DO IT NOW Magazine #7 - Adventure, Sport & Lifestyle

Volume 2  Issue 5  Oct/Nov 2010

ENDURO

E R I A N I RD O A R T EX

it e z t u G Jade

Rhino Poaching Must STOP!  4x4 Tracking the Molopo  Botswana from the Air  Climbing the Spitzkoppe

 Vitamin D Pandemic  Touch Rugby Thrives  Surf Boat Racing Revival

www.doitnow.co.za FREE SUBSCRIPTION - p.11

 Ulrich vd Berg Interview  Bait Balls in Algoa Bay  Borneo Part 2

WIN!

Reader Competitions p.8 / p.138

DO IT

NOW

inTRO Dear DO IT NOW Reader, There’s something about summer that just seems to bring out the best in us. When you look around and see our barren surroundings transformed into a living wonderland, how can one help but feel happier and more carefree about life in general. And with the warmer weather comes the opportunity to enjoy loads of awesome outdoor ADVENTURE-SPORT-LIFESTYLE activities.

The new season has also brought about some interesting developments at DO IT NOW. So what is the team working on at the moment; why is the magazine not available in leading news agents anymore; and what else can be expected from DO IT NOW over the next few months? These are all good questions that I have received from a number of readers, and which I will expand upon one by one.

Our decision to change DO IT NOW’s distribution strategy, by taking the mag out of news agencies, was a very simple one. DO IT NOW magazine is a magazine for all the people of southern Africa to enjoy. It is our aim is to make the mag more accessible to more people, in more places around the country. To achieve this goal, we decided to take a leap of faith in our second year and give the magazine away for FREE to our online subscribers. So no matter where you live or how hectic your lifestyle is, each issue will go straight to your postbox timeously and hassle free. No more visits to the shops to look for the mag or wondering where you can find it. To subscribe, simply log onto www.doitnow.co.za and complete the form. By subscribing online, you will be able to enjoy the magazine over the next two years for absolutely FREE! It’s as easy and simple as that!

We are also hard at work enhancing our website further, with the addition of a new show that will feature even more great video footage, interviews and products we come across through our growing network of contacts.

What this means to you is current and unlimited reading entertainment and action. Visit the website for more details on this.

Another really exciting initiative we are working on is the DO IT NOW ADVENTURE-SPORT-LIFESTYLE Expo in early 2011. This expo will showcase anything and everything to do with ADVENTURE-SPORT-LIFESTYLE activities and give you the opportunity to try out the latest and greatest toys and equipment available. You will also be able to meet the people that bring these products into the country and build a solid contact base that is endorsed and recommended by DO IT NOW! And you can talk to the pros and find out exactly what you need before burning your cash on the wrong product. Look out for more details in the December issue of the mag.

I would like to thank all our readers for their valued suggestions, questions, letters and contributions. Please keep sending your ideas and comments to info@doitnow.co.za so that we can make each issue better and better. We also look forward to sharing your Adventure, Sport and Lifestyle experiences with all our readers!

As the year races to its end and December is knocking at our door, there are only a few more opportunities left to make the most of 2010; so don’t hesitate, don’t procrastinate – get out there and DO IT NOW! DIN regards,

Francois Flamengo Founder

DO IT

NOW

inDEX Vol 2 | Issue 5 | 2010 | www.doitnow.co.za

Regulars

Langebaan sign post ...

Base // inFO: p. 8-10 Information page - check out our competitions and event dates. // inVOLVED: p. 138 -141

// inCLOSING: p. 142 A sneak preview of upcoming features and articles. // DINList and CALENDAR: p. 143 Raising awareness to improve our communities, help protect wildlife All the exciting “Adventure-Sport-Lifestyle” activities for 2010, and animals and care for our environment. plus a three-month calendar.

Regulars p. 14-26  p. 28-35  p. 36-45  p. 46,47 & 56-63  p. 64-83  p. 84-91  p. 92-99  p. 102-107  p. 108-117  p. 118-121  p. 122-126  p. 127  p. 128-129  p. 130-137 

inGEAR: "Adventure-Sport-Lifestyle" activities featuring vehicles with gears. inH2O: Water sport and adventure activities. inALTITUDE: Aerial adventure and sport activities. inTRODUCING: Featuring informative articles on a number of sports and why athletes compete in them. inACTION: Information and feedback on various exciting sporting events. inPREPARATION: Training programmes and tips for various sporting activities. inSHAPE: Important information about health, nutrition and exercise. in THE HOLE: Golfing articles. inNATURE: Outdoor experiences and activities such as hiking and fishing. inCREDIBLE PLACES: Stories about incredible and magical places. inDULGE: A wine and dine section with a twist. inSURE: Valuable information about insurance and related topics. inTERTAINMENT: CD, music and gaming reviews. inFOCUS: Photography section with discussions, competitions and event-specific photography tips.

Key:  Adventure |  Sport |  Lifestyle

4 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Featured Articles

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ADVENTURE p. 12 to 47

38

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inGEAR 14-17 Tracking the Molopo 18-21 ET Weekend on a KTM 22-23 Saddling up the Stuttgart

Thoroughbreds 24-26 2010 Harley- Davidson Softail®

Heritage Softail Classic inH2O 28-31 My Search for the Legendary

SS Waratah 1909, Part 1 32-33 Powering to New Heights 34-35 Summer Time on the River inALTITUDE 36-37 Effective Flight - Freefall 42-45 A Beginner's Take on Climbing the Spitzkoppe in Namibia inTRODUCING 46-47 Why We Board - Sand What?

SPORT p. 48 to 99

56 50 102

108 140

inTERVIEW 50-55 An Interview with Jade Gutzeit, Enduro Extraordinaire - Part 1 inTRODUCING 56-58 Revival of Surf Boat Racing 60-61 Stepping It Up 62-63 Taking you to New Heights -

Competition Climbing in SA

inPREPARATION 84-87 Behind the Scenes with

Team Medscheme 88-89 Team Virtuoso - DCM

Cape Pioneer Trek

inACTION 64-65 First-ever Gauteng Provincial

Touch Rugby Champs 66-69 Inanda Africa Cup Polo

Tournament - what a ride!

70-73 Gravity Adventure Festival - It

just gets Better and Better!

74-77 Seringveld Diamond Dash ll 78-79 Avianto Mountain Bike Race 80-83 Nissan MTB Series

inSHAPE 92-93 Vitamin D Improves

Athletes' Performance 94-95 Kinesio® Taping Receives Worldwide Support 96-97 Spinal and Joint Wellness

through Chiropractic 98-98 Summer Time Workout - Look

Good and Feel Great!

LIFESTYLE p. 100 to 141 in THE HOLE 102-103 20 Questions with Ulrich van den Berg - Top Professional Golfer 104-105 Blasting from a Distance 106-106 The 40 Year-Old Rookie

- The Mile High Club inDULGE 122-125 Speyside - the Heart of the

Scotch Whisky Industry 126 Recipe - Pecan Encrusted

Salmon inTERTAINMENT 128-129 CD, Movie & Gaming Reviews inFOCUS 130-137 Shoot! Trail Running 138 Reader Photo Competition

inNATURE 108-111 42 Days of South Africa’s

Highlights Part Il 112-114 Bait Balls in Algoa Bay 115-117 A Whale of a Time inCREDIBLE PLACES 118-121 Borneo: Part 2 of 3

- Nature on a Silver Platter inSURE 127 Will your Golden Years be

Golden? inVOLVED 138-139 Plastic: Friend or Foe? 140-141 Khutsi’s Mum - Rhino

Poaching Must STOP!

Be where the action is - Excel to the finish line - Live the lifestyle - Be the one to DO IT NOW! www.doitnow.co.za >> 5

DO IT

On the Cover Jade Gutzeit - SA National Off-road & Enduro Champion 2010 Photo by Francois Flamengo

NOW

the TEAM etc.

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The DO IT NOW Team comprises of the following individuals: FOUNDER Francois Flamengo MANAGING EDITOR and OPERATIONS Elri Flamengo BRAND AWARENESS Keane Ludick ADVERTISING SALES Jaco van Deventer CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tessa Dreyer GRAPHIC DESIGNERS I. Eva, A. Cloete & H. Cameron TEXT EDITOR Tracy Knox ADVERTISING SALES sales@doitnow.co.za ACCOUNTS, SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES info@doitnow.co.za | sales@doitnow.co.za PUBLISHER DO IT NOW CC DISTRIBUTION Subscription Only - www.doitnow.co.za DESIGN & LAYOUT LilyHouse Design Studio WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT Tenaka’s Tribe PRINTING Law Print

HEAD OFFICE DO IT NOW CC Wedgefield Office Park, 17 Muswell Road South, Bryanston, 2021 Tel +27 (0)11 540 0124 info@doitnow.co.za 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 contents of the DO IT NOW magazine are accurate at the time of going to press, the Founder cannot except responsibility for any errors that may appear, or for any consequence of using the information contained herein. Statements by contributors are not always representative of the Founder’s opinion.

Copyright 2009 DO IT NOW (Pty) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or stored on a retrieval system without the prior permission of the Founder. DO IT NOW 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  October/November 2010

8. Peter Fairbanks // inSURE Will your Golden Years be Golden?

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

1. Christa North // inSHAPE Vitamin D Improves Athletes’ Performance

Mom of two, Christa North is a private practicing dietician based in Johannesburg who focuses on weight loss, lifestyle diseases, fertility and sports nutrition. She enjoys a game of tennis, is a keen runner and loves to cook.

2. Claire Barnes // inALTITUDE Skydiving Contributor

Claire is a young thrill seeker who was bitten by the skydiving bug and has recently started competing at a novice level. When she’s not jumping out of planes, she enjoys soccer, cricket and indoor climbing.

3. Claire King // inALTITUDE Effective Flight – The Mechanics of Movement in Freefall

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

4. Deon Breytenbach // inH2O Summer Time on the River

Deon has been paddling white water for the last 13 years and has 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. “Have kayak, will smile.” Deon is supported by Fluid Kayaks.

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. Peter loves sport in general, as long as it is on ‘terra firma’.

9. Richard Flamengo // inTERTAINMENT CD, Movie and Gaming Reviews

Richard is a movie, music and games (MMG) enthusiast, who loves relaxing at home playing games or going to watch movies, with some salt and vinegar popcorn. Richard enjoys all sorts of music ranging from lekker sakkie sakkie Afrikaans stuff through to hard-hitting rock.

10. Rocco le Roux // inGEAR Saddling up the Stuttgart Thoroughbreds

Too much energy to sit still. Can’t be bothered to watch TV as I can’t do it while I am running, cycling, swimming, kayaking, paragliding, diving or driving … a classic Porsche and Harley are part of my family. Comfort is for other people; I would rather rough it. Challenging myself physically keeps me alive.

11. Samuel Sithole // inSHAPE Summer Time Workout – Look Good and Feel Great!

Sam has been working in the health, sport and fitness industry for more than four years. When it comes to training, he strives towards positive results, not perfection. He lives an active lifestyle and is passionate about people.

12. Steve Adams // inDULGE Speyside – The Heart of the Scotch Whisky Industry

Steve, the co-owner of Wild about Whisky, is passionate about whisky, photography and travel, and believes that life is too short to accept mediocrity. He believes in dreaming big.

5. Francois Steyn // inGEAR A Review of the 2010 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail® Classic

13. Steven Yates // inCREDIBLE PLACES Borneo – Part 2 of 3, Nature on a Silver Platter

6. Garth Oliver // inSHAPE Physiotherapy Contributor

14. Wynand & Pietré Smit // inALTITUDE Mountaineering Contributors

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.

Garth is a sport freak and enjoys canoeing, surfing, touch rugby, triathlons and running. Physiotherapist during the day, he also currently runs a multi-disciplinary clinic in Pietermaritzburg.

 Lee Dormer // inVOLVED Khutsi’s Mum – Rhino Poaching Must STOP!

Wilderness Guide and Coordinator of the Inland Branch of the Wilderness Leadership School.

7. Michael Scholz // in THE HOLE 20 Questions with Ulrich van den Berg – Blasting from a Distance; 40 Year Old Rookie - The Mile High Club

A journeyman professional golfer and adrenalin junkie, Mike enjoys scuba diving and fly fishing, but mountain biking tops his list of activities.

A passionate but relative new-comer to mountain biking, Mike enjoys the fitness, the ‘burn’ of serious hills and the competitive nature of the sport.

Steve 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 other sport.

Wynand and Pietré Smit, a Lawyer and Geologist respectively, are based in Pretoria and have an insatiable appetite for mountaineering, their Land Cruiser pick up and Nesquik’s pink milk. They have travelled extensively, climbed on three continents and love sharing gouda with good friends!

15. Paul Carrick // inTERVIEW An Interview with Jade Gutzeit, Enduro Extraordinaire - Part 1

Paul is an enthusiastic adventurer who will risk crashing motorbikes, hang gliding into mountains and falling off yachts at sea to experience the thrill of life. His day job is not as exciting.

16. Perino Hanack // inH2O Powering to New Heights Heelside Progressive Edge

Liquid Force Boarding Company’s right hand man, who has a simple philosophy in life - Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

ADVENTURE

ADVENTURE Header Page Photograph by: Shutterstock Images inGEAR: Philip Sackville-Scott and Dave Griffin; inH2O: Emlyn Brown; inALTITUDE: Corlia Malan; inTRODUCING: Rob Baird

SPORT

SPORT Header Page Photograph by: Francois Flamengo inTRODUCING: Colleen Saunders, Isabelle Karin, Jackie Stainton and Neil Margetts; inACTION: Sean Smith, Paul Oosthuizen, Gravity Adventure Festival Organisers, Adéle Esterhuizen and Team Red Ants, Bradley Nienaber and Zoon Cronje; inPREPARATION: Arran Brown, Danie van Aswegen; inSHAPE: Mandy Rawlins and Dr Rikkus Scheepers

LIFESTYLE

LIFESTYLE Header Page Photograph by: Shutterstock images inNATURE: Dawie du Plessis, Lloyd Edwards and Cheryl Whelan; inDULGE: Chef Neil Ross; inFOCUS: Jacques Marais; inVOLVED: Plastics Federation of South Africa

www.doitnow.co.za >> 7

DO IT

I-KNOW-THIS-PERSON !!!

Team

NOW

inFO

By Elri Flamengo

Shines at Kinetic Full Moon Adventure Race Words by Waldus de Jager | Photo by Erik Vermeulen

Does the person featured on the photo look familiar to you? If so, submit your answer

to iknowtheplace@doitnow.co.za and stand a chance to win a R250 gift voucher. Competition ends on 5 November 2010. The winner will be announced in the next issue of DO IT NOW and on our website www.doitnow.co.za

In our quest to expand the DO IT NOW brand in a variety of directions into the future, DO IT NOW magazine, although the main focus, is just one of these avenues. To ensure that we remain on the right track, we would like to encourage all our readers to give us your suggestions as to what information you would like to read about in the magazine.

These topics can fall in any of the DO IT NOW pillars: Adventure, Sport or Lifestyle. This will assist us in meeting all your reading expectations and more in terms of community support, services and networking initiatives.

26° 2. 80' S

We can’t wait to see what YOU have in mind for the DO IT NOW magazine, so send us your ideas via one of the following methods: Email: dinmag@doitnow.co.za Attention: DO IT NOW Mag Suggestions Website: www.doitnow.co.za

The weekend of 28 and 29 August saw the newly formed DO IT NOW team of Keane Ludick (above right) and myself take part in the Kinetic Full Moon Adventure Race at the Vaal Dam. The first leg was a tough 12 km kayak race as we fought against the waves created by the strong winds. Leaving the water in eighth position overall and fourth in the pair’s category, we set off on the second leg, a fast 4 km trek.

We reached T2 with a positive mind set, having worked our way to sixth overall and third in the pair’s category.

The third leg, a cycle of 48 km, was next and our strongest discipline.

We reached T4 in fifth position overall and second in the pair’s category, but it was here when things got really tough. An old ITB injury had flared up and the pain was taking its toll on me. Two pain killer’s later and working their magic, we were averaging well over 21 km/h and reached T5 in high spirits after completing this section in just over two hours, passing team The Senseless Killers.

The next leg was a 5 km paddle to the island. Knowing that pair’s team Hawkstone was in first position and approximately 32-minutes ahead, we accepted that second place was good enough and reached the island after a good steady paddle.

With only one other boat on shore we knew that team Hawkstone was still busy with the 5 km orienteering leg. My ITB was once again pushing me to the limit and the pain was affecting my breathing patterns. With some great navigation, we got through OP1 to OP3 easily. While looking for OP4, we bumped into team Hawkstone who was still trying to find the last OP. We couldn’t believe our luck and it dawned on us that we could actually win this race. Now leading, we got through OP4 without a hitch and team Hawkstone hot on our heels.

With adrenalin pumping, we flew into the final 3 km kayaking leg - the last remaining obstacle standing in our way of victory. Paddling like two professionals, we covered the distance at speed and managed to increase our lead even further by the time we reached shore. We had done it! We had won the race with a lead of five minutes separating us from team Hawkstone.

Overall we came third, and first in the pair’s category having covered 134 km in just over 12 and a half hours. We were ecstatic!

Read more on www.doitnow.co.za

CONGRATULATIONS GUYS! 28° 1.45' E

8 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Subscribe for FREE

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DO IT NOW Website www.doitnow.co.za

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DO-IT-NOW | Twitter: twitter.com/DOITNOWMag

We are really excited about our evolving website and would like to invite all our readers to check it out. Our interactive site covers current news, happenings, events, topical stories and competitions.

DIN TV, another exciting feature, brings the action to you. How would you like to SEE some of the DO IT NOW adventures and experiences we tell you about up close and personal?

Well, it’s HERE! DO IT NOW TV … By simply logging on to our website, you will find all the links that will take you into the heart of the action, making you feel as if you were right there at that exhilarating or scary moment!

Go and see for yourself on www.doitnow.co.za!

For a limited period only, if you SUBSCRIBE online at www.doitnow.co.za, your will receive a FREE two-year (12 issues) subscription to the DO IT NOW magazine!

Don’t miss out on this amazing offer.

Don’t know what to give your friends and family for Christmas or their birthday? Why not give them a FREE two-year subscription to all the ADVENTURE-SPORTLIFESTYLE they can dream of in 2011, delivered straight to their postbox!

So don’t hesitate, don’t procrastinate, just DO IT NOW! C u on the web!

www.doitnow.co.za >> 9

DO IT

NOW

inFO DO IT NOW (and our website) is divided into three pillars: inVOLVED is the heart of DO IT NOW! Our aim is to give back to those who are less fortunate than us, as well as protect our animals and planet! The concept behind inVOLVED is to do just that - become involved! The DO IT NOW team is passionate about becoming actively involved with and raising awareness of the various charities, church, animal, wildlife and environmental conservation causes that are brought to our attention.

This section is dedicated to ‘Adventure’ and a wide range of related topics. These articles, also featured on the website, share experiences and special memories, provide answers to questions about training, what equipment is required to enjoy it safely and advice on popular destinations. Some of the categories covered in this section includes scuba diving, high performance driving, kayaking, rafting, boating, off-road driving, Big Dune driving, biking, vehicle reviews, skydiving, paragliding, wakeskating and climbing.

It’s our mission to laud the many unsung heroes who are making a real difference in our country by offering their services, time or money to improve our communities, help and protect the animals and care for our environment. A DIN inVOLVED bank account has been opened and DO IT NOW donates a percentage of its monthly earnings to this fund. Our ultimate goal is to encourage our readers, co-workers and service providers to do the same and get inVOLVED. Read more on page 138 to 141.

Tenaka’s Tribe Lends a Helping Hand!

The ‘Sport’ section covers stories on mountain biking, paddling, trail running, triathlons, motocross, tips on gear choices and improving your performance, health, exercises and more. We are continually growing this section to include many other sporting activities that are relevant to our readers. Watch out for our DO IT NOW Action Team and their activities around the country.

The ‘Lifestyle’ section aims to provide valuable information on the DO IT NOW lifestyle. The magazine and website features experiences, valuable information and contact details on various subjects, which are constantly expanding with each new issue. These include golf, hiking, fly fishing, exciting personal experiences, new destinations to visit, photography, insurance, all about whisky, recipes, entertainment reviews, community initiatives and various competitions.

Do you want to share your ADVENTURE – SPORT – LIFESTYLE experiences with other DO IT NOW readers?

If so, contact us at editor@doitnow.co.za

Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities

10 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Tenaka's Tribe Interactive, the interactive design and development agency involved in developing the DO IT NOW website, recently travelled to Messina, Limpopo for the first of their two part Corporate Social Responsibility initiative briefing session; to develop a website for the South African chapter of Save the Children.

The main focus of the website is to raise awareness of the issues facing these children, from their point of view. To successfully achieve this, the Tenaka's Tribe Interactive team felt that they would need to be briefed directly by the ‘client’ - in this case, over 20 highly out-spoken children.

The day began with meeting the Messina team at Head Office and visiting a variety of the sites that Save the Children is involved with on a daily basis. These sites included the girls' and boys' shelters for displaced, abused and unaccompanied migrant children. From there, it was off to the Beitbridge Border and surrounding farms to meet the wonderful caregivers that so generously provide meals, basic education and supervision to the farm workers' young children. Tenaka's Tribe Interactive then held an insightful and animated brainstorming session with a variety of children, involved to varying degrees, from Save the Children.

The next phase of Tenaka's Tribe Interactive's briefings will take place in the Free State in the next few months.

If you know of an institution or group that is in desperate need of help, please contact us at involved@doitnow.co.za and we will see how we can help bring their plight to the attention of our readers.

For more information on Advertising and Sectional Sponsorship opportunities in the magazine and website, you can request the DO IT NOW Company Profile, Rate Card, Specs & Schedule Sheet via email at sales@doitnow.co.za or telephonically from the DO IT NOW office on +27 83 415 3899.

FREE Subscription to www.doitnow.co.za In order to receive a FREE 2 Year Subscription* to DO IT NOW, either complete the online subscription form at www.doitnow.co.za or please complete the form below thoroughly and Email to subscribe@doitnow.co.za or Fax to 086 517 0934.

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www.doitnow.co.za >> 11

DO IT

NOW

Adventure

// [inGEAR] Tracking the Molopo - one of Africa's ancient rivers • ET Weekend on a KTM • Saddling up the Stuttgart Thoroughbreds • A Review of the 2010 HarleyDavidson Softail® Heritage Softail Classic // [inH2O] My Search for the Legendary SS Waratah 1909, Part 1 • Powering to New Heights - Heelside Progressive Edge • Summer Time on the River • Tripping the Mzimvubu River // [inALTITUDE] Effective Flight - The Mechanics of Movement in Freefall • Botswana from a Bird's Eye View • A Beginner's Take on Climbing the Spitzkoppe in Namibia // [inTRODUCING] Why We Board - Sand What?

Shutterstock Image Description: Kiteboarder riding the waves

Words by Philip Sackville-Scott

DO IT NOW | inGEAR: Photos courtesy of www.sackville-safaris.co.za

- one of Africa’s ancient rivers

The Mission: To explore the lower course of the Molopo River from Middelputs on the Botswana border to its mouth on the Gariep (Orange) River, and visit as many 4x4 trails as we could en route.

The Team: Hester and Johan in a Colt, Piet and Carol in a Pajero, Martin and Katrina in a Raider, Bernie and Moira in a Hilux and leaders Philip, Lesley and Karen in a Land Cruiser.

14 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

The Molopo River is an African enigma. It rises out of a natural spring at the eye of Mafikeng and flows above ground for a few hundred kilometres. It then discharges into a series of pans in south western Botswana before emerging as a surface flow just before reaching the Gariep at Riemvasmaak, below the Augrabies Falls. Its overall length is 960 km and it hasn’t flowed in over 100 years.

We assembled at Katakoeroe outside Upington and final preparations were made, fuel and water tanks filled and radios checked.

The convoy of five 4x4’s towing two off-road caravans and lead by 4WD Guide, Philip Sackville-Scott, left Katakoeroe at 09:00 on an icy cold winter’s day heading northwards on gravel roads for Van Zylsrus, 245 km to the north. This leg helped us rediscover our off-road driving techniques, leave the rushed elements of big city life behind us and adjust to the space and pace of overlanding the Kalahari.

Arriving in Van Zylsrus we refuelled and made our way to Leeupan, a hunting and cattle farm where we would spend our first night camping amongst red sand dunes, away from the trappings of civilisation. Having set up camp, we set off into the dunes to explore the farm and get to grips with the nuances of sand driving, especially those that were using the ‘short stick’

(4x4 selector stick) for the first time. Reduced tyre pressure and momentum were key.

The first night of a camping trip under pitch black skies is always the best as one is reminded just how many stars there are and how busy the bush can be at night. Night jars, bats, jackal and the continual buzzing of insect life kept our rapt attention as the campfire burnt down and we turned in for an early night.

Day two saw us leave Van Zylsrus for the real start of our trip as we headed on soft sand tracks towards the Botswana Border Post of Middelputs 40 km away. The birding enthusiasts were a twitter at the prospect of being able to tick off Bateleur and Martial Eagles, whilst hoping for a sighting of African White Backed Vultures (there are 100 breeding pairs near Askam) and Lappet Faced Vultures, which are common to the area.

Just short of the border post lies the turn-off to the start of the river bed track. Initially the track was made up of compacted rock, which made for a very bumpy half-hour ride until we got to the edge of the plateau on the Molopo’s southern bank.

At this stage of its course, it is a dry flood plain 400 m wide in places. We drove down the windy track into the river bed, ending up in a shady copse of acacia trees, a dedicated picnic spot according to Tracks 4 Africa on our GPS. 

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 15

That afternoon we wound our way down the pass in Riemvasmaak to the canyon camp site, where we’d camp for the next two nights. The river at the bottom of the ravine is the Molopo once again. Tall cliffs surround you and the echo of bird calls at dawn was deafening. After settling in, we lounged in the hot spring to soothe the pains and wash away the dust of our dirt-road travels.

The fifth day commenced with a talk on the history of Riemvasmaak and how the original Damara, Nama and Xhosa inhabitants had been forcefully removed in the mid 1970s, as the property was deemed to be of strategic military importance to the defense of the nearby Namibian border. A military base was established and weapons testing took place for the next 20 years until the property was handed back to the original owners in 1995 after one of the first land restitution claims.

The name Riemvasmaak relates to the tale of how the local Damara farmers caught a cattle rustling bushman and tied him to a rock, leaving him overnight to face the elements and his fate. When they returned the next morning, they found that the leather thongs (riem) he had been tied up (vasmaak) with, were miraculously loosed and the man had escaped, seemingly without any assistance.

... this legendary river gave our group such joy as we journeyed down her now dry bed ...

From here, we turned west and drove downstream along the meandering river bed and encountered large herds of springbok. The track gradually widened and became smoother the further we went, indicating a return to some form of civilisation. We continued to the Bokspits Border Post turn-off and not far down this road is where you’ll find the well known watering hole and camp site Molopo Lodge. Fuel is available here and having just driven 240 km, we observed the golden rule of overlanding: always fill up when it’s available as the next garage may be out of stock.

We continued south to Loch Maree, where we would camp for the next two nights amongst more red sand dunes. On arrival at the bush camp we were delighted to see two giraffe browsing off the tree tops. The next two nights were the most unpleasant of the trip as we endured a howling gale that uprooted tents, unseasonal rain and if that wasn’t enough, the temperature plunged to -8°C! Day three was a beautiful sunny winters day and we set out to explore the Loch Maree hunting and cattle farm. Amazing features are two immense salt pans which are commercially mined for their salt. If you didn’t know how to drive on sand at the start of the day, you learnt quickly enough. Exiting the large pan, the track led to a picnic spot with a panoramic vantage over the pan to the east and what seems like the whole Kalahari to north, east and west of you. We saw gemsbok, springbok and numerous birds.

Leaving Loch Maree on day four we headed south on the longest leg of the journey, a 310 km stage to Kakamas for fuel and provisions. It seems strange for city folk to regard Kakamas as anywhere near resembling a return to civilisation, but that is how we felt midway through our journey. I mean bottle stores, shops, ATM’s and lots of smooth tar!

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Setting off on the 4x4 trails we naturally followed the Molopo route.

This was the most difficult, and much fun was had as we drove down the two mountain passes, over wash– aways and heavily eroded sections.

The track soon met up with the course of the Molopo and the ravine gave way to a wide ancient flood plain. The fine dried silt billowed up in huge clouds behind the vehicles as we passed on our way to the Gariep.

Many amazing features were visible en route, such as the dried waterfall with its smooth rock ledge over which flood waters must have flowed for many generations. The entire area is rich in geological formations and minerals. Rose quartz, the size of soccer balls, litter the landscape and there was a powerful mystical feel about the place.

