Rhebok hiking trail (Drakensberg) Nov 2008

After work I drove to the Wells’ place where Marni and Gordon were already waiting for me. Nicola arrived soon after. Having heard news of many accidents on the radio I was considering only driving down early the next morning. However, we decided that we’d risk it, quickly packed and jumped into the Jeep, generously lent to us by Marni’s mom. Gordon was going to drive and took it around the block to get used to the automatic transmission before we were off. The traffic was heavy but turned out to be far less bad than anticipated and at 7pm we were already at Villiers. We had some takeaway dinner before carrying on. We missed the turn-off to Reitz due to me trying to get some sleep but when we realized it, we quickly turned around and drove back. Finally we arrived at Glen Reenen just before 11pm. Ben and Laurel had given me a call earlier to explain they were going to stay in Clarens, rather than Golden Gate and will meet us the next morning.

Day 1 (15 Nov): The birds were chirping away before 5am already but since we expected Laurel and Ben only at 8am, we were lazy in getting up and ready to go. It was a beautiful morning but promised to get very hot. We had breakfast, packed our bags and paid for the night’s camping. While Nicola and I waited, Gordon and Marni drove to the Stables so long to unload all the baggage. We barely waited 5 minutes before Laurel and Ben arrived. Nicola and I jumped in and we drove to the Stables where the others were already busy unpacking. Introductions made, I quickly ensured everyone had everything before the vehicles were driven to Glen Reenen again to leave one at either end. We started hiking at about 8.30. It was a very pleasant walk up to the hut with everyone getting into their own rhythms. Then we started gaining altitude steadily, walking along the stream. It wasn’t long before we started climbing more steeply away from the river on the true left. I was staying at the back with Nicola who was still recovering from a cold and walking slow but steady. Laurel and Ben were in the middle and Gordon and Marni up front. We met up with Laurel and Ben where they sat at a small stream coming off the spur directly below Ribbok Kop. Laurel had slipped on the wet rock and bruised her shin badly but a quick inspection assured me nothing was broken. It was about time for lunch so I quickly walked up to where Gordon and Marni were sitting and called them down to lunch. Ben wrapped Laurel’s shin with a wet sock to reduce the swelling and after lunch she was quite capable of carrying on again. We now made visible progress up the slope and soon it was only the last incline ahead of us and we could see the Golden Gate border fence on the saddle. It was a little windy at the saddle and I was slightly concerned that it may become worse. However, we found a good spot to pitch all three tents and soon we had them standing. The sun was blazing down and inside the tents it was certainly too hot to lie down. So we chose the cooler outside to laze around the rest of the afternoon. Later Nicola and I walked through a hole in the fence and sat watching the Caledon valley for a while before the chilly wind drove us back to the tents. Shortly before 6pm, Gordon started boiling rice for dinnerand then cooked mince and tomato relish. When all was done we ate with gusto. After dinner, Nicola spoiled us all with some hazelnut hot chocolate which went down marvelously before we crawled into the tents for the night.

Day 2 (16 Nov): I slept surprisingly well and woke early. But both Nicola and I were very lazy and we stayed in the tent until well after 6am. Gordon and Marni’s chatting eventually inspired us to get out and we had breakfast in glorious sunshine. I felt my shoulders were sore and first thought the pack straps had hurt me but when I took my shirt off I discovered I burned badly through my tattered T-shirt. With being so lazy, we had missed our start time to go for Ribbok kop and I decided to rather finish the normal Day 2 of the Rhebok route. With that decided, we packed everything up and were on our way shortly after 8am. It promised to be a hot day but there were a few clouds drifting around and the light breeze we had was very welcome. On the plateau directly below Generaalskop, Marni, Gordon, Laurel and Ben dropped their packs to go climb to the trig beacon. Having climbed it before I felt no inclination to climb it again and Nicola was still feeling a little off so we decided to slowly carry on as the others were sure to catch us. We walked leisurely across the plateau and soon started descending into the valley below. We spotted some wildebeest and Nicola got a few nice pictures in. After the first descent onto the ridge, we spotted the others also coming down and just before the last descent towards the small dam, they overtook us. At the dam, everyone but the two of us were very keen for a swim so while they dove in, we carried on slowly. By now my feet had started to act up again and I wanted to get back to camp desperately. The last few hundred metres were agony and when I got to Glen Reenen I literally collapsed. Soon the others joined us and we all had a shower before driving back.

Magoebaskloof hiking trail Oct 2008

George and Pam picked me up from work at about 11:40. Traffic on the N1 was rough so I directed us through town and then onto the N4 to get back on the N1 north. We arrived at Woodbush hut without incident just after 4pm. The others have already parked and walked the 1.5km to Soapstone mule stables. We packed quickly and put hiking shoes on, and shortly we met the others at the stables. We had a quick braai before going to bed reasonably early.

Day 1 (18 Oct): It rained, and apparently hailed during the night as well and when we woke, it was chilly, damp and windy all around. However, it looked like it might clear a little later and we set off eagerly at 06:45. The clouds that looked like they might clear, soon turned into very heavy fog and enveloped us in the forest. We stayed together for the first hour or so but then I pulled ahead and started walking on my own. I set a very comfortable pace, especially as I already felt my left foot starting to burn with pain. I enjoyed the walk tremendously. The path was well marked and I had no difficulty following the trail. Birds were calling in the trees and I heard Knysna turacos and Gorgeous bush-shrikes calling often. Cape robin-chats showed themselves but the White-browed robin-chats I heard calling remained elusive. I made good progress, stopping twice to rest my left foot. At 10:45 I emerged from the forest and saw the Waterfall hut right in front of me through the mist. I was slightly mystified as I recall a whole lake of water right in front of the hut where someone fished from a small boat the last time I did the trail. The path also skirted the vlei-area in front of the hut instead of walking directly to it. But I followed the footprints doggedly and about 300m later saw the turn-off back to the hut. Approaching the waterfall next to Waterfall hut, I realized why I was mystified – they were working on the dam wall a little lower down and drained most of the water from the dam, thereby drying up the entire area in front of the hut. I was at the hut at 11:00. I took a good rest as my feet were aching quite badly. Everything was damp from the drizzly-fog but luckily I wasn’t soaked. I took a brief cold shower to get rid of some mud and then had some lunch while reading and waiting for the others. They arrived in dribs and drabs after 12:30 and we all took a well-deserved rest. At 15:30 the fire was started and it provided some welcome heat in the chilly air. Even though the clouds seemed to finally start clearing, it was a cold afternoon. I heated up the wors from the previous night for dinner and Shirley generously offered me some of her rolls to go with it. After dinner I still read for a while before turning in.

Day 2 (19 Oct): Once again we were up early. This time I actually planned to walk alone and by 06:35 I was on my way. The heavy fog from the previous day has disappeared but there were still lots of high cloud around. It was cool but not cold and I set off at a strong pace. The path climbed to the forestry road above the hut and followed it briefly before going into the indigenous forest again. I walked comfortably despite feeling my feet starting to ache after an hour or so. Emerging from the forest and walking through some fynbos and protea, the clouds lowered a little and fog blew in. But it was still not raining and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk. As the path turned south east and skirted the upper ridge where a radio mast stood on, I remembered that this day’s walk used to be the old Dokolewa trail’s first day, in the opposite direction. Eventually the path started descending through the forest and when I saw a blue and green bird fly in the tree-tunnel in front of me I knew I had my third sighting of a Narina trogon. I emerged from the forest into a young plantation and followed the footprints on a forestry road until it entered the last valley just before the hut. I couldn’t remember how far Dokolewa pools hut was and at one point I felt my feet really needed a break. As I sat down I noticed the roof of the hut through the foliage and happily I got up again to walk the last 100m to the hut. There were other people there already. As I approached I heard some arguing and then realized the cleaners were still at the hut, trying to chase away some day-visitors who came to use the hut’s facilities without a permit. I couldn’t really care and just dropped my bag and proceeded to have lunch. The day-visitors and the cleaners eventually left and I ate lunch and read until the others arrived after 13:30. Just after 4pm I started the fire just to heat up my remaining wors for dinner. I was engrossed in the Christopher Brookmyre book I was reading and read late into the night, before eventually giving in to sleepiness.

Day 3 (20 Oct): The sky still held lots of cloud but there was no rain in the immediate future. By 06:45 I was hiking in front again, with the others very shortly on my heels. We followed the same 1.5km or so through the forest we did the previous afternoon before starting to ascend the valley through the forest. I took my time out in front and when I sat to rest my feet, Mike overtook me. I followed after him and we walked together for quite a while before I took the lead again. I was hiking alone in front when I saw a Knysna turaco sitting in a tree right in front of me. I managed to get a picture before it flew off. Shortly thereafter I rested at a little stream and Mike caught up with me. Mike waited and when I started in front again, I walked 50m before seeing a flash of red. I followed to where it went to sit and couldn’t believe my luck – another Narina trogon! I pointed it out to Mike and we watched it for a while before moving on. Soon after, the path emerged onto the track in the pine plantation which we followed to the mule stables on the Friday night. Then it was just a few hundred meters and we saw the cars in front of us. Five minutes after we got there, some of the others showed up – they took a bit of a shortcut on the forestry road a little earlier and made up some time and distance. We all had a cold shower before rushing off to the Steers just outside of Polokwane.

Kisumu, Kenya Oct 2008

Another week working in Kisumu, Kenya. Some interesting pictures taken.

