DO IT NOW Magazine #15 - Adventure, Sport & Lifestyle

2 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

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DINList

& CALENDAR If you are looking for something do over the next 3 months, here’s a list of great activities you might want to try out or see. Enjoy!

FEBRUARY 2012

Adventure 

River Rafting // Parys (Free State)

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 Motorcycle // Off-road Champs – Wolmaransstad (North West): 25 Feb  Triathlon // Midlands Ultra – Midmar Dam (KZN): 4 Mar  Running // JP Morgan Corporate Run – Wanderers (Gauteng): 8 Mar  Motorcycle // Liquorland Enduro – Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape): 10 Mar  Cycling // Cape Argus – Cape Town: 11 Mar  Motorcycle // Off-road Champs – Caledon (Western Cape): 24 Mar  Trail Run // Capestorm Pure – Pretoria (North Gauteng): 25 Mar  MTB // Cape Epic – Cape: 25 Mar – 1 Apr  Trail Run // Namib Desert Challenge – Namibia: 26 Mar  Trail Run // Kinetic Night Race – TBA (JHB): 4 Apr  Trail Run // Two Oceans – Newlands (Cape Town): 6 Apr  Running // Two Oceans Marathon – Newlands (Cape Town): 7 Apr

Market // Irene Craft Market – Irene (PTA): Saturdays

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 Canopy Trail // Skyway Trails (Mpumalanga)  Hot Air Ballooning // The Cradle (JHB)  Outback Tour // Kalahari (Kgalagadi)  Fly Fishing // Elandskloof Trout Farm (Dullstroom)  Paintball // Riversands Farm (Fourways)  Gliding // Breede River (Western Cape)  Skydiving // Midlands (Durban)  4x4 Trails // Napier (Western Cape)  Caving // Tsitsikamma (Western Cape)  Kite Surfing // Sodwana Bay (Zululand)

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 Theatre // Phantom of the Opera – Teatro (Monte Casino): 31 Jan – 25 Mar  Expo // All Things Bike – Gallagher Estate (JHB): 17-19 Feb  Theatre // America Anthems on Route 66 – JHB Theatre (JHB): 21 Feb – 11 Mar  Expo // Meetings Africa – Sandton Convention Centre (JHB): 28 Feb – 1 Mar  Expo // Decorex – Durban Expo Centre (DBN): 21-25 Mar  Expo // Hobby X – Coca Cola Dome (JHB): 1-4 Mar  Concert // Hansa Festival of Legends – Soweto (JHB): 1 – 10 Mar  Music // Evening with the Eagles – Cape Town Stadium (CT): 4 Apr  Music // Splashy Fen Music Festival – Underberg (KZN): 8 Apr  Theatre // Mid Summer Night’s Dream – Cape Town: 10 Apr

NOW

inTRO

FOUNDER’S LETTER

Compliments of the season to all our DO IT NOW readers and I hope you enjoyed a very blessed festive season and fantastic New Year!

Elri and I spent three incredible weeks in Europe on our first-ever snowboarding holiday over the festive period with some good friends and were fortunate to be spoilt with loads of snow and perfect snowboarding conditions.

Take a look at page 30 for my article on Lech, Austria, which is part one of a three-part series about our trip. If you haven’t yet ticked off a trip like this from your bucket list, then I would like to encourage you to do it sooner than later because it was AWESOME. It’s a great feeling to ski on snow and now ranks as one of my personal top 10 things that I like to do.

Congratulations to Nelda Murray (third place - R5 000), Estelle van der Riet (second place - R10 000) and Marie-Leanne Holt (first place - R20 000), the winners of our Subscription competition that ran from October to December 2011. Enjoy spending your money and thanks to everyone who subscribed and entered!

Looking at the many awesome events for this year, the calendar is quickly filling up and promises to be another action-packed year. The DO IT NOW team would like to congratulate Darryl Curtis on doing so well at his first Dakar Rally and we look forward to seeing him compete in future Dakar races. For those taking part in the upcoming Dusi look out for DO IT NOW’s event crew who will be there to support and cheer you on. If you’re a water fanatic then don't miss one of South Africa's biggest and best river festivals, the Blyde Xfest 2012.

You are guaranteed loads of white-water fun. The dates for these and many other events can be found on the DINList and on our website.

But the event to look out for is the DINFest, DO IT NOW's weekend festival in March, which will be held at Base 3 Lake in Midrand. I would like to extend an invitation to all our readers to be a part of this great day for the whole family. Some of the activities we are looking to feature are freestyle motocross, wakeboarding, kayaking, stand-up paddling and many others. Our contributors who specialise in each of these disciplines will also be there to show off their talents. For more details visit the DO IT NOW website.

I believe that 2012 will be a BIG one and my team and I are ready to take the magazine to even greater heights. To all our new readers who have purchased the magazine from the stores, welcome and we hope you enjoy this journey as much as we do.

Let 2012 be your year where you DON’T HESITATE, DON’T PROCRASTINATE, DO IT NOW! DIN regards, Francois

www.doitnow.co.za • 5

On the Cover - A rider powering away at a Shuttle day.

Photo by Ewald Sadie

NOW

meet the CREW

DO IT NOW TEAM

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FOUNDER Francois Flamengo

MANAGING EDITOR Elri Flamengo | elri@doitnow.co.za ART DIRECTOR Peet Nieuwenhuizen | peet@doitnow.co.za TEXT EDITOR Tracy Knox | tracy@doitnow.co.za ADVERTISING & SALES Morné Labuschagne | morne@doitnow.co.za MARKETING & BRAND AWARENESS Cheryl Whelan | cheryl@doitnow.co.za WEB ADMINISTRATOR Marieke Viljoen | marieke@doitnow.co.za ACCOUNTS, SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES subscribe@doitnow.co.za PUBLISHER DO IT NOW CC SUBSCRIPTION MY SUBS - www.mysubs.co.za DISTRIBUTION (Subscription) The Tree House - 011 315 3559 DISTRIBUTION (Retail) On the Dot - 011 401 5872 PRINTING Paarl Media - 021 870 3627

Please Recycle

HEAD OFFICE DO IT NOW CC Hammets Crossing Office Park, Building 805 No 2 Selbourne Ave Cnr Witkoppen Rd & Market Str Fourways, Johannesburg Tel: +27 (11) 462 1261 Fax: 086 612 8674 Website: www.doitnow.co.za DO IT NOW (ISSN 2074-6113) is published bi-monthly.

While every effort is made by the DIN Team to ensure that the content of the DO IT NOW Magazine is accurate at the time of going to press, DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may appear, or for any consequence of utilising the information contained herein. Statements by contributors are not always representative of DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd opinion. Copyright 2009 DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or stored on a retrieval system without the prior permission of DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd. DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd supports and encourages responsible practices with regards to all Adventure, Sport and Lifestyle activities. We also believe in the conservation and protection of all fauna and flora.

6 • DO IT NOW February June | July | March 2011 2012

Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities

For more information on advertising and sectional sponsorship opportunities in the magazine and on the website, please request the DO IT NOW Company Profile, Rate Card, Specs & Schedule Sheet by emailing morne@doitnow.co.za or telephonically from the DO IT NOW office on +27 (11) 462 1261.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS

Thank you to all our contributors who help make this magazine such an exciting adventure!

1. Alan Hobson // inNATURE Warm Weather and Water Bugs Alan has been fly fishing for more than 35 years and his passion for anything Pisces is contagious. He achieved his R.E.F.F.I.S. and THETA accreditation five years ago and is constantly developing the ultimate fly.

He also collects malt whiskies, which are displayed in his pub in a century old church.

2. Claire King // inALTITUDE Skydiving Contributor Claire loves to try new stuff; if it’s outdoors and active, she’s game. Her main passion is skydiving and she is a PASA Coach, FAI Judge and has medalled at various SA National Championships. Most weekends Claire can be found team training, coaching or judging skydives.

3. Patrick Cruywagen // inACTION Berg & Beach Patrick Cruywagen is the Bush Editor of SA 4x4 Magazine and has spent the last 10 years cruising the African continent in search of great features.

Highlights include gorilla trekking in Rwanda, playing football with the President of Burundi and crossing the Sahara in West Africa. When he is not sampling African beer, Patrick likes to mountain bike and trail run.

4. Deon Breytenbach // inACTION National Freestyle Kayaking Competition Deon has been paddling white water for the last 13 years and competed in both local and international freestyle competitions. Currently based near the Blyde River Canyon, he spends as much time as possible introducing new faces to the world of white water paddling.

5. Francois Steyn // inGEAR In Review: 7-UP People Carriers Adventure rider, Chartered Accountant and Lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch. He’s happiest on two wheels and favours the dryer, barren regions of southern Africa.

6. Jacques Marais // inFOCUS SHOOT! An Image Essay - Telling Photo Stories A professional photographer, author and columnist, Jacques photographs and articles grace the pages of too-many-to-count local and international newspapers, websites and premium magazines.

7. Michael Scholz // in THE HOLE Golf Contributor A journeyman professional golfer and adrenalin junkie, Mike enjoys scuba diving and fly fishing, but mountain biking tops his list of activities.

9. Peter Fairbanks // inSURE What’s in Store for 2012?

Peter is very passionate about his work and risk management in general.

He feels that even the smallest contribution to the wealth creation and protection of his clients is what makes his job so rewarding.

10. Richard Flamengo // inTERTAINMENT Music, Movie and Game Reviews Richard is a movie, music and games (MMG) enthusiast, who loves relaxing at home playing games or going to watch movies, with a box of salt and vinegar popcorn.

11. Dr. Rikus Scheepers // inSHAPE Chiropractic Contributor Rikus is a Chiropractor in a private multi-disciplinary practice in Middelburg and Witbank. He enjoys being active and spending time outdoors, scuba diving, mountain biking, trail running and any kind of activity that gets the adrenalin flowing.

12. Steven Yates // inCREDIBLE PLACES Australia - Part 2 of 2 – Victoria Steven works as a Business Consultant to pay for his extravagant lifestyle of travelling and adventure sports. He loves cycling, scuba diving, rock climbing and just about any sport.

13. Damien Laird // inSHAPE Sports Massage Magic Damien wakeboards and skateboards for the love of being on a board and has dreams of being a snowboarder in the near future. FMX, BMX, surfing and any other similar activities are amazing forms of expression and he follows what’s happening in these sports as much as possible.

14. Xen and Adri Ludick // inTRANSIT OLD FAITHFUL Discovers Botswana and Namibia, Part 3 of 4 Xen and Adri Ludick both hold permanent ‘normal’ jobs so they are dependent on long weekends and yearly holidays to live out their passion for the great outdoors. Their preference is to head for areas that are least populated and yet unique from a wildlife point of view.

15. Walter Neser // inALTITUDE ACRO - A Glimpse into the World of Paragliding Aerobatics Walter’s passion is paragliding, which he has been doing since 1989.

In 1991 he became an instructor and now holds Sports, Tandem and TFI Instructor licenses and Aerobatic and Display Ratings in SA and the USA, and he is also an FAI Observer. When he’s not paraglidng, he is the designer and test pilot for paragliders for Apco Aviation and organises various paragliding festivals.

8. Neil Ross // inDULGE Recipes: Famous Pumpkin Pie & Chicken and Ham Treats Neil has worked his way around the world enjoying every ‘foodie’ minute of it.

Gentlemen’s clubs such as Brookes in London opened up many wonderful learning experiences, including cooking suppers for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS

(TO THIS ISSUE)

ADVENTURE ADVENTURE header page photograph: www.shutterstock.com inTRANSIT: Charl Pieterse and Kayden Kleinhans; inH2O: Shaun Sutton, Konrad Boshoff, Edwin Jones, Darius Boshoff, Colette Stoltz, Garth De Nobregga and Regardt Botes; inALTITUDE: Walter Neser and Karel Koster SPORT ADVENTURE header page photograph: Andreas Strand inTRODUCING: Tracy Knox; inACTION: Caroline Koll, Jean Jacques Fabien, 11global, Hannele Steyn, Cherie Vale, Troy Davies, Ewald Sadie, Ugene Nel, Pierre van der Spuy, Prokayak.co.za, Rudolf Botha, Dave Griffin, RSR PIXS and Morné Labuschagne; inPREPARATION: Brian Gardner, Team Red Ants, Ben Melt Swanepoel, Marc Bassingthwaighte and Ingo Waldschmidt LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE header page photograph by: Troy Davies inNATURE: Marie von Bargen; inVOLVED: Paola Chellew and Morne Swanepoel

www.doitnow.co.za • 7

NOW

inDEX

Vol 4 | Issue 1 | 2012 | www.doitnow.co.za

Base

// DINList and CALENDAR: p. 4 An exciting three-month calendar on AdventureSport-Lifestyle activities. // Team & Contributors: p. 6-7 DO IT NOW magazine team, as well as regular and guest contributors. // Subscription Info: p. 10-11 DO IT NOW Subscription Form and competition. // inFO: p. 12-13 Information page, check out our competitions, feedback and updates. // inSTORE: p. 14-15 Exciting products and subscriber discounts. // inFOCUS Reader Competition p. 122 Stand a chance to WIN R500 by entering the reader photo competition. // inVOLVED: p. 124-129 Incredible stories of involvement in the community, environment, marine, wildlife and other areas of life. // inCLOSING: p. 130 A sneak preview of upcoming features and articles.

Regulars

p. 18-29 inTRANSIT: Exciting and entertaining travel

stories from Africa and beyond.

p. 30-45 inH2O: Water sports and adventures. p. 46-47 inALTITUDE: Aerial / high altitude adventures. p. 48-51 inCREDIBLE PLACES: Articles about

incredible and magical places.

p. 54-57 inTRODUCING: Featuring informative articles

on a number of sports and why athletes compete in them. p. 58-81 inACTION: Information and feedback on various sporting events. p. 82-91 inPREPARATION: Information, tips and or training programmes for various sporting activities and events. p. 92-95 inSHAPE: Important information covering topics such as health, nutrition and exercise. p. 98-101 inGEAR: Adventure-Sport-Lifestyle activities featuring vehicles with gears. p. 102-109 inNATURE: Outdoor experiences and activities such as fishing and hiking. p. 110-111 inDULGE: A wine and dine section with a twist. p. 112-113 inSURE: Valuable information about insurance and related topics. p. 114-115 inTERTAINMENT: Movie, music and gaming reviews. p. 116-123 inFOCUS: Photography section with a competition and event-specific photography tips.

Key: Adventure | Sport | Lifestyle

8 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

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Adventure

p. 16-51

// inTRANSIT

18-21 OLD FAITHFUL Discovers Botswana and Namibia,

Part 3 of 4 22-25 Across the Spine of Taiwan 26-29 Solo Across Western Sahara

// inH2O

30-35 36-39 40-41 42-45

Snowboarding in Lech, Austria Tanzanian Daredevils - Part 1 of 2 To Cross an Ocean Hope. Pray. Paddle. - Part 1 of 2

// inALTITUDE 46-47

ACRO - A Glimpse into the World of Paragliding Aerobatics

// inCREDIBLE PLACES 48-51

Australia - Part 2 of 2 – Victoria

Sport

p. 52-95

// inTRODUCING 54-55 56-59

Avalanche Hits Fourways Taking Adventure Racing to a Whole New Level

// inACTION

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58-59 The World’s Most Beautiful Triathlon Indian Ocean Triathlon 60-61 ELEVEN Sun City – Africa’s Toughest Triathlon 62-65 Lesotho Sky 2011 – Racing with a Purpose 66-69 Shuttle Days – A Fun MTB Ride for Everyone 70-72 Berg & Beach 73-75 National Freestyle Kayaking Competition 76-78 On a Winning Streak 79-81 My First Roof of Africa

// inPREPARATION

82-83 84-85 86-87 88-91

// inSHAPE 92-95

Expedition Adventure Racing in Far Flung Places What does it take to compete at the Olympics?

Stanley’s Mountain and Trail Run 2012 What to Expect at the Dakar Rally Sports Massage Magic

Lifestyle

p. 96-129

// inGEAR

98-101 In Review: 7-UP People Carriers

// inNATURE

102-105 Warm Weather and Water Bugs 106-109 Olifants River Backpacking Trail –

A Hiker’s Journal - Part 1 of 2

// inDULGE

110-111 Recipes: Famous Pumpkin Pie & Chicken and Ham Treats

// inSURE

112-113 What’s in Store for 2012?

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// inTERTAINMENT

114-115 Music, Movie and Game Reviews

// inFOCUS

116-123 SHOOT! An Image Essay - Telling Photo Stories

// inVOLVED

124-126 QUADS 4 QUADS 2011: Riders on the Storm 127-129 A Survival Guide to Life in South Africa - Part 1 of 2

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If you know the place in this photo, then email your answer to competitions@doitnow.co.za and stand a chance to WIN a R250 voucher!

Congratulations to Greg McDavid, who correctly identified Sudwala Caves Dinosaur Park in Mpumalanga as the place in the DO IT NOW Volume 3, Issue 6 competition. Enjoy spending your voucher!

Entries for the next competition closes on 5 March 2012. The winner will be drawn from all the correct entries and announced in the following issue of DO IT NOW magazine and on our website.

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CONGRATULATIONS! To our three winners in the 2011 DO IT NOW Subscription competition, which ran from October to December 2011, and they are as follows: ❱❱ First place winner R20,000 is Marie-Claire Holton ❱❱ Second place winner R10,000 is Estelle van der Riet ❱❱ Third place winner R5,000 is Nelda Murray To view the draw and calls to the winners, check out the website - www.doitnow.co.za Thank you to all our new subscribers who entered, and we wish all our readers a fantastic 2012 and look forward to bringing you six new issues that are action packed with adventure, sport and lifestyle articles.

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Want to get to know the DO IT NOW regular contributors a little better? Then take a look at our DIN Contributor pages for some background information, as well as all their articles, photos, videos and more!

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If you know of an institution or group in desperate need of help, please contact us at info@doitnow.co.za and we will see how we can help bring their plight to the attention of our readers. Turn to pages 124-129 for more involved stories.

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NOW 16 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Shutterstock Image

// inTRANSIT: OLD FAITHFUL Discovers Botswana and Namibia, Part 3 of 4 * Across the Spine of Taiwan * Solo Across Western Sahara // inH2O: Snowboarding in Lech, Austria * Tanzanian Daredevils - Part 1 of 2 * To Cross an Ocean * Hope. Pray. Paddle. - Part 1 of 2 // inALTITUDE: ACRO - A Glimpse into the World of Paragliding Aerobatics // inCREDIBLE PLACES: Australia - Part 2 of 2 – Victoria

PHOTOGRAPH: www.shutterstock.com DESCRIPTION: Rope jumping.

Adventure

inGEAR:

Words & photos by Xen & Adri Ludick

OLD

Epupa Falls

FA IT H FU L

Discovers Botswana and Namibia PART 3 of 4

Tsumkwe to Epupa Falls Some wise traveller wrote, “Great journeys are memorable not so much for what you saw, but for where you camped.”

Following on from my previous article in DO IT NOW, Xen and I had left Tsumkwe, a small settlement inhabited by bushman in the north-eastern section of Namibia, and were on our way to Etosha, a fantastic wildlife destination we were eager to visit again.

We travelled on the C44, a good gravel road, for about 188km until we reached the B8 tar road. Here we turned south to Grootfontein and then north to Tsumeb. Most of the journey was in the pouring rain and progress was slow. We decided to stay over at the Namutoni campsite in Etosha for two days, a popular campsite and very different from what we are used to; wide open expanses,

18 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

with no humans in sight. However, one is always assured of meeting interesting people and seeing their unique behaviors. To give you an example, we would put up the roof tent, set out our chairs and table, with a tablecloth and candles, and then just relax. On our first night, we saw a gentleman and lady sitting in a Sedan, with the interior lights on and reading. They didn’t have a chair or table, only a very small tent. Next to us was the friendly couple from Holland, who Xen had tried to help as they were having mechanical problems with their hired camper.

Their large camper had bright neon lights and they sat inside the whole evening talking and drinking. There was also another camper, with a bright neon light burning and a yellow light beaming down on the camper’s entrance, but we never saw the occupants. Sitting quietly at our fire and watching these people, we witnessed the most beautiful full moon rising, sounds of hyenas, jackals and lions filling the air and we asked ourselves, “Did they hear it, did they see it and what stories are they going to share when they get back home?”

Opuwa

Himbas

Etosha was wet! The Etosha Pan looked like False Bay and we struggled to see where the water ended. During our game drive we saw herds of giraffe, red hartebeest, kudu, gemsbok, zebras, impalas and springbuck. We also saw abdim storks, loeries, flamingos and even water tortoises. Although we try not to camp near people, Etosha was everything we remembered and more.

Despite being warned about the flooding in northern Namibia, we decided to proceed and explore for ourselves. The next day we exited Etosha at the King Nehale gate and from there onwards all we saw was water. On the way from Ondangwa to Oshakati we passed little shebeens, with interesting names like ‘The Feel Good Never Loose Bar’. All along the road people were catching the Okavango fish, which look like a barbel, in the rising waters.

Arriving at Khutsi Reserve, we mistakenly occupied the incorrect campsite. However, the gentleman that arrived was kind enough to allow us to stay in his campsite, while he occupied ours. We met up again in Etosha and shared many a whiskey over stories about travelling, the newest trends in 4x4 vehicles and precautions to take when travelling in Africa. One of the things we spoke about was how to secure your vehicle when refuelling at a filling station. The view was that one should always lock your vehicle when you get out. Well, while Xen was refuelling in Oshakati, I quickly ran to the general store and neglected to lock the vehicle. As a result, a youngster opened the door on the opposite side of the vehicle to where Xen was standing and removed our Sony camera and 500mm lens. We learnt the hard way, as we lost many of our precious photos of Khaudum and Etosha.

From there we headed towards Ruacana where the falls were in full flood after the good rains and the Kunene River was a seething, thundering mass of water tumbling into the 120m deep gorge. We overnighted at the Hippo Pools community campsite, but were unable to travel on the river route via Swartbooisdrif to Epupa Fall the next morning due to flooding, so we turned south to Opuwo.

Opuwo was bustling with Herero women wearing padded headgear and full-skirted dresses, mostly in bright green and red colours, while the Himba women were barefoot and bare-breasted. We got stranded in the middle of the town for about an hour, waiting for a funeral procession of Herero and Himba people to proceed through. Upon

enquiring about the funeral procession, we were told that the Chief of the Herero people had passed away, and the Herero and Himba people from all over Namibia had come to pay their respects. Hearsay stories said that he was a young attorney, who promised himself that he would never drink alcohol, but when he did he committed suicide. Although he was in conflict with his brother, he did a lot to bring the Herero and Himba people together. While we were waiting for the procession to pass, a young farmer told us that he had shot springbok and zebra for the feast after the funeral.

The 178km road from Opuwo to Epupa Falls is beautiful; it’s green and very hilly, with many Himba mud and stickdomed huts. We crossed numerous dry rivers, which can cause damage to your vehicle if you travel too fast, and stopped often to greet the Himba children, who greeted us with a ‘goodbye’ instead of ‘hello’. Besides asking for ‘sweeeets’, they also asked for water, not cool drinks.

As we crossed over a hill, we were suddenly faced with the imposing Kunene River and Epupa Falls, one of Kaokoland’s most breathtaking sights. The river fans out into a number of channels before cascading into a deep, tumultuous gorge. Our camp at Epupa Falls Resort was situated about 10 metres from the strong-flowing Kunene River and under huge Makalani Palms. There was a bit of flood damage and the sand was very moist, as the river had only subsided earlier that week. Once we had set-up camp, we took a walk to the top of the closest hill and enjoyed the most incredible view of about 17 waterfalls.

The next morning a local guide took us to a Himba village. We took flour, sugar, soup, oil, rice, mealie meal and other food items, as gifts for the head lady. The guide first negotiated with the head lady and then asked permission for us to visit their homestead, and she welcomed us with open arms. We went into the kraal and watched a young herdsman milk a cow. His hair was shaped in a horn-shaped ponytail and he explained to us how the Himba’s remove the bottom four front teeth, which identifies them as Himba and allegedly improves their speech. The teeth are knocked out with a stick when they are between 16 and 18 years old, and this usually takes place during winter, to prevent infection. We also met a woman who was busy repairing her hut with a mixture of clay and cow dung. She was able to speak a bit of English and had a great sense of humor. The children attend a Himba school and this is where they

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 19

Here is a list of what’s in our medical kit for camping.

Antibiotics

are taught English. She took us into her hut and explained their fascinating lifestyle to us. There is no door to the hut, and a fireplace in the middle of the room provides heat for the occupants and keeps out any unwanted wild animals.

There is a cattle skin on the floor for them to sleep on.

The women never bath, instead they cover their bodies twice a day with a fine ocher powder that is sourced from the mountains in Angola. The powder is mixed with butter and kept in a cow hoof. The butter is made by putting milk in a calabash and rigorously shaking it until butter is created. Their hair is twisted in long strings and covered with red mud. The children’s hair is plaited to the front, but as soon as a girl becomes a woman, their hair is twisted to the back and covered with red mud. If the hair is too short, hair from a cow’s tail is used to make it longer. The more modern women buy pieces of hair from the local stores and have a collection of head pieces for different occasions. Their daily dresses are made from goat’s skin, while a dress from cow leather symbolizes wealth and status. The dresses are fragranced by placing the dress over coals doused with herbs.

The Himba make beautiful jewellery to generate income from tourists. Xen bought me a lovely necklace made of porcupine quills and watermelon pips for only $N40.

They wear heavy jewellery made of mud, copper, wire and beads. When a Himba dies, they are wrapped in the cattle skin they slept on and buried immediately.

There are different smaller shelters, each with a specific purpose. Some shelters are for the hens to lay their eggs in, others are where the young goats stay when the older ones head into the veld for grazing and then there are storerooms. As soon as a young boy becomes a man he has to gather his own cattle, and a man’s wealth is determined by the size of his herd and amount of wives he has.

