Orange River canoe trail
4 to 9 April 2006
Peter & Ally Giddy
Hannes, Jacqui, Calvin, Jordan & Amber Zeelie
Terry, Jenny, Jared and Bradley Laubscher
Rob & Jason Ermes
Caroline Dalton
Mandy Perks
Mike, Barbie and Andy Perks
Mark Verral
Derryk & Linda Le Roux
Gerald & Pat Scheepers
Charles & Ian DuToit
We started the Plans for this trip in the middle of 2005. Originally we had asked Rob McLean to lead the trip but he had other commitments. Gravity was the touring company we used and we booked what is known as the Orange River Gorge from Onseepkans on the Namibian Border. Then, just a week before we were due to leave, heavy rainfall in the Lesotho Mountains and the Gauteng area caused to level of the river to rise. The river would have been too dangerous for us to go down the Gorge area so we decided we would do the Richtersveld area at Vioolsdrif on the Namibian Border. This meant that we would need passports. So those who did not have valid passports had a frantic rush to obtain emergency passports.
The week had started with the Nippers National finals at the Kings Beach in PE. This was hosted by the Sardinia Bay Club. The tournament started on the Saturday morning with inter provincial championships and then moved on to the team and individual events. I found this whole tournament to be quite stressful for both the competitors and the adults from Marshals to coaches and parents. If a child was a potential winner there was a huge amount of pressure on the child as he or she had to compete at a number of disciplines often in the heats, quarterfinals, semi finals and then the finals. Then there was the variety of events that the ch8ild was expected to take part in from swim, body board, Malibu board, running and flags as well as combinations of the disciplines. Saturday afternoon the West wind blew, Sunday was a reasonable day for the surf but by the time Monday afternoon came along the East wind had blown the surf up to a washing machine condition with hundreds of blue bottles in the sea. And then even in these horrific conditions the Under 10’s had to do their body board final.
The Summerstrand Club did very well in the competition with a fourth place overall. I personally did not like the way that we played the game. In the U 10’s we had “imported” a number of good swimmers and runners who had not been to any of the practice sessions during the season but who won the events for us. Hannes made a suggestion that I particularly liked: “We should make a huge fuss of the local tournaments, particularly the Provincial Carnival. Make these into the fun and less formal events. Then make it clear that the Nationals would be an “exclusive” competition with only the elite competitors taking part. Participation and all inclusiveness would not be the focus.” This would reduce the number of disappointed children who do not make the first round and reduce the cost of the tournament to the club. It would enable the coaches to focus on winning and not on rounding up Nippers who are either disinterested or do not have the ability to compete at this level. A uniform and kit was handed to each of the Nippers at minimal cost and yet we had some Nippers who did not attend any of the three days. The kit was quite amazing as it consisted of a Tog Bag, a Scull Cap, a Chafe Vest, a cap, a towel, an anorak, a T-shirt and a bathing costume. And all of this for a R150 contribution!
This was my first National Nippers Competition and so I am hardly in a position to make definitive comment. However I learned a great deal at the Carnival and during the past season and if I am still on a coaching team next season, I will make a number of changes to the way we organise the U10’s. Overall the Carnival was a huge success. We all know that the organisation of such a big event is a massive responsibility and Sardinia bay can give themselves a pat on the back. On Monday evening the prize giving and awards ceremony was a great success with Summerstrand in full spirit. Ally & I were not able to attend as Barbara had just left for London and we still had packing to do for our Orange River Trip.
After we had left the beach, Ally & I did our last bit of shopping and sorting out stuff for the trip. We packed the stuff that Charles was going to take on the back of his truck and off loaded everything with him. We then packed as much as we could in the car and were asleep early. We had planned that we would leave at 02.00am and I hardly slept that night. By 01.00am I had the car ready and waited for the others to join us. Then at 2am I piled Ally in to the car and with Charles, Hannes and Derryk following we picked up Pat & Gerald and were out of PE before 02.30am. Our little convoy consisted of Derryk & Linda, Charles, Ian and Caroline and in the combi was Hannes and his family.
Day one. Tuesday.
The drive took us through Graaff Reinett (where we predictably got lost on our way out of town), Victoria West and Calvinia. In Calvinia we stopped to buy some Biltong and Droe Wors at the butchery. I will recommend that if you are passing through Calvinia that you stop for this reason as well as to try their vet koek, which has aniseed, added for flavour. Then on to Van Rhynsdorp, Springbok and finally to Vioolsdrif. At the Border post of Vioolsdrif we had to go through the SA passport control, then the police control then the customs control. This seems such a long process for a simple cross border trip. It made me think of the arrangement that Canada and America have where if you are a citizen of either of these two countries cross border trips are made as easy as possible for the officials and the travelers. We crossed the Orange River bridge to the Namibian side where we had our passports stamped so that we could return on Saturday. Then back to the SA side where we drove the final 12kays to the Overbos Camp.
The total distance to the camp was 1342kays and we had driven for about 15 hours. Particularly in the early morning in the dark the drive was very tiring. Fortunately we were able to swap drivers and have a rest in between. We were the last to arrive. Rob and Jason had been to the Augrabies falls where the river was flowing at its strongest and then on to Ais Ais where they had spent a day in the heated pools. Mike and family had also been up to Augrabies. Terry and family had a relatively short drive from Cape Town.
It is interesting to note that the name of the Orange River has nothing to do with its colour. The river was named Oranjerivier to honour Prince William of the Royal Dutch house of Orange. At this time the Dutch claimed ownership of the Cape. The river has its origins in the Lesotho Mountains where it is known as the Senqu River. The river was known to the indigenous people as the Gariep (great) River. The two main tributaries of the Orange river are the Caledon and the Vaal rivers.
Anthony was the main Guide and he met us there. We also met up with Brett, Lefty and Izalda (Zollie). I later learned that Anthony is the son of a very good friend of Pierre Bester. Small world! That evening we set up our tents and after supper were all asleep pretty early.
First day on the River. Wednesday.
The next day Ant’ gave us the instructions required. We were each allocated a waterproof bag, which would contain clothes and sleeping bags for the next four days. We had to put our stuff into black bags and then roll the top of the waterproof bag over four times before clipping it closed. This system worked okay for most of us. I know that Rob had a leaky bag but still managed okay. After breakfast we set off across the river to the Felix Unite office where we filled our cooler boxes with ice.
Jenny and Jared did not make it across the river and after a while we could see that they were going to struggle. So Jared and I swapped places and I spent the day in Jenny’s boat. Brett was in charge of a Raft as was Zollie. These two rafts were to be the main meeting place of the younger group over the next four days. The two man Crocodiles would be used by couples and some of the more capable or energetic pairs.
The river was at a very high level after heavy rainfalls in the Lesotho Mountains as well as in Gauteng. Water was being released from the dams and were not going to experience the rapids that we had in 2002. However the character of the trip was completely different. The fast flowing river meant that we hardly had to paddle and the temperature of the water enabled us to swim all day.
Our first day was easy. At lunchtime the temperature had risen and the sand was hot to walk on. By the time we reached our overnight camping spot I realised just how much the river level had risen. We had no grass to camp on. The place where we camped the previous time was a few meters under water. There were no rapids and no weir to contend with.
Most of us campers made our first mistake in that as soon as we beached our craft we claimed our campsite and set up tents etc in the blazing sun. What we should have done was to relax in the water, leave our stuff until later in the afternoon and then find a good campsite of which there were many. We saw many troops of baboons both at this campsite and along the riverside. Fortunately, unlike the Baviaans Kloof, these baboons left us alone. We all learned how to use the Boom Boom Box. A garden Trowel, A small packet and the roll of toilet paper sent each one of us for a walk to a secluded spot. A huge problem in the outdoors is the toilet paper that litters the countryside. This problem is solved here as all toilet paper is place in the small packets and burned the next morning.
We took an exploratory walk up the hillside. While the hills look barren from afar, they have a variety of scrub and cactus that is seen only from close up. This afternoon many of us discovered the thrill of walking upstream a little and then, with our life jackets secure, allowing the force of the water to drift us downstream with a final frantic swim to avoid being swept away in the current. Then finally as dusk settled one or two scares brought the swimming to an end. All of us ate too much on this trip. The meals were more than substantial and there was always enough for second helpings.
This evening, as Ally and I lay on the ground sheet looking at the stars, Anthony brought us a Chocolate Brownie! The moon was half full but still provided enough light that we hardly needed torches. The moonlight seemed to reflect on the river sand. This kind of camping does not guarantee a really deep sleep. I had started off in the tent but during the night decided to move outside and slept under the stars. I generally found that I had enough sleep despite being restless in the night. This was the only night we set up the tent on the river. It really was not necessary, as the weather was perfect for a night under the stars.
Day two on the river. Thursday.
At this stage we were still deep in the mountains. The river was wide and we had an easy short paddle to the mine where the green stone is found. We spent a good hour or more picking up the stones. Those with cameras took photos of the scenery and people. Anthony had a video camera and he promised us that we could purchase a copy of the DVD that he would make. I had made a very amateur video of our last trip and was looking forward to a second momento. We came across number of other groups at this point. We were able to refuel with their leftover ice.
Lunch was served and we again played in the water, walking up high and floating down to the lunch stop. Anthony went ahead, hoping to be able to give some direction and take some photos but the river was simply too wide. We had a bit of excitement as we went through the waves but nothing like the real “shambok”. Terry and Pat, had involuntary swims in this section as they were ejected from their seats on the Crocodiles.
Brett was concerned that the afternoon paddle may be long but with the force of the river carrying us we were soon at the campsite known as Crystal Pools. We had passed what he refers to as Divorce Section. It seems that there is often a head wind to contend with that causes strained relationships. We also passed the Witches Rock formation as well as a number of mines, which may be diamond mines but we are not sure.
At the campsite some of us walked up the valley to a point where the first of the crystal pools may have been, but everything was dry. Mike carried on to see if he could find any water in the pools. He later told me that he had found some stunning rock formations where water had been in the pools fairly recently. We discovered that this was an area for collecting Tigers Eye Stones. These were added to the already growing rock collections.
This evening Charles, Rob & I had camped on the other side of a small gully. The children (and adults) had great fun in the water. At the campfire we all sat around in a semi circle and chatted. We tried to get Derryk to relate some of his famous fireside stories but he seemed to be reluctant. Some of us decided that he was much better behaved when Linda was around! Zollie showed us the Paddle Trick. Bradley was the first to try it out and then a number of others tried to master this acrobatic act. I think that Jacqui got it right. We saw Amber and Ally practicing in the background until they too had mastered the trick and were ready to give us a display. If you remember, please ask Ally to give you a demonstration and then you should also attempt this contortionist trick.
Later that evening, Anthony crushed some of the green stone and we had a display of the “Fairy Dust” in the fire. After this he gave us a display of fire rings as he lit the ends of two chains and twirled these around to the great delight of children and adults alike. Our little group had decided to sleep in the open this night and we did not put our tent up but had a wonderful night under the stars. I know little of the stars and the various configurations. All I know is the Southern Star.
Day three on the river. Friday.
This morning I found a little gully and was able to have a bath in the river. Rob was pulling down his tent when he realised that he had two friendly scorpions as bedfellows that night. Cameras were quickly pulled out before they scuttled away. We had found a variety of bugs and beetles on this trip. Birds that we encountered were the Goliath Heron, the Darter, the Pied and the Malachite Kingfishers and the spectacular Fish Eagle. On one occasion we saw, to everyone’s amusement, a Darter hitching a ride on a branch that was floating down river. Watching the Kingfishers hovering and then diving into the water became quite commonplace.
Anthony was keen to get going before the morning sun hit us. By now most of the youngsters were either with Zollie or with Brett on the two large rafts. Charles & I shared a Crocodile today. With Charles doing all the work, I had a relaxed morning in the front as we left the mountainous area and came to the farms and roads. We hear that the farms on the Namibian side of the Orange River produce one of the largest crops of table grapes in the world. Huge volumes of water must be pumped from the river to irrigate these farms.
After a brief stop at the point where we had ended our last trip we headed down river to our final campsite. This was an area where none of us was familiar. Our campsite this evening may not have been the very best possible but we all made the best of it and there were soon a variety of rock hunting expeditions led by Barbie and route marches being led by Mike. I really enjoyed these walks but not like Mike did. He continued to the top of a hill where we heard him Whooping in excitement. We had a long stay at this campsite and I was able to read Ally her Mary-Kate & Ashley storybook.
Rob pulled out his Boule Balls and as soon as one or two throws were demonstrated there was a rush to get in line as the next challenger. A version of the French game, Jeu de Boule, is recorded as being played by Romans in 300AD. It seems that soldiers of the Roman Empire played the game for entertainment and exercise. Rob’s Boule set consisted of six steel balls. Each Boule is identified by one, two or three rings. A small wooden ball, known as the cochonnet or jack, is thrown some distance away in the sand. The two players have three attempts each to try to land their Boule as close to the cochonnet as possible. Fair play is unheard of! Jared seemed to make his mark as did Ally and Amber. Charles has a number of good action shots of this on camera.
Ally & I again slept under the stars. This was for me one of the most comfortable nights. I had brought our self-inflating mattresses, which are actually not self-inflating but with a few puffs are quite hard and comfortable to sleep on. One of them was losing air in the night but fortunately not going completely flat. The next morning Derryk showed me how his Lilo had been punctured and was due to be trashed.
Day four on the river. Saturday.
We had debated how we would spend the evening but it was general consensus that we had a very long drive home with school and work commitments on Monday morning. So Anthony set us off for our last stretch. Ally had said that she would like to be with me on a Crocodile. We were unlucky that one or two small spiders had decided to camp on our boat that night and these unsettled Ally. Also I am a lazy paddler and quite happy to be at the back of the group. Ally become nervous and when we got to the exciting part of the river and a spider decided to crawl around her, this was just too much for her and she was really unhappy. We made it through the waves without incident and came across Charles and Ian who had flipped their craft. Ally decided that Charles looked like a safer bet so Ian climbed in with me and we cruised down stream to where the bus was waiting for us on the Namibian side of the river.
The bus and trailer were soon loaded and we collected our passports to be able to return to RSA. The desolate nature of this countryside was brought to harsh reality as we traveled this section of the trip. Unfortunately the tyre of the trailer shredded and Brett was left to wait for Lefty who returned with a spare. Meanwhile we had all offloaded and were packing our vehicles. It was great to see Yango from our last trip. He is looking well and just as adventurous and naughty as when we last saw him. Hannes and Derryk decided to return via the Augrabies Falls and we finally left at 14.30. Mike had to purchase a new tyre in Springbok. We filled up in Springbok and then headed off to Van Rhynsdorp where we waited for Charles and Rob. I realised that we had made a mistake in thinking that we could do route planning on the road via cell phones. This sounds fine in theory but there are long stretches of no signal that makes communication very difficult.
In the end we decided to press on to Calvinia where we found a caravan park. We asked directions from two local lads on bicycles who politely said “follow us” and they literally led us to the camp as well as opening the gate for us. We reached Calvinia at about 19.00 and soon had the owner of the campsite switching on lights and we were able to negotiate a very favourable rate of R300 for all 14 of us. Mike was still on his way so we drove to the local Café where we purchased burgers and cold drinks for our supper. We had 830 kays to go in the morning so after we had sorted out the sleeping arrangements we all headed for bed pretty early.
Sunday Morning.
Up at 05.00am and with little fuss, but doing a tour of the town as we tried to find the road out, we managed to leave by 06.00. I had to fill up at the next town (Williston). We seemed to congregate at the center of Carnavon here we purchased some coffee and then tried to leave this tiny village but got lost twice much to the amusement of Rob.
A negative feature of this journey was the carnage of wild life that we saw on the road. Rabbits, foxes or jackals and a variety of small creatures and birds fall prey to our speeding vehicles. I am not sure how this could be prevented but I became quite nauseated by the number of dead animals on the road. In Victoria West we found the café with the Mannetjies Roux Museum. Service was not that fast but we managed to have a breakfast and then, with only 450kay to go, left for Graaff Reinett. Along this road we encountered swarms of locusts which caused the front of the vehicles to become yellow and clogged up. We cleaned up a bit in Graaff Reinett. Later I realised that we had left this mess on the driveway of the BP filling station and I felt guilty about this. Ally had transferred herself to Rob’s car so as we reached Uitenhage we swapped back again. By the time we reached home we had traveled 2690kays.
I love the adventure of this kind of trip. I enjoy putting myself out of my normal comfort zone. But I also love returning home to hot water, electricity and my bed! The next day I had my car washed at a car wash in Russell Road and for a mere R20 my car once again looked acceptable. They also changed my front passenger side wheel as I had a flat tyre. I had my car serviced and had two new tyres fitted as Ally & I were leaving for Cape Town on Thursday. I planned to run Two Oceans Marathon on the Easter Saturday.
We slept in Plettenberg bay on Thursday night. I had contacted the Plett Primary school and got hold of Herman who was the father of Alexandra. Ally had met Alexandra at the Nippers Carnival and so we met up with them in Plett where Ally spent the evening. Ena had made Butternut soup and Pasta with sauce. When I say Ena made Pasta, she is the only person I know who makes her own Pasta from flour and the various ingredients. For desert we had home made ice cream and chocolate sauce. The next morning Ally & I drove through to CT where I registered for the race. We met Stuart and then Cathy showed Stuart and family where they could stay in Woodstock. When we left them we found the Montreaux Flat in Queen Victoria road. The tenant had abandoned the flat so we had to have a spare key made and Cathy offered to clean the place up.
We then drove to Fish Hoek where I had rented a self-catering flat @ R300 per night. It was perfect for our needs. I readied myself for the race then next day and at about 06.00am hitched a ride to the start. I handed my tog bag to Milka Boshoff and met up with some of the Achilleans in the Blue Number section. At 07.00 the race got underway and I knew that I was going to have a bad run. I had a sore left calf muscle and had no motivation.
I jogged through the 21kay mark in a little over 2 hours and then at 28kay tried to bail. Peter Pholman stopped me but he was soon out of sight and before going up little Chappies I again tried to bail but Neil from Muirites dragged me on. Then half was up Chappies I lost him and finally did bail just after reaching the 32kay mark. I took a combi bus to Hout bay where we were transferred to a big bus. Here I was joined by Basil Tyler, Keith and Sue Bayliss. I heard that Josiah Thungwane was also on this bus!
I must confess that I am sorry that I did not finish. But I have done Oceans 18times and will in all probability be back for yet another attempt. Someone said to me that I will have to give up some of the other events to concentrate on Oceans. But I feel the opposite. I would like to try to do more of the adventure events with less hype and more for the fun and unknown aspects.
At the UCT field we joined up with the Achilleans at the tent and I phoned Cathy to find that she had collected Barbara at the Airport and was almost at the field. They collected me and we drove to Fish Hoek where we had a relaxed evening. Ally & I watched TV till late.
Sunday after Two Oceans we had our traditional Boschendal lunch. I am not sure if I will continue to attend this lunch. The lunch cost us R500 for the four of us. A bottle of wine and cold drink is R100. More than a little steep I feel! I think that I was feeling the pinch of the Orange River and all the various travel costs. Kobus was awarded a certificate for running his 100th marathon. Back at home there had been a very unfortunate accident as Hooch, Barbara’s favourite little dog, had died in a car accident. After the lunch we drove to the Century City where we watched Ice Age 2. The family enjoyed the movie. I thought that it was a loosely concocted mishmash of animated garbage and certainly not worth the R38pp that is charged for movies these days. Little wonder that I go to movies less than once a year.
On Monday morning we left Cathy and, after a few stops (in Albertina we found a good Biltong shop & a church bazaar selling Pannekoek and fudge) and a brief visit to Ena in Plettenberg bay were back in PE by 14.30. From Fish Hoek to PE is 765kays.
Peter Giddy
17 April 2006.
Regarding an Orange River Onseepkans Gorge trip - attached are a number of documents to look at - kit list,
The prices are R1845 p.p.
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BORDER CROSSING PROCEDURE
Essentially, you are ‘pre-booking’ yourself through the SA and Namibian borders so that when you re-enter SA at the end of your trip, you will have the correct stamps in your passport.
Make sure that your passport is valid and that you have the correct visas and endorsements in your passport in good time – this will depend on your citizenship and residency status. SA passport holders require no visas and emergency SA passports are accepted.
On reaching the border, get your passport processed at the SA border post. Tell them that you are doing an Orange River trip and that you are staying at Oewerbos Camp in Vioolsdrif and getting on to the river on the SA side.
Drive across the river to the Namibian border post.
Get your passport processed at the Namibian authorities. Tell them that you are doing an Orange River trip and that you are staying at Oewerbos Camp in Vioolsdrif and getting on to the river on the SA side. You shouldn’t have to pay the R120.00 per vehicle road tax, as your vehicle will not be entering Namibia.
Do a U-turn and drive back across to the South African side.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE BOTH NAMIBIAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN STAMPS IN YOUR PASSPORT.
Proceed to Oewerbos Camp.
ORANGE RIVER GORGE: KIT LIST
On River
q Swimming costume
q Wet shoes – strops (sandals)/takkies (trainers)
q Kikoi or sarong – doubles as protection from the sun
q Long sleeved cotton shirt – ditto
q Hat with brim
q Sun block
q Sunglasses with strings!
q 5 strong black bags for waterproofing
q Camera (we provide dry bucket)
q Book
q Drink bottle with strap
q Light windbreaker (winter trips)
Off River
q One warm change of clothes for the evenings – T-shirt, track pants and top, closed shoes and socks, anorak, beanie. Winter nights are cold and in between seasons nights may still be cool.
q Small Towel
q Sleeping bag – available to hire if necessary
q Roll mat - closed cell foam or similar (‘Therma-rests’ are expensive but worth it!)
q Small pillow (inflatable or ‘stuffable’)
q Toiletries – all biodegradable, please.
q Mess kit: unbreakable plate/bowl, cup, knife and fork
q Your choice of beverages– we recommend that you bring drink mix (eg Game), sufficient for 2l per day as well as 24 soft drinks in cans or decanted into plastic.
q Sweets etc. (hearty meals are provided but you may enjoy a few special extras)
q Insect repellent
q Torch
Gravity River Tours, PO Box 53456, Kenilworth, 7745.
Tel/Fax: 683 3698. Cell: 082 440 6277. e-mail: adventure@gravity.co.za
Sunday, April 9, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
IRONMAN 19 MARCH 2006.
This year I had far less focus on Ironman than I had last year. Tim was now an experienced Ironman and was training with a man far more qualified to keep up with him in Bradley Joubert. However I was a member of the EP Triathlon as I had hoped to be able to compete for the EP team. The events clashed with other commitments so I was unable to focus on triathlon and the training that it demands.
But I still decided to compete in the Corporate Triathlon, which is one tenth of the main event. It was held on the Thursday before Ironman at 16h00. I rushed out of work and put my stuff together. I had one cycle the week before and had trained a bit of swimming for Biathlon so felt that I should be able to do this. Triathlon is a fussy sport with so many rules and regulations and so much stuff required to do the sport so I put everything in the car and we drove down in plenty of time for the event.
As I got to the start I realised that I had left my running shoes at home. Barbara agreed to fetch them for me as I went into the transition area. But what she actually did was to phone Suzanne who was coming down anyway and asked to her go to our house and find them for me. Oops. This allowed her to see what a mess my stuff at home is. How embarrassing!
I walked down to the start of the swim and was chatting there to others doing the event when I saw Sue running down with the shoes so I was able to run back up and put them with my stuff in transition. There were a good number of people doing the event so when the swim started there were legs and arms flying everywhere and as we rounded the first buoy a few were pushed under and there was lot of swearing and moaning. I took a slightly wider berth and pressed on. I had a reasonable swim and was far from last out of the water. I had a good bike ride (18kays). Just as we approached the University it started to rain but this did not last long. I met up with Roz Gerber at the turn. Roz had been off for a few years due to injuries and I had not seen her for ages. So I urged her to stick with me on the way back which she did and we had an excellent return with the wind.
Back at transition I quickly changed into those elusive running shoes and started the 4kay run. This is the part where I feel most comfortable about my ability and was able to overtake a number of people and had a good finish. About 1 hour 13 minutes.
That evening we had cell group at Charles and Ingrid. Being a member of the EP triathlon, I had been asked and agreed to host an out of towner for the Ironman. On Monday I had collected our guest, Gerrit Schellens, from the airport, taken him home and gone back to work. After work on Monday, Barbara, Ally & I took him for a drive around the cycle route and familiarised him with the town and where we lived. He had already been for a bike ride and looked at home. On the way home we agreed that it was to be spaghetti Boglonaise for supper so we stopped at the Spar for groceries and soon cooked up a simple meal with Gerrit doing the vegetables.
This evening I realised how much he was training as he told us that he had been in Potchefstroom for the past three weeks in a training camp. He had done something like 2400kays of cycle, 400kays of running and 100kays of swimming. The amount of supper that he ate confirmed how much he was burning up. I also learned that there is an annual Training camp in Potch. Something like 30 to 50 athletes from all over the world use this facility. This was the fourth year that Gerrit had been there for training. I wondered why they should not use Port Elizabeth, the Triathlon Center of South Africa for their training?
Over the next few days we became friends and Gerrit agreed to come to our cell group. Charles and Ingrid had prepared an appropriate evening with songs of praise as well as talking about how Jesus wanted us to be the best that we can. Gerrit felt quite at home and later commented that he did not realise how Catholic us Africans were. He also said (a few times) how much he had enjoyed the evening. As we left their home Gerrit offered (much to Ally’s delight) to buy Pizzas for supper.
The following day (Friday) we had our own little pasta party at Tim & Suzanne. Before this we had been at Nippers training and I had purchased a few cans of spray paint. So after Nippers we drove to the University back entrance and painted the road with names such as Tim, Bradley, Achilles, Gerrrit, (oops. Three r’s), Paula, Jonty, Alan & Dom. We ran out of paint and time before we could paint all the names that we had planned.
Bradley and Charmaine as well as Alan & Dominique from Durban were at Tim’s for supper. As it turned out they are almost next door neighbours of my brother, Patrick, in Westville. On Saturday morning we did our long run and then later in the afternoon we took Ally down to Nippers training while Gerrit rode down to Bike Check In and met us at Summerstrand. That afternoon the Easterly was blowing the surf up into a Boiling Pot and prospects did not look good for the next day.
We were in bed early but none of us slept well as we heard the wind blowing all night and we had visions of a cancelled swim and horrific bike conditions. But as it turned out the wind had turned in the night and a Westerly was blowing. The sea was relatively calm and the race would proceed as planned. We got to the start at 05.30 and plenty of time for preparations for the event. Here we saw all kinds of people that we were able to greet and give our best wishes. I decided to stay at the water's edge until the last swimmer came out. I met Adrienne there and she was shouting for Paula.
The race started at 07.00 with the guns of the ship at sea. Gerrit, being a professional, was in the front and off they went. It was a two-lap event and by the time the second lap started I was beginning to be hoarse from all the shouting. Incredible how many local athletes were taking part. I felt a sense of pride for all of them. Of course I told everyone that I met that Gerrit was staying with us and that he was going for a top five position. We had arranged to go to breakfast at Elize but the activity and excitement of the morning was just too much for us. It was not long after the last of the swimmers was out of the water than the first of the cyclists was coming round for the first lap. And did we cheer!
And so the day went on. The West wind was blowing quite strongly and this put a lot of strain on the cycle in particular. Lots of cheering and fun. I was on duty in the transition area in the afternoon but could not stay away from the finish as the top athletes were approaching the last lap. Suddenly we started hearing Gerrit’s name. He was closing in on the local hero, Raynard Tissink. Then he passed him! Then he was three hundred meters ahead of him. Then he won the event. Amazing!
Gerrit had this small group of people who he had met over the past few days as his only support group but they made enough noise for all the Raynard supporters. Later, Gerrit told us that he was confident that he could beat Raynard when he realised that there was only 8 minutes separating him from the front runners when he finished the cycle. He has done a 2H37marathon after the cycle and knew that this was his strongest discipline. Gerrit was a little known contender but has been European Ultra Distance Champion for two years and has won a number of these events but never an Ironman. It seems that in Europe there are ultra distance triathlons but these are not know as Ironman events. The name Ironman is a trade name and is a huge investment to stage. He had been 26th at the Hawaii Ironman event but had been ill and his doctor had advised him to take it easy.
Then it was back to cheering our other friends and club members. Some wonderful achievements were recorded that day. Paula, Tracey, Christoph, Mike, John, Deon & Tim friends and family just from the Mill Park Running Group all did well. Tim, as one of the few who were doing their second Ironman, had cut an hour of last years time. Then there were all our Achilles running friends. Paul was the very last man to make the cycle cut off and who wanted to bail. But he had me to contend with and I “forced” him to at least attempt the run. He did and finished! There was Dominique who had told us all how she hated running and walked the entire 42kay in a bit over 5 hours. There was Viv Francis who I have not seen for ages. I was able to run for a few kays with him on the final lap. He also finished the event. Too many people to name but so many heroes. Emotions were high. Spirits were high. What a day!
I had driven Gerrit home. He had hardly got home when the phone started to ring. It was his wife, friends and family from Belgium. They had rented a café and purchased a barrel of beer. It seems that they partied to 5.00am the next day. He also had reporters phoning him at that time. It was clear that he was a national hero back home. In fact from that time onwards, Gerrit could hardly walk anywhere without being stopped for a congratulations, a photo or an autograph.
Monday morning I was too tired to run but Stuart saw me at my desk early in the morning and asked to meet Gerrit later. So when I was able to get a break from work I phoned him, Mike and Tim and we spent some time chatting to him. I also phoned the Algoa radio station and they had an exclusive interview with Gerrit. Later in the day there was a plethora of reporters both on the phone and at our home with interviews and more photo’s. That evening was the gala awards dinner. We went along with Gerrit as his guests. It was great to be together with the people who he had got to know
Many people received awards and recognition that evening. And rightly so. They had achieved what most of us wish for. To be an Ironman! Tracey and Davera were both on the podium as age category winners as was Viv Francis. Standing ovations were accorded to many of these amazing athletes. Finally it was the turn of the winner to be recognized. Gerrit made a great speech where he acknowledged the support that he had received, the organisation and more important to us he acknowledged the table where his new friends were sitting.
The evening was spent with all kinds of admirers chatting to Gerrit, having Photographs taken & books signed. We left at about 11.00pm as I need to be home early. I had planned to go Kloofing in the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma region on Tuesday morning. Tuesday was a holiday.
Fred picked me up just before 6am and we met Mike, Andy, Darryl, Mark & Matthew and set off at about 06.30. We went down in Fred’s Combi. We drove to Natures Valley where we met up with Wayne who was camping there. Interestingly, we had seen a bushbuck crossing the main road near to the Blaukrans River. We left the Combi there and Wayne drove us back to the Highway and the Groot Rivier Bridge on the N2 (just a little West of the Tollgate). He dropped us there at 08.30 and we immediately started our climb down the cliff side. I was wearing an old pair of sandals. These looked like they were going to fall apart. I must remember to wear genuine Rockies the next time I do this type of hike.
