Kotze finished the run. He has also been ill and was feeling very low. His son, Greg, had done the 5kay in a very credible 26.30. We spoke to Justin after the run. It seems that he may also be planning to do another Ironman.

The Planting of the Yellowood Tree
After work on Saturday afternoon I did something that I never do: I went gardening. I took my grandchildren; Christian and Aaron and dug a hole on the front verge. I used a Pick and Spade and we made quite a substantial hole. We then went round to the rabbit hutch and scooped up some droppings and poured this into the hole, making a mush of water, sand and manure. Finally, in went the the Yellowood Tree. I really know little about trees or gardening and it will be interesting to see if this wonderful tree survives. Tracey and Herman have bought the Coimbra Cycle shop from Jan Havenga. On Saturday afternoon I went to the shop to buy some tubes and a saddle bag. Tracey and her partner, Andre were there and it seems that they are going to renovate the shop to give it a complete new look and feel.

That afternoon I spent watching Currie Cup rugby and babysitting. The rugby was not nearly as exciting as it had been the previous weekend. Ally went off to spend the night with her cousin, Carry. Barbara & Nicci went to the shops to buy a present for Daniel’s birthday the next day. The Weekend Post had a large, front page, colour picture of three of the Summerstrand Nippers as they splashed through the surf. Ally was in the middle of them. The reporter managed to get their names wrong. It was Kim van Greunen, Jamie Engelke and Ally.



The following is some information on Tornados that I found in the Wikipedea.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air which is in contact with both a cumulonimbus (or, in rare cases, cumulus) cloud base and the surface of the earth. Tornadoes can come in many shapes, but are typically in the form of a visible condensation funnel, with the narrow end touching the earth. Often, a cloud of debris encircles the lower portion of the funnel.
Tornadoes can be the most destructive storms on earth. Most have winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) or less, are approximately 250 feet (75 meters) across, and travel a few miles (several kilometers) before dissipating. However, some tornadoes can have winds of more than 300 mph (480 km/h), be more than a mile (1.6 km) across, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles (more than 100 kilometers).[1][2][3]
They have been observed on every continent except Antarctica; however, a significant percentage of the world's tornadoes occur in the United States.[4] This is mostly due to the unique geography of the country, which allows the conditions which breed strong, long-lived storms to occur many times a year. Other areas which commonly experience tornadoes are Australia, south-central Canada, northwestern Europe, south-central and eastern Asia, east-central South America, and South Africa.[5].
The word "tornado" is an altered form of the Spanish word tronada, which means "thunderstorm".

TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL SEPTEMBER 2006.

TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL 26TH SEPTEMBER 2007

Peter, Barbara, Ally & Mark
Ian and Jenny from New York
Patrick, Patti, Dominic, Isabelle & St John from Durban
Gerald & Pat
Robin
Dawn from East London
Engela, Natasha, Lauren & Tamaryn

We began this hike by making the booking shortly after completing the Otter Trail in September of 2004. As it happened Ian was able to join the hike and so too was Patrick. It was the first time in many years that the three Giddy Boys were able to be together for any length of time while taking part in a common activity.

I had heard that there was a portage service available, which meant that the very young and the not so fit could also take part. For the rest of us it meant that we could do this hike in luxury. The cost of the hike including the bag carrying service was R500 pp. We booked it as a six-day hike starting at Natures Valley and ending at the Storms River Bridge. The total distance is about 61 kays. I also purchased a hike T-shirt for each of the hikers, which I had embroidered with the name of the hike and the individual's name as well. These will be a useful souvenir for each of us to keep.

Jenny arrived from Jhb on the Wednesday afternoon and left for Plettenbergbay the following morning, Ian arrived on Friday afternoon, hired a car and after spending a night with us drove through to Plett on Saturday morning. Patrick had left Westville on Friday afternoon, slept over in Ladybrand on the way through and then drove straight through to Plett on Saturday. So the hike gave both families time to visit Ena and to do some shopping for the hike in Plett. Dawn came through from East London on Saturday and spent a few days with Gail. Dawn agreed that I should do most of the catering as we normally do when on a hike. So I bought provisions that should be sufficient for five people. I found that I had to think and rethink the catering a number of times as I did not want to be ridiculous with the amount of food and luxuries but also did not want to be too Spartan either. I had given blood the previous week and they had given me a little flask as reward. I was looking forward to using this and the two cooler bags that they had previously given me. One was a wine cooler and the other a six pack cooler.