The Gariep itself hides behind a curtain of acacia trees, but once we’d found a gap we made our way to the cool green waters and enjoyed a leisurely lunch on her banks. Driving the return loop away from the Gariep took us into the village of Riemvasmaak, where we bought some firewood and bread before heading back to camp for a potjiekos supper.

for performing a winching operation, the team safely changed the wheel while I reversed back up the hill to turn my vehicle safely around! This was an operation in itself.

Safe winch operation practices include wearing gloves and opening the bonnet to protect the windscreen and yourself. Only the operators of each vehicle should be inside and everyone else at least twice the winch distance away from the operation.

A dampening weight should be slung over the cable to sap its energy in case the cable snaps, and only high-strength bow shackles should be used. High specification recovery points must be fitted to both vehicles. One person must be in charge and all others should refrain from uttering advice. Lastly, don’t rush it. Plan carefully and review what you have achieved at each stage.

With the recovery safely over and equipment stowed away, we proceeded to enjoy a most memorable day’s 4x4’ing.

And that’s our story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

We had met nine days earlier as relative strangers and experienced the unique features of the Kalahari, helping each other through difficult situations. At the end, we parted as firm friends.

If you have the opportunity to explore off-road destinations, don’t waste time thinking about it. Jump at it and DO IT NOW! •

Our mission was accomplished. We had traced the lower course of the ancient Molopo. Thousands of years ago, this great African river provided many villages and vast herds of game with sweet life-giving water. It was at one time the ancestral home to the Barolong Tribe. More recently, this legendary river gave our group such joy as we journeyed down her now dry bed.

It is our wish that we’ll live long enough to see the effects of global warning reversed so that the world’s great rivers, such as the Molopo, are able to flow once more.

On day six we travelled from Riemvasmaak via the Blouputs Bridge to Augrabies. There was a strong flow over the falls at the time, making for some dramatic photos and a pleasant amble along the wooden walkways. That afternoon, we set off for Daberas Adventures, a nearby 4x4 trail and camp site situated west of the Augrabies National Park, for our last two nights.

The next day was spent driving the Daberas 4x4 trails, which presented another highlight to a trip full of highlights. The serious section of the trail, and one that only vehicles with rear diff lock should attempt, is a long steep incline up to Aubrey’s Viewpoint.

The track is full of loose rocks the size of bowling woods, which made for limited traction. Then there were cross-axles and erosion furrows that tended to pull the wheels into their grips. The Hilux in our group suffered a flat wheel halfway up and in the most difficult section. Initially we thought we could plug the cut and re-inflate the tyre sufficiently for it to be driven to the top. Unfortunately the tyre had become unseated from the bead. Two ratchet straps were placed around the circumference of the tyre on the flat surface, then tightened as far as possible and the tyre inflated using a 12volt compressor. The straps forced the side walls of the tyre to seat correctly onto the bead, so job done. Or so we thought!

Unfortunately the plugs kept blowing out of the long slice in the sidewall, so the only option remaining was to fit the spare, but not in this dangerous position.

I had to drive my Land Cruiser back down the slope and winch the stricken Hilux onto more level ground where we could safely change the wheel. Observing all of the accepted safety measures

Philip Sackville-Scott runs Sackville Safaris, which specialises in family orientated self drive 4x4 camping trips to out of the way destinations in South Africa. An experienced and respected member of the 4x4 community, Philip is the current Chairman of the 4 Wheel Drive Guides Association. For more information check out www.sackville-safaris.co.za.

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 17

by Dave Griffin DO IT NOW | inGEAR: Words Photos by Jude Wordsworth

It amazes me how few people know of the wonders and beauty that the Eastern Transvaal has to offer.

Often in conversation I would mention that I was off to ET, as it’s also known by, and I would be met with a blank stare as if to say where is that exactly? on this visit I arranged to take the new KTM SMT (Super Motared Tourer), 2010 Adventure R and my trusty old 2008 990 Adventure R along.

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ET is a nature lover’s paradise, their little Eden or place of refuge. From wildlife, cycling, fishing and even motorsport, ET has it all. It’s a shame that the world knows of the Kruger National Park, but travel straight past the almost unbelievable beauty of Sabie, Graskop and Hazyview, which are some of the most interesting and exciting places to visit. Exciting you may say is a tad adventurous word to use but allow me, for a moment, to guide you through the long and winding corners of the 22, or the sweeping bends of Long Tom Pass and perhaps the tight and technical Robbers Pass.

rider comfort. But hey, who am I kidding; it’s all about enjoyment!

So where do I find a tyre that offers all of the above? At Metzeler.

Imagine that you are on the world’s smoothest rollercoaster switching from left to right, seamlessly higher and higher before the road drops and disappears into the hills below you.

Your stomach fills with a thousand butterflies as you dive into a whirlpool of twists and turns, and that’s not even a real taste of what ET has on offer.

Without delay I was off to Pro Action to finalise arrangements for the demo bikes, before popping past AMP, the importers of Metzeler and Dave Gunning, for my tyre of choice.

My passion for new adventures is insatiable and I am always in search of any reason to enjoy ET’s roads, views, community and revel in God’s beauty. Any reason at all!

KTM recently introduced the SMT (Super Motard Tourer) and prior to that the 990 Adventure R (upgraded motor, suspension and cosmetic identification to the standard Adventure). My search was over. So with minimal effort I arranged to take two demo bikes on a road test, some new rubber and planned a weekend of fun and exploration. But being of a complex nature, I have included a tyre review simultaneously.

Being fairly heavy on rubber consumption myself, I find that tyre choice is crucial to safety, longevity, environment and

The new Sportec M5 Interact has to be the weapon of choice as its praises are sung from the heavens above.

I also used this opportunity to benchmark my 2008 Adventure 990 against the 2010 Adventure R and Adventure SMT. Even though I thought this would be like taking a knife to a gun fight, I was prepared to accept failure and a landslide loss for my 2008 Adventure 990.

Given the types and number of bikes I wanted to test in ET, I had to select a neutral venue; one that would offer comfort and easy access to the basic amenities. After careful consideration I opted for Sabie Star Chalets; a modest, yet interesting and comfortable self-catering venue just outside of Sabie, on the Hazyview Road.

It was also at the start of the 22, which is really why I chose this location. 

Sabie Star Chalets: Tel: +27 79 387 1868, +27 86 565 4824 Email: daphne@sabistar.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 19

The 22 is 22 km of the most phenomenal road known in SA. It is smooth, flowing, elevated and absolutely exhilarating. It offers a combination of fast sweeping bends, tight raised corners and breathtaking drops off’s with awesome views. Devoid of potholes, narrow lanes and treacherous tar, it will challenge the novice and advanced riders equally, ensuring a pleasurable ride and spectacular views (if you have the time to appreciate them).

We drove up on a Thursday afternoon so that we could enjoy all of Friday testing the bikes. However, it seemed that the greatest test of all would be the elements. We had packed for a mild to warm weekend and were met with cold weather conditions of 8°C, which only peaked in the mid teens. It proved to be a trying day for riding but none the less, we set off eagerly on the Adventure R. KTM has the inept ability of designing the ultimate tool that represents your total inability to master a machine. When sitting on the Adventure R, one may have a feeling of inadequacy, BUT let me assure you that this is quickly dispelled as you take off. In fact, the total opposite happens. This KTM instils total confidence in the operator and turns the average rider into a good if not great rider.

At first feel, the Adventure R is noticeably higher than the 2008 Adventure 990, with its raised suspension for enhanced off-road ability. The power delivery is considerably greater and the handling is slightly different as it provides less feel from the road. Having said that, we were amongst some seasoned superbike riders, kitted out to the hilt in a variation of cow and ostrich apparel, who were mostly ridding solo and yet they were unable to maintain the pace and sleekness of the Adventure R, with a pillion to emphasise capabilities and add insult to their injuries. Much to their disappointment, we had effectively proved that Adventure R riding needn’t be boring or slow.

The Adventure R is a machine that has endless capabilities. It will nurture a novice rider and amplify the talents of an expert

20 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

rider, as it is far more forgiving and controllable than a superbike.

When riding the Adventure R you feel invincible and in total control because the feedback from the bike is clear and precise. The power is addictive and even at top speed it feels as if the bike wants to give you more.

Onto the SMT, KTM’s town sport cruiser and a derivative of the very naughty Super Motard. On first impression, the SMT offers a sleek design with a sporty feel and power to match. Cruising on the SMT is effortless. The smooth gear changes and ample torque in any gear makes it a pleasure to ride. Rider and passenger comfort are equal, with ride height and the footrest positioning well suited to a tourer. I really wanted to see the SMT come out on top of the three bikes, and decided to spend the afternoon riding it to Graskop for pancakes.

Fitted with the new Metzeler Sportec M5 Interact tyres, the SMT really came to life and encouraged the boy racer in me to exceed the perceived limits to find trouble. Try as I may, but enjoying it all the way, I’m sorry to report that the Sportec M5 Interact’s limits are far beyond what I could throw at it, even in anger. Throwing caution to the wind and using every trick I knew to get the tyres to let loose or go out of shape, it was all to no avail. These are some serious tyres that feel like race tyres, but last like road tyres. This is thanks to the design of the M5 Interact, which has five zones each of which are specially suited to a specific lean angle, thus providing the utmost grip. These tyres have proved to be the perfect mix for a commuter that does track days. In fact, I will be using these tyres at my next pre-race practice day to set suspension.

There is no better road to ride than the road from Sabie to Graskop.

It is a firm favourite amongst riders as it has a combination of long sweeps with fair straights and surprising little corners that sneak up at pace, but nothing to cause alarm as there is always enough run off to recover. The road cuts through the valley and is shouldered by massive mountains on either side. Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe it. Cold on the other hand is fairly accurate and it was bitterly cold, finger numbing and brain freezing.

We arrived at the Silverspoon Pancake Restaurant feeling decidedly chilly and chose a table next to the heater to thaw out our now-frozen bodies. Although Uncle Harries is a better known spot, we were on a voyage of discovery and had yet to explore the Silverspoon. So the Silverspoon it was.

Whilst devouring a very tasty chicken and mushroom pancake, we discussed the ride and came to the conclusion that the SMT is a versatile bike and will exceed most riders’ expectation of a sports tourer. Push her and it tends to feel faster than it really is, thereby providing an exciting ride. Take it down a notch and she becomes a really smooth and comfortable tourer.

The plan for Saturday morning was to have a mini Isle of Man, well in our case it was a trio of towns; from Sabie to Lydenburg via Long Tom Pass to Graskop via Robbers Pass, and then back to Sabie.

First up was the Adventure R to set the benchmark, then my 2008 Adventure 990 and lastly, the SMT on Sunday morning.

The route took us past God’s Window and a very interesting pub where they brew their own beer. A must-visit for any passerby, they also offer accommodation so don’t get too stressed about enjoying the ale and then having to ride; rather spend the night.

Long Tom Pass is an epic road that displays the breathtaking natural beauty of the surrounding area, and perfect to test the bikes’ ability to cruise at a constant speed without playing the gears like a guitar.

Tech Tip: It’s vital to check your tyre pressure at least every third time you fill your tank because under-inflated tyres will affect the handling and wear. It’s also a good opportunity for you to check your brake pads, fork seals, chain and tyres for any issues. A simple glance will tell you if there is an imminent issue that can be averted.

Safety Tip: Good road sense can make all the difference between having an accident or enjoying your commute. Be a proactive rider rather than a reactive rider. A proactive rider assumes the worst of every possible situation and allows for it by taking the appropriate action, whereas a reactive rider waits for the situation to happen before responding. Ask anyone that has ever had an accident and 90% of them will admit to being too relaxed and weren’t focused at the time.

Robbers Pass quickly became my favourite on the route as it tests the bikes road sense and suspension. The landscape lends itself to the surroundings and pre warns you of the road ahead. Pilgrims Rest has possibly one of the most tempting sections I have ever ridden as the road won’t let you speed, but teases you constantly with a series of switchback corners.

The home stretch from Graskop to Sabie has broken many hearts over the years as it is so easy to forget that you are actually on a public road and not a race track. Pristine tar and phenomenal corners with views to match; what more could you want?

So having completed the trio of testing and feeling somewhat shocked at the outcome, I had to review the results and classify the criteria to assure myself of the conclusion.

The criteria were as follows: Rider comfort, passenger comfort, fun factor, fear factor, speed, handling and overall enjoyment.

The Adventure R is a phenomenal machine on the road and will be 100 times better off road. It has the power to cruise effortlessly and handles like a Super Motard.

The SMT is a dynamic tourer or a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde if you will. It offers a really comfortable ride with effortless control, ample power and often feels so sporty that you forget it’s a cruiser.

So that leaves the trusty old 990 Adventure, the underdog, which came out tops! Let me not confuse the point; each of these bikes are awesome in their own right, but we were looking for an all-rounder touring bike. Something exciting yet comfortable, fast but safe and a pleasure to ride. The Adventure R had the speed and power, while the SMT had the fun and thrill. The 990 Adventure was lacking on paper, but in essence it has enough of everything to ensure an all round success; a truly enjoyable ride.

Ride one without the other and you won’t miss a thing. You’ll love each of them as they are, whether you are an accomplished rider pushing the bike to its limit or a novice enjoying the freedom of two wheels. Regardless of which bike you prefer, one thing remains constant - a weekend in the majestic mountains of ET is best enjoyed on two wheels! •

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 21

by Rocco le Roux DO IT NOW | inGEAR: Words Photos by Angeline le Roux

Saddling up the Stuttgart Thoroughbreds It’s always exciting when like minded people come together and share their passion. So when Jaco Louw invited me on one of his well organised Porsche breakfast runs, I just had to concede.

Standing in the parking lot with a cup of coffee in hand, there before me were seven beautiful 911’s parked abreast. Spanning three decades, these cars are so different from each other, yet seem so alike. Admiring the breathtaking view, I could not help but ponder their humble beginnings ...

When Ferdinand Porsche first envisioned a sports car, he certainly had aspirations of bringing the world a special incarnation of his dreams, but I doubt he was aware of the lasting impact he would have on the world. When the 356 reached the end of its life in the ‘60s, the honour of designing a replacement fell upon Ferdinand’s grandson, Butzi Porsche. The new car was to be called the 901, but after a tiff with Peugeot, which held the rights to all names with a zero in the middle, it was changed to 911.

Up to this point the aging 356 used a modified version of the Beetle engine. Realising that the new car would need improved performance, Porsche designed a six cylinder version of the Beetle engine that Ferdinand had developed for Volkswagen. This had the desired effect and the very first 911 was capable of 0-100 in 8.5 seconds, and topped out at almost 210 km/h. Not bad for the ‘60s!

22 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Driving down the N14 made for quite a spectacle as we fell in behind a small convoy of police cars, with lights ablazing, escorting a VIP to the airport. Looking at the convoy of Porsches in front of me, I noticed how the 911 silhouettes echo each other and with that distinctive hum of the flat six in my ears, I was transported back to the early ‘60s once more.

There are many classic sports cars people love like a family member, Porsche however made this love easy to keep alive due to its sheer drivability and maintainability. One of the biggest success factors of the 911 was its design criteria. It was decreed that the 911 must be drivable as a day-to-day car, possess sports car performance and have a boot big enough to transport a set of golf clubs.

As we got off the highway and onto the not-so-smooth secondary roads towards Hartbeespoort, my mind wondered to the roads we had driven in the last month or so: the school runs, shopping trips and occasional blast down an open road. For a modern car this sounds like an ordinary day, but back in the ‘60s it was extraordinary. Other sports cars of that time were hard and unforgiving to drive, but it was common place to find an owner racing his Porsche on the weekend and then driving it to work on Monday. With a comparatively light clutch and decent road manners, the 911 behaves like a normal road car in traffic and on uneven road surfaces. It is only when you start pushing the limits on a race track when it becomes clear that you are in a precision driving instrument capable of beating purpose-built track cars.

Slicing up the road towards The Cradle of Humankind, we had the opportunity to experience firsthand what Ferdinand Porsche had intended the 911 to do. Corner after corner, the precision handling of my 22-year-old Targa did not disappoint.

Paul in his slightly younger 964 Carrera 4 had a tough time staying ahead of me, while the two 3.3-litre Turbos amazed us with their spectacular acceleration out of the corners. One needs to bear in mind that the 930 Turbo used a four speed gearbox as the five speed box of that era was not strong enough to handle the power generated by the turbo engine.

This made the early turbos much harder to drive than the rest of the 911 line up. It was very much a case of having the power either on or off with not much in between – well, not in Porsche terms anyway.

After mostly car-related discussions over a scrumptious breakfast, we turned towards the N14 once more. Taking care not to push the cars after their engines had cooled down, we slowly picked up the pace again. A candy red Beetle caught my eye as it went past us in the opposite direction and reminded me of the comment I hear from time to time, “The 911 is nothing but a glorified Beetle.” To those of us who love them, it is hardly the insult it’s intended to be as we embrace the 911’s humble beginnings. A quick wave to salute the Beetle and it was time to part as we went our separate ways.

Remembering an occasion from a couple of months ago when my wife, Angeline, and I had the opportunity to drive a brand new Porsche on the skidpan, it came to me just how much the 911 had advanced over the last 50-odd years. From one man’s dream to create a car that would thrill you every time you drove it, to the market leading modern sports car it is today, the 911 has come a long way since its inception.

One of its latest incarnations is capable of reaching 100 in a meagre 3.4 seconds, and it will keep going all the way up to 330 km/h. But this is only a small part of what makes the 911 so popular.

The Porsche passion lies in the details: the sound of the door closing that hasn’t changed over the years; the feel of the steering wheel in your hands; the view over the bonnet as you aim it at the road; and the thrill as it forces you back in your seat with a push of your right foot.

If you do not feel the same admiration for the 911 as I do, do yourself a favour and drive one! 24/7-911. •

Video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=ECX8Ae3iNe0 or search for: “Porsche breakfast run” User: MrRakkerLeRoux

Video on YouTube: http://www.youtube. com:80/watch?v=ECX8Ae3iNe0 Or search for: “Porsche breakfast run” User: MrRakkerLeRoux

& Photos by Francois Steyn DO IT NOW | inGEAR: Words Test bike, courtesy of Harley Davidson Tygervalley

In the world of motorcycling, there are so many different types of bikes to choose from. You get superbikes that are not very practical in the traffic or on some of the potholed rural roads, but great fun on twisty mountain passes and the track. Then there are the adventure tourers.

These dual purpose machines are designed to eat up the miles of less-travelled dirt roads.

And then you get the Harley-Davidson, an antique-looking, underpowered piece of heavy metal, owned by non-bikers with too much money. Or so I thought ...

24 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

other riders won several more championships and broke quite a few records on Harley’s as well.

During World War II, Harley again focused on Army bikes, manufacturing some 60 000 units for the military and received the first of its four Army-Navy ‘E’ awards for excellence in wartime production. After the war it was business as usual and more races were won. Harley-Davidson also started making black leather jackets, still popular amongst riders today.

In 1953, on the 50th birthday of the first legendary Harley-Davidson, the only other US bike manufacturer went out of business, making Harley the sole US bike builder for the next 46 years. In 1960, Harley produced its first scooter and in 1971 its first snowmobile. They built quite a few light-weight two-strokes as well in those years, but later decided to stick to what they do best. Large capacity, ‘retro styled’ bikes with the look and feel of earlier models and customizations of the owners of that time.

More racing commenced and in the 1980s, Scott Parker started racing for Harley and from 1988 onwards won nine national championships in a 10-year period, accumulating a total of 93 wins. In 2001, Jennifer Snyder, at the age of 17, made history on a Harley by becoming the first-ever woman to the win a national event in the National Dirt Track Series.

You see, I tend to generalise when it comes to wheels. If you drive a Ford Telstar, you must own a caravan. Similarly, if you drive a BMW X5, you probably don’t know where Verneukpan or Prieska are. But more often than not, my first impressions are usually shattered upon closer inspection.

I used to only see Harleys on the back of trailers being hauled all the way to Plettenberg Bay for the December holiday, or lined up outside some fancy restaurant on a sunny Sunday morning. The riders were usually all dressed up in funny black attire made from dead cows. For these reasons, I’ve never paid much notice - until I entered a Harley-Davidson dealership, just to have a peek.

At first I was a bit self conscious in my shorts and plakkies amongst these expensive machines, and with no clue about what to ask the salesman when he offered assistance. He convinced me to take a couple of the demo models for a spin - and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s easy to ride, even though you’re sitting in the moviewatching position, and you can turn and stop easily enough. But what surprised me most was the sense of lawlessness it inspires.

You feel like you own the road and everyone must give way. That first meeting with the marque was too brief to make up my mind, so I had to go back.

But first a bit of history …

Harley history In 1901, at the age of 21, William Harley designed an 116cc engine that he planned to put in a pedal-bicycle frame. Together with his friend Arthur Davidson, and with the help of Arthur’s brother Walter, they finished their first motor-bicycle in 1903. It didn’t have enough grunt to power up the hills in their hometown, Milwaukee, so they immediately started work on the very first ‘real’ Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Completed in 1904 and sporting a 405cc engine, it finished fourth in a local race held in town.

In 1905, still building the bikes in the Davidsons’ backyard, three bikes were sold and in 1906 Harley and the Davidson brothers built their own factory, which is still H-D’s headquarters to this day.

Early on they started supplying the police with bikes and during World War I, almost half of all Harley’s went to the Army. It went so well that by 1920 Harley-Davidson was the biggest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.

Harley-Davidson also excelled on the racing scene with a five-year consecutive winning streak in the AMA Grand National Dirt Track Championship in the 1930s, piloted by Joe Petrali. In later years,

In 1980 the chain final drive was replaced by a more reliable belt driven arrangement, which meant lower maintenance and no more messy chain adjustments. By now most Harley’s had a capacity of 1,340cc in a V-twin lay-out and in 1984, the Softail was born.

Styling went back to the hard-tails of the olden days, but now with the rear suspension hidden so as not to spoil the look. This really is what a Harley should look like.

Then in the 1990s the carburetors of the older bikes were dropped to make way for fuel injection, which meant the trademark Harley sound was gone. This can be fixed, however, by fitting aftermarket pipes to the standard machines. 

The ride I opted to test the Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail® Classic as it has the most authentic Harley-like look of the lot today. Then I decided to head for Franschhoek with Tania, my wife, on the back, as that is where I suspected most Harley-types would hang out.

The Heritage Softail® Classic comes standard with lots of chrome, white-walled tyres, a tall windscreen and leather saddle bags.

There’s no mistaking this for anything other than a Harley. It has the new generation 1,584cc fuel injected V-twin with a six-speed gearbox. It’s very relaxing to ride and the power delivery is ultra smooth, yet enough to get you going. The suspension is rather firm, but not at all uncomfortable. Although it is a big, heavy bike, weighing in at a porky 341 kg, it’s not difficult to maneuver through the highway traffic or around town. You really settle into it very quickly … and it leaves you wanting more.

We had breakfast at a wine farm just outside of town and attracted some stares from the other diners. No matter how I’ve judged Harley riders in the past, once you’re on one yourself, you just don’t care what other people think of you. And that’s the beauty of it all; a Harley makes you feel something you just don’t experience on any other bike. It’s hard to explain. It must be the pedigree and history ... and I don’t even like the Americans.

Back on the bike I became more and more at ease. What I like most about the Heritage Classic is its simplicity. There are no fancy computers or digital rev-counters, only one big analogue dial on the fuel-tank that tells you how fast you’re going, a fuel gauge, trip computer and gear indicator. That’s it. You also don’t get ABS (although this is now a standard feature on the 2011 model) or traction control, just a single 292 mm disc up front and one at the rear, which is enough to slow you down once the beast has gained momentum.

Harley lifestyle

2010 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail® Classic Engine

1,584 cc V-twin

Gearbox

Six-speed

Fuel tank

18.9 litre Fat Bob tank

Brakes

292 mm single discs in the front and rear

Front tyre

MT90-16

Rear tyre

150 mm-16

Standard features • Detachable passenger pillion and backrest • Detachable king-size Lexan windshield • Leather saddlebags with quick-detach buckles • Full-length floorboards with heel/toe shift lever • Smart Security System Service intervals

Every 8,000 km

Warranty

24 months

Price

Approx. R255 000 when tested

On the whole this is not a particularly exciting or dynamic bike to ride, but I never once got bored. I really felt at home in the saddle and wouldn’t have minded riding like this for days on end.

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Buying a Harley is so much more than just buying a bike. You can become a member of the HOG Club and the dealerships offer a wide variety of activities for its customers. Harley-Davidson Tygervalley, for instance, regularly hosts rider training days. Sometime just for the ladies. When there’s a big rugby match on, you can watch it at the shop with snacks and drinks, and they also held a concourse day recently for Dyna owners. What’s more, anyone is welcome.

If you have trouble deciding on which Harley-Davidson would best suit you, there is a whole range of new models available as demo’s to test ride. Or you can hire any model for a day or weekend.

And then there are the accessories. No two Harley’s look the same largely because there are just so many extras to choose from. From the smallest of detailed chrome parts or cross bones badges, to leather tassels and sissy bars.

In conclusion I thought my trip to Franschhoek would confirm that this is a bike for the poser who polishes and parks it in his living room, only to take it out on his birthday; but I was wrong. After breakfast we decided to take the long way round to Worcester and Du Toitskloof Pass because I didn’t want to give it back. This really is a bike that should be enjoyed and ridden every day. If you arrive at work on one of these, I can assure you that you won’t be fazed by anything your boss throws at you. Nor would anyone intimidate you. You see, there were lots of bikes I dreamed of owning and none of them were Harley-Davidsons. But when I get onto one, I want it. Not because it’s fun to ride. Not because it’s fast. But because of how it makes me feel. Invincible! •

For more information, visit: www.hd-tygervalley.co.za

Advertorial

“Our stay at Pumula Log Cabins was awesome. It was amazing to hear the sounds of the wild and a jackal howling nearby as we huddled round the fire for warmth against the winter chill, whilst trying to ease the aches and pains from our sore bodies after some seriously fun riding.”

DO IT NOW recently visited Pumula Log Cabins, situated in the heart of the Magaliesburg. The estate boasts 400 hectare of nature to explore and hike in, as well as a variety of fantastic trails for mountain bikers to indulge in.

On arrival, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful log cabins on stilts silhouetting the magnificent tree-topped skyline and the sound of running water. This calming environment immediately put us at peace. We discovered that the stream was man-made and had a beautiful little waterfall flowing into it. The stream snakes its way past all the cabins and ends in a large splash pool. It’s the perfect place for sundowners as you look out over a panoramic view of the surrounding wilderness area. Adjacent to the pool is a large lapa with braai facilities and a 42” plasma TV screen, fridge, microwave and small two-plate stove.

The log cabins were warm and inviting, and equipped with everything you might need to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable.

The grounds are lovely and alive with birdlife, creating a truly relaxing and invigorating bush experience that is only over an hour’s drive from Jo’burg. Pumula also offers mountain biking trails that are perfectly suitable for a family outing or a relaxing and scenic ride.

There are also loads of other exciting mountain bike trails around the Cradle of Human Kind to challenge you, as well as a host of attractions to see. Just five minutes from the cabins, you can go for a thrilling ride on an engineless glider, rock climb, abseil, quad bike and take to the air in a hot air balloon. Or you could visit the amazing Sterkfontein Caves, Maropeng Museum (on the same road as Pumula) and the famous Rhino and Lion Park. Just 30-minutes away, you can experience a unique eco-adventure on a two-and-a-half-hour tour down the spectacular Ysterhout Kloof at the Magaliesberg Canopy Adventure Tour.

Guest testimonials Recent over-night guests to Pumula included eight adventurous riders. They had just one thing on their minds ... mountain biking. It didn’t matter where or how, as long as it was scary and fun!

These 30 something’s eat, sleep and drink mountain biking – it’s what they live for. This is what they had to say about Pumula and the trails.

Says Andrew Watson, “Our stay at Pumula Log Cabins was awesome. It was amazing to hear the sounds of the wild and a jackal howling nearby as we huddled round the fire for warmth against the winter chill, whilst trying to ease the aches and pains from our sore bodies after some seriously fun riding.” Andrew has only been mountain biking for about three months, but has taken to it like a fish to water. “Mountain biking is a great way to keep fit and the adrenalin rush is what gets us up on these chilly winter mornings,” he said.

Dylan Hinde, a seasoned mountain biker who has experienced numerous mountain biking trails throughout South Africa and in Europe over the last 10 years said, “It almost didn’t feel like we were camping in these warm log cabins as they are equipped with everything you need. The 40” plasma screen and DSTV was a real bonus, and us boys thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of just chilling out and watching a good game of rugga. We will definitely come back to this beautiful place soon.”