Mike seems to be able to find his way wherever we are and soon we were at a cliff face that seemed impossible to descend. But he showed us some webbing that had been left there and we used that to climb down this section. Then it was down to the river. It had been raining quite a bit recently and so the river was flowing fast. The first obstacle was to get into the water. Mike used some rope and we climbed onto a ledge. We had to leap into the water from here. The last time I had been Kloofing with Mike I had been terrified. Now I was determined to overcome this fear and without hesitation jumped. No trouble!
When you go Kloofing, you take a daypack with a few provisions, emergency stuff and something warm to wear. All of this has to be very well double wrapped in plastic bags otherwise everything is saturated and the weight of the backpack becomes unbearable. A wetsuit is a must as the water becomes so cold when you are in the river for long periods. I was wearing Nicci’s small wetsuit. And although I did get cold, it was adequate for the day. The river was very full and we spent most of the day swimming. Mostly I swam on my back, facing upstream, with the pack strapped on securely. There is a lot of buoyancy in the pack and with the water flowing strongly we moved at a good pace. Whenever we got to a rapid I would move into the “cocktail” position and rush down the rapid in what Mike calls a “Bumslide”. What an experience each rapid was. Better that a whole day at the superslides.
As the day wore on we were treated to all kinds of visual experiences: seeing the underside of the Groot Rivier Bridge, Cliff faces and rock formations that were absolutely awesome. We even swam through the spray of a waterfall. At one time the gorge was so narrow that we could almost reach to either side of the cliff face with outstretched arms. It was a tough day in the cold water with long swims, smooth rocks to walk on, heavy packs full of water and very little time to dry out. My backpack is made of some special material that is waterproof. Great if it is raining but it retains the water and I battled to stand up every time we had to walk through a rapid.
We stopped twice for something to eat. I had prepared some ham sandwiches, which I really enjoyed at the first stop but by the time we got to the second stop everything was wet. I also had a Power Gel, which helped me get through the last few hours. Towards the end of the day we were cramping, had sore backs, sore bums, hands were bruised and quite a few cuts and grazes. Eventually we were able to start walking. The walk was probably about 30 minutes and we finished back at camp at Nature’s Valley at 15.00. Of the total of six and a half-hours, we had been in the water for about five hours.
Nature’s Valley has a wonderful shower facility for campers and we made good use of them. Mike and I also saw a second bushbuck in the camp. On our way home we again stopped at the Storms River Bridge and were home before 6.00pm. Thank you Mike for organising a great day. This is a treat that only a very few people ever get to experience. My opinion is that you should be reasonably fit before attempting this. Also know that you are going to have a tough day where all kinds of things are possible. Nothing is certain. This is, by definition, “an adventure”. The activity and the outcome has to be experienced to appreciate what Kloofing is all about. There are no spectators, no awards, no medal and no T-Shirt. But what there is, is a memory that cannot be erased. Sunday had belonged to Ironman but today we were “watermen”! I was stiff and sore when I arrived home but had a good little sleep at the back of the Combi.
This morning Barbara & Suzanne had taken Gerrit to the airport where he had bought them breakfast. He was again swamped by well wishers and left for Belgium at 13.00. He would fly to Johannesburg, London and then home. We anticipated that he would receive a heroes welcome in Brussels and he told us how there were more press conferences and parties planned.
Peter Giddy
22.03.2006.
This year I had far less focus on Ironman than I had last year. Tim was now an experienced Ironman and was training with a man far more qualified to keep up with him in Bradley Joubert. However I was a member of the EP Triathlon as I had hoped to be able to compete for the EP team. The events clashed with other commitments so I was unable to focus on triathlon and the training that it demands.
But I still decided to compete in the Corporate Triathlon, which is one tenth of the main event. It was held on the Thursday before Ironman at 16h00. I rushed out of work and put my stuff together. I had one cycle the week before and had trained a bit of swimming for Biathlon so felt that I should be able to do this. Triathlon is a fussy sport with so many rules and regulations and so much stuff required to do the sport so I put everything in the car and we drove down in plenty of time for the event.
As I got to the start I realised that I had left my running shoes at home. Barbara agreed to fetch them for me as I went into the transition area. But what she actually did was to phone Suzanne who was coming down anyway and asked to her go to our house and find them for me. Oops. This allowed her to see what a mess my stuff at home is. How embarrassing!
I walked down to the start of the swim and was chatting there to others doing the event when I saw Sue running down with the shoes so I was able to run back up and put them with my stuff in transition. There were a good number of people doing the event so when the swim started there were legs and arms flying everywhere and as we rounded the first buoy a few were pushed under and there was lot of swearing and moaning. I took a slightly wider berth and pressed on. I had a reasonable swim and was far from last out of the water. I had a good bike ride (18kays). Just as we approached the University it started to rain but this did not last long. I met up with Roz Gerber at the turn. Roz had been off for a few years due to injuries and I had not seen her for ages. So I urged her to stick with me on the way back which she did and we had an excellent return with the wind.
Back at transition I quickly changed into those elusive running shoes and started the 4kay run. This is the part where I feel most comfortable about my ability and was able to overtake a number of people and had a good finish. About 1 hour 13 minutes.
That evening we had cell group at Charles and Ingrid. Being a member of the EP triathlon, I had been asked and agreed to host an out of towner for the Ironman. On Monday I had collected our guest, Gerrit Schellens, from the airport, taken him home and gone back to work. After work on Monday, Barbara, Ally & I took him for a drive around the cycle route and familiarised him with the town and where we lived. He had already been for a bike ride and looked at home. On the way home we agreed that it was to be spaghetti Boglonaise for supper so we stopped at the Spar for groceries and soon cooked up a simple meal with Gerrit doing the vegetables.
This evening I realised how much he was training as he told us that he had been in Potchefstroom for the past three weeks in a training camp. He had done something like 2400kays of cycle, 400kays of running and 100kays of swimming. The amount of supper that he ate confirmed how much he was burning up. I also learned that there is an annual Training camp in Potch. Something like 30 to 50 athletes from all over the world use this facility. This was the fourth year that Gerrit had been there for training. I wondered why they should not use Port Elizabeth, the Triathlon Center of South Africa for their training?
Over the next few days we became friends and Gerrit agreed to come to our cell group. Charles and Ingrid had prepared an appropriate evening with songs of praise as well as talking about how Jesus wanted us to be the best that we can. Gerrit felt quite at home and later commented that he did not realise how Catholic us Africans were. He also said (a few times) how much he had enjoyed the evening. As we left their home Gerrit offered (much to Ally’s delight) to buy Pizzas for supper.
The following day (Friday) we had our own little pasta party at Tim & Suzanne. Before this we had been at Nippers training and I had purchased a few cans of spray paint. So after Nippers we drove to the University back entrance and painted the road with names such as Tim, Bradley, Achilles, Gerrrit, (oops. Three r’s), Paula, Jonty, Alan & Dom. We ran out of paint and time before we could paint all the names that we had planned.
Bradley and Charmaine as well as Alan & Dominique from Durban were at Tim’s for supper. As it turned out they are almost next door neighbours of my brother, Patrick, in Westville. On Saturday morning we did our long run and then later in the afternoon we took Ally down to Nippers training while Gerrit rode down to Bike Check In and met us at Summerstrand. That afternoon the Easterly was blowing the surf up into a Boiling Pot and prospects did not look good for the next day.
We were in bed early but none of us slept well as we heard the wind blowing all night and we had visions of a cancelled swim and horrific bike conditions. But as it turned out the wind had turned in the night and a Westerly was blowing. The sea was relatively calm and the race would proceed as planned. We got to the start at 05.30 and plenty of time for preparations for the event. Here we saw all kinds of people that we were able to greet and give our best wishes. I decided to stay at the water's edge until the last swimmer came out. I met Adrienne there and she was shouting for Paula.
The race started at 07.00 with the guns of the ship at sea. Gerrit, being a professional, was in the front and off they went. It was a two-lap event and by the time the second lap started I was beginning to be hoarse from all the shouting. Incredible how many local athletes were taking part. I felt a sense of pride for all of them. Of course I told everyone that I met that Gerrit was staying with us and that he was going for a top five position. We had arranged to go to breakfast at Elize but the activity and excitement of the morning was just too much for us. It was not long after the last of the swimmers was out of the water than the first of the cyclists was coming round for the first lap. And did we cheer!
And so the day went on. The West wind was blowing quite strongly and this put a lot of strain on the cycle in particular. Lots of cheering and fun. I was on duty in the transition area in the afternoon but could not stay away from the finish as the top athletes were approaching the last lap. Suddenly we started hearing Gerrit’s name. He was closing in on the local hero, Raynard Tissink. Then he passed him! Then he was three hundred meters ahead of him. Then he won the event. Amazing!
Gerrit had this small group of people who he had met over the past few days as his only support group but they made enough noise for all the Raynard supporters. Later, Gerrit told us that he was confident that he could beat Raynard when he realised that there was only 8 minutes separating him from the front runners when he finished the cycle. He has done a 2H37marathon after the cycle and knew that this was his strongest discipline. Gerrit was a little known contender but has been European Ultra Distance Champion for two years and has won a number of these events but never an Ironman. It seems that in Europe there are ultra distance triathlons but these are not know as Ironman events. The name Ironman is a trade name and is a huge investment to stage. He had been 26th at the Hawaii Ironman event but had been ill and his doctor had advised him to take it easy.
Then it was back to cheering our other friends and club members. Some wonderful achievements were recorded that day. Paula, Tracey, Christoph, Mike, John, Deon & Tim friends and family just from the Mill Park Running Group all did well. Tim, as one of the few who were doing their second Ironman, had cut an hour of last years time. Then there were all our Achilles running friends. Paul was the very last man to make the cycle cut off and who wanted to bail. But he had me to contend with and I “forced” him to at least attempt the run. He did and finished! There was Dominique who had told us all how she hated running and walked the entire 42kay in a bit over 5 hours. There was Viv Francis who I have not seen for ages. I was able to run for a few kays with him on the final lap. He also finished the event. Too many people to name but so many heroes. Emotions were high. Spirits were high. What a day!
I had driven Gerrit home. He had hardly got home when the phone started to ring. It was his wife, friends and family from Belgium. They had rented a café and purchased a barrel of beer. It seems that they partied to 5.00am the next day. He also had reporters phoning him at that time. It was clear that he was a national hero back home. In fact from that time onwards, Gerrit could hardly walk anywhere without being stopped for a congratulations, a photo or an autograph.
Monday morning I was too tired to run but Stuart saw me at my desk early in the morning and asked to meet Gerrit later. So when I was able to get a break from work I phoned him, Mike and Tim and we spent some time chatting to him. I also phoned the Algoa radio station and they had an exclusive interview with Gerrit. Later in the day there was a plethora of reporters both on the phone and at our home with interviews and more photo’s. That evening was the gala awards dinner. We went along with Gerrit as his guests. It was great to be together with the people who he had got to know
Many people received awards and recognition that evening. And rightly so. They had achieved what most of us wish for. To be an Ironman! Tracey and Davera were both on the podium as age category winners as was Viv Francis. Standing ovations were accorded to many of these amazing athletes. Finally it was the turn of the winner to be recognized. Gerrit made a great speech where he acknowledged the support that he had received, the organisation and more important to us he acknowledged the table where his new friends were sitting.
The evening was spent with all kinds of admirers chatting to Gerrit, having Photographs taken & books signed. We left at about 11.00pm as I need to be home early. I had planned to go Kloofing in the Groot Rivier in the Tsitsikamma region on Tuesday morning. Tuesday was a holiday.
Fred picked me up just before 6am and we met Mike, Andy, Darryl, Mark & Matthew and set off at about 06.30. We went down in Fred’s Combi. We drove to Natures Valley where we met up with Wayne who was camping there. Interestingly, we had seen a bushbuck crossing the main road near to the Blaukrans River. We left the Combi there and Wayne drove us back to the Highway and the Groot Rivier Bridge on the N2 (just a little West of the Tollgate). He dropped us there at 08.30 and we immediately started our climb down the cliff side. I was wearing an old pair of sandals. These looked like they were going to fall apart. I must remember to wear genuine Rockies the next time I do this type of hike.
Mike seems to be able to find his way wherever we are and soon we were at a cliff face that seemed impossible to descend. But he showed us some webbing that had been left there and we used that to climb down this section. Then it was down to the river. It had been raining quite a bit recently and so the river was flowing fast. The first obstacle was to get into the water. Mike used some rope and we climbed onto a ledge. We had to leap into the water from here. The last time I had been Kloofing with Mike I had been terrified. Now I was determined to overcome this fear and without hesitation jumped. No trouble!
When you go Kloofing, you take a daypack with a few provisions, emergency stuff and something warm to wear. All of this has to be very well double wrapped in plastic bags otherwise everything is saturated and the weight of the backpack becomes unbearable. A wetsuit is a must as the water becomes so cold when you are in the river for long periods. I was wearing Nicci’s small wetsuit. And although I did get cold, it was adequate for the day. The river was very full and we spent most of the day swimming. Mostly I swam on my back, facing upstream, with the pack strapped on securely. There is a lot of buoyancy in the pack and with the water flowing strongly we moved at a good pace. Whenever we got to a rapid I would move into the “cocktail” position and rush down the rapid in what Mike calls a “Bumslide”. What an experience each rapid was. Better that a whole day at the superslides.
As the day wore on we were treated to all kinds of visual experiences: seeing the underside of the Groot Rivier Bridge, Cliff faces and rock formations that were absolutely awesome. We even swam through the spray of a waterfall. At one time the gorge was so narrow that we could almost reach to either side of the cliff face with outstretched arms. It was a tough day in the cold water with long swims, smooth rocks to walk on, heavy packs full of water and very little time to dry out. My backpack is made of some special material that is waterproof. Great if it is raining but it retains the water and I battled to stand up every time we had to walk through a rapid.
We stopped twice for something to eat. I had prepared some ham sandwiches, which I really enjoyed at the first stop but by the time we got to the second stop everything was wet. I also had a Power Gel, which helped me get through the last few hours. Towards the end of the day we were cramping, had sore backs, sore bums, hands were bruised and quite a few cuts and grazes. Eventually we were able to start walking. The walk was probably about 30 minutes and we finished back at camp at Nature’s Valley at 15.00. Of the total of six and a half-hours, we had been in the water for about five hours.
Nature’s Valley has a wonderful shower facility for campers and we made good use of them. Mike and I also saw a second bushbuck in the camp. On our way home we again stopped at the Storms River Bridge and were home before 6.00pm. Thank you Mike for organising a great day. This is a treat that only a very few people ever get to experience. My opinion is that you should be reasonably fit before attempting this. Also know that you are going to have a tough day where all kinds of things are possible. Nothing is certain. This is, by definition, “an adventure”. The activity and the outcome has to be experienced to appreciate what Kloofing is all about. There are no spectators, no awards, no medal and no T-Shirt. But what there is, is a memory that cannot be erased. Sunday had belonged to Ironman but today we were “watermen”! I was stiff and sore when I arrived home but had a good little sleep at the back of the Combi.
This morning Barbara & Suzanne had taken Gerrit to the airport where he had bought them breakfast. He was again swamped by well wishers and left for Belgium at 13.00. He would fly to Johannesburg, London and then home. We anticipated that he would receive a heroes welcome in Brussels and he told us how there were more press conferences and parties planned.
Peter Giddy
22.03.2006.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
WILD COAST ADVENTURE RUN FEBRUARY 2006 PORT ST JOHNS TO EAST LONODON 250KAYS
XTREME WILD COAST ULTRA
SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY TO SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2006.
SIX DAYS TO WALK AND RUN 274 KAYS. (APPROX)
PORT ST. JOHNS TO EAST LONDON.
We had been planning this trip for a number of months. I did not change my daily training routine. Originally Graham was to be with me but he was injured. Ron & I had listed and purchased all the required provisions as if we would be away for a month. But we decided that it would be better to over cater. I also bought two storage boxes from Macro. These we filled with our provisions. I packed the two stretchers, mattresses, cooking stuff and my tog bag. Once this was all in the car I had used the boot and the back seat.
Day Pack
The way that we do these kind of events is with a daypack that has a Bladder. The Bladder is a two-liter container that has a tube running to the front where the runner can drink water without having to stop or to pull out a water bottle from the backpack. We then pack provisions and emergency stuff for the day. My daily rations consisted of:
2 X sachets of GU. A high concentrate energy supplement that I had used before.
2 X energy bars. I would keep one in my running shorts pocket so that I could eat whenever I felt the need. I prefer small bites to eating the whole bar at once. It is very easy to become suddenly depleted during the day and the energy supplements should be easily accessible so that the runner does not collapse.
2 X Fruit bars, a packet of Jelly Babies (Jube Jubes) and a packet of peanuts and raisins. These last two items were incase I was out there for longer than I had planned. For example if I became lost.
This I had packed into Ziplock bags prepared before we left.
Also in the backpack was a waterproof container where I kept the cellphone and a list of Phone numbers in case of emergency.
Next was my waterproof container with plasters, a small pair of scissors, a whistle and some paracetemol.
Then I carried a space Blanket and a running top.
I had carried a torch with spare batteries but this was not waterproofed and they all became wet and the seawater rendered them useless. This is a lesson for the future.
I would also carry an additional two 500-mil bottles. Often one contained cold drink such as Fanta and the other carried water. I felt that with three liters I would not run out of water.
The total weight of this pack was probably about 4 to 5 kilograms. It did not hinder me at all.
Sunday morning.
Port Elizabeth, East London and Port St Johns.
We left PE at 07.00 and had an easy drive through to EL where we met Martin, Polla and Johan. Francis was there to send us off. Ron immediately recognised Francis and little Joel from Amatola. We quickly packed our multitude of stuff into the back of Martin’s bakkie. The back seat of the Bakkie is not designed for tall people nor long distance and I think that Johan must have suffered. It was not long before we were in Mtatha where we stopped for coffee. The drive down to Port St. Johns is tarred all the way and by 17.00 we pulled into Cremorne where there are lovely chalets and good camping facilities. As we arrived is started to rain so we put tents up and had everything sorted out just as it stopped raining.
We announced our arrival to Dave and Chel and met some of the entrants and their seconds. Some of the group had arrived in time for the tour of the area. Dave called a meeting where he gave us a number of instructions plus laminated maps. I was happy to see that I am not the only one who makes the kind of mistake of numbering pages 1/13 to 13/13 and then realising that there are 14 pages so number the last one 14/14. He handed out the T-shirts to both seconds and runners. We also received plastic bags, which we would carry with us for river crossings. Ron & I cooked ourselves a rice dish, made coffee and I was in bed early. I think that Ron did his rounds, meeting others. Our tent is always a pleasure. We set up the stretchers, mattresses and reading table with a lamp. I had made myself a cup of coffee and fell asleep in a very short while.
Monday morning.
Port St Johns to Hluleka. 49.7kays
I had set the alarm for 04.00 as Dave had decided to leave at 05.00. We had a coffee and rusk. I folded up some of the stuff but generally Ron did all the packing once we had left. We congregated at the gate to Cremorne, posed for the photos and then 24 men and women, most of whom were strangers, set out, on foot, for East London. 274 kays away! For this first stretch of mainly tarred road we passed over the Umzimvubu River, though Port St. Johns and then up to the gate of the Sileka reserve. En route we passed what is called the washing machine. A round concrete structure where the various stages of clothes washing takes place. We had walked and jogged here without the “trippers”. Ray was at the gate to meet us and to hand us the bags.
At this stage I was more or less with Dave, Chel, Patrick, Elize (At a run in Uitenhage a few weeks later I met up with Elize and confirmed that her name is actually Alice) and Gium. I had met Patrick at Amatola. He was the sweeper for the Little Bafer. Dave and Chel were also people we had met at Amatola. We then passed the Sugarloaf rock. Now I regretted not bringing a camera, even a cheapie that could have recorded some of the special moments. We began the hill climbing and exploring. Fortunately Dave knows the area well and we were soon descending to the Umgazi mouth where we were able to walk across the river. I learned later that the “Blue Train” had taken the ferry across after buying something to drink at the hotel. Our next river crossing was at Mganzane where we paid the ferryman (Jabavu) R5.00 each to row us across the very small river, which we could quite easily have swum. In fact Dave and Patrick did swim it but still paid the R5 to have their packs ferried across.
We had caught up to some of the others here and I went across with them and then did a very foolish thing. I pressed on by myself and instantly got lost in the village. I had to jog around for a while before coming across a local who pointed out the location to the shop. The Dave group had not got here yet and I thought that we would have a sit down, buy some cool drinks and relax for a bit. Not so. I bought a pair of cold Fantas (R4.50 each) and tried to fill my bladder but in this time Dave arrived, bought a few cans and pressed on. Fortunately Patrick waited for me otherwise I would have got lost a second time. We wandered though the village and up and over to the coast line again. These village roads are very confusing and not really for cars at all. We found a tap where some of the runners filled bladders. Then it was up hills again. The second tap we found was leaking and strapped with cloth. I thought that if I do this again, I should bring a spanner and washers and show a local how to repair the tap.
As we were going up a hillside we passed Des. He was resting but seemed fine otherwise. Shortly after this section we came across Ester, a local lass who looked thirteen but claimed to be 18. Dave was able to understand the directions she gave us and we pressed on downwards to the ocean. Here we found Ziegfried swimming in a pool. This looked like a splendid idea and we soon had our shoes off and wallowed in the cool water together with the tiny Zebra fish. Ester had came across Des and had brought him down to the pool to join us. And a little while later she reappeared with Martin, Polla and Johan. Polla had told me that her real name is Ilsabet but her father had called her Polla and that this had then been angled to be Paula. She and Johan run a delicatessen in the Metlife Mall of Kingwilliamstown. Des is with us for quite a long part of the day’s walk. He seems very knowledgeable on this section of coastline. Des tells me how the Event was conceived: About 18 years ago he was chatting to some friends over a beer and had suggested that they do a hike from Port St Johns. It seems that everyone was keen until it came to “Takkie meeting tar”. Then there turned out to be only two of them that eventually put on backpacks and walked the coastline. And then last year (2005) Dave had finally put together the event that we were now doing.
We walk a beach where we see over 1000 ghost crabs. They are funny little creatures with eyes that stick up in the air and they run in the shallows on tiptoe. Sometimes we walk past their holes that they have burrowed in the sand. Then they are quite confused: do they run back to the burrow or do they head for the water?
Many hills follow this section. Fortunately we came to a river that we wade across where we again decide to have a swim and cool off. After a while we reach a river that had to be swum. Here we packed our bags into plastic bags and push these across the river. There were a number of young local boys and girls playing about at this river. They crowded around me while I was emptying my pockets and I gave them the energy bar and the fruit bar that I had. This in itself was not a problem as I had more than enough in my bag but the thing that hit me later was that I did not replenish my pockets and completely ran out of energy just before the end of the day.
The day ends at Hluleka bay. This is part of a nature reserve and we saw some Wildebeest and Zebra just before camp. The one particular Wildebeest looked straight at us in a silhouette. A classic and stunning picture! Ron had planned to camp but I was more interested in the shower and comfort of the chalets that had been reserved for us. So it worked out that Ron & I shared the chalet with Ernest, Leanna, Alan and Mark as well as Ray and Nel. For me this was great. I had already got to know Martin, Polla, Johan, Patrick, Dave, Chel and Ziegfried. So I was able to meet what I thereafter referred to as the Blue Train.
The Blue Train comprised the three from Cape Town, Mark: tall tattooed and long hair. Ernest: GPS and coupled up with Leanna. Alan: The hospital Gym man, bushy hair and determined to stay on the train. Ray: The Irishman, hill climber and restaurant man who offers Seafood and Prawns at Jimmys (which I believe is a franchise in Gauteng). Please do not ask why prawns are not considered to be part of the general offering of Seafood. And then there is Andre, Quiet unassuming and incredibly capable at this type of terrain. Ron reminded me that Andre won the Amatola that we did in October last year.
This evening I learned how Leanna had cycled across Africa last year. From Cairo to Cape Town on a Mountain bike. She was with a group of people looking for adventure supported by vehicles and living a really rough life for four months. We also found the gentle and caring nature of Nel who was always there for any of the seconds or runners. I understand that Nel is also a Provincial Hockey player. Nothing was ever too much trouble for a soul needing help. Ron and I packed out the stretchers on the veranda and it was then that we really appreciated why we were on this trip. It was a stunning evening and the cool breeze put us to sleep early. We had run and walked 49.7kays according to Ernest’ GPS. The going had been tough and the bodies were weary. We started at 05.00 and our group finished at 16.30. 11.5 hours.
Tuesday morning.
Hluleka to Xora. 61.5 kays
The BIG day. I, and many others had decided that if we could get through today we could finish the event. I heard later that Des and Ziegfried did not start and thought again of the advice that Ian Ross had given me before Amatola: What ever you do you must start. You can always reconsider later but get going with the others in the morning. This event has no defined route. The runner has to continually be on the lookout for the best possible path or track and then hope that they are heading in the right direction. It is very easy to go too far inland in an attempt to take what seems to be the easier path. Martin and I had been wandering on top of the fields. He decided that the best route for himself, Polla and Johan was inland, I wandered down to the beach and thinking that I had the lead on Dave’s group, slowed down. Mistake! I realised that I had better press on and only after a while did I catch them up.
I am now determined that I will not separate from my group again. The next river we get to is one we will have to swim. I step into the river and then realise how strong the outgoing tide is. So walk upstream a bit before getting back in to the water and ease myself across. Just as I am out on the other side I realise that Gium is in trouble and am able to assist him to safety. After a short walk on this beach we again begin the long climbs and descents over fields and though villages. Sometime during the day today we cross the Mtatha River. Brian is the Ferryman and he charges R5.00 for a crossing. We also find a backpackers resort where we are able to buy a cold drinks and top up the bladders with water.
Fortunately for me I am with Patrick and he has the common sense to ask directions and we take a short cut into Coffee Bay. Here the seconds are waiting for us and Nel rushes up to me with an Ice Cold Coke. I am also able to fill my bladder with ice before we carry on. At Coffee Bay I make my first phone call to Barbara. Today is hot and sticky. Chel decides that she has had enough for the day. Dave, Patrick and I go to the beach for a swim. I wash my shoes and socks out in the seawater. Everything is full of sea sand and burrs. Erica and Gillian pass up on a swim and carry on. For a long time they have had this dog following them from the time we left Port St Johns. I am not sure quite when they rid themselves of the dog.
We seem to be able to take a short cut past a place called Clay something or other and jog/walk over more fields and through villages on our way to Little Hole in the Wall.
We see many local children playing in the rock pools as we bound our way past them. It seems to me that since Chel is no longer with him, Dave thinks that I must have newfound ability and energy.
I am very happy to reach the Hole in the Wall River where Dave tells me the legend of the Beautiful maidens who lived in the sea. One day a local chief decided to abduct one of these maidens and take her to be his a wife. But after a while the Sea God (probably Neptune) decided to take her back to the ocean where she belonged and the only place where he could access the land was the wall of rock at the river mouth. So, in his fury and desperation to recapture the maiden, he carved a hole in the wall and was able to return her to her rightful place in the sea.
At the river mouth we find a number of local women burning rubbish. Dave says that this is a clean up campaign. We were able to wade this river and had ourselves a swim on the other side. Up and down more hills until we arrive at the Hole in the Wall village. A convoy of expensive 4X4’s pass us on their way home from what we assume to be a meeting. We see the tavern called Sally Can’t Surf and discover that only glasses of cold drink can be bought here so we go to the tin shanty Spaza shop across the street called the Tack Shop. Here Peter (blue face and shabby hat), Dave and Patrick sit themselves down on the tomato boxes and order three very large Sprite bottles (R8.50) which we sluck from thirstily and then fill our bladders much to the amazement of the locals who come into the shop.
Up and down more hills. I am exhausted. I work out that we are going at about 4kays an hour and have about 4 hours to go. We find a house with a water tank and again fill bladders and wet faces using hats. This is to be our last water fill for the day. I have three liters and feel okay about this. I am starting to become extremely tired and am dizzy from all the effort of the ups and downs. I have another GU, which seems to help. But Dave and Patrick are setting a steady pace that I battle to stay with. I ask for a break to catch my breath and fix the blister on my heel.
Patrick points out what should be the finish. But when we get to it we discover that this is another settlement. A boatman, Lindile, gets into a Mohawk canoe on the other side and paddles across to meet us. He does not want to get his feet wet so we go one at a time starting with Dave to the other side. Dave also wants to stay dry so he leaps out of the canoe and the canoe capsizes. Lindile goes one way, his sandals head downstream together with the canoe and paddle. Dave rushes in and they rescue everything. So Patrick and I were also able to use his generous services.
Now it is really the final beach before the Xora huts. On this beach we pass some rocks where the water line just meets the rocks but as the waves recede one can run between the rocks and the waves. Dave suggests that we run. Patrick says that it is Tradition so that is how we pass this rock. And from there on for the rest of the trip we set up a variety of traditions: Like sharing a decanted Sprite in this last hour of the day. It is getting dark so I try my headlamp but realise that the salt water must have destroyed it together with the spare batteries. Next time I am on the trail I must remember that the torch must be as waterproof as the cell phone. We can see a light and activity at the huts ahead.
Someone drives a Landrover to the water edge and switches on headlights to show us the river. It is flowing fast out to sea as low tide is beginning. Too fast for us to swim. We consider camping on this side of the river for a while until the tide turns again. Then we see a person swimming. No… there are two people. We later learn that both Kevin and Altus had tried to get across. Altus was not so successful and had grabbed the rope before pulling himself back to the west side of the river. Kevin had brought a rope with a torpedo buoy that the others would use to pull us across. I was first and in a flash was pulled over the fast flowing river. They did this for us and a number of others. I heard later that Kevin had lost both his expensive flippers that evening. What a pleasure it was to see Ron. It was 20.00. We had been on the go for 15 hours for a distance (GPS) of just over 61kays.
This evening we again shared with Ernest, Alan and Mark. Also in the bungalow were Jannie and Hans and Andre and his brother Stefan. Hans made the most delicious looking plate of veggies for Jannie who had absolutely no appetite. Ron made a delicious Tuna-mate and I also helped myself to some of Leanna’s cooking. I found Clint in the kitchen with piles of fresh fish that he was busy frying and he offered me a delicious sample of the Spotted Grunter that he had caught that day. I was amazed at my own state. I should have been a wreck but was able to enjoy a beer with the others, collect my bag from Dave’s cabin and pack ready for the next day.
We heard that everyone except Hendrik was in. He had reported in earlier but was now expected in after midnight, which was in fact the case as he reached the Xora cabin at half past midnight. How he managed to negotiate the fields, paths, roads, beaches and villages in the dark is still a complete mystery to myself. There was a full moon but a solid cloud cover obscured most of its light. I did not sleep well that night. I had sore and twitching muscles and tossed and turned for most of the night. Today I probably drank well over six liters and heard that some people had drank 9 liters of water during the day. Before I went to sleep Gium came and sat on my bed and held my hand. He must have got a bit of a fright and wanted to say thank you. Gium is a training Catholic Priest from Benin. He met Elize while running the Washie last year. Elize is an ex-PE medical doctor who is now training to specialize in Psychiatry at Fort England in Grahamstown. Elize is also a very experienced ultra distance runner who has now completed two of these Wild Coast events.