After such an interesting day, we headed back to our camp and saw a water monitor catch a frog right in front of our campsite. Later that evening we had a bad experience when Xen tried to shuffle the coals so that I could bake bread. He inhaled too much smoke, started coughing, then fainted for a few seconds and fell into the fire. With strength beyond understanding I pulled him out of the fire and because he was wearing nylon basketball shorts, he ended up with a third-degree burn, as big as a man’s hand, on the side of his bum. Luckily we have a comprehensive medical kit, so I was able to dress the wound properly. Firstly, I immediately put as much burn gel as possible onto the wound, which stopped any blisters from forming. Secondly, I cleaned the wound with diluted salt water and a small amount of Dettol. Then I dressed the wound with Bactroban, Jellonet and lastly gauze. As we were more than 250km from the closest pharmacy, I compromised to save plasters by using cling wrap over the gauze, taped it with plaster and then bandaged it well. Although it was uncomfortable and very painful, some Myprodols, antibiotics and Panados helped us to finish our trip. Before we left, Xen had told me to purchase burn gel and I obtained three small packets, as I only thought of a small burn wound. I can assure you that on our return, our medical kit will have a huge container of burn gel in it.

20 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Ciprobay

Cataflam

Amoxyclav Burns

Bactroban

Burn Gel Dressing

Jellonet

Anti Sun Crush

Burn Gel Cuts

Betadine

Friars Balsam bleeding

Gentian Violet open wounds Ears

Ear drops

Energy

Supradyn

B12 + B Com

Bio Harmony Eyes

Eye drops

No Tears

Flu

Corenza C

Vicks

Andolex - throat General

Eye patches

Ear buds

Cotton wool

Plasters - rolls

Dettol

Vaseline

Gauze

Bandages

Iodine

Doctor’s prescription

Plasters Gout / Indigestion

Itches

Colchicine

Voltaren 3ml

Rennies

Syringes

Bicarb

Needles

Resque Cream

Zambuk

Antihistamine

Medaspor – antifungal cream

Antisan Nose

Nose Drops

Pain

Panado

Nurafen

Disprin

Myprodol

Aleve Sleep

Nytol

Somnil

Sprains / Breaks

Arnica Oil and tablets

Deep Heat

Stomach

Aloe Crystals

Buscopan cramps

Immodium

Mitil - nausea

In the next issue of DO IT NOW I look forward to sharing more stories with you as we make our way to Kaokoland, one of the last remaining wilderness areas in southern Africa and home of the Himba people, and Damaraland, one of the most scenic areas of Namibia and where we hope to encounter the famous desert elephants. •

inTRANSIT:

Words & Photos by Charl Pieterse

Across the Spine of Taiwan There’s something to be said for New Year’s resolutions, if you stick to them. I had the most awesome and memorable adventure of my life as a result of a New Year’s resolution: to fill my life with as much adventure as possible. The fact I was living in Taiwan, an adventure heaven, made it so much easier to fulfil.

Taiwan is the perfect place for the solo adventurer, with its rugged and scenic eastern coastline, which looks like Chapman’s Peak on steroids in some parts, to its mainly uninhabited and awe-inspiring mountainous landscapes.

Lush, green mountains cover around 85% of Taiwan’s total land mass and it has bragging rights to more than 200 peaks reaching an altitude of 3,000 metres!

With physical crime being almost non-existent in this peace-loving island country, you never feel any fear for your life. Ok, some hard-core adventurers may reply by identifying fearing for your life as part of the adventure, and I have to admit that one particular incident did challenge my rosy perception of Taiwan’s peacefulness. However, it was quickly restored by the overwhelming kindness and spirit of assistance bestowed upon me by the local Taiwanese people. And looking back on my trip, I had more than enough adventurous moments to make up for not seeing my life flash before my eyes.

After studying a road map of Taiwan and gathering some important information on the internet, I headed out on my bicycle from the south-western city of Kaohsiung, geared only with my tent, sleeping bag and some other essentials.

The journey took me north and eastward over the ‘spine’ of Taiwan, the Central Mountain Range, on the notorious and typhoon-beaten Southern Cross-Island Highway; a 209km mountain pass road hacked out of ancient rock high above dizzyingly deep river valleys.

Starting at sea level I reached the highest point of my journey (2,720m above sea level) on the fourth day, accompanied by indescribable views and a cocktail of euphoric feelings.

Admittedly the feeling in my legs was a little less euphoric!

The monstrous climb had entailed numerous hours of lowgear churning up the steep contour slopes. Most of the hard work lay behind (and below) me, and from there it was basically freewheeling all the way down to sea level on the Pacific Ocean side, which included two days of unbelievable adventure! To complete the circular route on the last day, I rode down the south-east coast and back over the mountains (luckily not as high as the first few days), followed by the last stretch that hugged the western coastline all the way up and back to the concrete jungle that is Kaohsiung.

For three nights I camped out in dried-up river beds, another night was spent beneath the starry sky beside the most beautiful wild hot spring in Taiwan, one night on a beach and, out of necessity, one night in a hotel.

22 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

While camping out I made campfires with wet drift wood, which tested all of my boy scout skills (I was a ‘Voortrekker’ for 12 years). I was exposed to quite extreme conditions, such as sleeping outside one night (no space for my tent) in near-freezing temperatures, with the campfire my only hope of not turning into a human ice cube. And then there was that first rainy night when I was bombarded by falling cliff rocks thumping down around my tent like little asteroids (yes, I did move my tent)!

In six days of riding, I covered approximately 500km (173km on the last day) and spent around 50 hours ‘on the road’, of which I was physically riding or pushing my bicycle for 33 hours. I was blessed with fantastic weather, sometimes riding in temperatures of 35˚C+ in the middle of winter! I only recall a few instances of light drizzle and foggy conditions. I set out to experience adventure, but what I got was so much more than I had anticipated.

Day-by-day summary: Day 1: Cycled 78km / 9 hours on the road / 5 hours in the saddle. The first 60km or so went swiftly, but the steep slopes in Maolin really slowed me down. But hey, it wasn’t a race!

Day 2: Cycled 78km / 9 hours on the road / 7 hours in the saddle. The last 35km were pretty much all uphill.

Day 3: Cycled 32km / 6:30 hours on the road / 5 hours in the saddle. This was an all-uphill day, with 32km of uphill from 850m to a height of 2,350m. Tiring but awesome!

Day 4: Cycled 36km / 6:30 hours on the road / 2:40 hours in the saddle. This day took me from 2,350m to 2,720m at Yakou, the highest point on the Southern Cross-Island Highway. Then from there it was a 20km downhill (yahoo!) stretch to Motian, at an elevation of 1,546m. Thereafter it was another one-hour hike to my overnight spot, Lisong Hot Springs.

Day 5: No riding on this day due to bike troubles. However, I did hike for an hour and caught a lift on a cement-mixer truck for 16km, with my bike catching a ride on the back! 

Reaching remote villages after escaping the concrete jungle of Kaohsiung, with the alluring silhouette of the mountains becoming clearer with each passing kilometre.

Some hair-raising fun on one of Taiwan’s longest and highest suspension bridges!

The terrible aftermath of 2009 typhoon Morakot.

Bottom Right: Another devastating sign of the typhoon.

This place used to be a popular hot spring resort.

It was cold and somewhat rainy, so the fire was just what the doctor ordered.

Temporary road in river valley.

Left: I had to negotiate quite a few makeshift roads on the way, while typhoondamaged roads were being repaired.

Almost the entire mountain pass was littered with roadworks, due to typhoon Morakot. Left: All systems go for a sunny day 3!

24 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

The Journey

Day 6: Cycled 100km / 6:15 hours on the road / 5 hours in the saddle. A great downhill took me all the way from Wulu to the East Rift Valley, and this is where things got interesting. I lost my way and had to go back and forth through the valley trying to get out. I had a quicksand encounter, nasty, and ended the ride in pouring rain and darkness, before setting up camp on a secluded beach.

Day 7: Cycled 173km / 11:25 hours on the road / 8:30 hours in the saddle. It was a looong day! I cycled from the beautiful east coast and over the southern mountains, to the west coast and then back up to Kaohsiung. Fantastic weather! I did the first 100km in flip flops, until I got a blister under my right foot. It was a never-ending day, but a fitting grand finale for an unforgettable trip!

Any final thoughts? Yes, just this little pearl of motivation: If some crazy idea about embarking on an adventure pops up in your head, go for it! Do it now! Don’t plan too much, just let the adventure unfold with its unexpected and blissful moments!•

A lovely, sunny day with some awesome ocean views! Left: At the top! 2,720m above sea level. The tunnel is 500m long, with no lighting!

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 25

inTRANSIT: Words & Photos by Kayden Kleinhans

Solo

oSass Aecstr hara ern W

Leaving the developed comforts of Agadir in southern Morocco behind me, I ventured towards the large grey area named Sahara on my map. There would be no backup crew or support vehicle on this expedition, no satellite phones, GPS navigation or get out of jail free cards on offer. My only companions, my Cannondale, ‘Little Ms. Sunshine’, heavily laden with 35kg of survival gear and an inflated sense of self belief; a tool I would rely heavily on as I attempted to make it out the other side alive.

Cycling through the ancient town of Tiznit I headed towards Guelmim, the gateway to the most sparsely populated stretch of land on the planet; the great Sahara Desert.

Carrying as much water as I could, I left with a combined sense of awe and intrigue, contemplating what conditions lay ahead. Guelmim to Tan-Tan would be the first 125km stretch and one I would not forget for a long time to come, as the reality of the expedition set in as I lay alone in my tent under West African starry skies. Learning to be alone is the art form of long distance cycling in the solo form, and this huge unforgiving sand pit, which constantly threatens to swallow you in a heartbeat, would demand this skill immediately.

26 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Reaching Tan-Tan to restock on water, fresh fruit and vegetables, my panniers were soon filled to the brim.

Heading west towards the coast, I was hoping for cooler conditions and found myself standing knee deep in the Atlantic Ocean on the edge of the African continent, miles away from civilisation. From here, I headed south towards Tarfaya, a tough 208km stretch. Passing the small village of Sidi Akhfennir, sandwiched halfway between the two, I once again stopped to stock up on water and sardines.

With the scarcity of sustenance on offer in the region, this was an opportunity not to be missed. I packed whatever I could carry onto the bike and set off, not knowing if the little dots on my map still represented nomadic settlements hundreds of kilometres down the road.

Navigating this enormous desert on a road flanked by towering dunes, I forged my way towards Tah, the border town that marked the start of the disputed region of Western Sahara. This area is under Moroccan rule and notorious for rebel uprisings, the Saharawi people opposed to the Moroccan occupation of their land. Unsure of what to expect when I reached the frontier of Western Sahara, a military checkpoint, I was pleasantly surprised to find that a

f nd founder o a t is iv t c a l ta en has clocked rer, environm s u n t a n h e v in d le a K lo n o e S yd g initiative, Ka n li e e h W ts by bicycle. l n a e b in t n o c the Glo r u fo tely! etres across m o il k 0 0 0 t ride comple 1, n 3 e r r e f ove if d a e b wever, would o h a r a h a S e h T

Mauritanian border crossing

brief scan over my passport and Moroccan entry documents and a few questions about my destination and occupation was all it took to get through. There is no official border control here and the only indication you get of crossing into Western Sahara is the military checkpoint, manned by armed soldiers.

The Western Saharan capital city of Laayoune, with its intense military presence, marked the only town big enough to rally supplies, with bread, water, toilet paper and replacement spokes for my back wheel, which broke constantly due to my extra water load, at the top of my shopping list. Making the most of this pit stop, I tracked down a Hammam, a shower shop, and for 10 Moroccan Dirham I gained entry to a grubby cubicle, with lukewarm water and a mildewcovered floor. After a week without a wash, I was keen to rid my body of the sand that stuck to me like glue on the long hot days under the blazing sun and was now bedding itself into my skin from the extreme winds.

Laayoune to Boujdour is a stretch of over 200km, with not a lot in-between. This section took me two full days, at 10 hours a day in the saddle battling intense headwinds

and sandstorms, to reach. Boujdour is a small-sized town boasting a tiny market street, and I had been informed by the locals that it was the last spot for fresh stocks until Dakhla, 350km away. So I replenished my supplies with as much fresh fruit and vegetables as I could carry on the bike.

When cycling at a pace in excess of 100km a day, in 40 degrees heat, stocks don’t last long.

From Boujdour to Dakhla the distances became seriously long, with a formidable 140km and 170km stretch between water stops. As a result, I had to overload the bike in case of mechanical problems that would see me stranded between them. These stops provided no more than non-perishable goods for sale from small desert petrol stations selling stale biscuits and canned tuna, if you are lucky. Unfortunately, the packaged goods available didn’t provide enough nutrition and by the time I was 150km north of Dakhla, I had exhausted my fresh supplies. I was now living off yoghurt, stale bread and my dwindling stash of olive oil, which left me feeling fatigued and drained.

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 27

Leaving Dakhla

A dead camel by the side of the road

Chilling against a road sign in the Sahara

The day leading up to Dakhla ‘I hit the wall’. I was tired, drained and not getting enough nutrition from the packaged food I ate out of necessity. My odometer reading was gradually getting slower and slower, as the slog became harder and harder. I was well aware of the need to reach my destination, but the expedition was growing more difficult with each passing day, the distances becoming longer between towns and the quality of available food deteriorating. Now 300km north of the Mauritanian border, I had to make an 80km detour to Dakhla, which sits on a peninsular, just to restock my supplies. Those extra kilometres would be 80 of the most defining kilometres I have ever cycled.

Leaving the Dakhla peninsular, I was convinced that the worst was over. However, the days and miles to follow would far outweigh the previous week. The tiny town of Al Agroub, a mere 78km from Dakhla, was the last spot for anything fresh for hundreds of kilometres. Happily I rolled out of the tiny village of 12 dwellings, with my precious supply of onions, tomatoes and green peppers wrapped tightly in a plastic bag.

The wind in the Sahara will make or break you and I had been dealt a bad hand with headwinds so strong they halved my average speed, in the process doubling the time and stress loads on my supplies. With distances of more than 170km to cover between water stops, fighting headwinds made it virtually impossible to cover the required distances on the amount of food and water supplies I could physically carry, as a one-and-a-half-day ride became a three-day ride.

I had to adopt a new tactic and find a way to cover more ground on my meagre supplies. So I started cycling through the nights to get in a few hours of wind-free conditions before sunrise, thereby perspiring less and conserving liquids and food stocks. But even navigating the Sahara Desert by night, with a small torch strapped to the front of my bike, still didn’t solve my problem. I came up shy on a water hole a few hundred kilometres north of the Mauritanian border and ended up trading a tin of Zambuk ointment for two litres of water with a travelling nomad.

28 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

The rationing of food and water supplies became part and parcel of the desert crossing, and I got used to halving tomatoes and onions, quartering peppers and saving sections of fruit for the next meal. It was a kind of spiritual cleansing and fasting if you will, as the body and mind goes through intense pressures while juggling the nutritional needs of your body, with the distances and weight requirements of the journey.

I finally reached Dakmar, a petrol station 84km north of the Mauritanian border. What would have been a train wreck on any other day of the week, on this particular day it was a gleaming oasis of concrete and consumable goods, albeit packaged. It provided a running tap and small shop that sold Moroccan flat bread and little triangular cheeses in aluminium foil.

The crossing into Mauritania was a rather intense one, as there’s a 4km stretch between leaving ‘Morocco’ Western Sahara and entering Mauritania. This 4km wasteland of burnt-out cars and border-dwelling opportunists is known as ‘No Man’s Land’. Here you are officially stamped out of one country, but not into the next. As the tarmac ended, I was harassed by numerous people, who, for a fee, wanted to show me safe passage across this baron stretch of wasteland, screaming ‘bomb, bomb, don’t go that way’, whilst competing with each other to exchange currencies with me.

Entering Mauritania is a military affair and a lengthy one at that. My passport and documents were scrutinised by numerous army factions for a few hours and then I still had to navigate the 4km stretch of sand by foot, as No Man’s Land is impassable by bike.

I had successfully navigated Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara solo by bicycle, and what lies ahead in Mauritania, only time will tell. •

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inH2O:

Words by Francois Flamengo Photos by DO IT NOW

g n i d r a o b w Sno in Lech

Austria

rs and I boarded ou of s nd ie fr me My wife Elri, so ined for Zurich and st de 0 h0 20 r te af Swiss Air just arding and touring bo ow sn g, iin sk of three weeks ria, a week in Lech, Aust s wa up t rs Fi . pe through Euro ek in ce, and lastly a we an Fr l, be ri Me in then a week es the next three issu In d. an rl ze it Sw d, Grindelwal you more about g in ll te to d ar rw fo of DO IT NOW I look e ski locations. rs ve di t ye c ti as each of these fant s look at what is t' le , ch Le to in t But before I ge trip like this. required to go on a

30 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

The beautiful Lech, in Austria

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 31

Francois, Elri, Pietré and Wynand ready to take on the mountains

Elri and I have never been to Europe, so we hadn't experienced first-hand what all the hype was about with regards to a ski and snowboarding trip and were clueless on what gear would be required. Our friends, Wynand and Pietre, who invited us on the trip were seasoned ski/mountaineering travellers in Europe and guided us on what was required.

Their most important tip was clothing that had proper layering and insulation against the cold, which soaked up the sweat and didn't remain wet. If you don’t get this right you will either end up cold despite wearing numerous layers of clothing, or overheat due to the material not being able to breathe correctly. Both are not good options as you might start off a little cold in the morning, but once you get going on the slopes you'll get warm quickly. So staying dry is the secret to remaining comfortable.

With this in mind, I decided on the following: a few sets of quick dry base layers, quality fleece jackets, a durable water/windproof jacket, waterproof pants, alpine socks, a beanie and good pair of snow/mountaineering boots.

First Ascent is renowned for good quality, performancetested gear, so I decided to start off with their range and fill in any gaps from there. I chose the very rugged Avalanche Pants, multi-purpose Oracle jacket, QuickWic base layers and reversible Aspen beanie. With all the basics covered I only needed to find a few other accessories and a good ski jacket. Although First Ascent has very good ski jackets in their range, I wanted something a little funky and with bright colors, so I ended up with Sufanic’s Husty jacket, as well as the Oakley Classic Tube socks and Soloman Snowtrip boots. There was no chance anyone would miss me coming down the slopes J. The socks offered great protection, were very well priced and not bulky, making them perfect for ski travel. The Sufanic Husty jacket was great quality, very reasonably priced and boasts a long

32 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

list of features that will ensure you are very comfortable and have enough pockets for small tools, ski passes, cellphone and so on. The boots were made from Thinsulate material, making the boots light with lots of protection and 100% waterproof.

With my kit sorted, it was now time to address snowboarding gear. When you start learning about the difference between skiing and snowboarding you will quickly conclude that snowboarding is the harder option to choose initially. The learning curve is much harder in the beginning, but once you get through the first few days you will have a bigger range of slopes to choose from and develop your skills on. I decided to go with snowboarding because of all the other board sports I enjoy and I'd watched the inspirational Red Bull Media production movie, 'Art of Flight', so no matter how hard it would be to learn, snowboarding was what I wanted to do.

For help on what 'toys' were required for snowboarding, I headed to Gone Skiing in Fourways. The crew was were very informative, never pushy and didn't try to sell me something I did not ask for, thus making it a very easy and pleasant shopping experience. I ended up with the Burton Whammy Bar snowboard, EST custom bindings and Grail Boots. The Whammy Bar features very forgiving edges and is perfect for beginners and intermediate boarders keen to get into the sport.

Elri getting the hang of snowboarding. Or not?

Chris, the instructor showing off his skills (on request J)

For good visibility on the slopes I chose the Von Zipper Bob Marley Snow Goggles. It comes standard with two interchangeable lenses, a yellow lens for low visibility and a Dual Cylindrical Polycarbonate Lens, both 100% UV protected.

Finally, I needed a good travel bag to pack everything into and decided on the Oakley O Board Box. It's not too bulky, comes with good protection, is fitted with a durable zip (that you know you will test) and a good pair of wheels, making it easy to move around.

Elri ended up with similar basic gear and to tackle the slopes she chose the popular ladies Burton Feelgood snowboard, Stiletto bindings, Nitro boots and Anon goggles. By the way, the kit for ladies is super sexy and makes them look like 'snow divas' when strapped in J. Ok, starting to lose track of the story ‌ mmmm, where was I? Oh yes, we were now equipped and ready for whatever Lech had to offer us.

We arrived in Lech after a bus ride on the Alberg Express from Zurich Airport. The bus service was convenient and only took two and a half hours to get there. The view of Lech was better than I expected. The small town was totally surrounded by majestic mountains and covered in pristine snow. Everyone in the streets was going about their business, some with skis and snowboards, some relaxing at one of the many Apres-ski bars (which I will get back to) and some indulging in a bit of retail therapy.

We were staying at Haus Melitta, a three-star guesthouse, and owners Gerti and Markus Mathis made us feel at home immediately. The room Elri and I had was really spacious and featured an en-suite bath/shower and a big cupboard for all our gear. To keep our skiing gear dry the house had a ski room, with boot warmers and racks for all the gear.

For aching bodies there was a sauna, steam room, infrared room and Turkish bath. To top it all, each morning we were treated to a hearty breakfast.

As we have not tried snowboarding before, we decided to book lessons with the Ski School. The training was very pricey, but it was either pay for the training or look like a fish out of water on the slopes. Our instructor, Christian Putz, gave us a rundown of the training format, which basically consisted of a two-hour morning session that was followed by a break for lunch, and then another two-hour session in the afternoon.

After completing the necessary paper work, we collected our gear and excitedly made our way to the beginner slope. On a flat area, Chris helped everyone to decide on what stance - natural or goofy - would be best for each of us. Natural is left leg forward and goofy is the alternate. Once we were comfortable with our chosen stance, we learnt how the board works and what not to do if you wanted to avoid having your face or bum covered in snow. Our first exercise was to strap one foot into the binding and learn to walk around with the board. This is an uncomfortable but important exercise because it's how you get around the slopes when you're not snowboarding.

From here, we moved onto various other exercises such as crunching down on the board and then standing up, learning to bring a board to a stop, how to use your weight to turn the board onto its edges and all the other basic skills needed to get and keep you going. I was particularly impressed with how quick the board came to a complete stop when you edged the board diagonally into the slope using either your toe or heelside edge.

But, and this is a big but, when you overdo it you become an instant freestyler doing some wonderful manoeuvres that your friends will appreciate and if you are lucky, escape without an embarrassing roll-around-head-over-heels move in the snow ...

Guilty!

All and all day one was hard work and by far the hardest day of the training.

Your mind was pushed to get used to so many new things and the break worked well to reflect on what you had learnt, while you refuelled your body with energy. www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 33

A typical ski stand found outside shops and restaurants

It took more than two days to master most of the basics, progressing to exercises where we could combine toeside and heelside turns. The falls were usually quite spectacular but never really damaging except for a few bruises (and bruised ego). Running slopes became a lot of fun and we were starting to realise why Lech is seen as such a skiing Mecca.

Lech is part of the greater the Alberg ski area and boasts the best snow records in the Alps. It's also hard to beat in terms of charm and the area features many well-manicured blue and red slopes, and getting to the mountain is quick and painless due to there being loads of gondolas and ski lifts available. It is also home to the biggest ski race in the world. The 22km race takes place each year on the Weisse Ring (White Ring) and is a course that interlinks the different ski areas in the region.

Lech truly surpassed my greatest expectations of what a European skiing holiday is all about and made me understand why so many people around the world make the effort to visit this gem in Austria. We thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality and atmosphere of the town and its people. Although it's a very expensive area, if you do your homework properly you can cut down on unnecessary costs and make it more affordable. If you decide to dine out whilst in Lech, my three top restaurants are Haus Aght, Tanneberg Hotel and, at the top of my list, Schneggarei because of its great food and chilled-out atmosphere.

Personally I can’t wait to get back to Lech, tick off the Weisse Ring on my personal to-do list and visit some more of the fantastic Apres-ski bars the slopes. The Apres-ski bar closest to the main gondola at Oberlech is a must visit as it has an amazing panoramic view of Lech and is crowded with lots of friendly skiers all enjoying something cold or hot to drink. The German-influenced 'Jager Tea' and 'Gluhwein' is a popular favorite with the ladies and the local beer is a good choice for the guys. For the more adventurous, ask the friendly barmen for a 'Vodka Feiga'. This little shooter will sort out any chills you might have J. •

34 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

DINfo box

i

Thinsulate: Thinsulate fibres are about 15 micrometres in diameter, which is thinner than the polyester fibres normally used in insulation for clothing such as gloves or winter jackets.

Apres-ski: Refers to going out, having drinks, dancing and generally socialising after skiing.

It is popular in the Alps where skiers often stop at bars on their last run of the day while still wearing all their ski gear.

Jager Tea: (also Jägertee) is an alcoholic beverage made by mixing overproof rum with black tea. It is served warm and is typically consumed during winter in the cold parts of central Europe.

Glühwein (glow wine): A popular German mulled wine, Glew-vine, is so named not only because it glows with heat, but also because it gives those who drink more than one or two a definite glow.

Strolz: A snowboard shop in Lech where you can 'try-before-you-buy' all the latest snowboarding gear. Visit their website for more details www.strolz.at.

Schneggarei: Apres-ski restaurant close to the Ski School in Lech. For more info visit their website www.schneggarei.at.

Haus Melitta: 3-star accommodation in Lech.

For more information visit their website on www.lech.at/melitta.

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First Ascent Compression gear is made using a nylon warp knit elastomeric fabric, that maintains a more consistent level of firm compression. By applying targeted and controlled pressure to your muscles, CPR garments can reduce muscle fatigue and DOMS (Delayed onset of muscle soreness), thus improving performances over time.

To test our new technology, find a stockist near you at www.firstascent.co.za www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 35

inH2O:

Words & Photos by Shaun Sutton, Konrad Boshoff, Edwin Jones & Darius Boshoff

n a i n a z n Ta s l i v e d e Dar n, Konrad Boshoff, This is the story of Shaun Sutto ff and their sailing Edwin Jones and Darius Bosho Ocean in an ngalawa.  adventures across the Indian

36 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 37

In the land of Hakuna Matata, Simba, Pumba and Timon embark on adventures unknown to your typical suburban bloke, who drives a luxury car that has more airbags than a presidential stretch limo. Regulation and thoughtless precaution have become the bane of every adventurous young man’s (and woman’s) life, as nothing is dangerous anymore and granny’s can out climb you on Kili.

The inception of this journey of discovery and daring comes down to opportunity. Like a veld fire, once we had shared the concept, of finding cheap transport to a far away place and then making it back in any mode of transport, we had enough guys wanting to go on this three-week adventure to back up the Boks, even if all 15 got hurt. But in the end, it was the overworked and underpaid engineer, the logistics guy who was stationed in some godforsaken part of South Africa for the past six months, the student who had just finished four tough years of studies and lastly the entrepreneur who needed a new perspective on life that made up the merry band of adventurers. Flights to Dar Es Salaam were secured at a discounted price of R1,000 each for a one way ticket, and we were off. The remaining challenge would be getting back in one piece.

