RHODES MARATHON
17 JULY 2004.
I entered this race as soon as I received the entry form. I had so enjoyed the race last year that I decided that it was a must for the 2004. Also if I finished, I was due to earn a permanent number. Rhodes is a 52km event that takes the runner through some of the toughest marathon running conditions including possible snow and extreme cold. Much of the running is along farm roads and about 8km is through farmlands. The route goes past the only ski resort in SA … Tiffandel. The race organisers allow a certain number of runners as seconding and evacuation could prove difficult if conditions deteriorated suddenly. So entry is by invitation only.
Running with Tim, I talked to him about the race and he asked that I look out for a number for him. Well as it turned out, both Kobus and Andy were not running and so Tim and Graham took their numbers.
Knysna Forest marathon is Grahams race that he does annually and both Tim and I had also ran Knysna last year so decided to do it again. So it was that the three of us ran both events.
I had just returned from the Fish River Canyon hike in Namibia and so was well rested from running for the Forest and managed a 4H.06 which was my fastest marathon in years. Stuart, Tim and Graham came in a few minutes later. Tim with Justin.
Rhodes
We left for Rhodes in two cars with Pat and Gerald in Tim’s car and we had Alli and Jessie. We left at 05.00 on Friday morning. We took our time with plenty of stops. Our breakfast stop was at the top of the Nico Malan pass about 40kays from Fort Beaufort. Here we had a picnic while the children played barefoot breaking ice in the parking area. Jessica was a little car sick as this was the furthest that she had ever travelled in a car and the first time away from her parents. From there we went past Queenstown, Dordrecht and Elliot. We seemed to split up on the Barclay pass where Gerald told Tim to turn. Big mistake (which we had made the previous year and had two punctures as reward)! Anyway they went through safely as did Basil and Yolande later on that evening. Barbara and I took the road to Barclay East and stopped on the way to Rhodes to visit Dennis aned Melony Giddy at Kelvin Grove. Dennis was suffering with flu and was not in the mood for visitors. We regrouped at Rhodes at about 14.00 making the trip a 9 hour drive. We settled into the Pastorie together with the rest of the runners and supporters. Doortjie from Sedgefield had driven from Bloemfontein (4 hours) and Graham from EL. They arrived a little later. Gerald, Pat and Doortjie were booked into accommodation about a Kay from the village. Peter and Barbara were in the stoep again and after Brian arranged a dressing table and chair and we set up the beds to suit ourselves we were quite content and immediately booked the room for 2005. Tim and Sue had the room next to the dining room. This turned out to be a bad choice as the occupants of this room are unable to have a good nights rest until the last of the late nighters have left the Kitchen. What we suggest for future is that those who are likely to be going to bed later than the Woosies like me should have this room and that the early to bed group should have the rooms in the passageway.
We registered and went back to the house for supper which consisted (to the envy of many in the house) of Macaroni Cheese supplied by Baubie and Bean soup made by Tim. After this we enjoyed coffee and the banana muffins which Baubie had given to Graham to bring along. We were not going to be hungry this weekend!
In the house this year were: Brian, Danielle, Briden, Craig and Sharon, Peter, Barbara, Alli and Jessica; Graham; Tim and Sue; Kay, Basil and Yolande; Duane from Despatch; Marie Louise; Andrew; Theresa and Savanna,; Casie. Martin and Kommein. 19 Adults and three children. Also as semi permanent members were Gerald, Pat, Doortjie, Lewellan and son (Jerrad?). This group of youngsters seemed to have a great time together and I am sure are already looking forward to meeting up again at the 2005 event.
Saturday Morning;
This morning we set alarms for 06.00am. Some even showered before the race. Brian checked the temp. Minus 6 and declared this to be a warm morning as last year it had registered minus 10. He cautioned us that the temp tended to drop even further around dawn. We enjoyed various forms of breakfast including Baubie’s bran muffins and coffee. At 5 to 7 were gathered outside for the compulsory Photo shoots. Then to the start we went in various levels of attire. Gerald was weighed down with the following: Thermal underpants and vest, Moffie pants, Two pairs of socks, I thinks about three more layers of tops, two pairs of gloves and a Beanie. Then came Graham with an array of hi-tech running gear that weighed an ounce but was destined to keep him warm. Tim and I went for shorts, a short sleeve & long sleeve T-shirt, Gloves and Beanie. The race started off to what seemed to be a false start with the gun going off after we left, No one was about to turn round and go back to restart.
The first impression of this race is that I would never survive. It was simply too cold. My nose ached from the cold. Today my nose did not stop running at all. My feet felt as though I had forgotten to include my toes when I put on my running shoes. I was cold cold cold. And if the comments that I was hearing from others around me was anything to go by; so was everyone else. Tim in particular complained of aching hands and fingertips. But as we all know we warm up pretty soon after the start especially when the sun came up. The first 14kays saw the team stick together. We even made sure that we were photographed together as proof. This section of gravel farm roads took us 90 mins. Then we went into the farmlands. Across the streams and along the valley that leads to the Mavis Bank hill. It was about here we met Rowland van der Merwe from Irene club in Pretoia and who invited Graham to contact him when he moved there. This section of the run is 7 to 8 kays of tough tracks, rocks, grass tufts. Up hills and along the contours of the hillside along the river that flows in icy patches below us. It was here that I lost my footing (as did many others) and would have landed down in the river if Tim had not grabbed me. I had a grazed thigh and banged shin bone as evidence. The delay of me catching my breath was too much for Graham and Doortjie who used the opportunity to race on ahead. (at least that is my version of the events). That left Peter, Tim and Gerald to slog on to Mavis. Here a group of Priory schoolers had camped overnight and provided excellent seconding to the runners. They have to hike there the previous evening, carrying all the seconding foods, their tents and own food and equipment, feed the runners and then hike back to the farm road for a lift back to Rhodes. As runners we have to salute this group of youngsters and their hardy teachers. We reached the bottom of Mavis in Three hours and took a further 30 mins to reach the 21kay at the top of Mavis Bank.
By now Tim and I were a little ahead of Gerald who was taking an morning stroll with his hands behind his back up the hill. The Mavis Bank climb of about 800metres had completely drained all strength out of Peter and Tim. Graham had waited for us at the top. Doortjie had (heartlessly) gone on. Graham then pushed on as he was getting cold. Tim and Peter had a good breakfast of tea, Hot choc and sandwiches. By 10.40 Gerald reached the top and we pressed on together. But only a kay further on Gerald announced that he had a hamstring problem. By now Peter and Tim were tired of his winging so we decided to press on and leave him to die on his own.
The next 8 or 9 kays is mainly uphill to where Mr. Sephton waits for the runners at the highest point (26kays) to show the runners the Lesotho border and where pancakes with cinnamon were on offer. And then down to where the road forks off to Tiffandel. This section of 8kays had taken us a further 90 mins. So with about 22kays to go we had been running (with lots of walking) for about 5H.10.
By now we had picked up a chick from Pretoria (Rita). And between the three of us we decided that an 8hour run would be respectable. Rita was in a hurry to see if she could catch her wandering husband who had left her for dead. So we picked up the pace and continuously worked out how many minutes a kay we required to finish under 8 hours. We soon realised that our maths was not that good and that we could now aim for a sub 7H30. The amazing thing about this run is how you begin to recover as you descend.
On our way down the steep concrete section of road we came across a combi that had ambitiously thought that they could drive this road. Ha Ha! They were in the process of backing down to try to turn. We never found out if they made it. Foreigners! We reached the 42kay mark where David Goldberg was with his mother-in-law (Jessie Gush). David had run about a 5 hour race for a 24th position overall. Here we had a hasty reunion and pressed on. We also met a few of the Edgemead runners who graciously acknowledged Patrick Fear as a founder member. I had also met Rod Kent at Knysna the previous weekend. He asked me to pass on greetings to you Patrick. At about the 45 kay marker we saw a yellow and black apparition ahead of us which turned out to be a Graham. Red flag to a bull! Tim made a charge. Peter pressed on valiantly. And soon we caught him. We felt a little guilty for leaving comrade Rita. But the guilt was dissipated by the triumph of catching Graham. Graham announced that he was finished. We pretended to feel some compassion but were delighted! And off we went with a 7.15 now in sight. The last ten kays of this run is a vasbyt section. It is boring, undulating, dusty from the passing traffic and, as always at the end of a run, the kay markers seem to be spread further and further apart.
But when we got to the 3 kay to go seconding table we were completely surprised (and secretly delighted) to find Doortjie sitting looking very sorry for herself. We made a few feeble attempts to encourage her to keep up with us and pressed on to the intersection of what we called Govan Mbeki Avenue. And now with a little over a Kay to go and with spouses and children there to encourage us we pretended that we had been running all along, ran past them with heads held high and big smiles for the camera’s. Lewellan had also walked down the road to meet the arriving finishers. We finally finished in just under 7H20. Later on I had to explain to Justin that this was an entirely respectable time for this event.
After the run we walked down to the house to find a showered and relaxed Craig (who had already been for a horse ride after his wonderful race of about 4H35 and a 9th position overall) and Theresa who (it turned out later) was third vet. Duane had also come in by this time but was not there at the time. Tim and I were able to shower and use up as much of the Hot water as we could so that none of the others would be able to have hot showers.
Barbara had arranged for Alli and Jessica to go horse riding but I had no energy for anything and just sat. Tim did his good deed for the weekend and went for a walk with Sue. If any of you drive Target Kloof in the mornings you will know that walking with Sue is enough to tire that fittest of runners. They later met up at the Hotel. Lewellan told me that they were waiting for me but I had no energy for anything.
One by one the rest of the housemates came in. Doorthie, Graham, then the big Brian James bus of Basil, Casie, Kay & Andrew. Marie Louise had tired but finished her first Rhodes with about 15 mins to spare. Gerald had done about 8H06 and he was first G/Master and gold medallist. Peter, Kay and Martin received permanent number status.
At this stage a number of the group went off to watch WP get beaten but some other weak team. What a let down after the high of the race.
Then it was supper time. Peter had prepared a Lasagne supper. A bit of a difference from the traditional Curry and Rice but seemed to be enjoyed by those present. Others who went out to party had a good helping when they staggered in later. Again this evening we enjoyed the muffins that Baubie had made with our evening coffee.
Sunday morning.
We had decided to be on our way by 07.00 and so alarms were set for 06.00 and we were soon making a big noise as we pretended to be packing etc but were actually getting our revenge on those who had come in late and woken us up at midnight. He He He… Revenge is sweet!
Ice on the cars did not seem to bother the cars and we were packed and ready to go by 07.00. We had an easy drive back home with a long stop in Queenstown for breakfast. While we were there Graham phoned to say that he was already home. The drive home took us 8.30 to 9.00 hours.
It was a great weekend. And we are committed for 2005. Justin will also bee looking for a number so if you know of one please let him know. He will also ask to be included in the house. Tim intends to Ask Kobus for his number again. Graham is moving to Pretoria and so may not be able to make it again. Gerald has asked if he and Pat could be included in the Achilles house for 2005. Brian is moving to Durban as Danielle has accepted a transfer so he tells us that Craig will be taking over the management of the house for the next period.
Finally:
Well done to all who completed the 2004 Rhodes marathon. And a very special thank you to the organisers of the event. Especially to Evie who is the backbone of the whole event. See you next year.
Peter Giddy
18 July 2004.
pgiddy@hinet.co.za
082 550 3174
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Sunday, July 4, 2004
FISH RIVER CANYON HIKING TRAIL NAMIBIA JULY 2004
FISH RIVER CANYON
JULY 2004.
Peter & Barbara Giddy
Gerald and Pat Scheepers
Hannes & Jacqui Zeelie
Chris Thiart
Tony Boardman
Robin Holmes. (Hike Administrator)
James Malan (East London)
Dawn Kumm (East London)
Deryk Le Roux
This is planned to be a 9 day (Eight nights) outing including travel and time in the canyon. Cost R700pp and about R500 for Petrol. Plus Equipment, meals, provisions and souvenirs. I do not think that a well equipped hiker will have to spend no more than about R2000 for this outing. However to purchase a good backpack, sleeping bag, mattress, boots, stove etc may cost as much as R3000 to R5000. You will also need a valid passport and a certificate of fitness. A further certificate assuring the park that you will not litter has to be completed.
Day One. Friday 25th June 2004.
We left in two combis from PE at 03.00am on Friday 25th June 2004. We drove at a moderate speed of 110kmph and made 3 stops including a long breakfast in De Aar. Distances are about 250km to Graaf Reinett, 250km to De Aar, 250 to Prieska and a final 200 to Uppington. We overnight stopped at Die Eiland in Uppington. Shared three bungalows. Did some final shopping here, Supper at O’Hagan’s for R50pp.
Day Two.
Started off at 07.00am for the border post. The road from Graaf Reinett is the N10 right to Airamsvlei (About 130km) where the Border Post is located. Formalities here include completing a departure form; you need the registration number of trailers and cars as well as a declaration of all camera equipment, serial numbers etc and any other equipment such as binoculars that may be construed as imports. There is a charge of R180 per vehicle. Remember to have a pen for each person.
The drive between the SA and Namibian border posts is unusually long. About 5kays. From Airamsvlei to Karasburg is about 130km. Karasburg has a few filling stations and a well stocked Spar. From Karasburg there is a drive of 55km to a T-Junction. Once here it is a further 105km to Ai-Ais of which 60Kays is a dirt road. So the total distance from Uppington to Ai-Ais is about 430km. Do not take the Canyon turn off unless you are going directly to Hobas (the start of the Hike). The road to Ai-Ais is clearly marked and is a good quality dirt road. We reached Ai-Ais by 12.30pm. We booked into shared bungalows again. Here there is a further cost of about R20pp plus a vehicle fee to enter the reserve. This afternoon we made our final preparations, had a swim in the hot springs pool and made our way to the veranda where we watched the Springboks Play Wales. The final score was 53 to 18 with tries scored by Breyton Paulse, John Smith (the captain), Wayne Julies, Brent Russell and Bolla Conradie. With Wayne Peel and Shane Williams scoring at the last minute for Wales. Percy Montgomery had one of his better matches, scoring 8/9 attempts at goal. We had bought braai meat for this evening from Uppington and had ourselves a braai. Barbara & I saved left overs for the trail. It is possible to arrange for a Venture to take your party to Hobas at a cost of R60pp and a further R20pp from Hobas to the start of the hike in the Canyon. NB the Namibian $ is R1.00. It is not necessary to buy any of the local currency as Rands are welcomed.
Day Three (Sunday)
This morning we were up at 05.00am and on our way to Hobas by 06.00am. All 12 of us crammed in the combi with bags in the big trailer. The drive took us about an hour but when we got there we realised that Namibian time was now only 06.00am and the office opened at 07.00am Nam time. Namibia is one hour behind SA in winter. We still had to register the hike with names and ages of all participants. We had been advised of a possible way of getting our combi back to Ai-Ais. And asked for Vincent. He was summonsed and offered to take us to the start and the combi back to Ai-Ais for R100. The distance from Hobas camping site to the actual descent and start of the hike is between 10 to 13kays. Vincent would leave the Keys at reception. (In the end this worked out perfectly for us). While waiting for the office to open we realised that we had a flat tyre and I was surrounded by willing people who did the necessary. Thanks chaps!! Wrong jack and all! Well eventually we loaded (now 13 people) and were able to start the hike at 09.00am (SA Time … All times given from here on are SA time.). From the very start Dawn was going to have Knee problems and this meant that her hike was going to be the toughest of all! The descent took us about 2.30 hours. The weather was predicted to be cold and windy. This was true at the top of the canyon but as soon as we began the descent the weather improved and we were soon all in our matching shirts that we had embroidered especially for the hike. They were made of Dry-Fit material and minimised water retention. This kept us relatively dry while carrying backpacks.
Backpacks.
We had a variety of backpacks. From Hannes carrying a tent, self inflating mattresses and tinned food including luxuries such as Oysters (total weight of about 30kilograms) to Tony (the chair-man) and Chris not even carry mini stoves. They would survive on peanuts, raisins and energy bars. What was essential was to have a plastic ground sheet and some kind of mattress. A good sleeping bag was needed even though the temperatures in the evenings were mildly chilly. Early in the morning it seemed to grow colder. A tracksuit and Beanie with and additional warm top was adequate for the evenings. During the day we all wore shorts and the light T-Shirts. Most of us also needed a wide brimmed hat as the afternoon sun was quite fierce. The nature of the hike is that you walk in a Southerly direction meaning that the sun would tend to beat down on the back of your neck. I suggest one or two shorts and T-Shirts, Perhaps two pairs of thin and two pairs of thick socks. Don’t waste space in the bag with making a fashion statement. You will all be pretty smelly by day 5 however much you bath. Trail soap is essential. Remember: what you put into the river today you will drink tomorrow. I do not think that anyone used water-purifying tablets. They make the water taste terrible and you will need Game or Tang to cover the taste. And none of us needed Imodium. I like a few items of fruit and vegetables; they weigh more but are worth it to me. I also carried beers and Brandy (which I mix with Game when the beer is finished). Standard trail meals for us are: Snacker & Fruit for breakfast, Biscuits and Tuna or cheese for lunch. (We also had our left over steak rolls from the braai as Ai-Ais). And Supper consisted of Two Min noodles, Cup-a-soup, tuna or biltong mixed in with a chopped carrot. All boiled up together makes for a delicious and filling meal.
Day three continued.
Today (our first in the canyon) after the Descent we managed a total of about 3kays. The terrain is tough to cover any kind of distance, and the Canyon is at its deepest and should be enjoyed. We passed a group who had begun their descent the previous night. They were particularly slow and appeared unfit but in the end of the hike we only reached Ai-Ais about an hour before them. They would start earlier than us and walk to later. They used the coolest parts of the day to walk and meandered during the hotter part of the day. On this day we set up camp at about 15.00 in a sandy sheltered part of the canyon. The routine setting up of camp: Hannes would find a nook for the tent, build or create a Kitchen. I would set up an area for Barbara and Dawn to make it seem as cosy as possible when they got to camp. Some of the men would collect fire wood. Stoves would be lit and the evening meal cooked and eaten before sunset which was about 18.30. Happy hour was declared to be as soon as camp had been set up. However with limited stock this meant that the evening ration was soon consumed and the rest of the evening would be sitting around the campfire, chatting. Some of us were asleep as early as 20.00. The Full Moon meant that the campsite would be lit as if with an overhead spotlight and there was no stargazing until about 04.00am the next morning.
Day Four.