Wednesday morning.
Xora to Dwesa. 27 Kays
Dave is a very relaxed person. From today he basically allows everyone to start at their own time. Some like to start early to avoid the heat of the day and others start after 07.00. I get up early. I was not in a state to wash last evening so I find out where the shower is and take an early walk down to the water tank. There is a hose pipe sticking out that is used to provide a shower. It is still very early so I am able to strip down and have a wash while looking across the river mouth that we had to cross the previous evening and the Indian Ocean. And I ask myself: “can life get any better?”
Patrick and I start at 06.50. He sets a mean pace and we are soon on the beach. Mike jogs past. I first met Mike at Amatola. He certainly has ability and knows how to deal with this kind of terrain. Next comes Andrew, Ziegfried, HP (Oosie) and Jannie. We stop at the Bashe Haven Hotel where we enjoy an ice cold drink and I am able to phone Barbara for the second time. I also speak to Tim. I think that he understands how I felt the previous evening having seen me at Amatola. We ask for directions and walk down the beach to the Bashe River. It is brown and although we feel ripped off we pay the R20 for the ferryman, Desmond, to paddle us the ten strokes across the river. We have heard of the Zambezi Sharks that frequent brown river mouths. On the other side Patrick finds a good new oar and tries to bargain with Desmond for a partial refund.
Elize and Gium join us but when they take a longer route around a point we take the shorter route across some dunes to find Ziegfried and Jannie swimming. We are quite happy to join them until we see that we are being surrounded by bluebottles. On the beach we often come across local children. Normally they are accompanied by a pack of three to six dogs. The dogs bark at us but never attack. The children take great delight in stomping on the beached bluebottles as they go Pop Pop. Ziegfried seems to know the way and he tells us that we cross three ridges before reaching the Dwesa huts. It turns out to be five but as we are so close to the end we do not moan at him. The last section today consists of flat rocks and beach. We spot a heard of buck a little way inland and some tourists on the beach point us to the short cut to the huts which we reach by 12.30. An easy 5.30 hours and about 27kays today. This is wonderful as it gives everyone time to recover.
Ron has found us a chalet and tonight it is just Martin, Polla, Johan, Ron & I in the hut. I do some reading and relax. Some of the others go to the beach. We make some crackers and oysters as a treat and have a cold beer from the fridge. We are now half way and the toughest section is behind. I hear that after his ordeal of Tuesday, Hendrik did not start and find him being massaged by Nel. Today I able to meet and identify who Stefan and Hans are. Getting to know everyone is no easy task but I am determined to have at least met everyone on the trail before we finish. This afternoon it starts to rain. We assist the Cape Town group putting up their tent. Ron has by now met all of the seconds and has found common interests in most of them. So when I say 20.00 and I am in bed he walks around and chats to the various groups.
Thursday morning.
Dwesa to Cebe 48 kays
Dave has said start time is 07.00 but Polla and Johan want to get going early and they leave at 05.00. We all wake early. I have not been able to eat much in the mornings. Perhaps a coffee and breakfast bar or a rusk. Patrick, Hendrik and I leave at 06.00. It has rained during the night and our shoes are soon saturated in the wet grass. We jump over a fence and later hear from Chel that the park officials are cross with us as we did not use their gate nor did we produce our receipt for the overnight stay. We reach a river flowing quite strongly and do what we have done each day: walk a little upstream and allow ourselves to drift down to the other side. We see Elize and Gium preparing themselves for the crossing. Gium thinks that people sink and so attaches two empty Energade bottles to his waist. I am not sure if he is in serious difficulty but rather than take a chance, Patrick assists him to safety. It is now very clear to me that no one should attempt this type of event unless they are confident in the water. You don’t have to be a Mark Spitz or Ryk Neetling but you should be able to hold your own.
Today there are lots of flat beaches to run and walk. We arrive at the Cob Inn hotel. The bar facility is right on the beach and we find Ziegfried in the bar having a Juice. I order for myself and Pat who goes to the kitchen to order toasted cheese and tomato. R22 for the sandwich and cold drink. This takes quite a while so as we are sit there I am able to phone Barbara who tells me that she has started Ally with a new swimming coach and that she is now able to swim 50 meters in under 50 seconds. I also phone the office and as we have our sales month end on the 15th I am curious to hear how we did. Maruis tells me that we have done very well with 111% of budget. Enough of office stuff. I receive a multitude of messages each time I switch the phone on but do not listen to any of them in case they upset me.
We press on, Patrick & Ziegfried setting a fast pace. Crossing many streams which we wade across. Lots of soft sand that makes walking and jogging difficult. We see the stranded bluebottles that become engulfed by the 1000’s of sea snails. Unusual for me are the single OysterCatchers. I have only seen them in pairs before, and hope that their mates have not been hurt. The African Black OysterCatcher is an endangered sea bird. They have a long orange beak that is used to pry open muscles and to search for earthworms. The call is a Pweep, pweep. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 adults left. The other bird that I find fascinating is the SandPiper. They have such a fast run across the shallows. Their little legs fly as they run across the sand. One can almost always see their reflection in the water as they run in the opposite direction to our run. We go over the airfield and head back to the beach. Hendrik makes the mistake of staying on the road and has to double back later.
Today has been one of the better days for me. When the Blue Train came past I was able to fool around a bit and stay with them for a very short while. We get to a section where there are blue bins and Ziegfried says not far to go. We press on jogging and walking but Ziegfried has a competitive spirit and as we get closer and closer so do we go faster and faster until we see what we think is Cebe where we will be staying and we sprint to the village. It has been 42kays and taken us 9 hours as we get there at 15.00. This is a huge house but has one shower and toilet that has to serve 36 people. So the only way to sort this out is set up a queuing system. Put your towel on the bookrack to book (excuse the pun!) your place. Ron has organised our little section of the lounge and we are quite happy.
The vibe becomes quite mellow as everybody is thrown together tonight. I see that the closeness does not suite some of the group especially as some of the talk becomes vulgar. Some inappropriate remarks are made but this is all male testosterone combined with alcohol. I am quite happy to now have met every person on the trip with us. Des put on his compilation called the Dwesa Shuffle. There is a Braai on the go. Mark doctors his feet as he inject mercurochrome into the blisters. Various people receive the “Nel leg or back rub”. Altus sits quietly reading his Jeffry Archer. HP (also known as Oosie or Hercules) tells me he is a train driver while Des regales of the times when he had to shovel coal into boilers until the steam was ready to burst.
Mark tries to persuade me to come to do the Puffer. This is an 80kay run from the Cape Point to the Waterfront and is called the Puffer as you have to avoid the Puffadders on the trail. By his own admission this is a really tough race. Mark has done this race 8 times and always been in the top ten finishers. Andrew and Jannie confirm how tough this event is. Mark tells me that it is now time for him to run the “Tougher Puffer”. Start at the Waterfront and run there and back. Mmmmmmm? They also introduce me to the Three Peaks. This is a run that starts at Greenmarket Square, goes up to the Lions Head, back to Greenmarket, up Table Mountain, back to Greenmarket, up to Devils Peak and finally back to Greenmarket. Yeah Sure!
Liam is hobbling around but this does not stop him cleaning up at pool. What happened with Liam is that he pushed hard in the early stages of the week and he is now suffering the consequences. He has to run the balance of the event on painkillers. The table tennis is then brought out and Stefan has a go at this until, Ray, our ex Border Rugby player, pushes him off the board. We make some more snacks, biltong, Wors sticks, crackers and the evening becomes increasingly mellow. I am concerned for the next day, which I hear, is 48 kays and so am in bed early with the buzz of conversation in the background. This afternoon I also met Melody and Mariaan (Ziegfried and Oosies’ wives). Jonathan is the big man travelling with Des.
Friday morning.
Cebe to Pullens Bay next Haha Haga 42 kays
Only two more days to go. Patrick, Hendrik & I leave at 05.30. There are soft sand beaches for quite a way. As we reach the end of a beach we see what appears to be a path and I see that Ziegfried has taken this path. After four days of being on the trail we have come to recognise the variety of shoe prints as well as strides. So up and over we go. Big mistake. We should have followed the contour path around the point. We go too far inland and have to bundu bash our way out again. We can see the beach looking so inviting but can simply not get there. Finally we find a patch that takes us to the beach. What a relief. But our legs and shoes are covered with burrs and scratched to pieces. Martin saw us from a distance and followed us. So the four of us are now on a great piece of beach and can make up a bit of time.
We reach the Wavecrest Hotel where we have an easy swim across. Here Martin meets up with Polla and Johan who have frozen in their worry to cross the river. They are now delighted to have Martin assist them across. Martin walks ahead with Polla and Johan. Patrick & I press on. We cross the airfield and head seawards. Hendrik follows the road and has to double back later. We try to keep as close to the sea as possible as we don’t want to take a second wrong turn. The second swim of the day is not much further. Again an easy swim and I go up to the farm at the top to fill my bottle and wash my shoes at the water tank. I hear that Mike has had to assist Gium at Wavecrest. The Blue Train also gets to this river accompanied by Dave. I think that Dave waited here for Elize and Gium to make sure that he crossed safely. We meet up with Johan who has now lost Polla. This is so easy to do and one can become quite confused as to how to handle it. My suggestion is to press on as you are bound to meet up a little later.
Patrick and I want to see the Jacaranda. This is the wreck of a ship that ran aground some years ago. The story that Patrick tells me is that the crew were partying it up and the Captain had given navigation to a deckhand. And this man had steered the ship into the one and only sandy gully for miles around. The name Jacaranda is still clearly visible on the hull but the ship is breaking up rapidly.. We passed the carcass of a whale. Then the Trenneries hotel where the Blue Train pass us again as we all bought a cold drink. Martin had arranged to meet his Mom and Johan and so ordered some sandwiches.
It is raining and an easterly wind was pushing us from behind. After this last interest point there is a very long slog to the Kei Mouth. The group now consisted of Ziegfried, Hendrik, Pat, Jannie and myself. When we finally reached the Kei Mouth I was beginning to tire. Ziegfried paid the R5.00 for all of us to use the Pont. The seconding team were on the other side and some lucky runners were handed a sandwich. I decided that a GU should see me though to the end. We walked and jogged through the village. Erica and Gillian were enjoying a sit down cold drink at the shop. We walked up past the golf course and I was now able to make a few calls to let people know that I was still going strong. As we walked this section we passed Clint’s wife on horseback. She operates a horse trails business and was taking a couple for a ride. As we walked this hill Ziegfried pulled out a miniature flask and we all enjoyed some of the soup that he was carrying. What a marvelous idea that was. It was cold and wet and ideal for the moment.
On this road there is a gate. Go through the gate and down to Morgans Bay. Cross the beach and into the village of Morgans Bay. Keep to the road and then there is a very long pull up a hill that leads to Double Mouth. Do not take the coastal path as this is quite a bit tougher and longer. We ran down the concrete road to the caravan park at Double Mouth where we were able to use the toilets and get fresh water. Here the Blue Train passed us again. They probably took the coastal path. From Double Mouth it was a very long stretch of rocks and soft sand beach to the next village of Marshland. Just before this is the Oyster Farms. We walked though Marshland village and saw a sign saying two kays to Haga Haga.
Hans had run past us on the trail. It seems that Jannie had decided that he had enough in Kei Mouth and Hans wanted a bit of exersize. Hans also did the Surfers the next day. I was by now extremely tired and my back was aching so when Patrick suggested a cold drink at the Haga Haga Strandloper hotel I was only too happy for the stop. Here Pat had a beer and I had a cold Fanta. I was able to relieve the pain in my back by stretching and laying across a few barstools on my back. From Haga it was really a very short kay or two to Pullens Bay. Patrick’s shoes decide that they have had enough and literally fall apart.
At Pullens Bay we were treated to real luxury accommodation. The chalets consisted of three bedrooms two bathrooms and a big lounge. We shared with Kevin, Andrew, Erica & Gillian and Martin’s family. Everything was laid on such as Electric Kettle, Microwave oven etc. We sat around for a long time chatting before some of the group decided to go to the pub for supper and to watch Rugby. Ron & I were quite content to sit in the lounge and relax. I was by now on my second book. Kevin made a huge spaghetti Boglonaise. And once Erica and Gillian woke up we had dinner together. This evening Ron & I learnt that Gillian was a physiotherapist and Erica an analyst at Nedbank. I was able to phone Barbara this evening. I had thought that she would be at Nippers practice but Ally had chosen Snoops instead. As soon as Martin returned from supper I was ready for bed.
Saturday Morning.
Pullens Bay to Yellow Sands and then to Nahoon Beach 45 kays
As usual Polla and Johan were up early and ready to go by 05.00. I felt for Kevin who had slept in the lounge as the noise of us runners was bound to wake him. It was great to be able to switch a light on and make coffee using the kettle. I had not been able to contact Patrick to find out what time he would be leaving but we all started to get ready early. Martin was a hard worker throughout the trip. This morning was no exception as he packed the bakkie. I had not been nearly as diligent and Ron had to do a lot of the spadework for me as I had been leaving early with a pile of stuff still to be packed away. Liam left with Andrew who is a Masters Zoology graduate from Rhodes. He has been assisting in the Botany department on a contract basis and now needs to make a decision about his future. Liam works for the SAB beer company and seems to have a number of other interests (B & B and pool table hire) as well. I think that Liam is still suffering from his early haste in trying to keep up with the Blue Train. Erica and Gillian used his B& B while Kevin is in partnership with him supplying pool tables to taverns. Before leaving, Liam introduced us to Jess who had met him the previous night at Haga Haga.
I was able to have a leisurely second cup of coffee and was ready to leave with Patrick at 07.00. The first section today took us over a long section of rocks before moving onto the soft sandy beaches. Today we began to realise that the event was nearing its conclusion. We encountered a number of fishermen who were staying at a variety of resorts. The morning started off misty and we knew that we were in for a hot day. By the time we arrived at Cintsa West the sun was beginning to burn. I had my normal floppy hat, blue face blockout to try to avoid the worst of the sun. Patrick was a lot hardier and was getting browner by the day. We stopped at the shop for a cold drink and Pat was able to phone Colleen and children. Colleen had been out for a long run and was by now in a bit of a hurry to get to the start of Surfers as she was part of the organisers. She was also setting up the Discovery Challenge, which included the Cycle, the following weekend and a River Mile.
This morning we picked up a Buoy, which we carried back with us. Kevin had told us that he was interested in collecting this kind of thing. It needed a good wash as the muscles still clinging to it stank. But then so did we, as our clothes and shoes were wet with perspiration. This morning we passed a man carrying a large stone. Patrick mentioned that it looked like his own tombstone but he assured us that this was for his bird pond that he was building. It did not take long for us to reach the start of the Surfers. The Blue Train had passed us a little depleted as Ray must have been injured and Alan was with him. Alan tells me that he is slukking down the painkillers to stay on track. Nel was waiting for the runners to cross the river and guided us as we waded through the brown murky water.
At Yellowsands Leanna was waiting for her group. Colleen was happy to see Patrick who could now also assist her in some of the set up work. I followed Johan to the shower where we rinsed off. We then all joined Martin’s family in the only bit of shade that there is in the area. We had taken five hours to get this far and still had another two and a half to the start. Francis was there with their son Joel who kept everyone busy. I was quite happy to relax in the shade before finally starting the last leg of our journey. Colleen had arranged for a photo to be taken and I was sorry that not everyone was there for the photo. There were a number of people wearing National Battery T-shirts. I asked them if they knew Dave to which they proudly replied that Dave was on the trail from Port St. Johns.
At the start I saw very few PE people (Andrew and Andre). Stuart had told me that his son, Gordon would be paddling but I did not see him. There were thousands of starters and they all bunched through the narrow muddy road as they tried to avoid getting their feet wet. No such niceties for me as I splooshed through the puddles. The first section of the Surfers is quite tough with rocks and stones to slow the field down. Gonubie Village is about seven kays from the start and after the first swim. Then there are a few kays on tar road through the village where thousands of spectators cheer the runners on often spraying us with hoses. I saw Des and Jonathan taking photos of the Wild Coast Runners.
Then it was back to the beach. I was a little sad to see that the organisers now have some kilometer marker boards. One of the adventures of this kind of run is not knowing how far you have run. This section of beach is much easier. It was here that I saw a pair of shoes that had been abandoned then I saw a young man tossing his funny looking red shoes over his shoulder so I picked them up and carried them to the finish for him. I also found another pair, which did not have an owner and I ended up taking them home. I always find the finish of the Surfers confusing as it is usually misty and while you can see the sun glinting off the cars or houses at the end of the bay, you are never quite sure where the race actually ends until you cross the last river. At last we reached that final river crossing and the finish of the race.
Nel, whose parents live near to Yellowsands did a very credible 2.05 and I think that Melody also did the Surfers. 19 of the 24 starters of the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra had finished the whole event. Hendrik had probably spent more time on the road than any of us but was not able to start on Wednesday after his ordeal of Tuesday. He had also picked up an ankle injury. Ziegfried had avoided Tuesday. Jannie found the comfort of driving just too tempting. Chel had wanted to go the whole way but on Tuesday had become so tired that when she saw the seconds at Coffee Bay had decided that that was enough exersize for one day. Des had been quite depleted after the first day and decided to save his energies for another race.
The seconds had a real rough time. Some days they had hours and hours of the roughest roads possible, bouncing around at painstakingly slow speeds. I know that Ron was quite exhausted on our way back home. The roads had been slippery and Kevin related how difficult it was to stay focussed on the driving at speeds of 20kays an hour. Also the drivers had to stay together as there were no road signs to follow and they would easily become lost if separated.
The T-Shirts of Surfers are much sought after and will be worn around East London with pride. We had arranged to meet in the tent afterwards and I found the group sitting together. Dave handed me a certificate for which I was very grateful. I was not able to stay for beers and the prize giving as Ron & I had decided to go straight home after the event. The organisers of Surfers hand out medals to category winners only but they had made enough for us as well. Dave posted mine to me later. I was able to greet a number of the runners before we left. Ally had an EP Nippers carnival and I wanted to be there for the second day on Sunday. Ron & I found the Milkshake shop and a Chinese restaurant where we bought takeaways. The road was very misty but we got home safely by 23.00.
Sunday morning
Back home in Port Elizabeth.
I unpacked all the smelly stuff into the spare bathroom and we left for Nippers at Kings Beach. It was another misty morning and bound to be very hot later on. The carnival was a great success. The Summerstrand U10’s did well and I was proud of their efforts. I think that Sardinia Bay won the overall carnival but when the last event was over we were simply too tired to stay. We had promised Lara and Ally time at the Supertubes before we were able to head home. I think that it was on Sunday afternoon that I realised how lucky I had been to finish the whole event. I had been bitten by umpteen bugs, had a few blisters and scratches but no real injury. I had been very careful with the sun the whole time and so that had not set me back.
Will I do it again? I think so, especially if I can find a teammate like Dave or Patrick who was so incredibly patient and loyal throughout the week. After an event of this nature it takes a while to come back to earth. I certainly felt on a bit of a high for a while after the event.
And to all those who I met and learned to know. Thanks for being there. For me it was a real adventure and a privilege to have met you. Ron. Now there is a real friend. Thanks Buddy. Barbara & Ally. Thank you for allowing me to take the time off to try something completely out of the ordinary.
And all of this for only R550 per person entry fee! Ridiculous. Okay there are any number of additional costs but still I am sure that Dave is out of pocket at the end of the event.
Peter Giddy
20 February 2006.
Hello GuysWell the dust (mud) has settled and we have to concentrate on the drudgery of work again. I hope you all enjoyed getting away from the exhaust fumes and chlorinated water, enjoyed the pure air, freedom of the environment emphasised by the total lack of restrictive fences, a little mental and physical challenge and regeneration of your spirit.Here is a report from Peter Giddy. Most of you saw him scribbling each day and got to know him as he went about meeting you all. Peter writes his report as a diary for his own records but it certainly brings back memories for me and I am sure it will for you too. I love "the blue train". How well did he get to know the Cape Town guys ?Thanks for coming and sharing with Des, Chel and me the splendour of the Wild Coast. What is it if you haven't shared it ? See you on the trails somewhere.
Hello Peter,
I am very pleased that you have written another report, I am afraid that I am not good at this sort of thing and although we are all so different we are basically similar and experience the same sort of emotions so even though those recorded are yours, we all find it reflects in some way our trip. I found reading it brought back quite a few emotions. Thank you.
I will send to all the people on the email contact list, I know they will enjoy reading it. They were amazed at your ability to know everyone and write each day about the trail.
Great to have you there. Ray and Altus are already planning for next year !
Regards.
Dave Gassner Tel 043 7068252 Fax 043 7312007 Cell 082 927 8344
Name
surname
Hluleka 46k
Xora 55k
Dwesa 40k
Cebe 41k
Pullen's bay 48k
surfers start 26k
surfers 18k
Nahoon 44k
total for whole XWCU 274k
total time spent on the trail
1
Ernest
Markwood
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.22
3.29
1.49
5.18
45.25
2
Andre
Erasmus
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.38
3.55
1.19
5.14
45.37
3
Mike
Webb
9.01
12.25
4.20
6.40
8.14
4.20
1.45
6.05
46.14
4
Mark
Spengler
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
3.55
1.40
5.35
46.51
5
Alan
Green
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.18
8.14
4.20
1.53
6.13
47.32
6
Ray
Cranston
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
4.20
2.40
7.00
48.15
7
Andrew
Slaughter
9.45
13.45
5.00
7.30
7.55
3.40
1.59
5.39
49.34
8
Hp
Oosthuizen
9.53
14.00
5.00
7.50
7.50
3.40
1.49
5.29
50.02
9
Liam
Victor
9.01
13.50
6.32
7.50
8.05
3.40
1.35
5.15
50.33
10
Dave
Gassner
11.30
15.00
6.30
9.17
7.30
3.45
2.13
5.58
55.45
11
Alice
Achermann
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
12
Guillame
Kambounon
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
13
Patrick
Elson
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
1.49
6.49
57.19
14
Peter
Giddy
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
2.15
7.15
57.45
15
Martin
Smith
12.00
16.00
4.20
7.35
11.15
5.30
1.27
6.57
58.07
16
Erica
Terblanche
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
17
Gillian
Banks
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
18
Johan
Kriel
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
2.15
9.05
69.05
19
Paula
Richardson
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
3.00
9.50
69.50
20
Hendrik
Marx
9.53
19.10
8.00
8.45
1.55
47.43
21
Siegfried
Milbert
11.30
5.37
8.20
9.40
4.40
2.09
6.49
41.56
22
Jannie
Smal
9.25
14.25
5.37
5.45
1.40
36.52
23
Chel
Gassner
11.30
6.30
6.30
9.17
2.48
36.35
24
Des
Meyer
12.00
12.00
EXTREME WILD COAST ULTRA 2006
Organised by Des Meyer, Dave and Chel Gassner,
EVENT INFORMATION.
Supported by Cremorne Estate.
Sunday 12th February 2006.
Arrive at Cremorne on the Sunday. Directions ……
Heading south from Bizana, just before the bridge over the Umzimvubu, approx 5 kms from Port St Johns, follow signs to the left to get to Cremorne Estate. About 90k from Umtata on the R61 approx 5k from Port St Johns, turn left to cross the bridge over the Umzimvubu, take the first turn to the right immediately after the bridge and follow the signs to Cremorne Estate, approx 1k.
We will be staying in the Fishermen’s Huts that will accommodate 12, the rest of us will camp. Cremorne is a beautiful resort on the banks of the river, well protected and very secure. Please ask for Barry (the manager) and inform him that you are with Des Meyer to do the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra. A normal booking has not been made so some one else may not know what you are talking about. Be sure to speak to Barry. Bring your tents and mattresses with you; you may need them later in the week. At Cremorne there is a very good restaurant and a great pub. See the website http://www.cremorne.co.za/. Log cabins can be booked if you prefer some luxury - the last you will have for a week!! We will discuss the plan for the following day in the conference hall on Sunday evening. Des will be giving us hints on where the trading stores, taverns, vicious dogs and crossing points are situated and also give directions for the seconds to travel to Hluleka. Every evening we will have a briefing for the following day. Photocopy maps will be provided.
Monday 13th Feb.
Pack up, eat and apply all the protection materials and equipment (anti sun, insect and shark repellant). We will start at Cremorne and run along the road to Silaka Reserve, which opens at 06:00 (Des and I will pay the day visitor fee on Sunday) and then onto the trail. We will start at 05:30 but this is negotiable on Sunday evening. We will probably split up into groups, the bigger the better, according to ability or inclination. After a leisurely 46 kilometers we will arrive at Hluleka Nature Reserve (golden rule number 1, keep the sea on your left) where we have booked the Sea Facing Chalets. The chalets sleep six, have hot showers, deep freeze or fridge and gas stove and braai places outside. Here we will hopefully find our seconds with the kit unpacked and beers in the fridges. If you are able to I believe the area is very good for snorkeling and fishing although you are not allowed to collect bait. Have a look on the website. http://www.psj.co.za/links/hluleka.htm. The seconds will have driven the route from Port St Johns (fill up with fuel whenever you can) on the R61 (70k tar) and taken the turn off to Hluleka just before Libode (57k dirt - distances given on different maps conflict), produced the permit and been allowed into the reserve. You will have packed food for the evening and the following morning plus your supplies for the next day into your boxes. We will have a runners and seconds briefing for the following day in the evening. It will be very important to stay hydrated and to eat well because Tuesday is a huge day that will take anything from 9 to 15 hours, depending on hard you go.
Tuesday 14th Feb.
We pack up, eat and get an early start for day two, 57k to Xora. The previous evening we will decide what time is the best to depart. We must carry energy mix, water and food for the day and be prepared for a long day. All the necessary protection must be used, sun, insects, sunglasses, hat etc. Directions will be provided for the seconds and we will hope that they find Xora otherwise we will be a sorry bunch when we arrive there. Xora is very basic, water has to be pumped by hand, fire lit for hot water and gas connected for the fridge and the paraffin lamps filled. Des is busy getting other accommodation as well as the house, some of us may need to tent. You will need to pack darts if you want to play, there is a dartboard available. Be careful crossing the river, there are lots of electric skates in the water but that may just give you the final urge to get to the cottage. Golden rule number 2, if attacked by a shark be sure that you offer an arm or a leg to the shark as torso bites are usually fatalJ. There will be a lady to clean and a man to help with water pumping and fire making and we may need some tools to open the water tank but I will sort that out. Once again, you will rely on the seconds to have your equipment ready. They can also buy supplies in Umtata but when doing so ensure that the vehicles are guarded and be careful. We will have the briefing for the next day in the evening as usual. Snorkeling is also reported to be good here.
Wed 15th Feb.
We leave early for Dwesa, the distance should only be 26k. We have to negotiate the Bashee River, renowned for the number of locals who have been taken by shark. We will catch the ferry that operates from the Hotel. Des will inform them that we will be coming and hopefully the ferryman will be there. The charge last year was R20 per person. You must carry ferry money with you each day, no large denomination, Transkei people do not have change. Dwesa is another magic place to stay and hopefully we will survive the crossing to admire the true nature of the land in this small reserve where white rhino, zebra, wildebeest, crocodiles and a number of small and very large buck live. You may survive the sharks to become crocodile supperJ. Dwesa cabins are smart with fridges and stoves and showers. Provisions can be bought in Elliotdale. The cabins will accommodate 24, so some of us will have to tent again. Same procedure for the briefing and early start.
Thursday 16th Feb.
The section to Cebe should be 45k and if the feet are still holding out, not too blistered and the ankles not too sore, the going will be a little easier as there are not as many ups and downs but the sand will make up for that I guess. Cebe is a large cottage, see the website http://www.cyberpage.co.za/ which also comes with help for cleaning up, there is a bathroom and kitchen. The adventure is almost kaput by now but at the same time this may apply to you as well. We will have the usual briefing in the evening.
Fri. 17th Feb.
Today will only be a short jog to Kei Mouth, about 26k (to the ferry). Cross on the ferry, this is a dangerous river. Last year this was the official finish but we extended it to include Surfers. This year we continue along the coast past Morgan’s Bay, Double Mouth, Haga-Haga and about 2k further we will stop at Pullen’s Bay, a really beautiful spot on the coast, total distance 48k. http://www.hagahaga.co.za/ is the website, they have self-catering chalets.
Sat. 18th Feb.
On Saturday 19th February 2005 the famous and very popular 18 kilometer “Discovery Surfer’s Challenge” will start at 14:00 at Yellow Sands and finish at Nahoon Beach, East London. Total distance for the last day, 44k. These distances are all measured with a ruler on the map so you can expect some discrepancies, especially if you get lost! Total then - about 266k.
We can have a late sleep, swim and then take an easy jog to the start at Yellow Sands, about 26k. You will have to enter at the start. Entry fee R40. Seconds should get there early, the roads are closed at about 12:00 and you will need refreshment and maybe some cover depending on the weather. Surfers has entries for runners, walkers and paddlers, it is an easy 2 hour paddle. So we will finish our little adventure with a mass welcome at Nahoon Beach and I can tell you it is a hell of a finish with thousands of spectators at the finish and all along the way.
Other info.
Stay together in groups, this is safer incase of any emergency. Eat well to ensure that your body can re energise. Drink plenty, there are springs along the way and the occasional shop and holiday shacks. Protect yourself from the sun and insects. Plan your food requirements carefully remembering you will need food during the day on the run. Bring an abundant sense of humour. Try to keep your feet dry, this is generally the most vunerable part of your body and most likely to take you out of the run.
We have informed the East London Private Ambulance Service – Aldersons, (they have an agreement with AV8 helicopter services) of our event so that they are not unprepared in case of an emergency. For safety sake, ensure that you have your medical aid details with you,
Maps will be supplied to the seconds and Des will brief them on the roads to follow. Best to travel in convoy even though this does slow you down a bit. Seconds should leave as soon as the runners have gone as the roads meander through the region, are indirect and rough and when wet, very slippery.
Treat the locals with respect, their culture is not the same as ours and they are insulted by some of our customs. Many of the Transkei people are still primitive, RDP has not reached them yet and they are bitter because they have been promised a better life from tourism, which they have not yet seen. You are a tourist, you are part of the problem! Having said that, we have found them to be most helpful giving directions and even supplying water.
ITEMS FOR RUN
Shorts
Shirt
Socks
Shoes in good condition
Hat
Sun glasses
Sun block
Small pack
2 litres water minimum
Small 1st aid pack
Emergency blanket
Energy drink (Clifton, Game or some other high energy mix)
Energy food (some chicken and rolls or boiled potato with butter and salt)
Cell phone in waterproof container
List of emergency numbers (to be supplied)
Map (to be supplied)
Money for ferry, drinks at stores or villages, only small change, they have no change for big notes. Tips for directions
when you are lost J
Watch
Torch, tested to last at least 5 hours.
