This is the first
newsletter of the Clubs New Hiking Year, and time has passed so quickly since
the AGM. The committee has had its
first meeting, and you will have noticed a few changes already. To
try to get to know our members better, and for members to get to know the
committee and leaders better and to hopefully get to “deliver what the members
want from the club”, every 4th social will be partly sponsored by
your club funds. By this the club will
sponsor snacks, light sandwiches, and some wine, and have a more social evening
than just the normal monthly meet. We will still have a presentation for interest and information.
We have also
decided to have only one day hike a month, and one week-end hike a month.
Your leaders need
support in their efforts to promote outdoor activities for the club.
We urge club
members who have digital cameras, and who may have interesting pictures to
share them with us. Also if you know of anyone who may have an
interesting topic to share with us, to put us in contact with them.
As has been said
before, this is our club, not just the committee and its leaders, lets all
build the club.
Since the AGM, a
number of successful events have been
held, and I thank those who have supported the club at these venues.
The Mini Circular
Traverse went off very well. We
experienced incredible weather changes, from hot to mist to rain to very high
winds that at times threatened to blow us off the mountain tops. However the magnificent views we experienced, and the camaraderie
of all concerned, almost makes this a hike to be repeated on an annual event. I
must make mention here of the tenacity
of one of our members, who despite the fear of heights, and under
severely testing conditions, with a pounding heart conquered the fearful Chain
Ladders – a lesson for all of us
“where there is a will anything can be overcome”.
Other events that
went off very well was Phillip Grant’s Nhlosane South Ridge hike. After a long days hike, a number of us spent
a very relaxed evening by the fire (it was cold that evening) at Phillip’s
house, with some cold beers and hot soup and rolls, before heading home. Thanks to all those who stayed, and supplied the food and drinks.
The Mid Illovo day
hike with Bushy and Pat was very much enjoyed by those few who attended the
day. As this was a first time hike for the club it would have been nice
to have had more folk at the day.
The Mountain
Shadows week-end with the Ashton’s was a great success, and enjoyed by everyone
who attended. There was also a visit
to the nearby Crane Foundation. This
was also a first time hike for the club.
There have been 2
slide/digital shows at club nights, both were very well attended. We thank those who took time out to share
these trips with the people concerned.
Just aside from
the club matters, I have been extremely busy over the past 6 weeks leading or
being part of 7 trips to the berg.
From 3 day trips to 2 x 5-day and a 6-day trip. We have experienced all sorts of weather,
one day in particular we experienced severe high temperature, a dramatic change
in weather in half an hour to a frightening thunderstorm with heavy rain and
very close lightening, hail, high winds and a form of sleet. On another trip, it changed from sunny, to
incredibly thick mist for the rest of the day. Then in my favorite area – Kamberg – hiking with a German
honeymoon couple, we had to use the GPS to get us off the mountain. We must remember, we are in nature’s hands,
and we must go prepared to enjoy any experience that we encounter on route. I can tell you, that at the end of each
hike, those hiking with me said at the time they were incredibly intimidated by
the surroundings during that particular experience. But, at the end, all
parties in one way or the other expressed their feelings, and came to a sort of
common conclusion – “experiences lead to growth and a better understanding of
nature and the environment”.
We all need to
grow every day, in some way or another, or we wither and die. Growing under ‘Mother Nature”, is possibly
the nicest way to grow.
As I write this
report early, I hope that the rest of the club’s outings before our next social
will afford us all the time to experience a Natural Growth.
I wish you all
good hiking.
Dave
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members and wish them many happy hiking hours
in our company: Craig & Sandra
Bekker; Christie Exall; Brendan McGuirk & family; Val Spicer;
Howard Townsend; Melody Verbaan.
HOMORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP
In appreciation of many years of dedicated, loyal and outstanding
service to the Club, Warwick & Brenda Keating have been made Honorary Life
Members of the Club.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Activities Co-Ordinator Irene Dickin and Mark Wisdom
of their engagement on 6 November. We wish them every happiness for their
future life together.
