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OBITUARY We learnt with sadness of the death on 24 October of
ex-member and Leader Campbell Downie just a few
days shy of his 82nd birthday, after a three
year battle bravery fought with illness. To R I P |
Only “ ? ’ days to Xmas.
Retirement is a “Serious Business”, not only do we forget “day to day,
and minute to minute things” , we also forget what has
happened to the year. We get older, and stiffer, and seem quite happy to say , ….well, we will do it next time!. How do we know that there will be a next
time?? Seriously, the year has gone,
the dreaded Xmas period is upon us, the hot summer days, and rainy storms bring
water and life to all of us, it also makes hiking a bit more difficult. The best days of the year for hiking are past
for this year, the hot summer will slow us all down. As in the past, some club members have done a
lot of hiking , others, well not so much. Keith and his gang had a great trip to the Kalaghadi, while my walking trip to the U.K went off well. Poor weather – lots of rain meant a lot of hiking in the
rain. – during my 6 week trip I hiked just under 500
kilometers.
Thanks to Allison , our Vice Chair, the AGM went off very well, with a
good turnout of members.. The good news was that the club is in good financial
standing, which is great, and with a strong membership list. The voting on of the new committee saw Keith
and Margaret Ashton standing down from the committee after many years of
outstanding service to the club. To
Keith and Margaret – thank you for your service to the club committee, it is
very much appreciated. However, all is
not lost as Keith and Margaret are still hike leaders with the club.
As you will see
from the front page of your Newsletter, there is a new committee
, with new contact numbers etc .
Please contact the designated person with any queries that you may have. On behalf of the members of this club, I
thank the new committee members who were prepared to come onto the committee.
Without a dedicated committee, no club can survive, or go forward.
I would appeal to
all our members once again, please support the club events, especially the day
hikes for most of us. Even if you have
been to a place before, do it again, there is always some difference, and
something that you may have not seen before. Even the time of year changes things. A few weeks ago whilst I was hiking with a
group of people from the U.K at Cathedral Peak, I had had to change my route
due to the bad weather, rain and thick mist was the order of the day. So we did a short walk from Didima hotel, along the contour path to
Club socials as you
know, have been reduced due to poor support over the past year. So now if you
miss a club night, you will miss a lot as all the “NEXT” few months happenings
will be discussed. Please, make an
effort and support our club – irrespective of the weather. Our speakers have a
great wealth of experience to pass on, and magnificent pictures to show. The
present venue has proved to be very popular, and we
have booked it for the next year as well.
Our grateful
thanks to the ladies and gents who are
prepared to wash up after each evening, it would be nice to see a few more
volunteers “pushing into the kitchen to help wash up – we love volunteers!”
The newsletter ,
and our club web site will give you all the info for you to catch up on the
past, and future events so visit our web site at www.mhc.co.za It is always up to date and changing thanks
to our contributors, and our web site managers Rod and Samantha.
YOU HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLUB. The Club’s Christmas Social is happening on SUNDAY, 6 DECEMBER
. Rose Dix, our PRO has done a
magnificent job in getting sponsorship of some magnificent prizes. Thank you Rose.
COME AND JOIN US , CANCEL EVERTYTHING ELSE , AND
SUPPORT YOUR CLUB FOR THE FINAL ACT OF 2009 – except of course the NEW Years Eve in a cave with
Keith and Margaret.. See you all at the
Christmas tree
New members
The Chairman , Committee Members, leaders and club members welcome the following New
Members to our club - Darrell andamp;
Melissa Munday, Rinaldo
Captain andamp; Nikki Biggar, Valerie Spicer and
Veronica Stander.
CHRSTMAS PARTY
Another reminder of
the Annual Christmas Party scheduled for Sunday, 6 December 2009 at the same
venue as last year. Time of arrival is from
11h00. For the more energetic a hike
lead by Mary Clover through the Conservancy has been arranged. Members not in the mood for walking can
relax in the shade of the magnificent trees in the company of like-minded
friends. Braai
fires will be ready by 12h00 to commence preparing lunch. Members please bring meat, salads, rolls and
drinks or whatever is your fancy, for lunch.