It was only on the third day aboard an ngalawa, a small pontoon fishing boat native to the east coast of Africa, when reality set in for us. It had come to this after our four-day stay in Nungwi, a ramshackle fishing village and the centre of Zanzibar's dhow-building industry. Over the last decade, this coastline has rocketed in popularity to become one of the island's busiest beach destinations.

Ageing hippies, cool dudes, gap-year students and bright young things escaping city jobs are all drawn to its white sand, stage-set palm trees, turquoise sea and sparkling sunshine. We enjoyed the local scenery and did as much as possible within our limited budget, but snorkelling and tanning had been done before and fraternising with the hordes of vacationers was just going to get someone into trouble. What we were in search of, and needed, was some real excitement.

The idea came to us while snorkelling on the east side of Zanzibar, close to Mnemba, an exquisite private island, with white sand beaches and spectacular coral reefs. We were watching a tour guide sailing this huge dhow, a bigger

38 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

version of the ngalawa, and we asked him if we could buy it. Everyone has a price and this guy’s was TSH 9,000,000; somewhat out of our price range. But the seed had been planted and we started ship shopping. Not long after we came across a captain called Ame, a small guy, with big feet who couldn’t understand a word of English. He was selling an oldish ngalawa that was lying stranded on the beach.

After finding a translator, called Cool Guy, we finally agreed on a price of TSH 950,000, the equivalent to R5,000, and he agreed to fix it up for us. On 18 December we became the proud owners of a boat, albeit a pimped canoe.

With the first part of our plan complete, the next steps would be to learn how to sail it and then set off in a southerly direction towards South Africa, to be back in Johannesburg by 5 January 2011, as some of us had to work. We knew it was a tall order, but we were game.

Our newly acquired toy promised much excitement, so we took it out to sea without the captain the very next day.

Disaster struck when we couldn’t turn the boat in a jibe motion to return to the coast before sunset. In our panic we managed to get the sail wet, which is made of thick cotton, and as a result of this the mast broke. We were in a bit of a fix and our only hope of rescue was to attract the attention of the powered fishing boats heading back to shore after a long day of fishing. After much screaming and useless arm waving in the dark, some genius had the savvy to flash his camera, which finally attracted the attention of one of the last boats and we were towed back to safety.

Needless to say the captain was not impressed with us at all! A ship holds a certain amount of respect in the culture of the island people, as it forms the basis of their livelihood. So even though the boat was ours, Ame couldn’t understand our mistreatment of his precious water chariot. Luckily we were able to persuade him to fix the mast and within a day we were back in action and ready to sail. The delay meant we had to park off on the beach, living like beach bums, which was rather refreshing to say the least.

We finally started our homeward journey on 20 December after saying our goodbyes to friends and my younger brother, Waldo, who was also on vacation here. Then out of nowhere this old lady starts warning us, in a tone of

impending doom, about the bad tropical storms that occur this time of year. “Bad timing lady, we are leaving now,” I said. And so we four musketeers, Ame and his brother, set sail. Our first stop would be Stone Town so we could make the final payment to Ame for the boat, stock up on supplies and then part with them for good. It was a day’s sailing, but the wind and currents were in our favour and we learnt a lot from watching the Captain do his thing. He even put out a rapalla (fishing lure), as we passed between some unknown small islands travelling at a pretty rapid pace.

Leaving the boat in Stone Town’s fishing boat harbour, where every fisherman’s boat is safe and no one would dare move it – a culture shock for the typical security-obsessed South African – we went shopping in the markets for essentials, including life jackets and a compass, which we needed to traverse the gap between Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania. There comes a point when sailing west that you can no longer see either Zanzibar or Tanzania, so you need to know what direction to head in. The only place where we could find a compass was in a ridiculously overpriced antique store. But it worked! That night we booked two rooms in a very historical building in the city, and set about fixing some holes in our cotton sail, with some locally purchased needle and thread

We left the harbour the next day, following all the correct boating procedures and set out once more. Prior to us leaving, we had managed to get all the proper papers and licensing for the boat sorted out so that we could sail all the way to South Africa. Luckily no one asked us if we had licenses to drive the thing!

In the next issue of DO IT NOW, our journey takes us to Tanzania and beyond; a voyage of amazing sunsets, exquisite beaches, towering waves, Christmas celebrations, a sinking boat and finally, sad farewells. •

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 39

inH2O:

Words by Colette Stoltz Photos by Colette Stoltz & Garth De Nobregga

www.shutterstock.com

To Cross an Ocean

This is not about technical sailing, nor is it about rules or racing. It’s about dreams! Something to look forward to, something that starts with an idea and then becomes a reality. Something exciting, dangerous and almost out of reach. I need to dream, but I also need to make these dreams happen, because looking back on a dream come true inspires me to do more and be more!

I had the opportunity to accomplish a lifelong dream; that of crossing the Atlantic Ocean, with all the challenges that a life at sea could bring.

I was part of a crew of four that would sail a brand new yacht from Cape Town, where she was built, to the British Virgin Isles, the most eastern part of the Caribbean. Funnily enough, I am terrified of the ocean and spending a month at sea on a 50ft sailing vessel seemed like a crazy idea.

But just in case the challenge wasn't enough, I started my trip with three guys I didn’t know.

You have to understand that sailing, for all its adrenaline, can be a very slow thing. And when you have been at sea for a while, even the worst winds slow down and make you feel like you are dragging your feet, that you’ll never reach your destination 6,000 nautical miles away.

Our first day was uneventful, but on the second night a storm hit us that wouldn't tire and lasted 24 long hours. I was restless from the start, and the noise of the waves on the hulls and banging of sheets on the mast were frightening. So much so, I tried to sleep on deck just so I wouldn’t feel trapped. I can’t describe what my back felt like afterwards. And how eerie it was seeing our skipper, the only competent sailor, 20ft up in the air at the top of the mast fixing torn sheets, land nowhere to be seen and holding onto the lifeline that hoisted him up. When I asked him how bad it was, on a scale of 1 to 10, he said 5.

For the first two-and-a-half weeks at sea we didn't see another vessel.

We caught fish for supper, lost a light-wind sail in a gust (R20,000 kaching) and all the brand new instruments failed. As a result, we crossed the ocean with only a small handheld GPS strapped to the helm with masking tape, to show our coordinates. I couldn't even let the people back home know where we were.

Endless blue water, endless blue skies and no phones, internet or any other means of communication available. So different from our hectic daily lifestyle, which is filled with material things that mean nothing in the end, as we soon learnt. Without these distractions filling our time, we would make the smallest action last as long as possible because the days were so long. I perfected making my morning coffee ritual an hour-long event.

Does it sound like a horrible experience? Then I’ll share a secret with you. To be awake at night, alone with a million stars that move every hour as you lie on your back counting them; to have a rogue wave wash over you from a dead flat calm sea; to be woken by the squeaking of a hundred dolphins doing party tricks and back flips; to see nothing as dawn approaches because of mist, then to find that what you thought was a breeze in your sails was a whale on starboard that’s been there for hours, breathing in rhythm to the swell; to jump into the Atlantic, 4,000 miles deep after not bathing for a week; and to grow so accustomed to the weather that when the crew sleep you are at peace in 30 knots of wind, the spray leaving you breathless. There is nothing quite like crossing an ocean!

Safe seas. • www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 41

inH2O:

Words by Regardt Botes Photos by whatsupzanzi.com

It’s just another ordinary Monday evening in late May and well into winter, but Cape Town graced us with a small window in her relentless greyness. We were standing next to one of the canals at the Century City Canoe Club, waiting for our friend Ross to introduce us to the sport of Stand Up Paddling (SUP). We were a bit sceptical, as isn't this an old man's sport? I mean, why not just get a kayak?

42 • DO IT NOW February February| |March March2012 2012

Taking our first paddle on the protected waters of the canal feels slightly unstable, but as you get the hang of it and the rhythm sets in, it becomes a mechanicallysmooth and satisfying feeling as you glide along, your shoulders, core and back muscles bulging. After about 300m of paddling, I offered a random comment to no one in particular, “Do you think we can strap a bag on this thing, and paddle for a couple of days, and go on an expedition?”

We had been sharing a flat in Cape Town since 2009 and at the end of 2011 this era unfortunately came to an end as Christo is getting married, Flip returns to the USA and I will no doubt be pursuing some or other adventure. So I came up with an idea of doing something different, a little bit crazy and challenging to round off this three-year phase in our lives.

Hope.Pray.

Paddle.

Knowing very little about the sport, we shopped around to find the best boards for the trip. It had to be stable enough for beginner paddlers, able to maintain a decent speed and be manageable with an additional 15kg of gear strapped on top. The search ended with 11.6” boards from Cabrinha and carbon paddles. The boards were huge but light weight, tough but very stable and hopefully able to handle the rigours of airfreight to Zanzibar. Even before our first time on the sea, we had already committed ourselves to this challenge. There was no turning back and only four months to D-Day. We started doing regular training runs from Granger Bay to Clifton and twice to Robben Island. It was rough going for newbies like us, paddling in up to five metre swells, while doing a balancing act in choppy Cape seas. This would later prove to be some of the best conditions we could have trained in, in preparation for the open ocean around

Part 1 - 2

Zanzibar. Seeing Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and the 12 Apostles spread out from the middle of Table Bay is a sight that can’t be beaten easily. We were treated to dolphin and whale sightings, and Christo had a fantastically funny close encounter with a Southern Right whale in Hermanus. On another occasion, I paddled calmly over a big shark.

We learnt from experience as we went along, like never to beach at Robben Island and not to cross the harbour’s mouth unless you want to be run over by a trillion-ton Korean container ship.

Fast forward a couple of months and we are standing on a deserted beach, a glassy ocean stretching out before us, fishing dhows rocking lazily at anchor and small islands a smear of a shadow in the strengthening light. Hello Zanzibar.

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 43

Day 1: Kendwa to Mangapwani (41km) It’s Sunday 23 October 2011 and we were about to embark on an epic adventure of discovery. The goal of the expedition was to become the first people to circumnavigate the island of Zanzibar by Stand Up Paddle board (SUP), and we would be doing this unsupported by strapping all our gear to the boards and no back-up team to help us.

Our research showed that October would be the best time to paddle in, as the wind would have died down. However, about two weeks prior to our departure date the wind was howling at 30 to 40km/h, and it was predicted to carry on for another two weeks. Would our dream be shattered by the weather? We realised that it was out of our hands and all we could do was hope, pray and paddle, which became our motto. Totally blessed, the weather died down completely and we set off on the 23rd in perfect conditions.

A fisherman watched us with interest, as we roped our bags in place for the first time. I explained to him what we’re up to and he responded, “It’s not easy mon. It’s not easy. It’s difficult because me I already round the island by sailing boat. Me I have big engine,” he gestures and adds, “Four days it took me. It’s not easy mon, if you can do it you are good boy, it’s not easy, I tell you true.”

With these encouraging words still ringing fresh in our ears, we pushed off from Kendwa into the pristine waters, the sun treating us to a spectacular eruption of orange light behind some thunder clouds. It was good to finally be on the water after months of preparation and organisation. All that remained was to paddle.

Day one took us southwards from Kendwa, on the northern tip of the island, to Mangapwani. Our first day was meant to be 26km, but due to a GPS error, it turned into 41km.

That’s 16km further than our furthest training paddle and quite a shock to the system, especially in 29 degrees heat and 90% humidity, straight out of a Cape Town winter!

After five hours of hard paddling and a quick stop at a small fishing village for some spungy local rice bread, we paused for lunch on a secluded beach where we could hide from the worst heat of the day. We parked off under some low hanging shrubs, settling back to chill and have our ration of tuna for lunch. In our minds we were still finding our rhythm, settling into what would become our daily expedition routine. We were not sure if it was me parading around in my speedo, but it wasn’t long before we had the full attention of a group of village kids. It could also have been the funny-dressed mzungu’s lounging around on their front stoep. These kids were understandably curious, standing about 100 metres from us in a group, whispering together and pointing. One of us attempted to sneak in a photograph of them and this resulted in a mad scramble into the undergrowth. They obviously didn’t like their picture being taken. But it wasn’t long before a head peaked around a bush again, big eyes staring our way.

At first we ignored them, having our gourmet tuna-andmoist-rice-bread lunch, while catching a well deserved rest after our hectic two-hour headwind ordeal. One of the older boys broke away from the group, strolling in our direction.

44 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Around 13 years old, you could see from his body language that he walked with a purpose. Being unsure of what that purpose was, we eyed the 16 inch fish gutting knife he had dangling in his right hand with some suspicion. He stopped three metres from us, gave a lopsided smile while pulling up his shoulders in a gesture as if to say, “What now, are you not going to give me anything?” Emboldened by the bravado of their friend, the rest of the boys came closer to inspect us and our sea craft. We exchanged friendly banter, each in our own language and not understanding a word the other was saying. After realising that most of the boys had huge knifes with them, we decided not to hang around to find out why and retreated back to the ocean.

As day one drew to an end, we paddled along spectacular 10-metre high, hollowed-out coral cliffs. The bottom of the ocean was clearly visible deep below us, almost creating a vertigo sensation. We reached the 41km mark at Sea Cliff Resort, totally depleted of all energy, but energised by the knowledge that we were living our dream.

Day 2: Mangapwani to Fumba (37.1km) The outline of Stone Town loomed in the distance, appearing through the morning haze like the Black Pearl, as we got into our paddling. We intersected Prison and Chwale Islands, the shallow coral reef sparkling underneath our bright red Cabrinha boards, and we felt like we were paddling on an aquarium. The flying fish, something we were now getting used to, still managed to entertain us en route to our first significant marker of the trip; the rustic capital city of Stone Town. The water was as flat as could be and the clouds reflected off the lava-like blue/black surface. A lonely fisherman, in his dug-out canoe, laughed as we passed him and gasped in astonishment when we indicated where we were heading to.

On day two it became clear that having interesting lunch stops would become a trend. We chose a small deserted inlet to beach for lunch and it soon became apparent why this particular spot was deserted when four soldiers requested us to please move along. We had beached right below the military firing range. We retreated to the safety of the open ocean, the air punctuated by the staccato beat of rifle fire. A red flag indicated that live ammunition was being used in ‘training’, but for three guys on SUP's paddling a couple of metres from this ‘exercise’ it was a hair-raising experience.

If Japan is the land of the rising sun, then surely Zanzibar must be the land of perfect sunsets. Each evening, as we paddled down the West coast, we were blessed with a canvas of colour, as the sun disappeared from sight.

In the next issue of DO IT NOW, our voyage of discovery takes us from Fumba all the way back to our final destination, Kendwa.

Our motto of Hope. Pray. Paddle. keeping us motivated and inspired during those remaining five incredible days. •

inALTITUDE:

Words by Walter Neser

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46 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

In South Africa there are only a handful of pilots who on practise the extreme sport of acro paraglding, and . behind little a g laggin also are we an international level sites le suitab few very are there se becau ly probab This is d is where it can be safely practised. What is really neede s acces easy and quick a high mountain where one has could which below, water and ay, to the top, like a cablew are save your life should things go wrong; provided you fish to place in wearing a life jacket and have a rescue boat you out of the drink. Cape Town offers some possibilities, but the weather can often be too windy. the Here in Gauteng, where the mountains are low but gaining for ds metho other weather is good, pilots resort to height. They can be found prepping for launch before or sunrise and hitching a ride in a hot air balloon, to one n balloo the two thousand metres above ground. Exiting d forwar a doing while , is done by diving over their gliders somersault, known as a ‘Roll-over’, and is an exciting way are to start your day. The other option, especially if you your pack to is not too keen on cold and early mornings, to glider into a deployment bag, which is then strapped leave not does que techni This ight. the frame of a microl much room for the paraglider’s pilot, so he usually ends up standing on the wheel-spat and one of the foots rests as outside the aircraft for the ride up. The exit is as simple ‘line d reache have you once go letting stepping back and stretch’. The glider is then pulled out of the deployment is bag and opens up much like a skydiving canopy. It t pay-ou built lly specia a also possible to tow aloft with high get to you allows which boat, a winch mounted on e. above the water and into a perfect situation to practis safety, iding A paragliding school in Gauteng offers paragl known as SIV, and aerobatic courses over water using this method. you Now that you have the height, over water or not, ed design well A . gravity have the freedom to play with than more to rate accele and dive will acro paraglider 120km/h in just two 360° turns, which is more than enough energy to get the glider inverted by doing a Barrel the Roll, known as a Reversal, or entering a Tumble, that’s g enterin and hing everyt is Timing loop. d positive-G forwar late too or early too , energy little too with uvre a manoe ely can result in a Cravate, French for bow tie, and definit Nor like. look to wing your not the configuration you want would you want to land wrapped inside your wing, known ride as a Roman Candle, which would normally result in a ute. down to mother earth on your reserve parach There are other low-energy manoeuvres that require even is more skill and precision, for example the Helico, which Helico the g essentially a flat spin in aviation terms. Enterin , is done by slowing the wing down beyond the stall speed d forwar zero have pilot and wing the to the point where speed, known as a Deep-stall, from which point the pilot gently coaxes one wing to fly backwards and the other like forwards, resulting in the wing spinning above you . helicopter blades

one A skilled acro pilot will use the speed gained from , motion flowing a in next the enter hly manoeuvre to smoot to e Tumbl to al Revers from le, examp for , ioning transit Helico and on to do a SAT or any of the many other manoeuvres to choose from.

In Europe, where acro is far more popular, there is a World te Cup circuit where pilots from around the world compe The s. routine tic aeroba in solo and synchronised team competition draws thousands of spectators, who usually watch from the beach, as the pilots do their display with g smoke systems tracing their tracks though the air. Landin drag can you if and water is usually on a small raft on the your wingtip and hand on the water simultaneously before . making a dry landing on the raft, you score extra points few Learning acro paragliding is not something you do a hing somet but ide, paragl to learnt have weeks after you the you build up to over time, progressively learning . airtime and different manoeuvres as you gain skills and vers wing-o like Staring with safer manoeuvres, spirals, and then progressing to the SAT, which resembles the a spiral but the point of rotation is between you and going body wing, spinning around each other with your g backwards through the air. The SAT is one of the buildin more. and es Tumbl do to you allows blocks that later ues The SAT was invented by Spanish pilot Raul Rodrig (Safety Team and named after their acro team, the SAT Aerobatic Team).

One of the most difficult manoeuvres to master safely nce is the Infinite Tumble, which is a sustainable seque will pilot the which during of Tumbles, or forward loops, not it’s and es, G-forc high to ed repeatedly be expos are uncommon to reach six G’s on entry. Acro paragliders loads, these and small and fast and built tough to withst a but a serious pilot will wear out a glider in less than season.

These days almost every manoeuvre can be done on tandem gliders, so it’s possible for someone who has never flown a paraglider before to experience this extreme form of the sport from the front seat for a thrill of a lifetime. •

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For a Fixed Wing aircraft, a forward loop is achieved by diving and continuing through 360° of the turn on the pitch axis. This is a negative-G manoeuvre, whereby at the end of the loop, the pilot is rather uncomforable and red in the face from excess blood flowing to the head. In paragliding negative-G manoeuvres are not possible as the lines of the wing only allow positive loading. The Tumble or Forward Loop are done with positive G's by bringing the point of rotation to be between the pilot and the wing. In other words, they rotate or spin around each other on the pitch axis.

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 47

inCREDIBLE PLACES:

Words by Steven Yates Photos by Steven Yates & Laura Yates

australia part 2 of 2

victoria australia is a massive country, the sixth biggest in area at 7,600,000-odd square kilometres. this was never more evident than on our journey from cairns to melbourne, some 2,800km due south. where cairns was scorching hot and dry, with beautifully warm turquoise seas, melbourne was cold and wet, a deep blue ocean of cold currents. the change in climate was dramatic and provided for a completely different experience to the week of diving up north.

48 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Our trip to the state of Victoria consisted of three parts; the Great Ocean Road, the Yarra Valley wine region and Aussie Rules Grand Final weekend in Melbourne. Known as Aussie Rules to the rest of the world and ‘footy’ to the locals, the sport is the most followed and participated in sport in Australia, significantly overshadowing the Rugby League, which overshadows the Rugby Union.

The different experiences that Victoria has to offer means it is a definite must for any traveller visiting the land down under.

the great ocean road

Laura and I landed in Melbourne, collected our rental car and headed for the famed beauty of the Great Ocean Road. We were excited to put experiences to the wonderful images of the Twelve Apostles, the dramatic clifftop drives and quaint seaside towns, which persuaded us to visit Victoria. The

Yarra station

first day’s drive got us to the start of the majestic route in the town of Lorne. A romantic stroll along the beach, as the sun set over the ocean ended with a sumptuous dinner that would begin the gastronomic extravaganza that is Victoria.

The Flowers Restaurant is an eclectic mix of Australian tastes mixed with Asian flair and highlighted with the most unbelievable duck wontons to have ever passed our lips.

Our wonderful accommodation situated on the edge of the surrounding forest provided for a great evening of watching the flocks of Cockatoos playing in the canopy. On an early dawn, Lorne also provided the opportunity to explore the nearby forest and waterfalls on the many walking trails.

The afternoon was a busy one, with lots of driving and sightseeing as we drove via Apollo Bay and Cape Otway to Port Campbell, stopping and enjoying all of the wonderful sights along the way. The beach below Gibson Steps was a highlight; with massive monolithic pillars dotting the soft

sand beach, which ran white below cliffs of limestone. The remaining six Apostles, basking in the afternoon setting sun, as well as the Thunder cave and the Loch Ard Gorge all provided magnificent vistas to be captured by camera.

We drove back to our accommodation at Cape Otway through dusk and into the evening. The timing of the drive was perfect and provided us with an opportunity to see some of Australia’s wildlife emerge from the dense forest.

Laura was particularly adept at spotting wallabies peeking out from the underbrush and koalas’ fluffy bums mooning from the Gum trees. Bimbi Park (said in an Australian accent) was the caravan park located in the middle of the Blue Gum forest of the Cape Otway National Park, which hosted us for an evening of wildlife and an early morning wander though the beautiful surroundings. Having enjoyed the glorious wilderness of the Victoria coastline, we left the Great Ocean Road for a beautiful inland drive back to Melbourne and then to the Yarra Valley.

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 49

12 Apostles

Wine technology at the Red Box

yarra valley

The Yarra Valley is nothing like the winelands of South Africa. Wine farms are small, some only having a couple of acres under vine and are interspersed with cattle farms, sheep farms and rolling grass hills. We entered the Yarra region mid-afternoon and ravenous, not having eaten since our morning muffin on our forest walk. Deciding we needed food, we stopped at the first wine farm we passed; a micro producer called Red Box. The tasting room was not actually open, but the owner was in residence and invited us in to taste some of ‘whatever is open’, but still no food.

The owner turned out to be a retired, extremely successful scientist and engineer, who when questioned about his former work was very reluctant to discuss it except to say he had spent significant time in Iran, Iraq, China and a number of other countries. That said the gentleman was a wonder to speak to and we had such fun listening to how he – with absolute disregard for money – used the best technology available to reproduce a variety of climatic conditions. This technology-based approach to wine making - although frowned upon by his traditional neighbours - allowed him to produce sulphite-free Riesling and Ice wine to compete with the best the snow-covered mountains of Germany could produce. He also produced the most wonderful white wine, golden in colour from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, which tasted like nothing I have ever tasted before.

We left Red Box and headed to our hotel in Healesville for what would be an early dinner and a slow evening of some more of the wonderful local wines and beers. The selection of beers from the local microbreweries was excellent and provided for a welcome change after a day of wine and the promise of more to follow in the morning. Pairing the beers to our delicious sautéed veal cutlets and fresh asparagus was more of a challenge, but tremendous fun. The next day was serious and we had our sights set on wine, wine and more wine. We started early with a good breakfast at a local patisserie and were sitting down to our first glass of wine by 10h30 in the morning. We had a few focus points for the day. The first was to get an understanding of the famed Australian Chardonnay. Laura and I are not normally Chardonnay fans, but we had a wonderful morning tasting some of the best in the world. We also wanted to focus on Shiraz, another variety that is not normally a favourite of ours, but another Australian speciality. One of the highlights was a third generation French-style winery called Dominque Portet. The Sauvignon Blanc was superb and Shiraz jelly-filled chocolate even better. Another highlight was a visit to Domaine Chandon, one of only a few wineries owned by Moet & Chandon outside of Champagne, France.

The ‘bubbly’ was amazing, with in excess of 10 different méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines available for tasting.

50 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Quaint towns along the Great Ocean road

A decedent lunch at Yarring Station, consisting of duck carpaccio, smoked eel wrapped in pancetta and roast rabbit pastry cigars was the next gastronomic indulgence.

The day ended with a home-made cheese and wine pairing platter at the De Bortoli Estate, which left us absolutely stuffed as we headed back to Healesville.

melbourne

Melbourne has a very European feel to it, much more so than Sydney – and I don’t think it is just the constant rain. We decided to visit the city on Grand Final weekend.

The Australian football Grand Final is the biggest sporting event in Australia. Over this period the city of Melbourne converges on the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Federation Square for two days of festivities. We got caught up in the atmosphere and despite not being able to get tickets for the event, which is near impossible, we spent the weekend exploring the streets while Collingwood and Geelong fans coloured the town blue, black and white.

Besides the sporting pandemic that enveloped the city, one of the main highlights of Melbourne is, as with all of Victoria, the renowned restaurants. We managed to find what is arguably rated as the best Italian restaurant in the city and enjoyed yet more of the amazing culinary creativity that Australian chefs have to offer. The menu was brilliant, with very few options other than soup of the day, pasta of the day, risotto of the day and fish of the day, all of which were sublime.

Unfortunately our trip had to come to an end, but our memories and taste buds will remember this one for a long time to come.

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• The Great Ocean Road is 243km long and was built along the south-eastern coast between 1919 and 1932 by the soldiers returning from World War 1. It’s also the world’s largest War Memorial.

• The Yarra Valley is Victoria’s oldest wine region and has in excess of 80 wineries scattered around the rolling hills.

