3 days of kloofing in the magalies

I decided to get away from the city and spend easter weekend on the magalies mountains, joining up with various parties having planned kloofing trips, in total i spend 3 days kloofing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloofing doing 5 different kloofs.

Day1:

We traversed the magalies ridge from breeds neck entering upper tonquani from the ridge line, went down, doing the 7 meter kloof jump swimming and negotiating boulders in the river. We didn't do lower tonquani as we went up boulder kloof were i saw an interesting rock pillar that looked like it had a huge easter egg on top of it. We then went down easter kloof and enjoyed a natural bum slide. I decided to camp at mountain sanctuary park.

Day2:

Mountainbike up breeds neck 2 times, ride halfway to hekpoort and back, 60km total.

Go down grootkloof and abseil the 12m waterfall, the BEST kloof in the whole magalies with +-30 meter vertical cliff walls 3 meter apart!! Camp and overnight at grootkloof.

Day3:

From mountain sanctuary crossing cedarberg kloof, we headed down upper tonquani, doing the 7 meter kloof jump again, swimming and negotiating boulders in the river while it started raining. Going past boulder kloof this time and we headed down to lower tonquani picking up a family group with small children while the rain came down hard the helped them down practicing the art of family-kloofing**

** Family kloofing: A normal unsuspecting family, unfit and sometimes overweight, tricked into going down a kloof, once they are in the kloof they reach the point of no return and have to go down, this normally takes the whole day as it is very tedious for them, because they go so slow you get very cold very soon, and they won't forgive you for a year afterwards, were after they would love you for showing them a piece of heaven.

GARMIN WARTRAIL 2010

Garmin Wartrail 2010,

I was the missing No. 6...

Day1: 65km Skyrun

When last were you alone on an unspoilt mountain wilderness untouched by the human hand?

When last did you have to take action against the elements just to survive?

When last were you lost on your own and without water far from civilization?

As humans I believe we are meant to run and trek over mountains, that is what our bodies was designed to do by God in order to survive, but modern day city life has taken us away from nature and how we were meant to live. This weekend at the Garmin Wartail Tri challenge i returned to nature again and had to get out of my city life comfort zone and fight the elements to survive. What a Great feeling of Freedom !!!! You are sure to encounter the 4 elements on this mountain: WIND,FIRE,EARTH,WATER

We started 4am in front of the Hotel in Lady Grey, I was relaxed this year as it was my 3rd wartrail and as i did skyrun (using my Garmin GPS) last year December and survived and didn't worry. Maybe i was too relaxed as i didn't check my GPS the night before, but i reckoned if i just stay with a group i would be fine. I stayed with a group and reached the radio tower CP1 feeling strong, doing much better than previous years. I carried on reaching olympys CP2, where the marshal said there were 10 people still behind me. A few people stopped here because of injuries, but i filled up with water and carried on. I was now on my own as i couldn't see anyone on front of me, but felt fine because if the marshal were right there were still 10 behind me. I was on my own, and suddenly i was surrounded by 20 vultures flying low and soaring in the wind checking me out, this was amazing!! 1st Element WIND. At this stage i remember getting goosebumps that i will be going over the dragons back later in the day.

I carried on and the route looked familiar, after going through a gate i followed the path and at a stage it didn't look familiar anymore, so i turned on my Garmin, i discovered that the GPS tracks that could be followed were empty, and trying to follow the 2 programmed routes showed off the map or i didn't understand it. At least the way-points were on the GPS (as i discovered later), but the main problem was i got spoiled following the GPS tracks on Skyrun last year, and it was not on my GPS this year you see. Well it was probably an operator error by me, but i was confused by the instrument at this time, and i fell back to my map and compass. I felt that i was close to snow-don or maybe passed it, being on the northern side of the mountain facing east looking out for snow-don peak south-east with the CP3 just before it, well here i must have done something wrong because i couldn't see snow-don peak or the CP with my map orientated and i panicked. (note to self, never panic). The rest of my day turned out to be a hard day in the office, but i prefer the mountain office far above a city office. I was quite high up on the ridge and then i saw and heard lighting to add to the panic. 2nd element FIRE. So i moved down very quickly.