Tables, chairs, cutlery, plates, glasses, cups, saucers and spoons are
available at the venue, but a few extra braai’s and
folding chairs would be appreciated. A
hall with a verandah is on site in the event of rain as well as toilet
facilities and a kitchen. Members please
bring a small gift suitable to both male or female which will be handed out by
Mother Christmas during the course of the afternoon during a fun event Lucky dip prizes will also be drawn. Prizes for the annual competitions will be awarded - best Article published in the Newsletter,
the Photographic competition and the person who introduced the most new members
to the Club. Cakes or biscuits will be
appreciated to accompany the afternoon tea/coffee later in the day.
Directions: St Matthews is situated in
ANNUAL
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Members who have
not paid their subscriptions are reminded that the final date for payment was
31 October 2009. The committee has
agreed to extend this date to 30 November in order to give those who may have
forgotten, to pay. As at the end
November members with outstanding subscriptions will be removed from the
members’ list, Deposits may be made
directly into the Club’s Bank Account as follows:
ACCOUNT NAME -
BANK - NEDBANK
BRANCH - HILTON - BRANCH
CODE 151925
ACCOUNT NO. - 1519007299
Please fax a copy of the deposit
slip to Keith, for attention of Libby, on 086 550 6979. Thank you.
VISIT TO THE
18 July – 2 August 2009
Organised by Keith and Margaret Ashton, other participants, Noël andamp;
Morris Harper, Peter Wedge and friend Paul from
On day one we drove to Kuruman and stayed
overnight in a very pleasant self-catering place.
Day two we reached the Park in the early afternoon. On both days we made various stops to stretch
our legs. It being wintertime the
countryside was very dry but nevertheless interesting.
After having booked in we set up camp for the next three days, by then
some of the others had also arrived and were also busy organising themselves.
Spending the next 2 weeks in the Park we had plenty of time to venture
out to see other things. Only a week
before leaving home was I given a book by a friend about the continuous struggle
for survival of the Bushman culture, land and identity. I had to read it in a hurry because it had
to be returned before I left. The book,
“Kalahari Rain Song” tells the story of Belinda Kruiper
and of her love for a Bushman called Vetkat Rechopstaan Longlife Kruiper.
Belinda, is an Afrikaner meisie of coloured descent, origionally
from the
Working there, she spent much of her free time with the Bushman outside
the Park, which interested her greatly, but this was not appreciated by her
employers. Yet, as a receptionist she
was very popular and extremely well organised.
At the camp counter I inquired about Belinda Kruiper,
knowing that she had left her job some years ago and had involved herself more
and more in the Bushman culture. I was
told that she still lived about 8 km down the road in a small settlement called
Welkom, which we had noticed on our way.
With a little negotiating with the other 3 members in our vehicle, they
agreed with me to visit her the following morning.
Luck was with us, she was home.
After introducing ourselves, she invited us into her very modest and
basic home where we chatted about her book and her experiences.
Sometime after leaving her job and living with the Bushman she married
her love, Vetkat.
She showed us the famous drawings of her now, late husband, Vetkat, who passed away in 2005.
We were so impressed with her involvement in the Bushman culture that
she offered us a visit to her Bushman fam. living some way inland alongside the
Park, where the Kruiper family, with her help, had
achieved to reclaim the right to hunt again within the
Meanwhile Belinda had told us about other characters of her book. When we left Belinda we decided to go and
meet them. In fact we had passed them
the day before near the Molopy Hotel on the roadside,
but we had not stopped. We drove back
60 km to meet them where they showed us how they make their crafts of
necklaces, bushman paintings, etc. No
artificial materials are used, even the thread of the
necklaces was made of animal skin, and very strong. Paintings on gemsbok shoulder blades, the
paint was extracted from stones and they showed us the process, most
interesting.