• Domaine Chandon was established by French champagne house Moët & Chandon in 1986 and is dedicated to the production of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine and premium quality, cool-climate still wines.

www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure • 51

NOW 52 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 53

// inTRODUCING: Avalanche Hits Fourways * Taking Adventure Racing to a Whole New Level // inACTION: The World’s Most Beautiful Triathlon - Indian Ocean Triathlon * ELEVEN Sun City – Africa’s Toughest Triathlon * Lesotho Sky 2011 – Racing with a Purpose * Shuttle Days – A Fun MTB Ride for Everyone * Berg & Beach * National Freestyle Kayaking Competition * On a Winning Streak * My First Roof of Africa // inPREPARATION: Expedition Adventure Racing in Far Flung Places * What does it take to compete at the Olympics? * Stanley’s Mountain and Trail Run 2012 * What to Expect at the Dakar Rally // inSHAPE: Sports Massage Magic

PHOTOGRAPH: Andreas Strand DESCRIPTION: MERRELL Adventure Addicts during a 65km trekking leg at the 730km Adventure Racing World Championships in Tasmania, Australia

Sport

inTRODUCING:

Words by Damien Laird Photos courtesy of Avalanche

n a l

w a r v u o A F s t i H When you hear the words snowboarding and skiing, thoughts of cold temperatures, warm clothing, pricey expeditions to far-away mountains and snow come to mind. Now imagine that you could invite all your fun-loving friends to a day of snowboarding without having to go on holiday, or travel to the nearest snow-covered mountain.

This dream is now a reality!

Snowboarding and skiing are possible on Avalanche’s 65m long ski slope, situated in Fourways, Johannesburg.

Avalanche is a snow sports facility, consisting of a massive riding slope, clothing shop and restaurant that serves drinks and snacks throughout the day and at night. When you’re not shopping or relaxing over a bite to eat, the only other place to be is on the dry slope situated right outside the shop.

54 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

What is meant by a dry slope is that there is no actual snow present on the slope. A big metal construction forms the hill, which has two down sections and a short flat piece in-between. The surface is made up of a plastic-carpet type material, with bristles. Underneath this is a piping system that produces a fine spray of water to make the riding surface slippery. This allows for a smooth and even slide down the slope. Forward momentum must be maintained on the landing of different tricks, for the constant speed makes it easier to ride away from the touchdown. Any sort of snowrelated sport can be learnt and practised on the dry slope.

No former experience is required, so it doesn’t matter if it’s your first time attempting these activities. From the time you arrive, to the time you leave, there is an instructor to guide you every step of the way. The first thing they will teach you is how to strap a pair of bindings to your feet. These are the boots that clip onto a snowboard or skis. Next you will receive a snowboard, or if you prefer a pair of skis. Then you’ll head to the slope and this is where you will buckle the riding equipment to your feet. It’s then time for you to learn how to use the rope elevator, which tows you to the top of the ramp. Upon reaching the summit, an instructor will explain how to control and enjoy your approaching descent. What is to follow is a surge of exhilarating and absolutely addictive

e h c

nays

w

fun. Throughout the process, you are under constant supervision, thus ensuring your safety. It’s the perfect place to practise and become competent before hitting the real slopes.

Once accomplished, you may wish to join the rider’s evenings that take place each Thursday, when the slope is opened for people to join fellow boarders and skiers, and practise. Here, all the aspiring and trick-hungry enthusiasts get together to help and support each other in the development of their abilities. An amazing feeling of camaraderie is prevalent in all the athletes and spectators on these occasions. Rider’s night has inspired many new tricks, although it is also a place for people to meet and spend quality time together. As with any sport, there is always a social aspect playing the part of connecting and influencing everybody.

Having mentioned tricks, let’s look at a few of the stunts that have been performed by the top athletes at Avalanche. Whether on a snowboard or skis, tricks of equal difficulty are achieved. On a snowboard you will see backside and frontside spins, ranging from 180 to 540 degrees. Each of these may have the rider grabbing the board, with one or both of their hands in different places. The same degrees of spin, with optional grabs, are done either to the left or right on skis. Local snowboarders and skiers regularly land backflips and frontflips with ease. The participants in each of these

divisions similarly execute 180 degree backflips, also known as Rodeo flips. This all entails much training before a person becomes proficient and consistent with each trick, and a commitment to effort is what proves that any acquired skill is very much worth its while.

The option of bumboarding, sitting and sliding down the slope on an inflatable tube, is also available. This is really easy for anyone to do and it’s ideal for those who just want to have a laugh. Tubing can provide hours of amusement and for this reason groups of people are able to use this facility at one time, making it perfect for corporate or team building exercises.

So if you want to tube or bumboard for fun, try snowboarding or skiing for the first time, or add to your list of tricks, then Avalanche is the place for you. Bring the kids along and they will also have the best of times, while you are either on the slope or relaxing with a steamy cup of delicious coffee. Try it, you might just love it. •

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For more information contact Nick Badenhorst via nick@avalanche.co.za or visit the website www.avalanche.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 55

inTRODUCING:

T

Compiled by Tracy Knox Photos by Courtesy of Assitport

g n i ak

e v Ad

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ve e L ew N e ol h W of to a Dickson or e u q Moni t AR

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Mark and Club (Assitpor ewhat h wit t som cing W me DO IT NO t Adventure Ra bout a new, and fering f r Assitpo find out more a vice they are o venture AAR), to embership ser g to get into ad vities, ti m unique, e who is lookin nt sporting ac e to anyon nd its compon e a VIP. k a ? racing, eing treated li l to you b a e t p s p l i a h d w ul that co g in h t e ike som Sound l d on. a Then re

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 56

Q: What prompted you to start up Assitport AR? A: Assitport AR came about as a result of our own frustrations in wanting to get involved in adventure racing, but not knowing where to go, who to speak to and the lack of equipment and information, amongst other major barriers to getting into the sport.

Q: What is Assitport AR all about?

A: Assitport AR vanquishes the perceived barriers of entry and introduces people to the wonders of the adventure racing world and its component sports, by making it easily accessible to everyone and giving them the opportunity to get off the couch and get stuck in. You don’t need to be a ‘Camel Man’ to get involved, regular Joes and Janes can do it too.

Q: What does AAR do for its members?

A: We organise a variety of activities, such as mountain biking, paddling, hiking and trail running on a weekly basis and all the equipment needed to get started is provided.

This way, people can try out an activity first before investing in expensive equipment and gear. Individuals also have an option to up skill by attending navigation and rope work courses, as well as first aid courses and others.

Q: Do you provide race assistance?

A: Yes, members receive the whole VIP treatment here and our objective is to take the hassle out of racing for them, so they can concentrate on the task at hand; going for a win or simply enjoying themselves. Services include entering members into well-run, professional events we’ve identified to guarantee them a fantastic experience, with our core focus on adventure and mountain bike races, trail runs, orienteering, rogaine and metrogaine events.

Should a member not have a team, then we’ll team them up with like-minded and similarly skilled and fit individuals. Beginners are placed with more experienced racers in their first couple of events, to learn the ropes.

Furthermore, members can also make use of the Club’s set-up at events, which includes the trailer, chairs, tables, shades, bike stands, map holders and more.

In addition to assisting members with local events, we also look for and organise suitable adventures, like climbing Kilimanjaro, the Otter Trail and international events, such as the Yukon River Quest, Zambezi Man and the Canadian Death Race to mention but a few.

Our AAR photographers are there to capture all those moments, and members are encouraged to submit race reports, all of which can be accessed and downloaded from the website.

Q: Any other advantages?

A: Loads! You get to meet like-minded people and make new friends. It’s a fun way to get and keep fit. Athletes are pushed to their limits, while learning skills from others more experienced, and there’s always a large enough pool of people to have a team to compete with.

Q: Who can benefit?

A: Anyone, regardless of age or gender, who has always wanted to try an outdoor activity, but hasn’t figured out how to get involved. AAR makes getting stuck in so easy, as all an interested person has to do is pitch up and we’ll do the rest.

Q: Any advice for someone wanting to get into AR? A: Adventure racers need to be mentally tough by nature.

So as long as the mind is strong, the body will follow.

Q: Where does AAR want to be in five years time?

A: Our vision is to be a social yet competitive club, with a growing membership base that includes corporate members; we’d like to have associations with major races both local and abroad; and we’d also like to arrange regular overseas adventures and take part in recognised international events.

So why not try out a couple of AAR’s activities and see if you like them, the vibe and people? It could be fun, it could be the turning point of a sleeker, fitter you and to keep you inspired, motivated and in the know. •

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Find out more about Assitport AR’s events, activities and courses on their website and events calendar on www.assitportAR.com and Facebook page on www.facebook.com/assitportAR. (If you join and pay your 2012 fees in advance, you will receive a FREE one-year DO IT NOW magazine subscription).

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 57

inACTION:

Words by Caroline Koll Photos by Caroline Koll & Jean Jacques Fabien

The World’s Most n o l h t ia r T l u if t u a e B Mauritius is often advertised as a honeymoon and holidaymakers’ paradise. But what you rarely hear about are the fantastic sporting events that are held there, including the sport of triathlon.

The Indian Ocean Triathlon has been in existence for seven years and although popular with European triathletes wishing to escape the onslaught of winter, the race has yet to attract a delegation of South African triathletes.

The Indian Ocean Triathlon has got to be one of the most beautiful and accessible triathlons in the world.

The race organisation is a collaboration between the experienced French race organisers and Mauritian Triathlon Federation, which provides the local knowledge.

There is no prize money to be won at this event, as the emphasis is not on the winners, but rather on every athlete who wishes to compete in a triathlon held in the most exotic and breathtaking venue imaginable.

VO2 Max Voyages provide an exceptional sports travel experience, which incorporates a magnificent race with a holiday that partners and the entire family can be a part of. Travel and accommodation arrangements are offered at affordable group rates and include everything, from transfers to race entries, hotel resort accommodation and food, all for a price that competes with a similar stay in Cape Town!

58 • DO IT NOW February February || March March 2012 2012

The race itself is a fraction longer than an Olympic distance triathlon (1.8km swim, 55km bike and 12km run), perfect for triathletes starting off their season just as the holiday season approaches, and for the Europeans, who are ending off their season. Family and partners are most certainly not forgotten. A special race is held on the Saturday, dubbed the ‘Girlfriend’s’ race, while partners and the kids also get a chance to be in the spotlight and experience, to a lesser degree, what their partners go through on race day. ‘Bus’ participation for this race is strongly encouraged and there is loud cheering from the ‘real’ athletes.

Although the Indian Ocean Triathlon carries a wonderful holiday vibe, it still attracts the top pro athletes. This year’s event, held in November, saw ‘Hell on Wheels’ Thomas Hellriegel, Tour de France legend Laurent Jalabert, Fred Belaubre, Charlotte Morel and myself taking part. With no prize money and only their pride at stake, the pros interact freely with all the participants, and the organisers arrange group rides, runs and swims. This is the only race where nearly all of the participants do a pre-race reconnaissance of the course together! It is especially cool to get to share it with the likes of Hellriegel and get Laurent Jalabert’s opinion of the big climb of the day!

The swim takes place in the crystal clear waters of the coral reef, a stone’s throw from the famous Les Pavillons Hotel, voted one of the most beautiful in the world. The water is warm and the strong, no, very strong current will have you taking double the time to reach the first buoys, but this gives you enough time to really observe the

teeming, colourful sea life below. However, what’s more amusing is the rapid swim, with the current, back to T1, but just be sure not to miss the exit! Needless to say, you can leave your wetsuit at home and work on your tan.

for tired legs! I would certainly advise participants to wear socks here, as the course white sand can be very abrasive on naked feet, and be prepared for rising tides that are sure to wet your feet!

The bike course is considerably more challenging, as you leave the relaxed feel of the beach behind you.

Approximately 10km into the bike course you get to experience the most incredibly scenic, yet lung-busting climb up Chamarel Pass. The locals relish in their expertise of conquering this four-kilometre climb with ease, and if there was a spotty jersey at the top up for grabs I would bet my money on a local winning it! The climb has some impressive ‘laces’, which are tough but rewarding. At the top, you are treated to spectacular views of the sugarcane and pineapple fields, and thereafter a fairly technical descent (more so if it rains) follows along a fast and curvy road. An authentic touch is the odd village dog traversing the road unexpectedly.

Roads are not closed to traffic, but are well controlled by the Mauritian police and volunteers, who not only keep participants safe, they even have time for a cheer or two. The return from Tamassa Hotel can be deliriously fast if the wind puffs from behind, with a smooth ride back to T2.

The highlight of the race is, without a doubt, the sublime finish line, which is on the beach and framed by local palms, with the turquoise sea as a backdrop.

You are certain to have one of the best finish line photos ever!

The run is what really makes this an exceptional race.

But prepare yourself for some off-road running! Three laps of a loop comprising of mostly jeep track and then a very amusing passage on the beach, as the tide gently laps over your shoes and your feet sink into the wet sand; it’s a photographer’s dream, but very challenging

In the midst of ever-increasing costs of big name triathlons, where you are just another number, the Indian Ocean Triathlon is certainly a breath of fresh air. Instead of being just a one day affair, participants from all over the world get to discover a country and a culture through their passion for sport, benefit from Mauritian hospitality, enjoy an unbelievable setting and connect with each other over a week. You are personally welcomed by the race organisers Loic and Sebastian from VO2 Max Voyages, and you can be sure that by the time you leave this beautiful island everyone will know your name and you’ll have friends from all over Europe. •

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For more information on the 2012 event, contact Caroline on carolinekoll1@gmail.com

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 59

inTRODUCING:

Words by 11global Photos by 11global & DIN

ELEVEN Sun City Africa’s Toughest

Triathlon Why have the organisers of ELEVEN Sun City tagged this race as Africa’s Toughest Triathlon?

Simple, it’s a tough course!

The swim takes place in the crystal clear water of the Water World Complex, but as soon as the athletes transition to their bikes, the course starts to exert its grip, as athletes have to run 500 metres uphill to reach the mount line.

The 2011 ELEVEN Sun City – Africa’s Toughest Triathlon, lived up to its reputation and challenged the 720 triathletes on a blistering hot day at South Africa’s Kingdom Of Pleasure.

Race guest and 1996 Olympic gold medal winner in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and 2004 ITU World Champion, Sheila Taormina, was the race starter and also gave some great last-minute advice to each wave. Whilst in South Africa Sheila conducted four swimming clinics, adding a unique touch to the race week.

The bike course offers little comfort as athletes are met with rolling hills and false flats when exiting the main gate, and on returning to Sun City they have a steep hill to negotiate.

Unfortunately for them this only completes the first lap and they have to turn around and do it all again!

The race started with the Elite wave at 08:12 and the mercury already at 32˚C. Three-minutes later the second wave and Men Age groupers set off, with the Ladies, Relay and Physically Challenged waves starting a further three and six minutes back. Lucie Zelenkova, Corinne Berg, Lauren Dance, Samantha Ferreira and Liezl van der Merwe swam toe-to-toe with the Elite men for most of the swim and it was Zelenkova and Travis Johnston first out the water. One minute behind were Berg and Dance, together with male Elites, Nico Sterk and Gerhard de Bruin.

The running course shows little mercy and coupled with rising temperatures the athletes have what can only be described as a tough run ahead of them. Leaving transition, a moderate hill towards the Gary Player Country Club awaits, followed by a monster hill two kilometres further. The remainder of the course is undulating, constantly loading the athlete’s legs and offering little reprieve from the baking sunshine and heat.

Into the bike stage, Dance showed her dominance as the athletes left the Sun City grounds to tackle this tough course. Unfortunately, Zelenkova pulled out as she was not a hundred percent, following a training accident a week prior and handed Dance the lead. On the men’s side, Sterk, de Bruin, Davidson and Edmiston made moves to haul in leader Johnston, putting the hammer down on the steep hill towards the end of the first lap and catching him.

60 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Deep into the run Michael Davidson was in his element and overtook Johnston for the lead. Hot on their heels was Sterk, who was having a great day.

In previous years, Sterk has not been in his best form at ELEVEN Sun City, but today was clearly different.

Dance added to her lead and showed no signs of slowing as she tackled the run. Ferreira, like Sterk, was also having a good day and appeared to have second place locked up, with Berg a few minutes further back.

The 720 age groupers came through the second transition in droves and the atmosphere on the Cabanas’ lawn was electric, as hundreds of spectators and the race announcer cheered them on. The effort thus far was clearly showing on their faces, but these guys and gals were here to challenge themselves and go about their business quickly and smoothly in transition. Running shoes, cap and sunglasses on, a quick sip of energy drink or water and they were on the run course.

Davidson strode strongly towards the finish line to win in a time of 01:56:04, with Johnson second and Sterk third. Dance came home in 02:11:58, followed by Ferreira and Berg.

It was a fantastic day at ELEVEN Sun City, with their largest Olympic field to date. Since the initial race in 2008, ELEVEN Sun City has grown substantially over the past four years to become the largest Olympic-distance triathlon in South Africa. Event organisers are pleased to see the race so well received and have many new and exciting additions planned for 2012.

ELEVEN returns to South Africa on 19 February 2012 in Cape Town, featuring three distances: Super Sprint (400m swim, 13km bike and 4km run), Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run) and Olympic (1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run).

The sprint distance will include the South African National Sprint Championships and the ATU Sprint Cup, and is to feature some of the world’s best triathletes as they begin their preparations for the London Olympics. Entries are open on the race website at www.11global.com •

RACE RESULTS Female Overall: Rank

Time

BIB

1

02:11:58

1

2

02:17:36

3

02:24:50

Name

Men Overall: Country

Age

Rank

Time

BIB

Name

Country

Age

Lauren Dance

SA

21

1

01:56:04

13

Michael Davidson

SA

33

3

Samantha Ferreira

SA

30

2

01:57:03

9

Travis Johnston

SA

26

2

Corinne Berg

SA

25

3

02:00:07

8

Nico Sterk

SA

24

EAGLE CANYON CYCLES N O R T H R I D I N G

+27 11 795 4022 www.eaglecanyoncycles.co.za www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 61

inACTION:

Words by Hannele Steyn Photos by Cherie Vale

Lesotho Sky 2011

Racing with

a Purpose

The Lesotho Sky 2011 is a new event on the MTB calendar that took place in November and played host to bike teams from around the world, South Africa and Lesotho. I was privileged to take part in it too.

Christian Schmidt, mountain bike enthusiast, race organiser and founder of the event, was born in Germany and spent four years of his primary school life in the small, but engaging village of Morija, Lesotho. He completed his schooling in Germany, but Africa had captured his heart and he returned to study Finance at UCT. His true love, however, is southern Africa’s ‘Kingdom in the sky’, Lesotho, and a year ago he decided to make his dream of holding a mountain bike race in Lesotho a reality.

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His plan for the inaugural event was to promote Lesotho as a destination for sport tourism, involve the communities as much as possible and give the Lesotho people an opportunity to develop their mountain biking talents. The latter was achieved when Christian secured sponsorship for five local teams. In addition, the race supports a social project in Lesotho. For every rider and kilometre travelled during the six days, one Rand will be donated to the Ha Matela Youth Centre. In addition funds will go towards books for the library and school fees for children.

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To set-up a race, especially a stage and team event in Lesotho, is no easy task, but if there is a will, there is a way! The passion and determination of the organisers and Lesotho people was clearly evident and nothing was going to stop them. It’s a truly sophisticated race and the first of its kind in Lesotho. What distinguishes this event is the alpine environment, a climate that is cooler than most other places of the same latitude and the beautiful surroundings.

Accommodation for the riders proved to be one of the biggest challenges and as a result, Christian decided to only invite 20 teams to this year’s event. In the end there were 13 team entries and I was fortunate to ride for the Talisman Hire team, headed up by the owner Colin du Plessis. What an amazing experience and privilege it turned out to be!

The race was six days long and the 500km route took riders from Morija via Malealea to Ramabanta, Roma and then up to the finish at Mohale Dam, with almost 14,000m of climbing.

The catch was that you were never lower than 1,600m above sea level and for someone like me, coming from Knysna, this was quite a challenge. Most days we climbed up to 2,300m, the highest being 2,650m on the aptly named ‘God Help Me’ and ‘Blue Mountain’ Passes.

Day Day11 of this high performance (literally) race kicked off with a prologue of 65km that started and finished at the Youth Development Centre in Morija (1,600m). It was also held in collaboration with the annual Morija Mountain Bike Challenge, now into its second year.

To understand what a ‘jeep track’ in Lesotho looks like, imagine a very rough and rutted single track combined with a gravel road. In some instances, what they call a road would be something we South Africans think of as impossible to drive on with a vehicle. J

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Another aspect that was a real eye-opener and challenge for us South Africans was how we have become so used to our luxuries and how blessed we are to be able to run to a shop and buy fresh vegetables and fruit. The lifestyle there is simple and only what is needed to survive is stocked. The houses are beautiful and impeccably built, but the soil is dry and there isn’t much vegetation. To ask for lettuce, yoghurt, cheese or fresh milk is like asking for a miracle. Cold drinks are an extravagance and in most places the generators are switched on at 17h00 and turned off at 22h00. For a coffee snob like me it was a detox week, as the closest you get to real coffee is a good instant one, and even then you are very lucky. All of this though, just reinforced the uniqueness and specialness of this event for me, because you learn to appreciate what you have and often take for granted. Despite the simplicity of the Lesotho people’s lives they are very friendly, helpful and happy, appreciating each opportunity to welcome any visitors.

The local riders were an absolute inspiration and most of them finished on bikes that I didn’t think would hold up for one day, never mind six. Two of the riders rode in road bike shoes and one youngster finished the race with normal shoes!

The terrain was very rough, the sun unforgiving as temperatures ranged from 28-38˚C. The dust and altitude sapped our energy, while the wind didn’t do us any favours either. The meals were different to what we are used to, but the best spoil was the putu pap!

Day 2 started in Morija again, but took us to Malealea, 75km away, with 1,800m of climbing. For the start, quite achievable.

Day 3 saw us heading to Ramabanta, a distance of 76km and 2,200m of climbing, with amazing views all the way!

There were people all along the route, motivating and cheering us on with every pedal stroke. The school kids were our biggest audience and if you think the Tour de France has a lot of spectators, you must go to Lesotho.

There were very few occasions when there was no one on the road, and I can’t even begin to count the amount of ‘Dumelas’ (hello) I had to say.

The water points were well stocked with water, cooldrinks, energy drinks and chocolate bars, as well as bananas and apples, which were purchased from the local cafe.

Day Day44 saw us powering our way to Roma, 64km away and 2,100m of climbing. Now this was a challenge and took the last rider 10 hours and 30 minutes to complete. It was one of the most beautiful stages, but also one of the toughest as we had to cross a river and walk over a mountain, which took us about two hours. I have never taken so long to complete 64km and definitely set my own little record. J

Day Day55 was a 65km stretch to Mohale Dam, with 2,500m of climbing, and the first stage to offer up some blissful tar road riding. But did I mention that we climbed for 20km up the Blue Mountain Pass to reach 2,633m? The Mohale Dam is huge and a major water source to the residents of Lesotho.

C

Day Day66 and the last stage of the race covered 67km, with M

1,600m of climbing. The stage took riders all around the dam, with one last, very steep and long climb.

Y

CM

We all finished in one piece except for three riders, who had to stop because of nasty tummy bugs. Thereafter, we were treated to a wonderful buffet meal. Prize-giving was a memorable occasion and we each received a Basotho hat, with Lesotho Sky 2011 embroided on it.

MY

CY

CMY

K

For me the beauty of the country, humbleness of its people, the blessings of the simplest things and opportunity to be part of this history makes all the sweat and pain, lack of oxygen and 14,000m of climbing worth it!

Thank you to all the organisers, helpers and most of all, the people of Lesotho.

Put this race in your diary for next year otherwise you will miss out on a little piece of life. •

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The Basotho hat, a conical woven hat with a distinctive topknot, is a symbol of Lesotho’s unification. It depicts a mountain top, conical and topknotted, which is visible from the fortress and tomb of Moshoeshoe near Masaru. Both men and women invariably wear the wool Basotho blanket as a cloak, regardless of the season. The careful selection of colour and pattern allows for individual expression.

Source: www.everyculture.com

inACTION:

Words by Troy Davies / www.retroyspective.co.za Photos by Ewald Sadie / www.esphotography.co.za

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Shuttle

Days A Fun MTB Rid

e for Everyon

e

So you like t trails, but d o ride downhill uphill climbs on’t fancy the Day at Conte ? Then a Shuttle Trails is the rmanskloof MTB answer to y prayers. our Contermanskloo f MTB Trails wa s opened in De extensions being cember 2009, wi added and main th modifications tained on a daily Tygerberg hill’s tra and basis. It is situate il system, which d in the heart of is linked together via by the Tygerberg the Mountain Bike Cl green corridors and managed ub.

These trails have played host to nu merous events, Bicycling’s Ride including the Sp Before You Buy, ur School League Grape Escape, Champs Downhil , WP Champs XC l and next year and DH, the SA will be the bigges Epic Prologue. t of them all, the 2012 ABSA Cape There are six we ll marked trails co nsisting of an 8k trail, a free ride m, 14km and 17 trail that has mult km cross country iple berms and boasting BIG sk small jumps, an i jumps, road ga d two downhill tra ps, intense rock finish.  ils gardens, drop-o ffs and a table-to p

The idea behind the Shuttle Days is to bring all gravity fed mountain biking discip lines together and offer ride rs a shuttle service to the top of the mountain. From there the y can then decide what type of trail to ride. This will ena ble riders to perform multiple run s, while honing their skills on the trails that best suit the ir riding style and ability.

The focus of this Shuttle Day was to celebrate The Bike Shed’s first birthday. This bicy cle store is conveniently loca ted on the farm and owned and managed by experie nced downhill rider and avid cyclist Jaco Veldsman. He is also an excellent resource if you hap pen to have any mechanica l issues in the middle of a ride .

There were more than 50 riders on the trails, with the majority riding the second ary downhill line, as the prim ary line was reserved for the 201 1 WP Downhill Champs. Thi s course is world class and hec tic. The first few 100 metres are relatively tame, but it get s steep very quickly and the n even steeper with left and right switchback cor ners.

After this you are confronted by a relatively fast road gap to clear, but the landing is sup er steep and into a right han d cor ner that pulls a couple of G’s. Then it’s a small lau nch into a tight left hand turn and rock garden that has no clear line through it, across a road, through another roc k garden and down a small drop, with another intense turn at the bottom. There’s som e interesting doubles on a super-fast section before a 10m table top and the finis h.

The course drops 236m ove r 1.29km.