Today we began our trek to Palm Springs at about 08.00am. It was to be a long day filled with boulder clambering and river crossings. The river was flowing well and so water was never a problem. Just being able to consume enough water would be difficult as we had no idea quite how much we were losing in perspiration and heavy breathing. You can measure if you are drinking enough water by how often you have to urinate and the colour of your urine. Too dark means you are not drinking adequate water. Lunch time was brief; there was a following breeze and plenty of shade this early in the hike. The cliff sides are close to you and provide a cool area to walk for most of the day. We reached Sulphur springs again at about 15.00H and the men had first option in the hot bath with ladies following a little later. A group of 25 Welkom hikers joined us, the last of their group arriving after dark by torchlight. They had begun their hike at 16.00H the previous day and only managed to start from the base of the descent that morning. This meant a very long day for them to reach Sulphur Springs on one day. I personally found the hottest part of the day to be between about 14.00 to 16.00H. The sun is low and unless you are in shade the heat and glare is relentless. Palm Springs is about 15kays into the hike.
Day Five
This was now our third day in the canyon. The slower of us left Palm Springs at 07.00am as we anticipated a long day. From today we began to speed up the pace considerably and were able to take advantage of the river bends always taking the inside lane or as golfers say the “Tiger Line”. Often the path is clear, even and you are able to set a fast pace. But soon the boulders and river crossings catch up with you and the pace slows down again. You are soon able to look back and see Table Mountain in the next valley. We made our lunch stop soon after Table Mountain and had a nice long stop with stoves being brought out and all of us taking off our boots and having a swim of some sort. The water in the river is usually very cold, but does wonders for sore muscles. The part that seemed to be hurting all of us was the tops of our thighs. Of course feet are also tired after a morning of walking with a big pack. Boots are essential. I say again: essential! The last time I hiked this trail in an old pair of Saucony’s. I really don’t know how I did it. James had left his boots at home and his Tackies lasted only to the third day before completely falling apart. At lunch we decided that the fast men would go ahead and scout for a suitable campsite. The rest of us struggled over the “boulder crossing” before coming to the area known as “sand against the slope”. This is on the left hand side of the river and you need to move across to the left hand side for the easiest passage. We (wrongly) chose the shadier right hand side and were soon confronted with a tough boulder section to work our way through. We then come to Vasbyt Bend. We were fortunate that this was in the shade, so although long this was a relatively flat and easy section. As we neared the end of the bend, Tony had come back to make sure that we went over the ridge and we were at our evening campsite. Today we had covered 20 to 25kays and reached the camp only at 17.00. It was to be our longest day but by reaching the end of Vasbyt Bend we had broken the back of the hike. We were able to find good sites near to water and again had our campfire and sundowners to cheer us all up.
Day Six
Our Fourth day in the Canyon. Today we began at 08.00am. The faster men were beginning to find the pace too slow and so soon passed us at a racing speed. Robin realised that he would be no match for Tony, Chris and James. Hannes had been told by Jacqui that today he would be waking at her pace. Soon after the day began we came to the first official shortcut. Look out for the dense thorn bushes. Make sure that you are on the Right hand side of the river and look out for a steep climb up a cliff side. This is tough but short. There after the going is easy. Always fill water bottles before starting a short cut as they may be open and hot. The fourth day is riddled with short cuts. Remember to fill with water every time you reach the river. We lunched at the German Grave. Here we made a mistake of saying that we would allow the three men to go ahead and that we would meet them again at about 16.00H. Well we took it slow and reached the Causeway at about 14.00H. The first few at the causeway met a group of people who were going to be starting their 22 hike in a few days. They were in their 4X4’s and going to put out provisions. I have heard that it is possible to hide some provisions and beers for the final night but I think that you need a 4X4 vehicle to reach this spot. I have not had personal experience of this. This group of hikers were so friendly that they even gave us a few beers and cokes from their own stock. We also found a few men there who said that they were waiting for someone in a party that was still coming. In the end it turned out that they too had beers to sell (R6 for a Coke and R7 for a Beer) and sold us a few for our last night. Coke and beer on the last night of a 5 day hike has never happened to me before. Here there is a road and you pass a hut. Soon after the hut is an arrow pointing to the left. If you take this path you will come to a suitable camp site. We did not and walked up over the road straight on along the official path and ended up on a wide beach. This is where I had camped the last time I hiked the canyon so I knew that we had gone far enough for the fourth day and would have an easy last day. What we also discovered was an unmarked shortcut. So we camped at the base of this shortcut which would leave us about 12kays for the last day. Today we had covered about 20 to 25kays again. Do not let distances worry you especially early in the hike when there seems to be huge distances ahead. Even the unfittest in our group made the 5day hike comfortably within the 5 days. This turned out to be a perfect campsite and we were all able to have a bath and enjoy the beer! The problem was that the three men had gone on and found a campsite about 3kays further downriver. Hannes and Gerald went on to find them and tell them of our stock of beers. They came back for the beer but had decided to stay where they were. And so the group was split for the last evening.
Day Seven
Our Fifth and final day in the canyon. From where we had camped we went straight into the shortcut. On the other side of this path you need to stay left as going too far over to the right means having to double back to cross the river. Fools gold corner takes you to a bend or shortcut. This is fairly long. As you start this short cut stay on the left hand pathway, it will lead you back to the river and you will soon see the water pipes running on the left hand side of the river. When you see these you are nearly home. Today we had started at 08.00am and finished back at Ai-Ais at 13.30. My advice at this stage is that this is a reasonably tough hike. Do not undertake it lightly! It is advisable to have at least one in the group who has completed this hike before. At Ai-Ais the men were there waiting for us. It was here that we found out that they had had their beers the previous evening and then decided to walk in to Ai-Ais in the dark. The Moon assisted them but they missed some of the easier paths and the shortcut. They had to walk with one torch only as the second torch was useless as it reflected the dust off the boots in front. They had reached camp at 23.30H the previous evening and slept in the camp. The rest of the afternoon was spent washing, setting up for the next two days of travel and lazing in the hot water springs. My combi was safe and I was able to have the flat repaired. There is also a filling station in the camp. That evening we had a supper in the restaurant. During supper we had an awards ceremony and found that tired bodies were happy to head off to bed by 22.00H.
Day Eight
We left Ai-Ais at 06.00 and reached Uppington by 11.00. Instead of going into Uppington we went straight off to Augrabies to see the famous falls. Toady the flow of water through the Orange River was 23000 litres per second. Don’t fall in here as there is no chance of survival! After a short viewing walk we had some toasted sandwiches and headed off for one of the wine Farms at Kakamas. For a fee of R5 we enjoyed their wines and ended up with quite a sizeable collection in the combis. Robin really took advantage of the tour. It seems that he really enjoys good wines! I was later to find out that the prices that we paid for some excellent wines were about a half to two thirds of the price in the local supermarkets. This evening we went back to O’Hagan’s where we had enjoyed good food at good prices a few days earlier and found the same greeted us that evening. This was to be our last time together as a team.
Day Nine
Saturday 3 July 2004. We left at 03.00H and had brief stops along the way which enabled us to get to PE by 13.30H. The road we took was again: Prieska, De Aar, Graaf Reinett and home. Another time I would try the route to the West Coast Road crossing the border to Namibia at Vioolsdrif for either the up or home stretch.
Peter Giddy. Sunday 4th July 2004.
JULY 2004.
Peter & Barbara Giddy
Gerald and Pat Scheepers
Hannes & Jacqui Zeelie
Chris Thiart
Tony Boardman
Robin Holmes. (Hike Administrator)
James Malan (East London)
Dawn Kumm (East London)
Deryk Le Roux
This is planned to be a 9 day (Eight nights) outing including travel and time in the canyon. Cost R700pp and about R500 for Petrol. Plus Equipment, meals, provisions and souvenirs. I do not think that a well equipped hiker will have to spend no more than about R2000 for this outing. However to purchase a good backpack, sleeping bag, mattress, boots, stove etc may cost as much as R3000 to R5000. You will also need a valid passport and a certificate of fitness. A further certificate assuring the park that you will not litter has to be completed.
Day One. Friday 25th June 2004.
We left in two combis from PE at 03.00am on Friday 25th June 2004. We drove at a moderate speed of 110kmph and made 3 stops including a long breakfast in De Aar. Distances are about 250km to Graaf Reinett, 250km to De Aar, 250 to Prieska and a final 200 to Uppington. We overnight stopped at Die Eiland in Uppington. Shared three bungalows. Did some final shopping here, Supper at O’Hagan’s for R50pp.
Day Two.
Started off at 07.00am for the border post. The road from Graaf Reinett is the N10 right to Airamsvlei (About 130km) where the Border Post is located. Formalities here include completing a departure form; you need the registration number of trailers and cars as well as a declaration of all camera equipment, serial numbers etc and any other equipment such as binoculars that may be construed as imports. There is a charge of R180 per vehicle. Remember to have a pen for each person.
The drive between the SA and Namibian border posts is unusually long. About 5kays. From Airamsvlei to Karasburg is about 130km. Karasburg has a few filling stations and a well stocked Spar. From Karasburg there is a drive of 55km to a T-Junction. Once here it is a further 105km to Ai-Ais of which 60Kays is a dirt road. So the total distance from Uppington to Ai-Ais is about 430km. Do not take the Canyon turn off unless you are going directly to Hobas (the start of the Hike). The road to Ai-Ais is clearly marked and is a good quality dirt road. We reached Ai-Ais by 12.30pm. We booked into shared bungalows again. Here there is a further cost of about R20pp plus a vehicle fee to enter the reserve. This afternoon we made our final preparations, had a swim in the hot springs pool and made our way to the veranda where we watched the Springboks Play Wales. The final score was 53 to 18 with tries scored by Breyton Paulse, John Smith (the captain), Wayne Julies, Brent Russell and Bolla Conradie. With Wayne Peel and Shane Williams scoring at the last minute for Wales. Percy Montgomery had one of his better matches, scoring 8/9 attempts at goal. We had bought braai meat for this evening from Uppington and had ourselves a braai. Barbara & I saved left overs for the trail. It is possible to arrange for a Venture to take your party to Hobas at a cost of R60pp and a further R20pp from Hobas to the start of the hike in the Canyon. NB the Namibian $ is R1.00. It is not necessary to buy any of the local currency as Rands are welcomed.
Day Three (Sunday)
This morning we were up at 05.00am and on our way to Hobas by 06.00am. All 12 of us crammed in the combi with bags in the big trailer. The drive took us about an hour but when we got there we realised that Namibian time was now only 06.00am and the office opened at 07.00am Nam time. Namibia is one hour behind SA in winter. We still had to register the hike with names and ages of all participants. We had been advised of a possible way of getting our combi back to Ai-Ais. And asked for Vincent. He was summonsed and offered to take us to the start and the combi back to Ai-Ais for R100. The distance from Hobas camping site to the actual descent and start of the hike is between 10 to 13kays. Vincent would leave the Keys at reception. (In the end this worked out perfectly for us). While waiting for the office to open we realised that we had a flat tyre and I was surrounded by willing people who did the necessary. Thanks chaps!! Wrong jack and all! Well eventually we loaded (now 13 people) and were able to start the hike at 09.00am (SA Time … All times given from here on are SA time.). From the very start Dawn was going to have Knee problems and this meant that her hike was going to be the toughest of all! The descent took us about 2.30 hours. The weather was predicted to be cold and windy. This was true at the top of the canyon but as soon as we began the descent the weather improved and we were soon all in our matching shirts that we had embroidered especially for the hike. They were made of Dry-Fit material and minimised water retention. This kept us relatively dry while carrying backpacks.
Backpacks.
We had a variety of backpacks. From Hannes carrying a tent, self inflating mattresses and tinned food including luxuries such as Oysters (total weight of about 30kilograms) to Tony (the chair-man) and Chris not even carry mini stoves. They would survive on peanuts, raisins and energy bars. What was essential was to have a plastic ground sheet and some kind of mattress. A good sleeping bag was needed even though the temperatures in the evenings were mildly chilly. Early in the morning it seemed to grow colder. A tracksuit and Beanie with and additional warm top was adequate for the evenings. During the day we all wore shorts and the light T-Shirts. Most of us also needed a wide brimmed hat as the afternoon sun was quite fierce. The nature of the hike is that you walk in a Southerly direction meaning that the sun would tend to beat down on the back of your neck. I suggest one or two shorts and T-Shirts, Perhaps two pairs of thin and two pairs of thick socks. Don’t waste space in the bag with making a fashion statement. You will all be pretty smelly by day 5 however much you bath. Trail soap is essential. Remember: what you put into the river today you will drink tomorrow. I do not think that anyone used water-purifying tablets. They make the water taste terrible and you will need Game or Tang to cover the taste. And none of us needed Imodium. I like a few items of fruit and vegetables; they weigh more but are worth it to me. I also carried beers and Brandy (which I mix with Game when the beer is finished). Standard trail meals for us are: Snacker & Fruit for breakfast, Biscuits and Tuna or cheese for lunch. (We also had our left over steak rolls from the braai as Ai-Ais). And Supper consisted of Two Min noodles, Cup-a-soup, tuna or biltong mixed in with a chopped carrot. All boiled up together makes for a delicious and filling meal.
Day three continued.
Today (our first in the canyon) after the Descent we managed a total of about 3kays. The terrain is tough to cover any kind of distance, and the Canyon is at its deepest and should be enjoyed. We passed a group who had begun their descent the previous night. They were particularly slow and appeared unfit but in the end of the hike we only reached Ai-Ais about an hour before them. They would start earlier than us and walk to later. They used the coolest parts of the day to walk and meandered during the hotter part of the day. On this day we set up camp at about 15.00 in a sandy sheltered part of the canyon. The routine setting up of camp: Hannes would find a nook for the tent, build or create a Kitchen. I would set up an area for Barbara and Dawn to make it seem as cosy as possible when they got to camp. Some of the men would collect fire wood. Stoves would be lit and the evening meal cooked and eaten before sunset which was about 18.30. Happy hour was declared to be as soon as camp had been set up. However with limited stock this meant that the evening ration was soon consumed and the rest of the evening would be sitting around the campfire, chatting. Some of us were asleep as early as 20.00. The Full Moon meant that the campsite would be lit as if with an overhead spotlight and there was no stargazing until about 04.00am the next morning.
Day Four.
Today we began our trek to Palm Springs at about 08.00am. It was to be a long day filled with boulder clambering and river crossings. The river was flowing well and so water was never a problem. Just being able to consume enough water would be difficult as we had no idea quite how much we were losing in perspiration and heavy breathing. You can measure if you are drinking enough water by how often you have to urinate and the colour of your urine. Too dark means you are not drinking adequate water. Lunch time was brief; there was a following breeze and plenty of shade this early in the hike. The cliff sides are close to you and provide a cool area to walk for most of the day. We reached Sulphur springs again at about 15.00H and the men had first option in the hot bath with ladies following a little later. A group of 25 Welkom hikers joined us, the last of their group arriving after dark by torchlight. They had begun their hike at 16.00H the previous day and only managed to start from the base of the descent that morning. This meant a very long day for them to reach Sulphur Springs on one day. I personally found the hottest part of the day to be between about 14.00 to 16.00H. The sun is low and unless you are in shade the heat and glare is relentless. Palm Springs is about 15kays into the hike.
Day Five
This was now our third day in the canyon. The slower of us left Palm Springs at 07.00am as we anticipated a long day. From today we began to speed up the pace considerably and were able to take advantage of the river bends always taking the inside lane or as golfers say the “Tiger Line”. Often the path is clear, even and you are able to set a fast pace. But soon the boulders and river crossings catch up with you and the pace slows down again. You are soon able to look back and see Table Mountain in the next valley. We made our lunch stop soon after Table Mountain and had a nice long stop with stoves being brought out and all of us taking off our boots and having a swim of some sort. The water in the river is usually very cold, but does wonders for sore muscles. The part that seemed to be hurting all of us was the tops of our thighs. Of course feet are also tired after a morning of walking with a big pack. Boots are essential. I say again: essential! The last time I hiked this trail in an old pair of Saucony’s. I really don’t know how I did it. James had left his boots at home and his Tackies lasted only to the third day before completely falling apart. At lunch we decided that the fast men would go ahead and scout for a suitable campsite. The rest of us struggled over the “boulder crossing” before coming to the area known as “sand against the slope”. This is on the left hand side of the river and you need to move across to the left hand side for the easiest passage. We (wrongly) chose the shadier right hand side and were soon confronted with a tough boulder section to work our way through. We then come to Vasbyt Bend. We were fortunate that this was in the shade, so although long this was a relatively flat and easy section. As we neared the end of the bend, Tony had come back to make sure that we went over the ridge and we were at our evening campsite. Today we had covered 20 to 25kays and reached the camp only at 17.00. It was to be our longest day but by reaching the end of Vasbyt Bend we had broken the back of the hike. We were able to find good sites near to water and again had our campfire and sundowners to cheer us all up.
Day Six
Our Fourth day in the Canyon. Today we began at 08.00am. The faster men were beginning to find the pace too slow and so soon passed us at a racing speed. Robin realised that he would be no match for Tony, Chris and James. Hannes had been told by Jacqui that today he would be waking at her pace. Soon after the day began we came to the first official shortcut. Look out for the dense thorn bushes. Make sure that you are on the Right hand side of the river and look out for a steep climb up a cliff side. This is tough but short. There after the going is easy. Always fill water bottles before starting a short cut as they may be open and hot. The fourth day is riddled with short cuts. Remember to fill with water every time you reach the river. We lunched at the German Grave. Here we made a mistake of saying that we would allow the three men to go ahead and that we would meet them again at about 16.00H. Well we took it slow and reached the Causeway at about 14.00H. The first few at the causeway met a group of people who were going to be starting their 22 hike in a few days. They were in their 4X4’s and going to put out provisions. I have heard that it is possible to hide some provisions and beers for the final night but I think that you need a 4X4 vehicle to reach this spot. I have not had personal experience of this. This group of hikers were so friendly that they even gave us a few beers and cokes from their own stock. We also found a few men there who said that they were waiting for someone in a party that was still coming. In the end it turned out that they too had beers to sell (R6 for a Coke and R7 for a Beer) and sold us a few for our last night. Coke and beer on the last night of a 5 day hike has never happened to me before. Here there is a road and you pass a hut. Soon after the hut is an arrow pointing to the left. If you take this path you will come to a suitable camp site. We did not and walked up over the road straight on along the official path and ended up on a wide beach. This is where I had camped the last time I hiked the canyon so I knew that we had gone far enough for the fourth day and would have an easy last day. What we also discovered was an unmarked shortcut. So we camped at the base of this shortcut which would leave us about 12kays for the last day. Today we had covered about 20 to 25kays again. Do not let distances worry you especially early in the hike when there seems to be huge distances ahead. Even the unfittest in our group made the 5day hike comfortably within the 5 days. This turned out to be a perfect campsite and we were all able to have a bath and enjoy the beer! The problem was that the three men had gone on and found a campsite about 3kays further downriver. Hannes and Gerald went on to find them and tell them of our stock of beers. They came back for the beer but had decided to stay where they were. And so the group was split for the last evening.