Whistle
Waterproof rain jacket to use in case of emergency
Tick repellant
Spare shirt
Warm trousers to use in case of emergency
For your trip - and don’t forget your second!
Money, there are no auto tellers.
A strong box clearly marked with your name.
Food, make out a daily menu.
Eating utensils, plates, knives forks,
Cooking utensils, pots, braai grid, gas stove etc.
Washing up things, sunlight, and cloths.
Small tent, sleeping bag, pillow, mattress
Charka, firelighters, lighter
Goggles, snorkel, weights and flippers.
Food (can be topped up at Umtata, Willowvale, Idutywa.
Beer (can be topped up)
Mosquito repellant
A first aid kit to treat allergies, rashes, blisters, cuts and bruises, sunburn. A syringe and Mercurochrome work very well for treating blisters and some good broad plaster which sticks well. I use the white elastic type. It keeps your feet together when they want to fall apart. I also recommend “IceMan” which you can get from hardware stores that cater for the farmers, magic for sore knees and ankles. Costs about R35 for a tub, use liberally after and before run.
colour block indicates group, dotted fill indicates driver of the group.
entrants
name
pay
tel
where from
email
1
gassner dave
paid
0829278344
el
daveg@battery.co.za
2
gassner chel
paid
07236997047
el
3
elson patrick
paid
0835451612
el
pat.elson@impilo.ecprov.gov.za
4
weppelman ray
paids
0833799866
el
rayicon@absamail.co.za
5
terblanche erica
paid
0834606288
pretoria
EricaT@Nedbank.co.za
6
banks gillian
paid
pretoria
7
slaughter andrew
paid
0732493810
grahamstown
a.slaughter@ru.ac.za
8
victor liam
paid
0829217587
east london
Liam.Victor@za.sabmiller.com
9
victor second
paids
10
smith martin
paid
0834636206
el
martin.smith@icontrols.co.za
11
giddy peter
paid
0825503174
pe
peterg@jdg.co.za
12
richards graham
paid
0829086989
jhb / pe
GRichards@SALGA.ORG.ZA
13
pask ron
paids
pe
ronpask@telkomsa.net
14
erasmus andre
paid
0823739311
sasolburg
andre.erasmus@sasol.com
15
erasmus second
paids
16
marx hendrik
paid
083 631 9432
vereeniging
hmarx@cew.co.za
17
marx team mate
paid
18
achermann alice
paid
0729814107
grahamstown
ACHERMANN@telkomsa.net
19
webb mike
paid
0833660933
kingwilliam'stown
renewilliams@um.co.za
20
kambounon guillame
paid
0729402969
petitguill@yahoo.fr
21
achermann second
paids
22
meyer des
cape town
desm@battery.co.za
23
grobler jonathan
el
jonathang@battery.co.za
24
muller altus
0832221279
jhb
ajmuller@icon.co.za
25
tawse john michael
0826944789
baghdad
johnmike@xsinet.co.za
26
adams ian
paid
0722335418
jhb
ian1adams@yahoo.co.uk
27
smal jannie
paid
0845266437
cape town
jannies@vibol.co.za
28
linde hans
paids
0829324916
cape town
hjl@metroweb.co.za
29
oosthuizen hp
paid
oos@absamail.co.za
30
milbert siegfried
paid
0833279582
smilbert@g5.co.za
31
milbert melody
paids
0837732710
melody@netactive.co.za
32
oosthuizen mariaan
paids
33
cranston ray
paid
rayc@wol.co.za
34
walker craig
paid
35
beckett gordon
paid
36
markwood ernest
paid
0824795154
cape town
ernest.m@telkomsa.net
37
markwood second
paids
4
have not paid but will pay tomorrow.
24
runners have paid
9
seconds have paid
33
total paid
37
entriesXTREME WILD COAST ULTRA
SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY TO SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2006.
SIX DAYS TO WALK AND RUN 274 KAYS. (APPROX)
PORT ST. JOHNS TO EAST LONDON.
We had been planning this trip for a number of months. I did not change my daily training routine. Originally Graham was to be with me but he was injured. Ron & I had listed and purchased all the required provisions as if we would be away for a month. But we decided that it would be better to over cater. I also bought two storage boxes from Macro. These we filled with our provisions. I packed the two stretchers, mattresses, cooking stuff and my tog bag. Once this was all in the car I had used the boot and the back seat.
Day Pack
The way that we do these kind of events is with a daypack that has a Bladder. The Bladder is a two-liter container that has a tube running to the front where the runner can drink water without having to stop or to pull out a water bottle from the backpack. We then pack provisions and emergency stuff for the day. My daily rations consisted of:
2 X sachets of GU. A high concentrate energy supplement that I had used before.
2 X energy bars. I would keep one in my running shorts pocket so that I could eat whenever I felt the need. I prefer small bites to eating the whole bar at once. It is very easy to become suddenly depleted during the day and the energy supplements should be easily accessible so that the runner does not collapse.
2 X Fruit bars, a packet of Jelly Babies (Jube Jubes) and a packet of peanuts and raisins. These last two items were incase I was out there for longer than I had planned. For example if I became lost.
This I had packed into Ziplock bags prepared before we left.
Also in the backpack was a waterproof container where I kept the cellphone and a list of Phone numbers in case of emergency.
Next was my waterproof container with plasters, a small pair of scissors, a whistle and some paracetemol.
Then I carried a space Blanket and a running top.
I had carried a torch with spare batteries but this was not waterproofed and they all became wet and the seawater rendered them useless. This is a lesson for the future.
I would also carry an additional two 500-mil bottles. Often one contained cold drink such as Fanta and the other carried water. I felt that with three liters I would not run out of water.
The total weight of this pack was probably about 4 to 5 kilograms. It did not hinder me at all.
Sunday morning.
Port Elizabeth, East London and Port St Johns.
We left PE at 07.00 and had an easy drive through to EL where we met Martin, Polla and Johan. Francis was there to send us off. Ron immediately recognised Francis and little Joel from Amatola. We quickly packed our multitude of stuff into the back of Martin’s bakkie. The back seat of the Bakkie is not designed for tall people nor long distance and I think that Johan must have suffered. It was not long before we were in Mtatha where we stopped for coffee. The drive down to Port St. Johns is tarred all the way and by 17.00 we pulled into Cremorne where there are lovely chalets and good camping facilities. As we arrived is started to rain so we put tents up and had everything sorted out just as it stopped raining.
We announced our arrival to Dave and Chel and met some of the entrants and their seconds. Some of the group had arrived in time for the tour of the area. Dave called a meeting where he gave us a number of instructions plus laminated maps. I was happy to see that I am not the only one who makes the kind of mistake of numbering pages 1/13 to 13/13 and then realising that there are 14 pages so number the last one 14/14. He handed out the T-shirts to both seconds and runners. We also received plastic bags, which we would carry with us for river crossings. Ron & I cooked ourselves a rice dish, made coffee and I was in bed early. I think that Ron did his rounds, meeting others. Our tent is always a pleasure. We set up the stretchers, mattresses and reading table with a lamp. I had made myself a cup of coffee and fell asleep in a very short while.
Monday morning.
Port St Johns to Hluleka. 49.7kays
I had set the alarm for 04.00 as Dave had decided to leave at 05.00. We had a coffee and rusk. I folded up some of the stuff but generally Ron did all the packing once we had left. We congregated at the gate to Cremorne, posed for the photos and then 24 men and women, most of whom were strangers, set out, on foot, for East London. 274 kays away! For this first stretch of mainly tarred road we passed over the Umzimvubu River, though Port St. Johns and then up to the gate of the Sileka reserve. En route we passed what is called the washing machine. A round concrete structure where the various stages of clothes washing takes place. We had walked and jogged here without the “trippers”. Ray was at the gate to meet us and to hand us the bags.
At this stage I was more or less with Dave, Chel, Patrick, Elize (At a run in Uitenhage a few weeks later I met up with Elize and confirmed that her name is actually Alice) and Gium. I had met Patrick at Amatola. He was the sweeper for the Little Bafer. Dave and Chel were also people we had met at Amatola. We then passed the Sugarloaf rock. Now I regretted not bringing a camera, even a cheapie that could have recorded some of the special moments. We began the hill climbing and exploring. Fortunately Dave knows the area well and we were soon descending to the Umgazi mouth where we were able to walk across the river. I learned later that the “Blue Train” had taken the ferry across after buying something to drink at the hotel. Our next river crossing was at Mganzane where we paid the ferryman (Jabavu) R5.00 each to row us across the very small river, which we could quite easily have swum. In fact Dave and Patrick did swim it but still paid the R5 to have their packs ferried across.
We had caught up to some of the others here and I went across with them and then did a very foolish thing. I pressed on by myself and instantly got lost in the village. I had to jog around for a while before coming across a local who pointed out the location to the shop. The Dave group had not got here yet and I thought that we would have a sit down, buy some cool drinks and relax for a bit. Not so. I bought a pair of cold Fantas (R4.50 each) and tried to fill my bladder but in this time Dave arrived, bought a few cans and pressed on. Fortunately Patrick waited for me otherwise I would have got lost a second time. We wandered though the village and up and over to the coast line again. These village roads are very confusing and not really for cars at all. We found a tap where some of the runners filled bladders. Then it was up hills again. The second tap we found was leaking and strapped with cloth. I thought that if I do this again, I should bring a spanner and washers and show a local how to repair the tap.
As we were going up a hillside we passed Des. He was resting but seemed fine otherwise. Shortly after this section we came across Ester, a local lass who looked thirteen but claimed to be 18. Dave was able to understand the directions she gave us and we pressed on downwards to the ocean. Here we found Ziegfried swimming in a pool. This looked like a splendid idea and we soon had our shoes off and wallowed in the cool water together with the tiny Zebra fish. Ester had came across Des and had brought him down to the pool to join us. And a little while later she reappeared with Martin, Polla and Johan. Polla had told me that her real name is Ilsabet but her father had called her Polla and that this had then been angled to be Paula. She and Johan run a delicatessen in the Metlife Mall of Kingwilliamstown. Des is with us for quite a long part of the day’s walk. He seems very knowledgeable on this section of coastline. Des tells me how the Event was conceived: About 18 years ago he was chatting to some friends over a beer and had suggested that they do a hike from Port St Johns. It seems that everyone was keen until it came to “Takkie meeting tar”. Then there turned out to be only two of them that eventually put on backpacks and walked the coastline. And then last year (2005) Dave had finally put together the event that we were now doing.
We walk a beach where we see over 1000 ghost crabs. They are funny little creatures with eyes that stick up in the air and they run in the shallows on tiptoe. Sometimes we walk past their holes that they have burrowed in the sand. Then they are quite confused: do they run back to the burrow or do they head for the water?
Many hills follow this section. Fortunately we came to a river that we wade across where we again decide to have a swim and cool off. After a while we reach a river that had to be swum. Here we packed our bags into plastic bags and push these across the river. There were a number of young local boys and girls playing about at this river. They crowded around me while I was emptying my pockets and I gave them the energy bar and the fruit bar that I had. This in itself was not a problem as I had more than enough in my bag but the thing that hit me later was that I did not replenish my pockets and completely ran out of energy just before the end of the day.
The day ends at Hluleka bay. This is part of a nature reserve and we saw some Wildebeest and Zebra just before camp. The one particular Wildebeest looked straight at us in a silhouette. A classic and stunning picture! Ron had planned to camp but I was more interested in the shower and comfort of the chalets that had been reserved for us. So it worked out that Ron & I shared the chalet with Ernest, Leanna, Alan and Mark as well as Ray and Nel. For me this was great. I had already got to know Martin, Polla, Johan, Patrick, Dave, Chel and Ziegfried. So I was able to meet what I thereafter referred to as the Blue Train.
The Blue Train comprised the three from Cape Town, Mark: tall tattooed and long hair. Ernest: GPS and coupled up with Leanna. Alan: The hospital Gym man, bushy hair and determined to stay on the train. Ray: The Irishman, hill climber and restaurant man who offers Seafood and Prawns at Jimmys (which I believe is a franchise in Gauteng). Please do not ask why prawns are not considered to be part of the general offering of Seafood. And then there is Andre, Quiet unassuming and incredibly capable at this type of terrain. Ron reminded me that Andre won the Amatola that we did in October last year.
This evening I learned how Leanna had cycled across Africa last year. From Cairo to Cape Town on a Mountain bike. She was with a group of people looking for adventure supported by vehicles and living a really rough life for four months. We also found the gentle and caring nature of Nel who was always there for any of the seconds or runners. I understand that Nel is also a Provincial Hockey player. Nothing was ever too much trouble for a soul needing help. Ron and I packed out the stretchers on the veranda and it was then that we really appreciated why we were on this trip. It was a stunning evening and the cool breeze put us to sleep early. We had run and walked 49.7kays according to Ernest’ GPS. The going had been tough and the bodies were weary. We started at 05.00 and our group finished at 16.30. 11.5 hours.
Tuesday morning.
Hluleka to Xora. 61.5 kays
The BIG day. I, and many others had decided that if we could get through today we could finish the event. I heard later that Des and Ziegfried did not start and thought again of the advice that Ian Ross had given me before Amatola: What ever you do you must start. You can always reconsider later but get going with the others in the morning. This event has no defined route. The runner has to continually be on the lookout for the best possible path or track and then hope that they are heading in the right direction. It is very easy to go too far inland in an attempt to take what seems to be the easier path. Martin and I had been wandering on top of the fields. He decided that the best route for himself, Polla and Johan was inland, I wandered down to the beach and thinking that I had the lead on Dave’s group, slowed down. Mistake! I realised that I had better press on and only after a while did I catch them up.
I am now determined that I will not separate from my group again. The next river we get to is one we will have to swim. I step into the river and then realise how strong the outgoing tide is. So walk upstream a bit before getting back in to the water and ease myself across. Just as I am out on the other side I realise that Gium is in trouble and am able to assist him to safety. After a short walk on this beach we again begin the long climbs and descents over fields and though villages. Sometime during the day today we cross the Mtatha River. Brian is the Ferryman and he charges R5.00 for a crossing. We also find a backpackers resort where we are able to buy a cold drinks and top up the bladders with water.
Fortunately for me I am with Patrick and he has the common sense to ask directions and we take a short cut into Coffee Bay. Here the seconds are waiting for us and Nel rushes up to me with an Ice Cold Coke. I am also able to fill my bladder with ice before we carry on. At Coffee Bay I make my first phone call to Barbara. Today is hot and sticky. Chel decides that she has had enough for the day. Dave, Patrick and I go to the beach for a swim. I wash my shoes and socks out in the seawater. Everything is full of sea sand and burrs. Erica and Gillian pass up on a swim and carry on. For a long time they have had this dog following them from the time we left Port St Johns. I am not sure quite when they rid themselves of the dog.
We seem to be able to take a short cut past a place called Clay something or other and jog/walk over more fields and through villages on our way to Little Hole in the Wall.
We see many local children playing in the rock pools as we bound our way past them. It seems to me that since Chel is no longer with him, Dave thinks that I must have newfound ability and energy.
I am very happy to reach the Hole in the Wall River where Dave tells me the legend of the Beautiful maidens who lived in the sea. One day a local chief decided to abduct one of these maidens and take her to be his a wife. But after a while the Sea God (probably Neptune) decided to take her back to the ocean where she belonged and the only place where he could access the land was the wall of rock at the river mouth. So, in his fury and desperation to recapture the maiden, he carved a hole in the wall and was able to return her to her rightful place in the sea.
At the river mouth we find a number of local women burning rubbish. Dave says that this is a clean up campaign. We were able to wade this river and had ourselves a swim on the other side. Up and down more hills until we arrive at the Hole in the Wall village. A convoy of expensive 4X4’s pass us on their way home from what we assume to be a meeting. We see the tavern called Sally Can’t Surf and discover that only glasses of cold drink can be bought here so we go to the tin shanty Spaza shop across the street called the Tack Shop. Here Peter (blue face and shabby hat), Dave and Patrick sit themselves down on the tomato boxes and order three very large Sprite bottles (R8.50) which we sluck from thirstily and then fill our bladders much to the amazement of the locals who come into the shop.
Up and down more hills. I am exhausted. I work out that we are going at about 4kays an hour and have about 4 hours to go. We find a house with a water tank and again fill bladders and wet faces using hats. This is to be our last water fill for the day. I have three liters and feel okay about this. I am starting to become extremely tired and am dizzy from all the effort of the ups and downs. I have another GU, which seems to help. But Dave and Patrick are setting a steady pace that I battle to stay with. I ask for a break to catch my breath and fix the blister on my heel.
Patrick points out what should be the finish. But when we get to it we discover that this is another settlement. A boatman, Lindile, gets into a Mohawk canoe on the other side and paddles across to meet us. He does not want to get his feet wet so we go one at a time starting with Dave to the other side. Dave also wants to stay dry so he leaps out of the canoe and the canoe capsizes. Lindile goes one way, his sandals head downstream together with the canoe and paddle. Dave rushes in and they rescue everything. So Patrick and I were also able to use his generous services.
Now it is really the final beach before the Xora huts. On this beach we pass some rocks where the water line just meets the rocks but as the waves recede one can run between the rocks and the waves. Dave suggests that we run. Patrick says that it is Tradition so that is how we pass this rock. And from there on for the rest of the trip we set up a variety of traditions: Like sharing a decanted Sprite in this last hour of the day. It is getting dark so I try my headlamp but realise that the salt water must have destroyed it together with the spare batteries. Next time I am on the trail I must remember that the torch must be as waterproof as the cell phone. We can see a light and activity at the huts ahead.
Someone drives a Landrover to the water edge and switches on headlights to show us the river. It is flowing fast out to sea as low tide is beginning. Too fast for us to swim. We consider camping on this side of the river for a while until the tide turns again. Then we see a person swimming. No… there are two people. We later learn that both Kevin and Altus had tried to get across. Altus was not so successful and had grabbed the rope before pulling himself back to the west side of the river. Kevin had brought a rope with a torpedo buoy that the others would use to pull us across. I was first and in a flash was pulled over the fast flowing river. They did this for us and a number of others. I heard later that Kevin had lost both his expensive flippers that evening. What a pleasure it was to see Ron. It was 20.00. We had been on the go for 15 hours for a distance (GPS) of just over 61kays.
This evening we again shared with Ernest, Alan and Mark. Also in the bungalow were Jannie and Hans and Andre and his brother Stefan. Hans made the most delicious looking plate of veggies for Jannie who had absolutely no appetite. Ron made a delicious Tuna-mate and I also helped myself to some of Leanna’s cooking. I found Clint in the kitchen with piles of fresh fish that he was busy frying and he offered me a delicious sample of the Spotted Grunter that he had caught that day. I was amazed at my own state. I should have been a wreck but was able to enjoy a beer with the others, collect my bag from Dave’s cabin and pack ready for the next day.
We heard that everyone except Hendrik was in. He had reported in earlier but was now expected in after midnight, which was in fact the case as he reached the Xora cabin at half past midnight. How he managed to negotiate the fields, paths, roads, beaches and villages in the dark is still a complete mystery to myself. There was a full moon but a solid cloud cover obscured most of its light. I did not sleep well that night. I had sore and twitching muscles and tossed and turned for most of the night. Today I probably drank well over six liters and heard that some people had drank 9 liters of water during the day. Before I went to sleep Gium came and sat on my bed and held my hand. He must have got a bit of a fright and wanted to say thank you. Gium is a training Catholic Priest from Benin. He met Elize while running the Washie last year. Elize is an ex-PE medical doctor who is now training to specialize in Psychiatry at Fort England in Grahamstown. Elize is also a very experienced ultra distance runner who has now completed two of these Wild Coast events.
Wednesday morning.
Xora to Dwesa. 27 Kays
Dave is a very relaxed person. From today he basically allows everyone to start at their own time. Some like to start early to avoid the heat of the day and others start after 07.00. I get up early. I was not in a state to wash last evening so I find out where the shower is and take an early walk down to the water tank. There is a hose pipe sticking out that is used to provide a shower. It is still very early so I am able to strip down and have a wash while looking across the river mouth that we had to cross the previous evening and the Indian Ocean. And I ask myself: “can life get any better?”
Patrick and I start at 06.50. He sets a mean pace and we are soon on the beach. Mike jogs past. I first met Mike at Amatola. He certainly has ability and knows how to deal with this kind of terrain. Next comes Andrew, Ziegfried, HP (Oosie) and Jannie. We stop at the Bashe Haven Hotel where we enjoy an ice cold drink and I am able to phone Barbara for the second time. I also speak to Tim. I think that he understands how I felt the previous evening having seen me at Amatola. We ask for directions and walk down the beach to the Bashe River. It is brown and although we feel ripped off we pay the R20 for the ferryman, Desmond, to paddle us the ten strokes across the river. We have heard of the Zambezi Sharks that frequent brown river mouths. On the other side Patrick finds a good new oar and tries to bargain with Desmond for a partial refund.
Elize and Gium join us but when they take a longer route around a point we take the shorter route across some dunes to find Ziegfried and Jannie swimming. We are quite happy to join them until we see that we are being surrounded by bluebottles. On the beach we often come across local children. Normally they are accompanied by a pack of three to six dogs. The dogs bark at us but never attack. The children take great delight in stomping on the beached bluebottles as they go Pop Pop. Ziegfried seems to know the way and he tells us that we cross three ridges before reaching the Dwesa huts. It turns out to be five but as we are so close to the end we do not moan at him. The last section today consists of flat rocks and beach. We spot a heard of buck a little way inland and some tourists on the beach point us to the short cut to the huts which we reach by 12.30. An easy 5.30 hours and about 27kays today. This is wonderful as it gives everyone time to recover.
Ron has found us a chalet and tonight it is just Martin, Polla, Johan, Ron & I in the hut. I do some reading and relax. Some of the others go to the beach. We make some crackers and oysters as a treat and have a cold beer from the fridge. We are now half way and the toughest section is behind. I hear that after his ordeal of Tuesday, Hendrik did not start and find him being massaged by Nel. Today I able to meet and identify who Stefan and Hans are. Getting to know everyone is no easy task but I am determined to have at least met everyone on the trail before we finish. This afternoon it starts to rain. We assist the Cape Town group putting up their tent. Ron has by now met all of the seconds and has found common interests in most of them. So when I say 20.00 and I am in bed he walks around and chats to the various groups.
Thursday morning.
Dwesa to Cebe 48 kays
Dave has said start time is 07.00 but Polla and Johan want to get going early and they leave at 05.00. We all wake early. I have not been able to eat much in the mornings. Perhaps a coffee and breakfast bar or a rusk. Patrick, Hendrik and I leave at 06.00. It has rained during the night and our shoes are soon saturated in the wet grass. We jump over a fence and later hear from Chel that the park officials are cross with us as we did not use their gate nor did we produce our receipt for the overnight stay. We reach a river flowing quite strongly and do what we have done each day: walk a little upstream and allow ourselves to drift down to the other side. We see Elize and Gium preparing themselves for the crossing. Gium thinks that people sink and so attaches two empty Energade bottles to his waist. I am not sure if he is in serious difficulty but rather than take a chance, Patrick assists him to safety. It is now very clear to me that no one should attempt this type of event unless they are confident in the water. You don’t have to be a Mark Spitz or Ryk Neetling but you should be able to hold your own.
Today there are lots of flat beaches to run and walk. We arrive at the Cob Inn hotel. The bar facility is right on the beach and we find Ziegfried in the bar having a Juice. I order for myself and Pat who goes to the kitchen to order toasted cheese and tomato. R22 for the sandwich and cold drink. This takes quite a while so as we are sit there I am able to phone Barbara who tells me that she has started Ally with a new swimming coach and that she is now able to swim 50 meters in under 50 seconds. I also phone the office and as we have our sales month end on the 15th I am curious to hear how we did. Maruis tells me that we have done very well with 111% of budget. Enough of office stuff. I receive a multitude of messages each time I switch the phone on but do not listen to any of them in case they upset me.
We press on, Patrick & Ziegfried setting a fast pace. Crossing many streams which we wade across. Lots of soft sand that makes walking and jogging difficult. We see the stranded bluebottles that become engulfed by the 1000’s of sea snails. Unusual for me are the single OysterCatchers. I have only seen them in pairs before, and hope that their mates have not been hurt. The African Black OysterCatcher is an endangered sea bird. They have a long orange beak that is used to pry open muscles and to search for earthworms. The call is a Pweep, pweep. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 adults left. The other bird that I find fascinating is the SandPiper. They have such a fast run across the shallows. Their little legs fly as they run across the sand. One can almost always see their reflection in the water as they run in the opposite direction to our run. We go over the airfield and head back to the beach. Hendrik makes the mistake of staying on the road and has to double back later.
Today has been one of the better days for me. When the Blue Train came past I was able to fool around a bit and stay with them for a very short while. We get to a section where there are blue bins and Ziegfried says not far to go. We press on jogging and walking but Ziegfried has a competitive spirit and as we get closer and closer so do we go faster and faster until we see what we think is Cebe where we will be staying and we sprint to the village. It has been 42kays and taken us 9 hours as we get there at 15.00. This is a huge house but has one shower and toilet that has to serve 36 people. So the only way to sort this out is set up a queuing system. Put your towel on the bookrack to book (excuse the pun!) your place. Ron has organised our little section of the lounge and we are quite happy.
The vibe becomes quite mellow as everybody is thrown together tonight. I see that the closeness does not suite some of the group especially as some of the talk becomes vulgar. Some inappropriate remarks are made but this is all male testosterone combined with alcohol. I am quite happy to now have met every person on the trip with us. Des put on his compilation called the Dwesa Shuffle. There is a Braai on the go. Mark doctors his feet as he inject mercurochrome into the blisters. Various people receive the “Nel leg or back rub”. Altus sits quietly reading his Jeffry Archer. HP (also known as Oosie or Hercules) tells me he is a train driver while Des regales of the times when he had to shovel coal into boilers until the steam was ready to burst.
Mark tries to persuade me to come to do the Puffer. This is an 80kay run from the Cape Point to the Waterfront and is called the Puffer as you have to avoid the Puffadders on the trail. By his own admission this is a really tough race. Mark has done this race 8 times and always been in the top ten finishers. Andrew and Jannie confirm how tough this event is. Mark tells me that it is now time for him to run the “Tougher Puffer”. Start at the Waterfront and run there and back. Mmmmmmm? They also introduce me to the Three Peaks. This is a run that starts at Greenmarket Square, goes up to the Lions Head, back to Greenmarket, up Table Mountain, back to Greenmarket, up to Devils Peak and finally back to Greenmarket. Yeah Sure!
Liam is hobbling around but this does not stop him cleaning up at pool. What happened with Liam is that he pushed hard in the early stages of the week and he is now suffering the consequences. He has to run the balance of the event on painkillers. The table tennis is then brought out and Stefan has a go at this until, Ray, our ex Border Rugby player, pushes him off the board. We make some more snacks, biltong, Wors sticks, crackers and the evening becomes increasingly mellow. I am concerned for the next day, which I hear, is 48 kays and so am in bed early with the buzz of conversation in the background. This afternoon I also met Melody and Mariaan (Ziegfried and Oosies’ wives). Jonathan is the big man travelling with Des.
Friday morning.
Cebe to Pullens Bay next Haha Haga 42 kays
Only two more days to go. Patrick, Hendrik & I leave at 05.30. There are soft sand beaches for quite a way. As we reach the end of a beach we see what appears to be a path and I see that Ziegfried has taken this path. After four days of being on the trail we have come to recognise the variety of shoe prints as well as strides. So up and over we go. Big mistake. We should have followed the contour path around the point. We go too far inland and have to bundu bash our way out again. We can see the beach looking so inviting but can simply not get there. Finally we find a patch that takes us to the beach. What a relief. But our legs and shoes are covered with burrs and scratched to pieces. Martin saw us from a distance and followed us. So the four of us are now on a great piece of beach and can make up a bit of time.
We reach the Wavecrest Hotel where we have an easy swim across. Here Martin meets up with Polla and Johan who have frozen in their worry to cross the river. They are now delighted to have Martin assist them across. Martin walks ahead with Polla and Johan. Patrick & I press on. We cross the airfield and head seawards. Hendrik follows the road and has to double back later. We try to keep as close to the sea as possible as we don’t want to take a second wrong turn. The second swim of the day is not much further. Again an easy swim and I go up to the farm at the top to fill my bottle and wash my shoes at the water tank. I hear that Mike has had to assist Gium at Wavecrest. The Blue Train also gets to this river accompanied by Dave. I think that Dave waited here for Elize and Gium to make sure that he crossed safely. We meet up with Johan who has now lost Polla. This is so easy to do and one can become quite confused as to how to handle it. My suggestion is to press on as you are bound to meet up a little later.
Patrick and I want to see the Jacaranda. This is the wreck of a ship that ran aground some years ago. The story that Patrick tells me is that the crew were partying it up and the Captain had given navigation to a deckhand. And this man had steered the ship into the one and only sandy gully for miles around. The name Jacaranda is still clearly visible on the hull but the ship is breaking up rapidly.. We passed the carcass of a whale. Then the Trenneries hotel where the Blue Train pass us again as we all bought a cold drink. Martin had arranged to meet his Mom and Johan and so ordered some sandwiches.
It is raining and an easterly wind was pushing us from behind. After this last interest point there is a very long slog to the Kei Mouth. The group now consisted of Ziegfried, Hendrik, Pat, Jannie and myself. When we finally reached the Kei Mouth I was beginning to tire. Ziegfried paid the R5.00 for all of us to use the Pont. The seconding team were on the other side and some lucky runners were handed a sandwich. I decided that a GU should see me though to the end. We walked and jogged through the village. Erica and Gillian were enjoying a sit down cold drink at the shop. We walked up past the golf course and I was now able to make a few calls to let people know that I was still going strong. As we walked this section we passed Clint’s wife on horseback. She operates a horse trails business and was taking a couple for a ride. As we walked this hill Ziegfried pulled out a miniature flask and we all enjoyed some of the soup that he was carrying. What a marvelous idea that was. It was cold and wet and ideal for the moment.
On this road there is a gate. Go through the gate and down to Morgans Bay. Cross the beach and into the village of Morgans Bay. Keep to the road and then there is a very long pull up a hill that leads to Double Mouth. Do not take the coastal path as this is quite a bit tougher and longer. We ran down the concrete road to the caravan park at Double Mouth where we were able to use the toilets and get fresh water. Here the Blue Train passed us again. They probably took the coastal path. From Double Mouth it was a very long stretch of rocks and soft sand beach to the next village of Marshland. Just before this is the Oyster Farms. We walked though Marshland village and saw a sign saying two kays to Haga Haga.
Hans had run past us on the trail. It seems that Jannie had decided that he had enough in Kei Mouth and Hans wanted a bit of exersize. Hans also did the Surfers the next day. I was by now extremely tired and my back was aching so when Patrick suggested a cold drink at the Haga Haga Strandloper hotel I was only too happy for the stop. Here Pat had a beer and I had a cold Fanta. I was able to relieve the pain in my back by stretching and laying across a few barstools on my back. From Haga it was really a very short kay or two to Pullens Bay. Patrick’s shoes decide that they have had enough and literally fall apart.
