IN THIS ISSUE : From the Chair; Camping
for the Uninitiated and Old Hands based on the talk given at the Social Evening
in January; Week-end Port Edward at T O
Strand, Leisure Bay.
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FROM THE CHAIR Dave Sclanders
With the heavy
rains interspersed with some hot days, hiking has been a bit of a test of
trying to be one jump ahead of nature to survive the berg recently. Hi king in
the low berg has been fraught
with the problems of crossing very swiftly flowing streams ,
which normally don’t exist. We have had to do some quite severe ridge climbing
to get around swollen river crossings. Higher up in the berg, there has been
plenty of clear streams bubbling everywhere.
Two weeks ago I had
a hiking party of 6 English hikers for 13 days.
We really battled with high streams, very heavy a thick mist, then very
high humidity when the sun did come out.
One of our trips was up the Thukela Gorge. I cannot describe the incredible change in
the river bed in the gorge itself.
Boulders the size of a car had been moved, the whole course of the river
bed had been changed, making hiking up the gorge very much more difficult as
there was such a change and repositioning of the boulders in the river bed itself. At the top of the gorge, the sort of picnic
area, just left of the Gorge Tunnel was nearly washed away, making the area
very small, and very step sided down into the river. One just cannot imagine how much water must
have come down the face of the Amphitheatre in a short space of time to cause
so much havoc in this defined gorge.
Hikers caught in this sort of storm would surely have been in dire
straights.
In early February I
was caught with a party at Sinclair’s Cave at Kamberg
in severe mist for 36 hours. We saw the weather change at about 10h00 on our
way to the cave, put on some speed, and as we got to the cave the mist rolled
in at 13hoo, and stayed , thick and wet until we decided to walk back to the
car at lunchtime the next day.
This once again
brings to the fore the age old saying “Watch the weather, and take appropriate
action before getting into trouble.” You never know !!!!!!
Berg Flowers
The flowers were
incredible this year, vast arrays of colours, and
thousands of flowers. Probably the most incredible sight was of Orange Watsonias in the Bushman’s Nek area, on the way to
Club Activities – Club day
hikes and week end hikes have been fairly well attended so far. A day hike that
will long be remembered by all those who took part in it was the day hike from
World’s View at the end of January. There was a huge party of hikers from MHC,
DBP and Durban Ramblers – with Neville Lee doing his first lead hike. The
temperature rose to unbelievable heights. Down in the forests at the bottom of
the Hilton hill, no wind, and an endless climb back to Crossways took its toll
on many. Early finishers then took their cars back down the hill to fetch the
casualties and get them back to Crossways. Again , in
circumstances that tend to look to be un natural, and a large hiking party,
hikes should be adjusted to suit the conditions and the hikers. Remember, the larger the party, the longer it
takes to do a certain hike. I have found on the same hike – a 14 kilometer
hike, from having 6 people to 9 people , the time
increases by 30 minutes . Bigger parties will take longer. Also the bigger the
party, the bigger will be the fitness levels of the party.
Bushy and Pat’s
beach week-ends have been a great success, with very good turn outs by members. Thanks
to Bushy and Pat for their efforts in doing all the footwork to find, recce, and then lead these hikes.
Unfortunately, Allison’s
hike to Injisuthi was cancelled due to a few
problems.
CLUB WEB SITE - www.mhc.co.za
Please don’t
forget, we need members to submit
articles and photos to our web master Rod, for inclusion in the club web
site www.mhc.co.za. New
articles and photos tend to make for more people visiting the web site to see
what is happening. This also gives the
club a better chance to attract new members. We have had people from around the world send
Rod e mails requesting hiking information.
Mountain Safety - It is very noticeable to us that hike a lot
that many of the former well defined paths are very overgrown , and in some
cases difficult to find, especially in poor weather. This is no doubt due to
less and less people hiking, and one wonders when some of the less visited
places will simply disappear from mind and soul . New
hikers in years to come might re-find some of these old haunts.
As winter
approaches and the berg grasses start to dry out, please be “fire weary”, Also be aware that water availability will start to
disappear, so fill your water bottles at very opportunity, and drink your fill.
The next stream might be dry.
Ezemvelo
KZN Wildlife has issued a new safety pamphlet for the berg.
It is available at all EKZN Wildlife Offices. On it are important
safety tips, and even more important, Emergency Contact Numbers for Mountain
related problems. Make sure that you get a copy of this pamphlet if you go into
the mountains. It may save your life.
For more
information on Mountain Safety – for anyone going into the mountain, see my website www.bergfree.co.za - and look at the section on “Mountain Safety”
Club Membership now
stands at 147 paid up members
New Members - The Club welcomes the following new members
to our ranks: Charles Brown; Kevin andamp; Gail Knox-Davies; Chris andamp; Marilyn Melling; Sandy Miles;
Neville Walmsley; Marie Gurr and Ian andamp; Val Stanley.
