TSITSIKAMMA HIKING TRAIL
Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th October 2008.
On this trail:
Peter, Barbara & Ally
Angus & Madison
Hannes, Jordan and Amber
Friend of Jordan – Handre
Rob, Megan & Jason and their friends James & Sarah
Fred, Jeremy and Janine
Alex, Lynne and Lara
John, Michael and Greg
Dawn was due to come but had to pull out for work reasons as her computer had ‘crashed’.
The hike was born from an idea of Graeme Gilmour (Walmer Methodist Church)who wanted to encourage family activities. I put out a notice and was pleased to receive an immediate and positive response from church members.
We met before the hike to discuss the logistics and kit requirements. At this stage I could already see that we were going to have a great hike. The youngsters immediately started to bond and there was an electric vibe in our lounge as we spoke about the coming hike. I was able to borrow a number of backpacks. The Glovers’, Perks’ & Scheepers’ were all good to lend out their equipment. These were distributed amoung people who were first time hikers.
On the morning of Friday 3rd October I was up early and made a few final preparations and packed the food that was in the fridge. Ally’s pack would be a little heavier than she was used to but I thought that it was about time that she started to carry for herself. The pack that she would use was one borrowed from the Perk’s. We met at the church and were able to leave at about 09.30.
We had been a bit concerned about the weather as we had seen some nasty predictions on the news. But the day looked fine and I was looking forward to a great three days ahead. Alex was in St Francis and had arranged to meet us en route. Barbara had forgotten her walking stick and after a quick stop at home we were on our way. Hannes took his Combi, Rob has a big Pajero, John has a station wagon and we had our Toyota with Angus and Madison driving with us.
We stopped at Humansdorp to wait for Alex but the wind was bitingly cold and we decided to press on as far as Storms River. On our way we saw two experimental Solar Powered vehicles heading towards PE. They looked more like a large Frisbee than a car. But it is interesting to think that people will continually be looking out for alternative energy. There was construction at the bridge and we were able to chat while we waited.
Hannes pointed out that I had been speeding and probably would receive a speeding fine for going over 60kph along the bypass section. The youngsters jumped out of the cars and walked across the bridge. At Storms River we stopped for a toilet break and pressed on to the Lottering Station where we would leave a car and park the rest of them at Boskor.
Fortunately Barbara decided to walk to the office where she met up with Nadia. Nadia had done the bookings but I had made a Boo boo! We were not going to hike the section that I had planned and so had to get back into our cars and drive through the toll gate to the Blaaukrans Forest station. Here we again parked cars and John & I drove back to Lottering where we would leave our cars to be collected at the end of the hike. Alex, Hannes and Rob left their vehicles at Blaaukrans. As we returned to where they were waiting I made my next mistake. I put my car keys into Hannes’ Combi. Doff! How was I to drive my car back to collect the others if the keys were at the start? Ah well! No worries. John had kept his keys with him.
After a bit of back pack adjustments we set off on the trail up to the Blaaukrans hut. It was a Forest Road and really very easy walking. All uphill. As we walked we were able to see the Blaaukrans River Bridge where the Bungy Jumping takes place. At one stage we were looking down into deep gorges and valleys. Stunning views. The distance from the forest station where we had parked to the overnight hut was about 6kays and it took us about 2 hours of easy walking to reach the hut.
Fred must have reached the hut first as he came back to see if he could help with anyone who was struggling. I was one of the last to the hut and discovered that the young group had secured exclusive use of one of the rooms. There were about 12 to 15 beds in the form of triple bunks in each room. Madison had wanted to know if she was going to be in her own room. However I think that she was delighted to be in a room with so many other children.
We got the fire going and then walked down to the stream below. From the balcony of this hut you look down to the stream and waterfall. Handre and Jordan were doing some cliff hanging as they sat on the edge of the waterfall. I tried to get them to step back, as it would be me who would have to face Jacqui’s fury if something happened to Jordan. But they seemed confident and Fred joined them for a swim in the pool. I was a bit more conservative and swam with James and Jason in one of the upper pools. These two boys had a ball as they looked for frogs and tadpoles. The water was chilly but bearable. This was my wash for the day.
Back up at the boma area the kettle was already boiling and we were able to make ourselves coffee. We settled into our rooms and unpacked the evening supper allocation. Barbara & I had decided to treat ourselves. Now you have to understand the dynamics of hiking with our groups. Each evening or meal time there is an unspoken rivalry as to who can be the most inventive and who will have the most luxuries. Normally what we do is set out snacks which can include muscles or oysters on crackers, Biltong and any other delicacies that we can think of.