Mkhuze & St Lucia birding Sep 2008

Our first holiday together as a couple! We drove down to Pongola where we slept in the caravan park and then onto Mkhuze Game Reserve where we spent four days of spectacular birding. Despite the first day begin very windy and rainy, we decided that Mkhuze must be one of the top birding spots in South Africa. We visited the fig forest, had a night drive during which I saw nightjars for the first time, and had our first ever day of topping 100 bird species ID'd in a day. Then we moved onto St Lucia for four days where we did some more leisurely birding, canoeing and a boat ride up the estuary.

Kututsa hiking trail Sep 2008

I picked Nicola up from her parents’ place and drove to the trail – George and the rest were going down in George’s bakkie. The directions we received were a little unclear and I had to phone George when we couldn’t find the turn-off as instructed. George indicated they also struggled but re-read the directions to be past Fouriesburg and not past Bethlehem as what we thought. We then carried on and almost missed the turn-off when it finally came up. We were at the Barn just after 6pm. The others have just arrived so we got the fire going quickly for dinner. Afterwards we chatted a little before getting into bed by 9pm.

Day 1 (13 Sep): Twittering birds woke me up early so I got up and started breakfast. This prompted the others to also start moving. As a result we were all ready to go at 07:15. It was a cold, overcast morning despite the forecast of sunny weather. We saw a footprint outside the Barn and followed the road as we came in. At the end of the polo field there were a few options but we couldn’t see another print. We thought the print pointed into the poplar forest back at the Barn so we walked back. However, when we walked a few meters into the forest it was clear that there was no path. We consulted the map at this point and determined that the path should go where we walked initially. Walking down the road once again we discovered a hidden footprint pointing further and so we were on our way. The path wound in between poplar and Ouhout clumps, sticking next to a small stream, for about 4km before slowly climbing upwards to the crest of a ridge. At the top we sat for a short break. It was still cold and overcast and most of us were still wearing longs. The path continued on the ridge, eventually linking up with some of the higher ridges in the area. I was slightly concerned that the map indicated that Day 1’s trail returned to the Barn and did not finish at the cave where we were to sleep. But we did not see any splits in the path and just continued, eventually noticing a large cave in the distance. We hoped that the path would take us to this cave and soon our hopes were realized. We arrived at the cave at 1pm. It was a huge overhang with divisions built from sandstone for sleeping. There were grass filled mattresses but we all carried our own mattresses and ground sheets. We rested the rest of the afternoon but also walked up to another cave higher up in the gorge. The fire was started shortly after 4pm and at 5pm all of us were warming our left-over meat from the previous day. As dusk approached, I heard an owl calling. As we followed the call we spotted the owl’s silhouette high up on a cliff on the opposite side of the kloof. It later turned out to be a Cape eagle-owl which was really quite a sighting. We chatted some time still around the fire, frying marshmallows, but none of us lasted much beyond 7pm.

Day 2 (14 Sep): We were up again early and were hiking shortly after 7am. The path ascended the slopes above the cave until we found ourselves directly above the cave. The path continued into a strange valley higher up in the kloof before contouring around to the slopes facing south towards the Barn. The path maintained a very stable contour and we enjoyed walking like this for more than 2km before the path ascended steeply next to a fence before hitting another contour that eventually led to the same path we were on the previous day. We sat down for a bit to eat but I was getting a little bored so Nicola and I hit the path down and soon found ourselves on the last little bit back to the Barn. After a shower we packed up and headed for Bethlehem’s Wimpy.

Kisumu, Kenya Sep 2008

A really spectacular sunset over Lake Victoria from the hotel in Kisumu

Entabeni hiking trail Aug 2008

After work, I picked up first Liza and then Gordon and Nicola. We left Pretoria at about 16:30 and drove without incident. My petrol was running a little thin as we approached Pietersburg and we decided to drive through Potgietersrus to put in there, rather than risk standing next to the road. Eventually we reached the turn-off to Entabeni and after about 15km on the plantation roads, we reached the hut. We were a little annoyed to find the hut locked, but just as we thought about phoning Tinus, who was still on his way, the caretaker showed up and unlocked the hut for us. We started a fire and it wasn’t long before Tinus also showed up and we had some very late dinner before hitting the bed after 23:00.

Day 1 (16 Aug): We got up early, had breakfast and were on our way before 07:30. The birding was fantastic and we had to stop every few minutes to look for something. We racked up a number of birds and heard both Purple-crested as well as Knysna turacos. We walked past the Ebbe dam and took nice pictures. The path went through pine and gum plantations and lots of indigenous forest. We didn’t rush at all but still made good progress. We stopped next to a little stream for lunch and after that it was 4km or so before we were back at the hut. We decided the map was completely wrong but the written description of the trails were not that bad. At the hut we started the fire for the scones we intended to make. Soon Fossie and Emelia arrived and we spent the afternoon chatting outside and looking for birds. Nicola prepared the scone dough and did a great job baking these on the fire – a little burnt on the outside but with lots of cream and strawberry jam, we didn’t really care! Later we built up the fire again for dinner and had lots to eat before eventually heading for bed at around 20:30. During the night it started to rain and when we woke up, it was still raining.

Day 2 (17 Aug): The area was heavily misted and everything was sopping wet outside. It didn’t take much convincing that we shouldn’t hike anywhere. We decided to see if we could drive to some of the places on the map and packed up. We left by about 8am and first tried to drive to the Vera lookout. However, the road looked a little bad and we turned around. Next we aimed for the Redwood forest but missed the turnoff. At a road junction we heard some Samango monkeys and got out to spot them in the trees. We took some photographs through the haunting pine plantations further down the road and then split up to find our ways home. On the way back we went to Albasini dam and spotted a few birds there as well.

Rooi Ivoor hiking trail Aug 2008

I had a half day off and drove to George’s at around 13:00. Shortly after arriving Pam showed up and we were off. We drove through to Middelburg, then onto Stoffberg and Steelpoort before arriving just before 19:00. Shirley and Eddy were already there as well as two members of another group. The fire had already produced coals so I could throw my boerewors on immediately. After dinner I showed some videos and pictures of previous trips on the laptop before we all headed for bed.

Day 1 (02 Aug): We woke up slowly but by 08:00 we were packed and ready to go. We struggled a little initially finding the way – the markings weren’t particularly clear. We wound up on the 4x4 track and followed this right down into a stream bed from where we started seeing signs that must have resembled a tree at some point. We were reasonably sure we were not on the right track but also confident that we’ll find it at some point. Not much further we came to a crossing of paths with a decent signpost that indicated right for the Moepel trail. We got onto this and sped up the hill. Birding was really good, seeing Grey-headed and Orange-breasted bush-shrikes, Southern boubou, Woodpeckers and many other birds. The path steadily wound up the hill and when we reached the top it started skirting along the side of the ridge with nice views down to the valley about 500m below. I was in the lead at this point and I kept a steady pace on the easy path, going past a radio mast and then reaching the point where we were told a new fence has cut off part of the trail. From this point we could clearly see the overnight hut in the distance on the opposite ridge. The path dropped down before climbing a last time up to the hut. It was a fantastic hut with a great location: wonderful views of the valley far below, perched almost on the summit. We rested for the rest of the afternoon and Shirley and I went off to find some birds. It seemed that most birds were having a siesta and we came back without anything new. After 14:00 we saw the other group summitting the ridge in the distance and not long after they also reached the hut. At 4.30pm we started the fire and we all finished dinner before 6pm. It was a beautiful evening so Shirley, Eddy and I all slept outside on the stoep. We heard a Fiery-necked nightjar calling for some time but I fell asleep quickly.

Day 2 (03 Aug): After breakfast we were on our way. The path wound through a few nice patches of bushveld and a small ravine before we reached the turn-off point for the longer trail we wanted to do. Taking the kudu trail we climbed up a pretty ravine with a few wooden ladders before reaching another split in the path. The way we were going was very poorly marked and the path almost non-existent. However, with all five of us looking out for it, we kept on the path and eventually made it to the flats where George and I streaked ahead and reached the hut at about 11:30. After a shower the rest arrived and by 12:00 we were on our way.

Kumasi to Agogo - Ghana Jul 2008

During a week's work in Ghana I snapped a few pictures just outside the hotel and along the road we drove. Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to explore the surrounding areas a bit more.

Bermanzi hiking trail Jul 2008

I had a half day off and drove to George’s place after work at 12:45. Shortly after I arrived, Shirley and Eddy showed up. We packed and left before 2pm. We took our time; Eddy still had to pick up something in Witbank and took the back roads to Middelburg. Before 6pm we were at Bermanzi but the combination lock code that was faxed through to George didn’t work. After some struggling, Eddie tried the code that was used the last time the club was there – magically this worked and soon after we were making fire at the hut. We were using the new Stables hut which was much nicer. Chris and the rest showed up a little later and by 19:00 we were having a barbeque, going to bed not long after.

Day 1 (19 Jul): It was chilly when we got up but we got going at 8am. We walked without much plan, knowing the area by now very well. We eventually ended up at the river in the bottom of the gorge, having skipped out on the trail that walked past the Swazi and Pedi kraals. We continued upstream, enjoying a slow walk and spotting some Knysna turacos as well. Approaching the waterfall, some of us walked straight down to the river and then made our way upstream along the riverbed. This turned out to be very tricky as the waterfall spray and growth on the rocks made everything exceptionally slick. However, we made it to just before the waterfall. George, Shirley and Eddy were talking about climbing out on the other side of the waterfall and seeing a nice looking grass ramp to the right, I voted to go up there. After scrambling up some steep grass and rock, we suddenly came onto a beautiful open trail which we followed right to the top. The remaining 3 members stayed at the waterfall and walked back from there. Soon after we reached the top, we had lunch and then walked back along the top, meeting the rest shortly after the waterfall. I stood on the spot where I anchored my rope 3 years before when I made the 122m abseil and remembered how scary that was. We walked back to the hut, with me in the lead, and arrived at about 1pm. After resting a short while, Shirley, Eddy and I went to practice some abseiling and knot passing at the short section of vertical rock immediately below the huts. Back at the hut we made fire, had a braai and chatted around the fire until about 8pm before all hitting the bed.