We wish you happy
hiking with the club, and just a reminder that should any member be thinking of
purchasing any hiking gear, please feel free to get some thought from our hike
leaders. They have a lot of experience with hiking gear, and may be able to
save you buying- “Not quite the right stuff”
As I reported this
time last year, the next few months up to the end of May are wonderful times to
be in the mountains. The weather is more stable , the
incredible Autumn colors are taking over the green grasslands , the cold is not
that cold , and the steams a still
running well. Take a good look at the
club calendar and plan to spend at least 1 day out in the fresh air with the
club. See you there. Hiking regards
CAMPING
FOR THE UNINTIATED AND old hands Noël
Guide:
Before starting out
on a camping holiday, do your research because the last thing you need to spoil
your stay is a rotten, uncared for camp site, and there are some around.
There are
When calling at a
camp site about which you have no information it is always a good idea to check
the ablution facilities before you commit yourself to staying.
Tent:
Having decided you
would like to go camping, your most important item will be a tent. Again there are tents and tents. Do not let yourself be influenced into
buying a cheap tent, believe me when it is raining and the water is seeping through
the seams and running underneath, you will wish you weren’t there. Double stitched and taped seams in a tent
are most important, as well as a fly sheet which reaches down to the ground to
ensure that the base of the tent stays dry in the event of rain. Also it will need to be stable should there
be high winds, so check this aspect.
Our little tent is a 3-man “Mountain Lite”
stocked by Cape Union Mart. We have
found their service excellent with regard to the one and only problem we had
when a stay was broken from someone falling on it. Size, of course, will depend on what you
want and on how much you wish to spend.
Also a net type ground sheet is a recommendation. Solid ground sheets are not permitted at
most camp sites.
Should anyone who
does not have a tent wish to try camping, please speak to either Dave or Keith
who may be able to assist with the loan of a tent.
Mattresses
andamp; Sleeping Bags:
Another item with
which you need to be comfortable is a mattress. There are a large variety of mattresses on
the market from roll-up, self-inflating to blow up. The choice is yours depending on which you
will feel most comfortable. Don’t
forget your pillows and a good sleeping bag.
Again depending upon where you intend to do most of your camping you
will need to decide whether you need a light sleeping bag or a heavier/thicker
one more suitable for cold weather nights.
I have a light sleeping bag, but when venturing into a colder climate I
take along a mohair rug to put inside the sleeping bag which works well at
keeping me toastie warm.
Cooking Utensils, etc.
Having provided
yourself with shelter, and made your bed comfortable, the next thing is to look
after the inner man/woman. Many camp
sites have on-site restaurants which are usually fairly reasonable and provide
good food. Should you wish to do your
own cooking you will need either a gas ring or stove or a 2-plate electric
stove where there is electricity. If
you have the room you can just raid your kitchen for pots, plans, and cutlery,
otherwise camp shops have a variety of camping pots and pans, as well as
cutlery sets, which take up minimal space and are usually stainless steel so
are easy to clean.
A good cold box is
a must if you are intending to carry your own food which may spoil. A fridge/freezer would be ideal for longer
trips but can prove a touch costly in the initial stages. We have an electric cold box which works
reasonably well keeping things cold but not frozen.
Clothing:
It is important to
take clothing suitable to your destination.
Berg camping, something warm for the evenings, particularly a beanie to
keep your head cosy and gloves for the hands. Coastal, a swimming costume, shorts and
light clothing, sun-tan cream and a hat, although you may need something a little warmer for
the evenings as coastal resorts can become quite chilly on occasion,
And those far-flung
places like
Other:
Other items which
help to make your camping experience more comfortable are folding chairs and
table, stainless steel or plastic mugs and tumblers for drinks, a large
umbrella or gazebo in the event of there being a lack of shade in the camp
site. Example camp sites situated close
to the beach. Lights are a recommendation
although some sites, but not all by any manner of means, provide for this. Also wellies are
useful for night time excursions to the loo. The grass can get very dewy.
As with hiking
always remember to have a good first aid box to deal with those mozzie bites, blisters or tumbles which may happen. We hope they won’t but it is always better
to be wise before the event than after.
Enjoy!
WEEK-END
NEAR PORT EDWARD – T. O. STRAND CAMPSITE -
We
had a very good turn-out of 24 people for another of Bushy andamp; Pat’s very
popular coastal week-ends, this time namely Bushy andamp; Pat, Mike andamp; Dallas,
Mark andamp; Irene, Mark andamp; Mary, Morris andamp; Noël, Casper, Liz with granddaughter
Erin, Hettie with granddaughter Jessica, Jeff andamp;
Linda, Christie, Sandy, Astrid, Merle and her son Andrew and Keith andamp;
Margaret.