Day Seven
Our Fifth and final day in the canyon. From where we had camped we went straight into the shortcut. On the other side of this path you need to stay left as going too far over to the right means having to double back to cross the river. Fools gold corner takes you to a bend or shortcut. This is fairly long. As you start this short cut stay on the left hand pathway, it will lead you back to the river and you will soon see the water pipes running on the left hand side of the river. When you see these you are nearly home. Today we had started at 08.00am and finished back at Ai-Ais at 13.30. My advice at this stage is that this is a reasonably tough hike. Do not undertake it lightly! It is advisable to have at least one in the group who has completed this hike before. At Ai-Ais the men were there waiting for us. It was here that we found out that they had had their beers the previous evening and then decided to walk in to Ai-Ais in the dark. The Moon assisted them but they missed some of the easier paths and the shortcut. They had to walk with one torch only as the second torch was useless as it reflected the dust off the boots in front. They had reached camp at 23.30H the previous evening and slept in the camp. The rest of the afternoon was spent washing, setting up for the next two days of travel and lazing in the hot water springs. My combi was safe and I was able to have the flat repaired. There is also a filling station in the camp. That evening we had a supper in the restaurant. During supper we had an awards ceremony and found that tired bodies were happy to head off to bed by 22.00H.
Day Eight
We left Ai-Ais at 06.00 and reached Uppington by 11.00. Instead of going into Uppington we went straight off to Augrabies to see the famous falls. Toady the flow of water through the Orange River was 23000 litres per second. Don’t fall in here as there is no chance of survival! After a short viewing walk we had some toasted sandwiches and headed off for one of the wine Farms at Kakamas. For a fee of R5 we enjoyed their wines and ended up with quite a sizeable collection in the combis. Robin really took advantage of the tour. It seems that he really enjoys good wines! I was later to find out that the prices that we paid for some excellent wines were about a half to two thirds of the price in the local supermarkets. This evening we went back to O’Hagan’s where we had enjoyed good food at good prices a few days earlier and found the same greeted us that evening. This was to be our last time together as a team.
Day Nine
Saturday 3 July 2004. We left at 03.00H and had brief stops along the way which enabled us to get to PE by 13.30H. The road we took was again: Prieska, De Aar, Graaf Reinett and home. Another time I would try the route to the West Coast Road crossing the border to Namibia at Vioolsdrif for either the up or home stretch.
Peter Giddy. Sunday 4th July 2004.
Sunday, February 29, 2004
BAVIAANS KLOOF FEBRUARY 2004.
BAVIAANS KLOOF
TRIP OF 27. 28. & 29 FEBRUARY 2004.
This trip was set up by Trevor & Anita Jennings. They are experienced Baviaans and adventure explorers. Trevor called me about this trip during January this year and I had a reasonable memory of the drive through the Baviaans Kloof from the trip that we did two years ago on our way to the Orange River adventure. I said Yes, Include us!
Two weeks before the trip we gathered at Trevor and Anita’s house for a pre-Baviaans briefing and supper. It was only here that I realized who would be with us on the trip. A great group of people, mainly connected to the church. There was Lou, Barbara and their two daughters (Shanene, son in law Brain and family), Derrick and Linda, Rob and Trish & family, Hannes, Jacqui and family; John, Carol and family; Jacqui, Tindall and family; Rory and Joanne; Maxine, and ourselves. It was going to be a terrific group of diverse people with the common ground of being Christians. I began to really look forward to the trip.
At this briefing, Trevor warned us of some of the problems that we might encounter: Baboons, Monkeys and Buffalo. In addition we talked about meal and other logistical arrangements. It was a good time to chat and get to know the group.
On the Friday 27th, I took a few days leave so that I would not be rushed. Alli had a party at the Supertube with one of her friends, Megan Oddy so we agreed that we would leave after this important function. The 27th is also Barbara’s birthday and she had a lunch planned with the girls. So while Barbara and Alli were out partying, I got stuck into packing and getting the grocery shopping ready.
We eventually picked Alli up at 14.30 and left town by about 15.00H.
The Road to the Baviaans Kloof from PE goes through Loerie, Hankey and Patensie. Shortly after Patensie (about 100kays from PE) the road becomes a dirt road. The first ten or so kays is acceptable but becomes rough as you enter the wilderness reserve. Alli did what she does best. Slept in the back. This allows Barbara & I to have a bit of a chat and take in the scenery instead of entertaining our beloved child.
One of the most amazing sights of the Kloof is the fact that this is a River bed from millions of years ago and you see the round stones of the ancient river embedded in the cliff face way above you as you drive past. Entering the Kloof is also a treat as you are able to see the cliff formation that was created by upheavals and eruptions of millions of years ago. Then there is also the river flowing just below. All of this makes for a very interesting drive.
After a short while the road becomes increasingly rough and you seem to be on a road made exclusively for four-wheel drive vehicles. The road begins to ascend up and up a narrow, winding track with little more space than one expects to find on a flat jeep track. There is certainly little place for two vehicles to pass each other and the road comprises rock and donga’s.
From the entrance to the Kloof there is about a 20 kay drive to the Rooi Hoek camping area where we were to meet the others. This section of road is incredibly scenic and needs to be taken slowly to be able to enjoy the splendour and majestic beauty of the reserve. Together with the enjoyment of the views and the terrible track that is wrongly called a road, the drive takes about 1and a half to 2 hours. Don’t miss the Red Hartebees that gather in herds on the first crest; also the beautiful stone walls so carefully built by the pioneer farmers of the region.
This is a dangerous road and should not be undertaken lightly nor is it advisable to start off late as it would be treacherous to drive in the dark. One should be prepared for a very slow drive to avoid damage to the vehicle or tyres as repairs would be very difficult and there is no cell phone reception except for the short area where the Red Hartebees herds are seen.
We took about three hours from PE to Rooi Hoek … a distance of about 150kays.
At Rooi Hoek we met with the group and found a site for the tent. We are reasonably experienced at setting up camp and were soon settled in with our stretchers, tables, cookers and eats. Being wary of the monkeys we packed all edibles away and went for a walk to the beach. However I left the tent for a few moments to try to see a pair of Fish Eagles that Barbara had spotted and in those few minutes the monkeys were in the tent, they opened the milk carton and stole some of Alli’s sweets. After this incident we were wiser and repacked all our provisions and even clothes in the combi. The beach is a stretch of river sand that puts the most white clean sand of the ocean beach to shame. The water was warm and refreshing and the children (and adults ) were soon wallowing in the water.
Some of the campers had inflatable mattresses and used the vehicle batteries to pump these up. The problem with this is that the car should be left running while this is being done otherwise this exercise tends to run the battery flat. Fortunately I had Jumper leads and we were able to start the vehicles.
Barbara went back to the tent to fetch something and shouted at us that there were again troops of monkeys and baboons in the tents. They were busy stealing anything that had a smell or that was soft such as the toiletries, toothpaste and tissues.
We had now learned that nothing is safe from these marauders and felt lucky to get away lightly with little of real consequence being stolen. I think that Trish was quite disgusted when she learned that a baboon had been chewing at her toothbrush!
The beach and swimming was delightful and it was only the call of hunger that lured us back to the camp. Hannes set up the fireplace and we soon had a roaring fire and drinks all round. The evening was perfect. We were a group of 18 adults and 14 children chatting and playing in the light of a fire in the wilderness. Is there more to life than this?
The coals settled and out came the meat and potatoes. And for some more organized people; there were salads and other delights.
I think that we were all pretty tired and the thought of a mattress and a tent was too inviting to be missed. The night was quite eventful as a dead tree situated not more that ten meters from our tent split in the middle of the trunk in the night. This prompted the monkeys in the tree next to our tent to leap onto the tent and the whole commotion woke me for a few milliseconds before I fell fast asleep again.
I was awake pretty early the next morning to the sound of the Zeelie boys chatting and shooting their catapults at the monkeys in the trees. I went down to the river and had myself a bath with the special (biodegradable) soap that can be used in rivers. When I got back Barbara was up and we soon had the hot water going and had ourselves hot chocolate and rusks for breakfast.
I had registered for a course on the new testament and we spent some of the morning doing our homework and readings. It is a very interesting course to do. The rest of the day was spent in the water, on the “rapids” with tubes, lazing on the beach & sleeping in the tents (which in our case became too hot as the trees did not shade us from the midday sun). Some of the group went on game drives and walks into the Kloof. Later that afternoon Lou took us for a short walk up to the ridge where there is a magnificent view of the valley below and we were able to see some Kudu and Baboons next to the river. We started the fire a bit earlier than the previous evening and soon a number of the group began to gather around the fire. It amazed me the amount of equipment that was taken into the Kloof; tables and chairs, fine wines and ice cold drinks together with an array of meat and eats made for a gourmet dinner around the fire again created by Hannes.
Happily, Derrick and Linda had come through that afternoon. Derrick had fallen ill the previous day and had not been up to the drive. It was so great to be there that evening. Listening to the fireside conversation and the screams of delight from the children as they told each other stories and played in the darkness by torchlight. The weekend was coming to an end as we began to discuss leaving times for the next day. It seemed that Anita wanted to get home it time for evening dinner and there were various opinions of other times that would be suitable. One of the great things of this weekend was that there were very few rules. It soon became evident that there were a number of very tired bodies; the sun and exercise had taken its toll. So it was off to bed and a far more peaceful nights rest.
The next morning started the same way for me with a bath in the river, coffee and rusks and a bit of study. But the rain began to fall and Barbara & I decided to leave early. It did not take us long to pack up and we were on our way home just before 09.00am. We said our goodbyes to some who looked like they too would leave fairly early and others who looked settled for the day. I personally was quite happy to leave early as I had marking and other preparation work to do for the week ahead.
We later heard that those who stayed on for a bit longer had some stories to tell. Like when Lou took the men for a long (three hour) walk into the bundu. These chaps were lucky enough to come across a herd of Eland within about 20 meters of when they were hiking. We also heard the story Rob who met up with a Fiat Multiplia high up in the kloof. It seems that there were 5 Italian tourists in the vehicle and that they had hit the sump plug out and lost all their oil. Fortunately a Landrover driver had been able to assist them out and pulled them out of the really treacherous section of the road and then back to Patensie.
We drove exceptionally slowly and took every rock and turn in the road very carefully and with great respect. The toughness of this road was again brought home to us as we lurched over and straddled across the rocks and ditches of the track. The slow drive is made worthwhile by the beauty of the views and valleys of the Kloof and the wonderful camping experience that we enjoyed at Rooi Hoek.
As we left the Kloof we passed a number of 4 X 4 vehicles, fortunately none where the road was really too narrow to accommodate two vehicles side by side. We made a stop in Patensie for breakfast. There is a delightful shop called Tollbos that is run by two local ladies. I had a Kudu pie while the others had more conventional meals of bacon and egg sandwiches. As we were leaving John and Carol arrived. I think also for a meal. The road along Patensie is tar but a real farm side road as the red soil of the fields gives the road additional colour. The citrus orchards are often lined with Poplar tress, bougainvillea and rose bushes. There is clearly a degree of pride in the area for the quality of the farmlands.
We were home by 13.00, unpacked and gave the combi a good wash. I was then able to do the homework that is essential for the week ahead.
Thanks to Trevor and Anita for setting this weekend up. I will recommend that anyone who receives an invitation to join the Jenning’s on one of their adventure trips to say yes immediately just in case your place is taken up while you procrastinate.
Peter, Barbara and Alli Giddy
29 February 2004.
TRIP OF 27. 28. & 29 FEBRUARY 2004.
This trip was set up by Trevor & Anita Jennings. They are experienced Baviaans and adventure explorers. Trevor called me about this trip during January this year and I had a reasonable memory of the drive through the Baviaans Kloof from the trip that we did two years ago on our way to the Orange River adventure. I said Yes, Include us!
Two weeks before the trip we gathered at Trevor and Anita’s house for a pre-Baviaans briefing and supper. It was only here that I realized who would be with us on the trip. A great group of people, mainly connected to the church. There was Lou, Barbara and their two daughters (Shanene, son in law Brain and family), Derrick and Linda, Rob and Trish & family, Hannes, Jacqui and family; John, Carol and family; Jacqui, Tindall and family; Rory and Joanne; Maxine, and ourselves. It was going to be a terrific group of diverse people with the common ground of being Christians. I began to really look forward to the trip.
At this briefing, Trevor warned us of some of the problems that we might encounter: Baboons, Monkeys and Buffalo. In addition we talked about meal and other logistical arrangements. It was a good time to chat and get to know the group.
On the Friday 27th, I took a few days leave so that I would not be rushed. Alli had a party at the Supertube with one of her friends, Megan Oddy so we agreed that we would leave after this important function. The 27th is also Barbara’s birthday and she had a lunch planned with the girls. So while Barbara and Alli were out partying, I got stuck into packing and getting the grocery shopping ready.
We eventually picked Alli up at 14.30 and left town by about 15.00H.
The Road to the Baviaans Kloof from PE goes through Loerie, Hankey and Patensie. Shortly after Patensie (about 100kays from PE) the road becomes a dirt road. The first ten or so kays is acceptable but becomes rough as you enter the wilderness reserve. Alli did what she does best. Slept in the back. This allows Barbara & I to have a bit of a chat and take in the scenery instead of entertaining our beloved child.
One of the most amazing sights of the Kloof is the fact that this is a River bed from millions of years ago and you see the round stones of the ancient river embedded in the cliff face way above you as you drive past. Entering the Kloof is also a treat as you are able to see the cliff formation that was created by upheavals and eruptions of millions of years ago. Then there is also the river flowing just below. All of this makes for a very interesting drive.
After a short while the road becomes increasingly rough and you seem to be on a road made exclusively for four-wheel drive vehicles. The road begins to ascend up and up a narrow, winding track with little more space than one expects to find on a flat jeep track. There is certainly little place for two vehicles to pass each other and the road comprises rock and donga’s.
From the entrance to the Kloof there is about a 20 kay drive to the Rooi Hoek camping area where we were to meet the others. This section of road is incredibly scenic and needs to be taken slowly to be able to enjoy the splendour and majestic beauty of the reserve. Together with the enjoyment of the views and the terrible track that is wrongly called a road, the drive takes about 1and a half to 2 hours. Don’t miss the Red Hartebees that gather in herds on the first crest; also the beautiful stone walls so carefully built by the pioneer farmers of the region.
This is a dangerous road and should not be undertaken lightly nor is it advisable to start off late as it would be treacherous to drive in the dark. One should be prepared for a very slow drive to avoid damage to the vehicle or tyres as repairs would be very difficult and there is no cell phone reception except for the short area where the Red Hartebees herds are seen.
We took about three hours from PE to Rooi Hoek … a distance of about 150kays.
At Rooi Hoek we met with the group and found a site for the tent. We are reasonably experienced at setting up camp and were soon settled in with our stretchers, tables, cookers and eats. Being wary of the monkeys we packed all edibles away and went for a walk to the beach. However I left the tent for a few moments to try to see a pair of Fish Eagles that Barbara had spotted and in those few minutes the monkeys were in the tent, they opened the milk carton and stole some of Alli’s sweets. After this incident we were wiser and repacked all our provisions and even clothes in the combi. The beach is a stretch of river sand that puts the most white clean sand of the ocean beach to shame. The water was warm and refreshing and the children (and adults ) were soon wallowing in the water.
Some of the campers had inflatable mattresses and used the vehicle batteries to pump these up. The problem with this is that the car should be left running while this is being done otherwise this exercise tends to run the battery flat. Fortunately I had Jumper leads and we were able to start the vehicles.
Barbara went back to the tent to fetch something and shouted at us that there were again troops of monkeys and baboons in the tents. They were busy stealing anything that had a smell or that was soft such as the toiletries, toothpaste and tissues.
We had now learned that nothing is safe from these marauders and felt lucky to get away lightly with little of real consequence being stolen. I think that Trish was quite disgusted when she learned that a baboon had been chewing at her toothbrush!
The beach and swimming was delightful and it was only the call of hunger that lured us back to the camp. Hannes set up the fireplace and we soon had a roaring fire and drinks all round. The evening was perfect. We were a group of 18 adults and 14 children chatting and playing in the light of a fire in the wilderness. Is there more to life than this?
The coals settled and out came the meat and potatoes. And for some more organized people; there were salads and other delights.
I think that we were all pretty tired and the thought of a mattress and a tent was too inviting to be missed. The night was quite eventful as a dead tree situated not more that ten meters from our tent split in the middle of the trunk in the night. This prompted the monkeys in the tree next to our tent to leap onto the tent and the whole commotion woke me for a few milliseconds before I fell fast asleep again.
I was awake pretty early the next morning to the sound of the Zeelie boys chatting and shooting their catapults at the monkeys in the trees. I went down to the river and had myself a bath with the special (biodegradable) soap that can be used in rivers. When I got back Barbara was up and we soon had the hot water going and had ourselves hot chocolate and rusks for breakfast.
I had registered for a course on the new testament and we spent some of the morning doing our homework and readings. It is a very interesting course to do. The rest of the day was spent in the water, on the “rapids” with tubes, lazing on the beach & sleeping in the tents (which in our case became too hot as the trees did not shade us from the midday sun). Some of the group went on game drives and walks into the Kloof. Later that afternoon Lou took us for a short walk up to the ridge where there is a magnificent view of the valley below and we were able to see some Kudu and Baboons next to the river. We started the fire a bit earlier than the previous evening and soon a number of the group began to gather around the fire. It amazed me the amount of equipment that was taken into the Kloof; tables and chairs, fine wines and ice cold drinks together with an array of meat and eats made for a gourmet dinner around the fire again created by Hannes.
Happily, Derrick and Linda had come through that afternoon. Derrick had fallen ill the previous day and had not been up to the drive. It was so great to be there that evening. Listening to the fireside conversation and the screams of delight from the children as they told each other stories and played in the darkness by torchlight. The weekend was coming to an end as we began to discuss leaving times for the next day. It seemed that Anita wanted to get home it time for evening dinner and there were various opinions of other times that would be suitable. One of the great things of this weekend was that there were very few rules. It soon became evident that there were a number of very tired bodies; the sun and exercise had taken its toll. So it was off to bed and a far more peaceful nights rest.
The next morning started the same way for me with a bath in the river, coffee and rusks and a bit of study. But the rain began to fall and Barbara & I decided to leave early. It did not take us long to pack up and we were on our way home just before 09.00am. We said our goodbyes to some who looked like they too would leave fairly early and others who looked settled for the day. I personally was quite happy to leave early as I had marking and other preparation work to do for the week ahead.
We later heard that those who stayed on for a bit longer had some stories to tell. Like when Lou took the men for a long (three hour) walk into the bundu. These chaps were lucky enough to come across a herd of Eland within about 20 meters of when they were hiking. We also heard the story Rob who met up with a Fiat Multiplia high up in the kloof. It seems that there were 5 Italian tourists in the vehicle and that they had hit the sump plug out and lost all their oil. Fortunately a Landrover driver had been able to assist them out and pulled them out of the really treacherous section of the road and then back to Patensie.