We were also able to arrange that Mark come on the hike with us. Mark is presently at school in Vryheid in KZN and spends weekends in Saldana Bay. His home is in Pretoria (Tshwane I think that it is now called). Mark took the bus from Vryheid to Pretoria and then to Port Elizabeth. A long trip for him but he was really looking forward to the hike and it was a pleasure to have him with us. Mark arrived in Port Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon and was able to spend a few days with us before the hike started. It was good to have him back.

We spent a good part of the weekend packing and planning our meals. I had taken leave from the Friday afternoon. Engela had offered to lend me her fancy video camera so I would not have to lug the big bag that I am familiar with. I had run on Saturday morning and had somehow developed a stiff neck. This troubled me the whole weekend but fortunately by Monday morning was hardly noticeable. During the period leading up to the hike Michael had secured himself an Assistant Managers position at the FurnCity branch of Ellerines about a month previously. Cathy had just landed a job at FlightCenter in Cape Town and was due to start on the same day that the hike started. This meant that we had a whole positive vibe in our lives at the time.


Monday morning 26th September 2005.

Day one. Finally Monday morning arrived and we did a last bit of arranging and were ready to leave shortly after 09.30. Engela phoned to say that she would meet us at Storms River Bridge, as she still had to go to Greenacres for some more shopping. Gerald had leant me his trailer. This was a blessing to us as there was no way that we would have been able to fit all our stuff in the boot of my car. We took a slow drive through to the bridge and soon after we got there Engela and Trips arrived. More shopping of course and we were on our way to Natures Valley.

I contacted Graeme and the others that we were due to meet and confirmed that we would be there shortly. After the Toll Bridge we took the turn off to Natures Valley and were soon looking down on the splendour of the valley. We do not travel this road often any more and so enjoyed the forest road. At the rest camp, De Vaselot, we unpacked and began to separate our stuff. Graeme met us there and we explained the various fridge and freezer arrangements. He would be delivering our daily requirements so that we could have fresh foods every day. We had five cars altogether and had decided that we should transfer the cars to the Storms River Bridge while leaving just one car at Natures Valley.

Once this transfer was complete we were finally ready to start the first day’s hike which was a short 3kay walk to Kalander hut. We all had our daypacks so at least looked like hikers but our huge pile of baggage had been loaded into the truck and would be waiting for us at the hut. Tracey (From our church fellowship group) had phoned to wish us a good hike and had described their weekend at the Kudu Kaya at the Baviaans Kloof. It seems that they had waded and walked to the pool where Tim had slipped when we did the YsRivier kloofing trail earlier in the year. It sounded like they had an incredible weekend.

The first day starts along the old main road and after crossing the Groot Rivier turns off into the forest. They were in the process of building a boardwalk and so this part of the trail was made even easier. Our first hazard was a little stretch of water but after that it was an easy walk and we were soon at the hut and setting up camp at the Kalander Hut. The hut is crowded with bunks but there are four rooms so the younger group immediately declared their independence by claiming the room with 8 beds. Ian and Jenny had a room to themselves; Barbara, Dawn & I had the front room while the others shared the fourth room. The hut is located very close to the beach where the Otter trail ends. So we spent some time on the beach fooling around and getting to know each other. I don’t think that anyone was brave or foolish enough to go for a swim.

We decided that 16.00 was about the right time to get the fire going and in no time a feast of meat was being grilled with Patti doing most of the cooking. After the meal Robin had the youngsters playing cards. This was a real highlight as I often heard them asking later on the trail whether they could play cards again. They had great fun with much laughter. As is normal on the trail most of the group would be in bed between 20.00 to 21.00.
Tuesday Morning

Day two. We had agreed to leave fairly early the next morning as we did not know how every one would cope with the walk and so by just after 07.00 we were all packed and ready to go. We left this huge pile of bags for the truck crew to collect, locked the door and set off up the hill to the lookout point. Today our first adventure was a chain, which we could use to abseil down a short section of the pathway. There was also a set of steps but most of the group preferred the abseiling. The trail took us into the forest and a number of tea and lunch breaks. The trips set a precedent or standard; almost each stop meant that we would have to look upwards as one or more of them would be straddling a branch above us.