At the 2010 WP Champs , the fastest time and winner of the Elite Men’s division was Johann Potgiet er, in a time of 02:13.44. He was cl osely followed by Stefan Garlicki in second place in 02:14.01 and in third position it was Darren Stow in 02:22 .01.

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After the shuttling, a car nival-type festival area wa s set-up at the pick-up poi nt, along with braai facilitie s, clothing stores and The Bik e Shop, which was the cen tre of attention.

The best and by far most entertaining addition to the day was the Lake Jump, which consisted of a 100 m approach through the vine yards onto a wooden jetty and a five foot vertical kicker tha t shot some of the rider’s ove r 20ft up in the air before landing in the dam. Needle ss to say there were some hug e tricks being pulled off and lots of spectacular wipeou ts. Fifteen riders took par t and there was some com ical commentating by And rew Neethling and Robert Sta rke. Prizes went to the hig hest jump, longest jump and bes t trick.

It is an awesome fun day out and mountain bike ride rs of all disciplines and skill leve ls are invited to come along and enjoy the ride. •

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For more information on Dow nhill South Africa contact chris@chrisnixon.co .za, look out for the Shuttle event video on www.re troyspective.co.za Contermanskloof directio ns: Take the N7 towards Malms berry and then take the Potsmans turn-off. Tur n right over the N7 and follow the road to a T-junct ion. At the T-junction turn left onto Contermanskloo f Road, past the quarry on your right and afte r 1km, turn right into Contermanskloof Road and it will be sign posted from there.

GPS - 33.80019 / 18.572731

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 69

inACTION:

Words by Ugene Nel Photos by Jacques Marais

G R B E CH A E B &

us and Herman y a B r e k l a W best known y l b a b o r p are thern Right for the Sou g t visit durin a h t s e l a h W . l migration their annua

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Hot on their tails were almost 100 trail runners, some from as far as Gauteng, who also temporarily migrated to these areas, to take part in the 50km Berg & Beach stage trail run in October. Day one was a 22km scenic run along the coast from De Kelders to Fernkloof Nature Reserve, followed by a 28km mountain run on the second and final day.

As with all events, there will always be a couple of clowns about. At this year’s race, I forgot to put my CAPESTORM shorts on under my tracksuit pants, so I made a frantic call to Trevor Ball, famed for the Table Mountain Challenge, and asked him to bring a pair of shorts to the start. An hour later Trevor pitched up wearing his underpants from yester year and handed me his own pair of shorts. This led to endless remarks from the other runners, but it also served as an icebreaker an hour before the start.

A short while later, the Hermanus School bus arrived and all the runners boarded; the familiar smell of a school bus bringing back memories from boarding school days for some. The 30km journey to Die Plaat, next to the coastal village of De Kelders and our dropoff point, lasted less than 40 minutes.

This section of coast was extremely popular and well known to 4x4 enthusiasts and fishing folk for decades, before a ban was imposed on vehicle access. However, Die Plaat, which is managed by Cape Nature Conservation, now has a healthy population of Black Oyster catchers. In a bygone era, this was also a section of coast where Quena descendants settled and evidence of their lives remain in certain areas today.

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In 1811, Quena descendants erected fishing cottages next to the cove and started a thriving fishing culture in the Gansbaai area. It was used by Capt. Robert Stanford to transport his fresh farm produce to the Cape.

The runners were looking forward to a unique experience, as they looked over Walker Bay toward the Fernkloof Mountains behind Hermanus, a grey apparition in the distance.

After numerous quirky remarks about Trevor’s attire, the group set off along the decades-old, sandstone jeep track, dropping onto the beach after a short rock-hopping section. The tide was receding and the front runners had already made their intentions clear by the time they reached the hard sand. Our trusty sweeper, Lofty, entertained the backmarkers whilst ensuring they moved along at a decent pace.

Top of switchbacks, Fernkloof Nature Reserve

Unlike many other beaches, Die Plaat hardly has a camber and makes for flat running at low tide. The runners had two hours to cover a 17km section of beach before reaching the Klein River lagoon mouth, at its lowest tide at 10h00. The mouth was open, with a strong outgoing tide. About 200m upstream, Quantum Adventures’ crew had set up a safety area and entry point to cross this fast-flowing section. The first runners reached the mouth in just 70 minutes and hit the water at speed. The water spanned about 60m across and after an initial 20m of wading they reached the deeper and fast-flowing channel. Accompanied by the inflatable safety boat, they swam for the opposite shore while being swept downstream by the current. They generally reached the shore about 30-40 metres downstream, with the slower swimmers tending to float further towards the mouth. But they all managed amidst some anxious shouting to one another!

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 71

Ridge path, Fernkloof Nature Reserve

Exiting the lagoon

Wet and chilled, they had another kilometre of hard beach and a further two kilometres of cliff path along the shore, before heading away from the coast along the Mussel River, to finish day one at Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Noel Ernstzen finished a couple of minutes ahead of Derrick Baard, whilst Landie Visser had a commanding lead over Suzanne Marais and third-placed Linda Doke. With the next day being a completely different run in the mountains above Hermanus, the stage was set! In the meantime, the rest of the field battled against a headwind that had started to blow and it was a race against the incoming tide.

The route then contoured via the valleys and back towards the finish, some eight kilometres away. Meanwhile, Lofty’s group gathered strength and started to catch up with the back markers. But at the rate they were moving, they were going to miss the cut-off at 13h30. Race HQ radioed through a message with an ultimatum – if this group is not at checkpoint 2 within the next hour, they will have to catch a ride home with the 4x4 from here!

This fuelled their fire and saw them moving faster uphill over 10km than they did on a reasonably level 10km at the start! The motivation had worked J.

Day two arrived with ominous cloud cover and rain forecast for late morning. There were moans and groans from a few runners, with stiff hammies and other minor ailments, but nothing a hot cup of coffee couldn’t solve.

After the race and safety briefings, the group, now less a few bodies due to injury or lack of fitness, set off once again, this time along the trails of Fernkloof Nature Reserve. Trevor was still in the same underpants from the day before – apparently he gave it a good scrub!

A few drops of rain started to fall as Noel cruised in to claim his second win in two days. He ran straight to the shower and appeared a few minutes later, making himself at home as he waited for the next runner in. In the ladies, it was Landie Visser who powered across the finish line to win the ladies section.

The first three kilometres wound slowly along a contoured path that led to a view point overlooking a waterfall not far from the start. This was followed by a sharp, steep climb above the Three Dams kloof before levelling out for the next seven kilometres, to the first checkpoint.

By this stage another two runners had pulled out; one with a pulled hamstring and the other with a twisted ankle. The terrain evidently suited the more technical runners, as Robyn Ferrar and Linda ran together with Landie a minute ahead. Derrick led the men all the way to the steep switchbacks before Noel and Eddie Lambert caught up and stayed with him to the top. This was a brutal climb, but the view from the top was well worth the sweat. Not everyone agreed on that though J. Runners were then faced with another 10km steady climb to the top of Platberg, at 780m. The Cape fynbos and floral display on the mountain slopes was impressive!

Passing checkpoint two, Noel took the lead from Derrick, while Linda, in her element in the mountains, ran strongly to edge away from Robyn. Landie slowed down a bit, but was still in control at this point. Lofty, our sweeper, had now acquired a couple of mates along the way, with Marc Johnstone deciding it was way more fun to sweep than to run behind Trevor in his powder-blue undies.

At the top of Platberg, the runners had reached the highest point of the route and stunning vistas across the Hemel en Aarde valley greeted them. After the recent rains, water gushed down a ravine near Galpin Hut and was a welcome and pristine water source for some thirsty folk.

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Race HQ had a little surprise in store at the prize-giving; Trevor’s undies, and it was Marc Johnstone who won that lucky draw.

This is what race runner Odile Quintard had to say about the event “My legs are still recovering, but what an amazing weekend! I had an incredible time, everything was awesome, the people, the views and the swim, definitely an event to recommend. Once again, thank you to the whole team for a fantastic, fun-filled weekend.

Looking forward to next year.”

To view all the awesome photos from this run, visit our Facebook page – Quantum Adventure Events or visit www.quantumadventures.co.za Come and join us at the 2012 event, but enter early to avoid disappointment! •

Results:

POS 1 2 3 4 5

NAME Noel Ernstzen Derrick Baard Eddie Lambert Sean Privett Armand Bosman

DAY 1 01:38:22 01:39:25 01:49:47 01:42:23 01:45:16

DAY 2 02:37:38 02:47:22 02:42:51 02:54:05 02:57:09

TOTAL 04:16:00 04:26:47 04:32:38 04:36:28 04:42:25

1 2 3 4 5

Landie Visser Robyn Ferrar Linda Doke Suzanne Marais Jeanette Steyn

01:51:43 02:05:22 01:56:24 01:53:33 02:13:28

02:59:08 02:59:58 03:14:54 03:26:04 03:42:06

04:50:51 05:05:20 05:11:18 05:19:37 05:55:34

inACTION:

Words by Deon Breytenbach Photos by Prokayak.co.za & Rudolf Botha

Ryan Strong 3rd Junior

e l y st e e r F l Nationa

tition e p m o C aking y a K Kayaking weekends usually involve waking up early, driving for hours and meeting up with friends, thus ensuring there is a strong emphasis on rapid rehydration and a general sense of jolliness. This was especially true of the National Freestyle Kayaking Competition (NFKC) weekend, which took place on the Vaal River in early November 2011, as it also coincided with the Parys Dome Adventure Festival, the only festival of its kind in the world to take place inside a meteorite crater. morning was The Fluid Freestyle event on Saturday experienced more the about having fun and learning from n where etitio comp al inform an paddlers. The afternoon was were two best the , rides cond 45-se everybody had three

and I arrived at added together and that’s it. Kendo Man y this soon luckil a very empty rock next to the Slot, but youngsters the from out changed and we had a great turn levels, is a low very at ularly partic and newbies. The Slot, sneaky some of use beca into get to spot bit of a tricky the into s other g rocks, so I spent quite a bit of time helpin ers kayak the to e advic of hole and giving varying degrees in the water. pted to take Competition time arrived so everybody attem for three only was it if things a bit more seriously, even with my ride first my do to ed decid I 45-second sessions. to get rides two had still I knew I use beca hand paddles of result The ed. decent scores on if things went pear shap ed ditch I so 0, Deon 1 s my first ride was more like Rock rides. In the my gloves and used a paddle for the remaining Women’s the in ton ering Heth y Tamm were rs end, the winne g from Stron Ryan division, Jonatan Pienaar in the Juniors, Walt der van Jan ners, Begin Southern Cross Schools in the  Men. Open the in lf myse and in the Intermediates

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 73

ony Unfortunately the venue where the prize-giving cerem y slightl be to out turned place take to were and party and people y overbooked. Thankfully kayakers are friendl is an local paddler and Parys’ water hero, Lloyd Wallace, we which n, garde big a has who guy exceptionally friendly ed dread the when going barely were fires The of. made use nly sudde , Element Funnel, a kayak turned beer funnel just appeared and was attached to the side of his house Things ony. cerem y penalt and iving in time for the prize-g , the got a bit carried away after this and from Lloyd’s house of some when party moved to the festival grounds. This is the for human feel ly actual us snuck away so that we would most nationals, for a change, and be in a state to get the e. releas water out of the

I headed down to the river early on Sunday morning to help set-up things and get some early practise in. Arriving at the river I was a bit disappointed to see that the water hadn’t arrived yet, but just as we finished getting every thing in order the river came gushing through. I always enjoy riding these waves, as they get progressively bigger during the course of the morning.

74 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

nt The competition format for the nationals was a bit differe more little a g judgin to Saturday’s Fluid Freestyle, and the of serious and stricter. In the prelims you get three rides, rs paddle five or four top The count. two which the best rides two with finals, the in up end then ry catego each in you and the highest scoring ride counting. This meant that had they good, only not were had to ensure your rides . It’s to be consistently good throughout the competition form on look ers kayak the all how see to ng amazi always g judgin the as soon during the warm-up session, but as nt. differe no was event this starts things change. And didn’t Suddenly it mattered if you flushed off the wave or ing watch ne everyo with and time, in ride your h throug get these under bit a fray your every move the nerves start to a few trying conditions. Coming from the world champs tors specta of eds hundr was there where , months earlier ers graph photo and ride your of videos ing stream ing, watch and g relaxin rather everywhere, I found the NFKC all where exceptionally fun, as I was competing at an event of bunch a and as camer two tors, specta 50 there was only me. with eddies the in friends the In-between my heats, I also commentated and kept easy rather was which could, I best as humour going and because the kayakers are there to have a good time the vibe is always a very festive one.

of Sam Finals started around 13h00 and I was so proud ern South from rs paddle junior two , Strong Ryan Dold and my from are they Cross School, in Hoedspruit, because the to h throug it made had little kayak school and both n’s finals. In the end Sam placed third in the Open Wome junior only the was she as seeing tic fantas was which class, group. female and had to compete in the Open Women’s top the d claime scene ing Two new ladies to the kayak local River Vaal and d secon in Green y positions, with Tamm Junior Tammy Hetherington in first. Ryan came third in the d and secon placed Men’s category. Don Wewege from KZN has he place a first, in came 14-year-old Jonatan Pienaar d entere he’s s etition comp water whitesecured in all the yle Freest al Nation first Ryan’s and Sam was This this year. year, competition, so keep your eyes open for them next which s, finishe podium top for as they will both be aiming s in would see them on the team for the next world champ the USA. n, with Three young friends dominated the Beginner’s sectio d and secon in rd Barna Divan place, third Shayne Nice in it was , group ediate Interm the In first. in rd Barna Morne for the a tight competition with paddlers not only fighting go didn’t victory that ensure to number-one spot, but also d entere was who der, Alexan Scott r to American paddle ng and Gaute in living is he as ions condit l specia under Ryan dating a South African girl. Unfortunately for Scott, ride last his on loop ficent Peel managed to land a magni e Wallac Lloyd and d secon in Scott with to win the event, house your invade to us g allowin for again s (thank in third Lloyd).

se The Open Men’s finals was one of my best ever becau rides first our After .

I was paddling with four of my friends idge I was pretty sure that I was leading, but if Luke Longr ride, d secon his on bag the of out big hing somet had pulled by I would have been in trouble. We were all equally tired not moves some with two, this time and it showed in round y my being executed quite textbook style to score. Luckil with spot, top the took I and h throug me pulled first ride Luke in second and Dewet Michua in third. one of I must say that the 2011 NFKC weekend was really super to done Well year. the of events water whitethe best also girl Mirka de Lange, from Whitewater Training, who r anothe ising organ for al, brought us the MoustAsh Festiv es Jacqu ially espec ors, spons the all to s superb event. Thank Sunwa Botes from R.E.A.L Adventures for the cash purse, ture Rafting, Fluid Kayaks, Peak Uk, Palm, Blyde Adven not ely definit but Lastly, a.

Camp and designer label Mirkav Terry, you (that’s s parent the for se least, a round of applau put Anthony, Groot Hannes and Tannie Barnard), who have to sters young in so much effort to make it possible for their and sport this of future the attend these events. They are bright, without your support their future would not be as • ing. reward or exciting

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 75

inACTION:

Words by Dave Griffin Photos by RSR PIXS

ON A WINNING

STREAK

Racing requires passion and determination, but what makes a racer great is being able to keep a balance between practising, the pressure and passion. As a novice to the sport of motorcycle racing, but blessed with the ability to ride, 2011 was a phenomenal year for me. Sure there were tough and trying times, but as I look back I can’t help feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Ending the 2010 season in second place on the standard RC8, my team, our mechanic and sponsors entered 2011 confidently on the new KTM RC8R 1190cc, as we expected to perform better with the increased power and upgraded suspension.

These enhancements were quite noticeable in the first race held at Redstar Raceway, as we had only been able to get in a couple of practise laps and were heavily reliant on the power and handling. Donovan Fourie, the defending champion, was as fast as ever, yet I was able to pull away and win both races.

Our next race was at Zwartkops. Being a shorter track, gearing would be critical to get drive from the corners and late braking key to success. With the team getting on well, the right mechanic and a solid combination of experience, we qualified for pole in both races.

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With BOTTS being a tight-knit group one always panics when you see a fellow rider going down, as was the case in both races. However, safety is paramount in this sport so all riders are required to wear enough protective gear to keep them safe and as a result there are seldom serious injuries, aside from our ever so sensitive egos! Despite these distractions, I remained focused and claimed a double win for the day.

Round three was held at Kyalami and although it’s not my favorite track I was still looking forward to the race. As Donovan and Riaan weren’t there, I easily qualified for pole position in both races.

The first race saw Mick Landi and I going head to head and I was amazed at the sheer power of his Ducati, which left me standing on the straights. I reeled him in quickly on the corners and by lap six I had created a gap and crossed the line with some time in hand.

The second race had a sting in the tail. I noticed that Clinton Pienaar, former BOTTS and national racer, was preparing to ride a NCR, a Ducati masterpiece! It sports the 999 motor, boasts some serious upgrades and modifications, weighs next to nothing, corners and brakes like a racing car and with him on it I was going to have my hands full. The lights went out and I found myself in sixth position. I could see Clinton chasing down into third position and knew I had to catch up before he got away. The RC8R has a remarkable ability to enter corners really quickly, while trailing the front brakes deep into the corner. I put this tactic to good use as I climbed my way through the field. Soon I was in third behind Mick and Clinton had started to create a gap up front. Passing Mick by under braking as I went into the mine shaft, my sights were now firmly set on Clinton. Two laps later and I was on his tail, but being the professional rider that he is, he knew exactly which lines to use to hamper my efforts to pass him. The NCR hasn’t got the power of the RC8R, but it corners very well, so my best chance

to pass him would be on the old back straight. I pulled in closely behind him as we entered turn four and took the outside line, staying hard on the gas and slipping past him.

Five corners later and a quick glimpse over my shoulder, I could see him about five bike lengths behind me. I was overjoyed to take both races and now had six race wins, an awesome start to the season.

Round four was held at Phakisa, which is quickly becoming my favorite track as it’s super fast, smooth and flowing; exactly how I like to ride. Despite stiff competition from new comer Jason Wessels, an accomplished national rider, Riaan and I finished in second and first respectively.

Round five was supposed to be at Midvaal, but the venue was deemed unsafe to race on and was moved to Redstar.

This is Jason’s office and he would have the ‘home’ advantage, but always ready for a challenge, I squeezed in two practise days and was ready to race.

Race one was nothing short of dismal. The wrong tyres saw me lose the lead after turn three and I spent some time trimming the edge of the track. Now in third behind Jason, and Riaan in the lead, I held back to let the tyres warm up, as my little incident earlier still had my heart racing. By lap three Jason had pulled ahead and it was now time to make my move. Giving chase I passed Riaan and soon caught up with Jason. While swopping positions, I lost the front again and was spat off the bike and onto the tar. Regaining my composure I remounted and found that the gear lever was broken. I knew I could change by hand so I wasn’t overly concerned and set-off once more. Now in fifth position, I gave it my all to try and catch up to Donovan and Robin.

By the second last lap I was back on their tails and so intent on passing them that I forgot I couldn’t change gears mid corner, only on the straights. As I opened the throttle

mid corner, in too low a gear, my already tender body was catapulted through the air, landing none too gracefully on the tar once more. By the time my lungs had regained their normal form I was well down the order. I surveyed my battered bike and my only thought was to finish, so I limped her home, with no gear lever or brake pedal, to finish ninth.

My mechanic worked frantically to repair my bike and had her ready in time for race two. He cautioned me to just take it easy and finish to gain points. His words echoed in my head as the lights went out and I twisted the throttle. I was in a safe sixth position, but the racer in me silenced his words and I pressed on. Before I knew it, I was in second place, then sanity prevailed and I settled down for the finish.

With the championship points well in my favour, all I needed was 23 points to clinch the season.

Phakisa was next, with Riaan and I at it again in race one, but I managed to pass him and win the race. Race two was a closely contested affair between Jason and Riaan, with me hard on their heels. In the end, it was Riaan who passed Jason, coming off the back straight at well over 240km/h to give him a well deserved win.

Round seven was at Zwartkops. I planned to practise there on the Wednesday prior to the race, but this entailed practising with the cars, which have a nasty habit of dropping oil, stones and debris onto the track. This was confirmed in the sixth lap of my first session while flying into turn five. There was an oil line through the corner and coming in at speed and with little room for error I was forced to run off the track to avoid it. No sooner had I left the track when my front tyre washed out from under me and unceremoniously dumped me onto the gravel. Grumpy as sin, I tucked my tail in and went to sweet talk KTM into repairing the damages before the next race.

After a fairly poor practise, I wasn’t feeling all that confident come race weekend. In race one I rode like an old lady, nothing went my way and the more I got frustrated. I eventually finished fourth and was not impressed. Race two wasn’t much better and I had to settle for third. 

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The last round took place at my nemesis, Redstar Raceway.

The format had changed and the race was to take place on Sunday. The few extra days worked in my favour, as I’d only just returned from a two-week stint in the UK on the Monday prior to race week and needed to get in some practise.

Although the championship was already mine and I didn’t have to race any further, I didn’t see it as appropriate not to enter or only make a half-hearted attempt on the track.

Friday’s practise proved to be a challenge, as the track direction had been reversed. This meant that I had to learn a completely new track, with new lines and find new markers, not to mention that the tyre wear was ridiculous and we ate through three sets of tyres that day. I needed to find a tyre solution by Saturday and Bridgestone was the apparent answer. We sourced a very used and abused rear tyre, and having never used them before I was nervous throughout the practise. However, the tyre worked though and I had a better feeling from the rear and less sliding.

Race day saw the track’s temperature soar to over 60˚C. I was caught out again as we had over inflated the rear tyre and I had no traction. By lap three I was chasing Riaan, who was leading, and I kept lighting up the rear.

A handstand through turn three should have warned me, but the racer in me pushed on as I knew I could catch Riaan. Well, two turns later and it was all over. After sizing up Riaan I went for a tight line out of the turn, too tight, as the rear let go and I was flying through the air and hit the ground hard, the air punched out of my lungs. Aware that I was in the middle of the track and 20-odd riders would be approaching shortly, I leopard crawled off the track and assumed the fetal position, waiting for the air to return to my lungs. Slowly, I pulled myself together and limped over to the bike, with every intention of climbing back on, but noticed that the clutch lever was missing, thus signalling the end of my race.

Again my mechanic pressed hard to repair my now badly bent machine to make it race ready. I felt bad as it was the last race and he was racing with us, and now I had him sweating to get it fixed in-between races. Thanks to all my fellow riders who loaned me the spares so that I was able to get back on the track for race two.

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Lights out and we were off. Feeling sore and tender, I slotted into sixth. I knew I had to pull the pin, but the heat and pain were almost unbearable and I struggled to remain focused. Donovan and Mat Durans were ahead of me, with Johan Jnr in third. Earlier, I’d made a commitment to Johan to clear the path for him, which I was clearly failing at if I sat in sixth. So I pushed on and passed Mat, while Donovan put up a good fight, but his wide-sweeping lines enabled me to sneak up on the inside and pass him. With Johan just ahead I widened my lines to keep the pack back so he could get ahead. Johan is the youngest in our class and his weekend started with a broken gear box, so he was riding his dad’s bike and doing well. I felt it only fitting that he took a trophy home.

As the race progressed I had Mat and Donovan biting at my heels, but I kept shutting the door and forced them back. I guess karma had the last laugh, as on the penultimate lap I had brake fade, meaning the brakes were boiling and I had the lever pulled in as far as it could go but I wasn’t slowing down. I had to commit to the corner and because of my speed the front tucked, sending me sliding on the gravel.

Frustrated I picked the bike up as quickly as possible and re-entered the race, but Mat and Donovan had passed me and I finished in sixth! Johan crossed the line in third, to clinch third place overall for the day.

Sixteen races, eight wins and four crashes later, I had claimed my second championship during my three years of racing.

Am I a racer? No I don’t think so, but I am competitive! I love a challenge and I’m determined. The people I have met, the friendships made and camaraderie shared is priceless. So I guess what it all comes down to is that it’s not about you, where you are from or what you do, as each of us has been given a talent; the question is how do you use yours? •

inACTION:

Words by Morné Labuschagne Photos by DO IT NOW

t s r i F My f o f o o R 1 1 0 2 a c i r f A gendary Roof Attending the le lways been of Africa has a so when I a dream of mine, ity to go got the opportun 2011 event, I through to the as a kid in a was as excited s I set off from candy store. A m was finally Jo’burg, my drea ue! about to come tr

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 79

Chris Birch, Darryl Curtis and Brian Capper, leaders of the ‘Round the Houses’ warm up

Driving through the Kingdom of Lesotho soon became an enduro race all on its own, as I carefully navigated my way along the mountainous roads, dodging potholes the size of an average Bryanston residential swimming pool, whilst keeping a wary eye out for the ever-present donkeys. One word of advice though, if you ever find yourself lost with no battery power on your phone, your GPS has died and you see donkeys everywhere, you can put money on it that you are in Lesotho, an extraordinary country that offers spectacular panoramas of rocky crags, deep valleys, fields of alpine flowers and the warm hospitality of the Basotho people.

The 2011 Roof was run as a three-stage event, namely the warm up and time trial on Thursday 24 November, racing section 2 on Friday 25 November and racing section 3 on Saturday 26 November.

Kicking off this year’s 44th event outside Maseru in Lesotho, in weather conditions that varied from hot and sunny to a hail storm with extreme wind. the “‘Round the Houses’ warm up of a three-lap race through the streets of Maseru saw the famous Brian Capper showing off his immense skills. As the 10-time South African SuperMoto Champion, he out rode the aggressive riding style of Darryl Curtis to take first place and the R5 000 cash prize.

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Standing at the start of the short 50km time trial in the Thaba Bosiu area, everyone was talking about the international superstars, but it was our very own Marc Tolage who opened the dance floor to post the fastest time of the day and beat the likes of Graham Jarvis, Chris Birch and Jade Gutzeit.

That night the main topic of conversation rallied around whether Chris Birch would take his fourth title, or would it be the ‘silent assassin’, Graham Jarvis, the British extreme enduro motorcycle rider? Would he dominate this race as he had done in the other extreme enduro events competed in 2011, such as Romaniacs, Sea to Sky and Hells Gate; all hailed as the most prestigious extreme enduro races in the world. But according to the majority Jarvis stood no chance against local superstars Jade Gutzeit and Chris Birch, as they were much better navigators and faster! Only time would tell.