At Pullens Bay we were treated to real luxury accommodation. The chalets consisted of three bedrooms two bathrooms and a big lounge. We shared with Kevin, Andrew, Erica & Gillian and Martin’s family. Everything was laid on such as Electric Kettle, Microwave oven etc. We sat around for a long time chatting before some of the group decided to go to the pub for supper and to watch Rugby. Ron & I were quite content to sit in the lounge and relax. I was by now on my second book. Kevin made a huge spaghetti Boglonaise. And once Erica and Gillian woke up we had dinner together. This evening Ron & I learnt that Gillian was a physiotherapist and Erica an analyst at Nedbank. I was able to phone Barbara this evening. I had thought that she would be at Nippers practice but Ally had chosen Snoops instead. As soon as Martin returned from supper I was ready for bed.
Saturday Morning.
Pullens Bay to Yellow Sands and then to Nahoon Beach 45 kays
As usual Polla and Johan were up early and ready to go by 05.00. I felt for Kevin who had slept in the lounge as the noise of us runners was bound to wake him. It was great to be able to switch a light on and make coffee using the kettle. I had not been able to contact Patrick to find out what time he would be leaving but we all started to get ready early. Martin was a hard worker throughout the trip. This morning was no exception as he packed the bakkie. I had not been nearly as diligent and Ron had to do a lot of the spadework for me as I had been leaving early with a pile of stuff still to be packed away. Liam left with Andrew who is a Masters Zoology graduate from Rhodes. He has been assisting in the Botany department on a contract basis and now needs to make a decision about his future. Liam works for the SAB beer company and seems to have a number of other interests (B & B and pool table hire) as well. I think that Liam is still suffering from his early haste in trying to keep up with the Blue Train. Erica and Gillian used his B& B while Kevin is in partnership with him supplying pool tables to taverns. Before leaving, Liam introduced us to Jess who had met him the previous night at Haga Haga.
I was able to have a leisurely second cup of coffee and was ready to leave with Patrick at 07.00. The first section today took us over a long section of rocks before moving onto the soft sandy beaches. Today we began to realise that the event was nearing its conclusion. We encountered a number of fishermen who were staying at a variety of resorts. The morning started off misty and we knew that we were in for a hot day. By the time we arrived at Cintsa West the sun was beginning to burn. I had my normal floppy hat, blue face blockout to try to avoid the worst of the sun. Patrick was a lot hardier and was getting browner by the day. We stopped at the shop for a cold drink and Pat was able to phone Colleen and children. Colleen had been out for a long run and was by now in a bit of a hurry to get to the start of Surfers as she was part of the organisers. She was also setting up the Discovery Challenge, which included the Cycle, the following weekend and a River Mile.
This morning we picked up a Buoy, which we carried back with us. Kevin had told us that he was interested in collecting this kind of thing. It needed a good wash as the muscles still clinging to it stank. But then so did we, as our clothes and shoes were wet with perspiration. This morning we passed a man carrying a large stone. Patrick mentioned that it looked like his own tombstone but he assured us that this was for his bird pond that he was building. It did not take long for us to reach the start of the Surfers. The Blue Train had passed us a little depleted as Ray must have been injured and Alan was with him. Alan tells me that he is slukking down the painkillers to stay on track. Nel was waiting for the runners to cross the river and guided us as we waded through the brown murky water.
At Yellowsands Leanna was waiting for her group. Colleen was happy to see Patrick who could now also assist her in some of the set up work. I followed Johan to the shower where we rinsed off. We then all joined Martin’s family in the only bit of shade that there is in the area. We had taken five hours to get this far and still had another two and a half to the start. Francis was there with their son Joel who kept everyone busy. I was quite happy to relax in the shade before finally starting the last leg of our journey. Colleen had arranged for a photo to be taken and I was sorry that not everyone was there for the photo. There were a number of people wearing National Battery T-shirts. I asked them if they knew Dave to which they proudly replied that Dave was on the trail from Port St. Johns.
At the start I saw very few PE people (Andrew and Andre). Stuart had told me that his son, Gordon would be paddling but I did not see him. There were thousands of starters and they all bunched through the narrow muddy road as they tried to avoid getting their feet wet. No such niceties for me as I splooshed through the puddles. The first section of the Surfers is quite tough with rocks and stones to slow the field down. Gonubie Village is about seven kays from the start and after the first swim. Then there are a few kays on tar road through the village where thousands of spectators cheer the runners on often spraying us with hoses. I saw Des and Jonathan taking photos of the Wild Coast Runners.
Then it was back to the beach. I was a little sad to see that the organisers now have some kilometer marker boards. One of the adventures of this kind of run is not knowing how far you have run. This section of beach is much easier. It was here that I saw a pair of shoes that had been abandoned then I saw a young man tossing his funny looking red shoes over his shoulder so I picked them up and carried them to the finish for him. I also found another pair, which did not have an owner and I ended up taking them home. I always find the finish of the Surfers confusing as it is usually misty and while you can see the sun glinting off the cars or houses at the end of the bay, you are never quite sure where the race actually ends until you cross the last river. At last we reached that final river crossing and the finish of the race.
Nel, whose parents live near to Yellowsands did a very credible 2.05 and I think that Melody also did the Surfers. 19 of the 24 starters of the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra had finished the whole event. Hendrik had probably spent more time on the road than any of us but was not able to start on Wednesday after his ordeal of Tuesday. He had also picked up an ankle injury. Ziegfried had avoided Tuesday. Jannie found the comfort of driving just too tempting. Chel had wanted to go the whole way but on Tuesday had become so tired that when she saw the seconds at Coffee Bay had decided that that was enough exersize for one day. Des had been quite depleted after the first day and decided to save his energies for another race.
The seconds had a real rough time. Some days they had hours and hours of the roughest roads possible, bouncing around at painstakingly slow speeds. I know that Ron was quite exhausted on our way back home. The roads had been slippery and Kevin related how difficult it was to stay focussed on the driving at speeds of 20kays an hour. Also the drivers had to stay together as there were no road signs to follow and they would easily become lost if separated.
The T-Shirts of Surfers are much sought after and will be worn around East London with pride. We had arranged to meet in the tent afterwards and I found the group sitting together. Dave handed me a certificate for which I was very grateful. I was not able to stay for beers and the prize giving as Ron & I had decided to go straight home after the event. The organisers of Surfers hand out medals to category winners only but they had made enough for us as well. Dave posted mine to me later. I was able to greet a number of the runners before we left. Ally had an EP Nippers carnival and I wanted to be there for the second day on Sunday. Ron & I found the Milkshake shop and a Chinese restaurant where we bought takeaways. The road was very misty but we got home safely by 23.00.
Sunday morning
Back home in Port Elizabeth.
I unpacked all the smelly stuff into the spare bathroom and we left for Nippers at Kings Beach. It was another misty morning and bound to be very hot later on. The carnival was a great success. The Summerstrand U10’s did well and I was proud of their efforts. I think that Sardinia Bay won the overall carnival but when the last event was over we were simply too tired to stay. We had promised Lara and Ally time at the Supertubes before we were able to head home. I think that it was on Sunday afternoon that I realised how lucky I had been to finish the whole event. I had been bitten by umpteen bugs, had a few blisters and scratches but no real injury. I had been very careful with the sun the whole time and so that had not set me back.
Will I do it again? I think so, especially if I can find a teammate like Dave or Patrick who was so incredibly patient and loyal throughout the week. After an event of this nature it takes a while to come back to earth. I certainly felt on a bit of a high for a while after the event.
And to all those who I met and learned to know. Thanks for being there. For me it was a real adventure and a privilege to have met you. Ron. Now there is a real friend. Thanks Buddy. Barbara & Ally. Thank you for allowing me to take the time off to try something completely out of the ordinary.
And all of this for only R550 per person entry fee! Ridiculous. Okay there are any number of additional costs but still I am sure that Dave is out of pocket at the end of the event.
Peter Giddy
20 February 2006.
Hello GuysWell the dust (mud) has settled and we have to concentrate on the drudgery of work again. I hope you all enjoyed getting away from the exhaust fumes and chlorinated water, enjoyed the pure air, freedom of the environment emphasised by the total lack of restrictive fences, a little mental and physical challenge and regeneration of your spirit.Here is a report from Peter Giddy. Most of you saw him scribbling each day and got to know him as he went about meeting you all. Peter writes his report as a diary for his own records but it certainly brings back memories for me and I am sure it will for you too. I love "the blue train". How well did he get to know the Cape Town guys ?Thanks for coming and sharing with Des, Chel and me the splendour of the Wild Coast. What is it if you haven't shared it ? See you on the trails somewhere.
Hello Peter,
I am very pleased that you have written another report, I am afraid that I am not good at this sort of thing and although we are all so different we are basically similar and experience the same sort of emotions so even though those recorded are yours, we all find it reflects in some way our trip. I found reading it brought back quite a few emotions. Thank you.
I will send to all the people on the email contact list, I know they will enjoy reading it. They were amazed at your ability to know everyone and write each day about the trail.
Great to have you there. Ray and Altus are already planning for next year !
Regards.
Dave Gassner Tel 043 7068252 Fax 043 7312007 Cell 082 927 8344
Name
surname
Hluleka 46k
Xora 55k
Dwesa 40k
Cebe 41k
Pullen's bay 48k
surfers start 26k
surfers 18k
Nahoon 44k
total for whole XWCU 274k
total time spent on the trail
1
Ernest
Markwood
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.22
3.29
1.49
5.18
45.25
2
Andre
Erasmus
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.38
3.55
1.19
5.14
45.37
3
Mike
Webb
9.01
12.25
4.20
6.40
8.14
4.20
1.45
6.05
46.14
4
Mark
Spengler
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
3.55
1.40
5.35
46.51
5
Alan
Green
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.18
8.14
4.20
1.53
6.13
47.32
6
Ray
Cranston
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
4.20
2.40
7.00
48.15
7
Andrew
Slaughter
9.45
13.45
5.00
7.30
7.55
3.40
1.59
5.39
49.34
8
Hp
Oosthuizen
9.53
14.00
5.00
7.50
7.50
3.40
1.49
5.29
50.02
9
Liam
Victor
9.01
13.50
6.32
7.50
8.05
3.40
1.35
5.15
50.33
10
Dave
Gassner
11.30
15.00
6.30
9.17
7.30
3.45
2.13
5.58
55.45
11
Alice
Achermann
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
12
Guillame
Kambounon
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
13
Patrick
Elson
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
1.49
6.49
57.19
14
Peter
Giddy
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
2.15
7.15
57.45
15
Martin
Smith
12.00
16.00
4.20
7.35
11.15
5.30
1.27
6.57
58.07
16
Erica
Terblanche
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
17
Gillian
Banks
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
18
Johan
Kriel
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
2.15
9.05
69.05
19
Paula
Richardson
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
3.00
9.50
69.50
20
Hendrik
Marx
9.53
19.10
8.00
8.45
1.55
47.43
21
Siegfried
Milbert
11.30
5.37
8.20
9.40
4.40
2.09
6.49
41.56
22
Jannie
Smal
9.25
14.25
5.37
5.45
1.40
36.52
23
Chel
Gassner
11.30
6.30
6.30
9.17
2.48
36.35
24
Des
Meyer
12.00
12.00
EXTREME WILD COAST ULTRA 2006
Organised by Des Meyer, Dave and Chel Gassner,
EVENT INFORMATION.
Supported by Cremorne Estate.
Sunday 12th February 2006.
Arrive at Cremorne on the Sunday. Directions ……
Heading south from Bizana, just before the bridge over the Umzimvubu, approx 5 kms from Port St Johns, follow signs to the left to get to Cremorne Estate. About 90k from Umtata on the R61 approx 5k from Port St Johns, turn left to cross the bridge over the Umzimvubu, take the first turn to the right immediately after the bridge and follow the signs to Cremorne Estate, approx 1k.
We will be staying in the Fishermen’s Huts that will accommodate 12, the rest of us will camp. Cremorne is a beautiful resort on the banks of the river, well protected and very secure. Please ask for Barry (the manager) and inform him that you are with Des Meyer to do the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra. A normal booking has not been made so some one else may not know what you are talking about. Be sure to speak to Barry. Bring your tents and mattresses with you; you may need them later in the week. At Cremorne there is a very good restaurant and a great pub. See the website http://www.cremorne.co.za/. Log cabins can be booked if you prefer some luxury - the last you will have for a week!! We will discuss the plan for the following day in the conference hall on Sunday evening. Des will be giving us hints on where the trading stores, taverns, vicious dogs and crossing points are situated and also give directions for the seconds to travel to Hluleka. Every evening we will have a briefing for the following day. Photocopy maps will be provided.
Monday 13th Feb.
Pack up, eat and apply all the protection materials and equipment (anti sun, insect and shark repellant). We will start at Cremorne and run along the road to Silaka Reserve, which opens at 06:00 (Des and I will pay the day visitor fee on Sunday) and then onto the trail. We will start at 05:30 but this is negotiable on Sunday evening. We will probably split up into groups, the bigger the better, according to ability or inclination. After a leisurely 46 kilometers we will arrive at Hluleka Nature Reserve (golden rule number 1, keep the sea on your left) where we have booked the Sea Facing Chalets. The chalets sleep six, have hot showers, deep freeze or fridge and gas stove and braai places outside. Here we will hopefully find our seconds with the kit unpacked and beers in the fridges. If you are able to I believe the area is very good for snorkeling and fishing although you are not allowed to collect bait. Have a look on the website. http://www.psj.co.za/links/hluleka.htm. The seconds will have driven the route from Port St Johns (fill up with fuel whenever you can) on the R61 (70k tar) and taken the turn off to Hluleka just before Libode (57k dirt - distances given on different maps conflict), produced the permit and been allowed into the reserve. You will have packed food for the evening and the following morning plus your supplies for the next day into your boxes. We will have a runners and seconds briefing for the following day in the evening. It will be very important to stay hydrated and to eat well because Tuesday is a huge day that will take anything from 9 to 15 hours, depending on hard you go.
Tuesday 14th Feb.
We pack up, eat and get an early start for day two, 57k to Xora. The previous evening we will decide what time is the best to depart. We must carry energy mix, water and food for the day and be prepared for a long day. All the necessary protection must be used, sun, insects, sunglasses, hat etc. Directions will be provided for the seconds and we will hope that they find Xora otherwise we will be a sorry bunch when we arrive there. Xora is very basic, water has to be pumped by hand, fire lit for hot water and gas connected for the fridge and the paraffin lamps filled. Des is busy getting other accommodation as well as the house, some of us may need to tent. You will need to pack darts if you want to play, there is a dartboard available. Be careful crossing the river, there are lots of electric skates in the water but that may just give you the final urge to get to the cottage. Golden rule number 2, if attacked by a shark be sure that you offer an arm or a leg to the shark as torso bites are usually fatalJ. There will be a lady to clean and a man to help with water pumping and fire making and we may need some tools to open the water tank but I will sort that out. Once again, you will rely on the seconds to have your equipment ready. They can also buy supplies in Umtata but when doing so ensure that the vehicles are guarded and be careful. We will have the briefing for the next day in the evening as usual. Snorkeling is also reported to be good here.
Wed 15th Feb.
We leave early for Dwesa, the distance should only be 26k. We have to negotiate the Bashee River, renowned for the number of locals who have been taken by shark. We will catch the ferry that operates from the Hotel. Des will inform them that we will be coming and hopefully the ferryman will be there. The charge last year was R20 per person. You must carry ferry money with you each day, no large denomination, Transkei people do not have change. Dwesa is another magic place to stay and hopefully we will survive the crossing to admire the true nature of the land in this small reserve where white rhino, zebra, wildebeest, crocodiles and a number of small and very large buck live. You may survive the sharks to become crocodile supperJ. Dwesa cabins are smart with fridges and stoves and showers. Provisions can be bought in Elliotdale. The cabins will accommodate 24, so some of us will have to tent again. Same procedure for the briefing and early start.
Thursday 16th Feb.
The section to Cebe should be 45k and if the feet are still holding out, not too blistered and the ankles not too sore, the going will be a little easier as there are not as many ups and downs but the sand will make up for that I guess. Cebe is a large cottage, see the website http://www.cyberpage.co.za/ which also comes with help for cleaning up, there is a bathroom and kitchen. The adventure is almost kaput by now but at the same time this may apply to you as well. We will have the usual briefing in the evening.
Fri. 17th Feb.
Today will only be a short jog to Kei Mouth, about 26k (to the ferry). Cross on the ferry, this is a dangerous river. Last year this was the official finish but we extended it to include Surfers. This year we continue along the coast past Morgan’s Bay, Double Mouth, Haga-Haga and about 2k further we will stop at Pullen’s Bay, a really beautiful spot on the coast, total distance 48k. http://www.hagahaga.co.za/ is the website, they have self-catering chalets.
Sat. 18th Feb.
On Saturday 19th February 2005 the famous and very popular 18 kilometer “Discovery Surfer’s Challenge” will start at 14:00 at Yellow Sands and finish at Nahoon Beach, East London. Total distance for the last day, 44k. These distances are all measured with a ruler on the map so you can expect some discrepancies, especially if you get lost! Total then - about 266k.
We can have a late sleep, swim and then take an easy jog to the start at Yellow Sands, about 26k. You will have to enter at the start. Entry fee R40. Seconds should get there early, the roads are closed at about 12:00 and you will need refreshment and maybe some cover depending on the weather. Surfers has entries for runners, walkers and paddlers, it is an easy 2 hour paddle. So we will finish our little adventure with a mass welcome at Nahoon Beach and I can tell you it is a hell of a finish with thousands of spectators at the finish and all along the way.
Other info.
Stay together in groups, this is safer incase of any emergency. Eat well to ensure that your body can re energise. Drink plenty, there are springs along the way and the occasional shop and holiday shacks. Protect yourself from the sun and insects. Plan your food requirements carefully remembering you will need food during the day on the run. Bring an abundant sense of humour. Try to keep your feet dry, this is generally the most vunerable part of your body and most likely to take you out of the run.
We have informed the East London Private Ambulance Service – Aldersons, (they have an agreement with AV8 helicopter services) of our event so that they are not unprepared in case of an emergency. For safety sake, ensure that you have your medical aid details with you,
Maps will be supplied to the seconds and Des will brief them on the roads to follow. Best to travel in convoy even though this does slow you down a bit. Seconds should leave as soon as the runners have gone as the roads meander through the region, are indirect and rough and when wet, very slippery.
Treat the locals with respect, their culture is not the same as ours and they are insulted by some of our customs. Many of the Transkei people are still primitive, RDP has not reached them yet and they are bitter because they have been promised a better life from tourism, which they have not yet seen. You are a tourist, you are part of the problem! Having said that, we have found them to be most helpful giving directions and even supplying water.
ITEMS FOR RUN
Shorts
Shirt
Socks
Shoes in good condition
Hat
Sun glasses
Sun block
Small pack
2 litres water minimum
Small 1st aid pack
Emergency blanket
Energy drink (Clifton, Game or some other high energy mix)
Energy food (some chicken and rolls or boiled potato with butter and salt)
Cell phone in waterproof container
List of emergency numbers (to be supplied)
Map (to be supplied)
Money for ferry, drinks at stores or villages, only small change, they have no change for big notes. Tips for directions
when you are lost J
Watch
Torch, tested to last at least 5 hours.
Whistle
Waterproof rain jacket to use in case of emergency
Tick repellant
Spare shirt
Warm trousers to use in case of emergency
For your trip - and don’t forget your second!
Money, there are no auto tellers.
A strong box clearly marked with your name.
Food, make out a daily menu.
Eating utensils, plates, knives forks,
Cooking utensils, pots, braai grid, gas stove etc.
Washing up things, sunlight, and cloths.
Small tent, sleeping bag, pillow, mattress
Charka, firelighters, lighter
Goggles, snorkel, weights and flippers.
Food (can be topped up at Umtata, Willowvale, Idutywa.
Beer (can be topped up)
Mosquito repellant
A first aid kit to treat allergies, rashes, blisters, cuts and bruises, sunburn. A syringe and Mercurochrome work very well for treating blisters and some good broad plaster which sticks well. I use the white elastic type. It keeps your feet together when they want to fall apart. I also recommend “IceMan” which you can get from hardware stores that cater for the farmers, magic for sore knees and ankles. Costs about R35 for a tub, use liberally after and before run.
colour block indicates group, dotted fill indicates driver of the group.
entrants
name
pay
tel
where from
email
1
gassner dave
paid
0829278344
el
daveg@battery.co.za
2
gassner chel
paid
07236997047
el
3
elson patrick
paid
0835451612
el
pat.elson@impilo.ecprov.gov.za
4
weppelman ray
paids
0833799866
el
rayicon@absamail.co.za
5
terblanche erica
paid
0834606288
pretoria
EricaT@Nedbank.co.za
6
banks gillian
paid
pretoria
7
slaughter andrew
paid
0732493810
grahamstown
a.slaughter@ru.ac.za
8
victor liam
paid
0829217587
east london
Liam.Victor@za.sabmiller.com
9
victor second
paids
10
smith martin
paid
0834636206
el
martin.smith@icontrols.co.za
11
giddy peter
paid
0825503174
pe
peterg@jdg.co.za
12
richards graham
paid
0829086989
jhb / pe
GRichards@SALGA.ORG.ZA
13
pask ron
paids
pe
ronpask@telkomsa.net
14
erasmus andre
paid
0823739311
sasolburg
andre.erasmus@sasol.com
15
erasmus second
paids
16
marx hendrik
paid
083 631 9432
vereeniging
hmarx@cew.co.za
17
marx team mate
paid
18
achermann alice
paid
0729814107
grahamstown
ACHERMANN@telkomsa.net
19
webb mike
paid
0833660933
kingwilliam'stown
renewilliams@um.co.za
20
kambounon guillame
paid
0729402969
petitguill@yahoo.fr
21
achermann second
paids
22
meyer des
cape town
desm@battery.co.za
23
grobler jonathan
el
jonathang@battery.co.za
24
muller altus
0832221279
jhb
ajmuller@icon.co.za
25
tawse john michael
0826944789
baghdad
johnmike@xsinet.co.za
26
adams ian
paid
0722335418
jhb
ian1adams@yahoo.co.uk
27
smal jannie
paid
0845266437
cape town
jannies@vibol.co.za
28
linde hans
paids
0829324916
cape town
hjl@metroweb.co.za
29
oosthuizen hp
paid
oos@absamail.co.za
30
milbert siegfried
paid
0833279582
smilbert@g5.co.za
31
milbert melody
paids
0837732710
melody@netactive.co.za
32
oosthuizen mariaan
paids
33
cranston ray
paid
rayc@wol.co.za
34
walker craig
paid
35
beckett gordon
paid
36
markwood ernest
paid
0824795154
cape town
ernest.m@telkomsa.net
37
markwood second
paids
4
have not paid but will pay tomorrow.
24
runners have paid
9
seconds have paid
33
total paid
37
entries
SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY TO SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2006.
SIX DAYS TO WALK AND RUN 274 KAYS. (APPROX)
PORT ST. JOHNS TO EAST LONDON.
We had been planning this trip for a number of months. I did not change my daily training routine. Originally Graham was to be with me but he was injured. Ron & I had listed and purchased all the required provisions as if we would be away for a month. But we decided that it would be better to over cater. I also bought two storage boxes from Macro. These we filled with our provisions. I packed the two stretchers, mattresses, cooking stuff and my tog bag. Once this was all in the car I had used the boot and the back seat.
Day Pack
The way that we do these kind of events is with a daypack that has a Bladder. The Bladder is a two-liter container that has a tube running to the front where the runner can drink water without having to stop or to pull out a water bottle from the backpack. We then pack provisions and emergency stuff for the day. My daily rations consisted of:
2 X sachets of GU. A high concentrate energy supplement that I had used before.
2 X energy bars. I would keep one in my running shorts pocket so that I could eat whenever I felt the need. I prefer small bites to eating the whole bar at once. It is very easy to become suddenly depleted during the day and the energy supplements should be easily accessible so that the runner does not collapse.
2 X Fruit bars, a packet of Jelly Babies (Jube Jubes) and a packet of peanuts and raisins. These last two items were incase I was out there for longer than I had planned. For example if I became lost.
This I had packed into Ziplock bags prepared before we left.
Also in the backpack was a waterproof container where I kept the cellphone and a list of Phone numbers in case of emergency.
Next was my waterproof container with plasters, a small pair of scissors, a whistle and some paracetemol.
Then I carried a space Blanket and a running top.
I had carried a torch with spare batteries but this was not waterproofed and they all became wet and the seawater rendered them useless. This is a lesson for the future.
I would also carry an additional two 500-mil bottles. Often one contained cold drink such as Fanta and the other carried water. I felt that with three liters I would not run out of water.
The total weight of this pack was probably about 4 to 5 kilograms. It did not hinder me at all.
Sunday morning.
Port Elizabeth, East London and Port St Johns.
We left PE at 07.00 and had an easy drive through to EL where we met Martin, Polla and Johan. Francis was there to send us off. Ron immediately recognised Francis and little Joel from Amatola. We quickly packed our multitude of stuff into the back of Martin’s bakkie. The back seat of the Bakkie is not designed for tall people nor long distance and I think that Johan must have suffered. It was not long before we were in Mtatha where we stopped for coffee. The drive down to Port St. Johns is tarred all the way and by 17.00 we pulled into Cremorne where there are lovely chalets and good camping facilities. As we arrived is started to rain so we put tents up and had everything sorted out just as it stopped raining.
We announced our arrival to Dave and Chel and met some of the entrants and their seconds. Some of the group had arrived in time for the tour of the area. Dave called a meeting where he gave us a number of instructions plus laminated maps. I was happy to see that I am not the only one who makes the kind of mistake of numbering pages 1/13 to 13/13 and then realising that there are 14 pages so number the last one 14/14. He handed out the T-shirts to both seconds and runners. We also received plastic bags, which we would carry with us for river crossings. Ron & I cooked ourselves a rice dish, made coffee and I was in bed early. I think that Ron did his rounds, meeting others. Our tent is always a pleasure. We set up the stretchers, mattresses and reading table with a lamp. I had made myself a cup of coffee and fell asleep in a very short while.
Monday morning.
Port St Johns to Hluleka. 49.7kays
I had set the alarm for 04.00 as Dave had decided to leave at 05.00. We had a coffee and rusk. I folded up some of the stuff but generally Ron did all the packing once we had left. We congregated at the gate to Cremorne, posed for the photos and then 24 men and women, most of whom were strangers, set out, on foot, for East London. 274 kays away! For this first stretch of mainly tarred road we passed over the Umzimvubu River, though Port St. Johns and then up to the gate of the Sileka reserve. En route we passed what is called the washing machine. A round concrete structure where the various stages of clothes washing takes place. We had walked and jogged here without the “trippers”. Ray was at the gate to meet us and to hand us the bags.
At this stage I was more or less with Dave, Chel, Patrick, Elize (At a run in Uitenhage a few weeks later I met up with Elize and confirmed that her name is actually Alice) and Gium. I had met Patrick at Amatola. He was the sweeper for the Little Bafer. Dave and Chel were also people we had met at Amatola. We then passed the Sugarloaf rock. Now I regretted not bringing a camera, even a cheapie that could have recorded some of the special moments. We began the hill climbing and exploring. Fortunately Dave knows the area well and we were soon descending to the Umgazi mouth where we were able to walk across the river. I learned later that the “Blue Train” had taken the ferry across after buying something to drink at the hotel. Our next river crossing was at Mganzane where we paid the ferryman (Jabavu) R5.00 each to row us across the very small river, which we could quite easily have swum. In fact Dave and Patrick did swim it but still paid the R5 to have their packs ferried across.
We had caught up to some of the others here and I went across with them and then did a very foolish thing. I pressed on by myself and instantly got lost in the village. I had to jog around for a while before coming across a local who pointed out the location to the shop. The Dave group had not got here yet and I thought that we would have a sit down, buy some cool drinks and relax for a bit. Not so. I bought a pair of cold Fantas (R4.50 each) and tried to fill my bladder but in this time Dave arrived, bought a few cans and pressed on. Fortunately Patrick waited for me otherwise I would have got lost a second time. We wandered though the village and up and over to the coast line again. These village roads are very confusing and not really for cars at all. We found a tap where some of the runners filled bladders. Then it was up hills again. The second tap we found was leaking and strapped with cloth. I thought that if I do this again, I should bring a spanner and washers and show a local how to repair the tap.
As we were going up a hillside we passed Des. He was resting but seemed fine otherwise. Shortly after this section we came across Ester, a local lass who looked thirteen but claimed to be 18. Dave was able to understand the directions she gave us and we pressed on downwards to the ocean. Here we found Ziegfried swimming in a pool. This looked like a splendid idea and we soon had our shoes off and wallowed in the cool water together with the tiny Zebra fish. Ester had came across Des and had brought him down to the pool to join us. And a little while later she reappeared with Martin, Polla and Johan. Polla had told me that her real name is Ilsabet but her father had called her Polla and that this had then been angled to be Paula. She and Johan run a delicatessen in the Metlife Mall of Kingwilliamstown. Des is with us for quite a long part of the day’s walk. He seems very knowledgeable on this section of coastline. Des tells me how the Event was conceived: About 18 years ago he was chatting to some friends over a beer and had suggested that they do a hike from Port St Johns. It seems that everyone was keen until it came to “Takkie meeting tar”. Then there turned out to be only two of them that eventually put on backpacks and walked the coastline. And then last year (2005) Dave had finally put together the event that we were now doing.
We walk a beach where we see over 1000 ghost crabs. They are funny little creatures with eyes that stick up in the air and they run in the shallows on tiptoe. Sometimes we walk past their holes that they have burrowed in the sand. Then they are quite confused: do they run back to the burrow or do they head for the water?
Many hills follow this section. Fortunately we came to a river that we wade across where we again decide to have a swim and cool off. After a while we reach a river that had to be swum. Here we packed our bags into plastic bags and push these across the river. There were a number of young local boys and girls playing about at this river. They crowded around me while I was emptying my pockets and I gave them the energy bar and the fruit bar that I had. This in itself was not a problem as I had more than enough in my bag but the thing that hit me later was that I did not replenish my pockets and completely ran out of energy just before the end of the day.
The day ends at Hluleka bay. This is part of a nature reserve and we saw some Wildebeest and Zebra just before camp. The one particular Wildebeest looked straight at us in a silhouette. A classic and stunning picture! Ron had planned to camp but I was more interested in the shower and comfort of the chalets that had been reserved for us. So it worked out that Ron & I shared the chalet with Ernest, Leanna, Alan and Mark as well as Ray and Nel. For me this was great. I had already got to know Martin, Polla, Johan, Patrick, Dave, Chel and Ziegfried. So I was able to meet what I thereafter referred to as the Blue Train.