This evening I had a plate with cauliflower, carrots and chips with a dip. Rob added some biltong and cashews and we passed this around while we opened our beers & sherry. Then I opened our pack of Tiger Prawns that we had brought for the evening. At the last hike Fred had shown me the special rice that he had bought and I used this idea with the Prawns. I put some Chinese rice on the fire in a dixie. I had brought some premixed olive oil and butter to fry the prawns and once they had turned a bright pink I served Barbara & I a meal that would have rivalled any that you could prepare at home.
Ally does not eat prawns so I braaied boerewors and served this in rolls for her. Immediately after the braaing was done, the marshmallows came out and soft, burnt, sticky marshmallows were served up as a dessert. The temperature dropped quickly as we sat enjoying the evening. The sky was clear and stars shined as bright as you will see anywhere. Barbara went off to bed and I followed soon afterwards. The youngsters were having a great time in their room. Singing, chatting and playing.
Saturday morning. I had slept fitfully as I generally do on hard uncomfortable bunk beds. Tough! During the night I had felt something run across my sleeping bag. The window was open next to me and I thought it was a mouse. Only after I had announced that there was a mouse in the room and had explained this in detail to everyone and sundry, did Barbara tell me that the mouse was her hitting me with a pillow to stop me snoring! How embarrassing.
John had slept outside in the boma on a table and Rob & Jason had slept on the floor next to the fireplace. They must have frozen. It was really chilly that night and there is no protection against the breeze. I put the fire on for morning coffee and one by one the rest of the group emerged. It was still quite cold but as the sun came up it became warm. Barbara & I had agreed that coffee and rusks would be our breakfast. The main consensus amoungst the hikers seemed to be Oats so easy or plain porridge.
At about 08.00am we managed to group together for a photo and then headed down the pathway for day two of our hike. I always wonder at how quickly we climb on hikes like this. In no time we were looking back down at the hut where we had stayed. The path took us up and then down to a stream in the forest. Here we stopped for a rest and a snack. And then headed off to the next stop which was to be at the 5kay mark.
We could see the rest of the group down at the stream long before we worked our way down. Here there is a crossing of the river with a chain. The last time we crossed the river was flowing strongly and we really had to use the chain. This time however the river was a gentle flow and once across, we found a wonderful place to relax, suntan, eat and swim. I saw Greg and Handre having a race across the pool. This looked like fun until I got into the water. I cannot remember ever being in such cold water. It was really bitingly cold. But the swim did our legs and muscles good. Refreshing was an understatement. I think that everyone was impressed to see Lynne in her bathing costume and also jump into the water.
After a good relaxing break we headed up hill. This was a long climb. Below we could see the stream flowing down to our pool. Across the valley was a sentinel Baboon barking a warning to the troop. The next section of hiking was heavy going. We walked along the contour of the mountain. The pathway was tough and there were continuous sets of ups and downs as each stream that we passed was a little valley that we had to go through. Ally was not feeling her best and Barbara had a sore back / side that she was battling with.
We plodded on slowly and made steady headway. Finally we came up to John, Rob and his little group and Ally managed to stay with them. Barbara & I then took it easy for a while. John had been studying the map and had pointed out where he thought the next camp should be located. We reached a small forest section where there was a reasonable stream. Each time we came across water I would fill my bottle. As we emerged from this wooded area we decided to take a break. Barbara closed her eyes and I took out my book to read.
The break had lifted our spirits and we headed down the pathway and then turned left along a forest road. From here we continued in an easterly direction for a short while before heading left up on to the pathway again. We again reached the forest road and saw a sign which indicated that we had 1.5kays to go to Keurbos. This would be the road that we would have to walk along the next morning, back to the Lottering Forest station. Ahead we could see Rob and Jason. As you near the huts you pass some pools called Twin Tubs. I had swum there before when we did a hike with family. These pools provide a really freezing swim opportunity. Rob had noticed the animal trap and took some people back to examine it later.
That afternoon we must have reached the hut at about 16.00. There seemed to be quite a bit of activity around the hut. The fires were burning, people were showering and a few hikers took the mattresses off the beds and laid them on the grassy area for an afternoon nap. I was looking forward to my coffee and was happy to see that the kettle was boiling. Chatting to the rest of the group I realised that it was not only us who had battled with the afternoon walk. Angus was quite weary, Fred looked like he was glad to be in camp and the sleeping bodies on the grass told a story as well.
That evening Barbara & I prepared a potato with Bacon, cheese, spinach, onion and mushroom topping. We had this with a hamburger and marshmallows as desert again. A really substantial and delicious meal. After supper and a few drinks we were pretty exhausted and were in bed early again. The youngsters had commandeered one of the huts and were having a great time together. Some of the adults stayed up a little later but I could hardly keep my eyes open.