With so much to do and see at Pumula Log Cabins and the surrounding areas, our stay was turning out to be too short; we needed more time, lots more time, to experience everything on offer.

Contact details: Joha Hanna Tel: 083 453 1437 Email: joha@hannafrica.com www.pumula.net

The DIN team would definitely recommend Pumula Log Cabins to any serious or fun-seeking mountain biker, as well as anyone else who just needs to get away from the rat race.

DO IT NOW | inH2O: Words & Photos by Emlyn Brown

28 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

www.doitnow.co.za ď‚ Adventure >> 29

The Delta subm arine was used be the Nailsea in the 2001 su bmarine dive Meadow, and to the Waratah a series of dive , which turned s on the Ocean out to os off Coffee Bay.

As we cruised just above the wreck, I felt the blood drain from my face. My heart was no longer beating, it was pounding. I chose to ignore the two military tanks, one with its cannon pointing at the sub and the other towards the surface. I looked away from the sight of the many truck tyres still in the hold of the ship and an up turned tank. How could this be? I was in denial!

This was the Waratah. We all knew that. Theory and practice had been tried and tested. Science backed me up here too. Had I slipped up with the manifest and not accounted for the tanks? What had gone wrong? The modern tanks did not match the vintage ones of the Waratah. I was profoundly confused. Looking on in disbelief, how could it be possible that we had come this far only to discover some or other damn ship?

No other wreck has ever showed up within the search grid of the extensive side scan sonar surveys. So how did we miss the Waratah and dive on this unknown wreck? The bridge requested a status and our reply was heard loud and clear by all the crew above. ‘’This is not the Waratah. This is a transport ship of sorts.’’

Twenty-five years of research and expeditions between 1983 and 2001 had just been torpedoed. I had believed, along with so many others, that not only did I have an ‘X’ on the chart; I believed that I knew how it got there, an important component when researching a shipwreck’s presumed location. But not necessarily so, as I and a number of other wreck hunters were to find out.

It all started back in 1982, when I decided to research the loss of the SS Waratah and gathered an incredible amount of information, traced relatives and sourced documents that provided a fascinating insight into the world of the Lund’s Blue Anchor ship, the Waratah, and its possible whereabouts. What was of great interest to me was the fact that all ships named Waratah had vanished or were wrecked between 1848 and 1894. In 1909, the disappearance of the Waratah, Blue Anchor Line’s flagship, made headline news and was cause for deep concern and exhaustive searches to locate the ship.

I devoured vast amounts of technical magazines on anything and everything to do with deep sea exploration and shipwreck

30 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

discovery. In hindsight, the ability to understand this vast and highly specialised subject was to stand me in good stead as I was able to hold conversation and keep from getting ahead of myself.

Knowledge alone is not power, but money and knowledge were the ultimate combination to make my dreams come true.

During my research of the Waratah, I came across other great ships that were of enormous interest to me, such as the Titanic.

I was spellbound with Dr. Robert Ballards’ discovery of the ship in September 1985, and his eventual dive on the submarine Alvin to film the most supreme and spectacular of all shipwrecks.

The salvage of gold from the HMS Edinburgh in the Barents Sea

by Keith Jessop and his team, and the recovered treasure from La Concepcion off the Dominican Republic were other finds that held me equally captivated.

By 1985, I’d had the privilege of meeting Clive Cussler, author of the best selling novel ‘Raise The Titanic’. I even ended up as a character, a marine superintendent, in Cussler’s 2003 novel, Trojan Odyssey. My world of shipwreck research and exploration was becoming a reality because of the fantastic contacts I had made. Then in 1989, a wealthy individual and chairman of a British company made it possible for me to bring the Delta submarine in from the USA to dive on the wreck of the SS Waratah, which I believed I had located beyond all reasonable doubt, in a high-tech operation using the most advanced digital side scan sonar system and navigation available.

The Waratah, a British cargo-passenger vessel built by Barclay Curle & Co in Whiteinch, Glasgow (Scotland) and operated by the Blue Anchor Line, was on a run between England and Australia, by way of the Cape of Good Hope.

The fact that she was not fitted with wireless communications was not unusual for that time, as radio was still very new. Although, no doubt, after the subsequent court of inquiry, Blue Anchor Line must surely have wished that a radio telegraphy facility had been installed.

The SS Waratah was a 500 ft steamer that was sometimes referred to as ‘Australia’s Titanic’. It disappeared off South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope late in July 1909 with the loss of all 211 persons on board — no bodies, lifeboats, wreckage or shipboard items of any kind was ever found, making this one of the best-known examples of a ship lost entirely without trace.

Nailsea Meadow

Oceanos

The disappearance of the ship remains one of the most baffling nautical mysteries of all time. Under the command of Captain Ilberry, the Waratah set sail from London on 27 April 1909 for her second trip to Australia. Upon reaching her destination, she landed her passengers at Sydney, loaded some 6,500 tons of cargo and then set out for Durban, South Africa, where she took on coal before proceeding back to Australia. This trip was uneventful. On 1 July 1909, she set out from Melbourne on a return journey to the South African ports of Durban and Cape Town, and was then to return to London. It was whilst in Durban that an interesting incident occurred. A businessman by the name of Claude G. Sawyer, who had booked his passage home from Australia to England, suddenly left the vessel. He took himself and his luggage ashore, despite the fact that he had no business affairs to attend to in Durban. It was heard that the reason for Mr. Sawyer’s departure was because of recurring bad dreams. Night after night the vision that had come to him in his bunk had terrified him into wakefulness. He claimed he had seen, on three occasions, the vision of a man with a long sword in a peculiar dress. He was holding the sword in his right hand and it was covered in blood. This haunting vision was enough for Mr. Sawyer to pack his bags and hastily leave the ship.

Interestingly enough, a book has just been published by Cape Town author MJ Honikman and was titled ‘The Mystery of the Waratah and the Avocado Tree’. The avocado tree featured, which I have seen, was grown from seedlings that Claude Sawyer had brought with him in 1909. A local television production is soon to be filmed and is based on the book and my research.

The Waratah left for Cape Town, some 800 miles away, on the evening of July 26 1909 with 211 passengers and crew onboard.

On 27 July, it passed the ship Clan McIntyre and later that day the weather deteriorated quickly, as is common in that area. A gusting wind reaching 50 knots (90 km/h) combined against the tide and ocean swell, to build massive waves of up to 30 ft (9 m) high. That evening, the Union-Castle Liner Guelph passed a ship and exchanged signals by lamp, but due to the bad weather and poor visibility, they were only able to identify the last three letters of her name as ‘T-A-H’.

Oceanos

Oceanos

The same evening, a ship called the Harlow saw a large steamer coming up astern of her, working hard in the heavy seas and making a great deal of smoke; enough to make the Harlow’s captain wonder if the steamer was on fire. When darkness fell, the crew of the Harlow could see the steamer’s running lights approaching, but was still 10–12 miles behind them when suddenly there were two bright flashes from the vicinity of the steamer and then the lights vanished. This was to be the last reported sighting of the Waratah.

Expected to reach Cape Town on 29 July 1909, the Waratah never reached its destination and no trace of the ship was ever found.

Two days later, the Clan MacIntyre reported that the weather had been unusually bad with fierce winds and ‘tremendous seas’. It was the southern hemisphere’s winter but nevertheless, she and other vessels in the area had come through safely. The Master of the Clan MacIntyre told the Board of Inquiry that when the Waratah was sighted on July 27, she was not listing and neither was she rolling unduly in the heavy weather. The reason for her complete disappearance has never been satisfactorily explained, although there were persistent rumours that the vessel was unstable. What we do know is that this fascinating ship sailed into the twilight world of legend.

Look out for the second part of my search for the Waratah between 1983 and 2001 in the next issue of DO IT NOW. 

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 31

by Perino Hannack DO IT NOW | inH2O: Words Photos courtesy of Liquid Force

Powering to New Heights Learning how to edge progressively is one of the most important skills in wakeskating and wakeboarding.

Virtually every trick uses a progressive edge as it’s the key to getting the most height possible, while staying under control. Every boarder should take the time to learn how to edge progressively as it’ll help out in the long run. Here’s how to perform a sassy heelside progressive edge.

32 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Step 3: Continue to build a harder edge by leaning back further and applying more pressure to your heels.

How much you crouch down is up to you, just make sure you keep the handle in tight and edge hard.

Step 4: As you approach the top of the wake, this is where you need to stand tall. Keep the line tension taut by holding the handle in tight to your hips. Standing tall, keeping your weight evenly spread over both feet and the line tight is what generates your pop (air). You don’t want to ollie or physically jump.

Step 5: To help control your pop, continue to keep the rope in tight with your eyes focused on the horizon.

You are now ready for a whole new world of tricks and some serious fun! • First, let’s define what we mean by a progressive edge. A progressive edge is when you edge on your board and build up the amount of edge slowly so that you reach your maximum edge at the same time as you reach the top of the wake. By ‘maximum edge’ I mean that your speed and line tension are at their greatest when you reach the wake.

Now, think of how a pendulum swings. As it swings out to its highest point, the ball on the pendulum is moving at its slowest. When it swings back towards the bottom, it starts out slowly and builds up speed ‘progressively’ until it’s at its fastest at the bottom. In boarding terms, the boarder is the ball cutting out wide and you want to wait for the boat to begin pulling you back in towards the wake. As it starts to pull you in you start edging in, in the proper body position, and build your edge so that it’s at its greatest as you reach the wake, which is now the bottom in our pendulum example.

Steps to Performing a Heelside Progressive Edge Step 1: The setup for a progressive edge is to casually cut out about 3-5 m outside of the wake on your heelside. Stand tall, keep the handle in tight and just ride straight while waiting for the boat to naturally pull you back in towards the wake. Resist the urge to begin your edge earlier than that.

Step 2: As the boat starts pulling you in, lean back and begin to put pressure on your heels. You want an even amount of weight on both feet, while focusing intently on keeping the handle low and in tight to your body. Stay relaxed.

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 33

by Deon Breytenbach DO IT NOW | inH2O: Words Photos by various photographers

Summer Time

Chris huddle in a Shorti dry top and board shorts. Photo by Deon Breytenbach.

With winter behind us, it’s time to shift your focus from paddling in icy conditions and gear up for those long, hot summer days on the river and bigger volumes of water.

When paddling in winter and summer you need to be prepared for slightly different scenarios, but there are some basics that remain the same such as having the correct trip information, leaving that information and itinerary with someone who is not going with and can send help if needed and adequate nutrition. But that’s where it stops. The rest of your gear and preparations need to change for summer conditions. So, let’s take a look at your gear, water and snacks requirements.

Head: Your head remains one of your body’s biggest heat-loss zones. In winter we cover it up, but now we need to keep it cool.

Vented helmets are best for summer and one with a bit of a peak is even better. If your helmet doesn’t have vents, please don’t cut your own, rather just roll every once in a while to keep your head cool and wet. If your helmet doesn’t have a peak, you can purchase a

34 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

peak that attaches with a velcro strip or glue a foam peak onto your helmet. The velcro version looks much better though.

Top choices: WRSI Trident (2011 release), Predator Lee or Trinity helmets, and for full cut protection the WRSI Vented helmet.

Torso: In summer you need to protect yourself against sunburn, heat stroke and sometimes the cold. Even in summer the weather can get chilly and wind-chill during rain storms or cloudy days can chill you to the bone. It might be too hot to paddle with a dry top on, but always keep something for wind protection in your dry bag.

More importantly, any bit of skin that is exposed to the sun must get a decent coating of sunscreen. There is only one real option, Island Tribe Clear Gel sunscreen with two choices of 30 or 40 SPF, but rather go for the 40 SPF as you are on the river to paddle and not to get a tan.

 Top Left: Deon Breytenbach running Curtain Falls main line. Photo by Luke Longridge.

 Top: Christo and Luke in Shorti tops.

Photo byLelani Boshoff.  Left: Olifants rafting, kayak paddler MJ Kuhn.

Photo by Deon Breytenbach

Top choices: For base layers, either a rash vest or light weight thermal top. There is a huge range of rash vest options available from the surf shops and they will all do the job. The only real choice will be long or short sleeves. For light thermals, the Quick Wick tops from First Ascent or the Peak Uk Rashy are by far the most comfortable and best performing options.

For wind and rain protection, a light dry or semi dry top is the best option. There are some wind shells available on the local market that are sold for water sports like the Kag by Tripper and are best suited for non white water paddling. They do not seal properly and tend to balloon in the current making it difficult and dangerous to swim. The best option would be to use any of the Tourlite range from Peak Uk. The ultimate option is the Combi Short from Peak Uk. Use it as a short sleeve dry top and keep the sleeves in the chest pocket so that if the weather turns nasty, you can cover your arms with the Titanium Neoprene sleeves for full-length protection.

PDF: Your choice of a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is vital as you will always need to wear one. When shopping for new gear, have a look around for PFDs that can accommodate a hydration system, sunscreen and snacks. Top choices are the Peak Uk Adventure Vest or Extreme Thrombi. Both have front pockets for all your goodies and can take hydration systems on your back.

Legs: In summer you should be fine on most rivers with board shorts, but once again if the weather man says it might get chilly or the water temperature is low, then give your winter thermals a wash and use them underneath your boardies to stay toasty. First Ascent has some good choices either from the Quick Wick or Polypropylene ranges, or you could also opt for neoprene shorts that are available at most surf shops. Peak Uk have super tough river shorts called Bagz, and for those rainy days any of the Neoskin leg products will do the trick.

Footwear: In summer you won’t have to worry too much about keeping your feet warm, but you do have to protect them. For instance, the rocks can get exceptionally hot during the day and

burning the soles of your feet is no joke. You also want to be prepared for paddling in areas with thorn trees, so make sure your footwear offers some protection against penetration from below.

My favourite option remains the Five Fingers KSO, but there are other good options available from Hi-Tec. For sandals, check out Rocky Creek or Temple. Your normal booties will be fine but can get very hot, especially inside a kayak or during portages.

Kayak: Your choice of kayak will depend on your paddling style and also the section of river you are paddling on. One thing you must make sure you have is proper flotation. Flotation bags help your kayak to float when you go swimming by keeping some of your boat water free. This allows the kayak to stay closer to the surface and lessens the chance of it being pushed underneath something. The bags also make recovering the kayak that much easier. Flotation bags can be purchased in most paddling shops and if you can’t find any, then a good old ‘pap sak’ inflated and shoved behind your seat will also suffice. Try and keep your kayak in the shade when you take a break as the plastic can become extremely hot.

Liquids: It’s super easy to become dehydrated in summer as you are wet the whole time and don’t notice how much you sweat.

Remember, you lose more than just water; salts and minerals also disappear and increase the chances of muscle cramps, fatigue and dehydration exponentially. So make sure that whatever you are drinking contains some extra goodies. Game powder mix is still one of the best options to keep you hydrated.

Most of our summer rainfall rivers become very muddy and you can’t drink the river water without proper filtration. If you are going on a multi-day or long single-day paddle, it’s not always possible to take enough drinking water with, so you need to ensure the water is properly filtered. Katadyn make some of the toughest and best filters in the world and are available locally, which makes servicing or finding spares a breeze. My favourite filter is the Vario for those long multi-day trips. The Base Camp gravity filter is ideal for larger volumes needed in camp. •

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 35

by Claire King DO IT NOW | inALTITUDE: Words Photos by Bertus de Beer

There is so much more to skydiving than just jumping out of an aircraft. Those that do just that will find themselves soon growing bored or frustrated from simply being at the mercy of gravity and the wind until it is time to open their parachute, and give up pretty quickly.

Part of the fun of this sport comes from maneuvering your body, interacting with others and being able to execute intentional moves. To do this requires the ability to effectively change speed and direction, as well as purposefully fly to someone, stop and perhaps reach out and take something with your hand, all the while maintaining control of your body and limbs without being blown all over the place. To this end, gravity is really important – it creates a relative wind with which to power your turns and movement. If you’re battling to control your flight effectively or you don’t get invited on

jumps anymore, your jumps don’t go according to plan or you’ve given up on the whole planning process all together and play each jump by ear, this article can help you. If you’re just interested in how we use wind to do so much in just 50 seconds of freefall, this will hopefully prove interesting to you too.

For the purpose of this article, I have used advanced formation skydiving techniques as everyone starts out in a belly-to-earth position, so the concepts are familiar and the principles apply to all disciplines and axes of flight.

Burble - Area of low air pressure above a descending skydiver caused by a person in freefall or a canopy in flight.

Source: www.kturby.com/skydive/terms

Relative wind

Falling fast towards the earth creates a relative wind, which is always ‘blowing’ from the ground towards and past your body. The exception is just after exit, but that is not important to the concepts being explained as your body deflects that air.

When you learn to skydive, keeping your body symmetrical is key to staying stable and ‘still’ during freefall. Once you are able to remain stable in the airflow, you need to start using asymmetry to manipulate the airflow and use it to power your movement and turns. In much the same way as yachts use their sails’ angles with the wind, we use our body parts.

There is obviously much more to movement and turns than what I have covered in this overview, but use this as a starting point to improve your flight and understanding of how much more you can achieve in your skydives. They are also good basics to remind ourselves of from time-to-time, and return to them when trying to fix pesky problems, advance a little further or try something new.

 Pitching your upper body high (upwards) creates a ‘sloped’ surface that deflects more air towards your head than to your feet. As long as you hold that position, you will be pushed backward.

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 In a ‘neutral’ position you want air to deflect evenly so you don’t move forward or backward, or turn unintentionally.

 Pitching your upper body low (downwards) creates a ‘reverse slope’ on your main deflection surface and thus causes the opposite effect; you move forward.

When using your body surfaces for wind deflection, you are not only able to initiate a turn, you can also fine tune it in various ways such as by changing the centre point of that turn. Do you want to rotate about your navel, your head or your knees?  Creating an angled surface with your arms while your legs retain even deflection through a neutral position causes your upper body to be blown sideways. If your knees stay static, your upper body will naturally swing around them. So raising your right elbow and dipping your left elbow will result in a left turn of your upper body.  Switching elbow positions, by raising your left and dipping your right, will stop that turn and, if held, will initiate a turn back to the right.

The same concept as above can be used with your legs to turn your lower body. The angled deflection surface is created by raising one knee higher than the other.  Raising one knee automatically causes that leg to extend a bit too. It should extend out to the side rather than just straight back.  Dipping a knee works as well, but is less effective as explained later.

If you combine the upper body turn with a leg turn, whilst balancing the input of each for equal power from both sides, you can effectively turn around your navel or slide your whole body sideways across the sky.  By ‘sending’ you upper body right (using your arms) while ‘sending’ your lower body left with equal force (using your legs), will result in you rotating right on the spot.  ‘Send’ your upper and lower body in the same direction (by deflecting air to the right or left of you, using your arms and legs) and your whole body will move across the sky in a side slide.

These concepts form the basics of purposeful movement while skydiving. Subtle balancing of asymmetry in varying degrees and combinations will fine tune these basic turns into accurate, effective and purposeful maneuvers in freefall. Although I have used formation skydiving examples, the principles remain the same for freeflying. Keeping in the formation arena, remember the following tips for more effective and efficient results.

Keep your ‘T’

 This is the perpendicular angle formed by your spine and shoulder-to-shoulder line. Bending or twisting your spine, shifting your shoulders (e.g. an uneven shrug) spills air unnecessarily and thus wastes air that could be channelled to power your move. Less air used for purposeful deflection means lower force with which to effect the move. Keep your spine straight and always maintain a 90degree angle where it meets your shoulder line. When you turn your head, keep your spine straight and shoulders controlled.

For the same reason as above, keep your legs close together

 Although wide legs increase your stability, they will cost you in maneuverability (think of a bus compared to a F1 car). Wide legs spill air wastefully between them. You want to channel as much air as possible in a single direction for each intentional deflection – the more air you ‘channel’, the smaller the movement you will need to make to achieve the move, and thus less effort is required for flight. With wider legs, you have to raise them more to get the same effect with closer legs. It’s also a lot harder to give leg input when your legs are wide, especially whilst retaining your arch and not popping your buttocks up.

Lastly, retain your arch

 Cupping air depressurises the area and the air no longer ‘blows’ smoothly and consistently across it. It’s a bit like flying your canopy through turbulent air or your body though someone else’s burble. It is inconsistent with characteristic flight through clean air, and harder to harness and use productively. This is why raising a leg is more effective than dipping the other leg. Dipping your leg inevitably pops your buttocks up, causing a depression in your groin for air to be caught in.

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 37

by Corlia Malan DO IT NOW | inALTITUDE: Words Photos by Marisa Swanepoel

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Botswana

from a Bird’s Eye View Experiencing Botswana is great, but experiencing Botswana from 500–4,000 feet above ground is UNBELIEVABLE! 

Our church, the NHK Gaborone, hosted its second fundraising fly-in safari in Botswana and my husband, Heinrich, and I were fortunate to be invited along. We were incredibly excited about the trip and couldn’t wait to embark on our safari adventure. Then a week before we were due to leave, we heard through the grapevine that our plane had been grounded after an emergency landing. Our joy turned to despair as we saw our adventure come to a bitter end before it had even begun. Fortunately a backup plan was put in place and was on condition that we packed lightly – no problem!

Our expedition kicked off with a spitbraai at De Wet Drilling so that we could familiarise ourselves with the 2010 flying squad. There were 43 passengers departing on 14 airplanes and two helicopters, of which nine airplanes were from South Africa. It was a diverse group of people of all ages and from places such as Nelspruit, Hoedspruit, Pongola, Piet Retief, Secunda, Gauteng, Cape Town and Botswana.

Early the next morning we heard the communal roar of engines from the Cessna 206s and 182s, Beach Craft Bonanzas, turbo prop (Boere Boeing’s), Robbinson R44 Chopper’s, a Piper Cherokee, a Husky, a Fox and a Bantam as they lined up to take off from the Matsieng 800 m dirt strip, approximately 50 km north of Gaborone.

Later, we stopped for a fuel refill and to have breakfast at Kwalata Ranch, close to the Groblersbrug Border Post. Reinard Eubel, who was piloting the Fox, won the spot landing competition for landing his plane’s wheels closest to a line on the runway.

Back in the air again and cruising just below the clouds, we had a spectacular 360° view of the wilderness and animals running below us. As a feeling of incredible peacefulness washed over me, I knew this trip was going to be unforgettable. There is nothing quite like viewing game from the sky. As we passed over the local communities in a chopper, it was quite amusing to see the effect our bird had on the livestock below. Chickens were frantically darting left and right as they ran for their lives, whilst the cows merely turned their heads in our direction with a bored look. Further on, we saw giraffes loping gracefully into the cover of the lush vegetation, elephants and many different types of buck.

To the Chobe River We travelled along what seemed like endless miles towards Kasane, a small village that is the meeting point of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The panorama of the Chobe, with its twists and turns through swamps of wide reed and papyrus beds, sometimes forming hidden lagoons filled with water lilies, was truly breathtaking. We stayed for two nights at the Chobe Marine Lodge, which overlooked the river, and it was from this point onwards that our group would be plagued by plane trouble. Guallume Knipe, in a Cessna 206, joined us a day later at Chobe Marina Lodge as result of contaminated fuel. The evenings were loads of fun with prizes being given for the highlight and lowlight of the day, fastest and slowest plane, last man standing, best co-pilot under stress and anything else we could conjure up.

Victoria Falls – BONUS! A couple from Piet Retief, Anton and Suzette Appleton, invited us to join them on a bonus day out to the Vic Falls. We entered on the Zambian side at Livingstone and received a very warm welcome.

We hired a black bag and rain jacket with fake crocs to cross the bridge, and what an amazing sight it was; the water spray came from all directions and felt like energy filling your spirit. Thereafter, we took a scenic flight over the falls. What a fantastic day!

One afternoon the flying squad took a boat cruise on the Chobe River through the Chobe National Park and encountered Africa's wild animals up close and personal. We saw hippos, a Nile Crocodile, which has a fearsome reputation, and a leopard cunningly stalking a large Monitor Lizard. We also saw plenty elephant and buffalos. During dinner, we were entertained with

40 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

a fascinating talk on bush flying by Guy Leitch from SA Flyer magazine, and there was also an equally interesting talk on the elephants of Chobe National Park in Botswana, by Dr. Mike Chase who filmed the documentary ‘Elephants without Borders’. He told us that Botswana is a temporary haven for some of these animals and over time, they will return to countries such as Angola, which was effected by a fierce bush war.

To the Okavango Delta Our next destination was to the ‘Botswana sea’s of land, land of sea’.

Otherwise known as the Delta, it was in flood due to uncommonly high rainfalls this year. This time it was Callie Holl’s turn to leave his airplane behind due to contaminated fuel. The elephants acted like hippos and the hippos just minded their own business. Whilst flying, we always kept a wary eye out for vultures and eagles because if we hit one at 220 km an hour, it could have been disastrous for both the vulture and aviators. Landing at Shakawe Airport, a small tarred strip on the rim of the Okavango Delta, we made our way to a ferry and houseboat for our transfer to Shakawe Fishing Camp. With a lively bunch on board, the cruise turned out to be lots of fun – for some more than others, who to this day still insist that the threehour cruise was only half an hour. This cruise also proved to be a great opportunity to do some fishing in the river, where a number of tigerfish were caught after a commendable fight, and then released back into their natural habitat. That evening everyone gathered around the campfire for dinner and to listen to Tim Liversedge, director and film producer for National Geographic, speak about the lions of the Kalahari, where he had captured footage of the most dramatic lion action ever seen. This can be seen in his Imax film ‘Roar’. He also was the maker of another excellent film ‘Haunt of the Fish Owl’. Another enjoyable evening was had by all with the singing of old folk songs with a twist, over excellent vino and much laughter.

Tuli Block We rose before dawn in preparation of another enchanting day.

Being a passenger on this fly-in safari had its own benefits as you never knew where you were going next or when, nor with whom you were going to fly with. This meant that we got the opportunity to fly in a different aircraft, with different members of the group everyday. It was also really interesting to see how each pilot had his own way of doing the pre-flight checks, and you had to listen really carefully to hear what the instructions were from the airport towers – to me, some of the commentary didn’t really sound like English, but thankfully the pilots knew what was going on.

Once again our game viewing from the air was spectacular. We stopped in Maun for lunch, only to find out that our choppers had been unjustifiably grounded by the tower. But where there is a will, there is a way and once more we were airborne. We passed the magnificent Makgadikgadi Pan and you will never believe the size of this pan until you have seen it from up in the air - it stretches for kilometres. Then there was a problem with the plane my husband was travelling on and as a result, he could not join us at luxurious Mashatu Game Reserve, located in the southern/central region of Botswana. Mashatu Game Reserve boasts the largest elephant population (almost 900) on private land in the world. However, we had seen so many elephants by this stage that we decided to go a game drive instead in search of other wildlife. We saw some Spotted Hyenas, a society which is dominated by females, and we were also very fortunate to see lions. Entering the camp we heard hyenas laughing close by – too close by! As luck would have it, the power went off in my room and with no telephone and only a blowing signal horn on hand, it was a bit scary to have to sleep on my own. Earlier in the evening, we had a braai and were entertained by some traditional dancers; all the while my husband was still on the house boat in Shakawe. Definitely not a bad place to be as this houseboat, the Kubu Queen, has catered for many of Prince William’s private parties, including his 21st. Our last evening was spent at the Kwalata Ranch tented camps. We enjoyed a bush braai underneath some big trees next to the Limpopo River and held the last of our prize giving ceremonies, signalling the end of our 2010 NHK fly-in safari.

The fly-in safari was very well organised by the project team; they went out of their way to make it enjoyable for all and I would jump onboard again in a heart beat. •

Here are some of the valuable lessons I learnt from this awesome trip:  There are so many circumstances that can alter your plans so my advice is, get up there and enjoy the flight.  Africa works on Africa time.  If something does not work out, there is always a way around it in Africa.  Travel lightly.  If you finish a bottle of wine around a campfire, watch out for tree stumps and be prepared to experience some nausea on the next day’s flight.  Take as many pictures as you can and swop them with the other photographers in your group.  Life is an adventure, so Delta Oscar, India Tango, November Oscar Whisky - DO IT NOW. Roger Over!

For more information contact corlia@jikaevents.co.za or +267 747 89465 and I will direct you to the project team.

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 41

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by Francois Flamengo DO IT NOW | inALTITUDE: Words Photos by Wynand Smit & Elri Flamengo

Being novices to climbing did not stop Elri and I from joining our friends Wynand and his wife Pietré, both experienced sport climbers, on a remarkable climbing adventure in Namibia.