The Blue Train comprised the three from Cape Town, Mark: tall tattooed and long hair. Ernest: GPS and coupled up with Leanna. Alan: The hospital Gym man, bushy hair and determined to stay on the train. Ray: The Irishman, hill climber and restaurant man who offers Seafood and Prawns at Jimmys (which I believe is a franchise in Gauteng). Please do not ask why prawns are not considered to be part of the general offering of Seafood. And then there is Andre, Quiet unassuming and incredibly capable at this type of terrain. Ron reminded me that Andre won the Amatola that we did in October last year.
This evening I learned how Leanna had cycled across Africa last year. From Cairo to Cape Town on a Mountain bike. She was with a group of people looking for adventure supported by vehicles and living a really rough life for four months. We also found the gentle and caring nature of Nel who was always there for any of the seconds or runners. I understand that Nel is also a Provincial Hockey player. Nothing was ever too much trouble for a soul needing help. Ron and I packed out the stretchers on the veranda and it was then that we really appreciated why we were on this trip. It was a stunning evening and the cool breeze put us to sleep early. We had run and walked 49.7kays according to Ernest’ GPS. The going had been tough and the bodies were weary. We started at 05.00 and our group finished at 16.30. 11.5 hours.
Tuesday morning.
Hluleka to Xora. 61.5 kays
The BIG day. I, and many others had decided that if we could get through today we could finish the event. I heard later that Des and Ziegfried did not start and thought again of the advice that Ian Ross had given me before Amatola: What ever you do you must start. You can always reconsider later but get going with the others in the morning. This event has no defined route. The runner has to continually be on the lookout for the best possible path or track and then hope that they are heading in the right direction. It is very easy to go too far inland in an attempt to take what seems to be the easier path. Martin and I had been wandering on top of the fields. He decided that the best route for himself, Polla and Johan was inland, I wandered down to the beach and thinking that I had the lead on Dave’s group, slowed down. Mistake! I realised that I had better press on and only after a while did I catch them up.
I am now determined that I will not separate from my group again. The next river we get to is one we will have to swim. I step into the river and then realise how strong the outgoing tide is. So walk upstream a bit before getting back in to the water and ease myself across. Just as I am out on the other side I realise that Gium is in trouble and am able to assist him to safety. After a short walk on this beach we again begin the long climbs and descents over fields and though villages. Sometime during the day today we cross the Mtatha River. Brian is the Ferryman and he charges R5.00 for a crossing. We also find a backpackers resort where we are able to buy a cold drinks and top up the bladders with water.
Fortunately for me I am with Patrick and he has the common sense to ask directions and we take a short cut into Coffee Bay. Here the seconds are waiting for us and Nel rushes up to me with an Ice Cold Coke. I am also able to fill my bladder with ice before we carry on. At Coffee Bay I make my first phone call to Barbara. Today is hot and sticky. Chel decides that she has had enough for the day. Dave, Patrick and I go to the beach for a swim. I wash my shoes and socks out in the seawater. Everything is full of sea sand and burrs. Erica and Gillian pass up on a swim and carry on. For a long time they have had this dog following them from the time we left Port St Johns. I am not sure quite when they rid themselves of the dog.
We seem to be able to take a short cut past a place called Clay something or other and jog/walk over more fields and through villages on our way to Little Hole in the Wall.
We see many local children playing in the rock pools as we bound our way past them. It seems to me that since Chel is no longer with him, Dave thinks that I must have newfound ability and energy.
I am very happy to reach the Hole in the Wall River where Dave tells me the legend of the Beautiful maidens who lived in the sea. One day a local chief decided to abduct one of these maidens and take her to be his a wife. But after a while the Sea God (probably Neptune) decided to take her back to the ocean where she belonged and the only place where he could access the land was the wall of rock at the river mouth. So, in his fury and desperation to recapture the maiden, he carved a hole in the wall and was able to return her to her rightful place in the sea.
At the river mouth we find a number of local women burning rubbish. Dave says that this is a clean up campaign. We were able to wade this river and had ourselves a swim on the other side. Up and down more hills until we arrive at the Hole in the Wall village. A convoy of expensive 4X4’s pass us on their way home from what we assume to be a meeting. We see the tavern called Sally Can’t Surf and discover that only glasses of cold drink can be bought here so we go to the tin shanty Spaza shop across the street called the Tack Shop. Here Peter (blue face and shabby hat), Dave and Patrick sit themselves down on the tomato boxes and order three very large Sprite bottles (R8.50) which we sluck from thirstily and then fill our bladders much to the amazement of the locals who come into the shop.
Up and down more hills. I am exhausted. I work out that we are going at about 4kays an hour and have about 4 hours to go. We find a house with a water tank and again fill bladders and wet faces using hats. This is to be our last water fill for the day. I have three liters and feel okay about this. I am starting to become extremely tired and am dizzy from all the effort of the ups and downs. I have another GU, which seems to help. But Dave and Patrick are setting a steady pace that I battle to stay with. I ask for a break to catch my breath and fix the blister on my heel.
Patrick points out what should be the finish. But when we get to it we discover that this is another settlement. A boatman, Lindile, gets into a Mohawk canoe on the other side and paddles across to meet us. He does not want to get his feet wet so we go one at a time starting with Dave to the other side. Dave also wants to stay dry so he leaps out of the canoe and the canoe capsizes. Lindile goes one way, his sandals head downstream together with the canoe and paddle. Dave rushes in and they rescue everything. So Patrick and I were also able to use his generous services.
Now it is really the final beach before the Xora huts. On this beach we pass some rocks where the water line just meets the rocks but as the waves recede one can run between the rocks and the waves. Dave suggests that we run. Patrick says that it is Tradition so that is how we pass this rock. And from there on for the rest of the trip we set up a variety of traditions: Like sharing a decanted Sprite in this last hour of the day. It is getting dark so I try my headlamp but realise that the salt water must have destroyed it together with the spare batteries. Next time I am on the trail I must remember that the torch must be as waterproof as the cell phone. We can see a light and activity at the huts ahead.
Someone drives a Landrover to the water edge and switches on headlights to show us the river. It is flowing fast out to sea as low tide is beginning. Too fast for us to swim. We consider camping on this side of the river for a while until the tide turns again. Then we see a person swimming. No… there are two people. We later learn that both Kevin and Altus had tried to get across. Altus was not so successful and had grabbed the rope before pulling himself back to the west side of the river. Kevin had brought a rope with a torpedo buoy that the others would use to pull us across. I was first and in a flash was pulled over the fast flowing river. They did this for us and a number of others. I heard later that Kevin had lost both his expensive flippers that evening. What a pleasure it was to see Ron. It was 20.00. We had been on the go for 15 hours for a distance (GPS) of just over 61kays.
This evening we again shared with Ernest, Alan and Mark. Also in the bungalow were Jannie and Hans and Andre and his brother Stefan. Hans made the most delicious looking plate of veggies for Jannie who had absolutely no appetite. Ron made a delicious Tuna-mate and I also helped myself to some of Leanna’s cooking. I found Clint in the kitchen with piles of fresh fish that he was busy frying and he offered me a delicious sample of the Spotted Grunter that he had caught that day. I was amazed at my own state. I should have been a wreck but was able to enjoy a beer with the others, collect my bag from Dave’s cabin and pack ready for the next day.
We heard that everyone except Hendrik was in. He had reported in earlier but was now expected in after midnight, which was in fact the case as he reached the Xora cabin at half past midnight. How he managed to negotiate the fields, paths, roads, beaches and villages in the dark is still a complete mystery to myself. There was a full moon but a solid cloud cover obscured most of its light. I did not sleep well that night. I had sore and twitching muscles and tossed and turned for most of the night. Today I probably drank well over six liters and heard that some people had drank 9 liters of water during the day. Before I went to sleep Gium came and sat on my bed and held my hand. He must have got a bit of a fright and wanted to say thank you. Gium is a training Catholic Priest from Benin. He met Elize while running the Washie last year. Elize is an ex-PE medical doctor who is now training to specialize in Psychiatry at Fort England in Grahamstown. Elize is also a very experienced ultra distance runner who has now completed two of these Wild Coast events.
Wednesday morning.
Xora to Dwesa. 27 Kays
Dave is a very relaxed person. From today he basically allows everyone to start at their own time. Some like to start early to avoid the heat of the day and others start after 07.00. I get up early. I was not in a state to wash last evening so I find out where the shower is and take an early walk down to the water tank. There is a hose pipe sticking out that is used to provide a shower. It is still very early so I am able to strip down and have a wash while looking across the river mouth that we had to cross the previous evening and the Indian Ocean. And I ask myself: “can life get any better?”
Patrick and I start at 06.50. He sets a mean pace and we are soon on the beach. Mike jogs past. I first met Mike at Amatola. He certainly has ability and knows how to deal with this kind of terrain. Next comes Andrew, Ziegfried, HP (Oosie) and Jannie. We stop at the Bashe Haven Hotel where we enjoy an ice cold drink and I am able to phone Barbara for the second time. I also speak to Tim. I think that he understands how I felt the previous evening having seen me at Amatola. We ask for directions and walk down the beach to the Bashe River. It is brown and although we feel ripped off we pay the R20 for the ferryman, Desmond, to paddle us the ten strokes across the river. We have heard of the Zambezi Sharks that frequent brown river mouths. On the other side Patrick finds a good new oar and tries to bargain with Desmond for a partial refund.
Elize and Gium join us but when they take a longer route around a point we take the shorter route across some dunes to find Ziegfried and Jannie swimming. We are quite happy to join them until we see that we are being surrounded by bluebottles. On the beach we often come across local children. Normally they are accompanied by a pack of three to six dogs. The dogs bark at us but never attack. The children take great delight in stomping on the beached bluebottles as they go Pop Pop. Ziegfried seems to know the way and he tells us that we cross three ridges before reaching the Dwesa huts. It turns out to be five but as we are so close to the end we do not moan at him. The last section today consists of flat rocks and beach. We spot a heard of buck a little way inland and some tourists on the beach point us to the short cut to the huts which we reach by 12.30. An easy 5.30 hours and about 27kays today. This is wonderful as it gives everyone time to recover.
Ron has found us a chalet and tonight it is just Martin, Polla, Johan, Ron & I in the hut. I do some reading and relax. Some of the others go to the beach. We make some crackers and oysters as a treat and have a cold beer from the fridge. We are now half way and the toughest section is behind. I hear that after his ordeal of Tuesday, Hendrik did not start and find him being massaged by Nel. Today I able to meet and identify who Stefan and Hans are. Getting to know everyone is no easy task but I am determined to have at least met everyone on the trail before we finish. This afternoon it starts to rain. We assist the Cape Town group putting up their tent. Ron has by now met all of the seconds and has found common interests in most of them. So when I say 20.00 and I am in bed he walks around and chats to the various groups.
Thursday morning.
Dwesa to Cebe 48 kays
Dave has said start time is 07.00 but Polla and Johan want to get going early and they leave at 05.00. We all wake early. I have not been able to eat much in the mornings. Perhaps a coffee and breakfast bar or a rusk. Patrick, Hendrik and I leave at 06.00. It has rained during the night and our shoes are soon saturated in the wet grass. We jump over a fence and later hear from Chel that the park officials are cross with us as we did not use their gate nor did we produce our receipt for the overnight stay. We reach a river flowing quite strongly and do what we have done each day: walk a little upstream and allow ourselves to drift down to the other side. We see Elize and Gium preparing themselves for the crossing. Gium thinks that people sink and so attaches two empty Energade bottles to his waist. I am not sure if he is in serious difficulty but rather than take a chance, Patrick assists him to safety. It is now very clear to me that no one should attempt this type of event unless they are confident in the water. You don’t have to be a Mark Spitz or Ryk Neetling but you should be able to hold your own.
Today there are lots of flat beaches to run and walk. We arrive at the Cob Inn hotel. The bar facility is right on the beach and we find Ziegfried in the bar having a Juice. I order for myself and Pat who goes to the kitchen to order toasted cheese and tomato. R22 for the sandwich and cold drink. This takes quite a while so as we are sit there I am able to phone Barbara who tells me that she has started Ally with a new swimming coach and that she is now able to swim 50 meters in under 50 seconds. I also phone the office and as we have our sales month end on the 15th I am curious to hear how we did. Maruis tells me that we have done very well with 111% of budget. Enough of office stuff. I receive a multitude of messages each time I switch the phone on but do not listen to any of them in case they upset me.
We press on, Patrick & Ziegfried setting a fast pace. Crossing many streams which we wade across. Lots of soft sand that makes walking and jogging difficult. We see the stranded bluebottles that become engulfed by the 1000’s of sea snails. Unusual for me are the single OysterCatchers. I have only seen them in pairs before, and hope that their mates have not been hurt. The African Black OysterCatcher is an endangered sea bird. They have a long orange beak that is used to pry open muscles and to search for earthworms. The call is a Pweep, pweep. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 adults left. The other bird that I find fascinating is the SandPiper. They have such a fast run across the shallows. Their little legs fly as they run across the sand. One can almost always see their reflection in the water as they run in the opposite direction to our run. We go over the airfield and head back to the beach. Hendrik makes the mistake of staying on the road and has to double back later.
Today has been one of the better days for me. When the Blue Train came past I was able to fool around a bit and stay with them for a very short while. We get to a section where there are blue bins and Ziegfried says not far to go. We press on jogging and walking but Ziegfried has a competitive spirit and as we get closer and closer so do we go faster and faster until we see what we think is Cebe where we will be staying and we sprint to the village. It has been 42kays and taken us 9 hours as we get there at 15.00. This is a huge house but has one shower and toilet that has to serve 36 people. So the only way to sort this out is set up a queuing system. Put your towel on the bookrack to book (excuse the pun!) your place. Ron has organised our little section of the lounge and we are quite happy.
The vibe becomes quite mellow as everybody is thrown together tonight. I see that the closeness does not suite some of the group especially as some of the talk becomes vulgar. Some inappropriate remarks are made but this is all male testosterone combined with alcohol. I am quite happy to now have met every person on the trip with us. Des put on his compilation called the Dwesa Shuffle. There is a Braai on the go. Mark doctors his feet as he inject mercurochrome into the blisters. Various people receive the “Nel leg or back rub”. Altus sits quietly reading his Jeffry Archer. HP (also known as Oosie or Hercules) tells me he is a train driver while Des regales of the times when he had to shovel coal into boilers until the steam was ready to burst.
Mark tries to persuade me to come to do the Puffer. This is an 80kay run from the Cape Point to the Waterfront and is called the Puffer as you have to avoid the Puffadders on the trail. By his own admission this is a really tough race. Mark has done this race 8 times and always been in the top ten finishers. Andrew and Jannie confirm how tough this event is. Mark tells me that it is now time for him to run the “Tougher Puffer”. Start at the Waterfront and run there and back. Mmmmmmm? They also introduce me to the Three Peaks. This is a run that starts at Greenmarket Square, goes up to the Lions Head, back to Greenmarket, up Table Mountain, back to Greenmarket, up to Devils Peak and finally back to Greenmarket. Yeah Sure!
Liam is hobbling around but this does not stop him cleaning up at pool. What happened with Liam is that he pushed hard in the early stages of the week and he is now suffering the consequences. He has to run the balance of the event on painkillers. The table tennis is then brought out and Stefan has a go at this until, Ray, our ex Border Rugby player, pushes him off the board. We make some more snacks, biltong, Wors sticks, crackers and the evening becomes increasingly mellow. I am concerned for the next day, which I hear, is 48 kays and so am in bed early with the buzz of conversation in the background. This afternoon I also met Melody and Mariaan (Ziegfried and Oosies’ wives). Jonathan is the big man travelling with Des.
Friday morning.
Cebe to Pullens Bay next Haha Haga 42 kays
Only two more days to go. Patrick, Hendrik & I leave at 05.30. There are soft sand beaches for quite a way. As we reach the end of a beach we see what appears to be a path and I see that Ziegfried has taken this path. After four days of being on the trail we have come to recognise the variety of shoe prints as well as strides. So up and over we go. Big mistake. We should have followed the contour path around the point. We go too far inland and have to bundu bash our way out again. We can see the beach looking so inviting but can simply not get there. Finally we find a patch that takes us to the beach. What a relief. But our legs and shoes are covered with burrs and scratched to pieces. Martin saw us from a distance and followed us. So the four of us are now on a great piece of beach and can make up a bit of time.
We reach the Wavecrest Hotel where we have an easy swim across. Here Martin meets up with Polla and Johan who have frozen in their worry to cross the river. They are now delighted to have Martin assist them across. Martin walks ahead with Polla and Johan. Patrick & I press on. We cross the airfield and head seawards. Hendrik follows the road and has to double back later. We try to keep as close to the sea as possible as we don’t want to take a second wrong turn. The second swim of the day is not much further. Again an easy swim and I go up to the farm at the top to fill my bottle and wash my shoes at the water tank. I hear that Mike has had to assist Gium at Wavecrest. The Blue Train also gets to this river accompanied by Dave. I think that Dave waited here for Elize and Gium to make sure that he crossed safely. We meet up with Johan who has now lost Polla. This is so easy to do and one can become quite confused as to how to handle it. My suggestion is to press on as you are bound to meet up a little later.
Patrick and I want to see the Jacaranda. This is the wreck of a ship that ran aground some years ago. The story that Patrick tells me is that the crew were partying it up and the Captain had given navigation to a deckhand. And this man had steered the ship into the one and only sandy gully for miles around. The name Jacaranda is still clearly visible on the hull but the ship is breaking up rapidly.. We passed the carcass of a whale. Then the Trenneries hotel where the Blue Train pass us again as we all bought a cold drink. Martin had arranged to meet his Mom and Johan and so ordered some sandwiches.
It is raining and an easterly wind was pushing us from behind. After this last interest point there is a very long slog to the Kei Mouth. The group now consisted of Ziegfried, Hendrik, Pat, Jannie and myself. When we finally reached the Kei Mouth I was beginning to tire. Ziegfried paid the R5.00 for all of us to use the Pont. The seconding team were on the other side and some lucky runners were handed a sandwich. I decided that a GU should see me though to the end. We walked and jogged through the village. Erica and Gillian were enjoying a sit down cold drink at the shop. We walked up past the golf course and I was now able to make a few calls to let people know that I was still going strong. As we walked this section we passed Clint’s wife on horseback. She operates a horse trails business and was taking a couple for a ride. As we walked this hill Ziegfried pulled out a miniature flask and we all enjoyed some of the soup that he was carrying. What a marvelous idea that was. It was cold and wet and ideal for the moment.
On this road there is a gate. Go through the gate and down to Morgans Bay. Cross the beach and into the village of Morgans Bay. Keep to the road and then there is a very long pull up a hill that leads to Double Mouth. Do not take the coastal path as this is quite a bit tougher and longer. We ran down the concrete road to the caravan park at Double Mouth where we were able to use the toilets and get fresh water. Here the Blue Train passed us again. They probably took the coastal path. From Double Mouth it was a very long stretch of rocks and soft sand beach to the next village of Marshland. Just before this is the Oyster Farms. We walked though Marshland village and saw a sign saying two kays to Haga Haga.
Hans had run past us on the trail. It seems that Jannie had decided that he had enough in Kei Mouth and Hans wanted a bit of exersize. Hans also did the Surfers the next day. I was by now extremely tired and my back was aching so when Patrick suggested a cold drink at the Haga Haga Strandloper hotel I was only too happy for the stop. Here Pat had a beer and I had a cold Fanta. I was able to relieve the pain in my back by stretching and laying across a few barstools on my back. From Haga it was really a very short kay or two to Pullens Bay. Patrick’s shoes decide that they have had enough and literally fall apart.
At Pullens Bay we were treated to real luxury accommodation. The chalets consisted of three bedrooms two bathrooms and a big lounge. We shared with Kevin, Andrew, Erica & Gillian and Martin’s family. Everything was laid on such as Electric Kettle, Microwave oven etc. We sat around for a long time chatting before some of the group decided to go to the pub for supper and to watch Rugby. Ron & I were quite content to sit in the lounge and relax. I was by now on my second book. Kevin made a huge spaghetti Boglonaise. And once Erica and Gillian woke up we had dinner together. This evening Ron & I learnt that Gillian was a physiotherapist and Erica an analyst at Nedbank. I was able to phone Barbara this evening. I had thought that she would be at Nippers practice but Ally had chosen Snoops instead. As soon as Martin returned from supper I was ready for bed.
Saturday Morning.
Pullens Bay to Yellow Sands and then to Nahoon Beach 45 kays
As usual Polla and Johan were up early and ready to go by 05.00. I felt for Kevin who had slept in the lounge as the noise of us runners was bound to wake him. It was great to be able to switch a light on and make coffee using the kettle. I had not been able to contact Patrick to find out what time he would be leaving but we all started to get ready early. Martin was a hard worker throughout the trip. This morning was no exception as he packed the bakkie. I had not been nearly as diligent and Ron had to do a lot of the spadework for me as I had been leaving early with a pile of stuff still to be packed away. Liam left with Andrew who is a Masters Zoology graduate from Rhodes. He has been assisting in the Botany department on a contract basis and now needs to make a decision about his future. Liam works for the SAB beer company and seems to have a number of other interests (B & B and pool table hire) as well. I think that Liam is still suffering from his early haste in trying to keep up with the Blue Train. Erica and Gillian used his B& B while Kevin is in partnership with him supplying pool tables to taverns. Before leaving, Liam introduced us to Jess who had met him the previous night at Haga Haga.
I was able to have a leisurely second cup of coffee and was ready to leave with Patrick at 07.00. The first section today took us over a long section of rocks before moving onto the soft sandy beaches. Today we began to realise that the event was nearing its conclusion. We encountered a number of fishermen who were staying at a variety of resorts. The morning started off misty and we knew that we were in for a hot day. By the time we arrived at Cintsa West the sun was beginning to burn. I had my normal floppy hat, blue face blockout to try to avoid the worst of the sun. Patrick was a lot hardier and was getting browner by the day. We stopped at the shop for a cold drink and Pat was able to phone Colleen and children. Colleen had been out for a long run and was by now in a bit of a hurry to get to the start of Surfers as she was part of the organisers. She was also setting up the Discovery Challenge, which included the Cycle, the following weekend and a River Mile.
This morning we picked up a Buoy, which we carried back with us. Kevin had told us that he was interested in collecting this kind of thing. It needed a good wash as the muscles still clinging to it stank. But then so did we, as our clothes and shoes were wet with perspiration. This morning we passed a man carrying a large stone. Patrick mentioned that it looked like his own tombstone but he assured us that this was for his bird pond that he was building. It did not take long for us to reach the start of the Surfers. The Blue Train had passed us a little depleted as Ray must have been injured and Alan was with him. Alan tells me that he is slukking down the painkillers to stay on track. Nel was waiting for the runners to cross the river and guided us as we waded through the brown murky water.
At Yellowsands Leanna was waiting for her group. Colleen was happy to see Patrick who could now also assist her in some of the set up work. I followed Johan to the shower where we rinsed off. We then all joined Martin’s family in the only bit of shade that there is in the area. We had taken five hours to get this far and still had another two and a half to the start. Francis was there with their son Joel who kept everyone busy. I was quite happy to relax in the shade before finally starting the last leg of our journey. Colleen had arranged for a photo to be taken and I was sorry that not everyone was there for the photo. There were a number of people wearing National Battery T-shirts. I asked them if they knew Dave to which they proudly replied that Dave was on the trail from Port St. Johns.
At the start I saw very few PE people (Andrew and Andre). Stuart had told me that his son, Gordon would be paddling but I did not see him. There were thousands of starters and they all bunched through the narrow muddy road as they tried to avoid getting their feet wet. No such niceties for me as I splooshed through the puddles. The first section of the Surfers is quite tough with rocks and stones to slow the field down. Gonubie Village is about seven kays from the start and after the first swim. Then there are a few kays on tar road through the village where thousands of spectators cheer the runners on often spraying us with hoses. I saw Des and Jonathan taking photos of the Wild Coast Runners.
Then it was back to the beach. I was a little sad to see that the organisers now have some kilometer marker boards. One of the adventures of this kind of run is not knowing how far you have run. This section of beach is much easier. It was here that I saw a pair of shoes that had been abandoned then I saw a young man tossing his funny looking red shoes over his shoulder so I picked them up and carried them to the finish for him. I also found another pair, which did not have an owner and I ended up taking them home. I always find the finish of the Surfers confusing as it is usually misty and while you can see the sun glinting off the cars or houses at the end of the bay, you are never quite sure where the race actually ends until you cross the last river. At last we reached that final river crossing and the finish of the race.
Nel, whose parents live near to Yellowsands did a very credible 2.05 and I think that Melody also did the Surfers. 19 of the 24 starters of the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra had finished the whole event. Hendrik had probably spent more time on the road than any of us but was not able to start on Wednesday after his ordeal of Tuesday. He had also picked up an ankle injury. Ziegfried had avoided Tuesday. Jannie found the comfort of driving just too tempting. Chel had wanted to go the whole way but on Tuesday had become so tired that when she saw the seconds at Coffee Bay had decided that that was enough exersize for one day. Des had been quite depleted after the first day and decided to save his energies for another race.
The seconds had a real rough time. Some days they had hours and hours of the roughest roads possible, bouncing around at painstakingly slow speeds. I know that Ron was quite exhausted on our way back home. The roads had been slippery and Kevin related how difficult it was to stay focussed on the driving at speeds of 20kays an hour. Also the drivers had to stay together as there were no road signs to follow and they would easily become lost if separated.
The T-Shirts of Surfers are much sought after and will be worn around East London with pride. We had arranged to meet in the tent afterwards and I found the group sitting together. Dave handed me a certificate for which I was very grateful. I was not able to stay for beers and the prize giving as Ron & I had decided to go straight home after the event. The organisers of Surfers hand out medals to category winners only but they had made enough for us as well. Dave posted mine to me later. I was able to greet a number of the runners before we left. Ally had an EP Nippers carnival and I wanted to be there for the second day on Sunday. Ron & I found the Milkshake shop and a Chinese restaurant where we bought takeaways. The road was very misty but we got home safely by 23.00.
Sunday morning
Back home in Port Elizabeth.
I unpacked all the smelly stuff into the spare bathroom and we left for Nippers at Kings Beach. It was another misty morning and bound to be very hot later on. The carnival was a great success. The Summerstrand U10’s did well and I was proud of their efforts. I think that Sardinia Bay won the overall carnival but when the last event was over we were simply too tired to stay. We had promised Lara and Ally time at the Supertubes before we were able to head home. I think that it was on Sunday afternoon that I realised how lucky I had been to finish the whole event. I had been bitten by umpteen bugs, had a few blisters and scratches but no real injury. I had been very careful with the sun the whole time and so that had not set me back.
Will I do it again? I think so, especially if I can find a teammate like Dave or Patrick who was so incredibly patient and loyal throughout the week. After an event of this nature it takes a while to come back to earth. I certainly felt on a bit of a high for a while after the event.
And to all those who I met and learned to know. Thanks for being there. For me it was a real adventure and a privilege to have met you. Ron. Now there is a real friend. Thanks Buddy. Barbara & Ally. Thank you for allowing me to take the time off to try something completely out of the ordinary.
And all of this for only R550 per person entry fee! Ridiculous. Okay there are any number of additional costs but still I am sure that Dave is out of pocket at the end of the event.
Peter Giddy
20 February 2006.
Hello GuysWell the dust (mud) has settled and we have to concentrate on the drudgery of work again. I hope you all enjoyed getting away from the exhaust fumes and chlorinated water, enjoyed the pure air, freedom of the environment emphasised by the total lack of restrictive fences, a little mental and physical challenge and regeneration of your spirit.Here is a report from Peter Giddy. Most of you saw him scribbling each day and got to know him as he went about meeting you all. Peter writes his report as a diary for his own records but it certainly brings back memories for me and I am sure it will for you too. I love "the blue train". How well did he get to know the Cape Town guys ?Thanks for coming and sharing with Des, Chel and me the splendour of the Wild Coast. What is it if you haven't shared it ? See you on the trails somewhere.
Hello Peter,
I am very pleased that you have written another report, I am afraid that I am not good at this sort of thing and although we are all so different we are basically similar and experience the same sort of emotions so even though those recorded are yours, we all find it reflects in some way our trip. I found reading it brought back quite a few emotions. Thank you.
I will send to all the people on the email contact list, I know they will enjoy reading it. They were amazed at your ability to know everyone and write each day about the trail.
Great to have you there. Ray and Altus are already planning for next year !
Regards.
Dave Gassner Tel 043 7068252 Fax 043 7312007 Cell 082 927 8344
Name
surname
Hluleka 46k
Xora 55k
Dwesa 40k
Cebe 41k
Pullen's bay 48k
surfers start 26k
surfers 18k
Nahoon 44k
total for whole XWCU 274k
total time spent on the trail
1
Ernest
Markwood
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.22
3.29
1.49
5.18
45.25
2
Andre
Erasmus
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.38
3.55
1.19
5.14
45.37
3
Mike
Webb
9.01
12.25
4.20
6.40
8.14
4.20
1.45
6.05
46.14
4
Mark
Spengler
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
3.55
1.40
5.35
46.51
5
Alan
Green
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.18
8.14
4.20
1.53
6.13
47.32
6
Ray
Cranston
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
4.20
2.40
7.00
48.15
7
Andrew
Slaughter
9.45
13.45
5.00
7.30
7.55
3.40
1.59
5.39
49.34
8
Hp
Oosthuizen
9.53
14.00
5.00
7.50
7.50
3.40
1.49
5.29
50.02
9
Liam
Victor
9.01
13.50
6.32
7.50
8.05
3.40
1.35
5.15
50.33
10
Dave
Gassner
11.30
15.00
6.30
9.17
7.30
3.45
2.13
5.58
55.45
11
Alice
Achermann
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
12
Guillame
Kambounon
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
13
Patrick
Elson
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
1.49
6.49
57.19
14
Peter
Giddy
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
2.15
7.15
57.45
15
Martin
Smith
12.00
16.00
4.20
7.35
11.15
5.30
1.27
6.57
58.07
16
Erica
Terblanche
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
17
Gillian
Banks
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
18
Johan
Kriel
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
2.15
9.05
69.05
19
Paula
Richardson
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
3.00
9.50
69.50
20
Hendrik
Marx
9.53
19.10
8.00
8.45
1.55
47.43
21
Siegfried
Milbert
11.30
5.37
8.20
9.40
4.40
2.09
6.49
41.56
22
Jannie
Smal
9.25
14.25
5.37
5.45
1.40
36.52
23
Chel
Gassner
11.30
6.30
6.30
9.17
2.48
36.35
24
Des
Meyer
12.00
12.00
EXTREME WILD COAST ULTRA 2006
Organised by Des Meyer, Dave and Chel Gassner,
EVENT INFORMATION.
Supported by Cremorne Estate.
Sunday 12th February 2006.
Arrive at Cremorne on the Sunday. Directions ……
Heading south from Bizana, just before the bridge over the Umzimvubu, approx 5 kms from Port St Johns, follow signs to the left to get to Cremorne Estate. About 90k from Umtata on the R61 approx 5k from Port St Johns, turn left to cross the bridge over the Umzimvubu, take the first turn to the right immediately after the bridge and follow the signs to Cremorne Estate, approx 1k.