RENEWAL OF ANNUAL
SUBESCRIPTION
In terms of the Constitution non-payment of subscriptions for the
current year will result in membership of the Club terminating effective the
end of October. At a meeting of your
committee it was agreed that renewal would be extended to the end of
November 2005 after which regretfully those with outstanding subscriptions will
be removed from the memberhisp list.
If it your intention to remain a member of the Club and perhaps this matter
has slipped your mind, please give it your urgent attention. We would like to have you in our midst a
while longer.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
The
annual Christmas Party is scheduled for Sunday, 4 December, at Mark Nellist’s
farm “Chiarella” in the Karkloof
area. Time of arrival is 10:30 to
11:00. In the morning there will be a selection of teams for the fun
events scheduled for later in the day and a practice of “war cries”. Braai fires will be lit ready for a
picnic lunch at approximately 12:00.
Members please bring meat, salads, rolls and drinks or whatever is your
fancy to have for lunch, plus table, chairs, cutlery and glasses. As a shield against the sun, and hopefully
not the rain, those of our members who have gazebos and/or beach umbrellas
these would also be appreciated. In
the afternoon fun events will be organized between the teams selected
in the morning. A further fun event
for which each member is requested to bring a small gift of no more than R10 –
R15 value will follow. For afternoon
tea each member is requested to bring a small plate of cakes or biscuits to
share. Father Christmas is expected to
arrive at about this time. Prizes will be awarded for the various events
and lucky draw prizes will be awarded.
If you do not know the way to Mark’s home please telephone him on either 082 826 2526 or 033 330 2703, failing him try Mary on 083 700 6199. We look forward to as many as possible attending this annual event and getting to know their fellow members. Please confirm your attendance to Mark or Mary by 28 November.
FUTURE SOCIAL EVENINGS
At a meeting of
your committee it was agreed that at every third or so Social Evening snacks such
as nuts, chips, cheese, crackers and sandwiches plus white and red wine will be
provided. This all at no cost to you,
so come along folks, support your Club, your committee is putting every effort
into making your club as user friendly as possible for you, the member.
We would also like
to bring to the attention of members that some of the Social Evening dates have
had to be changed. These will remain on
a Tuesday evening at the Hilton Hotel but not necessarily on the third
Tuesday. Please consult the Fixture
List to ensure that you do not arrive on the wrong evening.
GWAHUMBE GAME RESERVE
25 September 2005
Leader: Bushy Kirby, Pat Kirby, Libby Deysel, Sally
Browne, Allison Hobday, Jeff Matthews, Irene Dickin
A small group of us, maybe due to hot weather and
being same weekend as the Mini Traverse, visited Gwahumbe Game Reserve at Mid
Illovo. This is a beautiful private
Game Park, well worth a visit. We had
a very pleasant non strenuous hike, led by Bushy and the weather turned out
fine for hiking due to some cloud cover. We saw a variety of animals and birds, many in close proximity
including rhino, giraffes, wildebeest, nyala, zebra, Egyptian geese, storks and
my highlight which was a hippo giving a huge yawn at the dam. I managed to lose
my sunglasses while taking a photo of a giraffe - thanks to Bushy and Libby who helped me search and
the others for their patience waiting. Unfortunately
they weren’t found but we had fun with the binoculars trying to spot the giraffe
who may be wearing them.
We
had lunch at a picnic spot next to a river, undercover facilities with benches
and table are available if necessary - we preferred to sit out on the chairs
provided. We also visited a lovely deck set in the cliff side overlooking the
hippo dam - would be ideal for sundowners. The day was ended with refreshments
at the bar for most, my penance for having coffee and rusks was to write the
article! The owners were very friendly and hospitable - even offered to go look
for my glasses for me - but I think we looked enough - let the giraffe have
them. I’d definitely recommend the
venue if you like game viewing. Thanks to Bushy for his leadership and everyone
for the pleasant company. Irene Dickin
MOUNTAIN
SHADOWS
Leader: Keith Ashton; Margaret Ashton, Ossie & Libby Deysel,
Bushy & Pat Kirby, Rory & Faye Balfour, Hildegard Lentz, Tessa Gunther,
Tess Anne Osbaldeston, Howard Townsend, Irene Dickin, Mark Wisdom
A very pleasant
weekend was enjoyed by all at this lovely venue. Mountain Shadows is well worth a visit, lovely accommodation and
facilities at very reasonable prices.