The rest of my day was a bit of a blur of panic, trying to phone adrian etc. standing still not to lose the bad reception and taking down GPS coordinates, speaking to stephan and realizing the sweeper should be close by, my main concern was that i probably missed CP3 walking on the wrong side of the mountain, and that they will start looking for me if i skipped it. I waisted allot of time here because it didn't want to lose cell reception. Eventually walking to the south-west side of the mountain revealed the kraal with CP3 but nobody there accept the locals with their dogs, I was behind the sweeper! I decided to just stay on the ridge and head east and everything will come right, and maybe adrian will get reception soon and get my messages. So i headed east towards avoca or what i though was avoca, and eventually adrian phoned, he was waiting at avoca and gave me the coordinates and i followed it on the GPS. After say another hour i realized that avoca is not really getting closer, but i thought it was because of the cloud cover as my GPS kept on saying bad reception. Then suddenly avoca pointed back west and i knew i was lost. I phoned adrian and gave him my position, apparently i was on the wrong mountain heading into the transkei. Crisis! I was on the wrong piece of mountain. EARTH the 3rd element.

At this stage my water was finished, and the plan was for me to head back to snowdon CP3 and get off the mountain, going to farmer rob's house where they will start looking for me. I ran out of water forgot to eat,fell over every possible rock placed in front of me, chose the worst paths bundu bashing my way back to snowdon CP3 with my GPS, my Garmin saved my life and i made it there around 15:30, without WATER the 4th element. Eventually i took water out of a stagnant pool where "padda vissies" were swimming between the cattle dung, but i just decided i will rather drink dirty water and get sick than dehydrate.

The locals at CP3 tried to radio farmer rob, and showed me a road to follow. I followed the road until it stopped. I tried to find it again, but eventually realized i seriously must make a plan to get off the mountain before nightfall, looking on the map i saw a river and what looked like a farmhouse. I moved to the western side of the ridge and words can't express how happy i was when i saw the farmhouse far below in the valley. I felt like Bear Grills from ultimate survival, that found civilization after an expedition. And i started making plans on where it would be best to get off the mountain. It was 16:00 now and i had 2 hours of effective daylight left to get off the mountain. Here again you don't realize how hight you are up until you have to get down. This is a high mountain.

I eventually decided to get down to the river and follow it down the mountain, as if i don't make it down in daylight i could just follow the river and it would lead me to the farm, it would also provide me with drinking water. It turned out to be the worst bundu bashing experience ever and i for one like bundu bashing. It was hard, but around 18:00 (14hours) i reached the first farm house. It was empty. Moving further down i saw people and went closer.

I walked strait into about 20 people having a party drinking and having a braai,

(*i froze in my steps*)

(*they froze*)

The one child asked "mommy, who is this guy?"

(*all quiet*)

I said:

"I am looking for farmer rob, am i at the right farm?",

they said

"No, do you know what you are doing here?".

Eventually after i told them the whole story and being questioned and mentioning Adrian Saffy, Henk said he knows him as he studied with him and would gladly help me get out of my predicament. Henk phoned and let stephan also a friend know where I, No. 6 was.

Waiting 2 hours to be fetched, I ended up having 3 tequilas and a lekker chili dog while listening to their braai stories about iPod player speakers that is waterproof with lights illuminating and that can be used as vis-aas. Eventually i was fetched and stephan also had to take strafdop.

Day2: Mountainbike 135km

After re-hydrating from the previous day, The mountain biking went smooth. And i enjoyed passing the motorbikes on the long downhill. That was until i reached a snot grad stream, fell and got a roasty. But i carried on and finished middle of the field. It was good, and the downhills enjoyable.

Day3: Paddle 60km

I did'n plan to do the paddle this year, next year.

The Gravity is stronger on this mountain and it's surrounds than anywhere else, and for that reason i will keep on coming back for more.

Jacques

Garmin Wartrail 2010, I was the missing No. 6...

When last were you alone on an unspoilt mountain wilderness untouched
by the human hand?
When last did you have to take action against the elements just to survive?When last were you alone on an unspoilt mountain wilderness untouched

by the human hand?

When last did you have to take action against the elements just to survive?

When last were you lost on your own and without water far from civilization?