My past experiences have taught me that the quickest way to excel in a new sport is to jump in at the deep end and find your way to the top, under the guidance of more experienced people, obviously.

This will push you to keep up with them and allow you to ‘steal’ many useful skills by just observing them. So when the opportunity to visit Spitzkoppe in Namibia and climb some world-renowned routes presented itself, Elri and I did not hesitate for a moment. We eagerly accepted the invitation.

The Spitzkoppe between Usakos and Swakopmund is also described as the ‘Matterhorn of Namibia’. The granite is more than 700 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1,784 metres (5,857 feet) above sea level. The Spitzkoppe is by no means Namibia’s highest mountain, however, due to its striking outlines, it is regarded as the most well-known mountain in the country. Situated in an endless, dry plain, the island of mountains can be seen from far away. Source: www.namibia-travel.net and Wikipedia.

42 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

This is a beginner’s take on climbing the Spitzkoppe, and although it was intended to be a short article, the trip and what we experienced calls for me to take you on a detour.

We arrived at Walvis Bay International at midday, having flown in from Johannesburg via Cape Town. There are direct flights, for those interested, but none that suited our specific travel plans.

After passing through border control and collecting our bags, we received a warm welcome from our friends who were waiting for us with a sign board that read ‘Gouda’! If you follow the TV series ‘How I Met your Mother’, you will understand the meaning behind this and appreciate their humour. And before you could say ‘climbing Spitzkoppe’, we were on our way.

When planning our trip, we decided that camping at Spitzkoppe was not an option due to the logistics of organising camping gear on a fly-in trip. Instead, we opted to stay at Hohenstein Lodge, which was only ‘20 km’ away from this climbing mecca. The 20 km turned out to be more than 50 km and the lodge was situated at the foot of the Erongo Mountain Range.

Anyway, we decided to make the most of our one-night stop over and were pleasantly surprised by the outstanding service and entertainment offered by our hosts. This all started with a glass of

fresh apple juice at reception on arrival and was followed by an invite to go on a sunset cruise and then enjoy a cold one at their bar, which has a great view over the farm … how could we turn down such an offer!

The cruise was entertaining and hosted by a well-educated tour guide who told us about the wildlife and trees in the area. The day concluded on a high note with live music provided by the cook and staff, after a delicious dinner! Might I add their show was very good.

S21° 50.141 E015° 09.991 S21° 49.832 E015° 10

The next morning started early and after a quick breakfast we checked out with our speciallyordered lunch packs, as there weren’t any restaurants where we were going. The 50 km gravel road passed by quickly as we discussed the routes we would tackle, our kit and then there were the jokes about who would be intimidated most by the multi-pitch climbs of the Spitzkoppe.

A multi-pitch climb is a route that consists of more than one climbing section with each pitch usually between 25-35 m, although there are routes with pitches longer than 35 m.

We paid N$40 per person to enter the reserve area and were astounded by the actual size and magnificent presence of the two towering pieces of rock that made up the Spitzkoppe. Our first stop was Sugar Loaf, an enormous sloping granite outcrop, best known for its friction climbing.

As we made our way to the site we were greeted by an incredible sight of two beautiful black eagles hanging motionless in the air. It almost appeared as if they had been glued onto a very blue backdrop! It was a picture-perfect moment. The rock itself was unbelievable and like nothing I have ever been on during my short career of climbing. The faces only offered small ledges and grips, and I had no doubt that our climbing shoes and fingertips would be tested to the limits over the next two days.

Wynand used ‘The Spitzkoppe and Pontoks: A Climber’s Paradise Route Directory’ (2010 edition)’ to help us find climbing routes more suited to our level of experience, and pointed out a route only a few metres away on another site called Dinosaur Rock. At first glance it looked very easy, and eager to get the show on the road I set about getting the rope ready and donned my climbing kit! This was an amateur mistake as this deceptively easy-looking route turned out to be a good opening test, one which forced you to believe in the ability of your shoes and trust them implicitly on the slippery rock. The route offered a superb viewing point once you reached the chains, and I was now amped to try out more routes!

Next up was a grade 16 climb, labelled Desert Rose, situated on a climbing site named Honeymoon Rock. Finding the site proved easy, however, trying to locate the actual start of the climb was a lot more difficult. It took our enthusiastic lady climbers more than two hours of scrambling around in search of the elusive starting point, before we decided to give up. This was a classic example of where the adventure part of visiting such an awesome site can be fatal to the time available to explore the area, and with the help of a local guide or climber, we would most probably have found the route. So Desert Rose will remain unfinished business to be conquered on a return visit.

With the day passing quickly, too quickly, we decided to return to Sugar Loaf and take on the first part of the multi-pitch route known as Winds of Despair. This was a friction climb that appeared to offer zero grips for both hands and feet, and really tested our climbing abilities using only the friction of the rock and gravity to pull you onto it. This would have been very hard, if not impossible, without the correct shoes. Then we hit a snag. As Pietré was anchoring at the top of the first pitch, we realised that the 60 m rope was short by about 10 m. This proved to be a great learning experience for us novices as we watched Wynand and Pietré in deep consultation about the rope skills required and how to proceed. Luckily we had some additional rope with us

Climbed route information: Note: * = unknown Crag

Climb

Grade

Pitches

Bolts

Length

GPS

Cerather

18

1

6

±15 m

S21° 49.858 E015° 09.844

Bonsai

16

1

5

±15 m

S21° 50.089 E015° 09.955

Bushman’s Rock

Bow

17

1

3

±15 m

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Sugarloaf: South East Face

Winds of Despair

17

2

*

±90 m

S21° 50.248 E015° 10.110

Honeymoon Rock

Desert Candle

16

2

8

*

S21° 49.832 E015° 10.558

*

*

*

*

*

S21° 49.850 E015° 09.730

Rhino Rock Dinosaur Rock

Hippo Rock

With the sun setting in the distance we made our way to Henties Bay where we would stay in a little wooden house and visit some family over a great home-cooked meal!

Our last day of climbing the Spitzkoppe dawned and just after sunrise we were back at our playground. A south-easterly wind was howling and made our first option to climb the three routes on the western peak of Felsenteich, labelled Un, Dos and Tres, unbearable. We decided to look for a more protected route that was out of the wind and in the sun, and opted for Bushman’s Rock and a route called Bow. This grade 17 route is climbed between the rock and a thorn tree, which makes for interesting climbing if you are a big oke. There were very few bolts on the route, which meant that Pietré had to stay focused and ensure every step was solid because a fall could end up in a serious injury. After some great navigation, Pietré conquered the boulder and encouraged us to join her at the top to enjoy the spectacular view and do some abseiling, something I had yet to try. Once Pietré had secured a strong anchor position on top of the rock, we carefully made our way up and the effort was well worth it. The view was indeed spectacular! A quick lesson on the do’s and dont’s of abseiling, and we were on our way to the bottom.

It was now midday and I was amazed by how quickly time flies when you are having fun. Unfortunately we were unable to do a proper multi-pitch climb, as was our initial intention, because there was only enough time left to do a final route on Rhino Rock and possibly one on Lion Rock. Both were part of the sport routes in the Boulder Valley. The packed lunches were heartily consumed and with our energy levels back up, we took on Cerather, a route on Rhino Rock graded 18. This route was extremely challenging and offered very small grips, which acted like merciless pinchers on your fingertips. Pietré managed to get the top rope up after some

careful negotiation and by the time it was my turn, I knew it was going to be difficult but I was determined to get an 18 under my belt at Spitzkoppe. I started very slowly and looked for anything to use, but as was expected there was very little to work with. Standing on a small ledge about five metres up, I tried reaching for a biggish grip that was just out of reach when the inevitable happened and I experienced my first real fall on rock. I was very glad and surprised by how safe the equipment is if used properly. Furthermore Elri, who was belaying me and weighed about 40 kg less than me, didn’t move an inch when the fall happened. After catching my breath, I got back onto the rock and with some fancy footwork and a few more close calls, I eventually reached the chains. It was a great feeling of achievement as I had not let this rock get the better of me. This experience proved to me that climbing is a huge personal challenge, mentally and physically, and an excellent way to get to know yourself better.

With the sun starting to set we decided to pack up and see what other routes we could tackle on a return trip. We made a quick stop at The Bridge, a rock arch that makes for spectacular photos, before we headed to the Spitz Pub to enjoy a well deserved Windhoek (always important to support the locals).

I can’t wait to go back to this magnificent climbing spot and if you like Namibia and the desert, then this is a great opportunity to appreciate it from a completely different angle. •

For more information, contact Tony Lourens on (021) 461 6077 or via email at editor@samountainsport.co.za.

Book Review by Wynand Smit ‘The Spitzkoppe and Pontoks: A Climber’s Paradise’ (2010 edition) is a welcome upgrade to the 2001 publication. The Route Directory, or ’RD’ as climbers usually refer to it as, is compact, well illustrated and bursting with useful info. The authors have also included GPS coordinates for the main climbing areas, which are a great help to any Spitze novice. The RD boasts a chapter on the routes found at the King’s Throne Canyon at Aussenkehr, which in recent months have been developed as a major sport climbing venue near the banks of the Orange River.

Although I found the RD extremely helpful, there were instances where some of the routes described did not indicate, for example, the length of the route, which can be a problem if you don’t have adequate gear. We also had difficulty finding some of the routes, and additional information on the approach would have been helpful.

All in all, the book is a definite must for any climber contemplating conquering the Spitzkoppe. It is published by Blue Mountain Publishers and available throughout South Africa.

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 45

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and with some skilful rope work, Wynand and Pietré managed to set up the route for us to climb in a very safe manner. This was very fortunate as it turned out to be my favourite climb of our expedition!

The adrenalin-inducing exposure, minimal grip and magnificent views are what made this route so awesome for me!

DO IT NOW | inTRODUCING:

Words by Rob Baird Photos courtesy of Sidewinder Sandboards

Looking down past my feet into what looks like an endless abyss, I wonder to myself, “Am I really going to throw myself down this monster?’’ I check my bindings and with jaw clenched and renewed determination, I drop in and within seconds I’m flying down the sandy face at over 50 km an hour.

46 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

History has proven that it’s human nature to seek ways of getting an adrenalin boost. Perhaps it is the thrill of the adventure or the temptation to try the unknown that drives us. John Wayne once said, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”

We know it’s probably going to hurt, but we do it anyway!

It appears South Africans have found a new way to achieve their recreational thrill. You may think it is wrestling lions, swimming in shark infested waters covered in whale blubber or crossing the Drakensberg Mountain range in nothing more than a speedo.

However, it is a form of board sport that is taking the country by storm – Sandboarding!

So what’s so great about sandboarding you may ask? Who better to answer this question than Dave Rademeyer, SA Champ and founder of Sidewinder Adventures, “The feeling of hutling down a dune at blinding speeds with nothing between you and the sand except a sandboard is a feeling that stays with you forever and gives you a surge of adrenalin that is hard to forget. We also do it for the same reason surfers surf, mountain climbers climb or skaters skate – because we are addicted and have a deep passion for the sport!’’

But let’s forget about the adrenalin aspect for a second. A day out sandboarding is also a great way to stay fit and enjoy the amazing outdoors our beautiful country has to offer. Sandboarders are generally known to be fit people as walking up and down dunes all day is no easy task. It’s also brilliant fun. “In summer, we enjoy riding the dunes until as late as 8pm, followed by sundowners with friends to chat about that wicked new move we tried, the hot girl boarding in a bikini or that massive wipeout where a mate looked like an ostrich with his head stuck in the sand. It’s more than a sport - it’s a way of life,’’ says Dave.

So how did it all come about and who decided it would be a good idea to strap a piece of wood to your feet and launch off a mountain of sand? Although there is a general perception that sandboarding is a fairly new board sport, it actually dates back to Ancient Egyptian times where young men with a burning desire to reach blinding speeds and get their adrenalin fix were seen hurling themselves down these great mountains of sand on nothing more than pieces of clay. Even back then people were able to see these massive dunes as more than just piles of sand that one of the Gods had laid before them although I doubt Cleopatra would have been seen screaming down the dunes, headdress askew with her robe flapping wildly behind her. There are even photographs from World War 1 where soldiers were seen riding the dunes on planks of wood during their down time.

In the ‘60s, just as the sport was starting to take off, snowboarding hit the mainstream and soon became the next big thing to do which resulted in sandboarding taking a back seat for a few years. It wasn’t long though until the age of technology launched sandboarding into the mainstream. Once online, sandboarders came together for the first time and word quickly spread of sandboarding communities in Peru, Chile, Egypt, Brazil, Australia, the US, England, Namibia, Japan and of course our little country at the bottom of the African

continent. Competitions began popping up on all continents and there was nothing that could stop the sport from growing.

Dave told us about when he started taking people out for sandboarding tours. “In the beginning, people didn’t understand what the sport was about and there was little interest. Now that the sport has become so popular, we are inundated with calls from people across the country who are eager to give it a try. It’s amazing how many people call back a few days later wanting to hit the dunes again,” he said.

So how exactly do you sandboard? “Well, it’s very similar to snowboarding in terms of the board design, riding style and getting big air. The main difference between the two sports, besides a mouthful of sand as opposed to snow, is that a sandboard has a unique layer on its base called formica, which reduces the friction caused by the abrasive nature of sand,” says Dave.

Dave has been busy handcrafting a range of boards called Sidewinder Sandboards for a few years now. Through trial and error he has noticed that although the sandboard’s shape needs to be similar to that of a snowboard, the overall design has to be unique for a number of reasons. Added Dave, “The bottom line is that snow is snow and sand is sand. We’ve spent years perfecting our boards and competitions have proved that board design is crucial for success.’’

Sandboarders don’t have the luxury of a ski-lift as the dunes continually shift, which means they walk up the dunes - a lot.

Obviously this leads to legs of steel and therefore much hotter girlfriends than snowboarders. The sport is also one of the most affordable board sports around as all you need is a board and a cool attitude to enjoy a day on the dunes. No flights to find snow or expensive accommodation in a European ski resort!

Adds Dave, “South Africa has plenty to offer in terms of locations as there are riding communities throughout the country. The best places to ride are Betty’s Bay outside Hermanus, Atlantis close to Cape Town, Hout Bay, Wilderness, Jeffrey’s Bay, Port Alfred, the West Coast - and even the mine dumps in Benoni. Those guys in Benoni are just mental.’’

So why do we sandboard? The question is, why don’t YOU sandboard?

If you are interested in trying out a sport guaranteed to give you a thrill that Bear Grills would be jealous of, or if you would like to purchase a board, contact Dave at Sidewinder Adventures.

Who knows, maybe you’ll be the next SA Sandboarding Champ (although Dave has set some pretty high standards)! •

Visit www.sidewinderadventures.co.za or contact Dave at bookings@sidewinderadventures.co.za or 072 177 8620.

www.doitnow.co.za  Adventure >> 47

DO IT

NOW

Sport

// [inTERVIEW] An Interview With Jade Gutzeit, Enduro Extraordinaire - Part 1 // [inTRODUCING] The Revival of Surf Boat Racing • Stepping it up • Taking you to New Heights - Competition Climbing in South Africa // [inACTION] First-ever Gauteng Provincial Touch Rugby Champs Lauded a Success • Inanda Africa Cup Polo Tournament - What a ride! • Gravity Adventure Festival - It just gets Better and Better! • Seringveld Diamond Dash ll expels Gauteng Winter Blues • Avianto Mountain Bike Race • Nissan MTB Series // [inPREPARATION] Behind the Scenes with Team Medscheme • Team Virtuoso takes on the DCM Cape Pioneer Trek ... again! // [inSHAPE] Vitamin D Improves Athletes’ Performance • Kinesio® Taping receives Worldwide Support • Spinal and Joint Wellness through Chiropractic • Summer Time Workout - Look Good and Feel Great!

Photo by Francois Flamengo Description: Paddler Deon Breytenbach

Enduro Ext

An Interv iew

with

Jade Gutzei t

raordinaire

- Part 1

by Paul Carrick DO IT NOW | inTERVIEW: Words Photos by Louw Breedt

50 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

www.doitnow.co.za ď‚

Sport >> 51

Jade Gutzeit must be one of the best, both the Na if not the be tional Endu st, enduro ta ro and Off R in some of th o lents curren ad Series. Co e most grue tly racing in m pared to the lling races su South Africa best in the w ch as Erzber Where did it . Locally, he orld, he is als g and Roma all start and is leading th nics this sea o what does h v e r y c o e field in m son. petitive man e like about aging top 10 this style of finishes racing? Paul Carrick inte r viewed Jad e and this is what he had to say. ď ˇ

Q: When did you start riding motorbikes?

A: I started late, when I was 18. My dad bought me a bike and the bug bit me straight away. I rode in a couple WFO’s, which are regional enduros in Natal, and that is where I learned to ride and cut my teeth in enduro riding. I started winning relatively quickly after jumping in at the deep end and riding all the time. It’s always been on the up from there.

I took a break from 2005 to about 2008 when I was racing cars, but I quickly got tired of the politics. If I don’t win on motorbikes, it’s because I didn’t ride fast enough and not because I had a weaker engine than someone else.

Q: You are currently leading the National Enduro and National Off Road Series, tell us more about that?

A: Ja, this year has been going really well for me. My Yamaha has been perfect all year and a real weapon for me.

Last year, I rode a big four stroke and it was more difficult for me to win, so I had to train harder. That turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me because before that I never did any cardio or real training for my riding. With a bigger bike, I had to. So when I got back on the Yamaha, winning became easy again as the bike was a lot lighter and easier to win on.

Q: What is the difference between the Enduro and Off Road Series?

A: Enduros are a lot tighter than the off-roads. The word off-road sorts of explain it. It’s jeep tracks, off-road gravel roads and koppies every now and again, but the racing is generally faster than enduros and I don’t enjoy that so much. But we get good TV coverage and publicity, so it’s something that the sponsors need us to do to get their mileage. So although I’m leading in the Off Road Series, and that’s great, I enjoy enduros more as tight technical riding is where I excel.

Q: In terms of extreme enduros, you have done two this year and there’s the Roof coming up.

Tell us more about those races?

A: This year was the fifth time that I’ve ridden in the Erzberg. The first time I took part was in 2002 and came third. Then in 2003 and 2004, I came third again and in 2005, I hurt my knee and that’s when I decided to take a break from riding. What was interesting to see at Erzberg earlier this year is that more and more trial riders are entering the sport. With their background, these riders are quickly adapting their style of riding to an off-road enduro bike and giving us enduro riders a good run for our money. I have a trials bike now so we’ll see if I can take the fight to them. Earlier this year, I finished seventh at Erzberg and was really pleased with this result. Even though I finished in third place a few years ago, it was only against enduro riders and I feel that today, the race is on a whole new level, with better riders – including the trial riders.

So for me, my seventh placing is better than the third of a few years ago.

I also took part in the Redbull Romaniacs race in Romania this year for the first time. It was a baptism of fire! It rained for two weeks solid before the race and they declared it a national disaster area. However, the race still went ahead - and they didn’t shorten it. All the hills became three times worse and I was more than happy to have finished fifth. It was a great race. It’s also really beautiful there and the Carpathian Mountains are extreme to say the least. This event was also an excellent opportunity for me to get some worldwide coverage.

Q: Did you see any of the other rider skills were you went (damn …)?

A: Often. Even though we started a minute apart, I was able to catch the other riders and we would ride together until we got to one of those stupid hills that had been added for that day. When I was lining up behind them, I also got to see them hopping and just get through a hill. I would then go, “Right, my turn,” and proceed to mess it up like an absolute clubman and think, “Gutzeit, you’ve got so much to learn.” It was a big eye opener and when I returned home, I immediately went out and bought a trials bike!

I know it’s gonna take a long time to learn what these riders can do, but it’s a good start.

Q: The Roof is at the end of November. Last year you where on a bigger bike and this year you gonna be on a …

A: This year I’m gonna be on a Yamaha YZ250. It’s the same bike I rode at Erzberg, so it’s the ideal ride for the Roof of Africa. Last year, I rode a heavy four stroke and took big strain, but still managed to finish third, just 10 seconds behind second place. I broke a chain 20 km from the end of the race and that took me out of second place. In 2007 and 2008, I rode a two stroke and came second behind Chris Birch. This year I’m a lot fitter and riding the right bike, so hopefully I can race with him. The format of the race has been changed slightly, as last year I think there were only six people who actually finished the first day. This year, the organisers want to make it comparable to the worldwide races where the first day is hard but doable and the last day is ultra extreme. It should be good with more riders finishing the race to claim gold, silver and bronze medals. With these changes, I’m really looking forward to the event.

Q: Do you like riding in Lesotho?

A: Lesotho is my favorite place for riding, other than in Natal my home town. With the sled paths and rocky mountains, you know the riding is going to be extreme and loads of fun. There is more low-land riding, as well as jumps, banks and other stuff to play on. This is what I like doing best and what I grew up with. And that’s why I love Lesotho! 

52 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Q: In 2011 there is the World Extreme Enduro Championship, which is gonna be a combination of Erzberg, Rominiacs, Hells Gate, Tough One and Roof! Are you gonna compete?

A: I’ll definitely do some of them. There’s actually a lot of in-fighting between the races, which I only found out about at Romaniacs.

Tough One’s out as they have decided to do their own thing. Hells Gate has been told that if they don’t change the race format, they will not be allowed to join as you can’t have only one person finishing a race. The format they use is, if a rider falls more than halfan-hour behind the leader they are taken out of the race, which is not really right. You need some kind of point scheme, and need riders to finish to get points.

At the moment, it looks like it’s going to be Erzberg, Rominiacs and the Roof. I heard that America might be pulling something together as Jeff Pakosta, who heads up the whole World Extreme Enduro Championship, is from America and wants to have a race there to showcase what he’s got. So at the moment I’m not sure if there will be an official world championship, but if there is I’ll be competing. Maybe in 2012 we’ll have an official world championship. That would be really cool because if there was one next year, I’d like to be able to compare myself against them.

Q: Of the races you have competed in this year, which is your favorite?

A: Including overseas races … I would have to say Romaniacs because I k@k#d off more than I have ever done in my life! But I managed a really good result. It was also my first time there and I was riding a bike I wasn’t used to and enjoyed it, so this race was a major achievement for me.

Q: You got back into riding endurocross in 2008. Tell us about this discipline?

A: That’s right. At the beginning of 2008 I started focusing on motorbikes only. There was an endurocross in Pietermaritzburg on a really well set up track. It was a lot like an oversea endurocross; it was awesome. I took part and won. Although I hadn’t competed before, the style of riding for endurocross is what I grew up with. When I was riding at the coast, I would always try and hop over logs and rocks, and up banks. We called it ‘do or die’ stuff. If you messed up, you were gonna get hurt. That’s how I learnt to ride.

Just recently we also had an extreme endurocross, which was organised by South Coast Fever. It was a huge success with 15,000 spectators attending the weekend event. They loved it as it’s a real spectator sport. It was held in a small confined area and the riders were upside down all the time, which proved quite entertaining to the crowd. It was an action-packed show.

Q: Do you think we can support an Endurocross Series in South Africa?

A: Definitely! I was actually thinking of doing it myself, but it will take a lot of time to put together and I would have to speak to my Dad about how much time he can give me off work. But it’s definitely something that can work. The advantages of this type of event are, you can hold it in a small arena in the middle of a city so it’s centrally located and easy to get to, has great spectator value and you can do it at night!

Q: Are you planning any motocross racing?

A: I love motocross! The riding here in Jo’burg isn’t great though and I cringe when people say De Wildt, Chimes and all those places. So the only riding I do is at motocross tracks because they water the track and it’s the only place in Gauteng that’s not dusty. I also train on motocross tracks on the weekend, as I can get more done in two hours there than six hours at De Wildt. It works for me and I’m doing well, so ja, motocross is the way to go!

Q: What is your favorite track in Jo’burg ?

A: My favorite track is actually in Eshowe, Natal. On a borrowed 125 KTM, I took part in a national at Eshowe and managed to beat all the top South African motocross riders. That win was quite a highlight in my life.

Q: Have you ever been tempted to do something like the Dakar?

A: Hmm, Yamaha was gonna make it an option and bring in one of David Fretigne’s bikes or a practice bike. But my opinion of the Dakar is that one of the top 10 to 15 riders tends to die, and that’s not a nice thought. However, the Dakar only allows 450s to participate now and they are also doing a lot to make the race safer. But when you consider that you are racing at speeds of 160 km per hour, whilst looking at your GPS and road map the whole time and not where you are racing, a split second could mean the difference between lying on your head or staying on your wheels.

Q: You have a full title sponsor, Full Throttle. Tell us more about what they do for you?

A: They are the biggest accessories dealership in South Africa and have been really good to me. They joined, or rather I joined them in the second third of the season. They have put a lot of money into the sport and also sponsor a number of people, which is great. We have an excellent relationship and next year, we will take it to the next level and see if I can give them more national championships.

Q: Who else is sponsoring you?

A: Greg Orsmond from the Fever Group came on board about a month or two ago. He’s a great guy who I know from the South Coast, where the company is based. They wanted to get into the motorcycling scene and start a team. They also own newspapers – so I get free advertising and they get value for their money; it’s a win-win relationship.

I also ride for Yamaha and they have really great bikes. I’ve been riding with them for a couple of years now. They are also fantastic people and I enjoy dealing with them because they are good to me and I can relate to them. They are not just bosses but friends as well.

In the next issue of DO IT NOW, we’ll find out more about what’s parked in Jade’s garage, how to start honing your skills if you want to take up enduro riding, training tips and what to do when you are going fast, avoiding arm pump, choosing a beginner bike, whether or not to wear knee braces and more.

Everyone at DO IT NOW wishes Jade all the best in the 2010 Roof of Africa! We will be rooting for him and cheering him on to the finish! 

54 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Jade Gutzeit Career details and profile AGE: 32 HEIGHT: 184 cm WEIGHT: 94 kg OTHER HOBBIES: Mountain biking and racing my car on track days.

FAVORITE FOOD: Nando’s FAVOURITE MOVIE: Underworld CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2001  1st Overall National Enduro Championship 2002  Raced in Europe for the year  5th European Enduro Championship, Four Stroke Class  3rd Overall Erzberg Rodeo

(1st SA rider) 2003  1st Overall National Enduro Championship  1st Overall National Off Road Championship  Winner of Roof of Africa  3rd Overall Erzberg Rodeo

(1st SA rider)  1st Overall KZN Harescrambles  1st Overall KZN Enduros  12th Place Pro Class in two GNCC races in America 2004  3rd Overall Erzberg Rodeo

(1st SA rider) 2005-2007  Raced cars 2008  1st Open Class National Enduro Championship  2nd Overall Roof Of Africa (1st SA rider) 2009  2nd Overall National Off Road Championship  2nd Overall National Enduro Championship  1st Open Class National Off Road  3rd Overall Roof Of Africa (1st SA rider)  15th Erzberg Rodeo 2010  Currently 1st overall National

Off Road (two races left)  Currently 1st overall National Enduros (one race left)  7th Overall Erzberg Rodeo

(1st SA rider)  5th Overall Red Bull Romaniacs (1st SA rider)

Watch this space!

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 55

DO IT NOW | inINTRODUCING:

56 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

Words by Colleen Saunders (Regional Lifesaving Co-ordinator, Lifesaving Western Province) A compilation of photos

Specialised lifeboats were first used in the rivers of England in 1790, where volunteers rowed out to vessels in distress to rescue their fellow boatmen from drowning. Since the 1800s, surf boats have been used to rescue seagoers that were too far out to be fetched by swimmers using a belt and line.

With the introduction of faster and more efficient motorised rescue craft, such as IRB’s, jet skis and surf rescue helicopters, the surf boat eventually fell away as a rescue craft. However, the tradition of surf boating has not been lost and has developed into a highly competitive sport, particularly in Australia and New Zealand.

In fact, the noble origin of this sport has most likely ensured its longevity as ‘boaties’ are both proud of its history and passionate about its continuance. The massive costs involved in surf boat racing unfortunately led to a decline in its popularity with the cashstrapped lifesaving clubs in South Africa, as the boats need to be imported from Australia and cost in the region of R260 000. In recent years, an injection of funding from Lotto and other sponsors has seen surf boat racing making a welcome comeback in South Africa.

Modern surf boat racing is a technical event and requires rowers to have endurance, brute strength, unwavering concentration and the ability to work as a team. Boat teams consist of four oarsmen – bow, second bow, second stroke and stroke – plus a sweep. The oarsmen are responsible for propelling the boat forward and need to row in time to be at their most efficient. They also have to place their trust completely in the sweep, who is the only crew member actually able to see where they are going. The sweep is responsible for steering the boat, by using an oar as a rudder, and for making the call to row or hold.