It was interesting to see the variety of trail food that had been prepared. And was clear that this was not to be a trail where people would lose weight. The trail first crosses the old main road connecting Port Elizabeth to Plett and then passes through a tunnel that is beneath the toll road (N2) just West of the Toll Gate. After about 5kays we reached the waterfall. This is a good picnic spot and we were walking at a rate of between two to three kays an hour. Over the whole hike we would average something like two kays an hour, this included a multitude of stops, breaks, swims etc. The faster youngsters could have set a much faster pace but they had strict instructions to regroup at suitable intervals. Nobody swam at the waterfall but there was a lot of tree and rock climbing. The weather had been cool for most of the day and was ideal hiking weather.

We still had about eight kays to go and so set off once everybody was fed and rested. Along this path we came across a group of people who were harvesting the ferns. It seems that they worked for the Forest Fern Nursery, which is located on the East Side of the Storms River Bridge. They explained that they would harvest a variety of flora which would be sold to local and overseas markets.

As we walked we could see the Indian Ocean through the trees. We saw that the seas were looking quite rough due to strong winds but where we were, in the forest, we hardly noticed the wind strength. Today we were also able to see the Blaauwkrans Bridge from the trail. The last section of this day’s hike is a jeep track and quickly leads to hiker to the Blaauwkrans hut which over looks the valley and the stream below where there are a number of pools that can be used for swimming. We reached the Blaauwkrans Hut at about 14.00. We had walked for between six to seven hours. I think that we would have been a lot slower if we had been carrying full backpacks.

Our baggage was safely stored in the hut and the fresh and frozen foods were intact and accurately delivered. We had marked the daily requirements with the day of the week. I carry trail soap and prefer to wash in the streams. Others used the showers that are provided. This hut has two rooms. The youngsters again claimed their territory while the snorers bunked in the second room. In the middle of the night Jenny, Ian and Patti decided that the volume of snoring was getting out of control so evacuated the adult room and moved to the youngster’s room. Strangely enough there was almost no snoring once they had gone but the youngsters reported an increased level of snoring in their room that night!

This evening I had planned for a supper of mince and rice. The mince was left over from Wednesday evening when Jenny had been at our house. I had frozen the leftovers and this provided a delicious supper for us. The huts are equipped with a separate kitchen or Lapa area, which is well stocked with firewood as well as braai grids, heavy cast iron pots and kettles. There is a separate shower and toilet area. The showers can be made warm if the hiker is prepared to boil the water in a kettle and to use the bucket system provided. I think that the buckets in this hut were leaking and so it was either cold showers or bath in the stream below.

Graeme had said that we could order additional foods if required and so I decided to try this out. I had packed six rolls for each day but decided to order bread and also realised that there was a possibility that Barbara and Dawn may become increasingly more thirsty as the trail progressed, ordered an extra bottle of Sherry as well. Ian realised that he had left his glasses and Jenny’s hot water bottle at the Kalander hut so left a note for the truck crew. These items were returned to him later.

We had been had warned that we could expect rain during the first day or two. We had had some rain during the night but had taken most of the towels and baggage into the hut for the night. For the rest of the hike we had perfect weather. At no stage, except perhaps Friday afternoon, was it particularly hot. The evenings were cool but bearable.


Wednesday morning.

Day three. Our breakfast was planned for coffee, hot chocolate and rusks. Ena had promised to send a container of those delicious rusks that she makes. But it seems that Patrick had been remiss and forgotten them in his car. I then decided to make the most of this and use this as a blackmailing tool against him. If Ena was to discover that he had not brought the rusks for us; and that we had gone hungry as a result; the consequences would be too horrific to bear thinking about! This morning we left at about 08.00am. The air was crisp but most of us required only shorts and a T-Shirt, while Gerald needed double layers including his “Moffie Broek”.

The days walk starts with a short descent and then a fairly long ascent. Walking uphill in the early morning is not difficult although the heat means that the hiker should remain well hydrated. Looking back from the hill that we climbed that morning we could see across the valley. I always marvel at how quickly we walk uphill to the most magnificent views. This morning was no exception. The morning sun on the valley, the dew on the fynbos, Erica, Watsonia and variety of Protea bush created a breathtaking experience.