I had read the book in such a hurry, I now wanted to buy it for
myself. We continued to the Molopy Hotel where the book was available and stayed for a
beer and a look around, a typical African Bush style hotel and cosy.
The following day we met Belinda at the reception and drove outside the
gate of the Park to the Kruiper fam.
environment. They are, apparently the
only real remaining Bushman of the Kalahari.
A very friendly fam. of young and old met us.
A youngster was cutting up donkey meat under a tree. On the other side
strips of meat hung to dry, as was the skin.
Nothing gets wasted.
Our questions were numerous, and the answers came from smiling
faces. They took us through there own
gate into the Park, explained how they recognise things and ‘read the sands
like a newspaper.’
“Bushman don’t teach nature, they are the door
to nature.”
We learned such a lot in such a short time, even where a hare had either
jumped or walked, how old a dropping was etc. It was incredible, how Old Dawid (74) sensed the approaching of danger that’s real
bushman life.
Returning to the fam. settlement we were made aware how they manage with
very little water and food. We had a taste
of the tsama (a type of wild melon) growing in the
desert which provides them with some moister when water is not available, water
was at least 6 dunes away, I estimated a good few kilometers.
A little further on an Imbewu project
(wilderness leadership school), has been established, which will eventually be
run by the Bushman. Very much
enlightened about the basic lives of these people we returned to our camp.
HIKE AT EVERDON ESTATES...15ks..23 hikers Roseanne Dix
6 September 2009
Members:
Leader Cecil Hackney; Keith; Chris; Margaret; Howard; Rose; Christie;
Joan; Marina; Linda; Merle; Mike; Jeff; June; Eugene; Dave; Rod; Andrew;
Michelle; Peter, with visitors: Carolee; Bruce and
Lyn – 23 in total.
This new hike was supported by a very large crowd of eager hikers who
met on an uncharacteristicallyandnbsp;hot spring day on the beautiful property of
Everdon Estates where Organic Avocados are farmed and
subsequently sold by Woolworths and many other outlets, with 55% being
exported. They also produce a variety of Oils used in cosmetics
andandnbsp;now in cooking - with many added flavours. A new taste experience awaits.
In his introductory speech, Keith (ably encouraged by Dave) gave us a
highly imaginative review of the recently acquired Luxury Lodge in the Valley
... their risque observations being greeted by
surprised expressions and murmurings of 'whatever did they have for breakfast?'
However, hiking isn’t all about getting from A-B, its
also about learning and this we certainly did.
We were treated toandnbsp;sightings of many zebra, wildebeest and a very
jaunty warthog. Weandnbsp;learned that Avo trees, when pruned, need sun protection much as humans do.
The hike was to be 15ks over varied terrain, grazed by happy looking
cows and a myriad inquisitive calves on wobbly
legs. Exciting to
seeandnbsp;early springandnbsp;flowers dotting the slopes even though rainfall has
been sparse. The beautiful plant
- Syncolostemon Densiflorus
is the host plant for the endangered Karkloof
butterfly which Cecil told us is being rescued from extinction (I hope I got
this info correct). Wonderful
to hear that so many Oribi are living on the Estate. Cranes are still battling human and animal
foes to increase their numbers.
Just after lunch on a high plateau overlooking inviting valleys, we
started upandnbsp;a steep incline, where Christie discovered her shorts had split
- but while we were all fiddlingandnbsp;with our lenses to get a shot of this
interesting feature, she decided that her posterior view was not to be shared
and opted for a lift out by luxury vehicle....thus providingandnbsp;a
meanandnbsp;photo opportunity for the ever vigilant Rod (pics are bound to follow)
The heat wasandnbsp;becoming oppressive at this stage so the hike was
shortened by 4km. Most hikers then
retreated to Yellowwood Cafe where Cecil and Sandra kindly provided cool water
to quench parched throats. Back at the Avo packing sheds, Cecil very generously gave everyone Avos as a reminder of a great hike.