The mattresses are pretty thin and with sore limbs I did not sleep too well and was happy to see that first light was just emerging. The boma area was empty that morning and Angus & I got the fire going for early morning coffee. As more people emerged a variety of breakfasts were prepared before we were ready to set off at about 08.00am. Rob & Janine were suffering with blisters and did a bit of doctoring. Janine had told me that she remembered our Jacqui from Church Youth Groups.
The road back to Lottering started off with an uphill but the forest road is easy going and we were soon back to where we had met up with the road the previous day. As we walked, John told us some very interesting facts about GIS mapping (Geographic Information Systems). The use of GIS mapping and how a variety of information is used for farming, development and all kinds of studies. We walked at a steady pace and reached the stream crossing the road where we estimated the 5 kay mark to be. Here we stopped for a break and to regroup.
I was really happy with our food provisions as we finished the last of our food supply at this point. I often over cater and take stuff home that I have lugged along for days on the trail. After a good rest we hitched up again and walked down to the weir of the Lottering river at the bottom of the valley before a steady climb up again. At the River we realised that we had already walked 7 kays and had just over four kays to go.
The last section of the hike was not too tough and we finally emerged back at the forest station about 4 hours after we had started off that morning. Fred and Handre were first in. Our little group was next and Ally, Lara, Greg and I had a little sprint to the finish. As each group came in we encouraged them to run in at the finish and this added fun to the end of a good hike. John loaded Rob, Hannes and Alex into his car and they went off to collect the other vehicles from the Blaaukrans forest station.
Those who were left behind either relaxed with closed eyes or played around on the grass. As soon as they returned with the vehicles, we loaded our stuff and drove through to Storms River where we purchased an unhealthy combination of burgers, chips, milkshake and coffee. All our hard work over the past few days was lost to burgers in a few minutes! Once we were back onto the N2 we took just under two hours to reach home. I really love the whole thing of going on an outing like this but I also love getting home. The thought of a hot shower, coffee and a remote control was really enticing. My body was tired and sore and we spent most of the remainder of the afternoon on the couch as we chatted about the hike.
Response from parents:
From: Cheryl Kotze [mailto:info@jksurvey.com]
Sent: 12 October 2008 08:03 PM
To: Peter Giddy
Subject: Re: Tsitsikamma Hiking Group October 2008 Report.
Well done Peter! Nice to read all you got up to!!
Dear Peter
Thanks so much for all you did to organise this hike. Sara THOROUGHLY enjoyed it and I believe from many people that she coped very well. We are so proud of her.
Tindal really battles with his knees from old rugby injuries and could never manage the up and downs of hiking. We do walk a lot along the flat beach at low tide and Sara thoroughly enjoys that too, but
this was a privilege and a blessing for her to be part of. Thank you, I appreciate it.
Jacquie
Dear Peter
Thanks you very much for this report – it brought back a lot of memories for me of my hiking days! It really sounds as if you had a great time and certainly achieved objectives I had in mind if terms of giving families quality time to spend together, and kids a chance to socialise in good company and a healthy environment, all as part of the WMC community. Many thanks for taking it on. I very much hope that we can move forward with what I see to be a valuable ministry.
With that in mind I would ask you, if you have not already decided to do so, to attend the men’s breakfast on Saturday. We are going to do some serious thinking about where men can fit into the vision we have for WMC and what you have done here is an example of what others can do with a little bit of imagination and thought. I think you could have a useful contribution to make, so please come if possible.
Graeme
Dear Peter
Thanks for initiating and enabling an obviously special adventure for part of our family at Walmer Methodist.
I hope we will get more of these going in time to come. I expect that those who went won’t miss out in future but hope others will find the time and take the opportunity.
Blessings
Jonathan
Showing posts with label tsitsikamma hiking trail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tsitsikamma hiking trail. Show all posts
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
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
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
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
IRONMAN 19 MARCH 2006.
This year I had far less focus on Ironman than I had last year. Tim was now an experienced Ironman and was training with a man far more qualified to keep up with him in Bradley Joubert. However I was a member of the EP Triathlon as I had hoped to be able to compete for the EP team. The events clashed with other commitments so I was unable to focus on triathlon and the training that it demands.
But I still decided to compete in the Corporate Triathlon, which is one tenth of the main event. It was held on the Thursday before Ironman at 16h00. I rushed out of work and put my stuff together. I had one cycle the week before and had trained a bit of swimming for Biathlon so felt that I should be able to do this. Triathlon is a fussy sport with so many rules and regulations and so much stuff required to do the sport so I put everything in the car and we drove down in plenty of time for the event.
As I got to the start I realised that I had left my running shoes at home. Barbara agreed to fetch them for me as I went into the transition area. But what she actually did was to phone Suzanne who was coming down anyway and asked to her go to our house and find them for me. Oops. This allowed her to see what a mess my stuff at home is. How embarrassing!