Race day two started early and the boys were soon separated from the men. This 250-300km racing section was made up of a combination of intermediate and advanced climbs that increased in difficulty as the day progressed. I was directed to a spectator point called Free Fall and on arrival I truly thought that someone was taking me for a ride, as this was no place any human being would try walking over, let alone riding a 100kg bike up. But I was reassured that this was the right place. At this point the leaders had created a sizeable gap on the rest of the field, with Jade, Chris, Graham and Marc fighting it out for the top spots as they blasted their way up the mountain, making it look so easy. But then the backmarkers started coming through and only then could I really appreciate the incredible skill demonstrated by the front runners. For these backmarkers this challenge was like a duel to the death! Pride, adrenaline and some other stuff I haven’t even heard of kept these weekend warriors going and pushing through the carnage to conquer this mountain!

Jade Gutzeit, Graham Jarvis and Chris Birch

Graham Jarvis

That evening we couldn’t wait to see the riders and listen to the day’s war stories. However, I was a bit disappointed by the sight of them as they looked as fresh as Celine Dion before a concert. I immediately walked up to Riaan van Niekerk and enquired about the day’s events, to which his answer was that tomorrow was going to be tough. Anyone who had seen today’s terrain will back me up when I tell you that competing in this race requires a healthy dose of madness!

As the riders lined up at the start of race day three they appeared like gladiators to me - tough, courageous warriors preparing to head out to battle! Then as the sun peaked over the breathtaking mountains, the first racer was off. By now it was clear that the winner would come out of the three-way battle between Chris, Graham and Jade. But no one was willing to make a bet as there was not much between them on the days leading up to this final encounter.

I then headed directly to a place called Bushman’s Pass and for anyone that hasn’t been there, this is the mother of all passes! While waiting for the top riders to come though, I looked around at the many spectators and support crew members who were there to support their rider and I realised that many sacrifices had been made leading up to this event.

Family and friends had driven thousands of kilometres to catch a glimpse of their hero, Dad, friend, brother or son as they fought their way through the hardest extreme enduro event in southern Africa. Deep in thought, I was rudely interrupted by the excitement of the cheering crowd. It was the leader. But who could it be? Then, as if he was late for high tea Graham came motoring through, having created a 28-minute gap between himself and Chris and Jade, to pretty much sew up this coveted title.

Chris Birch

But the real excitement began as the fight for second and third reached epic proportions. As Jade and Chris made their way through Bushmans you could feel the electric tension and excitement from the crowd. Running from one side to other to get the best seat in the house possible for the finish was now the most important thing in my world!

And rightfully so, as Jarvis, as predicted, took victory by making the technical terrain look like a bumpy hill. Coming round the last bend Chris had a narrow lead on Jade until tragedy struck. Jade crashed and I never thought he would get up. But as his nickname suggests he is the Iron Man and he got up to fight another day, finishing in third behind Chris.

At prize-giving that night it became evidently clear why they call Jarvis the ‘silent assassin’. This is not a man that will talk you to death, but give him the opportunity to go offroad and he will destroy you with the precision of a samurai warrior. A lot also has to be said about the rest of the riders who finished this extremely gruelling race; you are all heroes in my book!

This is one event that I will be coming back to as a regular supporter, to watch the riders carve out their names in the unforgettable Lesotho mountains. •

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inPREPARATION:

Words by Brian Gardner - Team Red Ants Captain Photos by Team Red Ants

weekend advent ure race is Getting a bunc h of crazy friends together for a itted team, along with someti mes a logisti cal nightmare, but getting a comm l advent ure race in a all the race equip ment, together for an internationa to most folk. But with all far off land can be somewhat of a daunting task the Tierra Viva Advent ure my team mates helping to plan our overseas trip to ed easier than we thou ght Race, held in Argentina earlier this year, it prov l races! and a whole lot more fun than some of our loca So where does one start? It all started for Team Red Ants with a dream, ambition and a group of crazy, like-minded friends more than a year ago when we decided to tackle a big international race. The choice of continent was easy; South America, as it has a magical aura about it that pulled us in. However, choosing a race was slightly more difficult, as there are a multitude of races to choose from. But in the end it was the Tierra Viva AR, in Argentine Patagonia, that jumped out at us and nothing was going to stop us from participating!

o, how does one go about choosing an overseas ■ S adventure race to participate in? Here are some tips to help you make a decision: 1. Decide on an area or continent that interests you to race in.

Search the web and check out some of the renowned 2.

South African and international AR websites.

3. Email race organisers and past participants to ask about what to expect at the race.

4. Get advice from South Africans who have been overseas before.

The toughest part of racing overseas is commitment; committing to your teammates and to a race of this nature.

Thereafter it’s a case of working out the details, and having your teammates around you makes the whole process a lot easier too! So, if you’re thinking about it and can’t decide, just commit and all the finer details will fall into place.

ow does one prepare for an expedition length ■ H international race? I recommend the following: 1. Have supportive and like-minded teammates (crazy and willing to get out of their comfort zones!).

2. Meet with your teammates regularly for training sessions.

This is great for spanbou and motivation!

3. Do a lot more endurance training than speed sessions in the months leading up to the race.

For the Tierra Viva event, Team Red Ants was made up of Alex Wagner, Tim Deane, Nicky Booyens and I. Although we were the only non-South American team at the race, this did not deter us one bit, as Alex is fluent in Spanish and most people could understand bits of English anyway, so communication for us was easy, and the Argentinians are a warm and welcoming people. If you are racing in a country where you or your teammates can’t speak the language, don’t be discouraged as learning a few simple words to get by is all you need and many people out there can speak English.

Imagine a place where crystal clear turquoise lakes give way to dense montane forests and steep rugged mountains.

Where the light of billions of stars light up the high mountain peaks around you and rolling wilderness extends further than the eye can see. These are the scenes that greeted us as we arrived all bright eyed and bushy tailed in Villa La Angostura, on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi.

The race itself was a clover-leaf type course around the Patagonia mountain village of Villa La Angostura, and a spectacular mix of high altitude hiking, kayaking on huge glacial lakes and mountain biking through old forests that stretched for miles. All in all, the race covered 490km, made up of about 120km of kayaking, 230km of mountain biking and 140km of hiking. Racing in an area such as this made it more of a pleasure than a strain, as sweeping Andean vistas awaited us around every corner. This is all the motivation one needs to carry on and push through even the toughest parts of a long expedition race, and should be the motivation that anyone needs to commit to a race like this.

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ow does one get through an expedition length race?

■ H These are tried and tested pointers: 1. Look after your body by eating right, pacing yourself and sleeping for an hour on every night of the race.

2. Look after your equipment, such as riding around that mud puddle instead of through it!

3. Look after your teammates because hopefully they’ll look after you when you need it.

This amazing race encapsulated everything that an adventure race should be; nothing more and nothing less. Team Red Ants experienced an unbelievable race and finished fourth overall out of the 28 teams that started. Experiences like these never die, they live on forever! So the hardest part is committing, but once that is done, the world will be your oyster!

Get out there and race! •

re u pedition x es E vent ing c a l d P A cung

a R in

Far

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www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 83

Words by Ben Melt Swanepoel, SA Mountain Biker Photos courtesy of Marc Bassingthwaighte

What does it take to compete at the

Olympics?

inPREPARATION:

There is no one answer to this question and I presume the path to participation for each Olympic athlete is as varied and diverse as their backgrounds. However, there are some commonalities to each story and certain attributes without which athletes would not be able to take part at the Holy Grail of sports.

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First of all there is the predicament that the Olympics only roll around once every four years, meaning that if your quest for Olympic participation is unsuccessful, you have to wait another four years before a potential chance comes by again. Four years in today’s uncertain times, especially the volatile sports world, might as well be an eternity. This sets the stage for a pressure-filled pursuit where every action is scrutinised and evaluated to the point of absolute acceptance or complete dismissal. If it is supportive to the dream of competing at the Olympics it is embraced. If not, it is discarded or at least put on hold until after the Games. It is during this process that an athlete’s desire and ambition is tested and weighed against the virtues so intrinsic to all humans. Relationships with friends and loved ones can be forged or broken all in the name of reaching ‘the dream’, often leaving those affected with the bitter question of, “Was it really worth it?”

Then there are the obvious qualities needed from any elite athlete; talent, skill, determination and a resolute work ethic. These abilities have to be honed by hours of training or practise up to the point where actions become second nature. Obsession is a word that often comes to mind.

Athletes use different techniques and approaches to achieve this blend of proficiency, which will allow them to follow their dreams and walk onto the field of competition at this hallowed sporting event. Most form a strong support group, consisting of coaches, sport psychologists, physiotherapists and sponsors, all with the same goal in mind. Once again those that support the cause are retained, while those that cause interference are left by the wayside.

But most of the above are things that the athlete can control to a large extent. The difficulty often lies in overcoming what is beyond their control.

Qualification for the Olympics is a bureaucracy minefield often governed by officials who are more interested in their own careers and prestige, rather than the promotion of a sport. Doing all that is required to qualify for the Olympics and then being out of favour with these officials can render one’s efforts useless. Inherent human emotions like jealousy and pettiness can compel people to do things without a thought for the consequence of their actions, sometimes leaving an athlete’s dreams in tatters through no fault of his own.

It is in this precarious landscape that a good friend of mine is trying to find his way to the starting line of the Olympic Cross Country Mountain Bike event at the London Games in 2012. Namibian Marc Bassingthwaighte has worked quietly and resolutely towards his goal of representing his country in his chosen discipline. It has been a long road, with many a heartache and near misses. Four years ago he got close to making the grade, but just got pipped by the older and more experienced Mannie Heymans to be his country’s representative at the Beijing Games.

Undeterred, Marc used this as a learning experience and motivating factor to dedicate the next four years of his life to qualifying for the London Olympics.

In 2011 he qualified for an Olympic berth (position) for the Namibian Olympic Federation and now it seems almost inevitable that he will be the rider filling that slot when the race starts on 12 August 2012. In Marc’s own words, “I need to improve my starting position at international races and the only way to do that is by racing overseas.” This in itself brings a whole new set of problems, as travelling and racing abroad is exhausting at the best of times. Beyond the obvious financial implication it holds, there is also the deviation from a finely-planned training schedule, a foreign diet and the stresses of travelling with a Namibian (African) passport to be considered.

So this brings us back to the burning question – what does it take to compete at the Olympics? In Marc’s case I think it boils down to pure passion, passion for life and doing things wholeheartedly. If you meet his family it is easy to see where this passion comes from and hard not to get swept along with this family’s infectious desire for life.

Other athletes might find their motivation in the quest for everlasting glory or the prestige of being named Olympic champion, but Marc is not one of them.

Instead it seems that for him Olympic participation is merely the conclusion to a long journey, a life goal and something that had to be done before moving on to different things in life. This doesn’t mean he isn’t focussed on success, but it is definitely not the driving factor, and if it does come along it will merely be a byproduct of this particular chapter in his life. For him, success lies in the proverbial journey and not in the destination.

It all comes down to controlling the controllable to the best of your abilities and adapting to deal with the uncontrollable in the best way possible. Turning the negative into the positive as it were.

I suppose in the end the answer is that the skill set needed to qualify for the Olympics is a mixed bag of dynamic attributes, which varies between each athlete and each situation. Realising what these attributes are and finding a balance of them to suit your particular circumstances is the key to a successful Olympic participation quest.

Finally, in a lot of ways it also comes down to pure luck – not necessarily having good luck, but definitely avoiding bad luck as there are certain aspects such as injury and illness that are beyond anyone’s control.

Here’s to hoping Marc finds the elusive balance needed to reach the Olympics and achieving his dream of representing himself, his family and his country at the 2012 Olympics in London! There is no better time for him than to DO IT NOW! •

www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 85

inPREPARATION:

Words by Ugene Nel Photos by Jacques Marais

n i a t n u o M s ’ y e l Stan 2 1 0 2 n u R l i a r T and

The iconic 24km Stanley’s Mountain Run starts off from the High School’s sports field in the town of Ladismith, nestled at the foot of the Klein Swartberg mountain range in the Klein Karoo. About 1,5km outside of the town, the trail veers off the dirt road, crosses a stream onto a short section of jeep track and for the next three hours or so, runners will grind away on a single mountain track.

The trail is 80% runnable for the medium-fit mountain trail runner and is by no means a walk in the park. The total elevation from the bottom to the top of the trail is 792m (2,600ft), making it a stiff and challenging climb, but the views are second to none!

The 24km race isn’t recommended for novice/beginner off-road runners, instead there is a 13km trail run, which starts and ends on the same route as the 24km run and offers a less extreme mountain adventure challenge.

For the not so fit, youngsters and families there is a really enjoyable three-kilometre fun run in the koppies that overlooks the village.

We were fortunate to have Oom Stanley at the inaugural run in 2010. He arrived with some of the town’s folk and enthralled and inspired the runners with tales of his exploits up and down HIS mountain. The longing to go back up there is clearly visible in his lively eyes.

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Born and bred in the Ladismith area, not to be confused with Ladysmith in KZN, Stanley was clearly a young man looking for adventure! During several trips up the imposing Elandsberg Mountain, he came upon the idea of building a light that could be powered by the stream that cascaded down the mountain’s steep rock face.

So on 31 May 1963, he made his way up the mountain armed with cement, 200m of plastic irrigation pipe, a bike dynamo and six-volt light.

In those days, there were no paths of any sort and it took him about three laborious hours to reach the stream high up in the mountain. He went to work and devised a system so that the running water turned the dynamo, which in turn provided power to the light. In Oom Stanley’s words, “Daai straal water sal jou oor hierdie huis se dak skiet boeta,” [That jet of water is powerful enough to blast you over this house roof, my son!]. This light shone day and night, and still does today. As you enter Ladismith at night, you’ll see this light from a long way out – as long as the mountain is not shrouded in fog or low cloud.

There are only two reasons why this light might stop working, either the light is broken due to baboons messing around with it, or the mountain stream is drying up. The latter would be of great concern to the town folk, as they rely on this stream for drinking water. After maintaining the light for 30 years and undertaking 278 trips, the job was taken over from Oom Stanley by local volunteers. The bicycle light has since been replaced by two 24V truck lights and the dynamo by an alternator. A solar panel has also been installed to keep the alternator going during periods of drought.

Not satisfied with just one light, Stanley made many more subsequent trips to install coloured lights further up the mountain, which were wind activated. However, these lights no longer exist.

This legend of a man also invented several other interesting gadgets over the years. One of them was an ingenious ‘Lotto number selecter’. It was a tin with 6 holes in it, which rotated around an axle and contained numbered beans. Before each weekly Lotto draw, he would rotate the tin and the first six beans, in the sequence they fell out, were selected. Whether his system was succesful or not, we don’t know. Oom Stanley also managed to secure a shoe sponsor from a shoe factory in Tulbagh, and to this day he receives his veld skoene (leather hiking shoes) from them, with the history of his famous light written on the shoe box.

He might be much older and less active these days, but if you happen to be in the area, visit the Ladismith Tourism Office and chat to Hettie Weymar. She might be able to arrange a visit with Oom Stanley, and if you are one of the lucky one’s to get an audience with him, just don’t forget to take some melk tert! Oom Stanley could easily be the inspiration behind many future adventures. In fact he could be the President!

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

Getting back to the race, there are loads of great accommodation options available to competitors in this quaint little town. While you’re in town why not go through to the Eko Festival, which takes place from 27-29 April 2012.

CMY

K

It’s a festival for nature lovers, horseback riders, 4x4 and motocross enthusiasts and is an event not to be missed. •

DINfo box Date:

i

28 April 2012

Distances: 24km mountain run (limited preentries only), 13km trail run and a 3km fun run.

To enter: Visit www.quantumadventures. co.za and the Quantum Adventures Events facebook page to claim your place. The 3km fun run is organised by the Ladismith High School and runners can enter on the day.

Venue: Ladismith High School, Ladismith, Route 62, Klein Karoo For more information visit: www.ladismith.org.za and www.ekofeesladismith.co.za

inPREPARATION:

Words by Ingo Waldschmidt, two-time Dakar competitor Photos courtesy of Ingo Waldschmidt

Day 4 of the 2011 Dakar on a very fast section of the rally

88 • DO IT NOW February February || March March 2012 2012

Dakar

Rally

What to Expect at the After spending many, many months of training and preparation, Darryl Curtis entered his first Dakar Rally this year from 1-15 January. As I have competed twice at this famous off-road rally in the past, my experiences will give you an inkling of what he faced, as he rode through Argentina, Chile and Peru to cover a distance of more than 9 000km.

There are many different aspects to competing at the Dakar, the most significant being the tremendous amount of time spent preparing for the race and coming up with almost a million Rand, to see you through to the finishing line. Although the actual Dakar Rally is ‘only’ a two-week long event, it takes a good year to get organised, prepped and in shape to compete.

For most, the Dakar becomes a reality when they are financially stable, in their late thirties, early forties and mentally and physically ready, as before that it just remains a dream.

Those fortunate to take part are either able to afford to pay most of the hefty expenses out of their own pocket, or they’ve built a reputation in motorsport and are lucky enough to find sufficient sponsors to cover the costs. Darryl was one of those lucky ones!

His 20 years of experience competing locally and in some of the most difficult races around the world has earned him an enviable reputation, and sponsorship was secured with Broadlink.

Once the financial obligations have been taken care of, a good, reliable bike is needed, as well as backup for services and parts, a great mechanic and a reliable team to provide support and motivation. KTM SA came to the party here for Darryl by sponsoring a race-ready 450 Rally Factory Rep – a beast of a bike!

The Dakar is by far the toughest rally in the world and when covering such a huge distance, navigation skills are key to finishing the event. What this means is that the fastest rider may not necessarily win, but rather the smartest rider, who is able to navigate well, pace himself over the total distance, stay upright, have the least mechanical hiccups and the stamina and fitness to race the distance. To finish is an accomplishment in itself and something to be exceptionally proud of.

Days before the start of the actual race, Darryl, along with every other competitor, would have had to pass a lot of tests and checks to be able to compete. This is a nerve-racking experience because if just one little thing is not working or not in place, their race is over before it even starts. But once through, they’ll be in the limelight, surrounded by the world’s best riders, cheering fans and camera crews from all over the world vying for interviews; it will all prove pretty mind blowing and surreal.

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The first special stage of the rally

For anyone competing that is not a fully sponsored rider and racing in the top 20, they will need to keep reminding themselves to take it easy and rather ride at a slower pace, to avoid a big and costly crash. To finish is their aim, no matter what. Once they’ve managed to get through a couple of days of ‘safe’ riding and become more confident navigating, then they can open the taps and really start to enjoy the ride.

The biggest problem any competitor faces at the Dakar is the lack of sleep, and fatigue catches up with you real fast in these hot, challenging conditions. The bivouacs are extremely noisy at night and this often results in a rider only managing to get about four to five hours sleep. Being physically and mentally fit to cope with sleep deprivation is key, as a lapse in concentration could result in a mistake, such as an injury, or in the worst case an exclusion, which could cost a rider precious time.

At the halfway point, riders will enjoy a much-needed rest day. This is when they get a chance to wash sweaty and dust-stained riding gear (by themselves I might add), check their bike thoroughly, change over to a new engine and recap on the next week to come.

However, every rider treats this day differently, but if one looks again the day will have flown past and they probably won’t have had any rest at all.

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The organisers of the Dakar, in general, treat the first five days as the easier days. Thereafter they step up their game by making the special stages much tougher and longer, and a lot of the riders start to fall out from this point onwards. For most, the last couple of days will be more like a survival run, where only the best riders make it to the finish.

Looking on the bright side though, the bivouacs become less crowded, the queues at the eating tent and ablutions shorter, and they will get to shower for longer. But even with these small luxuries, riders will still be counting the hours to that last day and the finish line.

The camaraderie amongst the competitors is amazing, and the closer you get to the finish, the more you help each other out.

To finish this race is truly sweet.

Tears of happiness and pure joy flow, as you are just so thankful to have made it in one piece and be reunited with loved ones at the finish line. It’s very, very special.

During the event bonds are formed with people like your mechanic and the rest of your team members, and friendships are made that will last a life time. To ride up onto the podium, with your country’s flag flying proudly, and hold that finisher’s badge in your hand, while drinking ice-cold champagne makes the hell you have just been through to accomplish all of this a lot easier to forget. * At the time of going to print the Dakar was already underway. •

ARE YOU READY ?

Please make no attempt to emulate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe road traffic regulations!

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www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 91

Words by Damien Laird

Sports Massage Magic 92 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

and each Every sportsperson is like an artist body, event provides a canvas that their mind the brush, spreads each colour of the gh the to create a beautiful picture. Throu rt, committed practise of a particular spo veloped to numerous stroke techniques are de of colours. make use of the best combination

www.shutterstock.com

inSHAPE:

Having said this, creating a masterpiece is easier when brushes are cared for and in top condition, and a wide variety of colours are available to the artist. Most of the greatest athletes are aware of how staying healthy and in good shape both physically and mentally allows for the optimum use of their abilities. This may be achieved by frequent advanced sports massage treatments, which maintains and builds the quality of every artist’s painting utensils.

General massage therapy constitutes the soft manipulation of the muscles to relieve any underlying tension and repair any sustained muscle injury to bring about a sense of wellbeing and relaxation within the client. In the case of sports massage, athletes continuously aim to be better than they are, as enhanced performance levels result in superior execution of their particular activities.

Sports massage works along both the superficial and deep layers of the muscle tissue, stretching out and straightening the muscle fibres that run parallel to each other, whilst separating any fibres that have clumped together to form adhesions. With the objective of sports massage being to boost performance and prevent injury within the body, sportsmen and women are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable service.

Besides the positive mental, emotional and sensory states attained by the soothing effects of professional touch therapy, a list of favourable benefits is experienced in people who attend advanced sports massages: ❱❱ The stroking techniques applied stimulate blood flow and thus promote healing, as the blood supplies the cells of the body with the vital nutrients they use to grow and repair themselves. ❱❱ As the circulating blood travels more, it also removes accumulated cellular waste and old tissue debris, leaving only healthy, functional cells in the muscles. ❱❱ In the lymphatic system, the flow of lymph is motivated towards the lymph nodes, which in turn prevents toxic build-up by filtering the toxins from this interstitial fluid.

❱❱ The efficiency of the movement of bodily fluids improves, as massaging brings about a greater elasticity in blood vessels and permeability through the pores of related tissues. ❱❱ Scar tissue formed from injuries and the subsequent muscle adhesions or knots are broken down and functionality is restored, with the use of what is known as friction techniques. ❱❱ After treatment there is better mobility and flexibility, as massaging is able to stretch muscles in all directions, as well as beyond the existing range of muscle movement not possible with conventional stretching methods. ❱❱ Resultant faster healing facilitates a shorter recovery period following rigorous exercise. This enables the safe increase in training methods within shorter time spans. This is a procedure that works as a natural steroid to increase muscle strength lawfully.

Massages are worked into training programmes to record the training effects on the systems of muscles being utilised in performance. This helps to identify and understand potential injury areas, and the therapist, who knows the demands and capabilities of their clients, is educated in assisting the adjustment of these programmes to prevent any injury. In situations where a coach is teaching an athlete, the massage therapist will work in accordance to what suits everybody and always keep the health of their client in mind. With treatment, the sportsperson becomes aware of the areas within their body that are taking the most strain during workouts and take more care in how much pressure is placed on these areas on a daily basis.

Nonetheless, as every sport is taken to the extremes of human potential, injuries do occur. Occasionally, unusual injuries arise from unpredicted circumstances, although most injuries can be prevented or at least minimised, as they are related to the overuse of certain muscles. An overuse injury may take place after general overwork, such as training too much or overexertion during a competition event. It may also develop through

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overdoing specific training, where one aspect of training is adversely affecting a certain muscle’s function. When one muscle is not coping with a movement in the training routine, massage identifies and heals the muscle taking strain, and modifications to the training procedure prevent the reappearance of the same injury. Additional factors contributing to sports-related injuries are the lack of attention given to a proper warm-up and warm-down, as well as not expanding on the correct maintenance of the body as it undergoes the process of aging, and consequently becomes more vulnerable to impairment.

Stretching is central in releasing tight muscles or adhesions and adding flexibility to muscle movement.

Cold muscles that are stretched tend to not be prepared, so they might interpret this static stretching as an overstretch and react by contracting into a muscular protective mechanism. Thus, when stretching before exercise make sure the muscles are warm prior to stretching, as warm muscles are already loose and in the mode of working, and where further stretches are a form of active stretching, to which the body responds well. Warming the muscles can be accomplished with mild exercise, such as a short and slow run. These stretches greatly enrich muscle ability, yet overstretching preceding an event may compromise the availability of power during the event.

Once a steady treatment plan has been implemented, it must be taken into account that the approach of massage immediately before and after major events is different to long-term bodywork. Sports massage is usually a deep treatment that thoroughly manipulates the muscles, instigating recovery and improving usage.

The intense therapeutic muscle manipulation is often painful and ensuing sensitivity may take a few days to settle completely. Pre-event treatment is intended to aptly prepare the body for demanding performance, and post-event therapy calms and relieves the muscles following competitive activity.

Pre-event massage is treatment given at anytime on the last three or so days leading up to an event. This is why deep tissue work that calls for a couple of days rest is avoided around competition time. Soft massage can be given on the two days prior to a sports meeting, to relax and maintain the alignment of the muscle fibres.

Therapy given on the main day is mostly light pressure, which is focussed on the soothing or firing up of the soon to perform athlete. Quick stroking techniques have an invigorating effect, leaving the muscles poised for explosive power, while long, slow strokes and gentle body movements serve to calm the muscles in an already tense athlete. Each client knows exactly how they want to feel as they go into action and pre-event massage is merely one aspect of the warm-up routine.

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Post-event treatment is used to cool the related muscles down and begin the healing process after a severe workout. Participants of every sport should stretch and gradually reduce muscle workout, as a competent warm-down. The post-event massage adds to warming-down and even substitutes the whole warm-down process when an athlete is not in the right state to do this on their own. Light stroking away from any sore muscles helps to move built-up toxins to their corresponding removal sites and prevent excess inflammation. Therapy stops the body from stiffening up and ice may be placed over areas of injury. Once finished with the superficial massage, it is good to do some static stretching of the key muscles to realign the fatigued muscle fibres.

As a practising massage therapist, I have first-hand experience and appreciation of the immense good that treatment offers to a client. Touch in itself has a comforting stimulus on the emotions and healed muscles are left relaxed and pain free. Both of these outcomes have a secondary effect in clearing the mind, as less attention is given to feeling sore or stressed out.