After about five Kays we reached the young group. They had found a stream where we relaxed for a snack and enjoyed the fresh sound of the stream as it rushed over the rocks. When everyone was fully rested and ready to press on we had to cross the stream. The trail provides a chain to assist the hiker. The youngsters went on first and I was amazed to see how the level of the water rose in the short while between them leaving and the rest of the group. The second group had to remove their boots or else would have to walk in wet boots for the remaining eight kays.

From here there was a steady climb with undulating pathways for most of the rest of the day. As the trail nears the Keurbos hut there is a section of jeep track and then just before the hut is the Twin Tubs. These are two rock pools just off the pathway, which we walked back to after off loading our packs. Isabelle was first to jump in with Dominic and Ally following shortly afterwards. Others seemed to be willing to get their feet wet but not much more. The mountain streams are fairly chilly at this time of year. After they had all left, Patrick, St John and I had our evening bath. Meanwhile back at the hut, Patti was busy boiling water in all three kettles so that the group could enjoy a hot shower. I never found out whether she was doing this because she is such a good considerate person or if it was that she could no longer stand the odour that goes with hiking for four days.

Each evening would start off with the happy hour, pre-dinner snacks and fire building. I think that it was Bill Corkill who had once declared that happy hour may not begin before 17.00 until the second night on the trail when it was permissible to have a pre-happy hour beverage at 16.00. Robin set this standard for this hike and I was able to open the first of my ration of two Millers Draught Beers at that time.

Just before the hike I had visited the local Solly Kramers intending to purchase the Windhoek draught that had been so successful on previous hikes but had been conned into buying Millers beer with the offer of a free six pack. Let me not complain. The Millers went down very well on the hike. The pre-dinner snacks were probably the highlight of each evening. They varied between cauliflower, carrots and other fresh vegetables with dip to oysters and muscles on Crackers. But the most indulgent of all was when, on their last night, Ian and Jenny brought out the caviar on crackers!

The Keurbos Hut evening was to be our Pootjiekos evening. Patti had brought Pork Fillet and we had a pack of drumsticks. There was also a variety of vegetables, which was cooked in the cast iron “Drie Poot Pot” and we had a most delicious supper. I tried to make a custard and peaches for pudding but strangely enough this was not as popular with Ally and Mark as I had thought it would be. I think that they were too much in a hurry to get back to the “teenagers room” after supper each evening. That was where the real fun was to be had.

Thursday morning.

Day four. This was to be the last day of hiking far Ian and Jenny who had to catch a flight to Port Elizabeth on Friday afternoon. The bread, which I had asked the truck crew to buy, had been waiting for us in the hut the previous evening. This was fantastic as we now had two loaves of fresh sliced bread to make sandwiches and I was able to make a good pile of pastrami, cheese, lettuce, and ham and mayonnaise sandwiches for the day’s hike. It was going to be “another tough day in Africa”! Today’s hike begins with a climb, which is easily manageable in the morning cool and provides the hiker with splendid views of the valley, the Indian ocean and even views of Plettenbergbay and the Robberg. After this climb there are some fairly steep descents down to the Elandsbos river at the six Kay mark. A mistake that we, as hikers, often make is that we do not take time to look back on where we have come. These views may be the best that we will have.

The Elandsbos stream, like most on the hike, provides the hiker with an ideal opportunity to take boots off and to soak tired feet. It is quite amazing how soaking feet and legs in the icy water of the stream can refresh legs that were previously aching. At this point the river is suitable for a swim and many of us took full advantage of the opportunity. While others used this as an excuse for a bit of sun tanning and snacking. Patrick was last to arrive with St John and provided Ally with her most amusing moment of the hike as he changed to his swimming costume.

Shortly after the swimming hole is the narrow bridge crossing. This is a 30meter swing bridge where there is a 20cm board to walk across and the handholds are ideally suited to adults. Ally and St John were stretched to their limit, as they had to cross the bridge with arms fully extended to try to reach the rope. But along with everybody else they took this in their stride and were soon on the other side of the river and walking strongly up the next hill. I had tried to film this but realised that the battery of the camera was flat despite the fact that Engela had provided two batteries and that she had fully charged them prior to the hike.