I walked down to the start of the swim and was chatting there to others doing the event when I saw Sue running down with the shoes so I was able to run back up and put them with my stuff in transition. There were a good number of people doing the event so when the swim started there were legs and arms flying everywhere and as we rounded the first buoy a few were pushed under and there was lot of swearing and moaning. I took a slightly wider berth and pressed on. I had a reasonable swim and was far from last out of the water. I had a good bike ride (18kays). Just as we approached the University it started to rain but this did not last long. I met up with Roz Gerber at the turn. Roz had been off for a few years due to injuries and I had not seen her for ages. So I urged her to stick with me on the way back which she did and we had an excellent return with the wind.
Back at transition I quickly changed into those elusive running shoes and started the 4kay run. This is the part where I feel most comfortable about my ability and was able to overtake a number of people and had a good finish. About 1 hour 13 minutes.
That evening we had cell group at Charles and Ingrid. Being a member of the EP triathlon, I had been asked and agreed to host an out of towner for the Ironman. On Monday I had collected our guest, Gerrit Schellens, from the airport, taken him home and gone back to work. After work on Monday, Barbara, Ally & I took him for a drive around the cycle route and familiarised him with the town and where we lived. He had already been for a bike ride and looked at home. On the way home we agreed that it was to be spaghetti Boglonaise for supper so we stopped at the Spar for groceries and soon cooked up a simple meal with Gerrit doing the vegetables.
This evening I realised how much he was training as he told us that he had been in Potchefstroom for the past three weeks in a training camp. He had done something like 2400kays of cycle, 400kays of running and 100kays of swimming. The amount of supper that he ate confirmed how much he was burning up. I also learned that there is an annual Training camp in Potch. Something like 30 to 50 athletes from all over the world use this facility. This was the fourth year that Gerrit had been there for training. I wondered why they should not use Port Elizabeth, the Triathlon Center of South Africa for their training?
Over the next few days we became friends and Gerrit agreed to come to our cell group. Charles and Ingrid had prepared an appropriate evening with songs of praise as well as talking about how Jesus wanted us to be the best that we can. Gerrit felt quite at home and later commented that he did not realise how Catholic us Africans were. He also said (a few times) how much he had enjoyed the evening. As we left their home Gerrit offered (much to Ally’s delight) to buy Pizzas for supper.
The following day (Friday) we had our own little pasta party at Tim & Suzanne. Before this we had been at Nippers training and I had purchased a few cans of spray paint. So after Nippers we drove to the University back entrance and painted the road with names such as Tim, Bradley, Achilles, Gerrrit, (oops. Three r’s), Paula, Jonty, Alan & Dom. We ran out of paint and time before we could paint all the names that we had planned.
Bradley and Charmaine as well as Alan & Dominique from Durban were at Tim’s for supper. As it turned out they are almost next door neighbours of my brother, Patrick, in Westville. On Saturday morning we did our long run and then later in the afternoon we took Ally down to Nippers training while Gerrit rode down to Bike Check In and met us at Summerstrand. That afternoon the Easterly was blowing the surf up into a Boiling Pot and prospects did not look good for the next day.
We were in bed early but none of us slept well as we heard the wind blowing all night and we had visions of a cancelled swim and horrific bike conditions. But as it turned out the wind had turned in the night and a Westerly was blowing. The sea was relatively calm and the race would proceed as planned. We got to the start at 05.30 and plenty of time for preparations for the event. Here we saw all kinds of people that we were able to greet and give our best wishes. I decided to stay at the water's edge until the last swimmer came out. I met Adrienne there and she was shouting for Paula.
The race started at 07.00 with the guns of the ship at sea. Gerrit, being a professional, was in the front and off they went. It was a two-lap event and by the time the second lap started I was beginning to be hoarse from all the shouting. Incredible how many local athletes were taking part. I felt a sense of pride for all of them. Of course I told everyone that I met that Gerrit was staying with us and that he was going for a top five position. We had arranged to go to breakfast at Elize but the activity and excitement of the morning was just too much for us. It was not long after the last of the swimmers was out of the water than the first of the cyclists was coming round for the first lap. And did we cheer!
And so the day went on. The West wind was blowing quite strongly and this put a lot of strain on the cycle in particular. Lots of cheering and fun. I was on duty in the transition area in the afternoon but could not stay away from the finish as the top athletes were approaching the last lap. Suddenly we started hearing Gerrit’s name. He was closing in on the local hero, Raynard Tissink. Then he passed him! Then he was three hundred meters ahead of him. Then he won the event. Amazing!