We
all arrived at T O Strand at various times during the Friday and pitched tents,
made ourselves at home and did a bit of exploring, including the beach and sea
which is less than 100 metres away.
It
is a lovely, well equipped campsite with electric and water points adjacent to
each site, with some of our sites being right on the banks of the Boboyi River. It
has good security and the ablution block is first class and kept spotlessly
clean.
Costs
were very reasonable at R120 per site (R60pppn for 2 sharing). For 4 people sharing the cost was very cheap
at R30pppn. Maximum number per site is
6 (normally for a family sharing a tent).
Friday
evening brought some rain but gazebos were erected. A good social atmosphere prevailed with
supper and a few drinks being enjoyed by all.
After
breakfast on Saturday morning we drove a short distance to the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve for a lovely day hike.
There
are several marked trails in the reserve, including the Kingfisher Trail, the Lourie Trail and the longest one being Fish Eagle Trail
which of course Bushy chose to do. The
Fish Eagle Trail is described as being an 8km strenuous circular route through
the forest and up to the grassland at 240m, along the Krans
edge, back through the forest and along the
As
seasoned hikers we thought this would be a piece of cake, however it proved to
be more than challenging as we climbed and climbed up through the forest over
wet and slippery rocks in very humid conditions having to walk very carefully,
so it was slow going, but we enjoyed short stops to view the surroundings in
detail. Bushy spotted a monitor lizard
and we had close encounters with a very inquisitive small blue duiker – Jessica
and Erin were enthralled with this close sighting.
We
continued past a lovely waterfall and pools where several members of our party
cooled off under the falls – some even had to re-fill water bottles with this
somewhat suspect water as we were consuming liquid at an alarming rate.
We
eventually reached the timber viewing deck for a well earned break and to
appreciate the magnificent views down the gorge and along the
Soon
it was off again walking along the edge of the gorge with views all around and
waterfalls dropping over cliffs into the main river.
Just
before we started descending, our party split, with Bushy leading some of us
further along the top of the gorge, whilst the others rested to await our
return. Then it was down, down and more
down steep, wet and over slippery rocks again.
Soon we were walking back to base along the banks of the river and
pretty well wet through with sweat but hopefully no tears.
It
should be said that Jessica and Erin did exceedingly well on this fairly tiring
walk as they probably did twice as much distance as everybody else with their to-ing and fro-ing - they were as good as gold.
Back
at camp, after nice hot showers we prepared for our evening braai
over welcome drinks. It was now raining
but Bushy made a plan and set up the communal braai
under a large tree. We then had plenty
of sustenance and drinks under the gazebos in a convivial atmosphere before
retiring for a well earned sleep.
On
Sunday we were all up and about pretty early.
After breakfast we had a lovely 5km walk southwards along the beach to
Port Edward – some wisely decided to pack their tents up in case of rain before
we set off.
It
was a bracing walk along the beach and adjacent rock, the temperature was just
right.
On
the way we were able to see ships at sea and dolphins (I even managed to get a
photo of them). Part way along, under a
shelter, we were able to read about local shipwrecks and their fascinating
history.
Our
target destination was the North Sand Bluff lighthouse and adjacent café and
coffee bar, which we soon reached with great anticipation as we were getting
hungry for some nice breakfast/lunch.
For
people with a head for heights it is possible to climb the many steps up to the
top to see the actual light and then climb outside onto the circular viewing
platform.
The
cost for entering the lighthouse is normally R10,00
per adult, R7,00 for pensioners and R5,00 for children over 10.
But
as we were a large group, hungry for lunch, the café owner and custodian of the
lighthouse waived the charges and gave us a very interesting talk about
lighthouses and the history of this particular one before some of us climbed
all the steps and explored around the top and took in the magnificent views.
We
were then all clamoring for lunch and sat ourselves down in the “Lighthouse
Coffee Bar” for an excellent meal at very reasonable prices indeed – well worth
a visit if you are in the area.
There
is a children’s play area just next to the café and lighthouse and Jessica and
After
the lunch, our hikers straddled back along the beach in relays, depending on
the size of the lunch undertaken – we were of course last to leave (blame it on
Margaret’s appetite, or she would say she is a
slow eater).
It
of course started raining on our way back so we had to pack-up a wet tent etc -
it was a good move for those who had broken camp before we set off.
However
it was a very enjoyable week-end for all involved – thanks very much to Bushy
andamp; Pat for all the behind-the-scenes organising
and to Bushy for his excellent leadership and infectious humour
and outlook on life.
We
are looking forward to the next long week-end with Bushy andamp; Pat – book your
places now.
(This
write-up on the website will include photos taken during the week-end).