I think that it was about here that we started the spelling and maths exercises. Between Isabelle and myself we set both Ally and St John spelling and maths tests which helped them to keep their minds off their tired legs. Up to this time they had been coping incredibly well and often leading some of the more senior of the hikers. As often happened at this time of day we would rest often as the heat became quite stifling particularly when we were in the tall fynbos that cut out all breeze but failed to provide any shade. This hike is one, which I would not like to tackle during the summer months, as I do not enjoy walking in the heat. The days would be longer and the river water warmer but I find the afternoon heat energy sapping.

The walk to Heuningbos Hut took us about seven hours and was well worth the effort. As we were hiking I had this thought that I was kind of in a training mode. Tim and I had this idea that we could complete the BAFER ultra. This is a 100kay two-day event along the Amatola hiking trail. What worried me is that I had forgotten just how tough a hiking trail can be and the extent to which your feet take a pounding. Oh well, that will have to be another story. The Heuningbos hut faces the West and has some cool pools just below the hut. When we got there we went straight down to the pools and were able to enjoy a swim while the sun warmed us up as we got out the water and sat on the warm rocks. This evening was the last evening for Ian and Jenny so we had the compulsory photo shoots of the Giddy families and the Giddy boys.

Each hut has a set of “Rules”. Barbara & I remember this hut well; as we had once walked to the hut and had to share with others who had come there with the sole purpose of adding to the profits of S.A.Breweries. One of the rules of this hut was “No Vulgarities” I cannot remember for certain, but perhaps we had complained to the hike management at the time and this was their response.

We were able to get cell phone reception and we were able to chat to Ena and assure her of our safety. The evening was much warmer than the previous three evenings and Patti decided to move her sleeping accommodation to the kitchen area. Between her and Engela (assisting with the placing of firewood to seal the area against draughts) they set up a cosy boudoir in a corner of the kitchen.

This evening was warm and the sky was clear so we were able to do a little stargazing and even saw a satellite. Satellites are only visible in the early evening as they reflect the sun. Once the evening meal was finished and most of the hikers had gone to bed I was able to sit at the fireside with some of the youngsters and tell stories which others have long become bored with.


Friday Morning.

Day five. I had again ordered two loaves of fresh bread and so was able to use left over pork sausages together with a variety of cheese, lettuce, ham and pastrami to make the days sandwiches. Ian and Jenny had planned to walk some of the way to the main road but before we left the truck crew were there to collect them and all of our baggage. They would be dropped off at the Storms River Bridge where their hired car was parked. We said our good byes and left them to make their way to Port Elizabeth and then back to America. They phoned on Sunday to say that they had reached their home in NY safely despite delayed flights.

Ian had been talking of a combined trip to Cloudbridge, their farm in Costa Rica. It is a farm that they are in the process of converting from a cattle ranch to a nature conservation area. They are trying to clear out the thorn and dense brush that has been left over from the cattle farming and to replant indigenous trees. One of the main problems that they encounter is that the young trees that they plant will soon become covered with the dense thorn bush if it is not cleared every few months. Ian tells me that it is purely a conservation effort and that there is no commercial venture planned, even though they are also creating trails and that a variety of people enjoy the trails. They are also considering building a hut along one of the trails. Ian tells me that the farm adjoins a national park and that the trails are very mountainous and difficult.

The hike from Heuningbos to Sleepkloof is fairly well known to both Robin and myself. We instructed everyone to fill as many water bottles as possible. As happened on most mornings, we started off with a climb and then a steep descent. These descents are normally tiring on the feet and when we reached the stream at the bottom we gladly took our boots off and had a soak in the cold water. We also had a snack here and I again urged everyone to fill their water bottles to capacity. What we did not know is that just a few meters further on the trail crossed the stream for a second time. Here it was wider and deeper. The heat was already quite intense and Engela & Pat decided to dip themselves fully into the water, clothes and all!

Finally we set off for the toughest section of the whole hike. It is particularly tough because of the time of day as well as the fact that the trail is through tall fynbos and so there is no cooling breeze. Halfway up this section there is a spring which must be used to refill water bottles again. If the hiker does not use every opportunity to drink and drink regularly there is a real chance of dehydration but in any event the heat is energy sapping. I was walking with Isabelle and Robin and we had to stop often to take advantage of tiny bits of shade and to try to recover our strength. Fortunately we had sufficient water.