Day 2 (20 Jul): Sunday saw us up early and on our way by 8am. This time we took the walk down to the river and past the kraals before heading upstream. Before we got to the waterfall this time, we turned steeply uphill and made our way back to camp. We were probably away for only 2 hours before we were back, had a quick shower and were on our way home by 11:00.

Tsehlanyane peaks - Qwa-Qwa (Drakensberg) Jul 2008

Karen and Phil picked me up from work on Friday afternoon at 16:30. We drove to Warrenn’s place in southern Johannesburg where we picked up Warrenn and Chris. The drive down to Phuthaditjaba was uneventful and we arrived at the University of the Freestate, Qwa-Qwa campus at about 22:00 where Kagiso, the owner of Maluticaves trail, duly waited for us. After we spoke to him, we decided to drive straight up to Mkhondo hut from where we would be able to start the next morning for Daggasneck pass. The road was pretty bad and could not have been done without a 4x4. We arrived at the hut shortly after 23:00, having picked up the key to the hut from two shepherds staying in the ruins just above the huts. We had the one hut all to ourselves and sorted out all our gear before going to bed.

Day 1 (05 Jul): We rose early and although it looked like a beautiful day, the wind was blowing hard and icily outside. We packed and left at about 08:00, walking up towards the ruins. There we met the two shepherds who were going to guide two Namibians who stayed in the other hut. We spoke briefly and asked about names of the peaks in the region. They corrected us on which peaks were Kgotswane and Metjathitjane and that Thaba Putsoa means Grey Mountain. We followed the footprints up from the ruins, first following the road, then some shepherd tracks rising gently up towards a saddle. The two shepherds and the Namibians arrived at the saddle while I waited for the others and started contouring around the next spur into the main valley of Daggasneck pass. We followed around, keeping our own contour. Feeling a little worried still about how my feet were going to cope with a pass, I took it very slowly but steadily. I made very good progress and managed to stay well in front of the others, resting occasionally. Walking very slowly I was able to gain a good distance. I topped out at 11:30 in a very strong wind. I sheltered behind a rock and waited for the others. Warrenn showed up first and Chris wasn’t far behind. A shepherd and his dogs stood not far from us. We waited until Karen and Phil were close to the top; then we set off to climb what I eventually called Tsehlanyane’s hat. This peak turned out to be 2960m tall and was therefore not a Khulu. Back at the packs we sheltered behind the rock for lunch before setting off on an exploratory trip on the escarpment. The wind was blowing hard and it was cold. We climbed to the top of the next peak, passing the shepherd and his 9 dogs along the way. He was very friendly, spoke not a word of English, and posed for pictures for me and Chris. The top of the next peak was measured at exactly 3000m by both my and Chris’s GPSs. We decided to call it Tsehlanyane peak. We descended into the next valley, looking for a cave as far as we went. While the others hid behind a rock band, Chris went one way and I another. Finding nothing we got together again and walked a little further north. The wind was starting to take its toll so we dropped the packs once again and while Phil and Warrenn waited, Chris, Karen and I went looking for caves once more. Only about 300m further along I spotted a cave below us in the escarpment wall. It looked like the grass slopes may be a little nasty to cross but Chris walked down and when he returned, informed us that the cave is very interesting, being open at both ends. It was large enough for all of us but had a rocky floor and was a bit drafty. We decided it will still be better than sleeping on top so we fetched the others. As we approached the cave, it started to snow lightly. Getting across the slopes proved to be a little hard. It was very steep and exposed on the grass slopes and the extremely strong gusts tried hard to pull us off. Finally in the cave we wasted no time to level the ground for sleeping place and getting some hot water going. With dinner done, it started snowing a little harder outside and the wind blew in flakes every now and again. We went to bed almost immediately after dinner. The wind got worse and worse and soon snow was being blown into the cave at a rapid pace. Chris decided to get his flysheet out to try and cover the three of us who were bivvying behind Karen and Phil’s tent. For the next half an hour or so the tent flapped incessantly above us. When Chris got up to pee, he noticed the tent scraping badly against the cave wall and snow being blown into the tent which was acting like a sail. He struggled tremendously to turn it around and eventually had it fixed to some extent. However, with the wind gusting at probably 60-80km per hour through the cave, we got little sleep during the night.

Day 2 (06 Jul): We emerged from inside our sleeping bags with the wind still blowing fiercely outside. The mountain slopes were covered in snow and the sun on the rocks made a stunning sight. Thin clouds still blew in from the escarpment but it was in general totally clear. As we started to pack up, Chris’s sleeping bag suddenly got lifted by the wind and blew out of the cave and away in the wind. Swearing, he tried to go after it but to no avail. To add to this, his torch was inside the sleeping bag. With the wind making life almost unbearable and bitterly cold, we decided to skip breakfast and get off the mountain as soon as possible. We packed up, losing some plastic bags to the wind as well. We were finally ready to go and started moving across the slope. The snow on the slope along with the wind made it extremely dangerous. Neither Phil, nor Karen could do it with their packs and Chris had to escort them across the slope. I took Phil’s pack but when I crossed I realized I would not be able to go back again for my own pack – I was a little freaked out. Chris heroically went back twice for Karen and my pack before returning with his own. The previous day, Chris mentioned we could do the pass the cave was in. While we waited for Chris to fetch his pack, Warrenn had a look a little lower down the pass and indicated the pass can go. We started to descend and continued when Chris was also down. But then Warrenn started coming back - dead end. This meant we had to climb back up the pass. The gully was severely iced up and full of snow. We had to be very careful and when we finally reached the top, the wind took our breaths away – it was easily blowing at 100-120km per hour. The top was covered in snow and very beautiful – unfortunately it was not pleasant on top and we wanted to get off immediately. Our haste made us decided to go down the next pass that we saw from the top, instead of walking 2km back to Daggasneck pass. The top of this pass, which we called Tsehlanyane pass, was easy enough, but soon it steepened into a rock gully choked with snow and ice. But we confidently climbed down and made good progress until we reached a nasty looking short waterfall. Chris climbed out of the gully on a very steep and slippery grass slope to check out the gully lower down. He returned to tell us that there is another obstacle lower down the gully that may be even worse. However, the grass slopes looked simple enough, except that the wind was gusting harder on the slopes than in the gully. With Karen and Phil protesting about the grass slopes we decided to go for those anyway as Chris was confident they would be safer. Taking our time, we crossed the short but tricky section. Chris had to help Karen and Chris across and take their packs as well. Out on the slopes, it was indeed much easier despite the stronger wind. We were also now in the sun and started warming up a little for the first time. We descended rapidly and soon made it down to the river and a small track that joined up with the Daggasneck pass path. Chris decided to go and look for his sleeping bag while the rest of us returned to camp. The four of us stopped at the bottom for a quick lunch before catching the path back to the hut. This went uneventfully except that my feet started to hurt a little just before we hit the road. Sitting to wait for Karen and Phil, I had enough rest to make the remaining 500m quite bearable. Chris arrived about 10 minutes after us; unfortunately he didn’t find his bag. We all jumped in the shower and were very relieved to be back and looking forward to some decent food. At 15;00 we piled in the car and were ready to go. Then the car wouldn’t start. After numerous attempts, Phil called a buddy of his who advised to heat up the diesel pump. We went back into the hut, boiled water and poured this on the pump. This also didn’t work. We called Kagiso to try and get some help. While waiting we decided to try and push start it. This also didn’t work. Then, just as despair started to set in, Phil gave one more try and suddenly the car sprang into life. We jumped up and down with joy, got in the car and off we were to Harrismith for dinner, then back home.

Kgaswane Mountain Reserve (Magaliesberg) Jun 2008

After spending most of the day birding at Roodeplaat dam, I drove through by myself at about 1.30pm, arriving at about 3pm. After taking my pack with all my hiking stuff to the camp, I returned to the car to fetch my laptop and a few other things. Back at the car I did some birding while waiting for the others. When they didn’t arrive by 5pm, I walked back to camp and completed my birding list for the day on the laptop. It wasn’t long after when the rest of the team showed up. We started the fire and then celebrated Shirley’s birthday with some champagne. After dinner we chatted till about 7pm before we hit the bed.

Day 1 (28 Jun): Under the trees, it took some time for the sunlight to filter through – consequently we probably only got up around 7am. We packed quickly and I took a quick walk back to the car to drop my laptop and other things I didn’t feel like carrying. George, Eddy and Brian also walked back to the car soon after. At around 8.30 we started on the same trail I did almost 4 years ago. Shortly after we started climbing we came upon a little kudu calf lying on the path. It was very much alive and we first thought it was caught in a snare or broke a bone or something. Shirley mentioned putting it out of its misery but then George and Eddy thought that it might just be struggling to get up. George got it by the back and heaved it up and all of a sudden it found its legs and bounded away in the undergrowth – we were happy that we managed to help the little one. We eventually made it up the seemingly endless incline, headed past the zebra dam and then up towards the trig beacon where we arrived at about 11am. We had a bite to eat before carrying on. Just before descending down the escarpment, a group of four came walking on the path towards us. They had started from Naga that morning, but I thought they should’ve done it in the opposite direction. I took the lead and soon I was ahead of the rest. My feet were getting a little sore as I ascended back to the top and as I approached the Secretary bird plains I decided to have a short break to rest my feet. George and Eddy soon came walking up and I took the lead again with George following. We first saw the green water tank in the distance and about 1km further, walked into camp – it was 1pm. We rested easy the afternoon. Brian started the fire early to heat up water for the showers and during the course of the afternoon we all had a hot bath/shower. I started cooking my mealies and onion early and at 5pm had a really nice dinner of mealies, onion and boerewors. At 17.30 we were all ready to go to bed and I read for a short while before dozing off.