As humans I believe we are meant to run and trek over mountains, that

is what our bodies was designed to do by God in order to survive, but

modern day city life has taken us away from nature and how we were

meant to live. This weekend at the Garmin Wartail Tri challenge i

returned to nature again and had to get out of my city life comfort

zone and fight the elements to survive. What a Great feeling of

Freedom !!!! You are sure to encounter the 4 elements on this

mountain: WIND,FIRE,EARTH,WATER

We started 4am in front of the Hotel in Lady Grey, I was relaxed this

year as it was my 3rd wartrail and as i did skyrun (using my Garmin

GPS) last year December and survived and didn't worry. Maybe i was too

relaxed as i didn't check my GPS the night before, but i reckoned if i

just stay with a group i would be fine. I stayed with a group and

reached the radio tower CP1 feeling strong, doing much better than

previous years. I carried on reaching olympys CP2, where the marshal

said there were 10 people still behind me. A few people stopped here

because of injuries, but i filled up with water and carried on. I was

now on my own as i couldn't see anyone on front of me, but felt fine

because if the marshal were right there were still 10 behind me. I was

on my own, and suddenly i was surrounded by 20 vultures flying low and

soaring in the wind checking me out, this was amazing!! 1st Element

WIND. At this stage i remember getting goosebumps that i will be going

over the dragons back later in the day.

I carried on and the route looked familiar, after going through a gate

i followed the path and at a stage it didn't look familiar anymore, so

i turned on my Garmin, i discovered that the GPS tracks that could be

followed were empty, and trying to follow the 2 programmed routes

showed off the map or i didn't understand it. At least the way-points

were on the GPS (as i discovered later), but the main problem was i

got spoiled following the GPS tracks on Skyrun last year, and it was

not on my GPS this year you see. Well it was probably an operator

error by me, but i was confused by the instrument at this time, and i

fell back to my map and compass. I felt that i was close to snow-don

or maybe passed it, being on the northern side of the mountain facing

east looking out for snow-don peak south-east with the CP3 just

before it, well here i must have done something wrong because i

couldn't see snow-don peak or the CP with my map orientated and i

panicked. (note to self, never panic). The rest of my day turned out

to be a hard day in the office, but i prefer the mountain office far

above a city office. I was quite high up on the ridge and then i saw

and heard lighting to add to the panic. 2nd element FIRE. So i moved

down very quickly.

The rest of my day was a bit of a blur of panic, trying to phone

adrian etc. standing still not to lose the bad reception and taking

down GPS coordinates, speaking to stephan and realizing the sweeper

should be close by, my main concern was that i probably missed CP3

walking on the wrong side of the mountain, and that they will start

looking for me if i skipped it. I waisted allot of time here because

it didn't want to lose cell reception. Eventually walking to the

south-west side of the mountain revealed the kraal with CP3 but nobody

there accept the locals with their dogs, I was behind the sweeper! I

decided to just stay on the ridge and head east and everything will

come right, and maybe adrian will get reception soon and get my

messages. So i headed east towards avoca or what i though was avoca,

and eventually adrian phoned, he was waiting at avoca and gave me the

coordinates and i followed it on the GPS. After say another hour i

realized that avoca is not really getting closer, but i thought it was

because of the cloud cover as my GPS kept on saying bad reception.

Then suddenly avoca pointed back west and i knew i was lost. I phoned

adrian and gave him my position, apparently i was on the wrong

mountain heading into the transkei. Crisis! I was on the wrong piece

of mountain. EARTH the 3rd element.

At this stage my water was finished, and the plan was for me to head

back to snowdon CP3 and get off the mountain, going to farmer rob's

house where they will start looking for me. I ran out of water forgot

to eat,fell over every possible rock placed in front of me, chose the

worst paths bundu bashing my way back to snowdon CP3 with my GPS, my

Garmin saved my life and i made it there around 15:30, without WATER

the 4th element. Eventually i took water out of a stagnant pool where

"padda vissies" were swimming between the cattle dung, but i just

decided i will rather drink dirty water and get sick than dehydrate.