There are a few variations on the start and finish of the races, but generally the teams race over a distance of 800 -1000 m, from a stationary start at the water’s edge. The crews row head to head

through the surf, around a buoy 400-500 m out and back to the beach. Sound easy? Think again! The boats are around 8 m in length and weigh between 210 kg and 250 kg. Throw in some decent-sized surf and you have a recipe for entertainment. Surf boat racing has long been synonymous with spectacular wipe-outs and masterful wave-riding; and the bigger the surf, the bigger the crowd.

The physical demands on a boatie are perhaps best illustrated by a worldwide surf boat anecdote in a recruitment strategy for boat crews: Interested members are asked to line up against a wall in the club courtyard and have bricks thrown at them – those that don’t duck or flinch are eligible to join the crew!

In South Africa, our boaties are not all brawn and bluster – they have heart too! Boat racing is still affiliated to lifesaving competitions and contested at the annual Hang Ten Lifesaving South Africa National Championships. To compete in this event, competitors have to fulfil their voluntary lifeguard duty requirements on our beaches.

The 2010 champs were hotly contested with the Suncoast Pirates SLC, Huletts Durban Surf and Marine SLC crews each winning two races out of six. The Marine SLC crew of Gary Brummer, Andrew Shenker, Lando Davey, Eugene Swanepoel and David Badenhorst took home the gold medal as a result of placing second in more races than the other crews. Huletts Durban Surf came in second while the defending champions, Suncoast Pirates, took the bronze medal. Interestingly, two members of the current Suncoast Pirates team, coach Dave Clements and sweep Rob le Roux, toured with the National team in 1993 and 1997. Relative newcomers to the surf boat scene, Big Bay SLC, took fourth place. 

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 57

Not all our boaties are driven by testosterone either! Whilst women’s surf boat racing is hugely popular in Australia, there aren’t any competitive women’s teams in South Africa at the moment. However, there are some ladies willing to try it out. The Big Bay boaties in Cape Town have been training up a ladies crew, nicknamed ‘The Floaties’, and challenged them to some local races. Suncoast Pirates has two new surf boats on the way, which will also see them starting a ladies crew. Watch this space! •

For more information on lifesaving activities in South Africa, check out the Lifesaving South Africa website at www.lifesaving.co.za or www.lifesavingwp.co.za

58 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Advertorial

by Isabelle Karin DO IT NOW | inTRODUCING: Compiled Photos by Sports Aerobics Step Team

A sizzling performance by the Sports Aerobics Step Team from Gauteng North at the GSAFF (Gauteng Fitness Sport Aerobics Federation) Regional Championships on 24 July 2010, saw the team qualifying to compete in the SASAFF National Championships at the Good Hope Centre, Cape Town, from 27-29 August 2010.

The Mouse Trap Team profile Elzandi Pretorius, a 26-year-old education student, is getting married in October. She teaches dance to the children at her church and works as a Marketing Administrator. Elzandi also enjoys swimming and has her sights set on competing in the Midmar next year.

Wendy Cloete, a 39-year-old fitness instructor and dance choreographer from Lanseria, is married and studies theology and dance chorography. She enjoys beading and art.

Liezel Koegelenberg, a 33-year-old mother of nine-month-old daughter Maaike, has been married for six years and works as a Clinical Trial Specialist at PAREXEL International. She enjoys reading, music, exercise and is an avid cricket and rugby supporter.

Isabelle Karin, a 29-year-old modelling journalist from Pretoria, enjoys photographic make-up artistry and styling, as well as acting, recording music and playing the cello, piano and guitar.

Janine Enslin, a 21-year-old adventurous education student, wants to teach Math and Life Orientation to high school learners. She has a passion for fitness and keeping healthy, and enjoys writing. She is currently busy with her first book.

Murial Murray, a Sales Rep from Pretoria, loves all types of dancing, as well as keeping fit and in great shape.

60 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Regional Championships Headed up by their coach and choreographer Wendy Cloete and mentor André van der Nest, Team Mouse Trap competed in the international (FISAF) category and their high-energy routine was called ‘Mouse Trap’, performed to Mickey of Toni Basil, 1982.

With costumes specially designed by Wendy Cloete and made

by Gimtrac, the team performed to a dynamic choreographed routine with more than 220 moves in two minutes. Their dazzling performance wooed both the judges and crowd, taking them through to the National Championships.

The panel of judges representing the three essential components in Sports Aerobics were Conita Le Roux – International Judge who is FISAF qualified (Technical elements must be adhered to according to the FISAF standards rulebook); Antronika van der Berg – Aerobic Judge who is WAAFF qualified (Aerobic exercise movements using the 7x7 m floor and levels effectively); and Vivian Mabote – Artistic Judge who is WAAFF qualified (Presentation/ showmanship and creative choreography). There were also five shadow judges, who are working towards their credits to qualify as a judge.

The step category is a routine performed by six to eight members.

A routine must be no less than two minutes, with a music speed of a minimum of 148 beats per minute, and no combination of eight counts can be repeated within the routine. It takes more than just fitness. Teams have to be able to think clearly even when tired, complete each movement with precision as well as showcase lots of energy and stage presence.

FISAF: An international, independent, democratic and nonprofit federation dedicated to sports, aerobics and development of the aerobic and fitness industry on an international level. www.fisaf.org

Conita Le Roux, International Judge and a gymnast for 13 years, says that Sport Aerobics is all about dedication, hard work and lots of perseverance. “During a competition, the step must be used thoroughly and approached from all the different angles. Fitness, synchronization and formation are key, as well as good interactivity between team members”.

The step team is grateful to Planet Fitness, Lewende Woord and Savanna Spa at Blair Atholl Wellness Centre for their invaluable support during rehearsals and at the competition. Says Wendy Cloete, “Their involvement has really helped us to reach our goals, and is part of our winning recipe. People should support one another, even if it is a small contribution. In the end it all adds up and is what can make the difference.”

Added team member Janine Enslin, “Being part of a team with the same goals and challenges is a real privilege. Personal growth is inevitable in this sport because you learn to appreciate people and benefit from the experience of working as a team. Physically, the way you look and feel improves, and your confidence and energy levels also reach new heights.

All the training and hard work has paid off with the team claiming Gold in their category.

So what does the future hold for sports aerobics in South Africa?

According to Conita, South Africa is on par with the rest of the world and the local judges are definitely good enough for us to host a World Championship in South Africa.

“There are a few gaps that can be filled such as sponsors and media getting more involved. With more publicity and sponsors, more people can compete. Even though there are a few media outlets that cover sports aerobics, general awareness is limited.”

“As far as talent is concerned, there’s a lot of talent in the gyms that should be scouted on a regular basis.”

“It would also be a great opportunity for new coaches to get involved in either the individual elements, Aerobic, Technical and Artistic, or all three. As long as the different coaches can work together, it can be pulled off,” said Conita. 

National Championships In preparation of the SASAFF National Championships, the team has been rehearsing since October 2009, for up to six hours a week, with the exception of Isabelle Karin who filled in one month before the regionals.

Says Isabelle, “When Wendy called me, I knew what would be expected of me - commitment, perseverance and attendance at all practices, as well as extra lessons to pick up on the choreography and general strength and fitness. I knew I could be putting myself in a position where I might be making a fool of myself for taking on so much at short notice, but once I had committed, there was no going back; I would give it my all. If it had been any other coach who had asked me, I probably wouldn’t have said yes. But I know Wendy, she’s great with people and I trust her, so it was easy to say yes. It was definitely a ‘DO IT NOW or not at all’ moment for me”.

Sport aerobics is the ability to perform continuously complex and high-intensity movement patterns to music - which originates from traditional aerobics - with a high degree of perfectly executed elements of difficulty. The routine must demonstrate creativity with the perfect integration of all movement, music and expression. It combines the elements of aerobics, sports acrobatics, and rhythmic gymnastics along with music, dance and choreography.

A performance is divided into categories by age, sex and groups (individual, mixed pairs, trios and team) and is made up of the following elements: dynamic strength, static strength, jumps and leaps (power), kicks, balance and flexibility. The routine must be performed entirely to music. Source: www.wikipedia.org To get involved with Sports Aerobics you can contact: IIFT on Tel. 012 342-0681 or iift@icon.co.za.

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 61

by Jackie Stainton and Neil Margetts DO IT NOW | inTRODUCING: Words Photos by Des Fourie

Climbing is one of the fastest growing sports, yes it’s a sport, in the world and South Africa is right up there with the best.

Usually viewed as an extreme discipline for ‘hard men’, our local youngsters and the worldwide climbing community are changing the face of the sport as we know it. Why, you ask?

I believe it’s due to competition climbing and the mentoring aspect.

Competitive climbing has really taken off in our rainbow nation with the birth of the South African National Climbing Federation (SANCF). For the past six to eight years, there have been a number of local competitions held that were really well organised and are still going strong today. These events include an established school league in KZN, a fast growing school league in Gauteng and various school leagues starting in Mpumalanga and the North West. These competitions will culminate in a national school’s event from the 1st to 2nd October 2010 in Durban.

Building on the school leagues, the SANCF has started an Open Series for climbers over the age of 19, which is made up of three lead and bouldering competitions. The first of these was held in Gauteng in April this year, with climbers from around the country competing for places in the South African team. These top climbers, along with our best youth, will compete in Reunion during February 2011, against the French climbing squad.

So now I’ve totally lost you – bouldering, lead?

Bouldering is a style of climbing where no ropes are used and tests the climber’s abilities to the limit. The routes or ‘problems’ are designed to be physical and intellectual challenges, much like a mathematical problem, which are usually short and powerful and set close to the ground. A crash pad protects the climber from injury. It’s a type of climbing that requires a climber to have total body control and calls for intense training and technique, to enable them to solve the problem at this level. A beginner climber only needs a pair of climbing shoes and chalk to start bouldering.

Leading is as challenging as bouldering, except there are no crash pads! It takes an elevated level of physical and mental psyche to compete at this level, not to mention technique.

Instead of having a rope threaded through the top anchors to the climber and belayer, the climber climbs and ‘clips’ into quickdraws, which are positioned every few metres. Any fall on a lead climb is potentially dangerous as the climber can plunge at least twice as far as the distance to the most recently placed protection. If a lead climber is two metres above the last piece of protection, a fall will be a minimum of four metres and probably more, due to rope elasticity and slack.

62 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

What does a climbing competition involve?

Most competitions take place on artificial climbing walls with marked grips, which the competitors use to advance. The climber who reaches the highest point on these climbs within a set period of time, usually five minutes, wins. If there is a tie, the routes are adjusted to a more difficult grade and the top climbers climb again.

Most competitions in the final stages call for isolation where the climbers hear but can’t see the previous climber on the route. They need to ‘onsight’ the climb, which means that they have a minute to view their route before climbing it.

These competitions are nothing like a school or varsity rugby match, where the parents are hard on their kids and even tougher on the ref, not to mention the players on the opposing side. I know, I watched my young brother-in-law referee on many occasions – and he’s still in therapy!

The chart below covers the basics of lead climbing Australian

French

USA

UK

9

4

5.6

Mod

10

4

5.6

Mod

11

5a

5.7

Diff

12

5a+

5.7

V-Diff

13

5b

5.8

4a

14

5b+

5.8

4b

15

5c

5.9

4b VS

16

5c+

5.10a

4c HVS

17

6a

5.10b

5a E1

18

6a+

5.10c

19

6b

5.10d

20

6b+

5.11a

5b

21

6c

5.11b

5b E2

22

6c+

5.11c

23

7a

5.11d

24

7a+

5.12a

6a E3

25

7b

5.12b

6b

26

7b+

5.12c

6b E4

27

7c

5.12d

6c

There’s something different about climbing competitions, the vibe is unlike any other type of competition I have ever been involved in.

But it’s the climbers themselves that add the je ne sais quois to the competitions, as they cheer and urge their fellow climbers on the wall to clip, reach a higher point and finish the route fastest; even though they may be competing for the same spot on the team.

Where else do you find this type of healthy competition in sport?

How is the difficulty of climbs measured?

All climbs on rock are given a number or letter that depicts the difficulty. Bouldering and lead have their own systems. Different countries also all have their own system. In South Africa, we use a version of the Australian system for lead and the French system for bouldering. These grades are sometimes subject to much debate and controversy.

Mentoring Mentoring in sport climbing has probably been going on for years, but recently I witnessed the incredible impact our elite climbers have on the youth. They used to be seen as untouchable and ‘into their own thing’. This is no longer true. Our top climbers are actively taking these youngsters under their wings, giving them confidence and pushing them to greater heights, and the results in the competitions speak for themselves.

So what do I need to climb?

28

7c+

5.13a

6c E5

29

8a

5.13b

7a

30

8a+

5.13c

7a E6

31

8b

5.13d

7b

32

8b+

5.14a

7b E7

33

8c

5.14b

7c

34

8c+

5.14c

35

9a

5.14d

Well that all depends on whether you want to compete or ‘just climb’. Believe me, there is a difference.

Competitive climbers need CTM - core, technique and mental superpowers. They establish solid foundations and build on them.

They have mental toughness and work ethic to do what it takes to succeed. They are no longer climbers but athletes of the highest calibre.

For the rest of us mere mortals who just want to learn and enjoy a new sport, get yourself to your nearest climbing gym - it’s just a short hop, skip and jump to real rock. •

For more information about this exciting sport or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on www.sancf.org

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 63

DO IT NOW | inACTION:

Words by Sean Smith Photos by DO IT NOW

In the past, Gauteng-based provinces have had two annual senior provincial tournaments to look forward to. The first and more prominent of these events is the Inter Provincial Tournament, which sees the top teams from all the provinces taking part. The second being the Super Six is a smaller tournament consisting of teams from Northern Gauteng, Eastern Gauteng, Western Gauteng, Central Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Natal Midlands. As six-down touch rugby is considered an amateur sport, the financial implications on the provincial players were substantial and as a result, the Super Six unfortunately became too costly to organise as either the Natal or Gauteng teams would have to travel twice in a calendar year. And so the Gauteng Provincial Touch Rugby Championship came into being.

players on the field at a time, and in the mixed division there has to be a minimum of three ladies on the field. Teams consist of squads of up to 14 players. Due to the incredibly fast pace and intensity of the game, players will substitute on average every two minutes.

The associations that took part in the Gauteng Provincial Touch Rugby Championship included Eastern Gauteng, Northern Gauteng, Central Gauteng and Soweto. The tournament was made up of three divisions; Mens, Ladies and Mixed. The provinces competed for overall bragging rights, which meant that each province had to do well in all three divisions to earn points, and not just favour one or two of their teams. Although some of the provinces didn’t compete in all the divisions, there were a number of teams that played up to four games on the day – no easy feat!

The Ladies division had three teams competing; Central Gauteng, Eastern Gauteng and Soweto. The Gauteng Central team were firm favourites and cruised to a comfortable 7 – 1 victory over Eastern Gauteng in the final. It must be said that the odds were seriously stacked in Gauteng Central’s favour, with no fewer than nine South African players in their team. Six of these players will be competing in the 2011 World Cup. Third place went to the Soweto team.

What made this opening tournament so successful was that it wasn’t just about showcasing the best players from a region, it also served as a platform for many up and coming players to compete in and gain experience at a provincial level.

The Mixed division was a hotly-contested affair amongst Central Gauteng, Northern Gauteng and Eastern Gauteng. After the round robin stages, there was not much separating Northern Gauteng and Central Gauteng as they drew their match 7 - 7.

Northern’s advanced to the final by virtue of a point’s difference, leaving Central Gauteng and Eastern Gauteng to battle it out in the semi-finals. Easterns got off to a great start and were up 4 – 1 in the first half.

Unfortunately for Easterns, Central Gauteng came back fighting in the second half to clinch the game 8 – 4. The final was a tough encounter between Central and Northern Gauteng as there were 11 players in the mix who will be representing South Africa in Scotland; three from Central Gauteng and eight from Northern Gauteng.

With such a strong field, Northerns took an early lead and despite Central Gauteng’s best efforts and a power-packed second half, Northern Gauteng deservedly won the final 7 – 5.

For those of you who don’t know too much about six-down touch rugby, it is the only internationally recognised version of touch rugby. Next year is a big year for the sport as South Africa will be sending six teams to compete in the 2011 World Cup in Scotland.

The game is divided into two twenty-minute halves. There are six

The finals of the Men’s division was a prime example of what this incredible game is all about; speed, strength and agility. Both Gauteng and Northerns worked their way through their pool stages without too much resistance. Gauteng had an easier route and scored 27 tries to 1 in their two pool matches. Northerns

64 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

had to work a little harder and despite a close game against the Gauteng over 30 mens side, they managed to cruise through their pool with a total of 14 tries to 6 in their two pool games. In the semis, Northerns came up against a resurgent Easterns team, but still managed to sweep them aside with a 9 – 3 win. In the other semi final, it was a clash of the Gauteng teams. The younger and stronger team proved to have more in the tank and claimed a 9 – 3 win. Early in the final, it was obvious that Northerns just had a bit more gas and agility than the Gauteng team and scored some fantastic individual tries. Their pace and stepping ability saw them defeat the Gauteng team, who were struggling with their defense structures. In a highly entertaining match, Northerns walked away the winners with an 8 – 3 lead.

At the end of a long and action-packed day, the overall final results were as follows: 1st Central Gauteng 10 2nd Northern Gauteng 8 3rd Eastern Gauteng 7 4th Soweto 3 Despite losing two of the three finals, Gauteng managed to win the overall championship title. Northerns, who had won two of the finals, will no doubt regret not having a ladies team as that could have just turned the tables on Gauteng.

Overall, the tournament proved a great success in terms of trying out new ideas and giving a number of players the opportunity and honour of claiming their first provincial caps.

Congratulations to all the teams and players who took part. The standard of touch rugby was high and we look forward to 2011 and raising the bar even further. •

Whatch this space for the DO IT NOW Touch Rugby Tournament!!

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 65

DO IT NOW | inACTION:

Words by Paul Oosthuizen, general manager Inanda Club Photos by Nikola Killian

No child's play ...

Lerato Matou and Paul Oosthuizen

66 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

Fun for all ages ...

VIP guests having a ball

INANDA Africa Cup Polo Tournament – what a ride!

As I walked, my breath created miniature clouds in the fresh morning air and I rubbed my hands to try and bring some warmth back into them. As I passed the stables and paddocks, which were holding some 200 horses, this scene reminded me of how proud we are, as a Club, of our equestrian heritage, which spans 75 years. 

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Sport >> 67

Most JP Rey -

yer

la Valued P

State, owned by Andrew Dewar, took Best Pony

The Inanda Club is an up market membership club situated in the heart of Sandton. It offers equestrian and sporting activities, a choice of restaurants and bars, banqueting and venue hire facilities, accommodation, activities for children, the National Bird of Prey Centre, Inanda Riding School and a Novice and Youth Polo School.

The game

in action

...

It was the third and final day of the Inanda Africa Cup Polo Tournament, which had commenced on Friday 31 August, ending with Sunday being an open day to the public. This polo tournament is the only ‘African’ tournament of its kind in Africa attracting a team from Nigeria, Polo Africa (a South African development side sponsored by Harold Darko, a Ghanian businessmen), and eight local sides. The last two days had seen some nail-biting matches take place in this knock-out tournament, as the 10 teams and their ponies sweated it out to secure a place in the final top four. Of the four teams competing, SJ Capital Strikers and Polo Africa were going head-to-head for the Plate Final (second and third place) and ABSA Wealth and the Super Guavas would battle it out for the supreme title of the Inanda Africa Cup.

welcome our club members, VIPs, media and guests. But today was not just a showcase of equestrian splendour, it promised to be a glamorous day of fashion and sophisticated culinary style and taste. It was also about a up market lifestyle in which to indulge oneself. And our Luxury Lane offered just that. A walk through this luxury mecca brought you into contact with hostesses offering Veuve Cliquot champagne, Lindt chocolate, speciality coffees, cheeses and nougat, fragrances, massage therapists, designer fashion houses, cruises and various equestrian apparel and equipment providers. The adjoining VIP Lounge was to play host to over 500 high profile guests including dignataries, soccer, TV and radio celebrities and personalities. It was a virtual who’s who of Gauteng’s social and executive circuit.

Appreciating the tranquility that surrounded me for a moment longer, I knew it would not be long before this calmness would evaporate into one of frantic activity as suppliers, luxury lane stand holders and Inanda Club staff arrived to set up.

The day was officially opened by Lerato Matou, of Egoli fame and patron of the event. Says Lerato, “The day was a wonderful precursor to an event that is posed to grow into a major event on the country's events calendar.”

By 09:00, it was as if a magic wand had been waved, turning the starkness into a luxury wonderland. We were ready to receive and

The first three games of the day were played by the remaining six teams and even though they weren’t vying for a place, the

68 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

The Super Guavas, winners of Inanda Africa Cup (George Morgan and Harry), (Tim Walters and Lexi), (Chris Flemming and Jewels and James ), (JP Rey - Max, Mickey and John luke)

competition between the teams remained high and made for exciting viewing. The Plate Final went to Polo Africa with a 9-5 win over SJ Capital Strikers, a tremendous achievement when one considers that this is a development side. Says Craig James, Inanda Club Polo Manager, “It’s great to see a development team doing so well at a polo tournament of this calibre. Development Polo has made huge strides in the last five years with a number of exciting and progressive developmental initiatives, which are fashioning real societal diamonds. Today there are new local heroes in the polo world. Sbu Duma is prime example of such a player. He is South Africa’s development darling and thanks to the support of the Maybach Foundation, his natural talent and ability has seen him compete internationally and make a name for himself. Through the success of these individuals, the rise of young talent from our disadvantaged communities is significantly shifting the outlook of polo and bodes well for the continued growth of this incredible sport into the future.”

they cheered on both rider and driver. The race was won by Murray by a healthy margin.

The day ended with a race between four grooms in true Turfontein racing style. Once again the crowd’s enthusiasm spurred on the riders in a 800m dash to the finish line, with Bheki Sibisi winning the race.

It was a truly fantastic day in celebration of Africa. Our thanks go to our sponsors, Johnnie Walker, ABSA Wealth, Reinsurance Solutions and Linetrale Oil and Trading Supply (Pty) Ltd and a host of lifestyle partners such as Veuve Cliquot, Lindt, Decor-D-Zign and CFC Caterers to mention a few, for their belief in and support of this tournament, without them it would not have been possible.

Next year will see more African invitational teams taking on our local talent in what is sure to be another grand affair, and we hope to see you there. 

An action-packed final saw the Super Guavas put away the deciding goal against ABSA Wealth and clinch the title in a 7-6 victory.

The award for the Most Valued Player, an award that is given to a player who excelled in the tournament, and is one of the most prestigious awards to receive, went to JP Rey. Best Pony was awarded to State, owned by Andrew Dewar.

The fun was not over yet and a race between an Aston Martin and a polo horse, ridden by Murray Butcher had the crowd on its feet as

For more information about polo or taking up the sport, contact Craig James at the Inanda Club on 011 884 1414 or by email on craigjames@vodamail.co.za.

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Sport >> 69

DO IT NOW | inACTION:

Words by Gravity Adventure Festival Organisers Photos by Kelvin Trautman & DO IT NOW

Gravity Adventure Festival

That was the prevailing sentiment at this year’s Gravity Adventure Festival, held near Kleinmond in the spectacular Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. A fantastic turnout of around 750 adventurers from Cape Town and further afield participated in nearperfect conditions.  70 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Kevin Trautman

Kevin Trautman

This festival aims to bring together a range of adventure disciplines and features white water kayaking, trail running, mountain biking, river swimming, an adventure race and a white water rafting race.

It kicked off with the Spur River Rumble, a short course adventure race that saw 15 teams of two tackling various challenges around the estuary including river crossings, rock jumps, running and paddling. Next up was the final event in the Cape Winter Trail Series, partnered by CAPESTORM and Salomon. Over 400 runners competed in the 21 km, 14 km and 5 km events, which took them through the beautiful Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.

The Paddlezone Downriver Kayak race followed and was a closely contested affair amongst the 20 paddlers who tackled the white water of the Palmiet River in their plastic kayaks, ending with the class 4 rapid, Judgment Day. This was followed by the Cadiz River Mile Swim - not your average swim but rather a new type of event appealing to the more adventurous types, and is in keeping with the theme of the festival. It involved a mile-long course with participants swimming down two rapids and into the Palmiet Estuary. The afternoon was concluded with the Fluid Kayaks Sprint event, held from the bridge at the Judgment Day rapid.

The fun continued throughout the evening with an Adventure Film competition. Four short films made the final, all focusing on South African paddlers tackling the rivers of Indonesia, Iceland, Uganda and the Amazon. The films were screened; the crowd watched and ultimately chose their favourite based on the strength of the applause. The winning film covered three incredible paddlers, South Africa’s Phil Swart and Australia’s Nathan Welch and Mark Kalch, in their bid to be only the fourth team to complete the source to sea of the mighty Amazon River.

As always, the lucky draws were eagerly anticipated as there were three awesome prizes up for grabs. A new Detox kayak, donated by Fluid Kayaks and worth over R6,000.00 was won by Leon Pieters.

A fantastic ARK Alligator inflatable kayak was won by Adrian Tregoning and, finally, a luxury weekend for two at the beautiful Arabella Western Cape Hotel & Spa was won by four-year-old Liam Richards (we hope he takes his parents with him!).

Live entertainment by local Kleinmond group, Tribal Echo, followed and everyone had a party, cheering for more of their unique brand of acoustic rock. The Firechain display was a huge crowd pleaser

and an amazing demonstration of skill. Finally, a DJ rounded off the festivities so that competitors could ready themselves for an early start on the Sunday.

Sunday morning saw the start of the Sportsmans Warehouse Mountain Bike Challenge. This event attracted more than 200 competitors and took the riders on a scenic route from the top of the Palmiet River valley back down to the festival hub. The unanimous opinion from those competing was that this is one of the most beautiful mountain bike races in the country and an exciting ride as well. Sunday morning also saw the staging of three kid’s events; a run, cycle and paddling event.

The finale of the festival was Sunday afternoon’s Croc races in which over 40 teams of two braved the rapids of the Palmiet River in the Ark Crocs Downriver race. Huge fun was had by all and this event provided much entertainment for the spectators with loads of thrills and spills.

Grateful thanks must go to the sponsors who provided such fantastic prizes, CapeNature and Kleinmond Municipality for their support and a big thank you to Andrew and Marie-Louise Kellett, the event organisers. The event ran smoothly due to the great organisation by the Gravity Adventures team, as well as paramedic support from WildMedix.

We hope to see everyone back again next year in August. •

ARK Inflatables together with Mehler Texnologies have sponsored the manufacture of four 4-man rafts and heralds the rebirth of competitive rafting in South Africa. With this new fleet now in place, selection events will be held to choose a team to represent South Africa at the World Rafting Championships in 2011. The rafts were launched at the festival and saw their first bit of white water action, albeit in the sea! If you are keen to get involved in competitive raft racing, please contact Billy Edwards on ark@ark.co.za. •

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 73

DO IT NOW | inACTION:

Words by Adéle Esterhuizen, Team A2A & Team Red Ants Photos by Erik Vermeulen & Big Baboon

Erik Vermeulen

In defiance to the urban legend of the hibernating Gauteng adventure racer, a healthy mix of passionately smitten and bravely determined gathering of adventure racers lined up at the race start of the second Seringveld Diamond Dash, on a crispy fresh bushveld winter’s morning.

Upon arrival, we were embraced with a hearty dose of country hospitality from the local community and armed with a steaming cup of hot coffee in the one hand and a freshly baked muffin in the other, we were ushered through race registration formalities with military precision.

Despite the early morning chill, the collective race energy was contagious and against the backdrop of thumping music, we

74 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

dashed off towards the kopjes for our first history lesson of the day. Now, whilst the majority of teams were focused on being as stream-lined and speedy as possible, in order to cross the finish line as fast as possible, Team A2A entered the race with an additional goal in mind. With only three weeks of training left until the premier multi-day event on the southern African adventure racing calendar, Swazi Xtreme 2010, the 50 km Diamond Dash provided us with the ideal opportunity to do some much needed race simulation training.

Erik Vermeulen

Erik Vermeulen

Erik Vermeulen

True to this agenda, we decided to race in full multi-day racing kit in preparation for this event, evoking more than just one incredulous stare from our competitors.

but my teammates would have none of it and we reluctantly left the tranquility of the bushes to return to our bikes for the last cycling leg.

Nonetheless, and despite the additional penalty, there were no brakes on the adrenaline rush, so off we sped at full speed – bulging backpacks in tow – trying to keep up with the racing masses.

Secretly ever grateful for the inevitable ‘wee bit of bottlenecking’ during the scramble up the kopje, I left the scouting to my everenergetic teammates, patiently waiting my turn to reach the viewing point at the top of the kopje.