Day 2 (29 Jun): We were up before the sun and ready to go by 7.30. There was a slight but chilly wind blowing so I kept my top on. I took the lead with the intention of resting my feet properly along the way. I walked an hour and then reached the little kloof where a ladder descends into it. At the bottom I sat and waited for about 15 minutes before the others arrived. Then I was off again and walked well until I reached Tierkloof waterfall. My feet had started to become a sore but it wasn’t killing me yet. Either way, the others were still some time away so I scrambled up the other side, took my boots off and sat baking in the sun. Twenty minutes later the others arrived. Eddy and Shirley clambered down to the waterfall but it wasn’t long before we started walking again. Once more I went out in front and made good progress up the first little ridge. George stuck close behind but after I crossed the plains and the car road, I pulled ahead. I climbed well up to Trig beacon 217, had a short break, and then moved on. I passed the four hikers we passed the previous day – they still had quite a way to go. Down into the kloof I sat down again just as I entered the forest. My feet were reasonably sore, but the brief rest of about 8 minutes or so made a huge difference. I got up before the others arrived and sped down the kloof to the bottom. After walking another 400m towards the hut, I had another short break to ease the pain from the kloof descent. I then realized that the road running next to the path will take me back directly to the car so I walked through a little bit of burnt veld and then got on the road for the last 500m. I reached the car at about 12:20. I only waited about 15 minutes for the others to show up. As I was close to home and eager to get back there, I said my goodbyes and left at 12:45.

Gatberg - Monk's Cowl (Drakensberg) Jun 2008

Darrell and Liza arrived at my work shortly after 4pm on Friday. Gordon and Nicola were stuck in traffic and arrived some time later. We left around 16:30 and made our way through Jo'burg traffic. Just after 9pm we arrived in Bergville and slept under the tennis court veranda.

Day 1 (21 Jun): My alarm went off at 05:30 but I snoozed it 3 times before getting up just after 6am. It was chilly but not cold. We had rain during the night but the skies were clearing fast. We had breakfast, packed up and were on our way shortly after 7am, arriving at Monk’s Cowl around 08:30. We signed in, got dressed and were on our way. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the weather looked stable. We started up the path towards the Sphinx. I was walking with the new La Sportiva Thunders and took it nice and easy. We passed a group of day trippers at the Sphinx and spread out a little as each took his own pace up towards the contour path. Gordon reached Blind Man’s Corner just before me and veered off to the left to the campsite. When I reached the path I dropped my pack and went to fetch him as we were supposed to go the other direction. Just after 11am we were all at BMC and we rested a little before carrying on. My left foot started developing the same problem I had with the KSB Sherpas. It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t walk but it certainly did not bode well. Shortly before 12am we reached a little gully with a stream where I decided to sit for lunch as I needed to take my boots off – my foot was starting to hurt quite a bit. After lunch it was better for the first few hundred meters but then it started hurting again. Despite this, I kept going well and we descended from Hlatikulu neck to the river valley. We could see a pretty clear track leading up a spur towards Gatberg and it seemed easy enough to follow. I was already harboring ideas of not going to the top but seeing the path made me re-evaluate. We reached the river valley just after 1pm and looked around a bit before finding two decent campsites. I took my boots off to rest my feet but as discussions grew about climbing Gatberg, I put my shoes back on and tried to tie the laces in a different way to see if I could ease the pain. However, walking a short distance, my foot was screaming again and I decided to give it a rest. Gordon, Darrell and Nicola were set on going so they started at 1.30pm. Liza and I pitched the tents and listened to radio communications from Darrell on their progress. I spent the afternoon reading and relaxing in the tent. Just after 4pm they returned, with Darrell and Gordon making it to the top. They indicated the path was reasonably easy to follow but the last section is a little exposed, although not as much as Cathedral peak. Soon after we started boiling water for some coffee and tea and then started eating and cooking as well. The pasta with mince and cheese came off beautifully and with the beetroot as a starter and hot chocolate as pudding, we were very content when we went to bed at 6pm. I still read well into the night. It was chilly outside but certainly not as cold as I expected it would be – I probably only switched my light off at around 9pm.

Day 2 (22 Jun): We woke just before sunrise, had breakfast and packed up. My feet were feeling OK so I made good time climbing back up to Hlatikulu neck. I went in front and walked all the way to Blind Man’s Corner without feeling much pain. Here I rested and waited for the others. A couple came walking up, on their way up Sterkhorn. Clouds were building and a very light, cold breeze was blowing – it looked like it might rain later, perhaps even snow! Down from BMC we went, and rested again at the Sphinx – this I climbed as well. Unfortunately, with the downhill, my foot started hurting. Even so, shortly after passing a huge group of youngsters on their way up, Gordon and I dropped our packs to have a look at the sunken forest. We walked for about 100m before we walked into some forest where a few really large boulders seemed to provide a different touch to the forest. We returned and caught up to the others, arriving at the car just before noon. We all had a very welcome hot shower before hopping in the car for the long drive back.

Kisumu, Kenya Jun 2008

A colleague and I arrived in Kisumu over the weekend for work in the coming week. The Monday was a public holiday in Kenya and we decided to go for a short boat trip out on Lake Victoria to find some birds

Munich - Germany May 2008

I had a quick 2-day trip to Germany for work and while we walked around town, I was able to add a few birds to my list.

Kruger National Park birding May 2008

A 3-day trip to Kruger park, all on my lonesome, looking for some birds. I started in Pretoriuskop, then went to Skukuza, Lower Sabie, Crocodile Bridge and exited and Malelane gate.

Uitsoek hiking trail - May 2008

After work on Friday I drove over to the Newing’s place and arrived shortly after 17:00. I left my car there and we drove to Gordon’s cousin’s place to pick him up. We left Pretoria around 18:15. Not long before 20:00 we picked Nicola up in Middelburg and then drove through to the petrol station on the N4 at the Belfast turn-off where Darrell and Liza had a quick dinner – the rest of us had eaten before we left. We took the Schoemanskloof alternative to Waterval Boven But I didn’t notice that it was still called the N4 and mistakenly sent us on the R36 to Lydenburg. When we saw the Kwena dam turn-off I realized I made a mistake and we had to backtrack to the Schoemanskloof road. We looked for any signs to Uitsoek but didn’t see any. As a result we had to go all the way to the N4 and then take the R539 to Sabie/Sudwala. This road eventually turned into a dirt road which we followed for 10km before we saw a signpost to Uitsoek. Through the boom the road turned into tar again and we drove on this to the forest station where it turned into dirt again for the last section to the hut. We arrived well after 23:00 and were eager to go to sleep. We discovered other people were also there and there were no more mattresses for us. A little upset, we managed between one remaining mattress, as well as two that Nicola and Gordon brought, to sleep OK for the night.

Day 1 (10 May): I had a bit of a fitful sleep and got up when it grew light outside. I started packing up and the others soon joined me and we started breakfast. We were ready to go at 07:30 and off we went up the hill. Almost immediately we entered the pine plantation and despite the gentle uphill, we made very good progress. Initially one of the day walks followed the same route and when our trail inconspicuously split off, we didn’t notice it until Gordon, who was walking in front, returned without having seen any white footprints. Gordon retraced our steps for about 100m and then found the split – very indistinct. Gradually we gained height through the pine, until, at about 10:30, we emerged from the forest at the exact same spot I recall having missed the trail 10 years previously. This time however, the bushes were cleared and we could directly see the trail going up into the upper grass slopes of the escarpment. With Gordon and me in front we started gaining rapid height. We came across a small forested gully with clear running water and we sat down for a while. It was a beautiful and hot morning but a slight breeze gave just enough relief. We left the forested gully around 11:20 and soon afterwards came across a bigger gully with a very nice clear area where we decided to have an early lunch. After lunch we contoured around the mountain and then dropped into Clivia gorge. It was really beautiful and I was enjoying the hike tremendously. Climbing out of Clivia gorge was a little less pleasant, but when we eventually topped out, we had stunning views over the lowveld stretching into the distance. We crossed a small stream just before entering pine again and this gave some very welcome relief from the hot sun. We walked steadily until exiting the forest again and saw Lisabon hut right in front of us. It was just before 14:30. I had faint ideas about climbing Makobulwane, a ridge peak I saw when we topped out on the escarpment. However, arriving at the hut I was fairly tired and very lazy and decided to rather relax for the rest of the afternoon. Most of us went down to the river for a brief splash-down as the shower seems to have fallen into disrepair. We started the fire early as I wanted to eat at 6pm. We cut thin green branches from a young pine tree and used this as skewers to fry marshmallows. After dinner we sat around the fire for a short while but we all drifted to bed before 7pm and were soon fast asleep.

