Friday 5th September 2008.
• Peter, Barbara & Ally
• Charles & Ian Du Toit
• Fred Kohler
• Graham Richards
• Dawn
• Anthony Adler.
We were supposed to be 12 but Amber came down with Appendicitis and had been operated upon on Thursday evening and so the Zeelie’s could not come along. After the weekend Hannes told me that she was recovering nicely even though she had a blackout on Monday morning.
Anthony had an off road motor bike ride on Friday with some of his biking friends and so was not able to make the Friday afternoon. They rode something like 400kays from Kareedouw over the Langkloof to the Baviaans Kloof in a howling west wind.
Fred had a busy work schedule and decided to tag along with Charles and Ian who would be leaving on Saturday morning early as Ian had a band recital on Friday evening.
After an extremely busy Friday morning we managed to leave home at about 3.00pm and collected Graham from his home and then headed off to Alexandria. On our way to collect Graham Barbara read me a news article. Now I never read newspapers except very occasionally I may read the back page.
This was an article about how Graham had been in some political meeting where there had been a barrage of abuse in one faction of the ANC trying to gain power over the city administration and asking Graham and the Mayor to resign.
Graham explained later on how the ruling faction had called him late at night to a meeting. They were planning how to fight this political power play. There is an election coming up in RSA next year and people are jockeying for power. Then in this meeting the power seeking faction had attacked, not the results of his work as city manager but more his position and the position of the mayor.
How he can work in an environment like that I have no idea.
However as we drove through to Alexandria he gave me some of the insight as to the successes that he has created in his position. He has created an environment that business people understand where entrepreneurship is encouraged and allowed to flourish rather than protection of your job at all costs even if it means doing nothing; to avoid doing the wrong thing.
Barbara, Dawn and Ally sat in the back seat and did crossword puzzles.
Actually Ally slept as she tends to do when we go somewhere. We stopped off at the Nanaga farm stall for some Roosterbrood and cold drinks. Alexandria is 100kays from PE on the road to Port Alfred.
As soon as you reach Alexandria you make a right turn and go through an automated boom access control. From Alexandria to the trail the road is well signposted and about 20kays of reasonable dirt road. We arrived at about 5.30pm.
We collected the keys from the reception area and drove to the huts where we parked our cars.
Graham, Barbara & I immediately collected some firewood from a well stocked supply and started our fire in the Drum braai area. Everyone seemed to have brought more than adequate snacks and we were soon enjoying our sundowners. I had bought a fillet and Graham had chicken sosaties and sausage. I decided to braai our sosaties for the following night as well as there are no fires allowed at Woody Cape.
We all enjoyed more than adequate to eat and drink and settled down to some reading. Graham had brought all the business papers. Barbara had a set of crosswords and I had some magazines to browse through.
But it was not long before the hiking early night syndrome hit us all and we headed for bed one by one. We were expecting Anthony and had been stoking the fire a number of times but by 8.30pm I was too tired to wait up any longer.
Unfortunately there is absolutely no cell phone reception there and we were not able to contact Anthony to establish his progress.
These huts are exceptionally well appointed with an electric fridge, electric lights, a two plate gas stove, and all the eating utensils that we could have asked for. We left a light on so that if Anthony was still coming he would see where we were. Dawn woke Barbara telling her that there was someone trying the door. And looked out to see a car driving away.
Then Anthony returned; unfortunately the place is extremely difficult to find in the dark. Very poorly signposted. After driving around for sometime he had finally driven up to the reception area where there was a note explaining what to do and then he found us. It was now 10pm and we all went back to sleep.
Saturday morning saw us up early and reading ourselves for the day’s hiking. Charles, Ian and Fred arrived just before 8am. We did some cleaning up and final adjustments to packs. Then drove our cars to the reception hut where we registered for the hike and were handed a map, some instructions and the key for the Woody Cape hut.
The previous weekend there had been huge waves in the bay that had caused some damage to the beachfront and we were a bit concerned that the beach would have been washed away.
Charles had also had a terrible week which started off with toothache on Monday and after repeated efforts and visits to the dentists he had a tooth pulled out on Thursday.
This was after three sleepless nights in agony.