It is here where more mental activity can be focussed on obtaining the desired stable mindset for a sport. In mind-body dynamics, the happenings in the mind are mirrored within the body and vice versa. As the mind becomes fit, additional energy is in turn provided for use by the body. One cannot exist on Earth without the other, and the dedicated athlete keeps both physically and mentally healthy.

Understanding the workings of the body allows for more knowledge on reaching and furthering peak performance levels. Balanced efforts in practising a certain sport, training correctly at the gym and attending consistent sports massage therapy produces amazing results in enhanced performance. The sportsperson, who wants to move up the ranks also accepts that eating properly provides the optimum nutritional requirements for replenishing and building the body.

Obviously, one has gathered by now that to be the best, it is important to be in the best possible shape.

As you are an artist, your artistic talents are best when using exceptional tools. Do not limit your freedom to fully explore your chosen style of expression. •

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www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 95

NOW 96 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

// inGEAR: In Review: 7-UP People Carriers // inNATURE: Warm Weather and Water Bugs * Olifants River Backpacking Trail – A Hiker’s Journal - Part 1 of 2 // inDULGE: Recipes: Famous Pumpkin Pie & Chicken and Ham Treats // inSURE: What’s in Store for 2012? // inTERTAINMENT: Music, Movie and Game Reviews // inFOCUS: SHOOT! An Image Essay - Telling Photo Stories // inVOLVED: QUADS 4 QUADS 2011: Riders on the Storm * A Survival Guide to Life in South Africa - Part 1 of 2

PHOTOGRAPH BY: Troy Davies DESCRIPTION: An aerial view of tne Namibian dunes.

Lifestyle

inGEAR:

Words & Photos by Francois Steyn

IN REVIEW:

7-UP People Carriers Lazy people with a bad attitude and no personality generally go for fast, flashy cars such as coupes and hot hatches; anything really with a GTi, STi or M badge. The obvious reason is to compensate for the lack of inherent coolness.

But the more subtle reasons are that less physical effort is required to enter a low-slung car and there’s no need for more than a couple of doors, as no one really wants to be seen with you. On the other hand, what demands does an active lifestyle and good personality have on one’s transports needs? Well firstly, an active person is likely to be more fertile and thus have more offspring. They will also have more toys to lug around, like bicycles and kayaks, and because of their pleasant demeanour, they’ll have lots of friends who would want to accompany them on every weekend adventure. So something with at least seven seats is more their style.

Cars for lazy people are usually more fun to test (maybe I am one of them, damn!), but I recently had the opportunity to drive three people movers to fit differing budgets.

The Daihatsu Terios 4x2 LWB has the option of a third

row of seats, making it a proper 7-seater, not just a 5+2. I was able to fit two of my biggest mates in the last row and although they might not have remained friends after a two-

98 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

week holiday in there, they managed to sit in relative comfort.

The seat rests can fold flat and the whole seat is able fold forward, allowing for a larger luggage bay that’s flush with the boot opening for easy access. The very accessible spare wheel mounted to the Terios’ side-opening rear door further increases luggage room. The small 1,495cc engine has to be wound up to keep momentum when fully laden and it’s also rather noisy at high revs, but delivers a healthy 80kW and 143Nm that is transferred to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual gearbox. The benefit of such a small mill is a claimed fuel consumption of 7.4 l/100km, getting you well over 600km on its 50-litre tank.

The good ground clearance and large diameter wheels mean you can tackle dirt roads with ease. I know someone who’s gone to De Hoop in the Richtersveld in a 4x2 Terios, albeit in a SWB model. The dashboard is a bland affair, but the steering wheel sports satellite audio controls and I like the aluminium-looking interior door handles. There are three full-body seatbelts and ISOFix child-seat anchors in the rear, as well as air conditioning vents. The Terios comes standard with ABS and EBD, but has drum brakes at the rear. This is a functional car with lots of space and at R214,995 it’s reasonably priced too. Japanese reliability is backed-up by a three year/100,000km warranty, making this a sensible purchase for the rapidly-expanding young family.

The new Chevrolet Captiva 2.4 LT FWD Auto retains the basic shape of the previous model, but has undergone a remarkable makeover with a host of exterior cosmetic refinements. The most prominent is the large, gaping double grill with a Chev bow-tie in-between. It is a stunning car from every angle and begs to be taken on a fun-filled weekend away from the city.

The model I tested had the 2,384cc petrol engine matched to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Not the best combination to be honest, but more than up to the task. At the legal speed limit it’s not nearly out of breath thanks to 123kW of power. This is apparently the same engine used in the Suzuki Grand Vitara. The 110kW and 320Nm 2.0 Diesel from the Chevy Cruze range, with its 5-speed manual shifter, would make the Captiva complete. The Captiva has all the normal safety features, such as ABS, EBD and airbags, as well as ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control. The interior is well laid out and has an up market look and feel to it.

Even though the tyres are not designed for serious offroad use and it is only front-wheel driven, the Captiva felt perfectly at ease on the corrugated dirt road my wife and I took to the West Coast for the weekend. Ground clearance is adequate for most people’s needs and it doesn’t feel like the car will rattle apart. We never used the third row of seats, so we folded both benches flat to accommodate a full size, single-bed mattress. We slept in the car, weekend luggage and all, and could even close the boot-lid when the sea breeze picked up. I measured a fuel consumption figure of between 8 and 9 l/100km with a rather heavy right foot, but with 65 litres in the tank that still equates to around 750km.

I liked the Captiva and at R319,400 it’s good value for money. However, with the lack of a diesel variant, for the time being, and a R441,400 price tag for the 3-litre 4x4 version, I’d rather go for the 2.4 LT Manual at a reasonable R304,400. www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure | Lifestyle • 99 www.doitnow.co.za

Some people are just more fertile and have more friends than others and consequently need a bus. The Hyundai H1 2.5 VGT 9-seater Diesel can’t be described as anything else. Buses, though, are not usually associated with rapid transportation, but if you’ve ever been passed by a DHL delivery van on the N1 highway you’ll know that these new diesel engines are anything but slow. With the 2,497cc turbo-diesel engine delivering 110kW of power, you’ll easily exceed 120 without noticing. Thanks to the massive 392Nm mountain of torque, from as low as 2,000 r/min, the smooth 5-speed automatic gearbox doesn’t need to downshift to accelerate the bulky bus forward.

The H1 has ABS and EBD as standard, and the 300mm ventilated discs upfront (342mm solid at the rear) do well to reign in the momentum. There is an auxiliary input for your iPod and the air conditioning can be set separately for driver and rear passengers. All nine occupants are treated to comfortable beige leather seats and the seating arrangements are endless, with the front row having a middle seat that can fold forward as a centre armrest with cup holders, or backwards to allow passengers easy access. The second row consists of three seats, each with separate foldable back rests, and the last row is a

single bench that can fold halfway down. Even with nine occupants the luggage space is cavernous thanks to a low floor, high roofline and its square-shaped bodywork. The spare wheel is stowed under the loading bay and is still full sized, very impressive indeed. Another great feature is sliding doors on both sides, making it effortless to get to all the seats.

I like the two-tone interior and minimalist, yet stylish, dashboard and instrumentation. The high seating position, big steering wheel and high-up placement of the gear lever really makes you feel like a bus driver. Not in an ‘I’m underpaid and hate my job’ kind of way, but in an ‘I’m BIG, so get out of my way’ sort of way.

I only drove it around the Winelands and into the city on the N1 a couple of times and really enjoyed it, but a country road trip with a load of friends would have been perfect!

At R385,900 including Hyundai’s five year/150,000km warranty and three-year service plan, it’s definitely worth a look. •

Daihatsu Terios 7-seater

Chevrolet Captiva LT FWD 2.4

Hyundai H1 Diesel

1,495

2,384

2,497

5-speed manual

6-speed automatic

5-speed automatic

kW (r/min)

80 (6,000)

123

120 (3,800)

Nm (r/min)

143 (4,400)

230

392 (2,000)

Fuel tank (l)

50

65

75

Seats

5/7

5/7

9

ABS and EBD

ABS, EBD, ESP, Hill Assist and Hill Descent

ABS, EBD and halogen headlights

Max speed (claimed)

n/a

175

180

Service plan

n/a

3 yr/60,000km service plan

3 yr/60,000km service plan

Service intervals

15,000km

15,000km

15,000km

Price tag

R214,995

R319,400

R385,900

Well priced and the spare wheel on the outside for more space

Good looks and loads of features

World-beater engine and space

Noisy engine

Engine/gearbox combo

Not much

Engine (cc) Gearbox

Safety and features

Likes Dislikes

100 • DO IT NOW February February| |March March2012 2012

COME DISCOVER OUR WORLD

CENTURION 012 643 0660 CLEARWATER 011 675 5852

ww ww ww . j .oj oddyyssttyyrree ss ..ccoo. z. za a www.doitnow.co.za www.doitnow.co.za | Adventure | Lifestyle • 101

inNATURE:

Words by Alan Hobson Photos courtesy of Angler & Antelope

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r e h t a e W m r a W

and Water Bugs Spring usually announces the start of the swimming season, together with imag es of long, warm lazy days basking in the sun. It also brings life-giving rain and the opening of many trout waters. As the days become hotter and Mother earth warm s up to the idea of summer, so too does the aquatic life in our fly fishing waters.

The insec t menu for trout strongly features the Order Coleoptera, water beetles, diving beetles, whirligigs and the Order Hemiptera; true bugs that include wate r boatmen and backswimmers. The psyche of the fly fisherman also changes, much like a chameleon, as one now moves from the comfort of your fire place and fly tying vice, to the window of the great outdoors. So how do we cope with beetle mani a to become more successful fly fishermen?

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 103

104 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Beetles tend to dart around haphazardly, often tumbling through the water. That is exactly how one should retrieve.

By designing an all-purpose beetle pattern, the common thread amongst beetles is not only their movement, but also their colouring. They tend to have common colouring; purple blue as the bulk of their body and a very strong representation of yellow either at the head, tail or on their flanks. Some of these beetles also have well developed legs for swimming. Our attractor fly pattern features all of these characteristics and we have added a tungsten bead at the head of the fly, as well as a variegated marabou tail to accentuate its movement. There are many commercial patterns available that are general imitations of water beetles, such as very small woolly buggers, marabou nymphs, Coch-y-Bundu, Black and Partridge, Corixia, water boatmen, woolly worms and so on. It is all in the retrieve, so the trick is to execute short, sharp controlled jerks, almost like the art lure fishermen do when jigging.

These jerks create a bobbing movement that simulates the beetle tumbling, the weight of the tungsten bead darts upwards as you execute your jerky retrieve and then falls down quickly as you release, with the marabou tail waving vigorously. Aquatic beetles tend to hover in and around weed beds, as they offer both food and protection and this is exactly where you should be plying your trade. The added bonus of fishing beetle imitations is that they are found occupying all levels of the water column, so you don’t have to spend hours prospecting to find out what depth the fish are feeding at.

The dynamics of nature seem to be greater during summer, as the temperature range is greater, with cool mornings building up to a sweltering midday and the evenings usually being soothed by a cool breeze. This tends to provide more changes, thus layering the water columns, which is why it’s important that you retrieve your fly through a variety of depths. The fish find the layer in which insects are trapped or moving through, which means that there might not be any visual surface activity, but rather frenetic feeding taking place in the layers below. Often a light breeze will suddenly stir up from nowhere and a successful tactic is to position yourself facing directly into the wind and then cast your floating line into the wind using a nine to 12 foot leader.

Most anglers have a mental block when casting into the wind.

The trick is not to force the cast, as the harder you try the worse it gets. Use your rod to deliver the line into the wind by changing the plane of your cast from horizontal to downwards on the forward cast and upwards on the back cast. Effectively you are presenting the line just above the water in front of you and downwards, where the effects of the wind are minimal, and at 45 degrees upwards behind you. By doing this you use the wind to keep the line up in the air behind you on the back cast and the flex in the rod to punch the line cutting into the wind on the forward cast, without slapping the water in front of you. The secret is to only release the line on the forward cast when the line has forward momentum and is almost fully extended, that way it cuts into the wind.

Daphnia, commonly known as water fleas, drift in clouds between the water columns. Often a good idea is to have a bead head beetle imitation as your point fly and position a Daphnia fly pattern as a dropper about four feet above the point fly. As all of these insects rise and fall through the water columns, using one increases your odds of having a successful day. By presenting your menu into the wind using a floating line, the wind pushes your flies in a natural way straight back to you.

While you take up the slack in your line, to keep in touch with the flies, make sure you are doing a short, sharp jerk at the end of the retrieve to bounce the flies. In other words you are doing an active retrieve, the speed of which is determined by the strength of the wind, with a short, sharp controlled jerk at the end.

The take is usually quite vigorous so it is critical that you are always in touch with your fly, otherwise the take will simply pick up the slack for you and you won’t set the hook. Tight lines! •

www.wildflyfishinginthekaroo.co.za

Tel: 042 243 3440 Fax: 086 671 6146 Cell: 082 375 4720

WILD FLY FISHING IN THE KAROO SOMERSET EAST

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 105

inNATURE:

Words by Marie von Bargen Photos by Debbie Upton & Marie and Eddie von Bargen

Olifants River Backpacking Trail A Hiker’s Journal Part 1 The Olifants Backpacking Trail is such a magnificent experience and yet it’s the most dangerous backpacking hike in South Africa! Eight of us were tingling with excitement when we left Durban to go on this hike, with visions of being chased by elephants and stalked by leopard while taking a tea break in the bush, or eaten by crocodiles when taking a bath in the Olifants River! Despite our misgivings, the four day, three-night experience far exceeded our expectations!

We were lead by two very capable armed field rangers, who are passionate about the bush and animals in the park, and extremely vigilant on a 24/7 basis; our safety and well-being their main priority. During our 44-kilometre hike, we did have a few close encounters with elephant and buffalo, which got our adrenaline racing, but our safety was never compromised. Each day started really early, to avoid walking in extreme heat, and ended around a fire, watching hundreds of fireflies dancing in the dark around the campsite.

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www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 107

DAY ONE The night prior to the start of our hike, we stayed at Letaba campsite, arriving at 17h30 after a full day of driving through the Kruger National Park from Crocodile Bridge. Arrangements were made to meet the Game Ranger at Olifants campsite at 07h00, so we left Letaba at 06h15 and took a slow drive to the camp. En route, we encountered a lioness leading her cubs across the road - too awesome!

Before the hike started, we had to complete an indemnity form, which once again reinforced the danger of this particular hike. With the formalities over, we met our hiking leader, Jannie Jurgens, and his 2IC, Hans Enslin, and then loaded our (way too heavy!) backpacks into the safari vehicle’s trailer. After almost two hours of driving, we stopped briefly at Phalaborwa gate, so the rangers could collect their firearms and a driver to take us to the drop-off point. From there we drove south for another hour on a very bumpy dirt road, each person in their own world, wondering whether they were ready for this hike or not! Last minute doubts started to creep in ... but all too soon we reached the drop-off zone and there was no turning back. Backpacks were taken out, rifles loaded and we were given a couple of simple rules for our hike; walk as quietly as possible in single file and take in all the sights, sounds and smells of the bush.

Jannie added that there were no escape routes on this hike and should there be an emergency or injury and someone had to leave the hike, the only way out was by helicopter. For this reason they carried a satellite phone, as there was no other means of communication.

The sky was overcast as we set off on foot at 10h30, but it was exceptionally humid. Part of the equipment provided by the rangers included a first aid kit, spade and the ‘ogre’, which we all took turns carrying along with our very heavy backpacks. The ogre is a device used to drill a hole in the ground for our ablutions, so that we left no trace.

Only a couple of minutes into the hike, Jannie showed us some fresh leopard spoor on the path we were following.

It was a bit scary to think that we may come across this leopard on our walk, but most of us had our cameras ready just in case. A short while later, a small herd of buffalo ran over the path in front of us. It was quite an exhilarating feeling to be on foot right in the middle of the park, with wild animals roaming around!

Even though the two guides were listening for animals, we all had a responsibility to be alert in case we spotted something they missed. There was so much to take in; hippos frolicking in the Olifants River, different bird sounds in the trees and then suddenly one of the hikers at the back spotted an elephant a short distance away

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from us. We alerted the guides and they took us closer to the elephant, gesturing to us to be silent. We crept up a small bank and stood with the wind in our favour, our scent blowing away from the elephant. Unfortunately, the wind changed direction and immediately the elephant was in alert mode. It was only then that we noticed it was actually a very large herd, with some taking a snooze, while the others enjoyed a sand bath. Sensing us, they immediately got to their feet, so our guides moved us away from the area and back to the safety of the path.

Stopping for lunch under some trees, it was a relief to take off our backpacks for 20 minutes while eating. From here we followed the river and quite unexpectedly walked into a breeding herd of elephant, tucked away in the bush and right in the way of where we were headed. While Jannie went closer to see how many elephant there were, Hans moved us to a safe area. Going through was not an option, so we made a detour next to the river, only to encounter a female elephant there too. Jannie called out to her to go home and, amazingly, she obeyed and walked back to the herd, without paying us any attention.

A shy giraffe peeked over the trees to take a curious look at us and was not unnerved at our frantic camera clicking – it was too sweet! Minutes later we spotted a Goliath Heron on the riverbank. It was incredible to have such close interactions with the animals while on foot – wow!

Not only did we see large animals, the guides stopped to show us dung beetles busy rolling dung balls to lay their eggs in. We were overwhelmed by the number of animals we saw in such a short space of time.

Besides the thriving wildlife, we saw many animal bones strewn along the veld, including a hippo skull and our guides showed us how to distinguish between a male and female. This type of hike is extremely educational in terms of learning tree and bird names, identifying different spoor, animal faeces and other interesting clues left by the animals. It is an all-in-one experience and so much more than money can buy.

At 15h00 we arrived safely at our first overnight stop, located on a lovely grassy bank next to the river. We had walked 13km, not too shabby!

Rules for camping were also simple; set-up the tents close together, with one leader stationed on either side of us, and we all had to go to the river at the same time to wash and collect drinking water. Littering was not tolerated and nobody was allowed to wander off. If we needed the toilet during the night, we were only allowed to go right outside our tents, no further. After preparing dinner, we collected firewood and made a huge fire on the sand, and sat around chatting and admiring the stars until 20h00 and could no longer keep our eyes open.

DAY TWO The rain pelted down throughout the night, but we slept well and didn’t hear any animal sounds – too tired!

Despite the rain it was still very humid. Our leader woke us at 04h30, with instructions that we needed to be ready to leave by 05h30. After a great cup of coffee, made with river water, we set off. Five minutes later, Jannie stopped us and quizzed our knowledge of tree names gained from day one ... eeek! Thankfully we passed the test by correctly identifying the Jackal Berry and Lead Wood trees, Sycamore Fig, Mopani and Crotons trees, which are indigenous to this area.

take us on a detour to ensure our safety because buffalo are so unpredictable. Each encounter got our adrenaline going, but we never felt afraid knowing that our guides were in complete control of each situation.

We hiked for 3.4 kilometres before crossing a river at a shallow point and safe from crocodiles, and then stopped for some breakfast. By 07h00 the temperature was already 23˚C.

By 13h00 everyone was ready to get going, but an hour later we stopped again to collect drinking water from the river – it was that hot and humid. Jannie went to look for a safe place to cross the river and we all waited tensely, as he tentatively took one step at a time, loaded rifle at the ready. The water was too deep and not worth the risk, so we continued on hoping to find another place to cross. We walked along a dry stream with soft sand and found fresh leopard spoor, putting us all on full alert.

Bird life in the Kruger is even more unbelievable on foot than it is while game driving. Throughout our walk we heard the Grey Loerie, commonly known as the ‘Goaway-bird’, calling its unmistakable cry. Wherever we went there was a continuous cacophony of bird calls -­it was too beautiful!

After a 20-minute breakfast stop, we followed a very fresh Black rhino spoor. The southern bank of the Olifants River has different vegetation to that of the northern bank, and Jannie and Hans were constant sources of information as they identified trees and birds, and answered the many questions we had along the way. There was a lot of game to be seen; giraffe, impala, waterbuck, hippos in the river and we had several sightings of crocodiles, which submerged themselves in the water as soon as they spotted us. At 09h00 we reached ‘Hell's Eden’, which was used more than 15-years ago by the section rangers, who patrolled the area. The view over the river was magnificent, so we stopped for a snack break and enjoyed watching the comical antics of a large pod of hippo in the water – they were really entertaining.

Just as we set off, we encountered a lone buffalo bull and were once again steered to safety. After a few minutes, he realised that we were no threat to him (LOL!) and ran off. However, his curiosity kept him within a few metres so he could keep an eye on us. Not long after, we ran into another herd of buffalo and our guides had to

By 11h00 we had already walked 11 kilometres and stopped under some trees for a two-hour break, to cool off. We had a refreshing swim near the edge of the water and I was still very nervous of crocodiles ambushing me.

I almost had a heart attack when I felt little fish nibbling on my legs and arms!

By 16h00 we had completed over 18 kilometres and came to a lovely grassy area, with beautiful tall trees and a secluded shallow stream on a bed of pebbles. Jannie gave us a choice to risk overnighting on the southern bank and then finding a safe place to cross the river in the morning or continue trying to find a place to cross.

We were all pretty tired and really liked the area, so we decided to take the risk and stop there, hoping it wouldn’t rain and push up the river level. Just as we were about to get into the water, a legavaan jumped out of a nearby tree into the stream. Swimming in the shallow stream, it felt wonderful to wash away the sweat and dust from the day’s walk. Some hikers also used the time to attend to their blisters.

Afterwards, we put up our tents, made supper and collected wood for a fire. While sitting around the fire, the night was lit up with the twinkling of fireflies dancing in the dark for as far as the eye could see and along the stream too – it was beautiful!

In the next issue of DO IT NOW, follow me as I take you on a final voyage of discovery on my last two days of hiking through the magnificent Kruger Park. • www.doitnow.co.za | Sport • 109

inDULGE:

Words by Chef Neil Ross Photos from www.shutterstock.com

Serves 8

Famous Pumpkin Pie Filled with aromatic spices like cloves, cinnamon and ginger, this is a decadently delicious pumpkin pie everyone will love!

Ingredients: • ¾ cup sugar • ½ tsp salt • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • ¼ tsp ground cloves • ½ tsp ground ginger • 2 large eggs • 1 can (15 oz) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin • 1 can (12 fl. Oz) Carnation Evaporated Milk • 1 unbaked 9 inch (4 cup volume) deep dish pie shell

110 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Method: 1.

Mix the sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl.

2.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and stir in the pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.

3.

Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

4.

Pour into the pie shell.

5.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220˚C for 15 minutes.

6.

Reduce the temperature to 180˚C and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

7.

Cool on a wire rack for two hours.

8.

Serve with whipped cream or refrigerate. Do not freeze it, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

Serves 6-8

CHICKEN AND HAM TREATS This simply scrumptious recipe is great as a starter or snack.

INGREDIENTS: • 300g chicken • 300g cooked ham • 250ml double cream • 250ml chicken stock • 85g salted butter • 400g finely sliced button mushrooms • 1 packet (20-30) vol-au-vent casings • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 2 tbsp chopped tarragon

METHOD: 1. Finely dice the meat.

2.

Bring the cream and chicken stock to the boil in a saucepan and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat completely.

3.

In a separate pan, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms.

4.

Add the meat, mushrooms, stock and cream to the saucepan and mix together.

5.

Season to taste.

6.

Put the vol-au-vents in the oven at 200˚C for five minutes until warm and crisp.

7.

Fill the casings with mixture, sprinkle with tarragon and serve immediately.

Bon appétit

inSURE: Words by Peter Fairbanks

DO IT NOW FINANCIAL TIMES FEBRUARY - MARCH 2012

What’s in Store for 2012?

112 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Let me start by wishing you all the very best for 2012, not only in monetary value, but also good health and happiness.

Leading on from my article in the last issue, I decided to visit Charles Snyman, a Fund Manager from FAL Invest, and ask him some questions about what we can expect in 2012 on various financial fronts.

Charles has been in the money game for more than 30 years and as a result, he has an enormous wealth of expertise and experience, and built up an enviable reputation. He also graduated at Stellenbosch with a B.Com and has since added an Honours and Masters degree to his name.

Q. What do you think will be the biggest concern for investors to watch out for in 2012?

The European liquidity crisis. This situation can turn into a serious crisis over night and lead to an enormous devaluation of the Euro, leading to the European banking sector being taken to the limit.

Q. How will this influence the South African investor?

Although we will be fairly sheltered in South Africa, something of this scale will wash onto our shores and certainly influence the market. As in 2008, the problem will be similar in effect in that no one will really know what to expect until it hits us; not that we expect it to be similar in size or nature. As a Fund Manager it’s difficult to over gear yourself for what could and can happen. So while you try and focus on one aspect, something else will catch you off guard. Therefore, the biggest priority is to stay calm and realise growth and stability for the client, by staying with the fund mandate over the selected period. As Europe is one of our biggest trade partners, we will feel the effects of the reduced need for our products, but to try and guess how much this will impact us would be reckless.

But remember, share prices are driven fundamentally by earnings, so although we will see a lapse over the short term, I would not recommend anyone reducing their exposure to shares.

PETER FAIRBANKS

FINANCIAL ADVISOR Email: dininsure@gmail.com Cell: 082 336 8290

FOR ADVICE ON:

• Employee Benefit Schemes • Personal Risk Cover • Long Term Retirement • Estate Planning and more

Q. What’s the biggest local influence?

There are various factors to consider, but what stands out the most at this stage are our labour problems, including the rapid growth of salaries, unemployment, labour regulations and the resultant welfare state we are turning into. This is starting to make South Africa less competitive and also unattractive to foreign investors.

Q. What is your favourite investment instrument and why?

Shares! The ALSI 40 has grown consistently despite a very stormy 2011. Over the last 40 years it has also shown a capital gain of 15% per annum and delivered an average dividend of 2,5%, which means that over this term it has achieved an average return of almost 17% per annum. At these rates, and even in these tough times, shares are the best investment vehicle to be found.

Q. A quick word of advice on investing in shares?

The principal of any investment is based on the initial term - the investment period will determine the choice of vehicle and asset allocation - and for this reason shares are brilliant for long-term investment. For shares to grow over the long term, it is very important to select quality shares that will go the distance. If you are thinking of selling your shares and then repurchasing them at a lower price a bit later, don’t, as it hardly ever works out for the best. Stick with your original investment plan and term and don’t be distracted from your goals by bad news in the papers. Remember, newspapers don’t sell good news.