The locals at CP3 tried to radio farmer rob, and showed me a road to

follow. I followed the road until it stopped. I tried to find it

again, but eventually realized i seriously must make a plan to get off

the mountain before nightfall, looking on the map i saw a river and

what looked like a farmhouse. I moved to the western side of the ridge

and words can't express how happy i was when i saw the farmhouse far

below in the valley. I felt like Bear Grills from ultimate survival,

that found civilization after an expedition. And i started making

plans on where it would be best to get off the mountain. It was 16:00

now and i had 2 hours of effective daylight left to get off the

mountain. Here again you don't realize how hight you are up until you

have to get down. This is a high mountain.

I eventually decided to get down to the river and follow it down the

mountain, as if i don't make it down in daylight i could just follow

the river and it would lead me to the farm, it would also provide me

with drinking water. It turned out to be the worst bundu bashing

experience ever and i for one like bundu bashing. It was hard, but

around 18:00 (14hours later) i reached the first farm house. It was

empty. Moving further down i saw people and went closer. I walked

strait into about 20 people having a party drinking and having a

braai, (*i froze in my steps*), (*they froze*). The one child asked

"mommy, who is this guy?" (*all quiet*). I said "I am looking for

farmer rob, am i at the right farm?", they said "No, do you know what

you are doing here?". Eventually after i told them the whole story and

being questioned and mentioning Adrian Saffy, Henk said he knows him

as he studied with him and would gladly help me get out of my

predicament. Henk phoned and let stephan also a friend know where I,

No. 6 was.

Waiting 2 hours to be fetched, I ended up having 3 tequilas and a

lekker chili dog while listening to their braai stories about iPod

player speakers that is waterproof with lights illuminating and that

can be used as vis-aas. Eventually i was fetched and stephan also had

to take strafdop.

When last were you lost on your own and without water far from civilization?

As humans I believe we are meant to run and trek over mountains, that
is what our bodies was designed to do by God in order to survive, but
modern day city life has taken us away from nature and how we were
meant to live. This weekend at the Garmin Wartail Tri challenge i
returned to nature again and had to get out of my city life comfort
zone and fight the elements to survive. What a Great feeling of
Freedom !!!! You are sure to encounter the 4 elements on this
mountain: WIND,FIRE,EARTH,WATER

Yster Vark Darkzone AR - Team Platpoot

We started Friday night 10pm and finished around 10am Saturday morning. We came in 3rd overall out of the 12 teams. We weren't official though as we were a 3-male team, and 4-mixed is the official category. It was a fun race, including a 5 meter cliff jump at night.

The grass and thorns cut my legs badly, note to self get gators.

I need to work on my NAV, as i can't.

Position	TEAM	Type	Final Race Time	Course
	Red Ants	4male	07:43:00	Full
	Hawkstone	4male	08:57:00	Full
	Platpoot	3male	09:46:00	Full
1st Official	Kinetic	4mix	10:08:00	Full
2nd Official	Fly-by-Night	4mix	11:23:00	Full
3rd Official	Tshanduku	4mix	12:15:00	Full
	LAVA	4male	12:55:00	Full

Attakwas Extreme 135 km

There is something to say about riding from the interior of a continent to the sea with your mountain bike, no wonder all of these races like karoo2coast, sani2sea and joburg2sea are getting so popular. Attakwas is one of these 2sea races, and it feels kind of special riding to the sea.

On Kingsley Holgate's expedition from Cape to Cairo, he carried a zulu calabash filled with Atlantic sea water in the cape and emptied it in the Mediterranean sea at Cairo, why did he do it? because it was kind of special. So why did i ride 135km (Total ascent 2950 m) with my bike from oudtshoorn to the mouth of the great brak river over the Outeniqua mountains, well it was kind of special, a beautiful area and good cape epic training even though i just carried energy bars and water in my bladder.

The race started at the Chandelier Game & Ostrich Show farm in Oudtshoorn and followed mostly jeep track into the Doringrivier Nature reserve where a sable buck ran on an open karoo plain next to us for a
long time, thinking he is one of us. It quickly becomes undulating with rocky descents where somebody shouted to me "don't be a hero!" with me laughing and bombing down. Some river crossings and a technical jeep track took us onto an unforgiving rise.