Gerrit had this small group of people who he had met over the past few days as his only support group but they made enough noise for all the Raynard supporters. Later, Gerrit told us that he was confident that he could beat Raynard when he realised that there was only 8 minutes separating him from the front runners when he finished the cycle. He has done a 2H37marathon after the cycle and knew that this was his strongest discipline. Gerrit was a little known contender but has been European Ultra Distance Champion for two years and has won a number of these events but never an Ironman. It seems that in Europe there are ultra distance triathlons but these are not know as Ironman events. The name Ironman is a trade name and is a huge investment to stage. He had been 26th at the Hawaii Ironman event but had been ill and his doctor had advised him to take it easy.
Then it was back to cheering our other friends and club members. Some wonderful achievements were recorded that day. Paula, Tracey, Christoph, Mike, John, Deon & Tim friends and family just from the Mill Park Running Group all did well. Tim, as one of the few who were doing their second Ironman, had cut an hour of last years time. Then there were all our Achilles running friends. Paul was the very last man to make the cycle cut off and who wanted to bail. But he had me to contend with and I “forced” him to at least attempt the run. He did and finished! There was Dominique who had told us all how she hated running and walked the entire 42kay in a bit over 5 hours. There was Viv Francis who I have not seen for ages. I was able to run for a few kays with him on the final lap. He also finished the event. Too many people to name but so many heroes. Emotions were high. Spirits were high. What a day!
I had driven Gerrit home. He had hardly got home when the phone started to ring. It was his wife, friends and family from Belgium. They had rented a café and purchased a barrel of beer. It seems that they partied to 5.00am the next day. He also had reporters phoning him at that time. It was clear that he was a national hero back home. In fact from that time onwards, Gerrit could hardly walk anywhere without being stopped for a congratulations, a photo or an autograph.
Monday morning I was too tired to run but Stuart saw me at my desk early in the morning and asked to meet Gerrit later. So when I was able to get a break from work I phoned him, Mike and Tim and we spent some time chatting to him. I also phoned the Algoa radio station and they had an exclusive interview with Gerrit. Later in the day there was a plethora of reporters both on the phone and at our home with interviews and more photo’s. That evening was the gala awards dinner. We went along with Gerrit as his guests. It was great to be together with the people who he had got to know
Many people received awards and recognition that evening. And rightly so. They had achieved what most of us wish for. To be an Ironman! Tracey and Davera were both on the podium as age category winners as was Viv Francis. Standing ovations were accorded to many of these amazing athletes. Finally it was the turn of the winner to be recognized. Gerrit made a great speech where he acknowledged the support that he had received, the organisation and more important to us he acknowledged the table where his new friends were sitting.
The evening was spent with all kinds of admirers chatting to Gerrit, having Photographs taken & books signed. We left at about 11.00pm as I need to be home early. I had planned to go Kloofing in the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma region on Tuesday morning. Tuesday was a holiday.
Fred picked me up just before 6am and we met Mike, Andy, Darryl, Mark & Matthew and set off at about 06.30. We went down in Fred’s Combi. We drove to Natures Valley where we met up with Wayne who was camping there. Interestingly, we had seen a bushbuck crossing the main road near to the Blaukrans River. We left the Combi there and Wayne drove us back to the Highway and the Groot Rivier Bridge on the N2 (just a little West of the Tollgate). He dropped us there at 08.30 and we immediately started our climb down the cliff side. I was wearing an old pair of sandals. These looked like they were going to fall apart. I must remember to wear genuine Rockies the next time I do this type of hike.
Mike seems to be able to find his way wherever we are and soon we were at a cliff face that seemed impossible to descend. But he showed us some webbing that had been left there and we used that to climb down this section. Then it was down to the river. It had been raining quite a bit recently and so the river was flowing fast. The first obstacle was to get into the water. Mike used some rope and we climbed onto a ledge. We had to leap into the water from here. The last time I had been Kloofing with Mike I had been terrified. Now I was determined to overcome this fear and without hesitation jumped. No trouble!
When you go Kloofing, you take a daypack with a few provisions, emergency stuff and something warm to wear. All of this has to be very well double wrapped in plastic bags otherwise everything is saturated and the weight of the backpack becomes unbearable. A wetsuit is a must as the water becomes so cold when you are in the river for long periods. I was wearing Nicci’s small wetsuit. And although I did get cold, it was adequate for the day. The river was very full and we spent most of the day swimming. Mostly I swam on my back, facing upstream, with the pack strapped on securely. There is a lot of buoyancy in the pack and with the water flowing strongly we moved at a good pace. Whenever we got to a rapid I would move into the “cocktail” position and rush down the rapid in what Mike calls a “Bumslide”. What an experience each rapid was. Better that a whole day at the superslides.