After we reached the neck we saw Barbara, Ally and Dawn coming up behind us. We waved and they waved back. What we did not realise is that they were short of water and were trying to attract our attention. Eventually they did reach the neck and Barbara told me that Dawn was suffering even worse than they were. As it turned out everyone got to the top and after a short period of relaxation and a snack we began the long descent to the river below. I went a little ahead and filled the water bottle so that I could provide Barbara & Dawn with water if they should require it. But they were fine and we were soon all enjoying the shade of the forest and the cool water below. Patti made some Ginger tea and I heard Barbara & Dawn raving about how good it tasted.

From the river it is another 2kays to the Sleepkloof Hut but an easy forest walk. We reached the hut as the tail enders at about 16.00 this having been the toughest day. Showers and clothes washing on the trail does not really take the dirt from the hiker but it gave us a sense that we were at least acceptable. The Smoke and Sweat of the trail takes some really deep cleaning which only comes in the form of Skip, OMO, Sunlight and similar detergents. As happens on the last night of any trail there was a festive mood and a sense of achievement. However much we tried we could not eat as much as we had brought so there was a fair amount of left over food. The supply of beverages was not as plentiful and by the end of the evening of telling the same stories as we tell on any trail and pretending that we find each other incredibly funny, we were all ready for bed. By now the young group had become quite firm friends and seemed to have an even better evening than the older group of hikers.

Saturday morning.

The last day. I was up early as usual and chopped wood for the morning fire. Having hot water available in the morning makes life a little easier as there is often washing to be done and coffee to be made. This morning Robin, Gerald & I left a little early, as we were still to fetch Robin’s car at Natures Valley. This is a very easy forest walk and within 40mins we were at the Storms River Bridge. We had passed Graeme and the Truck crew along the pathway and so we knew that they would be back soon with the baggage. We immediately set off for Natures Valley where we picked up Robin’s car and drove back to the bridge. The rest of the group had started just after us but we heard later that they had set a cracking pace and walked the final three kays in about 37 mins. We decided to have a breakfast on the deck at Storms River Restaurant before heading back home. The service was prompt and we were soon taking last photos and ready for the last lap.

Patrick would meet us at our house and then carry on to East London where they stayed the night with Dawn in East London, before heading off to Durban on Sunday. I spent Saturday afternoon cleaning up and trying to cross tape the video that I had taken along the trail. It was only then that I discovered why the battery had not lasted as long as expected. What I had done on the second day was to film us reaching the top of the first hill and then put the camera into the carry bag, Still Recording! So I have about 40 mins of film of the inside of a carry bag with the sounds of my puffing and panting as I walk through the forest. I have not listened to the whole tape but hopefully I did not say anything that could be construed as vulgarities or insulting. This is just another example of my being lazy to use my reading glasses when I should be reading instructions.

The drive back to Port Elizabeth was easy with Mark and Ally asleep for most of the time and Barbara & Dawn completing a crossword puzzle with clues which leave me baffled.

Mark and Ally enjoyed the afternoon sun in the pool and in each other’s company. At about 16.15 we took Mark to the Greyhound bus and provided him with a few snacks for the road. He would have to travel to Pretoria and then on Sunday to Vryheid to be back at school on Monday. The weather on Saturday had begun with a really hot day of about 30 degrees and then in the late afternoon the wind came up and the temperature dropped considerably. It seemed that we had had the very best of the holiday weather on our hike. The next week was going to be a busy one for us as Michael’s wife, Lene, was due to have their third baby on Monday morning (Daniel) and Nicci (also pregnant) was due to fly in from London this week with her two children, Christian and Aaron.

Finally thanks to everyone on the hike for your company and the wonderful fellowship that we enjoyed together. Also thanks to the Gendalls for the loan of their sleeping bags and the McGillivrays for the loan of their gas cooker. I have managed to put together about 40 mins of the hike (Highlights of the first three days) onto video and have this available should you wish to see it.


Peter Giddy
2 October 2005.

Contact Details for the hike:
044 874 4363 (Ivy)
ivy@cyberperk.co.za