The first day of the trail starts with a number of long up hills. At the top of one of these we regrouped and took off backpacks. To everyone’s shock and amazement Ian pulled out a two litre Fanta from his bag. I am sure that this is the first time that we have ever seen this. He was going to use this for a water bottle the next day. This section is under the canopy of the trees and while there were some tough ups and downs it was not unpleasant.
We reached the meadow where we found a tree and sat down for our lunch.
We had a good break and as always told hiking stories. We saw a Knysna Loerie gliding across the trees. The information brochure gave it another name which I can’t remember. The first half of this day is not that tough and we were all in good spirits by the time we reached the old Woody Cape camping area that is now a private resort (Beyond Adventure may be the name but we were not sure) for a weekend getaway.
We all had sufficient water and did not need to replenish here.
We had been passed along the trail by a group of people on a guided tour. We met up with them again and it turned out that they were from an organisation called “ezu wethu” which means our home. They are a NGO, operating from the EP children’s home in PE, which trains young people in the Hospitality industry and were taking a group on the trail as part of their training as to what is available in the area.
At the camp site entrance the trail takes a right turn and we walked over a dilapidated board walk to the top of the dunes. Here there is a rope which we used to climb down to the beach. Once on the beach it was as if the starting gun went off. Ant and Graham set off with Fred in hot pursuit. He soon overtook them and the three of them disappeared into the misty horizon. For the rest of us we walked on at a sedate pace.
This section of the hike is a 6 kay beach walk heading west. Fortunately for us there was an easterly wind and this pushed us along. The previous day had seen a strong west wind which would have made the beach walk quite unpleasant.
We were also fortunate with the tide. It was low tide and had it been high tide we would have had to walk on the soft sand. As it was we had the wind behind us and were able to walk on good hard sand.
This is a particularly long section and seems pretty endless. However the way to know that you are approaching the end of the beach walk is when you are in shade and once you reach the sand stone cliffs on your right then you are nearly at the ladder. When you see the large rectangular stone on the beach then you are there.
Graham had drawn an arrow in the sand to make sure that we did not miss the rope. What the big surf of the recent storms had done was to wash away the gradual slope that we remembered from the last time we hiked this trail.
Now the really tough part of the hike started. We were all pretty tired from a long day of walking and we now had to drag ourselves up the steep and soft sand of this dune.
Ally and Ian sailed up. Next it was Charles’ turn. We pushed his bag up and then he dragged himself up this really tough cliff like edge of the dune. His pack was very heavy and we had to drag the pack up to where the rope ladder started. This was only about 20meteres but quite exhausting. Barbara and Dawn followed and we were all soon puffing and panting our way up the ladder. Ally gave us encouragement from the top.
Once on the top of the ladder we felt the real impact of the East wind that was blowing a stinging sand blast at us. The sand was everywhere in our eyes and by now in shoes and bags as well. After the rope ladder there is a particularly nasty dune that has to be overcome.
The trail had originally been designed to follow the edge of the sandstone cliffs but the shifting dunes and washed away cliffs made this impossible. We had to take the long way around. And on the other side of this dune the wind continued to blow the sand into everything. Finally we were all on the trail again.
The section along the top of the cliff is not that tough but we were all tired and it is a long pull to the hut. The only way you know that you are nearing the hut is when you are under the canopy of the bush. Up until then you walk along an exposed pathway that leads the hiker to certain death if you are not careful. The cliff face has been washed away and the trail at one stage leads the walker over the edge.
We pressed on and seeing the outline of the hut roof gave us some hope. Just as you think that you are nearing the hut the trail takes a cruel turn back in the direction that you have come.
After a while you reach the board walk and are led to the hut at Woody Cape. Graham, Ant and Fred had already taken up a room and bunks and seemed to be quite settled. They had kindly left us the front room which overlooks the bay. Barbara & Dawn had been a little way behind watching for birds and taking their time. They spotted some dolphins as well as a whale spout. Much to their disgust so had the men in the hut.
Today is a hike of just short of 20kays. We had left the start at about 08.30 and arrived at the Woody Cape hut at about 15.30. 7 hours of hiking at 3kays an hour. Ant commented on how bright the two younger people (Ally & Ian) were looking. They had walked well despite the distance and the nature of the trail.
We off loaded our packs and flopped around for a while trying regain our sense of humour.