As the day wore on we were treated to all kinds of visual experiences: seeing the underside of the Groot Rivier Bridge, Cliff faces and rock formations that were absolutely awesome. We even swam through the spray of a waterfall. At one time the gorge was so narrow that we could almost reach to either side of the cliff face with outstretched arms. It was a tough day in the cold water with long swims, smooth rocks to walk on, heavy packs full of water and very little time to dry out. My backpack is made of some special material that is waterproof. Great if it is raining but it retains the water and I battled to stand up every time we had to walk through a rapid.
We stopped twice for something to eat. I had prepared some ham sandwiches, which I really enjoyed at the first stop but by the time we got to the second stop everything was wet. I also had a Power Gel, which helped me get through the last few hours. Towards the end of the day we were cramping, had sore backs, sore bums, hands were bruised and quite a few cuts and grazes. Eventually we were able to start walking. The walk was probably about 30 minutes and we finished back at camp at Nature’s Valley at 15.00. Of the total of six and a half-hours, we had been in the water for about five hours.
Nature’s Valley has a wonderful shower facility for campers and we made good use of them. Mike and I also saw a second bushbuck in the camp. On our way home we again stopped at the Storms River Bridge and were home before 6.00pm. Thank you Mike for organising a great day. This is a treat that only a very few people ever get to experience. My opinion is that you should be reasonably fit before attempting this. Also know that you are going to have a tough day where all kinds of things are possible. Nothing is certain. This is, by definition, “an adventure”. The activity and the outcome has to be experienced to appreciate what Kloofing is all about. There are no spectators, no awards, no medal and no T-Shirt. But what there is, is a memory that cannot be erased. Sunday had belonged to Ironman but today we were “watermen”! I was stiff and sore when I arrived home but had a good little sleep at the back of the Combi.
This morning Barbara & Suzanne had taken Gerrit to the airport where he had bought them breakfast. He was again swamped by well wishers and left for Belgium at 13.00. He would fly to Johannesburg, London and then home. We anticipated that he would receive a heroes welcome in Brussels and he told us how there were more press conferences and parties planned.
Peter Giddy
22.03.2006.
This year I had far less focus on Ironman than I had last year. Tim was now an experienced Ironman and was training with a man far more qualified to keep up with him in Bradley Joubert. However I was a member of the EP Triathlon as I had hoped to be able to compete for the EP team. The events clashed with other commitments so I was unable to focus on triathlon and the training that it demands.
But I still decided to compete in the Corporate Triathlon, which is one tenth of the main event. It was held on the Thursday before Ironman at 16h00. I rushed out of work and put my stuff together. I had one cycle the week before and had trained a bit of swimming for Biathlon so felt that I should be able to do this. Triathlon is a fussy sport with so many rules and regulations and so much stuff required to do the sport so I put everything in the car and we drove down in plenty of time for the event.
As I got to the start I realised that I had left my running shoes at home. Barbara agreed to fetch them for me as I went into the transition area. But what she actually did was to phone Suzanne who was coming down anyway and asked to her go to our house and find them for me. Oops. This allowed her to see what a mess my stuff at home is. How embarrassing!
I walked down to the start of the swim and was chatting there to others doing the event when I saw Sue running down with the shoes so I was able to run back up and put them with my stuff in transition. There were a good number of people doing the event so when the swim started there were legs and arms flying everywhere and as we rounded the first buoy a few were pushed under and there was lot of swearing and moaning. I took a slightly wider berth and pressed on. I had a reasonable swim and was far from last out of the water. I had a good bike ride (18kays). Just as we approached the University it started to rain but this did not last long. I met up with Roz Gerber at the turn. Roz had been off for a few years due to injuries and I had not seen her for ages. So I urged her to stick with me on the way back which she did and we had an excellent return with the wind.
Back at transition I quickly changed into those elusive running shoes and started the 4kay run. This is the part where I feel most comfortable about my ability and was able to overtake a number of people and had a good finish. About 1 hour 13 minutes.
That evening we had cell group at Charles and Ingrid. Being a member of the EP triathlon, I had been asked and agreed to host an out of towner for the Ironman. On Monday I had collected our guest, Gerrit Schellens, from the airport, taken him home and gone back to work. After work on Monday, Barbara, Ally & I took him for a drive around the cycle route and familiarised him with the town and where we lived. He had already been for a bike ride and looked at home. On the way home we agreed that it was to be spaghetti Boglonaise for supper so we stopped at the Spar for groceries and soon cooked up a simple meal with Gerrit doing the vegetables.
This evening I realised how much he was training as he told us that he had been in Potchefstroom for the past three weeks in a training camp. He had done something like 2400kays of cycle, 400kays of running and 100kays of swimming. The amount of supper that he ate confirmed how much he was burning up. I also learned that there is an annual Training camp in Potch. Something like 30 to 50 athletes from all over the world use this facility. This was the fourth year that Gerrit had been there for training. I wondered why they should not use Port Elizabeth, the Triathlon Center of South Africa for their training?