We drove exceptionally slowly and took every rock and turn in the road very carefully and with great respect. The toughness of this road was again brought home to us as we lurched over and straddled across the rocks and ditches of the track. The slow drive is made worthwhile by the beauty of the views and valleys of the Kloof and the wonderful camping experience that we enjoyed at Rooi Hoek.
As we left the Kloof we passed a number of 4 X 4 vehicles, fortunately none where the road was really too narrow to accommodate two vehicles side by side. We made a stop in Patensie for breakfast. There is a delightful shop called Tollbos that is run by two local ladies. I had a Kudu pie while the others had more conventional meals of bacon and egg sandwiches. As we were leaving John and Carol arrived. I think also for a meal. The road along Patensie is tar but a real farm side road as the red soil of the fields gives the road additional colour. The citrus orchards are often lined with Poplar tress, bougainvillea and rose bushes. There is clearly a degree of pride in the area for the quality of the farmlands.
We were home by 13.00, unpacked and gave the combi a good wash. I was then able to do the homework that is essential for the week ahead.
Thanks to Trevor and Anita for setting this weekend up. I will recommend that anyone who receives an invitation to join the Jenning’s on one of their adventure trips to say yes immediately just in case your place is taken up while you procrastinate.
Peter, Barbara and Alli Giddy
29 February 2004.
Wednesday, November 5, 2003
WHALE TRAIL DE HOOP NATURE RESERVE NOVEMBER 2003
Whale Trail. 29th October 2003 to 3 November 2003
Cape Nature Conservation.
dehoopinfo@sdm.dorea.co.za
028 542 1126/7
Bill Corkill (082 556 0012)
Ruth Stasiak (041 585 8147) stasiak@telkomsa.net
Trevor Lloyd (083 966 0636)
Peter & Barbara Giddy (082 550 3174) pgiddy@hinet.co.za
Jap & Christine (Wasmuth) Coetzer (082 880 1453) japcoetzer@cybertrade.co.za
Peter and Judy Adams (082 600 6411) peter.adams@schenker.co.za
Gerald and Pat Scheepers (082 788 0522) marmow@telkomsa.net
Voetsac Hiking Club
Post hike reunion for Hikers and family alike will be held at Peter and Barbara (23 Mill Park Road) in the form of a Bring & Braai on Friday 14th November 18.00. We will swap stories and photos. Please call to confirm.
This trail was introduced to our running group over a year ago when Graham Richards came back from an epic trip in which he and his group had been snowed in the mountains of the Western Cape. We reserved our place in the hike over a year in advance. Bill spoke about the trail during our runs and Gerald and I immediately registered our interest in the form of a deposit. It was to be Gerald and Pat’s first long hike.
Our pre-hike meeting was held at the Westview sports club. During this meeting another group from the Voetsac club gave a report back on some of their experiences. One of the main problems seems to be that the directions to the start of the hike are not clear from the website or the hike map. Gerald and Pat were assigned to our Combi as were Jap and Christine. Barbara & I visited J & C to be sure that we knew where to go to collect them in the morning. By consensus we decided to leave at 05.00am on the Wednesday morning. This would give us plenty of time to find the hike and to do a bit of exploring in the reserve as well.
DAY ONE---PE to POTBERG
P & B left home at 04.45, filled with petrol, bought a coffee, collected G & P then J & C and we left PE at 05.30. Storms River was the first stop. We filled up with coffee and snacks. Then onto Mossell Bay where we had a filling Wimpy breakfast. Heidelberg (487Kays) was our last chance to make our final purchases of biltong and water. 3Kays out of town we turned left to Slangriver. Malgas (Malagas on the local signboards) is 45kays from Heidelberg on a dirt road. Alfred who has pulled the Pontoon across the Breede River for 20 years is accompanied by Gideon and William. They are employed by the Overberg Municipality. The R15.00 trip across takes about 7.5 minutes. 5Kays after Malgas we spotted 4 Cape Vulture. They were amoungst some sheep. We speculated that they were either interested in a dead sheep or in the afterbirth of the sheep that were lambing. The Dirt road to Potberg is fairly well signposted but should not be undertaken after dark. Our group was fortunate to be able to see the local farmers busy with their combine harvesters as they worked in their fields threshing and collecting the wheat. These farmers also farm Canola, Barley, Oats and Ostrich. I collected some Ostrich feathers for Christine but they were grey and scraggly and I don’t think that she was at all impressed. Another feature of the drive to Potberg was the Blue Crane and Bontebok with their young. The Bontebok in this area is the result of a farmer who realised that the buck were almost extinct with only 27 left. He set aside an area for them which has grown in size to the Bontebok game reserve. There are now over 1500 of the beautiful white faced buck in the area.
We checked in to the hiking hut after a brief chat to Eileen who is the secretary of the Potberg camp. Nomfundo (the trail manager) was away for a while. After we had settled in and claimed our bunks we set off for a drive across to the De Hoop entrance to the reserve. We were greeted with much friendliness at the gate. From here we visited the main camp and did the circular drive. Here we saw Cape Zebra and Bontebok. The camp is perfect for those wanting some bird watching in the on the river beds and swamps. We stopped off at the Tierhoek lookout. Just outside of the main reserve is the Buchubush lodge. (028 542 1602) We were later to learn that the Buchu Bush is part of the fynbos of the area. At the lodge we were warmly greeted by Bronwyn who offered us a welcome cup of tea. It appears that Eileen’s husband has created this lodge (a set of 5 thatched self-catering luxury chalets with meals also provided in the main building) mainly for overseas visitors. The chalets cost R615 per night and sleep up to 6 people. Back to Potberg hut where we met up with Bill, Ruth, Judy, Peter and Trevor. The 12th member of the team was unable to come due to a sudden illness. Bill declared that “Happy Hour was in future to be at 17.00 and that we were a half hour late for which we were reprimanded. A little later Louise came to give us some instructions and rules of the trail. We had opted for the porterage where a suitcase per couple would be collected at each of the huts every morning and transported to the next hut for us. We would be carrying lighter day packs. For a mere R200 per bag this turned out to be a real civilised way to hike as we had luxury meals and plenty to drink throughout the five day hike. That evening we lit our fire and decided that the next morning’s activities may not begin before 06.00 and that we would start the hike at about 07.30. Bill announced that they had already spotted whales at Wilderness. Barbara confirmed that she had also seen these whales but that I had been driving too fast. MMMM? Judy and Peter had to do some repacking of their suitcases. Trevor had had two interesting encounters with people that he knew, one at the station shop in Sedgefield where they had stopped for pies and the second on the Pontoon at Malgas. The last thing I remember that evening was looking up at the Potberg Mountain that we would be climbing the next morning.
DAY TWO------POTBERG TO CUPIDO”S KRAAL 15KM
I collected the combi from the parking lot to be able to load the stuff that we would not be taking on the hike. It was at this time that the oil light started to flash. This was very worrying to me and I added my reserve tin of oil to the engine but this did not help so Jap and I walked across to the office where we found Louise who offered to buy two more pints of oil for me. After much organising and last minute packing we left the hut at 08.00 and walked up into mist. Barbara had had blood pressure problems and was feeling extremely giddy (excuse the pun) as we began our ascent. However the mist kept us cool and we were able to do the first 4 kays in about 90minutes. This took us to the beacon of the Potberg Mountain which is at 611m above sea level and is the highest point of the hike. Here Gerald proved the use of a cell phone as he was able to organise his business from here. As we made this ascent we were treated to Egyptian geese and some of the most colourful fynbos that we have ever seen. It was after the short stop at the top that we experienced the earthquake. Jap had claimed the tail of the group and was found to be madly scrambling for his camera while Bill was flat on his back in the bushes. Apart from scratched legs; no injuries. By 11.00 the mist began to lift and we were able to appreciate some of the views as we walked along the ridged summit of the mountain. We were able to see the Breede River to the East and the valleys of the Potberg to the West. Unfortunately no vultures were spotted. For the record we noticed a bit of soil erosion taking place at one section just before the 8kay mark that needs a bit of management by the rangers. For a while I led the party & had to avoid a number of black and white spotted spiders the size of a R2 coin that seemed to lay their webs across the trail and camouflaged themselves to look like the seeds of the Luca Dendron protea of the area.
13.00 was a well timed lunch stop at the second crossing of the Melkhout River. Do not be tempted to stop at the first crossing as there is far less place for twelve to gather. And on a hot day you may want to have a cooling dip. At this stream we were well past the 10kay mark but the sign indicates 5.7kay to go. This was not true as we covered this last section of the hike in just 90mins. As we reached the top of the hill we saw the dam below us and shortly afterwards the huts. This was like a red flag to a bull as the front group set off at a dash to reach the hut. We arrived at Cupido’s Kraal hut at 15.00. It was here that we saw our first sighting of the Yellow Backed Widow. A stunningly black and yellow bird that habits the mountain fynbos. We are also able to identify the Cape Sugar Bird that seems to enjoy the nectar of the Pincushion Protea that are just outside the hut braai area. This hut consisted of 4 rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. I only found out later that the upstairs rooms do not have bunks and that those sleeping upstairs have mattresses on the floor. However the mattresses are most comfortable. Trevor and I went to the dam where we had a swim, wash and a paddle in the canoe. Today Peter had been bitten by a horsefly. I heard that it is the female horsefly that seeks out blood whereas the male looks for nectar.
By the time we returned to the hut we found that Bill had brought forward happy hour by an hour. “Purely medicinal purposes” he claimed. Bill, as leader, had set some rules for the hike. One of these was that we hike together as a group. This was foreign to myself as we had often attempted to do this with our own hikes but it had never worked out but so far today it seemed to work quite well. The other rule was that everyone must put in a report for the day’s activities during happy hour. This worked well tonight but not really again as the group left the written work to me. Ruth declared that the weather had been perfect for hiking. Jap suggested that a lean-to shelter would have been perfect at the lunch stop especially for a hot day as there is little or no shade on this hike and the Protea fields can be quite stifling hot. During happy hour each evening Judy would take out her embroidery to make slow but steady progress. I discovered the Luca Dendron is the yellow tipped leafy protea that covers the fields and gives them that yellow appearance. This evening we really appreciate the fact that there are hot showers. These are powered by gas. In addition we are able to have electric lights in the evening which are powered by solar panels that recharge the batteries. Even in the overcast weather we have sufficient light in the evenings. Tonight we discover that Jap is an expert fireman as he truly sets himself the evening task of lighting the fire and keeping it going both outside in the drizzle as well as in the kitchen where we are able to boil water in the big black kettle that is provided. We are all fairly exhausted and not much sounds are heard after 21.00.
DAY THREE-----CUPIDOSKRAAL HUT TO NOETSIES HUT 15KM
This morning I cannot contain myself and am up earlier than the agreed 06.00. It looks like it will be a great day for hiking again. Slightly overcast with a slight cool breeze coming from the east. We begin the day with a variety of breakfasts. Pat makes Gerald his obligatory two cups of really strong and well sugared coffee. Combine this with a double dose of oats so easy and some “tit bits” and he is set for the days walk. I prepare our lunch which will be rye vita, liver pate, celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, dates, sugared dried fruit and sweets. And washed down with a rare vintage of game. Boy it is going to be a rough day! We start the day with a photo session. And then are off! Just outside is a suspension bridge. This has to be negotiated one at a time to avoid falling into the muddy stream. We leave at 08.20 and are at the beacon at the top of this hill at 10.00.
This is not a tough walk and the views and sculptured sandstone should be enjoyed. We were able to identify rock sculptures of pigs, Egyptian pharaohs, elephants, tortoises, and various other shapes as we walked this very colourful and interesting pathway. As we were going up the hill we saw the van that collects the baggage on its way to the hut. And were completely fooled as to where the overnight hut was to be. Jap laid down his stick and ran down to them. It turned out that he wanted them to buy him some more film. They of course were more than wiling. It was the kind of friendly service that we had come to appreciate on this hike. Jap has two cameras and I am looking forward to see the results of all his efforts. A good place to stop for tea is at the beacon at the top of the Hammerkop mountain where there is a rocky area which provides a good backrest which I, for one, need. At about 09.15 the sun makes an attempt to warm us up through the clouds but not for long as the clouds win the morning. We make our tea stop at 10.00 where we get cell phone reception. Bill and Trevor try to contact home but to no avail as their respective spouses are either busy on the phone or out spending their money on “unnecessary luxuries”. Today there is a short climb but thereafter this could be a long day if we did not have the cloud cover. A good portion of the walk is along the ridge of the mountain where there is no shade and could be tough on a hot day. Apart from the first day there is no water or streams to replenish water bottles so an additional supply of water is essential. Just after 11.00 we begin the descent along the Zorro path. We are now able to see our cove where we know the huts to be situated.
Immediately after crossing the forest road we stop for lunch. By now the sun is in full force and most of us suffer from a bit of sunburn around the neck and face. A Black Eagle was spotted at our lunch spot. Today a few small snakes slithered across our path. They were definitely no threat to the hikers. We begin the final stretch to the huts at 13.00. This is an interesting part of the hike and should not be rushed. It is the first time we come across the Port Jackson Willow. However the bird life, fynbos, geckos, dung beetles and Tok Tokkies make the walk fun. Look out for the waterfall in the kloof. Once we see the huts we have a further 45mins before we amble into them. The steep downhill to the beach again claimed Bill and he had an involuntary sit down. Boots are changed for sandals and I am able to persuade Gerald (who hates anything that is not at bath temperature) to go for a swim. Peter is already in the waves. “Most unusual for him” says Judy. But we have the most enjoyable swim both in the waves and the lagoon. Trevor and co find a swimming pool above the little waterfall near to the hut. At this location there are two huts, one is for sleeping and the other for the kitchen and bathrooms. And there is a gas cooker to add to the luxury of the hut. A negative is that the rain leaks into the sleeping area for those on the mezzanine or the top bunk under the windows. The braai area is overlooking the rocks and this is an ideal place to make your mark on the trail with some flotsam and jetsam. Ropes and other paraphernalia are added by the various hiking groups to the braai structure. I am able to find a suitable plank to add to the roof. We also found a worn plank and wrote the Voetsack name on it for following groups to see that we were a force to be reckoned with! This was to be the forerunner of our trademark.
Some of the more energetic went exploring further and others brought forward the happy hour or just settled into a bit of reading. At this hut there is a huge amount of laundry taking place. Even Gerald is seen to be hanging up his (now clean) socks. The washing lines and bushes are littered with freshly smelling (in our opinion anyway) clothes. While Bill had his CD player and Mozart to relax by. Jap did his fire thing and those who still had fresh meat made use of the fire while others used it for an excuse to mellow out until way past sunset. The jeep track leading to the hut reveals the necessity for the hardiest vehicle available. There is no cell phone reception here, so even of you run out of beers you are unable to call for rescue. This evening we experience the best sunset of the hike as we sit and watch the ocean, clouds and sun merge into a burst of colour and fire. Today Bill has taken a great deal of strain on the down hills and is clearly in pain. He announces that this is his last five day hike. Judy proves to be the bird expert and points out the Grey-back Cisticola, the Familiar Chat, Orange Breasted Sunbird and we have also seen Rock Kestrel today.
DAY FOUR-----NOETSIE TO HAMMERKOP HUT. 8km
Jap and I are up early as usual. After a quick wash and coffee Jap spots the first whale of the day but we (mistakenly ) decide that this is a large rock. Barbara confirms the whale sighting a short while later. Essential equipment for this hike is a good pair of Binoculars, a pocket bird book as well as a camera. So our first whale sighting was at 06.30am at Noetsie on 01 November 2003. Today is also a special day as the Springboks play Samoa for a place in the semi-finals and after the Samoans gave the British team a tough game we are sceptical of the Springboks ability to win this one. The rest of the morning at the hut is one of shouts of glee and “thar she blows” as we spot whales, tails and flippers. The Southern Right Whale does not have a dorsal fin. The whale is the length of 10 elephants when fully grown and 6 at birth. Binoculars are essential for a full appreciation of the enormous size of these creatures. The morning starts off with rain and so we are huddled in doorways trying to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals which we are going to see so much of later on in the hike. The choppy seas make identification of the whales and their shapes that much more difficult.
By 09.00 the rain has stopped and we make our way back across the beach to the hill and we are soon hot from the walking and the sun. This section of the hike is for a lot of exploring and stopping. There is no rush to get to the hut and so whenever there is an interesting cove or cliff, time is taken to absorb the splendour. Also the cliff edges are dangerous so we walk slowly and take care. Today we see at various times a baboon scout near to our tea spot, Tok Tokkies (this is a scarab beetle that reacts to the tapping of a finger just behind it), Dung Beetles, rock Kestrel, gulls and crows, jelly fish and blue bottles, a chameleon (verkleurmannetjie), a few pairs of the endangered Oyster Catchers, Cape Robin, the Southern Boubou (with it’s delightful call), three Klipspringer that Barbara and Jap see whilst the rest of us see only the spoor. Gerald and I do some close up exploring of the cliff while Trevor shows his cliff climbing ability as he descends to a huge cave below. Today we make a tea stop just as the Springbok rugby team is beating the Samoans something like 60 to 10.
We reach Stilgat at 12.00 and descend the chain ladder leaving our packs at the top. Fortunately Trevor has his torch with him and we are able to explore the caves. Here we see what we think are bats, stalactites (top) and stalagmites (bottom) and strange looking caterpillars. The pools have the largest blue bottles that I have ever seen but Trevor braves these and the cold water for a swim. Jap is at the top and responds to a “dare”. He clambers down the ladder rushes across to the pool, persuades Trevor to get back into the water then promptly grabs poor Trevor’s clothes. So to our great delight and amoungst much laughter Trevor has to climb the ladder dressed only in a pair of bright yellow jocks. I find a well worn plank and a mess of rope. These I carry on to the Hammerkop hut so that we can add our mark to this hut. At Stilgat we begin our whale spotting. We also see what is known as tail lobbing. A whale quite a distance out to sea is slapping its tail repeatedly onto the water surface and then after a count of 5 we are able to hear the slapping sound. It seems that this may be a form of communication and used by whales to stun the fish. Many of the whales we see seem to be in pairs. We think that it is the mother and calf. After a short beach walk we reach Hammerkop hut. It is a beautiful hut overlooking the beach where swimming is not really possible. And as we have come to expect when we get there at about 16.00 our bags are waiting for us. A huge disappointment is that there is not hot water. We think that this is due to a lack of water pressure. Jap starts the fire and Bill takes an early dose of medicine. While sitting at the fireside we see three whales giving us a demonstration of tail and flipper slapping. These whales are very close to the shore, just off the breakers. Jap does the fire thing and he also brands the plank that I carried with the Voetsac Hiking club’s name. This is mounted at the entrance to the hut. Today was a long day. Not in distance but it was our first full day of sunshine and we did a lot of exploring so everyone is pretty clapped and shortly after sunset at 20.00 most of us are in bed.