We will be staying in the Fishermen’s Huts that will accommodate 12, the rest of us will camp. Cremorne is a beautiful resort on the banks of the river, well protected and very secure. Please ask for Barry (the manager) and inform him that you are with Des Meyer to do the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra. A normal booking has not been made so some one else may not know what you are talking about. Be sure to speak to Barry. Bring your tents and mattresses with you; you may need them later in the week. At Cremorne there is a very good restaurant and a great pub. See the website http://www.cremorne.co.za/. Log cabins can be booked if you prefer some luxury - the last you will have for a week!! We will discuss the plan for the following day in the conference hall on Sunday evening. Des will be giving us hints on where the trading stores, taverns, vicious dogs and crossing points are situated and also give directions for the seconds to travel to Hluleka. Every evening we will have a briefing for the following day. Photocopy maps will be provided.
Monday 13th Feb.
Pack up, eat and apply all the protection materials and equipment (anti sun, insect and shark repellant). We will start at Cremorne and run along the road to Silaka Reserve, which opens at 06:00 (Des and I will pay the day visitor fee on Sunday) and then onto the trail. We will start at 05:30 but this is negotiable on Sunday evening. We will probably split up into groups, the bigger the better, according to ability or inclination. After a leisurely 46 kilometers we will arrive at Hluleka Nature Reserve (golden rule number 1, keep the sea on your left) where we have booked the Sea Facing Chalets. The chalets sleep six, have hot showers, deep freeze or fridge and gas stove and braai places outside. Here we will hopefully find our seconds with the kit unpacked and beers in the fridges. If you are able to I believe the area is very good for snorkeling and fishing although you are not allowed to collect bait. Have a look on the website. http://www.psj.co.za/links/hluleka.htm. The seconds will have driven the route from Port St Johns (fill up with fuel whenever you can) on the R61 (70k tar) and taken the turn off to Hluleka just before Libode (57k dirt - distances given on different maps conflict), produced the permit and been allowed into the reserve. You will have packed food for the evening and the following morning plus your supplies for the next day into your boxes. We will have a runners and seconds briefing for the following day in the evening. It will be very important to stay hydrated and to eat well because Tuesday is a huge day that will take anything from 9 to 15 hours, depending on hard you go.
Tuesday 14th Feb.
We pack up, eat and get an early start for day two, 57k to Xora. The previous evening we will decide what time is the best to depart. We must carry energy mix, water and food for the day and be prepared for a long day. All the necessary protection must be used, sun, insects, sunglasses, hat etc. Directions will be provided for the seconds and we will hope that they find Xora otherwise we will be a sorry bunch when we arrive there. Xora is very basic, water has to be pumped by hand, fire lit for hot water and gas connected for the fridge and the paraffin lamps filled. Des is busy getting other accommodation as well as the house, some of us may need to tent. You will need to pack darts if you want to play, there is a dartboard available. Be careful crossing the river, there are lots of electric skates in the water but that may just give you the final urge to get to the cottage. Golden rule number 2, if attacked by a shark be sure that you offer an arm or a leg to the shark as torso bites are usually fatalJ. There will be a lady to clean and a man to help with water pumping and fire making and we may need some tools to open the water tank but I will sort that out. Once again, you will rely on the seconds to have your equipment ready. They can also buy supplies in Umtata but when doing so ensure that the vehicles are guarded and be careful. We will have the briefing for the next day in the evening as usual. Snorkeling is also reported to be good here.
Wed 15th Feb.
We leave early for Dwesa, the distance should only be 26k. We have to negotiate the Bashee River, renowned for the number of locals who have been taken by shark. We will catch the ferry that operates from the Hotel. Des will inform them that we will be coming and hopefully the ferryman will be there. The charge last year was R20 per person. You must carry ferry money with you each day, no large denomination, Transkei people do not have change. Dwesa is another magic place to stay and hopefully we will survive the crossing to admire the true nature of the land in this small reserve where white rhino, zebra, wildebeest, crocodiles and a number of small and very large buck live. You may survive the sharks to become crocodile supperJ. Dwesa cabins are smart with fridges and stoves and showers. Provisions can be bought in Elliotdale. The cabins will accommodate 24, so some of us will have to tent again. Same procedure for the briefing and early start.
Thursday 16th Feb.
The section to Cebe should be 45k and if the feet are still holding out, not too blistered and the ankles not too sore, the going will be a little easier as there are not as many ups and downs but the sand will make up for that I guess. Cebe is a large cottage, see the website http://www.cyberpage.co.za/ which also comes with help for cleaning up, there is a bathroom and kitchen. The adventure is almost kaput by now but at the same time this may apply to you as well. We will have the usual briefing in the evening.
Fri. 17th Feb.
Today will only be a short jog to Kei Mouth, about 26k (to the ferry). Cross on the ferry, this is a dangerous river. Last year this was the official finish but we extended it to include Surfers. This year we continue along the coast past Morgan’s Bay, Double Mouth, Haga-Haga and about 2k further we will stop at Pullen’s Bay, a really beautiful spot on the coast, total distance 48k. http://www.hagahaga.co.za/ is the website, they have self-catering chalets.
Sat. 18th Feb.
On Saturday 19th February 2005 the famous and very popular 18 kilometer “Discovery Surfer’s Challenge” will start at 14:00 at Yellow Sands and finish at Nahoon Beach, East London. Total distance for the last day, 44k. These distances are all measured with a ruler on the map so you can expect some discrepancies, especially if you get lost! Total then - about 266k.
We can have a late sleep, swim and then take an easy jog to the start at Yellow Sands, about 26k. You will have to enter at the start. Entry fee R40. Seconds should get there early, the roads are closed at about 12:00 and you will need refreshment and maybe some cover depending on the weather. Surfers has entries for runners, walkers and paddlers, it is an easy 2 hour paddle. So we will finish our little adventure with a mass welcome at Nahoon Beach and I can tell you it is a hell of a finish with thousands of spectators at the finish and all along the way.
Other info.
Stay together in groups, this is safer incase of any emergency. Eat well to ensure that your body can re energise. Drink plenty, there are springs along the way and the occasional shop and holiday shacks. Protect yourself from the sun and insects. Plan your food requirements carefully remembering you will need food during the day on the run. Bring an abundant sense of humour. Try to keep your feet dry, this is generally the most vunerable part of your body and most likely to take you out of the run.
We have informed the East London Private Ambulance Service – Aldersons, (they have an agreement with AV8 helicopter services) of our event so that they are not unprepared in case of an emergency. For safety sake, ensure that you have your medical aid details with you,
Maps will be supplied to the seconds and Des will brief them on the roads to follow. Best to travel in convoy even though this does slow you down a bit. Seconds should leave as soon as the runners have gone as the roads meander through the region, are indirect and rough and when wet, very slippery.
Treat the locals with respect, their culture is not the same as ours and they are insulted by some of our customs. Many of the Transkei people are still primitive, RDP has not reached them yet and they are bitter because they have been promised a better life from tourism, which they have not yet seen. You are a tourist, you are part of the problem! Having said that, we have found them to be most helpful giving directions and even supplying water.
ITEMS FOR RUN
Shorts
Shirt
Socks
Shoes in good condition
Hat
Sun glasses
Sun block
Small pack
2 litres water minimum
Small 1st aid pack
Emergency blanket
Energy drink (Clifton, Game or some other high energy mix)
Energy food (some chicken and rolls or boiled potato with butter and salt)
Cell phone in waterproof container
List of emergency numbers (to be supplied)
Map (to be supplied)
Money for ferry, drinks at stores or villages, only small change, they have no change for big notes. Tips for directions
when you are lost J
Watch
Torch, tested to last at least 5 hours.
Whistle
Waterproof rain jacket to use in case of emergency
Tick repellant
Spare shirt
Warm trousers to use in case of emergency
For your trip - and don’t forget your second!
Money, there are no auto tellers.
A strong box clearly marked with your name.
Food, make out a daily menu.
Eating utensils, plates, knives forks,
Cooking utensils, pots, braai grid, gas stove etc.
Washing up things, sunlight, and cloths.
Small tent, sleeping bag, pillow, mattress
Charka, firelighters, lighter
Goggles, snorkel, weights and flippers.
Food (can be topped up at Umtata, Willowvale, Idutywa.
Beer (can be topped up)
Mosquito repellant
A first aid kit to treat allergies, rashes, blisters, cuts and bruises, sunburn. A syringe and Mercurochrome work very well for treating blisters and some good broad plaster which sticks well. I use the white elastic type. It keeps your feet together when they want to fall apart. I also recommend “IceMan” which you can get from hardware stores that cater for the farmers, magic for sore knees and ankles. Costs about R35 for a tub, use liberally after and before run.
colour block indicates group, dotted fill indicates driver of the group.
entrants
name
pay
tel
where from
1
gassner dave
paid
0829278344
el
daveg@battery.co.za
2
gassner chel
paid
07236997047
el
3
elson patrick
paid
0835451612
el
pat.elson@impilo.ecprov.gov.za
4
weppelman ray
paids
0833799866
el
rayicon@absamail.co.za
5
terblanche erica
paid
0834606288
pretoria
EricaT@Nedbank.co.za
6
banks gillian
paid
pretoria
7
slaughter andrew
paid
0732493810
grahamstown
a.slaughter@ru.ac.za
8
victor liam
paid
0829217587
east london
Liam.Victor@za.sabmiller.com
9
victor second
paids
10
smith martin
paid
0834636206
el
martin.smith@icontrols.co.za
11
giddy peter
paid
0825503174
pe
peterg@jdg.co.za
12
richards graham
paid
0829086989
jhb / pe
GRichards@SALGA.ORG.ZA
13
pask ron
paids
pe
ronpask@telkomsa.net
14
erasmus andre
paid
0823739311
sasolburg
andre.erasmus@sasol.com
15
erasmus second
paids
16
marx hendrik
paid
083 631 9432
vereeniging
hmarx@cew.co.za
17
marx team mate
paid
18
achermann alice
paid
0729814107
grahamstown
ACHERMANN@telkomsa.net
19
webb mike
paid
0833660933
kingwilliam'stown
renewilliams@um.co.za
20
kambounon guillame
paid
0729402969
petitguill@yahoo.fr
21
achermann second
paids
22
meyer des
cape town
desm@battery.co.za
23
grobler jonathan
el
jonathang@battery.co.za
24
muller altus
0832221279
jhb
ajmuller@icon.co.za
25
tawse john michael
0826944789
baghdad
johnmike@xsinet.co.za
26
adams ian
paid
0722335418
jhb
ian1adams@yahoo.co.uk
27
smal jannie
paid
0845266437
cape town
jannies@vibol.co.za
28
linde hans
paids
0829324916
cape town
hjl@metroweb.co.za
29
oosthuizen hp
paid
oos@absamail.co.za
30
milbert siegfried
paid
0833279582
smilbert@g5.co.za
31
milbert melody
paids
0837732710
melody@netactive.co.za
32
oosthuizen mariaan
paids
33
cranston ray
paid
rayc@wol.co.za
34
walker craig
paid
35
beckett gordon
paid
36
markwood ernest
paid
0824795154
cape town
ernest.m@telkomsa.net
37
markwood second
paids
4
have not paid but will pay tomorrow.
24
runners have paid
9
seconds have paid
33
total paid
37
entriesXTREME WILD COAST ULTRA
SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY TO SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2006.
SIX DAYS TO WALK AND RUN 274 KAYS. (APPROX)
PORT ST. JOHNS TO EAST LONDON.
We had been planning this trip for a number of months. I did not change my daily training routine. Originally Graham was to be with me but he was injured. Ron & I had listed and purchased all the required provisions as if we would be away for a month. But we decided that it would be better to over cater. I also bought two storage boxes from Macro. These we filled with our provisions. I packed the two stretchers, mattresses, cooking stuff and my tog bag. Once this was all in the car I had used the boot and the back seat.
Day Pack
The way that we do these kind of events is with a daypack that has a Bladder. The Bladder is a two-liter container that has a tube running to the front where the runner can drink water without having to stop or to pull out a water bottle from the backpack. We then pack provisions and emergency stuff for the day. My daily rations consisted of:
2 X sachets of GU. A high concentrate energy supplement that I had used before.
2 X energy bars. I would keep one in my running shorts pocket so that I could eat whenever I felt the need. I prefer small bites to eating the whole bar at once. It is very easy to become suddenly depleted during the day and the energy supplements should be easily accessible so that the runner does not collapse.
2 X Fruit bars, a packet of Jelly Babies (Jube Jubes) and a packet of peanuts and raisins. These last two items were incase I was out there for longer than I had planned. For example if I became lost.
This I had packed into Ziplock bags prepared before we left.
Also in the backpack was a waterproof container where I kept the cellphone and a list of Phone numbers in case of emergency.
Next was my waterproof container with plasters, a small pair of scissors, a whistle and some paracetemol.
Then I carried a space Blanket and a running top.
I had carried a torch with spare batteries but this was not waterproofed and they all became wet and the seawater rendered them useless. This is a lesson for the future.
I would also carry an additional two 500-mil bottles. Often one contained cold drink such as Fanta and the other carried water. I felt that with three liters I would not run out of water.
The total weight of this pack was probably about 4 to 5 kilograms. It did not hinder me at all.
Sunday morning.
Port Elizabeth, East London and Port St Johns.
We left PE at 07.00 and had an easy drive through to EL where we met Martin, Polla and Johan. Francis was there to send us off. Ron immediately recognised Francis and little Joel from Amatola. We quickly packed our multitude of stuff into the back of Martin’s bakkie. The back seat of the Bakkie is not designed for tall people nor long distance and I think that Johan must have suffered. It was not long before we were in Mtatha where we stopped for coffee. The drive down to Port St. Johns is tarred all the way and by 17.00 we pulled into Cremorne where there are lovely chalets and good camping facilities. As we arrived is started to rain so we put tents up and had everything sorted out just as it stopped raining.
We announced our arrival to Dave and Chel and met some of the entrants and their seconds. Some of the group had arrived in time for the tour of the area. Dave called a meeting where he gave us a number of instructions plus laminated maps. I was happy to see that I am not the only one who makes the kind of mistake of numbering pages 1/13 to 13/13 and then realising that there are 14 pages so number the last one 14/14. He handed out the T-shirts to both seconds and runners. We also received plastic bags, which we would carry with us for river crossings. Ron & I cooked ourselves a rice dish, made coffee and I was in bed early. I think that Ron did his rounds, meeting others. Our tent is always a pleasure. We set up the stretchers, mattresses and reading table with a lamp. I had made myself a cup of coffee and fell asleep in a very short while.
Monday morning.
Port St Johns to Hluleka. 49.7kays
I had set the alarm for 04.00 as Dave had decided to leave at 05.00. We had a coffee and rusk. I folded up some of the stuff but generally Ron did all the packing once we had left. We congregated at the gate to Cremorne, posed for the photos and then 24 men and women, most of whom were strangers, set out, on foot, for East London. 274 kays away! For this first stretch of mainly tarred road we passed over the Umzimvubu River, though Port St. Johns and then up to the gate of the Sileka reserve. En route we passed what is called the washing machine. A round concrete structure where the various stages of clothes washing takes place. We had walked and jogged here without the “trippers”. Ray was at the gate to meet us and to hand us the bags.
At this stage I was more or less with Dave, Chel, Patrick, Elize (At a run in Uitenhage a few weeks later I met up with Elize and confirmed that her name is actually Alice) and Gium. I had met Patrick at Amatola. He was the sweeper for the Little Bafer. Dave and Chel were also people we had met at Amatola. We then passed the Sugarloaf rock. Now I regretted not bringing a camera, even a cheapie that could have recorded some of the special moments. We began the hill climbing and exploring. Fortunately Dave knows the area well and we were soon descending to the Umgazi mouth where we were able to walk across the river. I learned later that the “Blue Train” had taken the ferry across after buying something to drink at the hotel. Our next river crossing was at Mganzane where we paid the ferryman (Jabavu) R5.00 each to row us across the very small river, which we could quite easily have swum. In fact Dave and Patrick did swim it but still paid the R5 to have their packs ferried across.
We had caught up to some of the others here and I went across with them and then did a very foolish thing. I pressed on by myself and instantly got lost in the village. I had to jog around for a while before coming across a local who pointed out the location to the shop. The Dave group had not got here yet and I thought that we would have a sit down, buy some cool drinks and relax for a bit. Not so. I bought a pair of cold Fantas (R4.50 each) and tried to fill my bladder but in this time Dave arrived, bought a few cans and pressed on. Fortunately Patrick waited for me otherwise I would have got lost a second time. We wandered though the village and up and over to the coast line again. These village roads are very confusing and not really for cars at all. We found a tap where some of the runners filled bladders. Then it was up hills again. The second tap we found was leaking and strapped with cloth. I thought that if I do this again, I should bring a spanner and washers and show a local how to repair the tap.
As we were going up a hillside we passed Des. He was resting but seemed fine otherwise. Shortly after this section we came across Ester, a local lass who looked thirteen but claimed to be 18. Dave was able to understand the directions she gave us and we pressed on downwards to the ocean. Here we found Ziegfried swimming in a pool. This looked like a splendid idea and we soon had our shoes off and wallowed in the cool water together with the tiny Zebra fish. Ester had came across Des and had brought him down to the pool to join us. And a little while later she reappeared with Martin, Polla and Johan. Polla had told me that her real name is Ilsabet but her father had called her Polla and that this had then been angled to be Paula. She and Johan run a delicatessen in the Metlife Mall of Kingwilliamstown. Des is with us for quite a long part of the day’s walk. He seems very knowledgeable on this section of coastline. Des tells me how the Event was conceived: About 18 years ago he was chatting to some friends over a beer and had suggested that they do a hike from Port St Johns. It seems that everyone was keen until it came to “Takkie meeting tar”. Then there turned out to be only two of them that eventually put on backpacks and walked the coastline. And then last year (2005) Dave had finally put together the event that we were now doing.
We walk a beach where we see over 1000 ghost crabs. They are funny little creatures with eyes that stick up in the air and they run in the shallows on tiptoe. Sometimes we walk past their holes that they have burrowed in the sand. Then they are quite confused: do they run back to the burrow or do they head for the water?
Many hills follow this section. Fortunately we came to a river that we wade across where we again decide to have a swim and cool off. After a while we reach a river that had to be swum. Here we packed our bags into plastic bags and push these across the river. There were a number of young local boys and girls playing about at this river. They crowded around me while I was emptying my pockets and I gave them the energy bar and the fruit bar that I had. This in itself was not a problem as I had more than enough in my bag but the thing that hit me later was that I did not replenish my pockets and completely ran out of energy just before the end of the day.
The day ends at Hluleka bay. This is part of a nature reserve and we saw some Wildebeest and Zebra just before camp. The one particular Wildebeest looked straight at us in a silhouette. A classic and stunning picture! Ron had planned to camp but I was more interested in the shower and comfort of the chalets that had been reserved for us. So it worked out that Ron & I shared the chalet with Ernest, Leanna, Alan and Mark as well as Ray and Nel. For me this was great. I had already got to know Martin, Polla, Johan, Patrick, Dave, Chel and Ziegfried. So I was able to meet what I thereafter referred to as the Blue Train.
The Blue Train comprised the three from Cape Town, Mark: tall tattooed and long hair. Ernest: GPS and coupled up with Leanna. Alan: The hospital Gym man, bushy hair and determined to stay on the train. Ray: The Irishman, hill climber and restaurant man who offers Seafood and Prawns at Jimmys (which I believe is a franchise in Gauteng). Please do not ask why prawns are not considered to be part of the general offering of Seafood. And then there is Andre, Quiet unassuming and incredibly capable at this type of terrain. Ron reminded me that Andre won the Amatola that we did in October last year.
This evening I learned how Leanna had cycled across Africa last year. From Cairo to Cape Town on a Mountain bike. She was with a group of people looking for adventure supported by vehicles and living a really rough life for four months. We also found the gentle and caring nature of Nel who was always there for any of the seconds or runners. I understand that Nel is also a Provincial Hockey player. Nothing was ever too much trouble for a soul needing help. Ron and I packed out the stretchers on the veranda and it was then that we really appreciated why we were on this trip. It was a stunning evening and the cool breeze put us to sleep early. We had run and walked 49.7kays according to Ernest’ GPS. The going had been tough and the bodies were weary. We started at 05.00 and our group finished at 16.30. 11.5 hours.
Tuesday morning.
Hluleka to Xora. 61.5 kays
The BIG day. I, and many others had decided that if we could get through today we could finish the event. I heard later that Des and Ziegfried did not start and thought again of the advice that Ian Ross had given me before Amatola: What ever you do you must start. You can always reconsider later but get going with the others in the morning. This event has no defined route. The runner has to continually be on the lookout for the best possible path or track and then hope that they are heading in the right direction. It is very easy to go too far inland in an attempt to take what seems to be the easier path. Martin and I had been wandering on top of the fields. He decided that the best route for himself, Polla and Johan was inland, I wandered down to the beach and thinking that I had the lead on Dave’s group, slowed down. Mistake! I realised that I had better press on and only after a while did I catch them up.
I am now determined that I will not separate from my group again. The next river we get to is one we will have to swim. I step into the river and then realise how strong the outgoing tide is. So walk upstream a bit before getting back in to the water and ease myself across. Just as I am out on the other side I realise that Gium is in trouble and am able to assist him to safety. After a short walk on this beach we again begin the long climbs and descents over fields and though villages. Sometime during the day today we cross the Mtatha River. Brian is the Ferryman and he charges R5.00 for a crossing. We also find a backpackers resort where we are able to buy a cold drinks and top up the bladders with water.
Fortunately for me I am with Patrick and he has the common sense to ask directions and we take a short cut into Coffee Bay. Here the seconds are waiting for us and Nel rushes up to me with an Ice Cold Coke. I am also able to fill my bladder with ice before we carry on. At Coffee Bay I make my first phone call to Barbara. Today is hot and sticky. Chel decides that she has had enough for the day. Dave, Patrick and I go to the beach for a swim. I wash my shoes and socks out in the seawater. Everything is full of sea sand and burrs. Erica and Gillian pass up on a swim and carry on. For a long time they have had this dog following them from the time we left Port St Johns. I am not sure quite when they rid themselves of the dog.
We seem to be able to take a short cut past a place called Clay something or other and jog/walk over more fields and through villages on our way to Little Hole in the Wall.
We see many local children playing in the rock pools as we bound our way past them. It seems to me that since Chel is no longer with him, Dave thinks that I must have newfound ability and energy.
I am very happy to reach the Hole in the Wall River where Dave tells me the legend of the Beautiful maidens who lived in the sea. One day a local chief decided to abduct one of these maidens and take her to be his a wife. But after a while the Sea God (probably Neptune) decided to take her back to the ocean where she belonged and the only place where he could access the land was the wall of rock at the river mouth. So, in his fury and desperation to recapture the maiden, he carved a hole in the wall and was able to return her to her rightful place in the sea.
At the river mouth we find a number of local women burning rubbish. Dave says that this is a clean up campaign. We were able to wade this river and had ourselves a swim on the other side. Up and down more hills until we arrive at the Hole in the Wall village. A convoy of expensive 4X4’s pass us on their way home from what we assume to be a meeting. We see the tavern called Sally Can’t Surf and discover that only glasses of cold drink can be bought here so we go to the tin shanty Spaza shop across the street called the Tack Shop. Here Peter (blue face and shabby hat), Dave and Patrick sit themselves down on the tomato boxes and order three very large Sprite bottles (R8.50) which we sluck from thirstily and then fill our bladders much to the amazement of the locals who come into the shop.
Up and down more hills. I am exhausted. I work out that we are going at about 4kays an hour and have about 4 hours to go. We find a house with a water tank and again fill bladders and wet faces using hats. This is to be our last water fill for the day. I have three liters and feel okay about this. I am starting to become extremely tired and am dizzy from all the effort of the ups and downs. I have another GU, which seems to help. But Dave and Patrick are setting a steady pace that I battle to stay with. I ask for a break to catch my breath and fix the blister on my heel.
Patrick points out what should be the finish. But when we get to it we discover that this is another settlement. A boatman, Lindile, gets into a Mohawk canoe on the other side and paddles across to meet us. He does not want to get his feet wet so we go one at a time starting with Dave to the other side. Dave also wants to stay dry so he leaps out of the canoe and the canoe capsizes. Lindile goes one way, his sandals head downstream together with the canoe and paddle. Dave rushes in and they rescue everything. So Patrick and I were also able to use his generous services.
Now it is really the final beach before the Xora huts. On this beach we pass some rocks where the water line just meets the rocks but as the waves recede one can run between the rocks and the waves. Dave suggests that we run. Patrick says that it is Tradition so that is how we pass this rock. And from there on for the rest of the trip we set up a variety of traditions: Like sharing a decanted Sprite in this last hour of the day. It is getting dark so I try my headlamp but realise that the salt water must have destroyed it together with the spare batteries. Next time I am on the trail I must remember that the torch must be as waterproof as the cell phone. We can see a light and activity at the huts ahead.
Someone drives a Landrover to the water edge and switches on headlights to show us the river. It is flowing fast out to sea as low tide is beginning. Too fast for us to swim. We consider camping on this side of the river for a while until the tide turns again. Then we see a person swimming. No… there are two people. We later learn that both Kevin and Altus had tried to get across. Altus was not so successful and had grabbed the rope before pulling himself back to the west side of the river. Kevin had brought a rope with a torpedo buoy that the others would use to pull us across. I was first and in a flash was pulled over the fast flowing river. They did this for us and a number of others. I heard later that Kevin had lost both his expensive flippers that evening. What a pleasure it was to see Ron. It was 20.00. We had been on the go for 15 hours for a distance (GPS) of just over 61kays.
This evening we again shared with Ernest, Alan and Mark. Also in the bungalow were Jannie and Hans and Andre and his brother Stefan. Hans made the most delicious looking plate of veggies for Jannie who had absolutely no appetite. Ron made a delicious Tuna-mate and I also helped myself to some of Leanna’s cooking. I found Clint in the kitchen with piles of fresh fish that he was busy frying and he offered me a delicious sample of the Spotted Grunter that he had caught that day. I was amazed at my own state. I should have been a wreck but was able to enjoy a beer with the others, collect my bag from Dave’s cabin and pack ready for the next day.
We heard that everyone except Hendrik was in. He had reported in earlier but was now expected in after midnight, which was in fact the case as he reached the Xora cabin at half past midnight. How he managed to negotiate the fields, paths, roads, beaches and villages in the dark is still a complete mystery to myself. There was a full moon but a solid cloud cover obscured most of its light. I did not sleep well that night. I had sore and twitching muscles and tossed and turned for most of the night. Today I probably drank well over six liters and heard that some people had drank 9 liters of water during the day. Before I went to sleep Gium came and sat on my bed and held my hand. He must have got a bit of a fright and wanted to say thank you. Gium is a training Catholic Priest from Benin. He met Elize while running the Washie last year. Elize is an ex-PE medical doctor who is now training to specialize in Psychiatry at Fort England in Grahamstown. Elize is also a very experienced ultra distance runner who has now completed two of these Wild Coast events.
Wednesday morning.
Xora to Dwesa. 27 Kays
Dave is a very relaxed person. From today he basically allows everyone to start at their own time. Some like to start early to avoid the heat of the day and others start after 07.00. I get up early. I was not in a state to wash last evening so I find out where the shower is and take an early walk down to the water tank. There is a hose pipe sticking out that is used to provide a shower. It is still very early so I am able to strip down and have a wash while looking across the river mouth that we had to cross the previous evening and the Indian Ocean. And I ask myself: “can life get any better?”
Patrick and I start at 06.50. He sets a mean pace and we are soon on the beach. Mike jogs past. I first met Mike at Amatola. He certainly has ability and knows how to deal with this kind of terrain. Next comes Andrew, Ziegfried, HP (Oosie) and Jannie. We stop at the Bashe Haven Hotel where we enjoy an ice cold drink and I am able to phone Barbara for the second time. I also speak to Tim. I think that he understands how I felt the previous evening having seen me at Amatola. We ask for directions and walk down the beach to the Bashe River. It is brown and although we feel ripped off we pay the R20 for the ferryman, Desmond, to paddle us the ten strokes across the river. We have heard of the Zambezi Sharks that frequent brown river mouths. On the other side Patrick finds a good new oar and tries to bargain with Desmond for a partial refund.
Elize and Gium join us but when they take a longer route around a point we take the shorter route across some dunes to find Ziegfried and Jannie swimming. We are quite happy to join them until we see that we are being surrounded by bluebottles. On the beach we often come across local children. Normally they are accompanied by a pack of three to six dogs. The dogs bark at us but never attack. The children take great delight in stomping on the beached bluebottles as they go Pop Pop. Ziegfried seems to know the way and he tells us that we cross three ridges before reaching the Dwesa huts. It turns out to be five but as we are so close to the end we do not moan at him. The last section today consists of flat rocks and beach. We spot a heard of buck a little way inland and some tourists on the beach point us to the short cut to the huts which we reach by 12.30. An easy 5.30 hours and about 27kays today. This is wonderful as it gives everyone time to recover.
Ron has found us a chalet and tonight it is just Martin, Polla, Johan, Ron & I in the hut. I do some reading and relax. Some of the others go to the beach. We make some crackers and oysters as a treat and have a cold beer from the fridge. We are now half way and the toughest section is behind. I hear that after his ordeal of Tuesday, Hendrik did not start and find him being massaged by Nel. Today I able to meet and identify who Stefan and Hans are. Getting to know everyone is no easy task but I am determined to have at least met everyone on the trail before we finish. This afternoon it starts to rain. We assist the Cape Town group putting up their tent. Ron has by now met all of the seconds and has found common interests in most of them. So when I say 20.00 and I am in bed he walks around and chats to the various groups.
Thursday morning.
Dwesa to Cebe 48 kays
Dave has said start time is 07.00 but Polla and Johan want to get going early and they leave at 05.00. We all wake early. I have not been able to eat much in the mornings. Perhaps a coffee and breakfast bar or a rusk. Patrick, Hendrik and I leave at 06.00. It has rained during the night and our shoes are soon saturated in the wet grass. We jump over a fence and later hear from Chel that the park officials are cross with us as we did not use their gate nor did we produce our receipt for the overnight stay. We reach a river flowing quite strongly and do what we have done each day: walk a little upstream and allow ourselves to drift down to the other side. We see Elize and Gium preparing themselves for the crossing. Gium thinks that people sink and so attaches two empty Energade bottles to his waist. I am not sure if he is in serious difficulty but rather than take a chance, Patrick assists him to safety. It is now very clear to me that no one should attempt this type of event unless they are confident in the water. You don’t have to be a Mark Spitz or Ryk Neetling but you should be able to hold your own.
