On Friday 11th May a bunch of happy campers went of to Mnweni in the Northern Drakensberg to experience something neither of us has ever done - a mountain marathon. This is basically a trail run, a very long trail run.
With a well-organised race briefing every runner were issued with a map of the route, and thankfully the race organisers made use of a red line to indicate the route. Also a big thanks to the sponsors, with their logo I could establish which side was up!
Some nervous jokes traveled through the tent later the evening. After a discussion on navigation we established that if you drove down Lynnwood Road (in Pretoria) you would be going east, unless you were traveling in the other way, navigation sorted then..........
We started on a cloudless morning before sunrise. Every member of our gang had an objective, mine was to finish before the rugby, Wessel, Carine and Jacques aimed to reach the cut-off time of 11:00 at the bottom of Mnweni pass, Tony had been preparing in the Himalayas the previous month and looked eager to go. The route was as follows : follow the Mnweni river up the Berg
until you eventually reach the escarp via the Mnweni pass, then descent through the Rockeries pass and follow the Thanyelna river all the way home.
With my map safely tucked away in my back pack the run started, a few level kilometers along a well maintained road before we started our ascent on some rather smaller hiking trails. The route meandered up the valleys towards the pass. Running became more difficult and nobody was ashamed to walk up or down a slope. Ten kays in I stopped for to fill up on water when I heard some talking behind, the gang had caught up with me again, after al that
running?
Then the mind games started as the route became more difficult. Aches and pains appeared from seemingly nowhere. Fast walking became acceptable with the odd run for a hundred yards, maybe. As we came nearer to the Mnweni pass the going got even more difficult, the voice shouting ouch in the head louder and for a minute I thought about turning round, but that would be quitting, never! Finally we reached the pass, legs tired but the big challenge still lay ahead.
Mnweni pass is only about 1200m, doesn't sound much but it is steep, very steep, you know what I mean, moer steep. We looked like climbers summitting Everest, baby steps and strained faces, and one thought to keep going and not to stop until the top is reached. It was at this stage that I once again got hope for our beautiful country. A friend from university was in
front of me and suffering from cramp when I caught up with him, he was walking with two trekking poles. My leg was very sore by now and as we struggled up the pass I mentioned that to have a trekking pole would be great at this moment, although hurting with cramp he offered me one of his poles without hesitation (I didn't take it).
More than hour later we reached the summit and sat down for some lunch, lovely macaroni and tomato paste, enough fuel to carry us home together with the trusted Evox bar and zoom juice. The descent down Rockeries was, um rocky and steep. At stages the best way for fast and rather safe progress was the two-foot slide, as practiced by kids wearing socks on tiled floors. After a while we noticed some vultures circling above, was this an ominous sign, luckily not as they were breading on the rock face above.
After Rockeries going got easier as the gradient softened and jogging once again became and option. By now my running technique looked a bit like a Boerboel crossed with Sonja Laxton, at least it was faster than walking. Then we hit the gravel road back to Mnweni; it was back to
full throttle, which was by now not so fast and quite sore. At least it was faster than
walking and just as sore! The finish was as sweep as 'toffie appels' and I was just in time for rugby! What a fine day.
Everybody made it back safely and it was time for a good old braai. Most of us walked around like sailors with two wooden legs, but smiles as wide as a grand piano!
See you there next time, cheers.