We arrived on
Friday night with two friends, Faye and Rory. The owners were most welcoming,
and after settling in we headed for the boma for a braai with the rest of the
group. There is an honesty bar available, although most of us had brought our
own refreshments. There was a fire lit in the bar and table tennis and pool
also available. We all mainly gathered
round the braai, and ate together at long tables provided.
On Saturday most
of us set off to climb Mount Lebanon - Hildegard, Ossie and Tessa decided to
stay behind and relax. The weather was pleasant, although pretty hot climbing
at times. Rory kept us amused on the
way with his Cow mooing impersonations - one took quite a fancy to him and
followed for quite a way. Most of us
made it to the beacon, it was a lovely clear day to appreciate the view from
the top. It was interesting for me to
eventually see the view that I missed last time I’d been there due to thick
mist - just before we spent that memorable new year somewhere on Mount Lebanon.
That night we
all had a braai again - it’s a lovely boma for a get together. As the night went on there was much
hilarity at the table - more stories and impersonations from Rory and Hildegard
found numerous uses for the stick ornaments like reaching for what looked
interesting on other people’s plates.
The next day we
visited the Crane Sanctuary which was most interesting. A young girl gave us a guided tour and she
had plenty of interesting facts and amusing stories about the various cranes in
their care. She later showed us around
an education centre with a cottage for hire which the club may use next year.
Then it was back
to Mountain Shadows for lunch before setting off home after a very enjoyable
weekend. Thanks to Keith for leading
the hike and organising the weekend and to everyone for the great company. Irene & Mark
MINI
TRAVERSE
23 – 27 September
2005
It was very early
in the morning when 11 hopeful hikers set out on a sunny Friday morning to
conquer the berg. From the Sentinel,
up the chain ladder and along the Amphitheatre was the route and we were geared
for a hard 5 days in tents and with minimal water. As we all met at Little
Switzerland and made our introductions we wondered if we would indeed all make
it. The 5 hikers from Durban
Backpackers looked particularly young, fit and strong and we must admit we were
a bit intimidated by their athleticism. But we soldiered forth.
From the Sentinel
car park we followed Leader Dave on the start of our trek on the windy path up
to the chain ladder. I had been told it
was a short walk to the ladder, but after a while was beginning to wonder if
there actually was a ladder and that maybe the excitement of climbing a long
ladder was just a lure to get me up the mountain. But yet, there it was and I must admit it was a sight. Two
huge long ladders snaking up the escarpment.
It was so exciting (for some) to
be climbing such a mammoth ladder, on the side of a mountain with a 20 kg (and
above) backpack. After carefully making our way up – and with
some help from the 2 gentlemen from Durban (thanks Justin and Fred) we all made
it and were on our way. First stop was lunch at the top of Tugela
Falls – or as we saw it the Tugela Trickle!
Spectacular views and a clear
day made lunch, well, just that little bit more exciting. Then it was off again until we set up tent. The
next 4 days were spent in absolute awe of the majesty of the Drakensberg. Dramatic cut backs from the escarpment and
deep valleys below was cause for great joy and wonder. We were able to see little cameos of the
mountains that one could only see if one were as high up as we were; the
Madonna being worshipped, rat-hole cave and even the donkey (Teresa swears he’s
wearing a hat!) were only a few of the treasures that we found. The
weather on the other hand was not so obliging.
We hiked through falling snow,
piercing rain and I am not joking when I say gale force winds. We
had to tent over for 2 nights at the same place as it was too windy to carry on
and even on our morning walk, without packs, we found it difficult to put one
foot in front of the other without fighting the gusts.
