A full day in the mountains

Now that was an experience. Eight hours from stopping at the foot of the mountains to getting back to the car again. Yesterday we did a spectacular hike in the Du Toit's Kloof mountains just outside of Paarl. I actually swam in the ice cold river - trust me, I would not have believed that to be possible a few days earlier! The scenery was spectacular, the company great and I certainly had to face challenges along the route that were absolute firsts for me.

Sometimes one looks at an obstacle and simply can't imagine getting up or down all on your own! Well, at this stage I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own. I am so fortunate to have met the incredible people in my new hiking group - there was always a helping hand, and bit of advice and encouragement when I needed it. I wish they could all come with me to Kili!!

The closest I can come to sharing the beauty of this route is by posting some of the photographs we took. Have a look at the pics lower down on the right hand side of the page as well. The little guy at the top is a Sundevall's Shovel-Snout snake - totally harmless and petite - we met him on the rocks at the waterfall. He certainly lives in paradise - thanks Irene for identifying him!

Today I can really feel I've done something new, thank goodness for Votaren Gel and hot beanbags!!! It's time out for a day or two but I definitely feel that I'm on track. Anyone have a spare set of crutches???

Getting those miles on the legs

Another week has just flown by! Tomorrow I'm going on my second hike and I'm super excited. We're doing a walk in the du Toit's Kloof mountains, a truly beautiful part of the Cape. Our route is going to take us along a river and we'll be going for a swim somewhere along the way! You'll have to wait a couple of hours to see the pictures - it sounds as if it is going to be something really special.

At least now I know what to expect and packing my backpack is going to be a bit easier than last week. Hopefully this time I'll sleep the night before, last week my nerves kept me awake half the night!

As for the running, on Saturday I ran a 10km race in Paarl. As it's the celebration of Nelson Mandela's release from prison, they organised a 27km race from the prison where he was held for many years; a kilometer for each year he spent in jail. Luckily for me, there was a shorter, 10km route as well and I opted for that one.

The distance markers for the 27km race read (e.g.):  10km (Another 17 years to go...) That really made one think, I couldn't imagine having done 10km and then still having another 17 to go at that stage, so imagine reading that as 'years behind bars' and so many years still ahead! No matter what your political affiliations are - that is food for thought!

Last night my friend and I ran 8km with our club, so slowly but surely those miles are adding up!

I'm furiously sending out invites to the Hair Spa day on the 15th of March, if you're interested - let me know!

My first hike!

I cannot believe that it took me so many years to discover the joys of hiking! Today saw my first attempt at conquering the local mountains. I was fortunate enough to be invited by a friend to join her group for a hike from Chapman’s Peak to Constantia Nek, a spectacular hike of approximately 4 and a half hours.

This special group of people get up very early every Thursday morning to explore the many hiking routes that we have in and around the Cape Town area. What a pleasure it was to be introduced to a new activity, meet lovely people and discover the beauty hidden behind the hills that I’ve driven past a million times!

For years, as a tour guide, I told people about the manganese deposits found above Hout Bay, the little wasp introduced years ago to kill off the alien vegetation and the fynbos vegetation that is unique to our part of the world. What a delight it was to finally stand next to one of the old manganese mining shafts for the first time ever and to see first hand how the little industrious wasp is quietly making a difference!

A great leader and a cameraderie that is well established amongst a group of people who have shared many hikes, as well as beautiful surroundings made for a truly enjoyable day.

My running is definitely paying off as well and I’m not sure that I would have had the stamina to keep up the way I was able to if I was not at least reasonably fit.

I’m learning how my body responds to all the different challenges I’m putting it through and slowly but surely I can feel that I am able to more and more. It’s a good feeling! Nothing comes without hard work, especially as you get older and now that I have embarked on this path I am determined to get to the next level. :)

A BIG thank you to the new angels that have crossed my path to help me along!