Day 2 (11 May): I got up soon after it started lightening outside. It looked to be a brilliant day and I got everyone out of bed. We had a quick breakfast and were walking by 07:15. We started through pine plantation again but soon emerged on the escarpment edge and contoured here for a fair distance with magnificent views to the east. A cool breeze was blowing and kept the sweat away. At about 3km from Lisabon hut, the path dropped through the top rock bands, descended first through grassland and then a young pine plantation before dropping into the lower reaches of Clivia gorge. Here our pace slowed a little as we enjoyed the beautiful green of the forest and the murmur of cascading streams. I remember our difficulties crossing the bridges 10 years ago vividly, but the wire they fixed to the bridges completely solved this problem and we experienced only one difficult bridge where one of the support beams has collapsed. The route through the forest eventually opened up slightly and we walked through more savannah type vegetation. In total, we crossed 19 bridges. This number excludes the bridge we crossed directly below Lisabon hut, as well as a small little wooden step built shortly after the first or second bridge in the forest. With everyone keeping to their own pace, the group split up but eventually all got back to the hut without problems. We all had a quick shower and were on our way back by 13:00.

Skywalk (Eastern Cape) May 2008

After work on Friday I drove to Karen’s place. From there we drove to Karen’s parents in Senekal arriving around 9pm. They offered us some delicious left-over food before we went to bed. We were up at 5am and gone by 6am, arriving without incident in Lady Grey around 11am. We went to the Mountain View Inn owned by the Oertels. We parked the Terios in the back and made sure we had all we needed. Shortly after, Otto Oertel showed up to take us through to Tiffendell. The drive was very pretty and we stared at the high mountains we were about to enter.

Day 1 (26 Apr): Otto dropped us off at Tiffendell and left for the long drive back. As we gathered our packs, Karen and Phil realized they left their ski-poles in the car. Phil quickly phoned Otto and luckily there was reception – Otto returned to drop off the ski-poles. It was cold. There was still quite a large amount of snow on the slopes after the snowfall of 21 May. A strong wind was blowing over the icy slopes and we started hiking with shell gear and beanies. We followed the Tiffendell dirt road to the upper ski-lift station and in places had to wade through knee-deep snow. When we arrived at the top we were greeted with a bitterly cold gale blowing from the north. We dropped our packs and walked over to the top of Ben MacDhui. It was a beautiful sight – mountains everywhere as far as you looked! Back at our packs we kept to the southern slopes to try and avoid the wind but it was not always possible. I had Breslin’s kop in my sights and this was just under 4km away. The walking was pretty easy at this stage and compared well to the Drakensberg escarpment. We made it to just below Breslin’s kop when I spotted a flat rocky slab about 20m below us. I walked down to it and discovered that it would make a good camping spot. We decided to first climb Breslin’s kop which was another 50m higher up. At the top we had magnificent views of the Witteberg range still in front of us, as well as all the Lesotho mountains to the north. At the campsite the wind was a little calmer and we pitched the tent at around 17:30 while getting the stove going as well. Soon we had dinner going and went to bed straight after.

Day 2 (27 Apr): The night was calm and we woke to a clear but cold morning. When the sun rose, it did not make much difference to the cold and by 07:30 we were on our way – dressed in a lot of warm gear. The wind still blew from the north but not quite as cold as the previous afternoon. Following the fence lines as far as possible, we made very good time initially, despite having to climb through fences a couple of times. As we approached Edge Hill we came across some kraals that I assume must be Basotho as we were still very close to the border. Phil inadvertently discovered the spot where we had to descend the main range if we were not able to cross Edge Hill – this was as described by Dawn Green and Derek Odendaal. We still hoped to go across the top and climbed across a fence to traverse around the last hill to reach Edge Hill. There was a steep gully leading down to the northern slopes that looked like it could work. I still walked further along the ridge and discovered that we would not be able to descend the ridge directly as it was a sheer 50m drop. Back at the gully we discussed our options for a while: Karen and I thought it was possible but certainly were apprehensive about how things looked on the other side. Phil did not like the look of the summit ridge of Edge Hill. After 5 minutes we decided to play it safe and descend the range. We returned to the point where Phil had started descending and walked down to a gate in the fence on a nice bridle path. We decided to have lunch immediately beyond the gate and we watched the valley below us as we ate. Soon after lunch we packed up and descended. The path was still covered in snow in places and the walking was interesting. The path disappeared on approaching the saddle between Point 2404 and the summit ridge but we managed to pick it up again lower down. At the bottom we decided to follow Derek’s advice to stick high up against the mountain but this proved to be rather difficult with large patches of thick fynbos, including thorny rose hip, confusing cattle paths and endless numbers of fences we had to cross. Our progress was very slow in this section; so much so that I decided at one point to rather go down to the road and walk from there, even though it would take us much longer. We started walking south towards the farm road but 100m lower down it seemed like the undergrowth opened up and we decided to have another go at traversing west along the mountain base. Things went a little easier now but it was getting late in the day. Past 16:00 I started aiming for a little bush in the distance and when we arrived at about 16:45, we found a pretty decent campsite to use for the night. Our water was a little low but Karen judged it to be enough. We pitched the tent while the stove was going and after dinner soon crawled into bed. During the night it dripped a little but when we got up the next morning, the tent was dry.

Day 3 (28 Apr): We left again at around 07:30 with a perfectly clear sky above. We had a good walk down the ridge and towards the road that crosses Lundin’s neck. We followed a number of good cattle paths and eventually made it out to the road. Phil complained a little about his right knee and Karen’s boots were crushing one of her little toes. I aimed for a gully we could see in the distance that goes up about 1.5km south of Balloch Peak – this was also as described by Derek. I reached a point where I thought we should start climbing. Phil and Karen were both struggling to keep up and as we reached a small stream, they proposed that I hike up on my own to climb Balloch Peak if I wanted to and then wait for them as they get up the gully at their own pace. This sounded like a good idea as the weather looked very good and I really wanted to get up Balloch. The walk up on the ridge approaching the gully was steep and hot in the morning sun. I had to get across a fence on my own before struggling through thick grass to the bottom of the gully. The gully was very steep and for some reason I felt very tired going up it. Sitting down numerous times, I occasionally spotted the other two making their way below me. I finally reached the top at 11:50 and was absolutely exhausted. I decided not to have lunch yet, and immediately took some water and started walking up towards Balloch Peak. Even without the pack the going was hard as my blood sugar dropped but I finally reached the top. The views were really brilliant but I must admit that my exhaustion took precedence and after a few quick pics, I was back on my way down, reaching the pack at 12:50. I immediately started eating lunch and felt very shaky with low blood sugar. At around 13:05, Karen and Phil arrived at the top and they sat down for a brief rest – they had lunch in the pass. From the top of this gully we then walked a little uphill to where we crossed another fence and then struggled through thick grass to a stream where we got some good water. From here we followed a cattle path that angled uphill and topped out on a ridge leading towards a high plateau. With my legs still a little shaky, I stuck to the back. Heavy clouds started to build up and we were all very tired. On the ridge, a bitterly cold wind blew in, and with the sun starting to go behind the clouds, we had to dress warmly. As we approached the plateau/saddle where I thought of camping we had to drop quite a bit of height to avoid crossing and re-crossing a fence. At the bottom of this section a lot of cattle have trampled the earth into mud and just as we started crossing this section, it started to drip lightly. It was very cold and we hurried on to a rocky section just below the saddle summit where we decided to pitch the tent – it was 15:30. We didn’t get quite as far as I had hoped for the day, but it was a tough day and we were all very tired. We agreed that we would get up at 05:00 the next morning. Dinner was done before 18:00 and immediately after we were all ensconced for the night.

Day 4 (29 Apr): We were up at 05:00 and on our way shortly after 06:00. The skies cleared up early in the evening and we had heavy frost all around. We walked barely for 10 minutes before my feet were soaked. It took us a while to climb onto the ridge behind our campsite but we made the ridge shortly after sunrise and made good progress towards Point 2599. Here we ran into a very nasty fence – the bottom two thirds were covered in chicken wire and the four upper wires were spaced too close to climb through. The barbs on the top wire were so close together that you couldn’t even put your hands on it! Finally across, we had to descend a steep and thickly overgrown gully to get to the ridge connecting Point 2599 to the rest of the range. We ran into an even nastier fence that was on a very steep slope. We struggled a lot here and ended up on the other side of the fence with a lot of holes all over us from the barbs. Finally on the ridge we made better time and eventually walked up to what looked like an abandoned hut in the Skiddaw valley area. From here we contoured on the inside (northern slope) of a large bowl where we were able to collect some water – from here we could see the ridge starting to sharpen ahead of us and we knew that water was going to become a little scarce. As we approached Trig beacon 217, clouds had started to move in again and the wind blowing from the north was very cold. We made it to the Trig beacon at about 11:00, took some pictures and started to traverse the next section on the northern slope. The ridge before Avoca peak started to rise and sharpen and we could see several dragons’ back shaped sections that looked a little scary. Just before 12:00 we sat down for an early lunch just before the first serious climb to the altitude of Avoca. We used the opportunity to dry the tent and flysheet from the previous night’s frost. Then we started climbing and came to a few interesting spots – the fence made life difficult as it forced us to walk over exposed sections and traverse past large drop-offs. But we had a steady approach and made good progress over difficult terrain. After crossing a steep, snow-covered southern slope beneath a shark-fin outcrop, we descended to a saddle and tackled the next section on the northern slope. Gaining height on this slope until we reached the summit, we topped out on a spectacular ridge that was only 1m wide in places with the mountains falling away on either side – it was magnificent! We gained steady altitude and I climbed to another Trig Beacon (226) just before the start of Avoca peak’s slopes. From here we decided to traverse low on the northern slopes of Avoca which turned out to be a little overgrown in fynbos. But we progressed well and I discovered a reasonable campsite just after 4pm, about 500m north of the actual summit of Avoca peak. As the sun set, clouds and mist moved in from the south and we had a very colourful sunset. The views to the north were beautiful and as we ate dinner, the wind also subsided and eventually died in the early night.