After 5 days of harsh conditions, yet awesome scenery we made our way back to the “highway” in order to descend the chain ladders. This proved to be somewhat of a challenge for all involved, as the winds were so strong that many had to stop mid stride on the ladder and wait for gusts to subside. After coaxing, clinging, crying and carrying we all made it to the bottom and then set off for the cars. The adventure was by no means over as the steep descent down was fraught with gale force winds that were able to knock Margaret off her feet and caused many a weary hiker to be blown off the path. Not a very calming thought when sheer drops down the cliff were looming. As we all hurtled into the cars – forced in by the wind – we were grateful that we had made it, tired and smelly from 5 days in the mountains, in awe of the sights we had just seen, yet glad that Escourt Ultra City and the promise of burgers and coffee was only one and a half hours away! Moira Filmer
ANIMALS
OF ETOSHA
On entering Etosha
Game Reserve from Tsumeb through the Namutoni Gate, giraffe, impala and herds
of kudu are seen along the drive to the camp. From the camp heading in a northerly direction towards the
Andoni plains the first sighting was of the King of the Beasts relaxing in the
shade of a tree obviously sated as he was totally disinterested in the impala
and other animals around him, surveying them with majestic disdain.
Out into the open
plains teeming with thousands of springbok, herds of blou wildebeest, zebra,
gemsbok and ostrich for as far as the eye could see. A pair of black-backed jackals snuggling together next to the
road made no effort to move with the approach of the vehicle, while the shy
steenbok danced daintily to a safer distance from where it stopped and surveyed
the strangers. A blou wildebeest
corpse was being guarded by a marabou stork, approximately 50 whitebacked
vultures all facing in the same direction and black-backed jackals on the
perimeter hoping to get a share of the spoils. We were told they were waiting for the Lappet faced vulture to
appear and rip open the carcass as it is the only vulture strong enough to
penetrate the hide of a wildebeest.
Out of the scrub
on the roadside appeared a serval, so quick it was almost missed. Ground squirrels sat up appraising the
scene and an eland strolled by.
At the waterholes
were herds of red hartebeest, kudu and black-faced impala. In
Namutoni campsite the blackbacked jackals’ eyes glowed from the surrounding
bush, hoping to get an opportunity to scavenge something to eat, and daring to
scamper through the camp if nobody made any move to chase them. While at Halali a pair of honey badgers
wandered right into the campsite looking for hand-outs, a striped mongoose also
paid a visit on the same errand. Out
on the Etosha pan lionesses lay in guard over the corpse of a zebra kill. By the next afternoon there was no sign
that anything had ever been there.
Moringa Waterhole
in Halali elephant arrived in great numbers for their evening drink, closely
followed by the rhino, blackbacked jackals and spotted hyena. Teenage elephants took it upon themselves,
closely watched by their mothers, to try and terrorise the rhino who regarded
the youngster with adult superiority. Among
the spectators the tree squirrels romped inviting the watchers to toss a tasty
morsel their way.
|
HIKE GRADES/ RATINGS |
1
Very easy 2
Easy 3
Moderate – physical fitness advisable 4
Moderate to severe – physical
fitness necessary 5
Severe – physical fitness essential |
PRE-HIKE /TRAIL PROTOCOLAs always a gentle reminder in order to assist our hiking club
leaders, please adhere to the following procedure when intending to join
hikes. Day Hikes – Please try to inform the relevant leader a week, or at
least 4 days, before the hike of your intention to participate. Week-end Camping/Hiking or over-nighting
in Caves – Please try to inform the relevant leader 2 to 3 weeks before
departure date of your intention to participate. Long Week-end Trips & Longer Trails – Please contact the relevant
leader as soon as possible after publication of the hike in the Newsletter
Hiking Calendar. The above is to
assist the leaders in making or confirming the necessary arrangements, some
of which have to be made and paid for by the Club a long time in
advance. The leaders have to put a
great deal of effort into hiking arrangements. |