I made some coffee and we were soon sitting in the dining area and chatting about all kinds of stuff. The wind continued to blow, making the sea choppy and being outdoors quite unpleasant.
We were surprised to see that there is a gas stove and plenty of plastic eating utensils. I had brought two gas stoves and a spare cylinder that was never used. I also had my kettle dangling from my pack but found that to be useless as there was a cast iron pot and a kettle available for us to use.
At this hut there are two huge rain drums for water but no flush loos nor any showering facilities. The lack of showers was a bit of a disappointment to Charles who had been looking forward to cooling off. I later learned that he doesn’t read my emails and so missed some of the really important details like the fact that this was a beach walk!
As we stood on the deck we again saw a pair of dolphins giving us a bit of a display in the ocean waves. Directly across from the hut is Bird Island.
In the evening we saw the lighthouse warning light. I may have seen the outline of a ship as we walked but otherwise there was no sign of Port Elizabeth or other people. There is probably a road access but we did not find this. A little later the wind dropped and it was a magnificent clear starry night.
This evening we had a good variety of snacks including crackers and tinned muscles, chips & peanuts and raisins.
Charles brought out his box of shiraz, Graham had to finish his special brandy as it seemed to sprung a leak, Dawn poured a Cape Velvet for herself and Barbara, Ant carries light with a measured amount of Jack Daniels in a plastic bottle and I enjoy a couple of beers.
For supper I made some pasta in sauce with some of the fillet on the side. Barbara & Dawn were already in bed by the time that this was ready. Ally joined me but did not seem to have an appetite for this. Ant had an austere few pieces of braaied meat while Graham had his normal plate of vegetables, sosaties and salads.
I think that Charles was happy to be able to open some tins and get rid of as much weight as possible. Fred had brought a packet of brianni rice which he cooked on a mini stove. For pudding Charles shared some fruit salad and custard. It was becoming more apparent as to why his pack had seemed so heavy.
As we sat at the table an interesting conversation ensued. Graham, Ant and Charles spoke about their business roles and it became clear that there were possibilities for continued contact and sharing of plans and ideas. I really hope that this is the start of something greater in this regard. One by one we faded off to bed.
The mattresses are good thick comfortable foam. I like to bring a camp pillow and once my head hit this I was lights out.
Sunday morning. We awoke to a stunning sunrise. The hut faces east and the red sky was quite something to see. Everyone seemed a little stiff from yesterday’s walk but spirits were high. This morning Barbara pointed out the mother and calf whales as well as the dolphins in front of the hut. The whales seemed really close to shore and we were able to see the barnacles on the mothers back. I had coffee and some of Charles’ rusks for breakfast.
Packing up takes me some time as I seem to have to stuff more into the backpack than I had brought. I know it is an illusion but my pack never seems to reduce in weight even though I have taken food out.
Cleaning the pot was really tough for me. There are no bins and I did not want to throw food into the bushes so decided to scrape the pot out into the long drop. Whew! I almost dropped the pot and spoon down as I gagged at the smell. We loaded all of the rubbish into a black bag which I tied to the back of my pack and swept out the hut.
This morning we left at about 07.40am. The trail backtracks for a short while along a boardwalk and then into a forest trail. Then the fun begins. There is a huge sand dune that we have to climb up. A rope helps the hiker get over this first dune. Once at the top you have to be constantly on the look out for the poles with the feet showing the direction of the trail. The dunes are vast.
This section is a real slog and often you are on hands and knees crawling up the dune. With a heavy backpack you sink into the sand and slide back one step for every two steps forward. It is a tough section with no shade and little distance is covered in the first two hours of the hike.
Finally we reached the top of the last dune where we sat and took a short break. I had remembered how tough this hike was and had brought a few apples. As Barbara & Dawn reached the top of a tough climb I would cut up an apple and be able to hand a slice to them to raise their spirits.
The pathway into the forest is a welcome relief as the rest of the hike is under the shade of the canopy. However this is an uphill day.
There are a few short downs but basically you walk uphill for most of the day. We regrouped for lunch at the top of one of the hills. I had loaded the rubbish bag on my pack and was experiencing the delightful smell of fish and other stale food, (a result of the tins of muscles from the previous night) from tears in the black bag. Just after that we crossed over a fence which announced that we were exiting a wild life reserve.