Day 5 (30 Apr): With clear skies we once again had heavy frost during the night. We decided that Phil, who were still having trouble with his right knee, would traverse the northern slopes of Avoca by himself while Karen and I climb Avoca peak. We would then meet up again on the ridge leading west from Avoca. We had a bit of a late start and were only away shortly after 7am. Karen and I climbed well and arrived at the summit about 25 minutes later. We were greeted by the most amazing view over the southern valleys. Cloud covered most of the hills below 1900m and the view was so awe-inspiring that I got tears in my eyes – I decided that Avoca’s summit ranks within the top 5 summits I have reached so far. We descended again over some rocky sections and as we approached the ridge, we saw Phil walking in the distance. On the ridge, early morning cloud had moved in and the wind from the north was once again below freezing. We covered up with shell gear, beanies, balaclavas and gloves and struggled against the cold wind. As we only had about 8km to cover to reach Snowdon, I wasn’t in a big hurry. The two Snowdon annexes kept us busy but it wasn’t long before we sat down for lunch, hiding behind a rocky outcrop on the ridge leading directly to Snowdon. Snowdon is a magnificent hill with two Trig beacons on the northern and southern ends, ringed with a rock band of about 10m tall. After lunch we headed towards its southern slopes and came across a decent campsite for the night. We all wanted a nice long break and we rested well for the rest of the afternoon. Initially I thought about doing the 12km round-trip to Graskop on my own, so that we could head south west towards Pelion the next day. But I felt lazy and decided to only climb Snowdon for the afternoon. At 14:00, Karen and I left for the walk to the top. I wasn’t sure where we would be able to breach the rock band but as we approached it, I saw a pretty easy ramp leading to the top which we quickly scaled. We walked to both beacons and took a bunch of pics before descending back to the tent. We spent dusk watching the beautiful play of colours on the valleys to the north and eventually went to bed, feeling ready for the last two days.

Day 6 (01 May): When I poked my head out of the tent at 05:00, I couldn’t see a thing – we were covered in mist. Our plan was to walk to Pelion peak and from there descend a ridge towards the tip of Joubert’s pass. We packed the wet tent slowly to make sure we start walking when it was light. At about 06:15 we were on our way and I navigated by GPS. When we reached the ridge I thought will lead to Pelion, we all decided that it would be better if we descended immediately to the farm road Karen and I had spotted from the top of Snowdon. This would mean we miss out on Pelion peak but would also mean we get off the mountain – we were concerned that there may be snow in the air. I struggled finding the track in the heavy fog, even with GPS, but I kept heading downhill until we ran onto a thin track that had bright orange markers on it. This we followed until it turned into a cattle track that started heading due south – and we were supposed to go due west. I then headed off the track on the GPS, lost some more height and then descended a steep grassy slope on its southern flank – this brought us into a deep valley and at the bottom of this we ran into the track again. This time however, it was much broader and very obviously a bulldozed road. We were happy to be finally on something recognizable and after a brief stop, we headed down this road. The road ran down some pretty steep inclines and we walked past a bulldozer being used on the track. The road dropped steeply down to the river where we crossed at a little drift and started taking off a few layers – the clouds and fog had started to clear slightly and although the sun poked out occasionally it was still pretty cold. A little later we heard some noise coming up the road and a girl on a quad bike and a guy on a scrambler came past. We chatted briefly and the guy explained we still had about 3km to go to an empty farmhouse. Shortly after chatting to these people, another larger group came past on scramblers, quads, and what we later learned, a Polaris buggy. We chatted to them as well and later found out it was Dick Eistedd, his wife and some family and friends going up for the day. The farmhouse we eventually reached and sat down for some biscuits and water. Then we were on our way again and at long last reached the road of Joubert’s pass just after 12. We walked down to where the road crossed the Karnmelkspruit and sat down for lunch. We had already walked about 16km for the day and our feet were sore. While the tent and flysheet dried in the wind, I boiled some water for Karen and Phil’s lunch. I settled for biscuits, chocolate and biltong. At around 1pm we hit the road again at a steady pace, walking a good 4km before having a brief break. A lady came past while I was walking out in front; Phil and Karen spoke to her and she apparently invited us in for coffee if we walked past Olympus farm. Another 30 minutes passed and we were starting to feel really tired. We checked the map and noticed that we were already on the Olympus farm area. We followed the road and came to the entrance to the farmhouse. Deciding to take the lady up on her offer, we walked in and knocked on the door. The whole family greeted us and immediately offered us some coffee. We chatted some time before I asked if they knew about some place along the way we could pitch our tent – they immediately offered their place for sleeping and we gladly took it up. Maureen showed me around and I then also met her husband, Leo. The whole family consisted of Leo and Maureen Reid, Maureen’s mom Dorothy and Leo and Maureen’s daughter Kerry-Anne as well as her two children Philippa and Catherine. Leo showed me pictures of Mozambique and told me he used to date the daughter of Brian Godbold – he used to climb with him as well. We enjoyed the afternoon of chatting tremendously and later went out to pitch the tent and get ready for the night. The three of us agreed we wouldn’t accept dinner if it was offered to us but when Maureen invited us, she refused to take no for an answer. We couldn’t decline and the food was delicious. We sat around the fire in the lounge until after 9pm before thanking them, saying goodbye and going to bed.

Dat 7 (2 May): Phil woke at around 03:45 and asked softly who else was awake. I was awake as well and tired of sleeping. I suggested we start walking and this idea caught on very quickly. At 04:30 we were on the road – literally. We had about 19km to walk for the day and intended to walk a good distance before breakfast. There was some moonlight and we were able to walk without torches. It was chilly in the morning air but I enjoyed this walking very much and we made excellent progress. Shortly before 6am we stopped to have breakfast. It was still pretty dark but the stars had started to fade. We sat in the middle of the road, got the stove out and boiled water for breakfast. I had two really nice cups of coffee with salticrax but I started getting cold and at about 06:30 we were walking again. Soon we hit the incline that goes towards the summit of Joubert’s pass – third highest in South Africa. I walked a little faster and got to the neck first where I sat down, looking out towards Lady Grey – it was a beautiful morning and I felt very sentimental at this point. Karen and Phil arrived shortly and we started on the remaining 8km or so. I took my time down the pass but still went ahead of the other two and started singing and whistling as I went. We finally arrived in Lady Grey and got to the hotel at about 11am. We sat on the stoep and had a drink before going up to our rooms. The shower and shave was wonderful. Then we met again for lunch – Phil and I have been looking forward to a steak for a whole week!

Rhebok hiking trail (Drakensberg) Apr 2008

After work I drove to Gordon’s parents’ place to pick him and Nicola up. We left at 16:45 and drove on the R21/R24. Traffic wasn’t too bad except the usual delays at Gillooleys. We bought something to eat at the Engen at Villiers and by 21:00 we were at Glen Reenen. The campsite was locked but we woke a guard at the petrol station who opened up and we quickly set up the tent on a concrete caravan stand. Gordon wanted to sleep outside but was soon chased into the tent by mozzies.

Day 1 (5 Apr): My alarm went off at 05:00. It was a cool morning but the brilliant stars heralded a beautiful day. Just after 06:00 we were on our way and walked well to the top of Sentinel. Then we climbed down to the path that skirted the lower slopes before climbing to the ridge from where the path led to the Backside. It was a gloriously beautiful day and despite the wet grass dampening my socks and boots, the hiking was brilliant. We stopped for a short break where the path dipped to the stream. Then we carried on and soon found ourselves having another short break just before the Wilgenhof house before descending down to the road. We crossed the road shortly after 10:00 and beat a group on horseback to the hut at 11:15. We were planning on carrying on to the saddle between Ribbok Kop and Generaals kop but clouds had started to build and threaten since 09:30. At the hut they were starting to look darker and we immediately started a fire to cook our lunch/dinner. I made the call to stay at the hut instead of carrying on. With the fire still burning brightly we heated some garlic bread and cooked mushrooms that Nicola brought for dinner. These we had for lunch. When the fire settled into some nice coals we put on pork sausages and lamb sosaties, but these were not done yet when the first rain drops started. Luckily it wasn’t the break of a big storm yet so we kept the meat on the braai. However, not long after we took the meat off, the rain came down hard. We spent most of the afternoon reading in bed before we started dinner at around 17:30. The rain had killed our fire completely but with a lull after dinner we decided to start it up again. We got a roaring fire going again before rain once more started pelting down and we headed back into our beds. Later we got up once more and noticed a few embers clinging to life – stars have come out above and we stood outside for a while longer until the sky was once more covered with cloud.

Day 2 (6 Apr): During the night it rained some more and when Gordon’s alarm went off, the rain was pelting the roof. We listened to a number of snooze alarms before finally getting up and ready. The weather was cold, wet and miserable and I decided to can the day’s planned walk and just walk out to the road and back to camp. At 07:00 we were on our way and slipped and slid on the muddy road all the way to the stables. Here we got on the tar road and walked back to Glen Reenen, arriving around 08:30. We had a quick shower, before going to the office to pay for our trip.