The final mountain bike leg was absolutely brilliant! The race organisers went out of their way to provide us with a stunning mixture of single track, technical up and down hill riding and then finishing it off with a floating bridge across a dam ... I have to admit that I had already prepared myself mentally for the plunge, but to my total surprise and absolute delight, the crossing was deceptively do-able and our entire team charged across it without a single splash – despite the 60 km’s of racing already on the legs.

With the compulsory history lesson under the belt, we returned to our bikes for a challenging navigational mountain bike route.

Surprise: the earth is not flat, especially if you’re on your mountain bike. But luckily, what goes up must also go down – and boy, did we swoosh down! As with the inaugural Diamond Dash in February, the race organisers once again used indigenous trees as checkpoints, so a botanical lesson was part of the order of the day. I can heartily confirm that at this point, the lessons do sink in because I can now confidently identify a ‘Lekkerbreek’ tree at 20 km/h!

The navigational running leg passed in a blur of scenic single track and checkpoints, some more evasive than others. I was tempted to join the marshal at the picnic spot for some bird watching,

So all in all, a resounding ‘yee-haa’ to the race organisers for once again putting together a challenging, but do-able adventure sprint race. With the spectrum of course types that were on offer, catering for trail runners, duathletes, novice and experienced adventure racers, there was really no excuse not to get out in the bush and have some adrenalin-pumping fun. The hospitality of the venue was overwhelming, with abundant refreshments before and after the race. Finally, the race was very generously supported by a combination of local and industry-related sponsors, and we are ever so grateful for their enthusiastic support of our sport by generously rewarding our efforts with some really exciting prizes. I do believe you’ll find that we are a small, but brand-loyal, community! 

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 75

“Waar rook is, daar is ook vuur.” This was the first clue that sent us scrambling up the koppie on the first 4 km dash. With no map or marked route, this leg was chaotic as we searched for the allrevealing clues. We finally arrived back in transition with many of the other teams; the first leg had not split up the field as much as we had hoped.

We were quick onto our bikes for what was going to be a tough 17 km. I especially struggled with the rocks and steep hills (usually at the same time!). We couldn’t escape a male pair that seemed to have memorised the map at the start. They were flying along and didn’t appear to ever look at the map. Thanks to Alex’s spoton navigation, we arrived at the transition just in front of them and leading this stage.

Another quick (closely monitored by Brian) transition got us out onto the run well ahead of the other teams. Now it was our race,

76 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

our pace and our route! We did a bit of extra hill training repeats when we overshot CP2, but back on track Alex made some good route choices and we managed to increase our lead. We climbed a game fence for a compulsory waypoint on our way to CP5.

The big farm house where CP5 was located proved much more difficult to find than one would think. We then climbed up the koppie and abseiled down the other side, spotting some of the clues we had missed while maintaining our can’t-even-breathe pace on the first leg. On this section we came across a herd of wildebeest as they dashed down the hill behind us, and my immediate thought was that Stephan and co (from team Kinetic), who were trailing just behind us, were closing in. Having barely recovered from the Wildebeest fright, we almost ran straight into two giraffes.

Other sightings included zebra and springbok. The transition area finally came into view, which forced everything out of our legs.

My excitement at reaching transition and getting out of the heat

Big Baboon

Big Baboon

Big Baboon

Erik Vermeulen

(even if just for a moment) was dashed as Brian shouted, “Quick transition guys.”

First back into transition, we were the first out for the last leg, a marked mountain bike leg. With no cycle computer amongst us, this leg proved very interesting with no way of answering my ‘how much further’ questions. We pushed on regardless. Up another hill. Down some single track. Gijima advertised ‘Brand new single track’, which translates into ‘a portion of the veld where the grass has been trimmed’. This should not be attempted on a hardtail as cramp is inevitable. The ride was 19 km, but it felt like 29 km. We ended off with a compulsory floating bridge crossing made all the more exciting by a couple of uneven sections.

We finished first having only been passed by a solo racer in the last part of the final leg, who could cycle much faster than me. Credit must go to Alex for his excellent navigational skills and to Brian, the strong-as-an-ox teammate and pacesetter.

A tough race. A strong field. A hot Highveld winter’s day. A great team. Lots of happy adventure racer faces. Cold coke and hamburgers at the finish. Is there any other way you would want to spend a Saturday? •

Diamond Dash Race Results: 30 km Adventure Race (Trail Run, MTB, Tracking and Orienteering) 1st place: Zonder Naam 51 (04:19:42) 2nd place: Chix with Kix 55 (04:22:41) 3rd place: Old Eds Zonder (05:04:40)

50 km Adventure Race (Trail Run, MTB, Tracking and Orienteering) 1st place: Team Red Ants (04:16:37) 2nd place: KD8 (05:02:02) 3rd place: Kinetic (05:02:26) Read the new interview with Brian, from team Red Antz, at www.doitnow.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 77

DO IT NOW | inACTION:

Words by Bradley Nienaber Photos by Jurgen Vogt & DO IT NOW

Jurgen Vogt

Jurgen Vogt

78 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

It all started on Saturday morning with the pre-race organisation. We had lots to do and no time to waste, so we had to get stuck in. Course set-up was the number one priority for Saturday, as well as the pre-race registration. Saturday came and went, and everything was ready for race day.

With 180 riders pre-registered online for the Avianto Mountain Bike Race, we were expecting quite a substantial field of riders to take part in the event on Sunday 8 August, in Muldersdrift.

A 04:00 rise on Sunday morning got the race day off to a very early and cold start for us organisers. At 04:30 we headed off into the pitch black bush to double check that the course markings were still intact. A little bit of repair work was done to some of the course markings and by 05:45, the routes were all marked and ready to commence racing.

The first riders arrived at about 06:00 in anticipation of some action-packed racing. Registration on the morning saw another 60 riders sign up for the race.

This took the total number of riders in the field to an impressive 240 riders. Considering it was a long weekend, this was a great turnout for the Avianto Mountain Bike Race.

The 60 km men and ladies were first off at 08:00 and next up was the 30 km men and ladies at 08:15. Both races started with the leading men and ladies setting a very fast pace right .

The 60 km route consisted of two laps of the 30 km route.

By the look on the faces of the riders that had completed the 30 km race, they were anything but envious of the riders that were about to repeat the whole experience with a second lap.

With the men and ladies well into their respective races, it was time for the start of the 5 km and 10 km races. The riders from these two races set off at a somewhat slower and more relaxed pace than that of the frantic pace of the earlier races.

The 10 km race was two laps of the 5 km route and although the route was quite an easy ride, it was still challenging for the novice rider.

I set out with the children and a couple of moms on the 5 km fun ride. Even though it was named the ‘fun ride’, it was also a challenging route for the youngsters and moms. There were a couple of little climbs, as well as some hair-raising descents.

Special mention must go to the three young guys that were riding like Alberto Contador up the Pyranees Mountains, and who led

the small group of riders with the moms trailing behind. The fun ride was wrapped up in double quick time and the focus once more returned to the main races, where the pace continued to be fast and furious.

After riding over some rather rough terrain, including a motocross track, it was a frantic dash between the leading men, Dalmayne Kotze and Michael Casey, as they headed into the finishing straight.

But it was Dalmayne who snatched victory from Michael in the 30 km men’s race with only a second splitting them, in a winning time of 01:19:27 and an average speed of 22.66 kph. Second place went to Michael Casey in a time of 01:19:28 and in third place was Neil Robinson in 01:20:20.

Jo Muller, the leading lady in the 30 km race came around the corner into the finishing straight and pedalled hard up the slight incline to win the Avianto Mountain Bike Race in a time of 01:46:32, at an average speed of 16.9 kph. This was a strong ride from Jo and she really set the bar at a very high level. Deborah Garvey took second place in a time of 01:57:20 and taking home third was Minette Johnson in 01:57:40.

Now it was time for the grand finale, the 60 km men’s and ladies races. It was the men who powered around the corner first into the finishing straight. Mark Bridges and Morne Styger were neck-and-neck before Mark pounced and sprinted across the finish, leaving Morne with a mouthful of dust. Mark Bridges won in a fantastic time of 02:27:34 at an average speed of 24.40 kph. That is some going! Second place went to Morne Styger in a time of 02:27:38 and third place went to Chris Frankiskos in 02:37:59.

The pace set by the leading men was incredibly fast and somewhat scary if you think about the terrain that they set out to conquer.

Speeds like these are what some of us can only dream of.

It was all down to the ladies now. After a long, hard ride of more than three hours, it was Bronwynne Swanepoel who took first place in the Avianto Mountain Bike 60 km Ladies race in a time of 03:02:38, at an average speed of 19.71 kph. Second place went to Sandra Prinsloo in a time of 03:14:31 and third place went to Petruschka Constancon in 03:16:56.

After an exciting day of racing, the riders were treated to a prego roll and then it was time for prize giving. In addition to the first, second and third place prizes that were handed out to the riders from the 60 km and 30 km races, there was also a lucky draw prize for the men and ladies.

With the sun setting on the Avianto Mountain Bike Race, everything had gone according to plan and the day was thoroughly enjoyed by all. •

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 79

DO IT NOW | inACTION:

Words & Photos courtesy of NISSAN MTB Series

The

NISSAN MTB Series Mountain bikers are truly passionate about everything they do. For them the sport is not just about setting fast times and surviving nature’s obstacles. They also really care.

Nissan Diamond Rush, 24 July - Cullinan (1hr from Jhb) Mountain Biker Rescues Puppy during Nissan Diamond Rush During the Nissan Diamond Rush that took place in and around Cullinan on Saturday, 24 July, Elsa Karsten demonstrated just how big-hearted mountain bikers are when she took time out during her 70 km race to rescue a puppy.

Some 30 km into the race, Elsa spotted a group of kids in the veld who were laughing excitedly whilst throwing around what looked like a small black object. As she got closer, she realised to her absolute horror that it was a puppy. Without another thought, Elsa jumped off her bike, rescued the puppy and stuffed it into the front of her cycling shirt before riding off in utter disgust.

Moments after finishing the race, her face lit up in a broad smile as she opened her shirt, much to the astonishment of the onlookers, to reveal her new-found riding buddy. Everyone immediately wanted to know what happened. Elsa had to repeat the story of how she rescued the puppy, many times over, each time ending with the words: “It was the right thing to do.”

For the puppy, this story has a happy ending. Elsa is adamant about keeping it and she has even decided on a name: Moses.

Apart from the dog-rescuing heroics, it was evident that, as has become the norm, most of the mountain bikers who competed in the three different races had thoroughly enjoyed the great single track sections, wooden bridges and water crossings, as well as the beautiful areas they had raced through.

According to Justin Arnoldi, race participant, the organisers just continue to surprise him. “I really don’t know how they manage to keep on finding these amazing mountain biking trails in Gauteng,” he said.

Echoing Justin’s sentiments, Anne Smith said that on one section of the route there were unbelievable rock formations. “For me it was like riding into a fantasy world,” said Anne.

Even though Hendrik Storm from Thabazimbi finished the race with blood on his chin, he was all smiles when he crossed the finishing line. Commented Hendrik, “This is certainly one of the best races that I have ever competed in. I will definitely be back next year.”

When Neville Ackermann, winner of the Masters category, was asked about his wildlife experiences during the race, he said with a wry smile, “The only animals I saw really close up were some red ants and that was after I took a tumble.”

Mike Rethman, who competed in the 40 km race, said he had a run in with a herd of blesbok while riding through one of the game reserves. According to Rethman, the blesbok impulsively decided to stampede across the track right in front of him. “For a moment I thought I was going to be taken out by a blesbok. But being so close to the animals was an exciting experience,” he said.

‘Fun’ was certainly not the word the riders who competed in the 40 km race chose to describe their ascent to the top of the mine dump. For many a rider this was an almost impossible challenge, which led to some inward cursing directed at the organisers. Dieter Peters reckoned that if it was a cement track or hard dirt road, he might have stood a chance of riding all the way to the top. While Piet Semothoma proved to be one of the tough guys and said, “I managed to ride to the top of the mine dump. It was a piece of cake.”

Love conquers all Ben-Melt Swanepoel (Specialized/Mr Price) and Yolandi du Toit (Bizhub), one of South Africa’s more-famous mountain biking couples, turned the 70 km race into a true ‘love match on mountain bikes’ by respectively winning the pro-elite races for men and women.

Swanepoel out rode Philip Buys towards the end of the race to win in a time of 02:17:14, and there was no stopping du Toit once she managed to pass the slower riders on the technical sections and win in a time of 02:47:37. 

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Sport >> 81

Swanepoel proved once again that he is one of the most astute riders on the local mountain biking scene. Early on in the race and through the first really technical section of the course, Buys, Renier Bellingham (USN) and Ricardo Girlardo (DCM) managed to open up a gap on the rest of the riders. Unfazed, Swanepoel demonstrated why he is known in the local mountain biking fraternity as the ‘diesel engine’. Although he might not be the fastest or best technical rider, once Swanepoel gets into a good constant rhythm, there is no stopping him. He is capable of draining the energy levels of the best of riders, and those who tried to keep up with him described the experience as ‘being slowly killed’ on their bikes.

Swanepoel caught up with Buys soon after the technical section and the two of them worked together to catch and pass Bellingham and Girlardo. On the last climb, he managed to drop Buys, who was not too upset about being beaten for the first time in the Nissan series. “Riding with Melt has helped me a lot, especially because he rides at such a consistent pace. In the end, when it really mattered, he was just too strong for me and fully deserves his victory,” he said.

Jock Green (DCM), who finished fifth, said afterwards that he had forgotten how hard mountain biking could be. “During the past two months I have just been riding my road bike and that definitely doesn’t prepare you for the pain and strain of mountain biking, where there is no respite. It’s flat out all the way to the finish line,” said Green.

In the women’s race, it was Leatitia Botha (Team Ghost) who took off like a rocket and led most of the way. Yolandi du Toit said she made the mistake of starting too slowly and ended up among the slower riders on the most technical part of the course. “I had no choice but to get off my bike and push it along with the other riders. But once I was back on my bike and riding again, I managed to catch the other riders one by one and win the race,” she said. Theresa Ralph finished second and Sanet Smal (Team Ghost) in third.

Getting Down & Dirty, 4 September – Smuts Museum (20 min from Jhb)

The start of spring was cause for much celebration at the NISSAN Down & Dirty, held on 4 September. Enjoying the warmer weather, participants took on the challenge of competing in either the 70 km, 40 km or 20 km race, on the best mountain bike trails the area has to offer.

Families joined in the fun and festivities at the historical Smuts House and museum, previously the home of the iconic General Jan Smuts in Irene, and an awesome day was had by all.

Route description The 70 km route was a single loop and all three distances shared the first few kilometres. The area is famous among mountain bikers for its legendary rocky outcrops, fast jeep tracks, rhythmic short climbs and exhilarating single tracks through the forest.

Series Rankings after the Down & Dirty Race Nissan MTB Series Rankings With just one race remaining in the NISSAN MTB Series, the Van Gaalens in November, the competition in all categories has almost reached boiling point! Here are the overall race results so far:

Marathon - Men 1st Hendrik Kruger 2nd Patrice Gautier 3rd Donovan Lubbe

13935 12487 12463

Marathon - Ladies 1st Theresa Ralph 2nd Christine Janse van Rensburg 3rd Laetitia Botha

14260 10313 9198

Half Marathon - Men 1st Xander Botha 2nd Michael Casey 3rd Marthinus Greyling

16000 14377 13636

Half Marathon - Ladies 1st Sandra Leigh Prinsloo 2nd Helene Smit 3rd Tarryn Brent

15084 10832 10832

Will our current leaders retain their lead or do we have some exciting surprises in store? Find out more in the next issue who will reign supreme and become a NISSAN MTB Series champion.

The Final Countdown: Van Gaalens, 13 November – Van Gaalens Cheese Farm (1hr from Jhb)

As we count down to the last event of the 2010 Series, the NISSAN Van Gaalens, we can expect great things from this race as the current leaders will be giving it their all, and then some more, in their final quest for victory. Starting from the Van Gaalen Cheese Farm in Skeerpoort, the race boasts an abundance of riverbank single track, extreme climbs and technical descents, thus ensuring first-hand experience of the mighty Magalies mountains.

Route description The NISSAN Magalies Meander route is totally diverse, sporting riverside single track, grasslands, jeep track, water crossings, wicked downhills, fast and flat open sections and steep-as-can-be uphills. The organiser’s have gone all out with this one so that you can experience what real mountain biking is all about! •

For more information on the race, visit www.mtbseries.co.za or www.advendurance.com.

by Arran Brown DO IT NOW | inPREPARATION: Words Professional photos by Craig Dutton, random snapshots courtesy of the team

84 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

Behind the Scenes with

Team Medscheme www.doitnow.co.za ď‚

Sport >> 85

After a bad start to the year with my ITB injury, I am now fully recovered and back into the full swing of things with my team, Team Medscheme. I thought it would be interesting for me to talk about something different and give you the opportunity to get to know the team a little better.

We recently went on a week’s team training camp in the Lowveld to prepare for the second half of our season, and this is an overview of what we, as a team, set out to achieve from this camp.

Bike Set-up

Before leaving for any training camp, we all check our bike set-ups.

The reason for this is so that if we have changed our shoes or put on a new saddle prior to that camp, we can avoid any chance of an unwanted injury due to an incorrect bike position. Hanco Kachelhoffer and I both own professional bike set-up businesses in Johannesburg and between us, we assist with all the team’s bike set-up issues when required.

During the set-up assessment, we scrutinise important factors such as saddle height, saddle fore and aft positioning, cleat position, stem length, handlebar width and so on. A full assessment usually takes an hour to complete and once done, we can confidently train hard knowing that the slightest chance of any injury has already been dealt with. Prevention is always better than cure!

At the beginning of this year, I changed my saddle and shoes, but didn’t reassess my set-up. In the end I learnt the hard way and suffered for three months with an ITB injury. So take my advice, get your bike set-up checked before you start preparing for a big event or a period of hard training. Cycle Fit will gladly assist with any set-up related questions or issues you may have.

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Pre and post training camp preparation

Going on a training camp requires a lot of team effort and preparation to make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently. We have a fantastic bike technician, Magnus Gouws, who looks after all the team’s equipment from his bike shop, Cycle Fix, in Pretoria.

Magnus’s job is to make sure all the bikes are in good, clean working order before and during the camp. All the spare wheels, spare parts and any other equipment we may need are ordered and packed for the trip. We are really fortunate to have BH as a bike sponsor and they’ve provided us with two bikes each, one for racing and another for training, so we always have a bike that is kept in perfect condition to do our job each day. During the training camp, Magnus will fit new tyres, check our gears, clean the bikes and sort out any complaints the rider’s may have. He’s a fantastic guy who always goes about his job with a smile and great enthusiasm.

Kandice Buys, Soigneur of Team Medscheme, is another very important member of our team and her job is to make sure all our training nutrition is prepared, water bottles mixed or cleaned, post training nutrition and meals prepared and massage equipment plus any other necessary gear are available and stocked up on for the riders.

During the training camp Kandice and Magnus work nonstop, in fact they have the toughest job out of all of us. Without them, it would be very difficult for us to focus on our riding the way we need to.

Training routine

We often choose the Lowveld area for our June training camp as the roads are quiet and the terrain is really up and down, with lots of long mountain passes. We decided to stay in Hazeyview at the Drifters Lodge on the Hazeyview to Sabie road. The lodge is built on the scenic Sabie River and is an ideal place for a camp, as there are no distractions.

Each morning we would meet for breakfast and fuel up for a long day in the saddle. We had the option of scrambled eggs on whole wheat toast or a bowl of oats, with a cup of coffee to get things started (yes, even us cyclists need our coffee). After breakfast, we would get ready for training and set off at 9am. We always ride two abreast with either Magnus or Kandice following in the car behind for safety and backup. There are only three roads out of Hazeyview and they are all uphill for at least 30 km, so the start of our rides were always good fun. My favourite day’s training was a six-hour ride from Hazeyview to Sabie, Graskop, Pilgrims Rest, Crystal Springs and then back past Pilgrims Rest and Graskop to Hazeyview. This was by far the toughest day of our camp; we climbed the Bonnet from both sides as well as up Robbers Pass into Crystal Springs.

Each day we ended up racing each other on the long climbs to compare our form and strength. Johann Rabie was declared the winner of the mountains on day five, with Waylon Woolcock a close second. I tried to imagine how exciting it would be to have races in this part of South Africa. Malcolm Lange and Nic White regaled us with their war stories of how they attacked here and there during the old Rapport Tour. Unfortunately, these are stories our generation of riders cannot speak of because we don’t have any of these top riders coming out here to compete any longer, or a proper internationally ranked tour for us to speak of. Let’s hold thumbs that the newly announced Tour of South Africa UCI 2.2 is a success and goes ahead in February 2011. This is very exciting news and would be fantastic if the CSA can get the event off the ground, for the benefit of professional cycling in South Africa.

Arriving back at Drifters after training each day, we would have a well prepared lunch waiting for us; usually rolls with tuna salad and some fruit. After lunch, Kandice would massage each of us to keep our legs supple and prevent the onset of stiff muscles. For

supper, we would have a pasta dish, a high carbohydrate meal, as this helps recovery. By 9pm everyone was in bed for a good night’s sleep, ready to follow the same routine the next day.

Team building exercises

A training camp is an awesome way to bond as a team, as we all go through our highs and lows throughout the week and at the end of the day, we are all together as a team to focus on our training and learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s like one big family with a common goal.

One team building exercise I wasn’t too impressed with was a ‘river walk’ we decided to go on one afternoon. The reason I felt this way was because I was so nervous about being eaten by either a hippo or a crocodile. The team had a good laugh seeing me so anxious on such a casual game walk, and yet I’m the rider that has to mix it up in the final bunch sprints. Animals are something out of my control and it scared me. I have to add that Hanco was also terrified, but his poker face gave nothing away on that walk and due credit must be given to him. Johann Rabie thought he would try to be amusing and feed a gigantic wild boar a half-eaten pear.

Unfortunately for Johann, it charged and sent him scurrying down the road in double quick time. On another occasion, Nick White had his hands full trying to prevent some warthogs from feasting on our USN protein bars and the training food that had been prepared for us in the team car. Luthando Kaka, the quieter guy on the team, had a few good jokes to share that kept us in high spirits around the supper table each evening.

On our last night, Neil Macdonald lit a log fire in the lounge and we spent the evening enjoying a cold beer together and chatting about what the future holds for Team Medscheme. 

To follow team Medscheme’s race progress, visit www.teammedscheme.co.za. Visit www.doitnow.co.za for DO IT NOW interview with Team Medscheme.

Some of the local kids at one of the schools at an overnight point (Picture by OakPics)

by Danie van Aswegen DO IT NOW | inPREPARATION: Words Photos by OakPics & various photographers

Willem Botha and I are both in our early thirties.

It was while we were studying at the University of Stellenbosch that a lasting friendship was born during our late study nights, res life in Helshoogte and other endeavours we tackled together that included adventures such as skydiving, water skiing, crayfish diving and mountain biking. Although Willem lives in Port Elizabeth and I am in Rustenburg, it is our appetite for adventure that brings us together from time-to-time. If it is not spear fishing at Boggoms Baai, white water rafting and kayaking on the Orange River or pitching a tent in minus 15 degrees Celsius on the escarpment of the Drakensberg, it is a race like the DCM Cape Pioneer Trek that further entrenches our deep friendship. 

The legendary Oom Katot (Picuture by OakPics)

18 – 23 October 2010 88 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Danie and Willem crossing one of many water crossings on the 2009 CPT

Willem and Danie ascending on of many uphills on the CPT (Danie on the left) Willem and Danie on day 3 of the 2009 DCM CPT, riding along a dry river in the Kamanasie area (Picute by OakPics)

Our team name ‘Team Virtuoso’ is also testimony to our life aspirations. Virtuoso can be explained as ‘skilful, expert, brilliant, maestro and excellence’. Considering the fact that we both have professional careers in the engineering field, one has to understand the juggling act required to prepare and compete in serious endurance races like the DCM Cape Pioneer Trek. Despite this challenge, we have participated in several adventure and mountain biking endurance events that include, amongst others, the 2009 Cape Pioneer Trek (CPT), the 230 km Trans Baviaans Mountain Bike Marathon, 150 km Nguni Adventure Race, Swazi Extreme Pro Adventure race and also the Hansa Powerade Dusi Canoe Marathon.

Great food at the Water stations (Picture by OakPics and Sling Shot)

Willem and I always joke that the problem with ‘living’ life, as opposed to ‘dreaming’ life as most people tend to do, is that there are only 52 weekends in a year. Life is simply too short to sit around on weekends, so stop dreaming and DO IT NOW!

There are also a few basic rules that Team Virtuoso abides by, namely:  Rule 1 – Stay on your bike unless Oom Katot’s route forces you to hike-a-bike.  Rule 2 – Stay with your partner even if it means pushing or pulling your partner up Swartberg Pass.  Rule 3 – Never give up even when it requires beautiful Scooter ladies to visit you in the medic tent to motivate you to ride the next day.  Rule 4 – Enjoy the rush.  Rule 5 – Do our best and make our sponsors proud.

Last year we were fortunate enough to secure some donations from big-hearted companies such as Channel MTeto, Quality Tyres, Build IT, DFC Mining, Parson Attorneys and Kinetic Gear, who contributed to our entry fee.

90 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Some of the local kids attending to a rider at one of the water stations (Picture by OakPics)

The refreshing experience when chilled water is poured over you at one of the water stations

Willem and Danie glad to reach the top of Swartberg pass (Picture by OakPics)

So what makes the

DCM Cape Pioneer Trek so special?

The route It must be said that the 2009 route was simply amazing. Riders were given the opportunity to cycle over some legendary mountain passes such as the Swartberg Pass, Montagu Pass and even cross the formidable Kamanasi Mountains. To crown it all, roughly 20% of the route was set out on virgin territory, where it is claimed that no mountain bike wheels had gone before, thus giving riders the opportunity to feel like true pioneers. Dryland Event Manager, Henco Rademeyer, promises that at least 30% of this year’s route will be virgin territory and on single-track sections that nobody has ever cycled, some of which date back to the days of the Voortrekkers and British Settlers.

As in 2009, the route for 2010 is designed by renowned adventurer, Katot Meyer. The unique aspect of the race will be the great bio-diversity that the riders ride through. In six days of racing, the riders will pass through parts of the Klein Karoo, Garden Route, Groot Karoo and even across arid semi-desert areas. They will also be challenged by three serious mountain passes, the Attakwas, Swartberg and Duiwelskop Passes. This is a route that promises to impress - and once you’ve met Oom Katot, you will understand why I say this.

Some of the local kids lubing the chain at one of the water stations (Picture by OakPics)

The race traverses roughly 645 km over six days, with a cumulative vertical ascent of more than 12 000 m. The large sections that pass over minor gravel roads and cattle tracks will no doubt evoke a “what the … ?” response from most ‘normal’ human beings.

The water stations It can be said that the organisers really go out of there way to ensure that the riders are pampered when they get to the water points, and this year’s event will be no different. Not only do you get something to drink, there will also be lots to eat, vibrant music to create a festive atmosphere, massage stations and people to attend to your bike. A true oasis you will battle to leave behind as you head out again.

The personal touch The Dryland team have really managed to come up with a winning recipe to give the race a true personal flavour; where you are not just a number as in many other races, but where each rider is greeted on a first name basis; be it at the bag check-in, the bike park or on the route.

The communities The event distinguishes itself from others offered locally and abroad by engaging with the local communities along the route, as the organisers are of the firm belief that the tour belongs to everyone we pass by on our bikes. The success of such partnerships was clearly evident in the 2009 CPT, as the enthusiasm of all the school kids, teachers and parents that joined in, is what made the 2009 CPT such a special event.

Green initiatives This year, special Green initiatives will also be launched as described by conservationist extraordinaire Katot Meyer, “We need to offset our carbon emissions and even though we have found other ways to lessen this impact, we still want to make a significant difference, hence these initiatives. We have already accepted the challenge of becoming ‘water neutral’, and at each stage location along the route we will plant 20 to 30 trees that will be cared for by our community partners. The trees selected are of the Spekboom variety, which boast enormous carbon-storing capabilities that can offset harmful carbon emissions. This is just the start of many projects to ensure our natural heritage is preserved for years to come.”

The sponsors Wow, what a promising sponsor line up. We were duly impressed with the sponsor list of 2009 and the 2010 event has attracted even more support. One can surely be assured that the riders will get true value for every cent they spend on entry fees for the race.

So if the pioneer in you is looking for virgin territory to ride in, then the DCM Cape Pioneer

Trek this October is a must-do event. We’ll see you there! 