DAY FOUR------HAMMERKOP TO VAALKRAANS HUT 8kays
This morning I walk up the jeep track for about a half hour to see if I can get cell phone reception. It is a tough walk but eventually I am able to SMS my family and the running group who are in Athens to run the Greek marathon. Bill is worried about the heat and the long beach trek that is ahead of us so we set off at 07.30 this morning. Some of us are barefoot, others in sandals or boots. I am not sure which was the best choice but I enjoyed the sand and water on my feet. We have barely started when Bill is caught by a wave and swept off his feet. And loses his stick (given to him by Round Table). Fortunately Judy finds it washed up a little further on. Today we see about 18 pairs of Oyster Catchers. We also see plenty of Terns, Gulls and Sandpipers.
This morning we hike beaches and pathways for about three hours and come to a sign with an apple. We presume that this is the location of the blowholes. I have a swim here but it is not really pleasant as there is only a shelf but helps to cool down on a hot day. This becomes a tea stop but most spectacular of all are the two blow holes that can be seen from the rocks above. The ocean rushes into these two small holes in the rock shelf creating the most entertaining water showers. Ruth is at her very best with cries of Yahooo, Oh Wow, who pee? And other exclamations of delight. After an hour we press on. I have retrieved myself another piece of rope and Trevor rescues a buoy and later on a soft children’s ball. We reach this our last hut at 13.00. This hut is situated on the edge if the cliff and it appears that we are on an overhang with very little between us and the ocean. Next to the hut is a hole. If you are prepared to stick your head into the hole you can see the sea below. Ruth discovers this phenomenon and (to the amusement of those parking out in the kitchen) calls all to marvel at this wonder of nature. Today we estimate that we have probably seen between 20 to 30 whales since Noetsie. This evening is filled with chatter and laughter. The last of the alcohol is consumed with the evening snacks which include Pringles, p-nut and raisins, smoked oysters, mature cheddar on biscuits and avocado on rye. Who says that porterage of the bags is not the way to go? This hut also has an upstairs but Peter is unable to fit through the narrow stairway so they usurp the bunks of Jap and Christine who move mattresses to the kitchen. The buoy that Trevor has carried is roped to a beam in the kitchen roof and the soft ball is adorned with our names and Jap makes a sling and this too is mounted above the kitchen counter. The wind is howling outside so there is not too much objection to those wanting to remain indoors for the afternoon after a welcome hot shower with a bit of reading and general chit chat. A problem with this hut is the flies. They are everywhere and the hut needs mesh on the windows and doors as well as fly strips or liberal quantities of Doom. Fortunately they are not evening creatures and we have a peaceful evening.
DAY FIVE------VAALRAKNS TO KOPPIE ALLEEN. 7kays
It is our last day. By now it seems that the whole team is used to an early start so by 07.00 we are ready to go. The hike today is mainly along pathways. There is a beach walk but is seems that there is not much enthusiasm for anymore soft sand walking. It is only a 3 hour walk even including some stops but we must be at the finish by 12.00 to catch the bus back to Potberg camp. The early morning excitement is a baboon spider lurking at the entrance to the hut. It is eventually left alone to carry on with its life. Shortly after we start we see Klipspringer spoor on the trail. Barbara leads the group and is able to spot the pair as they check us out from about 100meters away. Today we also see whale breaching. This is the whale jumping out of the water completely. We have also seen some “spy hopping” where the whale sticks his head out of the water to “check the scene out”.
The highlight of today’s hike is finding some whale bones on a beach below. We loosen a whole lot of them, carry them up to the trail and make ourselves a whale spinal cord adorned with rib bones. If left alone by other hikers this will make a very good photo spot. We get to Koppie Alleen by 10.00. We seem to have missed a turn somewhere and end up at the training facility so walk down to the information centre where other tourists have gathered to do some whale watching. We have ourselves a bit of lunch and while waiting for the bus we see about 12 whales passing by. The bus is a school bus from the local Ouplaas primary school which has only 25 pupils. The bus is driven by Adele Du Toit who is a “mom”, a farmer and runs a B & B. The 35km drive back to Potberg takes an hour. Adele provides a cooler box with ice cold beverages. At the gate to De Hoop Barbara and Pat purchase a badge. At Potberg we meet Nomfundo who is very responsive to written report back that I have prepared.
POTBERG TO PE ---550km
On the advice of the mechanic back in PE we check the engine to see if we can see oil which we can and so decide that despite the flashing oil light we will press on back home. Trevor is less fortunate and has a flat tyre. We decide to drive back in convoy and this reassures both of us. Before leaving Potberg we drive back to the parking area to see if there was any oil leakage where the combi was parked. There was none but what we did find was Gerald’s backpack lying next to the hut. We bid Peter and Judy goodbye as they are carrying on for a week’s holiday and tour of the wine-lands of the Western Cape. We decide to take the pontoon route through Malgas again. Here we receive an SMS that all the runners have finished the Greek marathon. Tracey says it is the toughest in her life. At Heidelberg we stop at the same little shop where we purchased the most delicious biltong and Gerald buys a memento. The drive back to PE is great in that it is uneventful. We are all home by 21.30.
Peter Giddy
5 November 2003
Cape Nature Conservation.
dehoopinfo@sdm.dorea.co.za
028 542 1126/7
Bill Corkill (082 556 0012)
Ruth Stasiak (041 585 8147) stasiak@telkomsa.net
Trevor Lloyd (083 966 0636)
Peter & Barbara Giddy (082 550 3174) pgiddy@hinet.co.za
Jap & Christine (Wasmuth) Coetzer (082 880 1453) japcoetzer@cybertrade.co.za
Peter and Judy Adams (082 600 6411) peter.adams@schenker.co.za
Gerald and Pat Scheepers (082 788 0522) marmow@telkomsa.net
Voetsac Hiking Club
Post hike reunion for Hikers and family alike will be held at Peter and Barbara (23 Mill Park Road) in the form of a Bring & Braai on Friday 14th November 18.00. We will swap stories and photos. Please call to confirm.
This trail was introduced to our running group over a year ago when Graham Richards came back from an epic trip in which he and his group had been snowed in the mountains of the Western Cape. We reserved our place in the hike over a year in advance. Bill spoke about the trail during our runs and Gerald and I immediately registered our interest in the form of a deposit. It was to be Gerald and Pat’s first long hike.
Our pre-hike meeting was held at the Westview sports club. During this meeting another group from the Voetsac club gave a report back on some of their experiences. One of the main problems seems to be that the directions to the start of the hike are not clear from the website or the hike map. Gerald and Pat were assigned to our Combi as were Jap and Christine. Barbara & I visited J & C to be sure that we knew where to go to collect them in the morning. By consensus we decided to leave at 05.00am on the Wednesday morning. This would give us plenty of time to find the hike and to do a bit of exploring in the reserve as well.
DAY ONE---PE to POTBERG
P & B left home at 04.45, filled with petrol, bought a coffee, collected G & P then J & C and we left PE at 05.30. Storms River was the first stop. We filled up with coffee and snacks. Then onto Mossell Bay where we had a filling Wimpy breakfast. Heidelberg (487Kays) was our last chance to make our final purchases of biltong and water. 3Kays out of town we turned left to Slangriver. Malgas (Malagas on the local signboards) is 45kays from Heidelberg on a dirt road. Alfred who has pulled the Pontoon across the Breede River for 20 years is accompanied by Gideon and William. They are employed by the Overberg Municipality. The R15.00 trip across takes about 7.5 minutes. 5Kays after Malgas we spotted 4 Cape Vulture. They were amoungst some sheep. We speculated that they were either interested in a dead sheep or in the afterbirth of the sheep that were lambing. The Dirt road to Potberg is fairly well signposted but should not be undertaken after dark. Our group was fortunate to be able to see the local farmers busy with their combine harvesters as they worked in their fields threshing and collecting the wheat. These farmers also farm Canola, Barley, Oats and Ostrich. I collected some Ostrich feathers for Christine but they were grey and scraggly and I don’t think that she was at all impressed. Another feature of the drive to Potberg was the Blue Crane and Bontebok with their young. The Bontebok in this area is the result of a farmer who realised that the buck were almost extinct with only 27 left. He set aside an area for them which has grown in size to the Bontebok game reserve. There are now over 1500 of the beautiful white faced buck in the area.
We checked in to the hiking hut after a brief chat to Eileen who is the secretary of the Potberg camp. Nomfundo (the trail manager) was away for a while. After we had settled in and claimed our bunks we set off for a drive across to the De Hoop entrance to the reserve. We were greeted with much friendliness at the gate. From here we visited the main camp and did the circular drive. Here we saw Cape Zebra and Bontebok. The camp is perfect for those wanting some bird watching in the on the river beds and swamps. We stopped off at the Tierhoek lookout. Just outside of the main reserve is the Buchubush lodge. (028 542 1602) We were later to learn that the Buchu Bush is part of the fynbos of the area. At the lodge we were warmly greeted by Bronwyn who offered us a welcome cup of tea. It appears that Eileen’s husband has created this lodge (a set of 5 thatched self-catering luxury chalets with meals also provided in the main building) mainly for overseas visitors. The chalets cost R615 per night and sleep up to 6 people. Back to Potberg hut where we met up with Bill, Ruth, Judy, Peter and Trevor. The 12th member of the team was unable to come due to a sudden illness. Bill declared that “Happy Hour was in future to be at 17.00 and that we were a half hour late for which we were reprimanded. A little later Louise came to give us some instructions and rules of the trail. We had opted for the porterage where a suitcase per couple would be collected at each of the huts every morning and transported to the next hut for us. We would be carrying lighter day packs. For a mere R200 per bag this turned out to be a real civilised way to hike as we had luxury meals and plenty to drink throughout the five day hike. That evening we lit our fire and decided that the next morning’s activities may not begin before 06.00 and that we would start the hike at about 07.30. Bill announced that they had already spotted whales at Wilderness. Barbara confirmed that she had also seen these whales but that I had been driving too fast. MMMM? Judy and Peter had to do some repacking of their suitcases. Trevor had had two interesting encounters with people that he knew, one at the station shop in Sedgefield where they had stopped for pies and the second on the Pontoon at Malgas. The last thing I remember that evening was looking up at the Potberg Mountain that we would be climbing the next morning.
DAY TWO------POTBERG TO CUPIDO”S KRAAL 15KM
I collected the combi from the parking lot to be able to load the stuff that we would not be taking on the hike. It was at this time that the oil light started to flash. This was very worrying to me and I added my reserve tin of oil to the engine but this did not help so Jap and I walked across to the office where we found Louise who offered to buy two more pints of oil for me. After much organising and last minute packing we left the hut at 08.00 and walked up into mist. Barbara had had blood pressure problems and was feeling extremely giddy (excuse the pun) as we began our ascent. However the mist kept us cool and we were able to do the first 4 kays in about 90minutes. This took us to the beacon of the Potberg Mountain which is at 611m above sea level and is the highest point of the hike. Here Gerald proved the use of a cell phone as he was able to organise his business from here. As we made this ascent we were treated to Egyptian geese and some of the most colourful fynbos that we have ever seen. It was after the short stop at the top that we experienced the earthquake. Jap had claimed the tail of the group and was found to be madly scrambling for his camera while Bill was flat on his back in the bushes. Apart from scratched legs; no injuries. By 11.00 the mist began to lift and we were able to appreciate some of the views as we walked along the ridged summit of the mountain. We were able to see the Breede River to the East and the valleys of the Potberg to the West. Unfortunately no vultures were spotted. For the record we noticed a bit of soil erosion taking place at one section just before the 8kay mark that needs a bit of management by the rangers. For a while I led the party & had to avoid a number of black and white spotted spiders the size of a R2 coin that seemed to lay their webs across the trail and camouflaged themselves to look like the seeds of the Luca Dendron protea of the area.
13.00 was a well timed lunch stop at the second crossing of the Melkhout River. Do not be tempted to stop at the first crossing as there is far less place for twelve to gather. And on a hot day you may want to have a cooling dip. At this stream we were well past the 10kay mark but the sign indicates 5.7kay to go. This was not true as we covered this last section of the hike in just 90mins. As we reached the top of the hill we saw the dam below us and shortly afterwards the huts. This was like a red flag to a bull as the front group set off at a dash to reach the hut. We arrived at Cupido’s Kraal hut at 15.00. It was here that we saw our first sighting of the Yellow Backed Widow. A stunningly black and yellow bird that habits the mountain fynbos. We are also able to identify the Cape Sugar Bird that seems to enjoy the nectar of the Pincushion Protea that are just outside the hut braai area. This hut consisted of 4 rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. I only found out later that the upstairs rooms do not have bunks and that those sleeping upstairs have mattresses on the floor. However the mattresses are most comfortable. Trevor and I went to the dam where we had a swim, wash and a paddle in the canoe. Today Peter had been bitten by a horsefly. I heard that it is the female horsefly that seeks out blood whereas the male looks for nectar.
By the time we returned to the hut we found that Bill had brought forward happy hour by an hour. “Purely medicinal purposes” he claimed. Bill, as leader, had set some rules for the hike. One of these was that we hike together as a group. This was foreign to myself as we had often attempted to do this with our own hikes but it had never worked out but so far today it seemed to work quite well. The other rule was that everyone must put in a report for the day’s activities during happy hour. This worked well tonight but not really again as the group left the written work to me. Ruth declared that the weather had been perfect for hiking. Jap suggested that a lean-to shelter would have been perfect at the lunch stop especially for a hot day as there is little or no shade on this hike and the Protea fields can be quite stifling hot. During happy hour each evening Judy would take out her embroidery to make slow but steady progress. I discovered the Luca Dendron is the yellow tipped leafy protea that covers the fields and gives them that yellow appearance. This evening we really appreciate the fact that there are hot showers. These are powered by gas. In addition we are able to have electric lights in the evening which are powered by solar panels that recharge the batteries. Even in the overcast weather we have sufficient light in the evenings. Tonight we discover that Jap is an expert fireman as he truly sets himself the evening task of lighting the fire and keeping it going both outside in the drizzle as well as in the kitchen where we are able to boil water in the big black kettle that is provided. We are all fairly exhausted and not much sounds are heard after 21.00.
DAY THREE-----CUPIDOSKRAAL HUT TO NOETSIES HUT 15KM
This morning I cannot contain myself and am up earlier than the agreed 06.00. It looks like it will be a great day for hiking again. Slightly overcast with a slight cool breeze coming from the east. We begin the day with a variety of breakfasts. Pat makes Gerald his obligatory two cups of really strong and well sugared coffee. Combine this with a double dose of oats so easy and some “tit bits” and he is set for the days walk. I prepare our lunch which will be rye vita, liver pate, celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, dates, sugared dried fruit and sweets. And washed down with a rare vintage of game. Boy it is going to be a rough day! We start the day with a photo session. And then are off! Just outside is a suspension bridge. This has to be negotiated one at a time to avoid falling into the muddy stream. We leave at 08.20 and are at the beacon at the top of this hill at 10.00.
This is not a tough walk and the views and sculptured sandstone should be enjoyed. We were able to identify rock sculptures of pigs, Egyptian pharaohs, elephants, tortoises, and various other shapes as we walked this very colourful and interesting pathway. As we were going up the hill we saw the van that collects the baggage on its way to the hut. And were completely fooled as to where the overnight hut was to be. Jap laid down his stick and ran down to them. It turned out that he wanted them to buy him some more film. They of course were more than wiling. It was the kind of friendly service that we had come to appreciate on this hike. Jap has two cameras and I am looking forward to see the results of all his efforts. A good place to stop for tea is at the beacon at the top of the Hammerkop mountain where there is a rocky area which provides a good backrest which I, for one, need. At about 09.15 the sun makes an attempt to warm us up through the clouds but not for long as the clouds win the morning. We make our tea stop at 10.00 where we get cell phone reception. Bill and Trevor try to contact home but to no avail as their respective spouses are either busy on the phone or out spending their money on “unnecessary luxuries”. Today there is a short climb but thereafter this could be a long day if we did not have the cloud cover. A good portion of the walk is along the ridge of the mountain where there is no shade and could be tough on a hot day. Apart from the first day there is no water or streams to replenish water bottles so an additional supply of water is essential. Just after 11.00 we begin the descent along the Zorro path. We are now able to see our cove where we know the huts to be situated.
Immediately after crossing the forest road we stop for lunch. By now the sun is in full force and most of us suffer from a bit of sunburn around the neck and face. A Black Eagle was spotted at our lunch spot. Today a few small snakes slithered across our path. They were definitely no threat to the hikers. We begin the final stretch to the huts at 13.00. This is an interesting part of the hike and should not be rushed. It is the first time we come across the Port Jackson Willow. However the bird life, fynbos, geckos, dung beetles and Tok Tokkies make the walk fun. Look out for the waterfall in the kloof. Once we see the huts we have a further 45mins before we amble into them. The steep downhill to the beach again claimed Bill and he had an involuntary sit down. Boots are changed for sandals and I am able to persuade Gerald (who hates anything that is not at bath temperature) to go for a swim. Peter is already in the waves. “Most unusual for him” says Judy. But we have the most enjoyable swim both in the waves and the lagoon. Trevor and co find a swimming pool above the little waterfall near to the hut. At this location there are two huts, one is for sleeping and the other for the kitchen and bathrooms. And there is a gas cooker to add to the luxury of the hut. A negative is that the rain leaks into the sleeping area for those on the mezzanine or the top bunk under the windows. The braai area is overlooking the rocks and this is an ideal place to make your mark on the trail with some flotsam and jetsam. Ropes and other paraphernalia are added by the various hiking groups to the braai structure. I am able to find a suitable plank to add to the roof. We also found a worn plank and wrote the Voetsack name on it for following groups to see that we were a force to be reckoned with! This was to be the forerunner of our trademark.
Some of the more energetic went exploring further and others brought forward the happy hour or just settled into a bit of reading. At this hut there is a huge amount of laundry taking place. Even Gerald is seen to be hanging up his (now clean) socks. The washing lines and bushes are littered with freshly smelling (in our opinion anyway) clothes. While Bill had his CD player and Mozart to relax by. Jap did his fire thing and those who still had fresh meat made use of the fire while others used it for an excuse to mellow out until way past sunset. The jeep track leading to the hut reveals the necessity for the hardiest vehicle available. There is no cell phone reception here, so even of you run out of beers you are unable to call for rescue. This evening we experience the best sunset of the hike as we sit and watch the ocean, clouds and sun merge into a burst of colour and fire. Today Bill has taken a great deal of strain on the down hills and is clearly in pain. He announces that this is his last five day hike. Judy proves to be the bird expert and points out the Grey-back Cisticola, the Familiar Chat, Orange Breasted Sunbird and we have also seen Rock Kestrel today.