Bannerman pass - Giant's Castle (Drakensberg) Mar 2008

For the entire week I had training in Sandton and Gordon and Nicola came to pick me up from the Southern Sun hotel at 15:30. Traffic for the Easter weekend was heavy and it took us about an hour and a half to fight through Johannesburg. Eventually on the N3, we went well, despite heavy traffic, and had dinner at Bergview’s Wimpy. Although the sky looked clear as we started driving to Bergville, rain was forcasted for the next morning and I expected this to start during the night – consequently I decided to rather stay over in Bergville where we at least could have a roof over our heads at the tennis court instead of a wet tent in Estcourt. Arriving in Bergville around 20:30, we pitched the tent at the tennis courts to avoid the mosquitoes and went to bed.

Day 1 (21 Mar): We woke at 5am to drizzle – the decision to stay in Bergville turned out to be a good one. We packed up quickly, had breakfast and were on our way at 06:00. In Estcourt we filled up petrol and drove to Giant’s Castle, arriving not long after 8am. We completed the mountain register at the entry gate and drove to reception where we paid for the hiking, then to the picnic site where we parked under a large tree. It was cold and miserable, so we dressed up in full rain gear. We eventually started walking down to the river at 08:45, crossed the stream on a wooden bridge and took the path heading up towards Bannerman. With all the grass wet from the previous night’s rain, it was barely five minutes before my feet were soaked and it would remain so for the next four days. We made good progress up the valley and then climbed up on a spur and into the mist. Every now and again, a light drizzle would engulf us and when we reached the contour path, we were pretty wet. As there was nowhere dry to sit and rest, we carried on and reached the hut before 1pm. The hut was really a very welcome sight and we even had a nice table and benches to sit at. After draping all our wet gear around the hut and putting on dry clothes, we had lunch with hot soup and tea. None of us felt like going out in the rain again to go up the pass and we decided to stay in the hut for the night. After lunch we climbed into our sleeping bags and listened to the rain on the roof. At around 17:30 we started dinner. With heavy cloud and drizzle still in the air, we went to bed. During the night a very strong wind started down the escarpment – I was hopeful that this would clear the clouds and dry the grass.

Day 2 (22 Mar): When Gordon’s alarm went off at 5am, the wind was still howling and resonating throughout the hut. The clouds hadn’t cleared and fog and drizzle still blew in from the escarpment – it really looked miserable outside – therefore we climbed back in our sleeping bags. A little later I got up and had another look outside – it still looked very unpleasant and I made the decision to not ascend Bannerman pass and change our plans for the rest of the trip. With our trip changed, we felt lazy and climbed back into bed once more. However, we vowed that we could not sit around the hut all day and after a leisurely breakfast after 8am, we finally left the hut at around 09:30. The wind was still blowing but it certainly had calmed down. We decided to walk north on the contour path towards Centenary hut and see if we could climb a point off the contour path named eMankentshani. The wind had dried the grass well during the night, but we still had to put on wet socks and shoes to save our pair of dry socks for another day. We walked without hurry on the path until we saw The Judge, prominently standing out from the escarpment. Although the escarpment at this point was visible, heavy nimbo-stratus clouds still abounded high in the sky and we kept on our thermal and shell layers. We first passed the spur where our summit was and decided to carry on to the spur directly north of Judge’s pass. However, we lost the path going into Judges pass and then decided to turn back, heading for the ridge with the summit. The map indicated the summit was about 2km below the contour path and seemed very insignificant. On the spur we started walking downhill and soon looked at a rock-ribbed ridge below us with a high point that seemed to be our summit without a doubt. Nicola was taking lots of photos higher up on the spur and when she joined us, decided to stay behind while we walked the last kilometer to the summit. This we did quickly and soon claimed our first summit for the trip. Ascending back to the contour path (which at this point was over 2400m) we trudged back to the hut. With a faint sun occasionally poking its head though the clouds we were able to shed our shell layer. At 2pm we were back in the hut and had lunch around the table. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading. After dinner of Smash, bacon, onion and pepper, a heavy rain storm broke and lasted for quite a while – we were starting to wonder what the next day was going to look like.

Day 3 (23 Mar): At 5am Gordon’s alarm went off and we looked outside with high spirits at a clear sky with a very light breeze. Our aim was to do a very ambitious day trip up Bannerman pass, traversing south on top, descending Langalibalele pass and hiking back to the hut on the contour path. With a quick breakfast and fast packing, we were on our way at 6am. The path was good and we were able to stick to crossing the stream a number of times. With just daypacks on our backs we walked fast and we only stopped for a short break when we reached what looked like Spare Rib cave at 2750m. Gordon and I went to have a look at the cave but were dismally disappointed – there was not a dry spot in sight and your only options were whether you want to sleep under a heavy drizzle or an outright downpour! This was definitely a winter cave. The higher we climbed in the pass, the more I noticed that the water pouring off the escarpment was relentless – there did not seem to be an end to it. As the gully of the pass narrowed we started to climb more and more in the stream and despite putting on dry socks at the start of the day, I was now walking in drenched shoes once more. Clouds started forming fast around the escarpment peaks and by the time we topped out, it was cold and misty. But we managed to do the entire pass in 2 hours 45 minutes! Into Lesotho things were a little more clear and we could see the big valleys south of Popple peak extending into the distance. Gypaetus point was peeping out occasionally through the drifting mist and we decided to give it a go, as we had done so well up the pass. I was amazed at how wet the top of the ‘Berg was – it was impossible to avoid marshes that were covering every square inch of the ground. We made it to the top of the peak and were a little surprised at how airy the summit was – unfortunately we also could not see a single thing in the heavy mist and after a brief rest, descended back towards the top of the pass and started skirting south east. The mist occasionally cleared enough to see where we needed to go and we finally reached the ridge summit that looked down towards the Langalibalele valley. As far as we went, water was either running down into the valley or standing in huge puddles all over the place. I was trying to find Bannerman cave but failed once again. Descending towards the pass top on GPS coordinates, we noticed white patches in the distance that we initially thought might be snow. But when we finally came across some of the patches we discovered that it was hail – probably still remaining from the previous night’s heavy storm. It was now cold and miserable and clouds were building into Lesotho as well. Getting to the top of Langalibalele pass just after 11am, we immediately started the descent. Right at the top I spotted a fountain that was gushing water out of the ground at 2900m – astonishing! We found the path down the pass to be almost impossible to follow at the top as it was an ankle-deep river. We had to stick to the grassy slopes next to the path to try and stay less wet but every now and again our options ran out and we got filthy in the process. The path eventually traversed right and onto a drier slope down which we made fast progress. We stopped briefly where the path crossed the river bed and started to contour to the spur on the left. The weather looked threatening and we heard thunder every now and again. Reaching about 2400 on the spur, I opted for a short cut to the left as soon as I saw the contour path below us. Although we could see patches of sunlight over some of the Little Berg ridges, rain was already falling around Giant’s Castle itself and it looked like we were going to get wet. We had 7km to go on the contour path and set off at a fast pace. We had a number of close lightning strikes and a spatter of rain between the pass and the hut but we were lucky to avoid the worst of the storm. Over the last 500m, the clouds actually began to clear from the west, leaving the escarpment clear and a warm sun finally making an appearance. Back at the hut we were able to lay out our wet clothing to dry in the remaining rays while we had a late, but very well-deserved lunch – we did 20km, up and down two passes and added a peak! Later we were treated to some rainbows and some dark thunderstorms to the east – luckily it all seemed to be going further east. Dinner of pasta, tomato relish, meatballs and cheese went down spectacularly and this was followed by Lindt hot chocolate donated by Nicola – a truly great meal for our last night.

Day 4 (24 Mar): The night was uneventful and we rose bright and early at 5am. At 06:10 we were on our way, back-tracking the contour path we had already walked twice. It was a stunning morning and promised to be hot. At the junction of Bannerman path we decided to go the long way down Langalibalele ridge to have the opportunity to have a look at Main caves. I measured the distance of the section between Bannerman and Lanagalibalele ridges as I was convinced the map was wrong. Measuring 3.43km instead of the 2.5km as indicated on the map, I was proved right – but it also meant our last day would be 14km instead of 13km. Down the ridge, Nicola’s calves started to act up and she had to slow down. Finally making it down the ridge we had to take our shoes off to cross a stream and then had only about 2.5km left to go. At the junction to Main caves, Gordon went ahead to see if we would be able to get in. He returned and reported that there was no-one there and we’d be able to squeeze through the gate. However, Nicola was suffering and I wanted to avoid her making it even worse by climbing the steep concrete path to the caves; I made the decision to can the idea and rather get back to the camp as soon as possible. From here we lightened Nicola’s pack with Gordon taking her sleeping bag and me her share of the tent. Gordon then went ahead to fetch the car and drive up to the office to try and save Nicola the last bit of the walk. While Nicola started to plod along, I chatted with two couples before catching up with Nicola. I overtook her and speed walked the last little bit to the office where I dropped my pack and returned to fetch Nicola’s. With both of us at the office, we waited about 2 minutes before Gordon showed up. We couldn’t find anywhere to shower so we got in the car as filthy as we were and started to head back to Pretoria.

Platberg summits Feb 2008

I drove down to Harrismith on my own and spent the night below Platberg. The next morning a hiked through some plantations to an obvious grass ramp leading to the top of Platberg. The grass was wet with dew and soon my boots were soaked. However, I made it to the first trig beacon quickly and then walked on a jeep track across the entire Platberg, past a small dam where workers were busy repairing the dam wall. A semi-detached buttress at the very end of Platberg had another trig beacon I was aiming for and by lunch I stood on top. I descended Platberg via the steep concrete road that accesses the dam and spent the night in Harrismith caravan park. The following day I drove on to Memel for some birding, then Chelmsford dam and finally Wakkerstroom before heading back home.