For more information visit www.capepioneer.co.za.

www.doitnow.co.za 

Sport >> 91

Words by Dr Christa North

Shutterstock Image

DO IT NOW | inSHAPE:

Athletes work hard to maintain peak physical performance in their chosen sports, yet sometimes they find that their stamina dips unexpectedly. And probably the last place we look for this source of frustration is vitamin D deficiency.

92 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

... Given the recent findings, it is recommended that sports dietitians and physicians routinely assess vitamin D status and make recommendations to help athletes achieve an optimum vitamin D status ...

Recent studies described the vitamin D deficient status found in athletes as ‘pandemic’. Inadequate endogenous synthesis of vitamin D is the most probable reason for insufficient/deficient status in athletes. So even though athletes generally do not meet the required dietary intake for vitamin D, the lack of synthesis thereof is raising alarm bells. Factors that may impair synthesis in athletes include skin pigmentation, early- or late-day training, indoor training, geographic location and sunscreen use.

These recommendations can include regular safe sun exposure (twice a week between the hours of 10am and 3pm on the arms and legs for 5-30 minutes, depending on season, latitude and skin pigmentation) or dietary supplementation with 1,000-2,000 IU vitamin D3 per day. Although this is significantly higher than what is currently considered the adequate intake, recent research demonstrates these levels to be safe and possibly necessary to maintain adequate vitamin D concentrations.

So why is vitamin D so important? While it is well recognised that vitamin D is necessary for optimal bone health, emerging evidence is finding that adequate vitamin D intake reduces risk for stress fracture, total body inflammation, infectious illness and impaired muscle function. Furthermore, research indicates that physical and athletic performance is seasonal; vitamin D levels peak when obtained by natural, full-body summer sun exposure, and are at their lowest levels during winter months. Vitamin D also increases the size and number of Type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers. It has been shown that vitamin D may improve athletic performance in vitamin D-deficient athletes.

However, taking too much vitamin D (more than 5,000 IU/day) may actually worsen athletic performance. Take enough to keep your 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels around 50 ng/mL year round. •

Given the recent findings, it is recommended that sports dietitians and physicians routinely assess vitamin D status and make recommendations to help athletes achieve an optimum vitamin D status.

Fast Facts about Vitamin D:

Other names: Calciferol, Cholecalciferol Best sources: • Synthesized in the skin upon exposure to the UV rays in sunlight.

• Fatty fish sources, such as cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel.

• Milk and some breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D. • Egg yolk, beef liver and cheese.

Words by Mandy Rawlins BSc. (Physio) UCT

DO IT NOW | inSHAPE: Photos courtesy of E.A.P. Active

KINESIO TAPING ®

T

R O P P U S E D I W IVES WORLD

RECE

So what is all this hype about this new tape and its myriad of applications that has taken the sporting world by storm? Kinesio® Taping is a revolutionary therapeutic taping technique that not only offers your patient or athlete the support they are looking for, it rehabilitates the affected area too.

Kinesio® Tape is an elastic hypoallergenic tape, which works with the fascial, lymphatic and musculoskeletal systems. It possesses optimum elastic qualities stretching from 130140% of its resting length, is the same thickness as the skin and is durable enough to stay on for multiple days even through sweat and showers.

One of the theories is that when a muscle is inflamed, swollen or stiff due to fatigue, the space between the skin, fascia and muscle is compressed and results in a constriction to the flow of lymphatic fluid. This compression also applies pressure to the pain receptors beneath the skin and the person experiences PAIN. Pain, in turn, inhibits muscle function and thus joint stability. Studies show that if you can decrease pain then the exercises to restore muscle function and joint mechanics are far more effective.

Space for Flow of Lymph Fluid Conventional athletic tape is designed to restrict the movement of affected muscles and joints. For this purpose, several layers of tape must be used around and or over the afflicted area, applying significant pressure that results in the obstruction of the flow of bodily fluids. This is also the reason athletic tape is generally applied immediately before the sports activity and removed immediately after the activity is finished. On the other hand, Kinesio® Taping is based on a different philosophy that aims to give support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. It is also used for preventive maintenance, oedema and pain management.

What does Kinesio® Taping do?

This Kinesio® Taping exhibits its efficacy through the activation of neurological and circulatory systems. Muscles

94 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

are not only attributed to the movements of the body but also control the circulation of venous and lymph flows.

Using an elastic tape, it was discovered that muscles and other tissues could be helped by outside assistance. Employment of Kinesio® Taping creates a totally new approach to treating nerves, muscles and organs. The Kinesio® Taping method is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused and tired muscles and supports muscle movement on a 24-hour-per-day basis. It is a non-restrictive type of taping that allows for the full range of motion.

Kinesio® Tape is used for anything from headaches to foot problems and everything in between.

Other uses include: muscular facilitation or inhibition in pediatric patients, carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back strain/ pain (herniated disc), knee conditions, shoulder conditions, hamstring, groin injury, rotator cuff injury, whiplash, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, patella tracking, pre and post surgical oedema, ankle sprains, athletic preventative injury method and as a support method.

Kinesio® Tape Technique Without getting too technical, Kinesio® Tape is applied over the affected area with the muscles in a stretched position.

Then the Kinesio® Tape is applied from one end of the muscle to the other with varying amounts of stretch to the tape. The tape is applied from the muscle origin (beginning) to the insertion (end) for muscle support and or facilitation.

For muscular inhibition, Kinesio® Tape is applied from muscle insertion to the origin.

So if you are suffering from any one of the above mentioned ailments, why not join a host of notable athletes worldwide that have embraced this revolutionary technique and see what it can do for you. •

The Kinesio速 Taping method is applied over muscles to reduce pain and inflammation, relax overused and tired muscles and supports muscle movemen

The Kinesio速 Taping method is a non-restrictive type of taping that allows for the full range of motion.

DO IT NOW | inSHAPE:

Words by Dr Rikus Scheepers Photos courtesy of Dr Scheepers

Spinal and Joint Wellness through Chiropractic If you are suffering from spinal problems including neck and back pain, or joint, nerve and muscle dysfunction, have you ever considered visiting a chiropractor? Read on to find out more about the fascinating world of chiropractics and benefits of opting for this type of treatment.

Chiropractic, if you’ve never heard the term before, means ‘done by hand’. It is a healthcare science that works on the principal that good health and optimal function is partially dependant on a normally functioning spine and nervous system. Chiropractic has a long history dating back to1895, when the first manipulation was carried out for medical purposes by D. D. Palmer. Since then, the profession developed from ‘bone setters’ to a scientific conservative approach to musculoskeletal problems that is the third most used primary healthcare profession in the world!

What to expect The chiropractic profession offers an exciting approach to the diagnosis and management of spinal, joint, nerve and muscle dysfunction.

A visit to a chiropractor involves a thorough examination that includes orthopaedic and neurological tests. This involves the testing of muscle strength, joint movements, nerve function and skeletal alignment. Further investigative tests (x-rays, sonar and nerve conduction) can be requested if necessary to make a diagnosis. The chiropractor will give an explanation of the problem and suggest a treatment programme if the injury falls within the chiropractic scope of practice. Patients with other conditions will be referred to the appropriate specialist.

The primary objective of the treatment is to reduce pain and discomfort. Thereafter, the cause will be addressed and corrected.

The spine The spine is the primary focus of chiropractors. The spine is made up of 24 individual moveable vertebrae, separated by a disc that acts as a shock absorber and is connected by ligaments and muscles.

This allows the spine to function as a dynamic unit. Between each two vertebrae, a pair of spinal nerves exit from the spinal cord.

Sometimes mechanical dysfunction at a spinal level is caused by everyday activities such as lifting, falling, stress, incorrect posture, strenuous work or activities. This can cause pressure or irritate these spinal nerves to cause abnormal function in the related part of the nervous system.

Treatment Chiropractors treat spinal dysfunction by using manipulations and a wide range of modalities such as electrotherapy, cold/heat, massage, stretching, acupuncture/dry needling and rehabilitation exercises. The manipulation, our main tool, is a quick short lever thrust on a specific spinal vertebra that relieves pressure and irritation on the nerves and restores normal biomechanical

96 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

function and alignment of the spine. Some conditions respond immediately but others require a longer treatment programme for full recovery.

Who can benefit from treatment?

Chiropractic treatment can benefit almost everyone. Babies with colic, children with spinal problems, pregnant mothers, workers, athletes and the elderly can be treated safely and effectively. The focus of such treatment is to restore normal movement, nerve function and prevent progressive degenerative changes.

Research Spinal problems, including neck and back pain, are the second most common reason why people consult orthopaedic and neurosurgeons. It is also the most widespread disease after the common cold, and the most frequent reason for surgery. Recent studies in the United Kingdom, named the BEAM TRAIL, reported on the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment compared to medication and other treatment modalities. The results were published in the British Medical Journal (19 November, 2004) and showed that chiropractic treatment produced superior results in effectivity, safety, cost effectiveness and patient satisfaction. Through chiropractic care, the patients took fewer days’ sick leave, used less medication for pain and had a reduced chance of needing surgery. The recommendation was that chiropractic treatment should be the primary care to these conditions.

Chiropractors practising legally in South Africa have to be registered with the professional boards who govern standards and practices. As a requirement to register, a practitioner must have completed a six-year course after which a Masters Degree in Chiropractic is awarded. The courses are presented at the University of Johannesburg and Durban University of Technology.

Prevention is still the best cure! Your spine is irreplaceable.

That’s why I encourage a healthy, active lifestyle with enough correct exercise, rest and a balanced diet. This together with a regular spinal maintenance treatment will keep your spine aligned and your body healthy! 

For more information on Chiropractics, visit www.CASA.co.za

by Sam Sithole DO IT NOW | inSHAPE: Words Photos by Jurgen Vogt

Look GOOD and Feel GREAT! Summer is here and it’s time to shed those extra winter kilos and tone up. Follow these simple exercises in the comfort of your own home or at the gym and rediscover that six pack and those shapely contours.

1: Dumbbell Step Up Muscles trained Target: Quadriceps Dynamic stabilizers: Hamstrings and gastrocnemius (step up leg)

1

2

3

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2 Side View

Position With a dumbbell in each hand, stand facing a bench, chair or high platform.

Movement Lift one leg onto the bench. Step up to a standing position without letting your opposite foot touch the bench. Lower your body slowly back to the starting position. One set is complete after 20 reps on both legs have been done.

Sets: 3 Reps: 20 each leg

2: Dumbbell Squat Muscles trained Target: Quadriceps Dynamic stabilizers: Hamstrings and gastrocnemius (front leg) Position With a dumbbell in each hand and resting at your sides, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Movement Pushing your hips back, bend your knees and squat as close as possible into a sitting position. Take care to not hurt your knees and only go down as far as it’s comfortable.

Keep your lower back naturally arched and push back up to the starting position without rounding your back.

Reps: 20 Sets: 3

98 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

For more information Contact:

Samuel Sithole - Personal Trainer on: 084 308 5757

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3: Down and Up Muscles trained Target: Deltoids, triceps and chest (sternal and clavicular) Dynamic Stabilizers: Biceps and bracialis (shoulders) Position Get into a push-up position on your palms, with your arms straight and on the tips of your toes. Tighten your stomach muscles.

Movement From this position, bend your right arm and place your elbow and forearm on the ground followed by lowering your left elbow and forearm to the ground. Keep your hands facing forward.

WITHOUT pushing upwards and keeping your body position, lift your right arm and place your right palm on the ground and then repeat the process with your left side. Straighten your arms (push up) to return to the starting position and repeat.

Reps: 20 Sets: 3

4: Low Crawl

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Muscles trained Target: Triceps, abs and quadriceps Dynamic Stabilizers: Gluteus maximus, adductors and deep external rotators (waist/hips) Position Get into the push-up position so that your wrists are aligned with your shoulders, and on the tips of your toes. Pull in you stomach muscles and belly button towards your spine.

2

Movement Step your right foot towards your right hand, as you move your left hand forward.

Repeat the process, but this time move your left foot and right hand forward. Continue crawling forwards whilst keeping your back straight and stomach muscles pulled in at all times.

3

Reps: 20 for each leg Sets: 3

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5: Side Plank with Knee Forward Muscles trained Target: Trapezius (upper, middle and lower back) and abs.

Dynamic Stabilizers: Hip adductors, hamstrings and quadriceps Position Lie on your right side on your elbow (in line with your shoulder), with your right forearm on the ground and your legs extended. Bend your left arm and place your left hand behind your head with your elbow facing up. Now raise your hips off the ground so that your body is aligned from shoulders to feet.

Movement From this position, pull your left knee towards your chest and then lower it back down to the starting position while keeping your hips raised off the ground the entire time. Repeat for 20 reps then switch sides. Make sure that your core and buttock muscles are tight during this exercise.

3

Reps: 20 Sets: 3

www.doitnow.co.za ď‚

Sport >> 99

DO IT

NOW

Lifestyle

// [in THE HOLE] 20 Questions with Ulrich van den Berg - Top Professional Golfer • Blasting from a Distance • 40 Year-Old Rookie - The Mile High Club // [inNATURE] 42 Days of South Africa’s Highlights Part ll • Bait Balls in Algoa Bay • A Whale of a Time // [inCREDIBLE PLACES] Borneo - Part 2, Nature on a Silver Platter // [inDULGE] Speyside - the Heart of the Scotch Whisky Industry • Recipe - Pecan Encrusted Salmon // [inSURE] Will your Golden Years be Golden? // [inTERTAINMENT] CD, Movie and Gaming Reviews // [inFOCUS] Shoot! Trail Running // [inVOLVED] Plastic: Friend or Foe? • Khutsi’s Mum - Rhino Poaching Must STOP!

Shutterstock Images Description: Beautiful Mozambique sunset

DO IT NOW | in THE HOLE:

Words by Michael Scholz Photos courtesy of Michael Scholz

1) When did you turn pro?

1999.

2) You’ve had a number of tournament wins and made a reasonable living out of playing golf. How many houses do you own, where is your jet parked and how much time do you spend with Jay Leno?

I have a couple of Monopoly houses, a few Lego ones, my fleet of aircraft are readily available at most good toy stores in the model aircraft section and Jay … well, Jay and I haven’t been able to get a session together. We both have busy schedules you know!

3) Seriously though, you have had a lucrative career with a number of significant wins. How many professional tournaments have you won?

Six. They span back almost a decade, but most recently I have won two Vodacom Business - Origins of Golf events.

102 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

4) You’ve had a few near misses in some of the bigger events on the Sunshine Tour. How does it feel to come so close but fall just short, and how do you motivate yourself the next time?

I had a really good chance to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship in 2006, but struggled for air after a triple bogey on the 11th hole of the final round. This broke my rhythm as well as my chances of victory. The motivating factor is that you learn from your mistakes, which makes it easier to achieve the ultimate result the next time. That’s the way it goes in this game!

5) Explain how it feels to stand over a putt to win a professional tournament?

It is the greatest feeling because you know you’re on form and have performed well, so the confidence is high. It’s tougher to stand over a putt to make the cut because this usually means that you aren’t in your best form and will have one of those dreaded ‘short weeks’ if you miss, which all pro’s hate!

6) We believe that you did a short stint in car sales. Why did you look at this as a career option?

I felt my golf was a little stale and I wasn’t enjoying it much at the time. I was given the opportunity to do a management course and go on to manage a sales department at a Peugeot dealership, so I took it.

7) Did you sell any cars?

Yes. 8) How much money did you make from the sales?

Not enough!

9) Who is your favourite golfer of all time and why?

Seve Ballesteros. He was the king of the game. A true maestro.

He had charisma and it was awesome to see the way he conducted himself and played the game.

10) You are quite a ‘smooth cat’ with a full head of hair. When/ if the follicles start to escape your scalp, will you go the implant route?

Actually, I have had my hairline go backwards over the past decade. Probably too many missed putts? I’m quite comfortable having a shaved pip, but this really depends on my wife and her preference for the month.

11) You were recently short-listed as one of the ‘Hunks of the Holes’. Do you have any stalkers, groupies or fans that follow you around on tour?

Ha ha ha! It would be nice to have a few of those to make up a bit of a crowd when I’m playing. Can this be arranged?

12) You have a strict training programme and are one of the fitter professional golfers on the Sunshine Tour. Here’s a short series of fitness-related questions: Six-pack or beer boep?

Six pack.

Salad or double cheese burger?

After shooting 78, definitely a double cheese burger!

Lie in or early morning gym session?

An early morning gym session.

Bench press: 80 kg or 120 kg?

80 kg.

13) The Sunshine Tour now complies with the new ‘conforming groove’ campaign for professional golfers. Has this affected you at all?

Yes. Chipping has now become more of an art.

14) Sponsorships are difficult to come by in the current economic climate. How do you get your sponsors to part with their hard earned moola?

It’s really tough, but one needs to create an arrangement that is mutually beneficial to both the sponsor and golfer. It’s also important that there is respect between the sponsor and golfer.

Never take a sponsorship for granted!

15) Most pro golfers keep themselves liquid by playing for money when the tour schedule has gaps. What is the most (of your own money) you have ever played for?

The most I’ll play for is R5,000. I’ve won a few and lost a few.

16) You are married and have a baby girl. With sporadic nappy changes and bottle feeds, how do you deal with the allnighters when you are playing a tournament the next day?

This is a tough one! I wish I could say, “That’s why I’m married to my wife.” Don’t quote me on this!

(Sorry Uli. Hope you survive this one!)

17) What, where and when was the worst ever golf shot you’ve hit in professional golf?

I’ve had too many to remember, although I did have my career first ‘Helmut Bascher’ (topped shot) in the Zambian Open last month. I hit a 3 wood right on the head! Embarrassing, although I still concocted a birdie on that hole!

18) Extensive travel is synonymous with professional golf.

What is the worst destination that you have been to and what stood out to make it so hauntingly memorable?

Kenya! Definitely Kenya. Playing in the Kenyan Open a few years ago, I picked up a viral infection and then had jippo guts for three weeks. The final nail in the coffin was that the roads were non-existent, but this didn’t deter the taxi drivers from racing in their own ‘Nurenburg Ring Rally in Nairobi’. I had more than my share of near-death experiences that week.

19) You hail from East London. Are you considered a folk hero by the ‘Slammiesians’ and when are they set to erect the life-size bronze statue of you in the city centre?

I’m definitely no folk hero and I doubt that there will ever be a bronze statue erected. If they did, it would probably be stolen and melted down to contribute to the wire art vendors or someone might intentionally drive into it.

20) Who would make up your dream four ball and why?

If we are talking golfers, it would be Seve Ballesteros, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. They are the greatest that have played! If it were non-golfing idols, it would have to be Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao (boxer and politician), Valentino Rossi (superbiker and speed legend) and Gabriela Sabatini (tennis hotty from the ‘90s).

21) What are your plans going forward?

Hopefully get my European Tour privileges back and make a proper run of it.

We would like to wish you good luck and the best of success for your bright future and are sure that you will DO IT NOW. • www.doitnow.co.za  Lifestyle >> 103

by Renier Pieters DO IT NOW | inTHEHOLE: Instructions Photos courtesy of Michael Scholz

The infamous fairway bunker is the nemesis of most golfers, including many low handicappers.

As daunting as it may seem, the fairway bunker shot is actually very straight forward and demands only minor adjustments with the set up and technique.

Follow these simple tips and you’ll soon be nicknamed ‘Rommel’ because of your great escapes from the desert that lines the fairways at your club!

Step 1: When addressing the ball, you need to set up with the ball about 5 cm further back (towards your right foot for the right hander) in your stance. This will promote a ‘steeper’ angle of attack on the ball and ensure that you do not catch sand between your clubface and the ball at impact.

Tip 1: Mark McNulty used to say ‘Thin to win’, as you would rather hit a slightly thinned (too little sand) fairway bunker shot than a fat one (too much sand).

Step 2: Be sure to get most of your weight onto your left side (for the right hander) at the address position and push your hands forward slightly.

This will promote a steeper, more accelerating swing directly to the ball and once again assist with striking the ball without capturing sand between the clubface and ball.

104 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

"You must work very hard to become a natural golfer." - Gary Player

Step 3: Throughout the swing, keep your weight on your left side and keep the lower body steady as a good ball-strike is vital. Follow through into a nice high follow through position and watch your ball soar through the air and frustrate your opposition as it comes softly to rest near the pin

Tip 2: Always take a club with enough loft to get your ball over the lip of the bunker, even if it means coming up short of your target. It’ll be a lot easier to play a chip shot rather than trying to get your next fairway bunker shot out of your divot from your pervious attempt! 

For more swing information, lessons or to arrange corporate clinics, contact Renier Pieters from GolfGuys Academy on 084 507 1681.

DO IT NOW | in THE HOLE:

Words by Michael Scholz, The 40 Year-Old Rookie Photos courtesy of 40 Year-Old Rookie

The Mile High Club

Air travel. A good laugh if you look at it through the dazed and confused 40 Year-Old Rookie’s perspective!

A trip to Durban last month added a few air-miles to my loyalty card, as well as some literary fodder to share with those of you who are regular fliers and barely take notice of the comedy surrounding you in our world class airports.

In fact, so good is the material, I think I am going to spend more time at O.R. Tambo to provoke some creative juices and gather ideas for future articles.

My reason for travelling was to perform a trick shot show and entertain the clients of a corporate client at Mount Edgecombe Country Club in Durban. As part of my preparation, I logged onto www.golfweather.co.za which allowed me to accurately pack my bag according to the week’s forecast and save space in the daytripper bag. I could now even squeeze my toiletries in this time!

For this reason, I share with you: Air Traveller Tip 2: Start writing some spy story about your covert operation and how your ‘target’ has been located. Cunningly list a few distinctive details that single out your nosy reader and make mention of how you are going to ‘erase the subject’ when he or she visits Loolooland. A guaranteed hasty departure and a great possibility of a ruptured bladder patient checking into a hospital somewhere later in the day!

After the 2010 World Cup, all of our South African airports are most impressive! In all my years of travelling, I must say that we certainly have some of the finest airports in the world!

Boarding the Boeing 737-800, I showed my boarding pass to the stewardess. “23D. Down the aisle and to the left, sir.” No way!

Really? It’s a long tube with a pair of wings. Where did they think I was going to go? Now in defense of the stewardess, I arrived at 23D and some guy actually cocked it up. Surely you line up the number above the seat with the seat itself. “No sir. 24D is the seat behind this one. The one next to the 300 kg sumo wrestler over there.” Higher grade stuff!

After swooning the check-in clerk (you will always do this if your baggage is overweight) and distracting her with my early morning banter about how the free newspaper is such a novel idea and complimenting the luggage trolley’s smooth braking system, I managed to get my trick shot golf bag, which is often mistaken for a body bag only heavier, onto the conveyer. A golf travel cover doubles up as a low budget personnel carrier, although my wife usually complains that it gets a little cold and cramped in the baggage hold with my golf club jammed in her face.

The allocation of emergency exit seats has always intrigued me.

The flight attendant always asks the folks sitting in the emergency exit row if they are ‘okay’ with taking on the responsibility of manning the emergency door. Really? Maybe they should ask the rest of the passengers if we are ‘okay’ with the 95 year-old pensioner with the purple rinse, who was escorted in on her Zimmer frame, being in command of that there exit point? They then go on to explain to Granny Purple that she has to grip, pull and throw the door out of the plane. Nobody is getting out of that door!

The 6am flight awaited! Book yourself on one of these flights and you will understand why they call it the red-eye! You have to wake up before you even go to sleep the night before in order to get to the airport and check-in on time!

Fussy, fussy!

Air Traveller Tip 1: Always ask for a seat at the back of the plane.

You never hear of an aircraft backing into a mountain range.

At the security check-point, I unpacked my laptop, two cellphones, a Flipcam, video camera, spy glasses, iPod, Zenio Putting device and digital camera, and then spread them as I glided through the scanner. Beep, beep! After removing my belt and embarrassingly repeating the process … Beep, bloody, beep! With not a metallic belonging upon my person, could this mean that my iron-boosted diet is finally working and Iron Man has to start watching his back?

Either that or the rather effeminate security jock who frisked me up and down signalled to the alarm controller to sound the alarm.

Wow, what a frisking and so early in the morning too!

Staggering off, I was met by three persuasive vendors who polished my shoes with great gusto. These guys can sell anything!

Stepping away with my newly polished and shiny shoes I felt a little swindled, but boy did my takkies now have a grand shine. I could see the reflection of my bald head reflecting my shoes, reflecting my balding head!

The body was now craving caffeine after all this excitement! Thank goodness for Vida e Café! A skinny cappuccino and a weigh-less approved cinnamon and apple muffin stabilised the system.

Email catch up time. Now why is it that you always have someone who is more interested in your emails or writings than you are?

Now airborne, I ask other travellers this simple question: Why can’t I listen to my iPod whilst taking off? Does this mean that the electronics on this craft are so sensitive that the plane would fall out of the sky because of the soothing voice of Neil Diamond or a catchy ditty by Engelbert Humperdink? Hmmm? Worrying indeed!

Before I have even settled into the short flight and removed my shoes, like the fella next to me who has clearly worn the same pair of socks for an entire week, the captain announces, “… we will be commencing our descent. Please fold away your tray table (I challenge the use of the insinuation that this small, rickety structure in front of me could be classified as a ‘table’) and return your seats to the upright position for landing.” Now let’s carefully analyse the last part of that statement. “… return your seats to the upright position …” Clearly this man has never sat in economy class! The two degrees of tilt offered by depressing that little button on the armrest cannot be regarded as any position other than upright! It’s not exactly like I’m going to roll out of bed here? In fact, I have seen high-rise buildings with more tilt, and besides why can’t I be semicomfortable whilst this 70-ton missile touches down at 200 km plus on a hard piece of tarmac?

After a reasonably smooth practice crash landing, we safely landed at a superb and brand new King Shaka Airport. With my feet back on terra firma, you now know why the 40 Year-Old Rookie drives to most of his destinations.

Till next time, stay on the ground.  106 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

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DO IT NOW | inNATURE: Words & Photos by Dawie du Plessis

Following on from Catt’s and my whirlwind journey of discovery through South Africa in the August/September issue of DO IT NOW, we gradually made our way to Knysna where we spent two glorious days soaking up the laid-back atmosphere and going for long leisurely walks. 

Bastervoetpad Pass Summit

We had agreed to join my parents and some of their friends on a nine-day trip through the eastern Cape and were going to meet them at Karnmelkspruit, close to Lady Grey, in two days time. So after driving the tiny dirt mountain roads to Avontuur and crossing the river 38 times, we took the fastest route north, the N9. We stopped at Graaff-Reinet’s affordable but basic municipal camp grounds for the evening. After admiring the impressive church, which seems to be the centre piece of town, we continued on and reached the Karnmelkspruit camp site before midday. In my ignorance, I did not have any fly fishing gear with me and had to be content with drooling over the most perfect trout fishing conditions.

Karnmelkspruit offered an idyllic place for the reunion and the ideal staging post for our next challenge: Conquering the eight mountain passes of the eastern Cape Highlands!

Day one of ‘operation mountain passes’ saw us driving through Lady Grey and over Joubert’s Pass. We discovered that the origins of many of these passes stem from brothers who farmed on either side of a mountain.

Joubert’s Pass came about when two brothers, living on either side of the mountain, etched out tiny dirt tracks from either side until they reached the summit, offering a quicker way to visit each other. We also realised that it is impossible to try and describe the immense beauty of the landscapes around these mountains, and photographing them proved challenging beyond belief. The images simply don’t do justice to the scale of it all!

Our second pass for the day was the Otto du Plessis Pass. On the way there we used the Grondnek Pass, which was not marked on the organiser’s itinerary but is the logical way to go. Once again, words are inadequate to describe the magnificence of the view from the Otto du Plessis summit. It was after midday when we stopped there to soak it all in and even though the wind almost blew us off our feet, we spent our lunch break in awe of nature. It took us most of the afternoon to descend into the valleys again and reach the town of Elliot for our overnight stop.

We stayed at Thompson Dam Caravan Park, which is municipal owned and the ablution facilities could give Train Spotting’s ‘Worst Toilet in Scotland’ a good run for its money! The setting is beautiful and it is a real shame the locals don’t pay more attention to the facilities.

Day two of ‘operation mountain passes’ dawned with zebra noisily discussing the state of our camp. We left without using the facilities and headed north again. The first pass for the day was Barkly Pass. Although this is a tar road, it does not detract from the natural beauty of the sand stone formations and views of the wide open plains far below. Pass number two was Bastervoetpad Pass, which made my jaw drop! The previous day I honestly believed that the view from the Otto du Plessis summit could not be bettered! The Bastervoetpad’s summit view did not only better that, but belittled it! You are so high up and isolated that it can only be compared to a view when flying. The pass itself was also the most challenging to drive so far and I would not have been happy attempting this pass in anything less than a decent 4x4!