DAY FOUR-----NOETSIE TO HAMMERKOP HUT. 8km
Jap and I are up early as usual. After a quick wash and coffee Jap spots the first whale of the day but we (mistakenly ) decide that this is a large rock. Barbara confirms the whale sighting a short while later. Essential equipment for this hike is a good pair of Binoculars, a pocket bird book as well as a camera. So our first whale sighting was at 06.30am at Noetsie on 01 November 2003. Today is also a special day as the Springboks play Samoa for a place in the semi-finals and after the Samoans gave the British team a tough game we are sceptical of the Springboks ability to win this one. The rest of the morning at the hut is one of shouts of glee and “thar she blows” as we spot whales, tails and flippers. The Southern Right Whale does not have a dorsal fin. The whale is the length of 10 elephants when fully grown and 6 at birth. Binoculars are essential for a full appreciation of the enormous size of these creatures. The morning starts off with rain and so we are huddled in doorways trying to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals which we are going to see so much of later on in the hike. The choppy seas make identification of the whales and their shapes that much more difficult.
By 09.00 the rain has stopped and we make our way back across the beach to the hill and we are soon hot from the walking and the sun. This section of the hike is for a lot of exploring and stopping. There is no rush to get to the hut and so whenever there is an interesting cove or cliff, time is taken to absorb the splendour. Also the cliff edges are dangerous so we walk slowly and take care. Today we see at various times a baboon scout near to our tea spot, Tok Tokkies (this is a scarab beetle that reacts to the tapping of a finger just behind it), Dung Beetles, rock Kestrel, gulls and crows, jelly fish and blue bottles, a chameleon (verkleurmannetjie), a few pairs of the endangered Oyster Catchers, Cape Robin, the Southern Boubou (with it’s delightful call), three Klipspringer that Barbara and Jap see whilst the rest of us see only the spoor. Gerald and I do some close up exploring of the cliff while Trevor shows his cliff climbing ability as he descends to a huge cave below. Today we make a tea stop just as the Springbok rugby team is beating the Samoans something like 60 to 10.
We reach Stilgat at 12.00 and descend the chain ladder leaving our packs at the top. Fortunately Trevor has his torch with him and we are able to explore the caves. Here we see what we think are bats, stalactites (top) and stalagmites (bottom) and strange looking caterpillars. The pools have the largest blue bottles that I have ever seen but Trevor braves these and the cold water for a swim. Jap is at the top and responds to a “dare”. He clambers down the ladder rushes across to the pool, persuades Trevor to get back into the water then promptly grabs poor Trevor’s clothes. So to our great delight and amoungst much laughter Trevor has to climb the ladder dressed only in a pair of bright yellow jocks. I find a well worn plank and a mess of rope. These I carry on to the Hammerkop hut so that we can add our mark to this hut. At Stilgat we begin our whale spotting. We also see what is known as tail lobbing. A whale quite a distance out to sea is slapping its tail repeatedly onto the water surface and then after a count of 5 we are able to hear the slapping sound. It seems that this may be a form of communication and used by whales to stun the fish. Many of the whales we see seem to be in pairs. We think that it is the mother and calf. After a short beach walk we reach Hammerkop hut. It is a beautiful hut overlooking the beach where swimming is not really possible. And as we have come to expect when we get there at about 16.00 our bags are waiting for us. A huge disappointment is that there is not hot water. We think that this is due to a lack of water pressure. Jap starts the fire and Bill takes an early dose of medicine. While sitting at the fireside we see three whales giving us a demonstration of tail and flipper slapping. These whales are very close to the shore, just off the breakers. Jap does the fire thing and he also brands the plank that I carried with the Voetsac Hiking club’s name. This is mounted at the entrance to the hut. Today was a long day. Not in distance but it was our first full day of sunshine and we did a lot of exploring so everyone is pretty clapped and shortly after sunset at 20.00 most of us are in bed.
DAY FOUR------HAMMERKOP TO VAALKRAANS HUT 8kays
This morning I walk up the jeep track for about a half hour to see if I can get cell phone reception. It is a tough walk but eventually I am able to SMS my family and the running group who are in Athens to run the Greek marathon. Bill is worried about the heat and the long beach trek that is ahead of us so we set off at 07.30 this morning. Some of us are barefoot, others in sandals or boots. I am not sure which was the best choice but I enjoyed the sand and water on my feet. We have barely started when Bill is caught by a wave and swept off his feet. And loses his stick (given to him by Round Table). Fortunately Judy finds it washed up a little further on. Today we see about 18 pairs of Oyster Catchers. We also see plenty of Terns, Gulls and Sandpipers.
This morning we hike beaches and pathways for about three hours and come to a sign with an apple. We presume that this is the location of the blowholes. I have a swim here but it is not really pleasant as there is only a shelf but helps to cool down on a hot day. This becomes a tea stop but most spectacular of all are the two blow holes that can be seen from the rocks above. The ocean rushes into these two small holes in the rock shelf creating the most entertaining water showers. Ruth is at her very best with cries of Yahooo, Oh Wow, who pee? And other exclamations of delight. After an hour we press on. I have retrieved myself another piece of rope and Trevor rescues a buoy and later on a soft children’s ball. We reach this our last hut at 13.00. This hut is situated on the edge if the cliff and it appears that we are on an overhang with very little between us and the ocean. Next to the hut is a hole. If you are prepared to stick your head into the hole you can see the sea below. Ruth discovers this phenomenon and (to the amusement of those parking out in the kitchen) calls all to marvel at this wonder of nature. Today we estimate that we have probably seen between 20 to 30 whales since Noetsie. This evening is filled with chatter and laughter. The last of the alcohol is consumed with the evening snacks which include Pringles, p-nut and raisins, smoked oysters, mature cheddar on biscuits and avocado on rye. Who says that porterage of the bags is not the way to go? This hut also has an upstairs but Peter is unable to fit through the narrow stairway so they usurp the bunks of Jap and Christine who move mattresses to the kitchen. The buoy that Trevor has carried is roped to a beam in the kitchen roof and the soft ball is adorned with our names and Jap makes a sling and this too is mounted above the kitchen counter. The wind is howling outside so there is not too much objection to those wanting to remain indoors for the afternoon after a welcome hot shower with a bit of reading and general chit chat. A problem with this hut is the flies. They are everywhere and the hut needs mesh on the windows and doors as well as fly strips or liberal quantities of Doom. Fortunately they are not evening creatures and we have a peaceful evening.
DAY FIVE------VAALRAKNS TO KOPPIE ALLEEN. 7kays
It is our last day. By now it seems that the whole team is used to an early start so by 07.00 we are ready to go. The hike today is mainly along pathways. There is a beach walk but is seems that there is not much enthusiasm for anymore soft sand walking. It is only a 3 hour walk even including some stops but we must be at the finish by 12.00 to catch the bus back to Potberg camp. The early morning excitement is a baboon spider lurking at the entrance to the hut. It is eventually left alone to carry on with its life. Shortly after we start we see Klipspringer spoor on the trail. Barbara leads the group and is able to spot the pair as they check us out from about 100meters away. Today we also see whale breaching. This is the whale jumping out of the water completely. We have also seen some “spy hopping” where the whale sticks his head out of the water to “check the scene out”.
The highlight of today’s hike is finding some whale bones on a beach below. We loosen a whole lot of them, carry them up to the trail and make ourselves a whale spinal cord adorned with rib bones. If left alone by other hikers this will make a very good photo spot. We get to Koppie Alleen by 10.00. We seem to have missed a turn somewhere and end up at the training facility so walk down to the information centre where other tourists have gathered to do some whale watching. We have ourselves a bit of lunch and while waiting for the bus we see about 12 whales passing by. The bus is a school bus from the local Ouplaas primary school which has only 25 pupils. The bus is driven by Adele Du Toit who is a “mom”, a farmer and runs a B & B. The 35km drive back to Potberg takes an hour. Adele provides a cooler box with ice cold beverages. At the gate to De Hoop Barbara and Pat purchase a badge. At Potberg we meet Nomfundo who is very responsive to written report back that I have prepared.
POTBERG TO PE ---550km
On the advice of the mechanic back in PE we check the engine to see if we can see oil which we can and so decide that despite the flashing oil light we will press on back home. Trevor is less fortunate and has a flat tyre. We decide to drive back in convoy and this reassures both of us. Before leaving Potberg we drive back to the parking area to see if there was any oil leakage where the combi was parked. There was none but what we did find was Gerald’s backpack lying next to the hut. We bid Peter and Judy goodbye as they are carrying on for a week’s holiday and tour of the wine-lands of the Western Cape. We decide to take the pontoon route through Malgas again. Here we receive an SMS that all the runners have finished the Greek marathon. Tracey says it is the toughest in her life. At Heidelberg we stop at the same little shop where we purchased the most delicious biltong and Gerald buys a memento. The drive back to PE is great in that it is uneventful. We are all home by 21.30.
Peter Giddy
5 November 2003
WHALE TRAIL NOVEMBER 2003
Whale Trail. 29th October 2003 to 3 November 2003
Cape Nature Conservation.
dehoopinfo@sdm.dorea.co.za
028 542 1126/7
Bill Corkill (082 556 0012)
Ruth Stasiak (041 585 8147) stasiak@telkomsa.net
Trevor Lloyd (083 966 0636)
Peter & Barbara Giddy (082 550 3174) pgiddy@hinet.co.za
Jap & Christine (Wasmuth) Coetzer (082 880 1453) japcoetzer@cybertrade.co.za
Peter and Judy Adams (082 600 6411) peter.adams@schenker.co.za
Gerald and Pat Scheepers (082 788 0522) marmow@telkomsa.net
Voetsac Hiking Club
Post hike reunion for Hikers and family alike will be held at Peter and Barbara (23 Mill Park Road) in the form of a Bring & Braai on Friday 14th November 18.00. We will swap stories and photos. Please call to confirm.
This trail was introduced to our running group over a year ago when Graham Richards came back from an epic trip in which he and his group had been snowed in the mountains of the Western Cape. We reserved our place in the hike over a year in advance. Bill spoke about the trail during our runs and Gerald and I immediately registered our interest in the form of a deposit. It was to be Gerald and Pat’s first long hike.
Our pre-hike meeting was held at the Westview sports club. During this meeting another group from the Voetsac club gave a report back on some of their experiences. One of the main problems seems to be that the directions to the start of the hike are not clear from the website or the hike map. Gerald and Pat were assigned to our Combi as were Jap and Christine. Barbara & I visited J & C to be sure that we knew where to go to collect them in the morning. By consensus we decided to leave at 05.00am on the Wednesday morning. This would give us plenty of time to find the hike and to do a bit of exploring in the reserve as well.
DAY ONE---PE to POTBERG
P & B left home at 04.45, filled with petrol, bought a coffee, collected G & P then J & C and we left PE at 05.30. Storms River was the first stop. We filled up with coffee and snacks. Then onto Mossell Bay where we had a filling Wimpy breakfast. Heidelberg (487Kays) was our last chance to make our final purchases of biltong and water. 3Kays out of town we turned left to Slangriver. Malgas (Malagas on the local signboards) is 45kays from Heidelberg on a dirt road. Alfred who has pulled the Pontoon across the Breede River for 20 years is accompanied by Gideon and William. They are employed by the Overberg Municipality. The R15.00 trip across takes about 7.5 minutes. 5Kays after Malgas we spotted 4 Cape Vulture. They were amoungst some sheep. We speculated that they were either interested in a dead sheep or in the afterbirth of the sheep that were lambing. The Dirt road to Potberg is fairly well signposted but should not be undertaken after dark. Our group was fortunate to be able to see the local farmers busy with their combine harvesters as they worked in their fields threshing and collecting the wheat. These farmers also farm Canola, Barley, Oats and Ostrich. I collected some Ostrich feathers for Christine but they were grey and scraggly and I don’t think that she was at all impressed. Another feature of the drive to Potberg was the Blue Crane and Bontebok with their young. The Bontebok in this area is the result of a farmer who realised that the buck were almost extinct with only 27 left. He set aside an area for them which has grown in size to the Bontebok game reserve. There are now over 1500 of the beautiful white faced buck in the area.
We checked in to the hiking hut after a brief chat to Eileen who is the secretary of the Potberg camp. Nomfundo (the trail manager) was away for a while. After we had settled in and claimed our bunks we set off for a drive across to the De Hoop entrance to the reserve. We were greeted with much friendliness at the gate. From here we visited the main camp and did the circular drive. Here we saw Cape Zebra and Bontebok. The camp is perfect for those wanting some bird watching in the on the river beds and swamps. We stopped off at the Tierhoek lookout. Just outside of the main reserve is the Buchubush lodge. (028 542 1602) We were later to learn that the Buchu Bush is part of the fynbos of the area. At the lodge we were warmly greeted by Bronwyn who offered us a welcome cup of tea. It appears that Eileen’s husband has created this lodge (a set of 5 thatched self-catering luxury chalets with meals also provided in the main building) mainly for overseas visitors. The chalets cost R615 per night and sleep up to 6 people. Back to Potberg hut where we met up with Bill, Ruth, Judy, Peter and Trevor. The 12th member of the team was unable to come due to a sudden illness. Bill declared that “Happy Hour was in future to be at 17.00 and that we were a half hour late for which we were reprimanded. A little later Louise came to give us some instructions and rules of the trail. We had opted for the porterage where a suitcase per couple would be collected at each of the huts every morning and transported to the next hut for us. We would be carrying lighter day packs. For a mere R200 per bag this turned out to be a real civilised way to hike as we had luxury meals and plenty to drink throughout the five day hike. That evening we lit our fire and decided that the next morning’s activities may not begin before 06.00 and that we would start the hike at about 07.30. Bill announced that they had already spotted whales at Wilderness. Barbara confirmed that she had also seen these whales but that I had been driving too fast. MMMM? Judy and Peter had to do some repacking of their suitcases. Trevor had had two interesting encounters with people that he knew, one at the station shop in Sedgefield where they had stopped for pies and the second on the Pontoon at Malgas. The last thing I remember that evening was looking up at the Potberg Mountain that we would be climbing the next morning.
DAY TWO------POTBERG TO CUPIDO”S KRAAL 15KM
I collected the combi from the parking lot to be able to load the stuff that we would not be taking on the hike. It was at this time that the oil light started to flash. This was very worrying to me and I added my reserve tin of oil to the engine but this did not help so Jap and I walked across to the office where we found Louise who offered to buy two more pints of oil for me. After much organising and last minute packing we left the hut at 08.00 and walked up into mist. Barbara had had blood pressure problems and was feeling extremely giddy (excuse the pun) as we began our ascent. However the mist kept us cool and we were able to do the first 4 kays in about 90minutes. This took us to the beacon of the Potberg Mountain which is at 611m above sea level and is the highest point of the hike. Here Gerald proved the use of a cell phone as he was able to organise his business from here. As we made this ascent we were treated to Egyptian geese and some of the most colourful fynbos that we have ever seen. It was after the short stop at the top that we experienced the earthquake. Jap had claimed the tail of the group and was found to be madly scrambling for his camera while Bill was flat on his back in the bushes. Apart from scratched legs; no injuries. By 11.00 the mist began to lift and we were able to appreciate some of the views as we walked along the ridged summit of the mountain. We were able to see the Breede River to the East and the valleys of the Potberg to the West. Unfortunately no vultures were spotted. For the record we noticed a bit of soil erosion taking place at one section just before the 8kay mark that needs a bit of management by the rangers. For a while I led the party & had to avoid a number of black and white spotted spiders the size of a R2 coin that seemed to lay their webs across the trail and camouflaged themselves to look like the seeds of the Luca Dendron protea of the area.
13.00 was a well timed lunch stop at the second crossing of the Melkhout River. Do not be tempted to stop at the first crossing as there is far less place for twelve to gather. And on a hot day you may want to have a cooling dip. At this stream we were well past the 10kay mark but the sign indicates 5.7kay to go. This was not true as we covered this last section of the hike in just 90mins. As we reached the top of the hill we saw the dam below us and shortly afterwards the huts. This was like a red flag to a bull as the front group set off at a dash to reach the hut. We arrived at Cupido’s Kraal hut at 15.00. It was here that we saw our first sighting of the Yellow Backed Widow. A stunningly black and yellow bird that habits the mountain fynbos. We are also able to identify the Cape Sugar Bird that seems to enjoy the nectar of the Pincushion Protea that are just outside the hut braai area. This hut consisted of 4 rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. I only found out later that the upstairs rooms do not have bunks and that those sleeping upstairs have mattresses on the floor. However the mattresses are most comfortable. Trevor and I went to the dam where we had a swim, wash and a paddle in the canoe. Today Peter had been bitten by a horsefly. I heard that it is the female horsefly that seeks out blood whereas the male looks for nectar.
By the time we returned to the hut we found that Bill had brought forward happy hour by an hour. “Purely medicinal purposes” he claimed. Bill, as leader, had set some rules for the hike. One of these was that we hike together as a group. This was foreign to myself as we had often attempted to do this with our own hikes but it had never worked out but so far today it seemed to work quite well. The other rule was that everyone must put in a report for the day’s activities during happy hour. This worked well tonight but not really again as the group left the written work to me. Ruth declared that the weather had been perfect for hiking. Jap suggested that a lean-to shelter would have been perfect at the lunch stop especially for a hot day as there is little or no shade on this hike and the Protea fields can be quite stifling hot. During happy hour each evening Judy would take out her embroidery to make slow but steady progress. I discovered the Luca Dendron is the yellow tipped leafy protea that covers the fields and gives them that yellow appearance. This evening we really appreciate the fact that there are hot showers. These are powered by gas. In addition we are able to have electric lights in the evening which are powered by solar panels that recharge the batteries. Even in the overcast weather we have sufficient light in the evenings. Tonight we discover that Jap is an expert fireman as he truly sets himself the evening task of lighting the fire and keeping it going both outside in the drizzle as well as in the kitchen where we are able to boil water in the big black kettle that is provided. We are all fairly exhausted and not much sounds are heard after 21.00.
DAY THREE-----CUPIDOSKRAAL HUT TO NOETSIES HUT 15KM
This morning I cannot contain myself and am up earlier than the agreed 06.00. It looks like it will be a great day for hiking again. Slightly overcast with a slight cool breeze coming from the east. We begin the day with a variety of breakfasts. Pat makes Gerald his obligatory two cups of really strong and well sugared coffee. Combine this with a double dose of oats so easy and some “tit bits” and he is set for the days walk. I prepare our lunch which will be rye vita, liver pate, celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, dates, sugared dried fruit and sweets. And washed down with a rare vintage of game. Boy it is going to be a rough day! We start the day with a photo session. And then are off! Just outside is a suspension bridge. This has to be negotiated one at a time to avoid falling into the muddy stream. We leave at 08.20 and are at the beacon at the top of this hill at 10.00.