After a long walk we crossed back in to the reserve again. Somewhere along this path a snake crossed the pathway just ahead of Ally, Barbara & Dawn.
With about three kays to go we again regrouped. It was at this stop where Graham almost sat on a snake. He had to shoo it away from this prime relaxation spot. Fred explained that it was really quite reluctant to move away. I handed to keys to Graham so that he could bring the vehicles to the overnight hut and if possible obtain the keys as well so that we could shower.
We came across a trail sign with a Dassie and the number 4. From here to the finish it is two kays as I saw another of these signs, with a 6, as we reached the hut. The day is just short of 17kays long and it took us to about 15.30h to reach the first overnight hut. We had walked at a rate of about 2kays an hour.
The only indication we had that we were nearing the end of the day’s walking was as we left the path and walked the last few hundred meters on a jeep track.
Graham & Ant had fetched the cars but had not had success with the keys so we decided to head off home as we were. The Alexandria to PE road is always busy and cannot be rushed. We reached home in a little over an hour and soon had the trailer and car off loaded. Richard came to fetch Dawn, they had coffee while I jumped into the shower and Ally had a bath.
Cleaned and fresh I soon forgot all the tough sections and felt good about having done a hike of about 35kays in two days. The otter trail is 42 kays and takes five days. The fish river canyon is considered to be a tough hike of 80kays and takes five days.
The Alexandria hike can be considered to be a tough hike with long days and difficult and varied walking conditions. Barbara pulled out her album with photo’s of the last time we did this hike. There was no steep sand dune to climb on the first day. Just a gentle slope. Also the dunes on the second day were not nearly as vicious.
Tips:
• There is no water supplied along route and you need at least 2 litres of water for each day.
• While you can do a hike like this in takkies, boots are best.
• Carry as light as possible. Walking in soft sand up dunes is made even tougher by carrying heavy.
• A backpack absorbs your sweat and needs to be cleaned. Check it well for stuff left inside. What I do is place the whole pack into the bath with a little sunlight dishwashing liquid and rinse it out a few times.
• Fred had a good set of putties and I think that this must have helped keep some of the sand out of his boots.
• A cap is essential but a wide brimmed hat with a tie down is probably best.
• Arrange for one First Aid kit between the group.
• Wash and squash all tins before putting them into the bag to carry home.
• Take a scale to the start and weigh packs before starting. Maybe empty some stuff that is duplicated or really not necessary.
Dear Peter
I felt I did not really thank you as I should have yesterday.
This was in every respect an incredible experience for me. I learnt a lot about my self and my son which I never expected to. I have never battled physically with anything in my life before and have always been the front runner in physical stuff, but I knew that this was going to be tough going.
The few times that I had help and people just ease the burden for me was incredibly hard for me to accept , but to keep going I felt I needed to.
I have to accept that although I’ve worked hard on getting my self "back "
I have a lot to do still. I think I carried at least 40ks in body weight and pack more than anyone and it really nailed me in the sand.
But I did it, and my knees held out, in what I would have thought was impossible a year ago. Also, even though my pack was really heavy, my core mussels also coped well and I have no back pain at all. I also did not chaff at all and the only issue which I think is more dietary is that I suffered from severe cramp.
It was really fantastic privilege to spend time with Graham and Anthony, and I will certainly follow up with him and Andrew if he needs. I also need to get the pack back to him.
Ian on the other hand, really found him self. I was really proud of him this weekend - listening to him on Saturday evening talking to Graham Richards about energy was amazing. He also discovered how strong he really is if he gets past his mind and Fred who is super strong was really impressed at his ability to keep up.
Peter, I think that you’re taking initiative and putting these things together adds so much richness to the lives of your friends. Think of how good this was for Graham, after all the trouble he had an last week.
We really appreciate you and please don't ever lose heat when you don't get all the support you should.
You are a really special friend
thanks
Charles du Toit
Bookings for the trail are administered through:
Camp Matyholweni:
Tel: +27 (0)41 468 0916 / 8
Fax: +27 (0)41 468 0949
E-mail: matyholweni@sanparks.org
Trail base office:
Woody Cape office of the Addo Elephant National Park
Tel: +27 (0)46 6530601
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