When you reach the attakwas kloof, you go deep down into valleys and climb out again all of the time, the down-hills was fun and the climbs hard, an even though there were no single-track every other terrain was encountered, sand, mud, gravel, rocky down-hills and really really steep technical hills with fynbos everywhere. I saw the mccains, and tweet told me that they passed this area a few year back in the Eden adventure race.

After getting a spur burger at a water point, the last 40km takes forever, the undulating hills hard (but good training), and you start looking for the sea like a little child going there for the first time. They say it is the hardest single day mountain-bike race in the country, and they might be right.

The race ends on a downhill, and seeing the sea felt great!!

739 riders started, 511 finished,

I came 375 in 10:18:30,

Kevin Evans won in 5:43:52

Race cutoff was 12 hours, i made it, and got some good saddle time and experience.

10 hours in the saddle wasn't that bad, as the next day i went adventure caving in the cango caves and rode an ostrich.It was as well organised race, and i enjoyed it, even though i missed
my good old single-track.

The Mummy Man

My Extreme Ironing Collection

Skyrun 2009

"Number 1 is breathing hard. My legs burn. As the pistons in an engine, they work tirelessly. The land is rolling by. Stones, earth, ripples, grasses bend, gravity is working against him ........... ... "

Hundred kilometers African wilderness become a spiritual experience at the 12th SKYRUN through the Drakensberg. The scars on the legs and feet are not healed yet, but spectacular images show the horizon and let us hope, 2010 might pass quickly so that we can start again!

Salomon SKYRUN 2009 - the longest day of the year:

http://www.gripmastertrails.com/trailnews/run-wild-and-fly-high-–-der-langste-tag-des-jahres/

OVERALL POSITION
Position	Race Time	Race No.	Name	Category
1	14:43:13	18	DON WAUCHOPE IAIN	OM
1	14:43:13	1	ARNETT BRUCE	OM
3	15:41:56	24	HUGHS TREVOR	VM
4	17:30:10	45	SCHOEMAN NICO	VM
5	18:12:20	20	ERASMUS ANDRE	OM
5	18:12:20	39	RUST LEO	OM
5	18:12:20	48	STEEL ROGER	OM
8	20:18:53	12	DE BEER NIC	OM
9	20:45:02	21	FOURIE HERMAN	OM
10	21:13:47	16	DU PLESSIS HENDRI	OM
11	23:05:10	46	STEYN JEANETTE	VW
12	23:37:23	11	DOKE LINDA	VW
12	23:37:23	26	JENNINGS GUY	VM
12	23:37:23	30	LE ROUX DANIE	OM
15	25:42:38	4	BOTHA THEUNS	OM
15	25:42:38	17	DREYER SP	OM
17	25:52:52	32	MOUTON JACQUES	OM
18	26:07:06	25	HARRIS CHRISTINE	MW
19	26:31:37	27	KRUGER JAMES	OM
20	26:34:58	7	BOTHA KAREL	OM
20	26:34:58	13	DE HAAST LAURA	VW
20	26:34:58	14	DE HAAST MATHEW	OM
20	26:34:58	8	CRANSTON RAY	OM
20	26:34:58	49	TROW JENNY	VW
20	26:34:58	28	KELLY EUGENE	OM
26	29:21:52	40	REPKE STEPHEN	OM
26	29:21:52	19	ENENKEL REGINE	OW
28	29:27:06	3	ABBOT TONY	OM
29	29:45:10	2	ADDISON KAREN	MW
29	29:45:10	51	VAN DER MERWE RIANA	VW
31	29:52:16	52	VAN DER MERWE MYNHARDT	VM
32	31:09:50	36	MOKHETHI PAUL	OM
32	31:09:50	37	NGALO GEORGE	VM
34	31:19:46	34	MOLLENTZE BILLY	VM
35	32:18:20	31	MYBURGH NEIL	MM
36	33:07:20	22	FERREIRA JOHAN	MM
36	33:07:20	53	VAN VUUREN MARTIN	MM
38	33:26:28	5	BOOYSEN JACQUES	OM
39	33:55:10	23	GODFERY KATE	VW
40	34:07:35	50	VAN ZYL LIZBE	VW
41	35:23:00	43	SLAUGHTER ANDREW	OM