This is not a tough walk and the views and sculptured sandstone should be enjoyed. We were able to identify rock sculptures of pigs, Egyptian pharaohs, elephants, tortoises, and various other shapes as we walked this very colourful and interesting pathway. As we were going up the hill we saw the van that collects the baggage on its way to the hut. And were completely fooled as to where the overnight hut was to be. Jap laid down his stick and ran down to them. It turned out that he wanted them to buy him some more film. They of course were more than wiling. It was the kind of friendly service that we had come to appreciate on this hike. Jap has two cameras and I am looking forward to see the results of all his efforts. A good place to stop for tea is at the beacon at the top of the Hammerkop mountain where there is a rocky area which provides a good backrest which I, for one, need. At about 09.15 the sun makes an attempt to warm us up through the clouds but not for long as the clouds win the morning. We make our tea stop at 10.00 where we get cell phone reception. Bill and Trevor try to contact home but to no avail as their respective spouses are either busy on the phone or out spending their money on “unnecessary luxuries”. Today there is a short climb but thereafter this could be a long day if we did not have the cloud cover. A good portion of the walk is along the ridge of the mountain where there is no shade and could be tough on a hot day. Apart from the first day there is no water or streams to replenish water bottles so an additional supply of water is essential. Just after 11.00 we begin the descent along the Zorro path. We are now able to see our cove where we know the huts to be situated.
Immediately after crossing the forest road we stop for lunch. By now the sun is in full force and most of us suffer from a bit of sunburn around the neck and face. A Black Eagle was spotted at our lunch spot. Today a few small snakes slithered across our path. They were definitely no threat to the hikers. We begin the final stretch to the huts at 13.00. This is an interesting part of the hike and should not be rushed. It is the first time we come across the Port Jackson Willow. However the bird life, fynbos, geckos, dung beetles and Tok Tokkies make the walk fun. Look out for the waterfall in the kloof. Once we see the huts we have a further 45mins before we amble into them. The steep downhill to the beach again claimed Bill and he had an involuntary sit down. Boots are changed for sandals and I am able to persuade Gerald (who hates anything that is not at bath temperature) to go for a swim. Peter is already in the waves. “Most unusual for him” says Judy. But we have the most enjoyable swim both in the waves and the lagoon. Trevor and co find a swimming pool above the little waterfall near to the hut. At this location there are two huts, one is for sleeping and the other for the kitchen and bathrooms. And there is a gas cooker to add to the luxury of the hut. A negative is that the rain leaks into the sleeping area for those on the mezzanine or the top bunk under the windows. The braai area is overlooking the rocks and this is an ideal place to make your mark on the trail with some flotsam and jetsam. Ropes and other paraphernalia are added by the various hiking groups to the braai structure. I am able to find a suitable plank to add to the roof. We also found a worn plank and wrote the Voetsack name on it for following groups to see that we were a force to be reckoned with! This was to be the forerunner of our trademark.
Some of the more energetic went exploring further and others brought forward the happy hour or just settled into a bit of reading. At this hut there is a huge amount of laundry taking place. Even Gerald is seen to be hanging up his (now clean) socks. The washing lines and bushes are littered with freshly smelling (in our opinion anyway) clothes. While Bill had his CD player and Mozart to relax by. Jap did his fire thing and those who still had fresh meat made use of the fire while others used it for an excuse to mellow out until way past sunset. The jeep track leading to the hut reveals the necessity for the hardiest vehicle available. There is no cell phone reception here, so even of you run out of beers you are unable to call for rescue. This evening we experience the best sunset of the hike as we sit and watch the ocean, clouds and sun merge into a burst of colour and fire. Today Bill has taken a great deal of strain on the down hills and is clearly in pain. He announces that this is his last five day hike. Judy proves to be the bird expert and points out the Grey-back Cisticola, the Familiar Chat, Orange Breasted Sunbird and we have also seen Rock Kestrel today.
DAY FOUR-----NOETSIE TO HAMMERKOP HUT. 8km
Jap and I are up early as usual. After a quick wash and coffee Jap spots the first whale of the day but we (mistakenly ) decide that this is a large rock. Barbara confirms the whale sighting a short while later. Essential equipment for this hike is a good pair of Binoculars, a pocket bird book as well as a camera. So our first whale sighting was at 06.30am at Noetsie on 01 November 2003. Today is also a special day as the Springboks play Samoa for a place in the semi-finals and after the Samoans gave the British team a tough game we are sceptical of the Springboks ability to win this one. The rest of the morning at the hut is one of shouts of glee and “thar she blows” as we spot whales, tails and flippers. The Southern Right Whale does not have a dorsal fin. The whale is the length of 10 elephants when fully grown and 6 at birth. Binoculars are essential for a full appreciation of the enormous size of these creatures. The morning starts off with rain and so we are huddled in doorways trying to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals which we are going to see so much of later on in the hike. The choppy seas make identification of the whales and their shapes that much more difficult.
By 09.00 the rain has stopped and we make our way back across the beach to the hill and we are soon hot from the walking and the sun. This section of the hike is for a lot of exploring and stopping. There is no rush to get to the hut and so whenever there is an interesting cove or cliff, time is taken to absorb the splendour. Also the cliff edges are dangerous so we walk slowly and take care. Today we see at various times a baboon scout near to our tea spot, Tok Tokkies (this is a scarab beetle that reacts to the tapping of a finger just behind it), Dung Beetles, rock Kestrel, gulls and crows, jelly fish and blue bottles, a chameleon (verkleurmannetjie), a few pairs of the endangered Oyster Catchers, Cape Robin, the Southern Boubou (with it’s delightful call), three Klipspringer that Barbara and Jap see whilst the rest of us see only the spoor. Gerald and I do some close up exploring of the cliff while Trevor shows his cliff climbing ability as he descends to a huge cave below. Today we make a tea stop just as the Springbok rugby team is beating the Samoans something like 60 to 10.
We reach Stilgat at 12.00 and descend the chain ladder leaving our packs at the top. Fortunately Trevor has his torch with him and we are able to explore the caves. Here we see what we think are bats, stalactites (top) and stalagmites (bottom) and strange looking caterpillars. The pools have the largest blue bottles that I have ever seen but Trevor braves these and the cold water for a swim. Jap is at the top and responds to a “dare”. He clambers down the ladder rushes across to the pool, persuades Trevor to get back into the water then promptly grabs poor Trevor’s clothes. So to our great delight and amoungst much laughter Trevor has to climb the ladder dressed only in a pair of bright yellow jocks. I find a well worn plank and a mess of rope. These I carry on to the Hammerkop hut so that we can add our mark to this hut. At Stilgat we begin our whale spotting. We also see what is known as tail lobbing. A whale quite a distance out to sea is slapping its tail repeatedly onto the water surface and then after a count of 5 we are able to hear the slapping sound. It seems that this may be a form of communication and used by whales to stun the fish. Many of the whales we see seem to be in pairs. We think that it is the mother and calf. After a short beach walk we reach Hammerkop hut. It is a beautiful hut overlooking the beach where swimming is not really possible. And as we have come to expect when we get there at about 16.00 our bags are waiting for us. A huge disappointment is that there is not hot water. We think that this is due to a lack of water pressure. Jap starts the fire and Bill takes an early dose of medicine. While sitting at the fireside we see three whales giving us a demonstration of tail and flipper slapping. These whales are very close to the shore, just off the breakers. Jap does the fire thing and he also brands the plank that I carried with the Voetsac Hiking club’s name. This is mounted at the entrance to the hut. Today was a long day. Not in distance but it was our first full day of sunshine and we did a lot of exploring so everyone is pretty clapped and shortly after sunset at 20.00 most of us are in bed.
DAY FOUR------HAMMERKOP TO VAALKRAANS HUT 8kays
This morning I walk up the jeep track for about a half hour to see if I can get cell phone reception. It is a tough walk but eventually I am able to SMS my family and the running group who are in Athens to run the Greek marathon. Bill is worried about the heat and the long beach trek that is ahead of us so we set off at 07.30 this morning. Some of us are barefoot, others in sandals or boots. I am not sure which was the best choice but I enjoyed the sand and water on my feet. We have barely started when Bill is caught by a wave and swept off his feet. And loses his stick (given to him by Round Table). Fortunately Judy finds it washed up a little further on. Today we see about 18 pairs of Oyster Catchers. We also see plenty of Terns, Gulls and Sandpipers.
This morning we hike beaches and pathways for about three hours and come to a sign with an apple. We presume that this is the location of the blowholes. I have a swim here but it is not really pleasant as there is only a shelf but helps to cool down on a hot day. This becomes a tea stop but most spectacular of all are the two blow holes that can be seen from the rocks above. The ocean rushes into these two small holes in the rock shelf creating the most entertaining water showers. Ruth is at her very best with cries of Yahooo, Oh Wow, who pee? And other exclamations of delight. After an hour we press on. I have retrieved myself another piece of rope and Trevor rescues a buoy and later on a soft children’s ball. We reach this our last hut at 13.00. This hut is situated on the edge if the cliff and it appears that we are on an overhang with very little between us and the ocean. Next to the hut is a hole. If you are prepared to stick your head into the hole you can see the sea below. Ruth discovers this phenomenon and (to the amusement of those parking out in the kitchen) calls all to marvel at this wonder of nature. Today we estimate that we have probably seen between 20 to 30 whales since Noetsie. This evening is filled with chatter and laughter. The last of the alcohol is consumed with the evening snacks which include Pringles, p-nut and raisins, smoked oysters, mature cheddar on biscuits and avocado on rye. Who says that porterage of the bags is not the way to go? This hut also has an upstairs but Peter is unable to fit through the narrow stairway so they usurp the bunks of Jap and Christine who move mattresses to the kitchen. The buoy that Trevor has carried is roped to a beam in the kitchen roof and the soft ball is adorned with our names and Jap makes a sling and this too is mounted above the kitchen counter. The wind is howling outside so there is not too much objection to those wanting to remain indoors for the afternoon after a welcome hot shower with a bit of reading and general chit chat. A problem with this hut is the flies. They are everywhere and the hut needs mesh on the windows and doors as well as fly strips or liberal quantities of Doom. Fortunately they are not evening creatures and we have a peaceful evening.
DAY FIVE------VAALRAKNS TO KOPPIE ALLEEN. 7kays
It is our last day. By now it seems that the whole team is used to an early start so by 07.00 we are ready to go. The hike today is mainly along pathways. There is a beach walk but is seems that there is not much enthusiasm for anymore soft sand walking. It is only a 3 hour walk even including some stops but we must be at the finish by 12.00 to catch the bus back to Potberg camp. The early morning excitement is a baboon spider lurking at the entrance to the hut. It is eventually left alone to carry on with its life. Shortly after we start we see Klipspringer spoor on the trail. Barbara leads the group and is able to spot the pair as they check us out from about 100meters away. Today we also see whale breaching. This is the whale jumping out of the water completely. We have also seen some “spy hopping” where the whale sticks his head out of the water to “check the scene out”.
The highlight of today’s hike is finding some whale bones on a beach below. We loosen a whole lot of them, carry them up to the trail and make ourselves a whale spinal cord adorned with rib bones. If left alone by other hikers this will make a very good photo spot. We get to Koppie Alleen by 10.00. We seem to have missed a turn somewhere and end up at the training facility so walk down to the information centre where other tourists have gathered to do some whale watching. We have ourselves a bit of lunch and while waiting for the bus we see about 12 whales passing by. The bus is a school bus from the local Ouplaas primary school which has only 25 pupils. The bus is driven by Adele Du Toit who is a “mom”, a farmer and runs a B & B. The 35km drive back to Potberg takes an hour. Adele provides a cooler box with ice cold beverages. At the gate to De Hoop Barbara and Pat purchase a badge. At Potberg we meet Nomfundo who is very responsive to written report back that I have prepared.
POTBERG TO PE ---550km
On the advice of the mechanic back in PE we check the engine to see if we can see oil which we can and so decide that despite the flashing oil light we will press on back home. Trevor is less fortunate and has a flat tyre. We decide to drive back in convoy and this reassures both of us. Before leaving Potberg we drive back to the parking area to see if there was any oil leakage where the combi was parked. There was none but what we did find was Gerald’s backpack lying next to the hut. We bid Peter and Judy goodbye as they are carrying on for a week’s holiday and tour of the wine-lands of the Western Cape. We decide to take the pontoon route through Malgas again. Here we receive an SMS that all the runners have finished the Greek marathon. Tracey says it is the toughest in her life. At Heidelberg we stop at the same little shop where we purchased the most delicious biltong and Gerald buys a memento. The drive back to PE is great in that it is uneventful. We are all home by 21.30.
Peter Giddy
5 November 2003
Cape Nature Conservation.
dehoopinfo@sdm.dorea.co.za
028 542 1126/7
Bill Corkill (082 556 0012)
Ruth Stasiak (041 585 8147) stasiak@telkomsa.net
Trevor Lloyd (083 966 0636)
Peter & Barbara Giddy (082 550 3174) pgiddy@hinet.co.za
Jap & Christine (Wasmuth) Coetzer (082 880 1453) japcoetzer@cybertrade.co.za
Peter and Judy Adams (082 600 6411) peter.adams@schenker.co.za
Gerald and Pat Scheepers (082 788 0522) marmow@telkomsa.net
Voetsac Hiking Club
Post hike reunion for Hikers and family alike will be held at Peter and Barbara (23 Mill Park Road) in the form of a Bring & Braai on Friday 14th November 18.00. We will swap stories and photos. Please call to confirm.
This trail was introduced to our running group over a year ago when Graham Richards came back from an epic trip in which he and his group had been snowed in the mountains of the Western Cape. We reserved our place in the hike over a year in advance. Bill spoke about the trail during our runs and Gerald and I immediately registered our interest in the form of a deposit. It was to be Gerald and Pat’s first long hike.
Our pre-hike meeting was held at the Westview sports club. During this meeting another group from the Voetsac club gave a report back on some of their experiences. One of the main problems seems to be that the directions to the start of the hike are not clear from the website or the hike map. Gerald and Pat were assigned to our Combi as were Jap and Christine. Barbara & I visited J & C to be sure that we knew where to go to collect them in the morning. By consensus we decided to leave at 05.00am on the Wednesday morning. This would give us plenty of time to find the hike and to do a bit of exploring in the reserve as well.
DAY ONE---PE to POTBERG
P & B left home at 04.45, filled with petrol, bought a coffee, collected G & P then J & C and we left PE at 05.30. Storms River was the first stop. We filled up with coffee and snacks. Then onto Mossell Bay where we had a filling Wimpy breakfast. Heidelberg (487Kays) was our last chance to make our final purchases of biltong and water. 3Kays out of town we turned left to Slangriver. Malgas (Malagas on the local signboards) is 45kays from Heidelberg on a dirt road. Alfred who has pulled the Pontoon across the Breede River for 20 years is accompanied by Gideon and William. They are employed by the Overberg Municipality. The R15.00 trip across takes about 7.5 minutes. 5Kays after Malgas we spotted 4 Cape Vulture. They were amoungst some sheep. We speculated that they were either interested in a dead sheep or in the afterbirth of the sheep that were lambing. The Dirt road to Potberg is fairly well signposted but should not be undertaken after dark. Our group was fortunate to be able to see the local farmers busy with their combine harvesters as they worked in their fields threshing and collecting the wheat. These farmers also farm Canola, Barley, Oats and Ostrich. I collected some Ostrich feathers for Christine but they were grey and scraggly and I don’t think that she was at all impressed. Another feature of the drive to Potberg was the Blue Crane and Bontebok with their young. The Bontebok in this area is the result of a farmer who realised that the buck were almost extinct with only 27 left. He set aside an area for them which has grown in size to the Bontebok game reserve. There are now over 1500 of the beautiful white faced buck in the area.
We checked in to the hiking hut after a brief chat to Eileen who is the secretary of the Potberg camp. Nomfundo (the trail manager) was away for a while. After we had settled in and claimed our bunks we set off for a drive across to the De Hoop entrance to the reserve. We were greeted with much friendliness at the gate. From here we visited the main camp and did the circular drive. Here we saw Cape Zebra and Bontebok. The camp is perfect for those wanting some bird watching in the on the river beds and swamps. We stopped off at the Tierhoek lookout. Just outside of the main reserve is the Buchubush lodge. (028 542 1602) We were later to learn that the Buchu Bush is part of the fynbos of the area. At the lodge we were warmly greeted by Bronwyn who offered us a welcome cup of tea. It appears that Eileen’s husband has created this lodge (a set of 5 thatched self-catering luxury chalets with meals also provided in the main building) mainly for overseas visitors. The chalets cost R615 per night and sleep up to 6 people. Back to Potberg hut where we met up with Bill, Ruth, Judy, Peter and Trevor. The 12th member of the team was unable to come due to a sudden illness. Bill declared that “Happy Hour was in future to be at 17.00 and that we were a half hour late for which we were reprimanded. A little later Louise came to give us some instructions and rules of the trail. We had opted for the porterage where a suitcase per couple would be collected at each of the huts every morning and transported to the next hut for us. We would be carrying lighter day packs. For a mere R200 per bag this turned out to be a real civilised way to hike as we had luxury meals and plenty to drink throughout the five day hike. That evening we lit our fire and decided that the next morning’s activities may not begin before 06.00 and that we would start the hike at about 07.30. Bill announced that they had already spotted whales at Wilderness. Barbara confirmed that she had also seen these whales but that I had been driving too fast. MMMM? Judy and Peter had to do some repacking of their suitcases. Trevor had had two interesting encounters with people that he knew, one at the station shop in Sedgefield where they had stopped for pies and the second on the Pontoon at Malgas. The last thing I remember that evening was looking up at the Potberg Mountain that we would be climbing the next morning.
DAY TWO------POTBERG TO CUPIDO”S KRAAL 15KM
I collected the combi from the parking lot to be able to load the stuff that we would not be taking on the hike. It was at this time that the oil light started to flash. This was very worrying to me and I added my reserve tin of oil to the engine but this did not help so Jap and I walked across to the office where we found Louise who offered to buy two more pints of oil for me. After much organising and last minute packing we left the hut at 08.00 and walked up into mist. Barbara had had blood pressure problems and was feeling extremely giddy (excuse the pun) as we began our ascent. However the mist kept us cool and we were able to do the first 4 kays in about 90minutes. This took us to the beacon of the Potberg Mountain which is at 611m above sea level and is the highest point of the hike. Here Gerald proved the use of a cell phone as he was able to organise his business from here. As we made this ascent we were treated to Egyptian geese and some of the most colourful fynbos that we have ever seen. It was after the short stop at the top that we experienced the earthquake. Jap had claimed the tail of the group and was found to be madly scrambling for his camera while Bill was flat on his back in the bushes. Apart from scratched legs; no injuries. By 11.00 the mist began to lift and we were able to appreciate some of the views as we walked along the ridged summit of the mountain. We were able to see the Breede River to the East and the valleys of the Potberg to the West. Unfortunately no vultures were spotted. For the record we noticed a bit of soil erosion taking place at one section just before the 8kay mark that needs a bit of management by the rangers. For a while I led the party & had to avoid a number of black and white spotted spiders the size of a R2 coin that seemed to lay their webs across the trail and camouflaged themselves to look like the seeds of the Luca Dendron protea of the area.