For those who have realised that they do not have the expertise or nerves to handle the ups and down of the stock markets, please contact Charles at cns@fal.co.za and he will gladly assist with any investments of more than R300 000, as well as corporate retirement fund investments. •

inTERTAINMENT:

Movie reviews by Hein Schlebusch / www.jarrod.co.za Game reviews by Various authors

MOVIE TITLE

Sherlock Holmes A Game Of Shadows

Director: Guy Ritchie Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace and Stephen Fry

HIGHLIGHTS

Robert Downey Jr, who plays Sherlock Holmes.

Recommended for: Guy Ritchie fans.

VERDICT

Robert Downey Jr. has, in this second film, really made the character his own. He has even more fun with Holmes than he has with Tony Stark from the Iron Man movies. He is tremendously good. Jude Law is the perfect gentleman and a great companion to Holmes, except that there is no chemistry between these two characters. Two films later and they still haven’t found each other.

The technical wizardry of the movie is brilliant as we see Holmes pre-visualising the fights and awkward situations he finds himself in, before actually engaging in them. There are quite a few slow-motion sequences that give the film a very game-like feel, especially the forest scene where they are running away from the bad-guys, and carnage around them happens in blissful slow-motion.

It is a very entertaining film, but not as quick-witted as expected. Overall a better and more polished film than the first, with even more thrills and bigger explosions than the former.

Do give it show, old chap.

MOVIE TITLE

The Adventures Of Tintin Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

HIGHLIGHTS

Amazing animation.

Recommended for: Everyone.

VERDICT

The film starts off with a wonderful opening title sequence that gives a nod to the original style the comic books were created in by author, Hergé. And then the animation kicks into overdrive as the story starts.

Tintin buys a model ship, the Unicorn, off an old man at a market for a pound, but is then immediately made an offer by a man, and then by a Mr Sakharine for it. Tintin refuses and takes the ship home, but is puzzled why so many people are interested in it.

The ship has a secret, Tintin discovers, and as the search for the hidden secret starts to unravel, the adventure picks up. Sakharine kidnaps Tintin and takes him aboard a stolen ship, hoping to get some awnsers. He escapes and teams up with the drunken Captain Haddock. Haddock is the key to the secret, but no-one knows why. He has been kept prisoner to fulfil his part in Sakharine’s evil schemes that has something to do with the Unicorn. But what?

Their search takes them right around the world, from Europe to boats, to pirate ships, planes, deserts and African cities. As clues are unravelled, the race becomes more frenetic. But who will win and what is the prize?

114 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

GAME TITLE

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

VERDICT

Centred around the escapades of a roguish explorer who has a penchant for ancient tombs and dangerous odds, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the finest, most exciting action-adventure video game in years. From its engaging, heartfelt script and character performances to its meticulous pacing, dramatic cinematography and lush visual production, Unchartered 3 is interactive entertainment of the highest order. Without exaggeration, this sets a new benchmark for the blockbuster genre.

The story plays out via frantic action, playable flashbacks and even hallucinogenic trips, with Drake almost constantly in peril and often surviving via the skin of his fingertips. The audio, an orchestral score, impressively builds the atmosphere throughout.

GAME TITLE

VERDICT

Batman: Arkham City

In addition to the rather lengthy main campaign, Arkham City is teaming with side missions that players can get into at their leisure. Worth noting is that once the main story is over, players are able to explore the city further and clear up any side missions, which have their own little subplots and protagonists, not completed.

What's great about Batman: Arkham City is that rather than simply revisiting old ground Rocksteady, the British developer, has raised the bar and delivered a game that far exceeds its previous efforts, and is easily the best Batman video game of all time.

Although it may be too soon to call it the best game released all year, it's going to take something pretty special to top it.

MOVIES & GAMES TO LOOK OUT FOR The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Genre: Fantasy Director: Peter Jackson Starring: Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom & Elijah Wood Released: December

The Grey Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Joe Carnahan Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, James Badge Dale & Nonso Anozie Release: January

Wrath of the Titans Genre: Action/Adventure Director: Jonathan Liebesman Starring: Sam Worthington, Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson & Danny Huston Release: March

The Dark Knight Rises Genre: Action Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman & Morgan Freeman Release: July

Wanderlust Genre: Comedy Director: David Wain Starring: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Malin Akerman & Kathryn Hahn Release: February

Mass Effect 3 Genre: Action/Adventure Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Bioware Release: March

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 115

inFOCUS:

Words & Photos by Jacques Marais

Photographic

Chronicles

SHOOT!

An Image Essay 116 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Telling Photo Stories I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage stating ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’? Well, here’s how to make sure the photos from your next event end up telling a complete story.

If you really think about it, most sporting events are outdoor dramas playing themselves out in the mountains, rivers or oceans, or on fields and courts scattered all around our world.

Heroes and villains, plots and surprises, agony and ecstasy … all of these aspects combine to eventually capture the story of a sporting event.

You and your camera have the opportunity to immortalise these moments, but to best do this you need to know how the tale will unfold and be there at the right moment. It is important to also include all the various components and instants in time, so make sure you plan well, and even scout the route beforehand.

Start out with the ‘big pictures’ – images capturing the landscape in which the drama takes place. Then move in closer to capture the action – blurs of movement, the engagement and confrontation. Zoom in on the faces of the competitors and their raw emotion is sure to come to the fore. And finally, do not miss the ‘behind the scenes’ images; spectators, foot prints disappearing into a blazing horizon, shadows … they are all part of the story!

Image 1: Running Free

The Action: Athletes negotiating the spectacular Otter-African Trail Run along the coastline near Storms River Mouth, in the Garden Route National Park. The 42km Otter-African Trail Run, presented by Hi-Tec, was completed in a blistering time of 04:37 this year.

The Shot: It helps when you have access to a helicopter! This image of the leaders was shot in the early morning hours, maximising the gorgeous dawn glow.

The Technique: The vibrations of the chopper and relatively low light meant I had to push the ISO to 800, but fortunately the Nikon processors could handle the dynamic range.

The Specifications: 1/1000 sec @ f5.6; Nikon D700 with 80-400m lens at wide; ISO 800; WB Setting (Sunlight); no flash; AE Setting: Zeroed.

More Information: www.theotter.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 117

Image 2: Hard Rock

Image 3: Blood, Sweat and More Blood

The Shot: The red safety ropes caught my eye, but I had to wait for the right moment when an athlete would round the point and be silhouetted against the sky.

The Shot: My wide-angle lens allows me to engage with the athletes on an in-your-face level. Get in close and you will penetrate into the heart of the race.

The Technique: The lines of the safety ropes lead your eye towards the subject. Selective de-saturation in Lightroom removes colour elsewhere in the image, thus enhancing the visual effect.

The Technique: Polarising filter and fill-in flash, especially when the sun is shining – other than that, this is a pretty straight forward capture.

The Specifications: 1/125th sec @ f11; D700 with 16-35mm lens; ISO 200; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting: Under-exposure by 1.

The Specifications: 1/200th sec @ f11; D700mm and 16-35mm lens at wide zoom; ISO 200; WB Setting: (Auto).

More Information: www.jacquesmarais.co.za

More Information: www.magneticsouth.net

The Action: Rounding the rugged point along Nature’s Valley Prologue route, on the day before the start of the Otter-African Trail Run.

118 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

The Action: Adventure sport goes hand in hand with risk, but the athletes who took part in the Southern Storm Duathlon, presented by Hi-Tec, already know this.

Image 4: To Infinity and Beyond

The Action: Endurance runner Bruce Arnett puts his Infinity trail running shoes to the test along some hard core rocks.

The Shot: Sometimes you need to focus on a small part of the scene to convey the challenge of an event, and these rocks were ankle-snapping angry.

The Technique: I pre-focused on a specific section of the trail and waited for athletes to pass through, thus ensuring that my long-lens focus was spot on.

The Specifications: 1/320th sec @ f6.3; D700mm and 80-400mm lens at full zoom; ISO 250; WB Setting: (Auto).

More Information: www.hi-tec.com

120 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

Image 5: The Bomb. On the Bike The Action: Sheer determination from Jeannie Bomford, as she slugs it out with the elements during the Southern Storm multi-day duathlon.

The Shot: Harsh light during the midday hours make for a lack of saturation and sharpness, but this ‘grittiness’ can actually enhance the mood of the image.

The Technique: The image is all about the expression on the athlete’s face; choose an uphill, wait for the pain to kick in, compose and shoot!

The Specifications: 1/800th sec @ f6.3; D700 with 80-400mm zoom lens; ISO - 400; WB Setting: Shade.

More Information: www.hi-tec.com

Image 6: Terra Incognita

The Action: A lone athlete slogs onto the home stretch at the Otter-African Trail Run, 40km done and only two to go …

The Shot: The sponsor’s logo, drawn in the beach sand at Nature’s Valley, added an additional dimension to this image.

The Technique: A high vantage point along the cliff face afforded me the perfect angle from which to shoot the final stages of the race.

The Specifications: 1/1000th sec @ f5.6; D700 with 80-400mm zoom lens; ISO - 200; WB Setting: Auto.

More Information: www.nikon.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 121

NOW

inFOCUS

Reader Photo Competition

WIN R500!

Winner Photographer Name: Terence Vrugtman Photograph Name: A Bugs Life Camera Type: Nikon D3100 Settings: 1/25, ISO-100, 18mm Where: Plot on the Vaal River Category: Lifestyle

Competition Information This is your opportunity to showcase your photographic skills and stand a chance to WIN R500 for the best image in DO IT NOW’s inFOCUS competition, which features in every issue of the magazine. So get clicking and send us your photographs – you never know, you could just be our next WINNER! When submitting your images, please also include the following information: • Name of photographer • Name of photograph • Camera type

• Camera settings • Place where the photograph was taken

• Which category you are submitting your photo under – Adventure, Sport or Lifestyle

Competition Rules (1) The closing date for the next competition is 5 March 2012 and the winning photo will be featured and credited in the next issue of DO IT NOW. (2) The image entered must include the information requested above and any entry received without the requested information, will not be considered. Digitally manipulated images will not be accepted. (3) Only amateur photographers may enter.

(4) Email your 1-3mb compressed .jpg image to competitions@doitnow.co.za (5) There is a maximum of one entry per person, per issue. (6) The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. (7) Please note that your images may be published in the DO IT NOW magazine and on the DO IT NOW website. (8) By entering the competition, you agree to abide by these rules.

122 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

NOW

inVOLVED

Words by Paola Chellew Photos by Kierran Allen / www.oceandrivenmedia.com

124 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

QUADS 4 QUADS 2011 :

Riders on

the Storm

September 2011 marked the eighth year of the running of the Quads 4 Quads off-road motorcycle event from Johannesburg to Durban and back. The 2,000km round trip was held to raise funds for the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) and organised by Glenn Foley and Corinne Andrews of Family Adventures’ social off-road club. Quads 4 Quads is a life-changing ride, as riders get to explore South Africa from a different perspective and experience friendship and unity, as well as the physical challenge. But most importantly, the money raised is used to help make a difference in the lives of quadriplegics and paraplegics in our country.

Ari Seirlis, National Director of QASA, and other well-known quadriplegics, including Phil Case, the Financial Director of Dial a Nerd, participated in this year’s event. This was Ari’s sixth appearance on his specially adapted Yamaha 700 Grizzly ATV, and Phil’s second ride in his Polaris RZR, named Delores.

For Ari, it was a case of been there, done that and we’re gonna have a good time baby. A pro by now, he had two adapted bikes and alternated them each day, riding with a co-driver and support crew to provide the necessary drinks to keep him well hydrated.

The first day dawned sunny and bright, and the start at Carnival City Casino saw more than 400 riders revving up a storm. Heading for Standerton in the blistering sun and accompanied by endless dust, Ari took hourly breathers to stop and enjoy the surrounding countryside.

Phil was not so fortunate, as he battled with electrical problems that plagued his trusty Polaris, Delores, and had to abandon the first leg to see to repairs.

The next day’s challenge was getting to Newcastle and Ari chose his bigger 800cc bike, which would bear the brunt of rocky ravines and tricky tunnels under railway lines that tested even the most seasoned rider. His determination helped him to conquer the various obstacles in his path and he finished the stretch with a few blisters on his hands to mark his efforts.

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 125

It had rained sometime during the night, so the dust was subdued and puddles of mud lured the intrepid team to splash through them. Some of the riders got themselves bogged down and needed to be helped out

by Phil and his team, who were bringing up the rear.

Their efforts at gallantry were rewarded by an abysmal hailstorm that hit them only five kilometres away from their overnight stop. Travelling in almost no visibility, wracked by rain, hail, thunder and lightening, they blindly crawled towards what they assumed to be the right direction. Eventually the watery lights of a coffee shop were like a shining beacon to Phil and his not-somerry-men, who then had to cross the main road, which incidentally had turned into a torrential river, and take refuge under a tumbling shade port. In the meantime, their back-up team needed some urgent backing-up themselves. Their camp had been decimated by the deluge and they were holding on to the flying tents in a blustering gale and were sitting targets for the hailstone missiles that fell from the sky. Amongst them was Phil’s new wife, Wendy, who passed the ‘What I have to put up with’ test, with flying colours. Needless to say, Newcastle’s B&B business thrived that night and our heroes and heroines enjoyed a well-deserved rest.

Day three loomed ahead and Phil’s Drimac, which had been packed at the last minute, became a valued possession. However, in direct contrast to the previous day’s apocalypse, the stretch to Weenen turned out to be a fantastic journey along mountain passes, through muddy ditches, over rocky terrain and contained all the ingredients necessary for a rough, tough, off-road adventure. Both Ari and Phil’s teams rode as comrades, splashing along together up mud-covered hills and crossing what had recently been dry river beds. Their focus was on getting to Weenen in time for a few drinks, and sharing stories and laughter with fellow riders.

126 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

In terms of distance, the last leg of the ‘down run’ is the longest, from Weenen to Shakaskraal, with breathtaking scenes of steep mountainsides and rolling valleys. A gruelling section took them through a head-spinning vertical rise, crossing close to Craigieburn Dam. “All of my concentration was on what was little more than a goat track that wound its way over some very challenging terrain,” says Phil. After that the heavens opened once more, providing even more mud to wheelspin and slosh around in, with the 4x4 quads overtaking the twowheelers in mischievous manoeuvres that provided plenty of enjoyment for the madcap bunch of riders.

A quick, true South African refuel of boerie rolls and coffee provided the stamina needed for the last 125km to Ballito, the incredible scenery compliments of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Riding through the sugar cane plantations and then winding along gravel roads through homesteads and rural farms was a unique experience.

Phil reminisces, “The mist and drizzle kept us company most of the way, but it was eerily beautiful as it seemed to soak up the engine noise and we felt like we were riding in silence.”

Ari and Phil’s teams regrouped with 15km to go, heading to the finish as wet, muddy and proud veterans of Quads 4 Quads 2011. Having dominated the driving forces of Nature and fought against all odds, our heroes made it to the finish knowing that they had conquered more than rocky terrain and inclement weather. Their adventure can only inspire others to do the same at next year’s event.

In the words of Calvin Coolidge, “Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion.” •

Part 1 - 2

It was reported on BBC News that, “South Africa is the most dangerous country in the world, which is not at war.”

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 127

www.shutterstock.com

Words by Morne Swanepoel / www.CombatCoaching.com

“

NOW

“

inVOLVED

Sadly, this statement rings true when you consider that a rape occurs every 15 seconds, and this figure does not include child rapes, to average out at a horrifying 60 rapes per day, and more than 60 people are murdered every day in South Africa due to violent crime.

SA government has admitted, for the first time, it was overwhelmed by crime. Deputy Minister of Justice, Johnny de Lange, told Parliament that the fight against crime was hopelessly paralysed by mistaken policy decisions, unprofessional personnel and a massive shortage of resources and accountability. He made this admission while presenting a review of the criminal justice system to the portfolio committees on justice and safety and security. ”The criminal justice system is ineffectual, as it is fragmented, dysfunctional and tainted by backlogs. The situation is sometimes so overwhelming that we don't know what to do about crime. We have not necessarily taken the right decisions over the past 15 years or used resources efficiently, and we now have to brace ourselves," he said.

The following crime story is true and occurs every minute in South Africa.

A Pretoria businessman died after being shot several times by armed robbers, who attacked him and his wife. According to police, 48-year-old John Cooper died in his bedroom. His wife, who was assaulted by the attackers, was taken to hospital. Paramedics rescued the couple's Rottweiler after it was poisoned by the attackers. Police spokesperson Captain Bonginkosi Msimango said Cooper, the owner of Westend Trailers, ran the trailer business from his house in Proclamation Hill. Just after 01h00 on Sunday, five armed men entered the house and confronted Cooper and his wife, who has not been named.

"They shot the man. We cannot say how many times at this stage. He died in the bedroom. The robbers then ordered the wife to give them money. She opened the safe and the robbers fled with an undisclosed amount," Msimango said.

Churches are increasingly becoming soft targets for brazen criminals who rape and rob congregants during church services, representatives of Churches in South Africa said. "Criminals are now targeting churches because they know that congregants are not armed.”

All South Africans know that in the past 15 years there has been an abnormal increase in violence and crime. Hardly a minute goes by without news of an assault, rape, murder, hijacking, home invasion or some other type of violent crime – most often against innocent people quietly going about their normal everyday lives. To reduce the danger of being attacked in the street or at home, of being the victim of a crime or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it has become imperative for law-abiding citizens to learn how to defend themselves and protect their property effectively.

128 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

May the biggest stick win

In a bygone era, when life was all about sabre-toothed cats and wooden clubs, toughness was measured by the size of your weapon (wooden club) and conflict was usually won by the wielder of the biggest stick. It must have been awfully confusing back then for the biggest-stick carrier (let’s call him Barry), when he was trounced, time and time again by a small cave dweller, who never carried anything larger than a birch twig. Very soon, in a series of one-sided skirmishes, Big Stick Barry had lost his wife, club and collection of shrew skulls to the devilish twig wielder. What Barry learnt very quickly was that there is more to being tough than big sticks, and if Small Twig man could learn it, then so could he.

Welcome to the tough club

In that respect, very little has changed over the last few thousand years. No matter whether you’re facing a mugger in a parking lot, or a drunken football fan after his side just got trounced by the competition, there are certain elements that will either work for or against you in your efforts to survive. Your strength, reflexes, surroundings, mental awareness and fear all need to be handled correctly to triumph. Surprisingly enough, mastery over these elements doesn’t come naturally to all of us. Such mastery needs to be learned, nay, ingrained into the very fibre of our being, so that when the surge of adrenaline grips us late one night in a poorly lit back alley, we are able to rise to the occasion and show the world, or at least our would-be attacker, what toughness personified looks like. Are you ready for the transformation?

Fatal schoolboy errors

You will never rise to the level of your expectations, but rather fall to the level of your training!

Another rookie mistake people make is not only to overestimate your own abilities, but to underestimate your attacker’s. A 12-year-old with a knife in his hand is a very dangerous threat; he may not look like it at first, but age doesn’t come into the equation here. If you are being confronted or attacked by someone who is seemingly smaller or weaker than you, remember that, more often than not, they pose a very real threat, or they would not have confronted you in the first place. A part of being tough in Africa means having a realistic idea of the threat you’re facing. Possibly one of the biggest mistakes that untrained people make is to think that only the other person will get hurt in a fight. The truth is that if you find yourself in a fist fight, prepare to get hit. And if you land yourself in a knife fight, be prepared to get cut!

Training tough

There are both mental and physical aspects to preparing yourself for survival on the streets. When students progress in their training, there is a definite change taking place mentally and physically. One becomes ‘tougher’ as you learn to deal with the physical contact of your training partners, but you also become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses.

You learn what your body will allow you to do – depending on your fitness, age, body structure and so on. You become mentally tougher by learning to hang in there when training pushes you to your limits. Perseverance is an important aspect to handling a violent attack, as you need to be able to endure and do what is necessary to survive a situation.

Freeze, this is a stick-up

The problem for most people, however, is that when faced by an attacker, whether it’s a seven-foot behemoth making passes at our wives, or a hijacker at a traffic intersection, we freeze up and fail to do anything at all. Under high levels of stress, our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) kicks into action. The SNS sets about preparing your body for battle, without really consulting anyone important such as the brain, for instance. “The SNS releases hormones or adrenaline into your blood stream to make your body stronger, faster and sometimes even anaesthetised to pain,” says Geoff Thompson, author of Dead or Alive: The Definitive Self-Protection Book. “The more dangerous the situation, the bigger the adrenalin release. The bigger the release, the better you perform, but by the same count, the bigger the release, the harder it is to control,” continues Geoff.

In a flash, your pupils are dilated, your heart rate increases, your brain has all the blood it could possibly want and less important functions, like digestion, have their blood supply dramatically reduced, which explains the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.

With all of this going on, the result is that you may not be able to see the same, think the same, or move in the same way. Therefore, we must try to understand how stress affects us so that we can anticipate the changes.

Our bodily responses are there to heighten our mental and physical abilities, but if we are unfamiliar with the symptoms that come with a surge of adrenaline, we are left shaky, nauseous and rooted to the spot. Our lack of action gives the attacker complete power to decide what happens next.

This brings us to a point where we can actually learn something from Big Stick Barry, despite all his defeats.

In primeval days when man had to fight to live and eat, the feeling of fear was an everyday occurrence that would have felt as natural as eating or drinking. In today's society, some people go through a whole lifetime without ever experiencing it fully. So when a situation arises that causes the adrenalin to flow, we are so unfamiliar with it that we naturally neither welcome nor like it. We panic.

The best way to deal with this is to ‘rehearse’ or expose oneself to these scenarios and force-on-force training, within the correct training environment.

In a violent conflict a cry for help is sent to the subconscious mind, which digs around for an appropriate answer.

Instead it comes up with an ‘error’ message – ‘there is no information on this subject’. That’s why one freezes up. So you need to feed the correct information into your brain and this is done through correct, meticulous and repetitive training.

Being the hard target

Being tough begins long before the much spoken about do-or-die moment, and means possessing survival instinct and awareness. Every time your brain senses danger it goes through four steps (OODA): observation, orientation, decision making and action. It never changes the order, or skips a step. Being aware of this process will set you well on your way to avoiding possible nasty situations.

By constantly observing your surroundings you can give yourself far more time to react to possible danger. The images you see are packed with information; someone walking towards you, a car blocking your path, the sight of a knife, or the intention in an attacker’s eyes. Your brain then orients you in relation to the threat. Is it immediate, or do you have some time to escape? Do I have the upper hand or not? After working these details out, you are now in a position to decide on the best course of action – to run, fight, or even comply with a mugger’s demands. Once you’ve made this decision you need to follow through with your action immediately. A second’s hesitation can change your fate in a conflict situation.

“That’s all very well,” you might say, “But how do I know what to look for. After all, one can’t predict the future.”

And it’s true – you can’t predict the future. But there are some things you can look out for when dealing with potential violent characters. When you are approached by someone, look out for a red flushed face, rapid and shallow breathing, a fixed stare, or a rigid body. More pointers to help identify those bad characters include shaky hands or clenched fists, irrational behaviour and any signs that the person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Choose flight

So you’re prepared to get punched, you’ve learnt to control your adrenaline, you know how to pick out a shady character, so surely it’s fight time, right? As the great Braveheart once said, “We didn’t get all dressed up for nothing.”

But, sadly, for fight clubbers there is still one more obstacle to overcome on the path to true toughness – and it’s a biggie! Gentleman, may I welcome into the ring, weighing in at almost nothing, but very capable of fatal damage, your ego.

Although the various approaches to self-defense differ, the one thing everyone agrees on is that escaping conflict is always first prize. Proper training should open your eyes to the world around you. It should enable you to make an informed and unemotional decision to avoid conflict wherever possible.

But what about when your dignity is stripped, or your pride wounded? What happens when my lovely wife is insulted by a smelly, beer-swilling miscreant? Surely a tough guy defends his wife’s dignity? Well, that depends on your perspective. Being tough is about being principled, steadfast and disciplined. What your ego will do is to propel some inappropriate behaviour into full-blown public violence, which carries with it not only the risk of injury or death, whether intentional or accidental, but also some fairly serious legal consequences. An insult to one’s dignity, or your wife’s for that matter, seems a small price to pay to avoid that. And that’s a tough decision to have to make.

Catch the second part of surviving in South Africa in the next issue of DO IT NOW, where I will expand on how tough guys should handle conflict. •

www.doitnow.co.za | Lifestyle • 129

NOW

inCLOSING inside the next issue ...

You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough - www.coolnsmart.com Don't miss these and many other great articles in the April/May 2012 issue of DO IT NOW.

Longest Cross-country Flight in the World Josh Degenaar, a paragliding pilot and paragliding tour operator, has been flying for the last 20 years and flown over 3500 flights in that time. On the morning of 3 November 2011 he was winched into the sky at Copperton and flew to Steynsburg, a distance of 353km. The flight took seven hours, flying at close to 5000m above sea level. The fact that the flight took place on a cloudless day made it both difficult and a remarkable feat. Find out why in our next issue.

Record Entries at the Drak Challenge 2012 Against the backdrop of a rising river, a record field started the popular two-day 70km Global Trader Drak Challenge canoe marathon at Castleburn bridge, high in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg on the morning of Saturday 21 January. Read more about all the excitement of this event in the next issue.

On the Lighter Side A man with a nagging secret couldn't keep it any longer. In the confessional he admitted that for years he had been stealing building supplies from the lumberyard where he worked. "What did you take?" his priest asked.

"Enough to build my own house and enough for my son's house. And houses for our two daughters and our cottage at the lake." "This is very serious," the priest said. "I shall have to think of a far-reaching penance. Have you ever done a retreat?" "No, Father, I haven't," the man replied. "But if you can get the plans, I can get the lumber."

While every effort is made by the DIN Team to ensure that the content of the DO IT NOW Magazine is accurate at the time of going to press, DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any errors that may appear, or for any consequence of utilising the information contained herein. Statements by contributors are not always representative of DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd opinion. Copyright 2009 DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or stored on a retrieval system without the prior permission of DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd. DO IT NOW Adventures (Pty) Ltd supports and encourages responsible practices with regards to all Adventure, Sport and Lifestyle activities. We also believe in the conservation and protection of all fauna and flora.

130 • DO IT NOW February | March 2012

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