Rods informative photographs will illustrate our journey far better than
words – I’m sure that we all hope that this hike will become a permanent
fixture as it certainly is one of the most spectacularlyandnbsp;scenic hikes in
the area. Our
grateful thanks to Cecil, Keith and Margaret for checking out this new hike for
our enjoyment.
CLUB HIKE FROM SENTINAL TO
FANGS – HIGH BERG
24/28 September 2009
Leader : Dave Sclanders
On 24 September, Chris, John, Roy, Rose, Allison, Irene, Margret K,
Keith and I, from the Midlands Hiking Club, met at the Sentinel Car Park in the
Hiking in the high berg is always a mind blowing experience. The scenery changes so much, especially if
one takes the time to hike the extra bit, and get onto the edge of the
escarpment, and look down in
The weather was clear and sunny, however despite recent rains, the
ground was dry and brown, no signs of green grass coming through. There was also a haze hanging over the
distant horizon which did limit the clarity of our views. However with our fully laden backpacks
including tents we headed off from the Sentinel car park, into the high
altitude of the escarpment and into
Weather changes from hot, to cold, to high winds to mist and rain, must
all be planned for with kit and food.
Also the comfort of the long nights is very important. No sleep makes the night long, and tomorrow
harder.
Our trip had all the weather
affects, very hot days, cold at night with very high winds, ending up with
heavy mist, rain and cold on the last day. On the 3rd day we spent
the whole day in the Madonna/Fangs Pass area looking at the views, and
generally being spoilt by the awesome sights from the top of the
escarpment. The only other living souls
we were close to was a large troop of Baboons who were foraging on the slopes
of the mountain.
A few points to bear in mind when
doing a high altitude hike are the effects of Altitude Sickness, which is very
debilitating, and the only real treatment is to get the affected person off the
high altitude down to lower altitude, easier said that done. Also general hiking fitness is most important, one must put in the time to “be” fit for such a
trip. It is hard work to carry the unusual load of backpack, extra food and
tent weight, and hike at high altitude.
Also the demands of climbing up long high hills, and then dropping down
to a river, and climbing up the other side demands a high degree of mental and
body fitness. Unless one works at the fitness level, there are going to be
problems. This not only makes the hike unpleasant for the affected person, but
for the whole group. Plans may need to
be changed, hiking takes longer than it should to get to the overnight stops,
and in general has an effect on all .
It is always with a sense of achievement, well being, and one of feeling
closer to nature when one gets back to the beginning. Where would we be if we did not have a
chance to feel nature as it is, and to see the
incredible sights that is offered by nature.
To stretch the body, know huge open spaces, and the need to have
complete trust in one’s self and fellow hikers to get to the end.
IT IS ALWAYS A PRIVELEDGE TO BE ONE WITH NATURE FOR A WHILE. To my fellow hikers, thank you for sharing
this time in the mountains.
MOUNT GILBOA – KARKLOOF Margaret Ashton
Saturday 3 October 2009
Fourteen of us set off from Bush Willow Farm ±22km from Howick up the
Bush Willow Farm has two cottages, camping and caravan sites, electric
points (Blue plug required), and a 5-star ablution block, also a small dam and
a large hall suitable for functions.
We made our way carefully through the beautiful indigenous forest. It was very slippery although a better path
than the last time we were here with green arrow markers though these were a
bit sparse at certain places.
Emerging at the top of the escarpment we had lovely views all round and
many flowers that I
thought were purple Asters.
Then it was time to find the path down through more indigenous
forest. It was at this point that
Allison almost stepped on a small snake which we identified as a small puff
adder. It lay still in the path and
wasn’t keen to move. Needless to say it
was a well photograph snake.
The downward path was even more slippery than the up path and much
slipping, sliding, hysterical laughter and muddy pants ensued. Then we saw the Clivias,
hundreds of them in full bloom, all orange.
The sun shining through the trees made this a magical sight and worth
all the mud. Thank
you Allison for a wonderful day.