Over the next few days we became friends and Gerrit agreed to come to our cell group. Charles and Ingrid had prepared an appropriate evening with songs of praise as well as talking about how Jesus wanted us to be the best that we can. Gerrit felt quite at home and later commented that he did not realise how Catholic us Africans were. He also said (a few times) how much he had enjoyed the evening. As we left their home Gerrit offered (much to Ally’s delight) to buy Pizzas for supper.
The following day (Friday) we had our own little pasta party at Tim & Suzanne. Before this we had been at Nippers training and I had purchased a few cans of spray paint. So after Nippers we drove to the University back entrance and painted the road with names such as Tim, Bradley, Achilles, Gerrrit, (oops. Three r’s), Paula, Jonty, Alan & Dom. We ran out of paint and time before we could paint all the names that we had planned.
Bradley and Charmaine as well as Alan & Dominique from Durban were at Tim’s for supper. As it turned out they are almost next door neighbours of my brother, Patrick, in Westville. On Saturday morning we did our long run and then later in the afternoon we took Ally down to Nippers training while Gerrit rode down to Bike Check In and met us at Summerstrand. That afternoon the Easterly was blowing the surf up into a Boiling Pot and prospects did not look good for the next day.
We were in bed early but none of us slept well as we heard the wind blowing all night and we had visions of a cancelled swim and horrific bike conditions. But as it turned out the wind had turned in the night and a Westerly was blowing. The sea was relatively calm and the race would proceed as planned. We got to the start at 05.30 and plenty of time for preparations for the event. Here we saw all kinds of people that we were able to greet and give our best wishes. I decided to stay at the water's edge until the last swimmer came out. I met Adrienne there and she was shouting for Paula.
The race started at 07.00 with the guns of the ship at sea. Gerrit, being a professional, was in the front and off they went. It was a two-lap event and by the time the second lap started I was beginning to be hoarse from all the shouting. Incredible how many local athletes were taking part. I felt a sense of pride for all of them. Of course I told everyone that I met that Gerrit was staying with us and that he was going for a top five position. We had arranged to go to breakfast at Elize but the activity and excitement of the morning was just too much for us. It was not long after the last of the swimmers was out of the water than the first of the cyclists was coming round for the first lap. And did we cheer!
And so the day went on. The West wind was blowing quite strongly and this put a lot of strain on the cycle in particular. Lots of cheering and fun. I was on duty in the transition area in the afternoon but could not stay away from the finish as the top athletes were approaching the last lap. Suddenly we started hearing Gerrit’s name. He was closing in on the local hero, Raynard Tissink. Then he passed him! Then he was three hundred meters ahead of him. Then he won the event. Amazing!
Gerrit had this small group of people who he had met over the past few days as his only support group but they made enough noise for all the Raynard supporters. Later, Gerrit told us that he was confident that he could beat Raynard when he realised that there was only 8 minutes separating him from the front runners when he finished the cycle. He has done a 2H37marathon after the cycle and knew that this was his strongest discipline. Gerrit was a little known contender but has been European Ultra Distance Champion for two years and has won a number of these events but never an Ironman. It seems that in Europe there are ultra distance triathlons but these are not know as Ironman events. The name Ironman is a trade name and is a huge investment to stage. He had been 26th at the Hawaii Ironman event but had been ill and his doctor had advised him to take it easy.
Then it was back to cheering our other friends and club members. Some wonderful achievements were recorded that day. Paula, Tracey, Christoph, Mike, John, Deon & Tim friends and family just from the Mill Park Running Group all did well. Tim, as one of the few who were doing their second Ironman, had cut an hour of last years time. Then there were all our Achilles running friends. Paul was the very last man to make the cycle cut off and who wanted to bail. But he had me to contend with and I “forced” him to at least attempt the run. He did and finished! There was Dominique who had told us all how she hated running and walked the entire 42kay in a bit over 5 hours. There was Viv Francis who I have not seen for ages. I was able to run for a few kays with him on the final lap. He also finished the event. Too many people to name but so many heroes. Emotions were high. Spirits were high. What a day!
I had driven Gerrit home. He had hardly got home when the phone started to ring. It was his wife, friends and family from Belgium. They had rented a café and purchased a barrel of beer. It seems that they partied to 5.00am the next day. He also had reporters phoning him at that time. It was clear that he was a national hero back home. In fact from that time onwards, Gerrit could hardly walk anywhere without being stopped for a congratulations, a photo or an autograph.