Amphitheatre (Drakensberg) Jan 2008

Gordon and Nicola picked me up from work on Friday afternoon just before 3pm and we drove without incident straight up to Sentinel car park. George, Brian, Shirley, Eddy and Irma were already ensconced in their sleeping bags and after some shuffling around we soon joined them.

Day 1 (26 Jan): The day dawned cool with lots of fog below and above, but at least no rain in the immediate future. We packed quickly, paid, signed the register, and were off just before 7am. We walked without rush but still made very good time, arriving at the chain ladder before 9am. The path up to here was absolutely sodden and with lots of fog still floating around it didn’t look like it was going to get dryer anytime soon. At the top of the ladders we decided to walk to the lip of the falls before going up to the cave. However, the light westerly that was blowing a little earlier had begun to fade, so cloud was spilling over the escarpment. After watching the first 3m of the falls disappear into the mist, we gathered our gear and slogged up to the cave. I had the intention of walking up Mount Amery but as we could not really see terribly far and I had no coordinates with me for Amery, I decided not to go. Instead we took a good rest at the cave, climbed Crow’s Nest and contemplated going to Mont-aux-Sources. But standing on top of Crow’s Nest, the fog thickened and I got lazy and so we turned around and took our time to collect water some 200m below the cave. The cave was dripping in a number of spots and made sleeping arrangements a little awkward for the 8 of us. To make it slightly easier for all, I decided to finally sleep in the worm hole below the cave I’ve always wanted to try out. I set up all my stuff inside and it turned out to be so cozy that I almost fell asleep in the afternoon. With dusk approaching we started cooking mince, relish and cous-cous and had some pickled beetroot for starters. There was still heavy mist and cloud around when I went to bed but I stayed up reading until about 11pm. During the night it rained lightly on occasion and as my worm hole’s roof was a little shorter than the floor, the end of my mat got a little damp. However, I also noticed a little later that the moon was trying to break through the fog and I eventually slept soundly being reasonably sure that the morning would be clear.

Day 2 (27 Jan): The morning indeed dawned clear overhead with a heavy blanket of cloud below. The cloud once again provided us with a beautiful sunrise but the good weather also urged us to make good use of it. With the rest of the group deciding to go take pictures on the edge, Gordon, Nicola and I made a go at Mont-aux-Sources. A cold but light westerly was blowing and we kept our jackets on during the climb. Reaching the summit in an hour, we took a good look around into Lesotho and were just able to make out the Cathedral and Cathkin ranges pushing through the cloud in the distance. We got back to the cave in 45 minutes and then continued down the ridge to join the rest of the group. The three of us spent some time taking pictures while the others started walking back towards the ladders and we played catch-up soon after. The westerly was slowly fading and by the time we got to the ladders we were again in the upper parts of the cloud with occasional glimpses of Fika Patso dam. We descended the ladders and then most of the males in the party took a fast walk on the path to one of the slippery rock sections we knew we would need to provide some help at for the ladies. Immediately past this rock, we dropped our packs and took a breather but it was barely 5 minutes before the rest of the gang showed up. With Eddy and Gordon helping from below and me stationed at the start of the slippery bit, we first helped Nicola and then Shirley across. Next came Irma. I was holding Irma’s hand as she gingerly stepped on to the first step, when suddenly her footing gave away. Since I was holding her hand I was able to stop her from falling down the rock but she sat down hard on the step we were trying to cross. She immediately told me her ankle is gone. I couldn’t quite believe it because she didn’t fall at all – she basically sat down hard on her foot. When she managed to turn around a little she said maybe its not broken but as she shifted into a slightly better position she said that its definitely broken. It was also noticeable that her right foot had a slightly awkward angle to it. George had started walking ahead so I immediately sent Brian after him. With Eddy and Gordon helping from below and me from the top, Irma was able to shuffle along the ledge to a point where the guys below could help her get off the wet rock. We sat her on a dry rock in the middle of a path and took stock. We only had two options: try to help her down the mountain ourselves or initiate a call-out. First we needed to splint the leg. Having a closer look and feel I was able to tell that it was very possibly a fracture but I couldn’t feel or see any blood which was a good start. I decided not to remove her boot to limit swelling. Gordon took out the aluminium supports of Nicola's pack and these I inserted gently into the boot, on either side of the leg. I used one bandage to secure the aluminium struts to the leg and then another to support the boot and ankle a little more. Although this setup did provide some support, there was still slight movement of the ankle so I got my Drom bag with a little air in it and wrapped it around the entire boot and lower calf, fastening it very tightly with a third bandage. Checking with Irma, she was still able to feel and wriggle her toes. I did not want to give her any medication yet and she agreed to this. She indicated that she’s willing to try and hobble along with support. With Eddie on the one side and me on the other, we lifted her up and barely managed two metres when Irma stopped us and asked that we rather get some help as she cannot do this. Then I changed things a little. I got Gordon to get us a GPS fix, noted we didn’t have cell phone reception, got Shirley and Nicola to get everything Irma would need out of her bag and started completing my first aid and rescue page with all the information. We got Irma comfortably seated and Shirley and Gordon volunteered to stay behind. Nicola was sent ahead with an extra pack so we could make sure that all the gear was off the mountain. Making sure that Irma was comfortable and the others had all they needed, I set off at a brisk pace, soon overtaking Nicola. I got down to the car park in about 40 minutes and used one of the guards cell phones which had reception (coin phone did not accept the coins I put in) to call Gavin Raubenheimer. I gave him all the details I had. He then said he will organize something and let me know. With the call made, I trudged back up the path, meeting first Eddy and Brian and shortly after George. They were doing fine but Eddy was carrying two packs. I took one off him and walked back with them to the car park. With Nicola still up in the mountains after I sent her back to collect car keys, I walked back up to make sure she was still okay. I met her halfway to the first bend and she indicated that everything was still fine at the scene and Irma was very calm and collected. Back at the car park I phoned Gavin again who confirmed that Natal Parks Board and medics were on their way and that we were looking at about 2 hours before they would show up. As we waited, Eddy discovered he still had his 2-way radios in the car and as he wanted to go up anyway, we thought it would be a good idea for him to take a radio and provide some moral support. In addition, we were also trying to get hold of Irma’s son but the PIN code she gave us to her cell phone wasn’t working. Eddy planned to take her cell phone along so she could speak to him herself in case there was reception. About an hour and a half after the call was made, the first ambulance from Phuthaditjaba showed up with two paramedics. We asked them to wait for some more people first before we do anything. Shortly after, another ambulance with 3 paramedics showed up and they indicated that they can walk up the mountain with a scoop stretcher to stabilize and package Irma. I then got hold of Eddy on the radio and asked him to wait for them, as he would be able to guide them to the scene. With the paramedics well on their way, it was only about 30 minutes later that three guys and a lady from Phuthaditjaba fire brigade showed up. They had a golf bag stretcher and some rope with them and I started walking up with them. Finally we got to the contour path and as the cloud ceiling had lifted slightly, I noticed a car pulling into the car park in the distance. I thought they may be Parks Board and got hold of Nicola who was at the bottom to quickly check with them. They confirmed they knew the area well and would immediately start walking up to assist. Just past the small ladder on the Sentinel contour path, we saw the one female paramedic and as we rounded the corner we saw the guys struggling with the stretcher. As the golf-bag stretcher had more handholds, everyone helped to lift Irma on the scoop stretcher straight into the golf-bag stretcher. The paramedics had 3 broad straps that could be hooked over the shoulders of someone walking in the front and at the back but the carry still required support from the sides. With the path being only 1-person wide in places, this was very difficult. Swapping hands regularly we made slow progress over the difficult terrain. Gordon, Eddy and I assisted with the carry where we could and eventually we made it to the top of the zig-zags. The fire brigade wanted to lower the stretcher with a rope belay directly past all the zig-zags, which I think was a good idea since the zig zags were very rocky and steep in places. Unfortunately they had no other gear apart from the rope and I ended up helping one of the paramedics to do a body belay. With two rope-lengths we managed to pass all the zig-zags except the last big one with the fencing. In the mean time, another senior medic showed up and started making the carry efforts more coordinated. This helped tremendously to speed things up. When Irma got to the path above the fencing I made the call to not lower the stretcher with the rope anymore. The reasoning was partly that there was no sufficient anchoring and the body-belay was certainly not safe, the grass, wet from some light drizzle may easily cause the carriers to fall, as none of them had proper boots, causing even more harm and a belay to the bottom path was not going to save us more than 5 minutes. As we approached the home stretch I took over the lead again and we made very good progress to just before the concrete section when I was getting very tired. Irma was carried into Sentinel car park at 18:00. While we sorted out her gear and personals to go with her, she was made a little more comfortable on the scoop stretcher and loaded in the ambulance. She was still alert and reasonably calm but obviously in shock and shivering. The paramedics heated up the ambulance and gave her morphine while I walked around thanking all the people who helped. At around 18:15 the ambulance left in gathering cloud and rain and the rest of our group followed. We stank, were incredibly tired, sore and hungry but we were very glad that Irma was now on her way to professional care and there was nothing more we could do. We thought our efforts were not bad under the circumstances and our two vehicles met again in Harrismith for some late dinner before driving back, arriving home after midnight.