Today there are lots of flat beaches to run and walk. We arrive at the Cob Inn hotel. The bar facility is right on the beach and we find Ziegfried in the bar having a Juice. I order for myself and Pat who goes to the kitchen to order toasted cheese and tomato. R22 for the sandwich and cold drink. This takes quite a while so as we are sit there I am able to phone Barbara who tells me that she has started Ally with a new swimming coach and that she is now able to swim 50 meters in under 50 seconds. I also phone the office and as we have our sales month end on the 15th I am curious to hear how we did. Maruis tells me that we have done very well with 111% of budget. Enough of office stuff. I receive a multitude of messages each time I switch the phone on but do not listen to any of them in case they upset me.
We press on, Patrick & Ziegfried setting a fast pace. Crossing many streams which we wade across. Lots of soft sand that makes walking and jogging difficult. We see the stranded bluebottles that become engulfed by the 1000’s of sea snails. Unusual for me are the single OysterCatchers. I have only seen them in pairs before, and hope that their mates have not been hurt. The African Black OysterCatcher is an endangered sea bird. They have a long orange beak that is used to pry open muscles and to search for earthworms. The call is a Pweep, pweep. It is estimated that there are less than 5000 adults left. The other bird that I find fascinating is the SandPiper. They have such a fast run across the shallows. Their little legs fly as they run across the sand. One can almost always see their reflection in the water as they run in the opposite direction to our run. We go over the airfield and head back to the beach. Hendrik makes the mistake of staying on the road and has to double back later.
Today has been one of the better days for me. When the Blue Train came past I was able to fool around a bit and stay with them for a very short while. We get to a section where there are blue bins and Ziegfried says not far to go. We press on jogging and walking but Ziegfried has a competitive spirit and as we get closer and closer so do we go faster and faster until we see what we think is Cebe where we will be staying and we sprint to the village. It has been 42kays and taken us 9 hours as we get there at 15.00. This is a huge house but has one shower and toilet that has to serve 36 people. So the only way to sort this out is set up a queuing system. Put your towel on the bookrack to book (excuse the pun!) your place. Ron has organised our little section of the lounge and we are quite happy.
The vibe becomes quite mellow as everybody is thrown together tonight. I see that the closeness does not suite some of the group especially as some of the talk becomes vulgar. Some inappropriate remarks are made but this is all male testosterone combined with alcohol. I am quite happy to now have met every person on the trip with us. Des put on his compilation called the Dwesa Shuffle. There is a Braai on the go. Mark doctors his feet as he inject mercurochrome into the blisters. Various people receive the “Nel leg or back rub”. Altus sits quietly reading his Jeffry Archer. HP (also known as Oosie or Hercules) tells me he is a train driver while Des regales of the times when he had to shovel coal into boilers until the steam was ready to burst.
Mark tries to persuade me to come to do the Puffer. This is an 80kay run from the Cape Point to the Waterfront and is called the Puffer as you have to avoid the Puffadders on the trail. By his own admission this is a really tough race. Mark has done this race 8 times and always been in the top ten finishers. Andrew and Jannie confirm how tough this event is. Mark tells me that it is now time for him to run the “Tougher Puffer”. Start at the Waterfront and run there and back. Mmmmmmm? They also introduce me to the Three Peaks. This is a run that starts at Greenmarket Square, goes up to the Lions Head, back to Greenmarket, up Table Mountain, back to Greenmarket, up to Devils Peak and finally back to Greenmarket. Yeah Sure!
Liam is hobbling around but this does not stop him cleaning up at pool. What happened with Liam is that he pushed hard in the early stages of the week and he is now suffering the consequences. He has to run the balance of the event on painkillers. The table tennis is then brought out and Stefan has a go at this until, Ray, our ex Border Rugby player, pushes him off the board. We make some more snacks, biltong, Wors sticks, crackers and the evening becomes increasingly mellow. I am concerned for the next day, which I hear, is 48 kays and so am in bed early with the buzz of conversation in the background. This afternoon I also met Melody and Mariaan (Ziegfried and Oosies’ wives). Jonathan is the big man travelling with Des.
Friday morning.
Cebe to Pullens Bay next Haha Haga 42 kays
Only two more days to go. Patrick, Hendrik & I leave at 05.30. There are soft sand beaches for quite a way. As we reach the end of a beach we see what appears to be a path and I see that Ziegfried has taken this path. After four days of being on the trail we have come to recognise the variety of shoe prints as well as strides. So up and over we go. Big mistake. We should have followed the contour path around the point. We go too far inland and have to bundu bash our way out again. We can see the beach looking so inviting but can simply not get there. Finally we find a patch that takes us to the beach. What a relief. But our legs and shoes are covered with burrs and scratched to pieces. Martin saw us from a distance and followed us. So the four of us are now on a great piece of beach and can make up a bit of time.
We reach the Wavecrest Hotel where we have an easy swim across. Here Martin meets up with Polla and Johan who have frozen in their worry to cross the river. They are now delighted to have Martin assist them across. Martin walks ahead with Polla and Johan. Patrick & I press on. We cross the airfield and head seawards. Hendrik follows the road and has to double back later. We try to keep as close to the sea as possible as we don’t want to take a second wrong turn. The second swim of the day is not much further. Again an easy swim and I go up to the farm at the top to fill my bottle and wash my shoes at the water tank. I hear that Mike has had to assist Gium at Wavecrest. The Blue Train also gets to this river accompanied by Dave. I think that Dave waited here for Elize and Gium to make sure that he crossed safely. We meet up with Johan who has now lost Polla. This is so easy to do and one can become quite confused as to how to handle it. My suggestion is to press on as you are bound to meet up a little later.
Patrick and I want to see the Jacaranda. This is the wreck of a ship that ran aground some years ago. The story that Patrick tells me is that the crew were partying it up and the Captain had given navigation to a deckhand. And this man had steered the ship into the one and only sandy gully for miles around. The name Jacaranda is still clearly visible on the hull but the ship is breaking up rapidly.. We passed the carcass of a whale. Then the Trenneries hotel where the Blue Train pass us again as we all bought a cold drink. Martin had arranged to meet his Mom and Johan and so ordered some sandwiches.
It is raining and an easterly wind was pushing us from behind. After this last interest point there is a very long slog to the Kei Mouth. The group now consisted of Ziegfried, Hendrik, Pat, Jannie and myself. When we finally reached the Kei Mouth I was beginning to tire. Ziegfried paid the R5.00 for all of us to use the Pont. The seconding team were on the other side and some lucky runners were handed a sandwich. I decided that a GU should see me though to the end. We walked and jogged through the village. Erica and Gillian were enjoying a sit down cold drink at the shop. We walked up past the golf course and I was now able to make a few calls to let people know that I was still going strong. As we walked this section we passed Clint’s wife on horseback. She operates a horse trails business and was taking a couple for a ride. As we walked this hill Ziegfried pulled out a miniature flask and we all enjoyed some of the soup that he was carrying. What a marvelous idea that was. It was cold and wet and ideal for the moment.
On this road there is a gate. Go through the gate and down to Morgans Bay. Cross the beach and into the village of Morgans Bay. Keep to the road and then there is a very long pull up a hill that leads to Double Mouth. Do not take the coastal path as this is quite a bit tougher and longer. We ran down the concrete road to the caravan park at Double Mouth where we were able to use the toilets and get fresh water. Here the Blue Train passed us again. They probably took the coastal path. From Double Mouth it was a very long stretch of rocks and soft sand beach to the next village of Marshland. Just before this is the Oyster Farms. We walked though Marshland village and saw a sign saying two kays to Haga Haga.
Hans had run past us on the trail. It seems that Jannie had decided that he had enough in Kei Mouth and Hans wanted a bit of exersize. Hans also did the Surfers the next day. I was by now extremely tired and my back was aching so when Patrick suggested a cold drink at the Haga Haga Strandloper hotel I was only too happy for the stop. Here Pat had a beer and I had a cold Fanta. I was able to relieve the pain in my back by stretching and laying across a few barstools on my back. From Haga it was really a very short kay or two to Pullens Bay. Patrick’s shoes decide that they have had enough and literally fall apart.
At Pullens Bay we were treated to real luxury accommodation. The chalets consisted of three bedrooms two bathrooms and a big lounge. We shared with Kevin, Andrew, Erica & Gillian and Martin’s family. Everything was laid on such as Electric Kettle, Microwave oven etc. We sat around for a long time chatting before some of the group decided to go to the pub for supper and to watch Rugby. Ron & I were quite content to sit in the lounge and relax. I was by now on my second book. Kevin made a huge spaghetti Boglonaise. And once Erica and Gillian woke up we had dinner together. This evening Ron & I learnt that Gillian was a physiotherapist and Erica an analyst at Nedbank. I was able to phone Barbara this evening. I had thought that she would be at Nippers practice but Ally had chosen Snoops instead. As soon as Martin returned from supper I was ready for bed.
Saturday Morning.
Pullens Bay to Yellow Sands and then to Nahoon Beach 45 kays
As usual Polla and Johan were up early and ready to go by 05.00. I felt for Kevin who had slept in the lounge as the noise of us runners was bound to wake him. It was great to be able to switch a light on and make coffee using the kettle. I had not been able to contact Patrick to find out what time he would be leaving but we all started to get ready early. Martin was a hard worker throughout the trip. This morning was no exception as he packed the bakkie. I had not been nearly as diligent and Ron had to do a lot of the spadework for me as I had been leaving early with a pile of stuff still to be packed away. Liam left with Andrew who is a Masters Zoology graduate from Rhodes. He has been assisting in the Botany department on a contract basis and now needs to make a decision about his future. Liam works for the SAB beer company and seems to have a number of other interests (B & B and pool table hire) as well. I think that Liam is still suffering from his early haste in trying to keep up with the Blue Train. Erica and Gillian used his B& B while Kevin is in partnership with him supplying pool tables to taverns. Before leaving, Liam introduced us to Jess who had met him the previous night at Haga Haga.
I was able to have a leisurely second cup of coffee and was ready to leave with Patrick at 07.00. The first section today took us over a long section of rocks before moving onto the soft sandy beaches. Today we began to realise that the event was nearing its conclusion. We encountered a number of fishermen who were staying at a variety of resorts. The morning started off misty and we knew that we were in for a hot day. By the time we arrived at Cintsa West the sun was beginning to burn. I had my normal floppy hat, blue face blockout to try to avoid the worst of the sun. Patrick was a lot hardier and was getting browner by the day. We stopped at the shop for a cold drink and Pat was able to phone Colleen and children. Colleen had been out for a long run and was by now in a bit of a hurry to get to the start of Surfers as she was part of the organisers. She was also setting up the Discovery Challenge, which included the Cycle, the following weekend and a River Mile.
This morning we picked up a Buoy, which we carried back with us. Kevin had told us that he was interested in collecting this kind of thing. It needed a good wash as the muscles still clinging to it stank. But then so did we, as our clothes and shoes were wet with perspiration. This morning we passed a man carrying a large stone. Patrick mentioned that it looked like his own tombstone but he assured us that this was for his bird pond that he was building. It did not take long for us to reach the start of the Surfers. The Blue Train had passed us a little depleted as Ray must have been injured and Alan was with him. Alan tells me that he is slukking down the painkillers to stay on track. Nel was waiting for the runners to cross the river and guided us as we waded through the brown murky water.
At Yellowsands Leanna was waiting for her group. Colleen was happy to see Patrick who could now also assist her in some of the set up work. I followed Johan to the shower where we rinsed off. We then all joined Martin’s family in the only bit of shade that there is in the area. We had taken five hours to get this far and still had another two and a half to the start. Francis was there with their son Joel who kept everyone busy. I was quite happy to relax in the shade before finally starting the last leg of our journey. Colleen had arranged for a photo to be taken and I was sorry that not everyone was there for the photo. There were a number of people wearing National Battery T-shirts. I asked them if they knew Dave to which they proudly replied that Dave was on the trail from Port St. Johns.
At the start I saw very few PE people (Andrew and Andre). Stuart had told me that his son, Gordon would be paddling but I did not see him. There were thousands of starters and they all bunched through the narrow muddy road as they tried to avoid getting their feet wet. No such niceties for me as I splooshed through the puddles. The first section of the Surfers is quite tough with rocks and stones to slow the field down. Gonubie Village is about seven kays from the start and after the first swim. Then there are a few kays on tar road through the village where thousands of spectators cheer the runners on often spraying us with hoses. I saw Des and Jonathan taking photos of the Wild Coast Runners.
Then it was back to the beach. I was a little sad to see that the organisers now have some kilometer marker boards. One of the adventures of this kind of run is not knowing how far you have run. This section of beach is much easier. It was here that I saw a pair of shoes that had been abandoned then I saw a young man tossing his funny looking red shoes over his shoulder so I picked them up and carried them to the finish for him. I also found another pair, which did not have an owner and I ended up taking them home. I always find the finish of the Surfers confusing as it is usually misty and while you can see the sun glinting off the cars or houses at the end of the bay, you are never quite sure where the race actually ends until you cross the last river. At last we reached that final river crossing and the finish of the race.
Nel, whose parents live near to Yellowsands did a very credible 2.05 and I think that Melody also did the Surfers. 19 of the 24 starters of the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra had finished the whole event. Hendrik had probably spent more time on the road than any of us but was not able to start on Wednesday after his ordeal of Tuesday. He had also picked up an ankle injury. Ziegfried had avoided Tuesday. Jannie found the comfort of driving just too tempting. Chel had wanted to go the whole way but on Tuesday had become so tired that when she saw the seconds at Coffee Bay had decided that that was enough exersize for one day. Des had been quite depleted after the first day and decided to save his energies for another race.
The seconds had a real rough time. Some days they had hours and hours of the roughest roads possible, bouncing around at painstakingly slow speeds. I know that Ron was quite exhausted on our way back home. The roads had been slippery and Kevin related how difficult it was to stay focussed on the driving at speeds of 20kays an hour. Also the drivers had to stay together as there were no road signs to follow and they would easily become lost if separated.
The T-Shirts of Surfers are much sought after and will be worn around East London with pride. We had arranged to meet in the tent afterwards and I found the group sitting together. Dave handed me a certificate for which I was very grateful. I was not able to stay for beers and the prize giving as Ron & I had decided to go straight home after the event. The organisers of Surfers hand out medals to category winners only but they had made enough for us as well. Dave posted mine to me later. I was able to greet a number of the runners before we left. Ally had an EP Nippers carnival and I wanted to be there for the second day on Sunday. Ron & I found the Milkshake shop and a Chinese restaurant where we bought takeaways. The road was very misty but we got home safely by 23.00.
Sunday morning
Back home in Port Elizabeth.
I unpacked all the smelly stuff into the spare bathroom and we left for Nippers at Kings Beach. It was another misty morning and bound to be very hot later on. The carnival was a great success. The Summerstrand U10’s did well and I was proud of their efforts. I think that Sardinia Bay won the overall carnival but when the last event was over we were simply too tired to stay. We had promised Lara and Ally time at the Supertubes before we were able to head home. I think that it was on Sunday afternoon that I realised how lucky I had been to finish the whole event. I had been bitten by umpteen bugs, had a few blisters and scratches but no real injury. I had been very careful with the sun the whole time and so that had not set me back.
Will I do it again? I think so, especially if I can find a teammate like Dave or Patrick who was so incredibly patient and loyal throughout the week. After an event of this nature it takes a while to come back to earth. I certainly felt on a bit of a high for a while after the event.
And to all those who I met and learned to know. Thanks for being there. For me it was a real adventure and a privilege to have met you. Ron. Now there is a real friend. Thanks Buddy. Barbara & Ally. Thank you for allowing me to take the time off to try something completely out of the ordinary.
And all of this for only R550 per person entry fee! Ridiculous. Okay there are any number of additional costs but still I am sure that Dave is out of pocket at the end of the event.
Peter Giddy
20 February 2006.
Hello GuysWell the dust (mud) has settled and we have to concentrate on the drudgery of work again. I hope you all enjoyed getting away from the exhaust fumes and chlorinated water, enjoyed the pure air, freedom of the environment emphasised by the total lack of restrictive fences, a little mental and physical challenge and regeneration of your spirit.Here is a report from Peter Giddy. Most of you saw him scribbling each day and got to know him as he went about meeting you all. Peter writes his report as a diary for his own records but it certainly brings back memories for me and I am sure it will for you too. I love "the blue train". How well did he get to know the Cape Town guys ?Thanks for coming and sharing with Des, Chel and me the splendour of the Wild Coast. What is it if you haven't shared it ? See you on the trails somewhere.
Hello Peter,
I am very pleased that you have written another report, I am afraid that I am not good at this sort of thing and although we are all so different we are basically similar and experience the same sort of emotions so even though those recorded are yours, we all find it reflects in some way our trip. I found reading it brought back quite a few emotions. Thank you.
I will send to all the people on the email contact list, I know they will enjoy reading it. They were amazed at your ability to know everyone and write each day about the trail.
Great to have you there. Ray and Altus are already planning for next year !
Regards.
Dave Gassner Tel 043 7068252 Fax 043 7312007 Cell 082 927 8344
Name
surname
Hluleka 46k
Xora 55k
Dwesa 40k
Cebe 41k
Pullen's bay 48k
surfers start 26k
surfers 18k
Nahoon 44k
total for whole XWCU 274k
total time spent on the trail
1
Ernest
Markwood
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.22
3.29
1.49
5.18
45.25
2
Andre
Erasmus
9.01
12.25
4.05
7.14
7.38
3.55
1.19
5.14
45.37
3
Mike
Webb
9.01
12.25
4.20
6.40
8.14
4.20
1.45
6.05
46.14
4
Mark
Spengler
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
3.55
1.40
5.35
46.51
5
Alan
Green
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.18
8.14
4.20
1.53
6.13
47.32
6
Ray
Cranston
9.01
12.25
4.21
7.14
8.14
4.20
2.40
7.00
48.15
7
Andrew
Slaughter
9.45
13.45
5.00
7.30
7.55
3.40
1.59
5.39
49.34
8
Hp
Oosthuizen
9.53
14.00
5.00
7.50
7.50
3.40
1.49
5.29
50.02
9
Liam
Victor
9.01
13.50
6.32
7.50
8.05
3.40
1.35
5.15
50.33
10
Dave
Gassner
11.30
15.00
6.30
9.17
7.30
3.45
2.13
5.58
55.45
11
Alice
Achermann
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
12
Guillame
Kambounon
9.50
14.03
5.30
8.57
9.40
5.50
2.06
7.56
55.56
13
Patrick
Elson
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
1.49
6.49
57.19
14
Peter
Giddy
11.30
15.00
6.30
8.00
9.30
5.00
2.15
7.15
57.45
15
Martin
Smith
12.00
16.00
4.20
7.35
11.15
5.30
1.27
6.57
58.07
16
Erica
Terblanche
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
17
Gillian
Banks
9.53
17.00
8.00
9.15
9.45
5.30
2.29
7.59
61.52
18
Johan
Kriel
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
2.15
9.05
69.05
19
Paula
Richardson
12.00
16.00
9.00
10.30
12.30
6.50
3.00
9.50
69.50
20
Hendrik
Marx
9.53
19.10
8.00
8.45
1.55
47.43
21
Siegfried
Milbert
11.30
5.37
8.20
9.40
4.40
2.09
6.49
41.56
22
Jannie
Smal
9.25
14.25
5.37
5.45
1.40
36.52
23
Chel
Gassner
11.30
6.30
6.30
9.17
2.48
36.35
24
Des
Meyer
12.00
12.00
EXTREME WILD COAST ULTRA 2006
Organised by Des Meyer, Dave and Chel Gassner,
EVENT INFORMATION.
Supported by Cremorne Estate.
Sunday 12th February 2006.
Arrive at Cremorne on the Sunday. Directions ……
Heading south from Bizana, just before the bridge over the Umzimvubu, approx 5 kms from Port St Johns, follow signs to the left to get to Cremorne Estate. About 90k from Umtata on the R61 approx 5k from Port St Johns, turn left to cross the bridge over the Umzimvubu, take the first turn to the right immediately after the bridge and follow the signs to Cremorne Estate, approx 1k.
We will be staying in the Fishermen’s Huts that will accommodate 12, the rest of us will camp. Cremorne is a beautiful resort on the banks of the river, well protected and very secure. Please ask for Barry (the manager) and inform him that you are with Des Meyer to do the Xtreme Wild Coast Ultra. A normal booking has not been made so some one else may not know what you are talking about. Be sure to speak to Barry. Bring your tents and mattresses with you; you may need them later in the week. At Cremorne there is a very good restaurant and a great pub. See the website http://www.cremorne.co.za/. Log cabins can be booked if you prefer some luxury - the last you will have for a week!! We will discuss the plan for the following day in the conference hall on Sunday evening. Des will be giving us hints on where the trading stores, taverns, vicious dogs and crossing points are situated and also give directions for the seconds to travel to Hluleka. Every evening we will have a briefing for the following day. Photocopy maps will be provided.
Monday 13th Feb.
Pack up, eat and apply all the protection materials and equipment (anti sun, insect and shark repellant). We will start at Cremorne and run along the road to Silaka Reserve, which opens at 06:00 (Des and I will pay the day visitor fee on Sunday) and then onto the trail. We will start at 05:30 but this is negotiable on Sunday evening. We will probably split up into groups, the bigger the better, according to ability or inclination. After a leisurely 46 kilometers we will arrive at Hluleka Nature Reserve (golden rule number 1, keep the sea on your left) where we have booked the Sea Facing Chalets. The chalets sleep six, have hot showers, deep freeze or fridge and gas stove and braai places outside. Here we will hopefully find our seconds with the kit unpacked and beers in the fridges. If you are able to I believe the area is very good for snorkeling and fishing although you are not allowed to collect bait. Have a look on the website. http://www.psj.co.za/links/hluleka.htm. The seconds will have driven the route from Port St Johns (fill up with fuel whenever you can) on the R61 (70k tar) and taken the turn off to Hluleka just before Libode (57k dirt - distances given on different maps conflict), produced the permit and been allowed into the reserve. You will have packed food for the evening and the following morning plus your supplies for the next day into your boxes. We will have a runners and seconds briefing for the following day in the evening. It will be very important to stay hydrated and to eat well because Tuesday is a huge day that will take anything from 9 to 15 hours, depending on hard you go.
Tuesday 14th Feb.
We pack up, eat and get an early start for day two, 57k to Xora. The previous evening we will decide what time is the best to depart. We must carry energy mix, water and food for the day and be prepared for a long day. All the necessary protection must be used, sun, insects, sunglasses, hat etc. Directions will be provided for the seconds and we will hope that they find Xora otherwise we will be a sorry bunch when we arrive there. Xora is very basic, water has to be pumped by hand, fire lit for hot water and gas connected for the fridge and the paraffin lamps filled. Des is busy getting other accommodation as well as the house, some of us may need to tent. You will need to pack darts if you want to play, there is a dartboard available. Be careful crossing the river, there are lots of electric skates in the water but that may just give you the final urge to get to the cottage. Golden rule number 2, if attacked by a shark be sure that you offer an arm or a leg to the shark as torso bites are usually fatalJ. There will be a lady to clean and a man to help with water pumping and fire making and we may need some tools to open the water tank but I will sort that out. Once again, you will rely on the seconds to have your equipment ready. They can also buy supplies in Umtata but when doing so ensure that the vehicles are guarded and be careful. We will have the briefing for the next day in the evening as usual. Snorkeling is also reported to be good here.
Wed 15th Feb.
We leave early for Dwesa, the distance should only be 26k. We have to negotiate the Bashee River, renowned for the number of locals who have been taken by shark. We will catch the ferry that operates from the Hotel. Des will inform them that we will be coming and hopefully the ferryman will be there. The charge last year was R20 per person. You must carry ferry money with you each day, no large denomination, Transkei people do not have change. Dwesa is another magic place to stay and hopefully we will survive the crossing to admire the true nature of the land in this small reserve where white rhino, zebra, wildebeest, crocodiles and a number of small and very large buck live. You may survive the sharks to become crocodile supperJ. Dwesa cabins are smart with fridges and stoves and showers. Provisions can be bought in Elliotdale. The cabins will accommodate 24, so some of us will have to tent again. Same procedure for the briefing and early start.
Thursday 16th Feb.
The section to Cebe should be 45k and if the feet are still holding out, not too blistered and the ankles not too sore, the going will be a little easier as there are not as many ups and downs but the sand will make up for that I guess. Cebe is a large cottage, see the website http://www.cyberpage.co.za/ which also comes with help for cleaning up, there is a bathroom and kitchen. The adventure is almost kaput by now but at the same time this may apply to you as well. We will have the usual briefing in the evening.
Fri. 17th Feb.
Today will only be a short jog to Kei Mouth, about 26k (to the ferry). Cross on the ferry, this is a dangerous river. Last year this was the official finish but we extended it to include Surfers. This year we continue along the coast past Morgan’s Bay, Double Mouth, Haga-Haga and about 2k further we will stop at Pullen’s Bay, a really beautiful spot on the coast, total distance 48k. http://www.hagahaga.co.za/ is the website, they have self-catering chalets.
Sat. 18th Feb.
On Saturday 19th February 2005 the famous and very popular 18 kilometer “Discovery Surfer’s Challenge” will start at 14:00 at Yellow Sands and finish at Nahoon Beach, East London. Total distance for the last day, 44k. These distances are all measured with a ruler on the map so you can expect some discrepancies, especially if you get lost! Total then - about 266k.
We can have a late sleep, swim and then take an easy jog to the start at Yellow Sands, about 26k. You will have to enter at the start. Entry fee R40. Seconds should get there early, the roads are closed at about 12:00 and you will need refreshment and maybe some cover depending on the weather. Surfers has entries for runners, walkers and paddlers, it is an easy 2 hour paddle. So we will finish our little adventure with a mass welcome at Nahoon Beach and I can tell you it is a hell of a finish with thousands of spectators at the finish and all along the way.
Other info.
Stay together in groups, this is safer incase of any emergency. Eat well to ensure that your body can re energise. Drink plenty, there are springs along the way and the occasional shop and holiday shacks. Protect yourself from the sun and insects. Plan your food requirements carefully remembering you will need food during the day on the run. Bring an abundant sense of humour. Try to keep your feet dry, this is generally the most vunerable part of your body and most likely to take you out of the run.
We have informed the East London Private Ambulance Service – Aldersons, (they have an agreement with AV8 helicopter services) of our event so that they are not unprepared in case of an emergency. For safety sake, ensure that you have your medical aid details with you,
Maps will be supplied to the seconds and Des will brief them on the roads to follow. Best to travel in convoy even though this does slow you down a bit. Seconds should leave as soon as the runners have gone as the roads meander through the region, are indirect and rough and when wet, very slippery.
Treat the locals with respect, their culture is not the same as ours and they are insulted by some of our customs. Many of the Transkei people are still primitive, RDP has not reached them yet and they are bitter because they have been promised a better life from tourism, which they have not yet seen. You are a tourist, you are part of the problem! Having said that, we have found them to be most helpful giving directions and even supplying water.
ITEMS FOR RUN
Shorts
Shirt
Socks
Shoes in good condition
Hat
Sun glasses
Sun block
Small pack
2 litres water minimum
Small 1st aid pack
Emergency blanket
Energy drink (Clifton, Game or some other high energy mix)
Energy food (some chicken and rolls or boiled potato with butter and salt)
Cell phone in waterproof container
List of emergency numbers (to be supplied)
Map (to be supplied)
Money for ferry, drinks at stores or villages, only small change, they have no change for big notes. Tips for directions
when you are lost J
Watch
Torch, tested to last at least 5 hours.
Whistle
Waterproof rain jacket to use in case of emergency
Tick repellant
Spare shirt
Warm trousers to use in case of emergency
For your trip - and don’t forget your second!
Money, there are no auto tellers.
A strong box clearly marked with your name.
Food, make out a daily menu.
Eating utensils, plates, knives forks,
Cooking utensils, pots, braai grid, gas stove etc.
Washing up things, sunlight, and cloths.
Small tent, sleeping bag, pillow, mattress
Charka, firelighters, lighter
Goggles, snorkel, weights and flippers.
Food (can be topped up at Umtata, Willowvale, Idutywa.
Beer (can be topped up)
Mosquito repellant
A first aid kit to treat allergies, rashes, blisters, cuts and bruises, sunburn. A syringe and Mercurochrome work very well for treating blisters and some good broad plaster which sticks well. I use the white elastic type. It keeps your feet together when they want to fall apart. I also recommend “IceMan” which you can get from hardware stores that cater for the farmers, magic for sore knees and ankles. Costs about R35 for a tub, use liberally after and before run.
colour block indicates group, dotted fill indicates driver of the group.
entrants
name
pay
tel
where from
1
gassner dave
paid
0829278344
el
daveg@battery.co.za
2
gassner chel
paid
07236997047
el
3
elson patrick
paid
0835451612
el
pat.elson@impilo.ecprov.gov.za
4
weppelman ray
paids
0833799866
el
rayicon@absamail.co.za
5
terblanche erica
paid
0834606288
pretoria
EricaT@Nedbank.co.za
6
banks gillian
paid
pretoria
7
slaughter andrew
paid
0732493810
grahamstown
a.slaughter@ru.ac.za
8
victor liam
paid
0829217587
east london
Liam.Victor@za.sabmiller.com
9
victor second
paids
10
smith martin
paid
0834636206
el
martin.smith@icontrols.co.za
11
giddy peter
paid
0825503174
pe
peterg@jdg.co.za
12
richards graham
paid
0829086989
jhb / pe
GRichards@SALGA.ORG.ZA
13
pask ron
paids
pe
ronpask@telkomsa.net
14
erasmus andre
paid
0823739311
sasolburg
andre.erasmus@sasol.com
15
erasmus second
paids
16
marx hendrik
paid
083 631 9432
vereeniging
hmarx@cew.co.za
17
marx team mate
paid
18
achermann alice
paid
0729814107
grahamstown
ACHERMANN@telkomsa.net
19
webb mike
paid
0833660933
kingwilliam'stown
renewilliams@um.co.za
20
kambounon guillame
paid
0729402969
petitguill@yahoo.fr
21
achermann second
paids
22
meyer des
cape town
desm@battery.co.za
23
grobler jonathan
el
jonathang@battery.co.za
24
muller altus
0832221279
jhb
ajmuller@icon.co.za
25
tawse john michael
0826944789
baghdad
johnmike@xsinet.co.za
26
adams ian
paid
0722335418
jhb
ian1adams@yahoo.co.uk
27
smal jannie
paid
0845266437
cape town
jannies@vibol.co.za
28
linde hans
paids
0829324916
cape town
hjl@metroweb.co.za
29
oosthuizen hp
paid
oos@absamail.co.za
30
milbert siegfried
paid
0833279582
smilbert@g5.co.za
31
milbert melody
paids
0837732710
melody@netactive.co.za
32
oosthuizen mariaan
paids
33
cranston ray
paid
rayc@wol.co.za
34
walker craig
paid
35
beckett gordon
paid
36
markwood ernest
paid
0824795154
cape town
ernest.m@telkomsa.net
37
markwood second
paids
4
have not paid but will pay tomorrow.
24
runners have paid
9
seconds have paid
33
total paid
37
entries
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