13.00 was a well timed lunch stop at the second crossing of the Melkhout River. Do not be tempted to stop at the first crossing as there is far less place for twelve to gather. And on a hot day you may want to have a cooling dip. At this stream we were well past the 10kay mark but the sign indicates 5.7kay to go. This was not true as we covered this last section of the hike in just 90mins. As we reached the top of the hill we saw the dam below us and shortly afterwards the huts. This was like a red flag to a bull as the front group set off at a dash to reach the hut. We arrived at Cupido’s Kraal hut at 15.00. It was here that we saw our first sighting of the Yellow Backed Widow. A stunningly black and yellow bird that habits the mountain fynbos. We are also able to identify the Cape Sugar Bird that seems to enjoy the nectar of the Pincushion Protea that are just outside the hut braai area. This hut consisted of 4 rooms, two downstairs and two upstairs. I only found out later that the upstairs rooms do not have bunks and that those sleeping upstairs have mattresses on the floor. However the mattresses are most comfortable. Trevor and I went to the dam where we had a swim, wash and a paddle in the canoe. Today Peter had been bitten by a horsefly. I heard that it is the female horsefly that seeks out blood whereas the male looks for nectar.
By the time we returned to the hut we found that Bill had brought forward happy hour by an hour. “Purely medicinal purposes” he claimed. Bill, as leader, had set some rules for the hike. One of these was that we hike together as a group. This was foreign to myself as we had often attempted to do this with our own hikes but it had never worked out but so far today it seemed to work quite well. The other rule was that everyone must put in a report for the day’s activities during happy hour. This worked well tonight but not really again as the group left the written work to me. Ruth declared that the weather had been perfect for hiking. Jap suggested that a lean-to shelter would have been perfect at the lunch stop especially for a hot day as there is little or no shade on this hike and the Protea fields can be quite stifling hot. During happy hour each evening Judy would take out her embroidery to make slow but steady progress. I discovered the Luca Dendron is the yellow tipped leafy protea that covers the fields and gives them that yellow appearance. This evening we really appreciate the fact that there are hot showers. These are powered by gas. In addition we are able to have electric lights in the evening which are powered by solar panels that recharge the batteries. Even in the overcast weather we have sufficient light in the evenings. Tonight we discover that Jap is an expert fireman as he truly sets himself the evening task of lighting the fire and keeping it going both outside in the drizzle as well as in the kitchen where we are able to boil water in the big black kettle that is provided. We are all fairly exhausted and not much sounds are heard after 21.00.
DAY THREE-----CUPIDOSKRAAL HUT TO NOETSIES HUT 15KM
This morning I cannot contain myself and am up earlier than the agreed 06.00. It looks like it will be a great day for hiking again. Slightly overcast with a slight cool breeze coming from the east. We begin the day with a variety of breakfasts. Pat makes Gerald his obligatory two cups of really strong and well sugared coffee. Combine this with a double dose of oats so easy and some “tit bits” and he is set for the days walk. I prepare our lunch which will be rye vita, liver pate, celery, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, dates, sugared dried fruit and sweets. And washed down with a rare vintage of game. Boy it is going to be a rough day! We start the day with a photo session. And then are off! Just outside is a suspension bridge. This has to be negotiated one at a time to avoid falling into the muddy stream. We leave at 08.20 and are at the beacon at the top of this hill at 10.00.
This is not a tough walk and the views and sculptured sandstone should be enjoyed. We were able to identify rock sculptures of pigs, Egyptian pharaohs, elephants, tortoises, and various other shapes as we walked this very colourful and interesting pathway. As we were going up the hill we saw the van that collects the baggage on its way to the hut. And were completely fooled as to where the overnight hut was to be. Jap laid down his stick and ran down to them. It turned out that he wanted them to buy him some more film. They of course were more than wiling. It was the kind of friendly service that we had come to appreciate on this hike. Jap has two cameras and I am looking forward to see the results of all his efforts. A good place to stop for tea is at the beacon at the top of the Hammerkop mountain where there is a rocky area which provides a good backrest which I, for one, need. At about 09.15 the sun makes an attempt to warm us up through the clouds but not for long as the clouds win the morning. We make our tea stop at 10.00 where we get cell phone reception. Bill and Trevor try to contact home but to no avail as their respective spouses are either busy on the phone or out spending their money on “unnecessary luxuries”. Today there is a short climb but thereafter this could be a long day if we did not have the cloud cover. A good portion of the walk is along the ridge of the mountain where there is no shade and could be tough on a hot day. Apart from the first day there is no water or streams to replenish water bottles so an additional supply of water is essential. Just after 11.00 we begin the descent along the Zorro path. We are now able to see our cove where we know the huts to be situated.
Immediately after crossing the forest road we stop for lunch. By now the sun is in full force and most of us suffer from a bit of sunburn around the neck and face. A Black Eagle was spotted at our lunch spot. Today a few small snakes slithered across our path. They were definitely no threat to the hikers. We begin the final stretch to the huts at 13.00. This is an interesting part of the hike and should not be rushed. It is the first time we come across the Port Jackson Willow. However the bird life, fynbos, geckos, dung beetles and Tok Tokkies make the walk fun. Look out for the waterfall in the kloof. Once we see the huts we have a further 45mins before we amble into them. The steep downhill to the beach again claimed Bill and he had an involuntary sit down. Boots are changed for sandals and I am able to persuade Gerald (who hates anything that is not at bath temperature) to go for a swim. Peter is already in the waves. “Most unusual for him” says Judy. But we have the most enjoyable swim both in the waves and the lagoon. Trevor and co find a swimming pool above the little waterfall near to the hut. At this location there are two huts, one is for sleeping and the other for the kitchen and bathrooms. And there is a gas cooker to add to the luxury of the hut. A negative is that the rain leaks into the sleeping area for those on the mezzanine or the top bunk under the windows. The braai area is overlooking the rocks and this is an ideal place to make your mark on the trail with some flotsam and jetsam. Ropes and other paraphernalia are added by the various hiking groups to the braai structure. I am able to find a suitable plank to add to the roof. We also found a worn plank and wrote the Voetsack name on it for following groups to see that we were a force to be reckoned with! This was to be the forerunner of our trademark.
Some of the more energetic went exploring further and others brought forward the happy hour or just settled into a bit of reading. At this hut there is a huge amount of laundry taking place. Even Gerald is seen to be hanging up his (now clean) socks. The washing lines and bushes are littered with freshly smelling (in our opinion anyway) clothes. While Bill had his CD player and Mozart to relax by. Jap did his fire thing and those who still had fresh meat made use of the fire while others used it for an excuse to mellow out until way past sunset. The jeep track leading to the hut reveals the necessity for the hardiest vehicle available. There is no cell phone reception here, so even of you run out of beers you are unable to call for rescue. This evening we experience the best sunset of the hike as we sit and watch the ocean, clouds and sun merge into a burst of colour and fire. Today Bill has taken a great deal of strain on the down hills and is clearly in pain. He announces that this is his last five day hike. Judy proves to be the bird expert and points out the Grey-back Cisticola, the Familiar Chat, Orange Breasted Sunbird and we have also seen Rock Kestrel today.
DAY FOUR-----NOETSIE TO HAMMERKOP HUT. 8km
Jap and I are up early as usual. After a quick wash and coffee Jap spots the first whale of the day but we (mistakenly ) decide that this is a large rock. Barbara confirms the whale sighting a short while later. Essential equipment for this hike is a good pair of Binoculars, a pocket bird book as well as a camera. So our first whale sighting was at 06.30am at Noetsie on 01 November 2003. Today is also a special day as the Springboks play Samoa for a place in the semi-finals and after the Samoans gave the British team a tough game we are sceptical of the Springboks ability to win this one. The rest of the morning at the hut is one of shouts of glee and “thar she blows” as we spot whales, tails and flippers. The Southern Right Whale does not have a dorsal fin. The whale is the length of 10 elephants when fully grown and 6 at birth. Binoculars are essential for a full appreciation of the enormous size of these creatures. The morning starts off with rain and so we are huddled in doorways trying to catch a glimpse of these magnificent animals which we are going to see so much of later on in the hike. The choppy seas make identification of the whales and their shapes that much more difficult.
By 09.00 the rain has stopped and we make our way back across the beach to the hill and we are soon hot from the walking and the sun. This section of the hike is for a lot of exploring and stopping. There is no rush to get to the hut and so whenever there is an interesting cove or cliff, time is taken to absorb the splendour. Also the cliff edges are dangerous so we walk slowly and take care. Today we see at various times a baboon scout near to our tea spot, Tok Tokkies (this is a scarab beetle that reacts to the tapping of a finger just behind it), Dung Beetles, rock Kestrel, gulls and crows, jelly fish and blue bottles, a chameleon (verkleurmannetjie), a few pairs of the endangered Oyster Catchers, Cape Robin, the Southern Boubou (with it’s delightful call), three Klipspringer that Barbara and Jap see whilst the rest of us see only the spoor. Gerald and I do some close up exploring of the cliff while Trevor shows his cliff climbing ability as he descends to a huge cave below. Today we make a tea stop just as the Springbok rugby team is beating the Samoans something like 60 to 10.
We reach Stilgat at 12.00 and descend the chain ladder leaving our packs at the top. Fortunately Trevor has his torch with him and we are able to explore the caves. Here we see what we think are bats, stalactites (top) and stalagmites (bottom) and strange looking caterpillars. The pools have the largest blue bottles that I have ever seen but Trevor braves these and the cold water for a swim. Jap is at the top and responds to a “dare”. He clambers down the ladder rushes across to the pool, persuades Trevor to get back into the water then promptly grabs poor Trevor’s clothes. So to our great delight and amoungst much laughter Trevor has to climb the ladder dressed only in a pair of bright yellow jocks. I find a well worn plank and a mess of rope. These I carry on to the Hammerkop hut so that we can add our mark to this hut. At Stilgat we begin our whale spotting. We also see what is known as tail lobbing. A whale quite a distance out to sea is slapping its tail repeatedly onto the water surface and then after a count of 5 we are able to hear the slapping sound. It seems that this may be a form of communication and used by whales to stun the fish. Many of the whales we see seem to be in pairs. We think that it is the mother and calf. After a short beach walk we reach Hammerkop hut. It is a beautiful hut overlooking the beach where swimming is not really possible. And as we have come to expect when we get there at about 16.00 our bags are waiting for us. A huge disappointment is that there is not hot water. We think that this is due to a lack of water pressure. Jap starts the fire and Bill takes an early dose of medicine. While sitting at the fireside we see three whales giving us a demonstration of tail and flipper slapping. These whales are very close to the shore, just off the breakers. Jap does the fire thing and he also brands the plank that I carried with the Voetsac Hiking club’s name. This is mounted at the entrance to the hut. Today was a long day. Not in distance but it was our first full day of sunshine and we did a lot of exploring so everyone is pretty clapped and shortly after sunset at 20.00 most of us are in bed.
DAY FOUR------HAMMERKOP TO VAALKRAANS HUT 8kays
This morning I walk up the jeep track for about a half hour to see if I can get cell phone reception. It is a tough walk but eventually I am able to SMS my family and the running group who are in Athens to run the Greek marathon. Bill is worried about the heat and the long beach trek that is ahead of us so we set off at 07.30 this morning. Some of us are barefoot, others in sandals or boots. I am not sure which was the best choice but I enjoyed the sand and water on my feet. We have barely started when Bill is caught by a wave and swept off his feet. And loses his stick (given to him by Round Table). Fortunately Judy finds it washed up a little further on. Today we see about 18 pairs of Oyster Catchers. We also see plenty of Terns, Gulls and Sandpipers.
This morning we hike beaches and pathways for about three hours and come to a sign with an apple. We presume that this is the location of the blowholes. I have a swim here but it is not really pleasant as there is only a shelf but helps to cool down on a hot day. This becomes a tea stop but most spectacular of all are the two blow holes that can be seen from the rocks above. The ocean rushes into these two small holes in the rock shelf creating the most entertaining water showers. Ruth is at her very best with cries of Yahooo, Oh Wow, who pee? And other exclamations of delight. After an hour we press on. I have retrieved myself another piece of rope and Trevor rescues a buoy and later on a soft children’s ball. We reach this our last hut at 13.00. This hut is situated on the edge if the cliff and it appears that we are on an overhang with very little between us and the ocean. Next to the hut is a hole. If you are prepared to stick your head into the hole you can see the sea below. Ruth discovers this phenomenon and (to the amusement of those parking out in the kitchen) calls all to marvel at this wonder of nature. Today we estimate that we have probably seen between 20 to 30 whales since Noetsie. This evening is filled with chatter and laughter. The last of the alcohol is consumed with the evening snacks which include Pringles, p-nut and raisins, smoked oysters, mature cheddar on biscuits and avocado on rye. Who says that porterage of the bags is not the way to go? This hut also has an upstairs but Peter is unable to fit through the narrow stairway so they usurp the bunks of Jap and Christine who move mattresses to the kitchen. The buoy that Trevor has carried is roped to a beam in the kitchen roof and the soft ball is adorned with our names and Jap makes a sling and this too is mounted above the kitchen counter. The wind is howling outside so there is not too much objection to those wanting to remain indoors for the afternoon after a welcome hot shower with a bit of reading and general chit chat. A problem with this hut is the flies. They are everywhere and the hut needs mesh on the windows and doors as well as fly strips or liberal quantities of Doom. Fortunately they are not evening creatures and we have a peaceful evening.
DAY FIVE------VAALRAKNS TO KOPPIE ALLEEN. 7kays
It is our last day. By now it seems that the whole team is used to an early start so by 07.00 we are ready to go. The hike today is mainly along pathways. There is a beach walk but is seems that there is not much enthusiasm for anymore soft sand walking. It is only a 3 hour walk even including some stops but we must be at the finish by 12.00 to catch the bus back to Potberg camp. The early morning excitement is a baboon spider lurking at the entrance to the hut. It is eventually left alone to carry on with its life. Shortly after we start we see Klipspringer spoor on the trail. Barbara leads the group and is able to spot the pair as they check us out from about 100meters away. Today we also see whale breaching. This is the whale jumping out of the water completely. We have also seen some “spy hopping” where the whale sticks his head out of the water to “check the scene out”.
The highlight of today’s hike is finding some whale bones on a beach below. We loosen a whole lot of them, carry them up to the trail and make ourselves a whale spinal cord adorned with rib bones. If left alone by other hikers this will make a very good photo spot. We get to Koppie Alleen by 10.00. We seem to have missed a turn somewhere and end up at the training facility so walk down to the information centre where other tourists have gathered to do some whale watching. We have ourselves a bit of lunch and while waiting for the bus we see about 12 whales passing by. The bus is a school bus from the local Ouplaas primary school which has only 25 pupils. The bus is driven by Adele Du Toit who is a “mom”, a farmer and runs a B & B. The 35km drive back to Potberg takes an hour. Adele provides a cooler box with ice cold beverages. At the gate to De Hoop Barbara and Pat purchase a badge. At Potberg we meet Nomfundo who is very responsive to written report back that I have prepared.
POTBERG TO PE ---550km
On the advice of the mechanic back in PE we check the engine to see if we can see oil which we can and so decide that despite the flashing oil light we will press on back home. Trevor is less fortunate and has a flat tyre. We decide to drive back in convoy and this reassures both of us. Before leaving Potberg we drive back to the parking area to see if there was any oil leakage where the combi was parked. There was none but what we did find was Gerald’s backpack lying next to the hut. We bid Peter and Judy goodbye as they are carrying on for a week’s holiday and tour of the wine-lands of the Western Cape. We decide to take the pontoon route through Malgas again. Here we receive an SMS that all the runners have finished the Greek marathon. Tracey says it is the toughest in her life. At Heidelberg we stop at the same little shop where we purchased the most delicious biltong and Gerald buys a memento. The drive back to PE is great in that it is uneventful. We are all home by 21.30.
Peter Giddy
5 November 2003
Monday, November 3, 2003
PROFOUND THOUGHTS
Did you ever stop and wonder......
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll
squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes
out?"
Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there... I'm
gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's bum."
Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the
toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but
don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?
Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you
get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're
both dogs!
What do you call male ballerinas?
Can blind people see their dreams? Do they dream??
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? (This one kills me!!!!)
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from
vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the
same tune?
Stop singing and read on . . . . . .. . . . .
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad
at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out
the window?
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive
faster?
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the first
place?
Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll
squeeze these pink dangly things here, and drink whatever comes
out?"
Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken there... I'm
gonna eat the next thing that comes outta it's bum."
Why do toasters always have a setting so high that could burn the
toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but
don't point to their bum when they ask where the bathroom is?
Why does your Obstetrician, Gynaecologist leave the room when you
get undressed if they are going to look up there anyway?
Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're
both dogs!
What do you call male ballerinas?
Can blind people see their dreams? Do they dream??
If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests? (This one kills me!!!!)
If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from
vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the
same tune?
Stop singing and read on . . . . . .. . . . .
Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?
Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad
at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out
the window?
Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive
faster?
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your e-mail address in the first
place?
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
MISSION TO MIDDLEBURG SEPTEMBER 2003
Report back on the “Mission to Middleburg” 28 September 2003
During August this year a cell group in the church heard the call for assistance from an AIDS care haven (for children) in Middleburg. Some of the members of the group were able to assist and a general appeal was made to the members of the Walmer Methodist Church as well as to others in the Port Elizabeth community.
Time was limited as the person in charge of the home (Dianne Lang) planned a party for the children on the 13th September. However within a week the abundant generosity of the members of this church (and others) was heaped onto the cell group and they were able to transport a huge quantity of clothing, bedding, toys, kitchenware, cots and foodstuffs to the home in Middleburg. In addition to this a generous sum of money was donated.
Thank you for your support. Dianne, her assistants and the children will benefit from your response to Gods calling. Dianne is doing a wonderful job of work and should you wish to contribute to her efforts in any way her telephone numbers are:
082 659 3087
049 842 4414
During August this year a cell group in the church heard the call for assistance from an AIDS care haven (for children) in Middleburg. Some of the members of the group were able to assist and a general appeal was made to the members of the Walmer Methodist Church as well as to others in the Port Elizabeth community.
Time was limited as the person in charge of the home (Dianne Lang) planned a party for the children on the 13th September. However within a week the abundant generosity of the members of this church (and others) was heaped onto the cell group and they were able to transport a huge quantity of clothing, bedding, toys, kitchenware, cots and foodstuffs to the home in Middleburg. In addition to this a generous sum of money was donated.
Thank you for your support. Dianne, her assistants and the children will benefit from your response to Gods calling. Dianne is doing a wonderful job of work and should you wish to contribute to her efforts in any way her telephone numbers are:
082 659 3087
049 842 4414
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