Monday morning I was too tired to run but Stuart saw me at my desk early in the morning and asked to meet Gerrit later. So when I was able to get a break from work I phoned him, Mike and Tim and we spent some time chatting to him. I also phoned the Algoa radio station and they had an exclusive interview with Gerrit. Later in the day there was a plethora of reporters both on the phone and at our home with interviews and more photo’s. That evening was the gala awards dinner. We went along with Gerrit as his guests. It was great to be together with the people who he had got to know
Many people received awards and recognition that evening. And rightly so. They had achieved what most of us wish for. To be an Ironman! Tracey and Davera were both on the podium as age category winners as was Viv Francis. Standing ovations were accorded to many of these amazing athletes. Finally it was the turn of the winner to be recognized. Gerrit made a great speech where he acknowledged the support that he had received, the organisation and more important to us he acknowledged the table where his new friends were sitting.
The evening was spent with all kinds of admirers chatting to Gerrit, having Photographs taken & books signed. We left at about 11.00pm as I need to be home early. I had planned to go Kloofing in the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma region on Tuesday morning. Tuesday was a holiday.
Fred picked me up just before 6am and we met Mike, Andy, Darryl, Mark & Matthew and set off at about 06.30. We went down in Fred’s Combi. We drove to Natures Valley where we met up with Wayne who was camping there. Interestingly, we had seen a bushbuck crossing the main road near to the Blaukrans River. We left the Combi there and Wayne drove us back to the Highway and the Groot Rivier Bridge on the N2 (just a little West of the Tollgate). He dropped us there at 08.30 and we immediately started our climb down the cliff side. I was wearing an old pair of sandals. These looked like they were going to fall apart. I must remember to wear genuine Rockies the next time I do this type of hike.
Mike seems to be able to find his way wherever we are and soon we were at a cliff face that seemed impossible to descend. But he showed us some webbing that had been left there and we used that to climb down this section. Then it was down to the river. It had been raining quite a bit recently and so the river was flowing fast. The first obstacle was to get into the water. Mike used some rope and we climbed onto a ledge. We had to leap into the water from here. The last time I had been Kloofing with Mike I had been terrified. Now I was determined to overcome this fear and without hesitation jumped. No trouble!
When you go Kloofing, you take a daypack with a few provisions, emergency stuff and something warm to wear. All of this has to be very well double wrapped in plastic bags otherwise everything is saturated and the weight of the backpack becomes unbearable. A wetsuit is a must as the water becomes so cold when you are in the river for long periods. I was wearing Nicci’s small wetsuit. And although I did get cold, it was adequate for the day. The river was very full and we spent most of the day swimming. Mostly I swam on my back, facing upstream, with the pack strapped on securely. There is a lot of buoyancy in the pack and with the water flowing strongly we moved at a good pace. Whenever we got to a rapid I would move into the “cocktail” position and rush down the rapid in what Mike calls a “Bumslide”. What an experience each rapid was. Better that a whole day at the superslides.
As the day wore on we were treated to all kinds of visual experiences: seeing the underside of the Groot Rivier Bridge, Cliff faces and rock formations that were absolutely awesome. We even swam through the spray of a waterfall. At one time the gorge was so narrow that we could almost reach to either side of the cliff face with outstretched arms. It was a tough day in the cold water with long swims, smooth rocks to walk on, heavy packs full of water and very little time to dry out. My backpack is made of some special material that is waterproof. Great if it is raining but it retains the water and I battled to stand up every time we had to walk through a rapid.
We stopped twice for something to eat. I had prepared some ham sandwiches, which I really enjoyed at the first stop but by the time we got to the second stop everything was wet. I also had a Power Gel, which helped me get through the last few hours. Towards the end of the day we were cramping, had sore backs, sore bums, hands were bruised and quite a few cuts and grazes. Eventually we were able to start walking. The walk was probably about 30 minutes and we finished back at camp at Nature’s Valley at 15.00. Of the total of six and a half-hours, we had been in the water for about five hours.
Nature’s Valley has a wonderful shower facility for campers and we made good use of them. Mike and I also saw a second bushbuck in the camp. On our way home we again stopped at the Storms River Bridge and were home before 6.00pm. Thank you Mike for organising a great day. This is a treat that only a very few people ever get to experience. My opinion is that you should be reasonably fit before attempting this. Also know that you are going to have a tough day where all kinds of things are possible. Nothing is certain. This is, by definition, “an adventure”. The activity and the outcome has to be experienced to appreciate what Kloofing is all about. There are no spectators, no awards, no medal and no T-Shirt. But what there is, is a memory that cannot be erased. Sunday had belonged to Ironman but today we were “watermen”! I was stiff and sore when I arrived home but had a good little sleep at the back of the Combi.
This morning Barbara & Suzanne had taken Gerrit to the airport where he had bought them breakfast. He was again swamped by well wishers and left for Belgium at 13.00. He would fly to Johannesburg, London and then home. We anticipated that he would receive a heroes welcome in Brussels and he told us how there were more press conferences and parties planned.
Peter Giddy
22.03.2006.
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