We reached Maclear just after lunch and turned to the mountains again using the Potrivier Pass to reach the start of Naude’s Neck Pass. The Naude brothers also farmed on either side of this mountain and completed this pass in 1911. I find it almost ridiculous to imagine the mammoth task of carving a road so steep and long even with today’s techniques and equipment, never mind back in 1911.

The other side of the pass took us down into the village of Rhodes, a national monument in its entirety. To the visitor it almost seems like a time capsule or working museum.

To the residents it must be pure bliss. We camped in the municipal camp site with clean and neat facilities and shamefully low rates.

Day three was our last day in the area. Within half an hour of leaving town we found a sign that read: Engage lowest gear, keep revs up, take corners wide, drive confidently. Sound advice! Arriving at the bottom of the Carlislehoek Pass, it took every one of the horses in the 4.2-litre engine to haul the weight and bulk of the vehicle up that hill. After testing my newly acquired fly fishing gear at Loch Ness, located at the top of the mountain, we descended towards the Tele River and Telebridge Border Post between Lesotho and South Africa. We used the Bidstone Pass and Lundean’s Neck Pass to get there. The latter being the highest mountain pass in South Africa. Sani Pass is higher but as it is situated between South Africa and Lesotho, it doesn’t count. The weather on this day was pretty foul, similar I am sure to what Scotland would be like. Our last pass was the tarred Dulcies Nek Pass, between the Telebridge Border Post and Lady Grey. We headed towards Aliwal North and stayed at the Badfontein Guest farm, some 20 km outside of town.

We enjoyed the relatively warm weather and rustic but ample facilities before embarking on the second leg of the journey. To our great delight the pace of the trip slowed down again and it took us two days to reach the Baviaans Kloof. We stopped over at the Mountain Zebra National Park close to Cradock, and the Addo National Park near Port Elizabeth. Both parks did not disappoint in the slightest.

We left Addo early the next morning after setting the GPS routing to the ‘shortest route’. We briefly joined the N2 before crossing the Van Stadens River and then veered inland on the R331 to Patensie, or ‘the place where the cattle lie’ in the Hottentots language. The ladies insisted on stopping at the Tollbos shop to stock up on homemade jams and bottled things I do not understand, but was assured were tasty. As we were driving out of town, we were invited to pick some naartjies by Danie Malan, a local farmer, and with bags of fruit onboard, we headed into the Baviaanskloof. It soon became clear that we were not done with mountain passes just yet.

With roaring engines and struggling traction we made it to the Bergplaas Hut for a relaxing two-day stop-over.

The Hut has a fantastic lounge and fire place, kitchen, bunk rooms, hot water ablutions and boma outside … although I’m not sure why. It was there in the early hours of the morning, as I listened to the howling wind outside the tent, when I came to an obvious but often missed realisation: Mountain tops are inherently windy, forests and forestry areas are inherently wet and when you see woolly sheep by the road, prepare for the cold. Never the less, we thoroughly enjoyed the mountain top, woolly sheep and all.

The time to head north had arrived. It was homeward bound for the adults, and the ending to the South African part of our adventure. With only a few days left, we made the most of them. We agreed to use one of the great picnic sites in Meiringspoort again for lunch and after an overnight stop in the Karoo National Park by Beaufort West, we pressed on to Mokala National Park, just south of Kimberley. 

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Graaff-Reinet Church

Carlisle’s Hoek

Mapungubwe Hill

Makala National Park is South Africa’s youngest national park and although it has limited roads to travel on, it has that familiar (to some) magical attraction of the Kalahari. The game is abundant and boasts a very impressive bird list. It has the only non-fenced camp site that I can think of in a SANParks game park, complete with a water hole right in front of a grassed area, which is shaded by massive Camel Thorn trees.

It has been a long time since I was so impressed with a place I had visited for the first time.

This brought us to the end of the travels with my parent and after a fantastically joyful party weekend in Pretoria, we headed north again to Mapungubwe National Park for our last night before crossing the border.

At 10am on D-Day, and after yet another comfortable night in a good camp site, we met our tour guide, Sedrick, who took us to the the foot of the Mapungubwe Hill, a protected archaeological digging site.

Extract from Beyond Belief: Murders and Mysteries of Southern Africa.

“Its sheer 50 m high sandstone cliffs rise abruptly from the stark and arid, unbroken bush veld close to the point where the Shashe River flows into the Limpopo and where the borders of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe meet.

Mapungubwe Hill is 300 m long, broad at one end, tapering at the other. It is only accessible by means of two very steep and narrow paths, which twist their way to the summit, and yet 2 000 tons of soil had been artificially transported to the very top by a prehistoric people of unknown identity. The hill is surrounded by mystery and legend. Local African legends hold the hill taboo and regard it with so much awe that they turn their backs to it at the mere mention of the name, and they believe that those who climb the hill place their lives in jeopardy.” ***** Sedrick explained that the site was found by the Van Graan farmers, who convinced an old man to tell them where it was after hearing rumours of treasure. They discovered it soon after and their son, who went to the University of Pretoria, bragged about their discovery. The University then removed all the artefacts, treasure and even human remains, and sent the finds back to Pretoria for further study. This all happened in the 1930s.

The University found the first signs of class discrimination in Africa, as the King lived on a hill and the commoners down below. Or something like that. In 2007, after much debate and aggravation, the University allowed the tribes, who lay claim to the ancestry, to rebury the remains on the hill. There is currently a massive exhibition centre being built on site and the idea is that the rest of the artefacts and treasures will be returned there once completed.

The biggest find was that of a tiny golden rhino. It’s actually a wooden carving that has been gold plated. The University buffs believe this to be evidence of trading between the Middle and Far East and Africa around 1200 AD. Recently it has been speculated that the gold may have come from South Africa. This was dismissed by the fact that the first discovery of gold in South Africa was in Baberton in the 1800s. More research and testing found that it actually came from mines in what is now Zimbabwe, and even further evidence suggests that the inhabitants from the Middle and Far East went there to get gold and trade it for glass beads amongst other things. The funny thing here is that to this day, South Africa still imports its glass beads from China.

The two-hour tour ended back at Reception and marked the end of our South African adventure. We got into the Land Cruiser and headed to Beitbridge. It took us just over two hours to enter Zimbabwe.

Look out for the third and final article in the next issue of DO IT NOW, as we venture into Zimbabwe to explore similar ancient civilisations and modern turmoil. 

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DO IT NOW | inNATURE: Words & Photos by Lloyd Edwards

Many people have been asking me about the hundreds of marine birds that can be seen in a feeding frenzy in Algoa Bay, just off Bluewater Bay and towards Cape Recife, at times during the year. Well, winter is the season when giant bait balls of bait fish move eastwards to reach Natal so that spawning can take place.

To our marine predators, it’s an all-you-can-eat two-month long seafood buffet.

Photo: Cape Gannets Diving, Algoa Bay, Bird Island

Feeding Bryde Whales and Commons

It is their coordinated feeding behaviour that forces the bait fish into these balls and thus makes it easier for the gannets and Bryde’s whales to catch their prey.

Commons dining on a bait ball

The bait fish referred to includes anchovies, sardines (pilchards), Redeye Round Herring, saury and Horse Mackerel (Maasbunker). They are so named because they are preyed upon by marine predators like sharks, seals, game fish, marine birds, dolphins and whales. Incidentally, they are also used as bait by anglers. These bait fish form large schools that swim close to the ocean’s surface while feeding on plankton. This schooling behaviour has evolved as a means of protection – the bigger the school, the less chance of being eaten – and the shape of the ball changes depending on what animal is hunting them. This year, the main predators observed feeding on the bait fish in Algoa Bay were Cape Gannets, Cape Cormorants, various tern species, Common Dolphins and Bryde’s Whales.

Cape Gannets, like those shown in the photo, hit the water at speeds of 100 km/h and can dive as deep as 15 m. To stop them breaking their necks they have evolved a series of air pockets just below the skin on the lower neck and breastbone, which act as a shock absorber. Recent research by Dr. Lorien Pichegru in Algoa Bay shows that a parent travels up to 300 km from Bird Island to bring food to the chick, therefore covering up to a staggering 1,000 km in just four days.

Common Dolphins can be seen just below the diving gannets as they churn up the water in pursuit of the fish. One may need a pair of binoculars to see their dorsal fins and the yellow hourglass pattern on their flanks. It is their coordinated feeding behaviour that forces the bait fish into these balls and thus makes it easier for the gannets and Bryde’s whales to catch their prey. Bryde’s Whales are more difficult to spot but look out for the large high blow just below the gannets and a few moments later you may see the sickle shaped dorsal fin.

After all of the dolphins’ hard work, the Bryde’s Whales come up under the school and open their huge mouths, engulfing huge quantities of food and water. They then use their baleen plates to sieve the fish from the water. We have observed up to 12 whales feeding at once, although they are sometimes difficult to count as they can remain underwater for a long time and continuously change their positions.

What sets this whole process in motion? Usually when a lone predator, like a shark or dolphin, discovers some feeding bait fish, it will attack and this causes the frightened fish to emit a unique odour, which attracts other nearby predators to the scene. The fleeing fish intensify their swimming patterns and so attract even more predators. The fish are pinned against

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African Penguins, St Croix, Moonrise

Penguins, Three chicks

Dr Pichegru, Penguin GPS and Lloyd Edwards

the surface and are picked off, and it is not uncommon for a whole school to be consumed. Any small groups of fish that are lucky enough to escape the carnage continue their fragile life cycles in the pelagic waters.

As these schools of bait fish move past our shores, with a peak in April, they follow the cold water pockets moving eastwards in winter to reach Natal in June or July so that spawning can take place. The larval fish then drift back down with the Agulhas current and into the Agulhas Bank at the southern tip of Africa, to repeat the process.

Purse seine trawlers net these vast schools and historically this resource has been over exploited, leading to the collapse of fish stocks along our coast. While fishing efforts were centered along the West Coast and Namibia, these boats have now followed the dwindling fish stocks eastwards towards Algoa Bay. Penguins were the first to suffer as the distance travelled and time taken to feed their chicks is limited, unlike other birds that can cover vast distances in search of food.

Penguin numbers in Algoa Bay have also halved during the last six years from 63,000 to about 30,000 birds. Although St Croix Island in Algoa Bay is the largest breeding colony on the planet, it has suffered more than Bird Island, and numbers have gone from an average of 51,000 (1993 until 2001) to an average of 22,000 (2003 until 2009). This represents a horrific decrease of 57%. Recent work by Dr. Lorien Pichegru on the island has shown that a recently declared purse seine exclusion zone around the island has led to an increased breeding success.

114 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Hopefully this trend will continue if the exclusion zone remains in force.

It is not only the penguin numbers that are declining but some of the other predators as well. While penguin population trends are fairly easy to monitor, those of the other predators are not, and we still don’t know for sure what impact our dwindling fish stocks is having on the dolphins, Bryde’s and Minke Whales, sharks, seals and other predatory fish species.

While one may think that most sardines and anchovies end up in tins for human consumption, only a fraction is used for this purpose. The majority is turned into fish oil and fish meal and fed to battery chickens, pigs and fish farms. As a result of this, Raggy Charters and the Baywatch Marine Conservation Project are busy with an awareness campaign to reduce the demand for fish meal and oil. 

If you would like to get involved or support the efforts of Raggy Charters and the Baywatch Marine Conservation Project to protect our marine wildlife, visit www.raggycharters.co.za and www.thebaywatchproject.com.

DO IT NOW | inNATURE:

Words by Cheryl Whelan Photos by Tarryn Seagram & Sean Smith

Coastal hiking trails have always been popular and the Whale Trail, which stretches 54 km overnight stops, is a prime example. from Potberg to Koppie Alleen and boasts five It is a trail that is guaranteed to capture your heart – as it did mine

and keep you coming back for more. 

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More rock pools, beautiful beaches, kilometers of whale spotting and

scenic landscapes provided a fitting end to this incredible hike.

The Whale Trail earned its name from more than a hundred Southern Right Whales that return every year to the marine protected area of De Hoop, in the western Cape, to calve, mate, nurse their young and rest.

The route traverses one of the western Cape’s most unique and bio-diverse nature reserves, while providing nature and outdoor lovers with unique, comfortable overnight accommodation situated at spectacular locations. I could only marvel at one of nature’s most spectacular settings, igniting all of my senses: the soft kiss of the sun on my skin, the sound of the wind and birds at play, the smell of fynbos and salt sea mingling to create a heavenly scent, the feel of Mother Nature in its purest form below my feet as I made my away across this beautiful landscape and the incredible panoramic views of mountain ranges and sea-coasts. And then there were the whales. Spectacular to watch as they transformed the coast of De Hoop into a thriving nursery.

To fully enjoy what we were about to embark on, we took the option of having a porter transport our overnight food and luggage to our next cabin each day. Some might say it was ’cheating’, but for us it was enjoying the luxury of light day travel backpacks along the trail.

Day 1: Potberg to Cupidoskraal (14,7 km) The first day of the trail was the toughest. My group split at the beginning of the trail, with some of us deciding to do the extra twokilometre route past Black Eagle Cave – tough, but well worth it.

Once we were re-united, the trail took us to the summit of Potberg (611 km), where the breathtaking panoramic views of Swellendam, the Indian Ocean, Breede River and Cape Agulhas are under the watchful eye of the gliding Cape Vulture. The trail descended towards Cupidoskraal, the only area in the world where you will find erica and certain protea species growing! After six hours of hiking, our cabin was a welcome sight.

Day 2: Cupidoskraal to Noetsie (14 km) The second day was mostly through rich fynbos. It started off with a steep 200 m climb and finally left the Potberg with a big descent leading to the limestone hills and enchanting bay of Noetsie. It was here that we had our first whale sighting and so we decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing in the idyllic setting of the huts, which overlooked the ocean. That evening, we sat around a big bonfire and reminisced on the day’s events and special sightings.

Day 3: Noetsie to Hamerkop (9 km) The route took us along the cliff and offered us a wonderful opportunity to explore the magnificent coastline. Stilgat Cave saw us negotiating a chain ladder, whilst marvelling at the crystal clear tidal pools and abundant marine life. At Rooikrans, we passed a memorial stone depicting the tragic story of Danie de Wet’s drowning. The trail ended with a short walk across thick beach sand to a perfectly nestled cabin called Hamerkop. It was here while enjoying lunch on the balcony that we spotted hundreds of Bottle Nose Dolphins playing in the waves.

Day 4: Hamerkop to Vaalkrans (11 km) The route from Hamerkop to Vaalkrans started with a strenuous five-kilometre hike on beach sand. The rock pools encountered along this section were really beautiful and it was fantastic to watch the many White Breasted Cormorants basking in the sun. We also came across blowholes, where the water spouts from the rocks at high tide due to the waves washing into and exiting through holes from the roofs of caves beneath you. Our cabin at Vaalkraans was perfectly located on top of a cave where we had our lunch, while experiencing the breathtaking view of whales breaching below.

Day 5: Vaalkrans to Koppie Alleen (7 km) More rock pools, beautiful beaches, kilometers of whale spotting and scenic landscapes provided a fitting end to this incredible hike.

Once at Koppie Alleen, we were met by the shuttle bus for the short trip back to Potberg and a sad farewell to this incredibly beautiful wonderland. •

Unfortunately, the origin of the Southern Right Whale’s name is not as romantic as that of the Whale Trail. These whales got their name during the time when they were hunted. They were referred to as the ‘right’ whales to kill because they would float when dead, making it easy for the whalers to find them in the ocean and transport them back to the whaling station. These whales have a large amount of oil, also called blubber and baleen. Fortunately, their number grows by about 7% every year, which means that their population doubles every 10 years. The number of Southern Right Whales should be back to what it used to be in 2040. Source www.hermanus.com

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DO IT NOW | inCREDIBLE PLACES:

Words & Photos by Steven Yates

Part 2 of 3 ~ Nature of a Silver Platter

Rainforest canopy in a down pour

www.doitnow.co.za ď‚ Lifestyle >> 119

Probiscis protects his Harem

Standing at the bus stop, which was little more than a piece of concrete where grass might have grown previously, and trying to make sense of the bus schedule that was pinned to a light post - with no light - Laura and I were feeling a trifle concerned about the possibility of reaching our destination. Enter one Malaysian gentleman – and once again, I cannot reiterate enough what wonderful people the Malaysians are – to rescue the confusedlooking foreigners. This guy was just wondering by on his day off and proceeded to spend half an hour chatting to us about where to go, with no motive other than to practice his English. It turned out that he worked for a local tour operator and gave us some wonderful tips before firmly instructing the bus driver where to drop us off so we did not end up in Sandakan, but much closer to our intended destination, Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Sepilok claims to be the home to the last of the wild Orangutans of northern Borneo. The Sanctuary is situated on 5,529 hectares of protected virgin jungle where once rehabilitated, rescued and orphaned Orangutans can live out their life in the wild.

Getting to Sepilok, if you are not on a tour, is actually relatively easy on public buses and taxis, which are available from Sandakan town. The Labuk Road Bus Company vehicles depart from the front of the Sandakan Town Council from 6.00 am onwards. Fares are about R5.00 one way, but it will only stop at the junction to the Centre and you will have to walk about one-and-a-half kilometres to get there. You can hire a taxi for a return trip of about R250.00. The distance between the town and Centre is approximately 23 km.

Entry into the Sepilok Sanctuary will cost about R75.00 per person with an extra R30.00 for a camera (which is an absolute must ... but make sure you have a good zoom lens)

Big Orangutan male

finding fresh blood. Long trousers and boots where not enough to stop the leeches from finding their way to bite Laura and I on our hips, in our arm pits and even behind our ears. This is generally not a problem as they are easy to remove and not painful, except for the dreaded Tiger Leech. The two-centimetre long Tiger Leech’s (what a monster) bite is more painful than a hornet sting, and they hang on once discovered. That said, the leeches made for one of our most-told stories upon returning from our tropical adventure, and were really nothing more than a slight nuisance while enjoying the rainforests.

After our walk, some lunch and an afternoon nap, we returned to the Sanctuary in the hope of seeing more ‘men of the forest’. If the morning was a delight, the afternoon was a spectacle. Perhaps 10 Orangutan’s graced us with their presence including two huge fully grown males, one which had recently been rescued from farmers and was released without the need for rehabilitation, and a number of babies. The babies’ black fur was in sharp contrast to that of the adults’ rusty hair, and it was fantastic to watch the Orangutans play in an all-too-human way with their children. The viewing was interrupted by some inquisitive Pig-tail Macaques that took a liking to some Japanese tourists who tried to get too close with their massive and expensive photographic equipment, only to have it snatched away and then dropped on the rainforest floor – one feels that the stereotyping of Japanese tourists is more accurate than I could previously imagine. The day was a marvel and we felt as if we had been treated to one of Mother Nature’s most special exhibitions.

www.sabah.gov.my/jhl/ www.sabahtourism.com/en/destination/32-sepilok-orang-utan-sanctuary/ For the Rainforest Discovery Centre: http://www.forest.sabah.gov.my/rdc/

Arriving at the Sanctuary early on the first morning, we were treated to the sight of a newly rehabilitated male returning to a feeding platform for some breakfast in this amazing jungle area.

The sight of this massive red ape swinging through the trees was breathtaking. Thrilled by the sight of our first wild Orangutan, Laura and I set off on a short two-hour walk into the virgin forests that are home to not only the Orangutan, but also Pig-tail Macaques, Silvered Leaf Monkeys, a cacophony of birds and most importantly, leeches. Our walk was superb and despite not seeing any of the elusive monkeys, the virgin rainforest was a sight to behold and where one hectare is reported to contain over 750 types of trees and 1,500 species of higher plants. I must at this point put out a warning. The leeches are incredibly innovative when it comes to

120 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

The word Orangutan means ‘man of the forest’ in the Malay language.

As its habitats are being usurped by man, the Orangutan’s population is decreasing and it is in grave danger of extinction. Source: www. enchantedlearning.com

Day two and we where super excited to continue our exploration of the magnificence of the rainforest. The nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre was where we started our day with another superb hike through the lush jungle and along a beautiful sky walk, a raised walkway 25-30 metres above the ground, which enabled us to experience the canopy. We added another fascinating creature to our list of sightings as a giant squirrel scampered around some 50 metres above the ground in the upper branches of the Dipterocarps.

The rainforest lived up to its name as Laura and I were caught about two kilometres from shelter when the heavens opened in an all too familiar tropical storm. We were drenched by the time we got back to the Discovery Centre buildings, but were invigorated by the experience of running through a rainforest in the downpour ... and a cup of hot tea was most welcome.

f monkey

Next we headed for the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary where we would be spending the night and following day. Labuk Bay is a privately-owned sanctuary in the centre of the mangrove forests of eastern Sabah. In 1994, a local businessman managed to save 400 acres of mangrove forest from the ongoing destruction of Sabah’s natural vegetation that was to be replaced by Palm Oil plantations.

This was to be the venue for our continued exploration of the natural wonders Borneo had to offer. The monkey feedings, which are referred to as the diet suppliant scheme, are a little commercialised, but as Labuk is run as a private sanctuary without the benefit of government funding and conservation focus, I guess this can be excused. The feedings gave us the most fantastic viewing opportunities of one of the world’s most bizarre animals. It is easy to understand why the massive-nosed males, with their pot bellies and waist-coat styled fur coats are referred to by the locals as ‘the Dutchman monkey’. We watched a harem of around 35 monkeys as well as a bachelor troop of about 10 young males for about two hours and marvelled at their behaviour and barking calls. There was more entertainment in store for us as a group of Silvered Leaf Monkeys joined the party with their young babies in tow. Oriental Pied Hornbills, an Asian Black Eagle, brightly coloured kingfishers and a number of herons also flew in to showcase nature’s extravaganza. What a wonderful afternoon.

Silver lea

The Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary is located at the centre of the mangrove forest along the coastal land near Kampung Samawang in Labuk Bay, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. From the airport in Sandakan, it’s 38 km away and takes about an hour to get there. Part of the trip will be through the gravel roads and jeep tracks of plantation estates.

Transport can be arranged by the Sanctuary if you are spending the night. I suggest combining Labuk and Sepilok into your itinerary as they are close together and transportation between them is easy to arrange once you are at either one.

For more info visit: http://www.proboscis.cc/

Playing just like humans

The day was not over though and a night walk into the mangrove swamp, which can only be done if you are staying at the Sanctuary, was the silver-lining on the marvel of Borneo’s natural environment.

It was much less commercialised than the earlier feedings we had experienced and there were more Proboscis Monkeys, Mud Skippers, snakes, a Monitor Lizard, Tree Crabs and fireflies all living out their lives in one of the few remaining safe havens for these precious creatures.

I must say again, Borneo is a place everyone must visit at least once in their lifetime ... what a wonderful world. 

Borneo is home to some of the most unusual creatures including the Orangutan, Cloud Leopard, Asian Elephant, Sumatran Rhino and best of all, the Proboscis Monkey.

The Orangutan is one of our closest relatives along with the Chimpanzee and Gorilla. These great apes are all within about three percent of a DNA match with humans!

The Proboscis Monkey can only be found on the island of Borneo where they live in harems, in which a male can have as many as 30 female mates.

Pig-tail Macaque

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DO IT NOW | inDULGE:

Words by Steve Adams Photos courtesy of Wild About Whisky

122 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

The Speyside region is located in the central highlands of Scotland, an area approximately 60 km east-west and 60 km north-south, and is home to over half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries.

The region takes its name from the River Spey, which runs through the centre, forming a valley of whisky. The area has a natural cleanliness to it, verdant grasslands and wooded areas, dotted with stone-built hamlets and estates, not to mention the concentration of pagoda-topped distilleries. This all makes for great photography, but one should be aware that most distilleries in the region do not allow photography in any production facilities.

The regional whisky style is generally complex and very lightly peated, with much use of European sherry oak casks. However, in recent years distilleries have added new expressions featuring various wood finishes and even peating. The first distillery in the region to be granted a distilling licence back in 1823 was The Glenlivet, earning then owner George Smith the chagrin of neighbouring illicit distillers and so forcing him to carry a pair of loaded pistols. Such was the quality of the spirit he produced in later years that many distilleries in the area included the name ‘Glenlivet’, a practice that was later outlawed by the courts.

At the heart of the Speyside region lies the village of Dufftown, home to some of the bigger names in Scotch whisky. The saying goes that Rome was built on seven hills, and Dufftown was built on seven stills. The Glenfiddich Distillery is one of the largest in Scotland, and a great place to start a Speyside tour. The distillery features 28 gleaming copper pot stills, producing over 10-million

litres of alcohol per annum, a far cry from its humble beginnings when a few litres of spirit were distilled on Christmas Day 1887.

William Grant put his life’s savings into a pair of second-hand stills from neighbouring Cardhu, and had his family construct the original buildings of stones from the nearby River Fiddich. Glenfiddich pioneered the branded single malt market in 1963, and is today the world’s largest selling single malt.

The guided distillery tours run every 20 minutes, at no charge, and cameras are allowed in most buildings other than the warehouses and still rooms. Pre-booking is not essential, other than for the extended tour that lasts over two hours, and for which a charge is levied. The basic tour covers the entire process from mashing to maturation, culminating in a tasting of some of their best-known expressions. Glenfiddich is the archetypal Speyside malt; one of the features that set it apart from most others is that the whisky is bottled on site, meaning that dilution water is the same as that

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124 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

for production water. The visitor shop is warm and inviting, and features anything you care to think of, adorned with Glenfiddich branding. It’s a good idea to pop into the Glenfiddich Café for a good lunch before proceeding to the next item on the agenda – The Speyside Cooperage.

Anything up to 60% of the flavour of a single malt can come from the oak cask, and as some malts are matured for periods in excess of 20 years, the importance of the cask quality cannot be over emphasised. The Speyside Cooperage is situated between Dufftown and Craigellachie to the north, and is responsible for refurbishing and repairing most of the casks in the Speyside area.

The casks are imported from the USA as well as Europe, mostly in the form of individual staves that are put back together as casks at the cooperage. There are very few coopers left in Scotland, a fact attributed partly to the long apprenticeship period and the labourintense nature of the job. This is a demanding skill, but one that pays well. A guided tour of the facility commences with a video on cask making, and then allows one to see the coopers at work through a viewing gallery.

From the Speyside Cooperage it is a five-minute drive to Craigellachie and the grand old hotel of the same name – home to the renowned Quaich Bar, which boasts over 700 malt whiskies in a warm, convivial atmosphere. Here the conversation is all about whisky and distilleries, and folk from all corners of the globe tend to dig in here for the evening. Plenty of advice can be gleaned regarding whisky and distilleries from the staff and visitors alike.

It makes sense to book into the hotel beforehand and walk across the road to the Highlander Inn for a good meal before settling into a few drams and then crawling off to bed. The following morning, head out towards Forres in the north-west corner of Speyside, to the Benromach Distillery.

Gordon & MacPhail bottle some of the finest stocks of well-aged malt whiskies in Scotland, and as independent bottlers their offerings are held in high esteem by many an aficionado. In 1993, the company purchased and refurbished Benromach Distillery after it had stood closed for 10 years. Today the small distillery produces some excellent spirit in a handful of expressions, from the unique ‘Organic’ – a delightful, spicy malt with an oaky finish, thanks to maturation in virgin oak, to the ‘Peat Smoke’, a lightly peated version of the core malt that works very well (despite my aversion to peaty Speysiders!), most of which are available in South Africa. The distillery itself is small and neat, and unusually doesn’t feature the pagoda chimney – this was dismantled after closing in 1983. The guided tour features a video on the distillery, a visit to the distillery museum and a tutored tasting of their core range. The visitor centre is adorned with visual material telling the Benromach story, along with the full range of expressions on offer. After the distillery tour, head back east to the town of Elgin for a visit to the Gordon & MacPhail shop, a whisky collector’s dream.

The next distillery on my agenda is GlenDronach, near Huntley in the eastern Speyside area. This hidden gem was purchased by a consortium led by South Africans Wayne Kieswetter and Geoff Bell, and Scottish master distiller Billy Walker, in 2007. The purchase was rewarded with a cache of many good casks of ageing malt in the distillery warehouses, and master distiller Billy Walker immediately set about selecting some of the finest for bottling. The GlenDronach 12, 15 and 18 Year Olds are available in South Africa and are all excellent single malts. The distillery offers guided tours at £3.50 per person, commencing in the visitors centre. The tour guides are all smiles and friendly, as is the norm in the Highlands, and well-versed in the art of whisky making. The old stone buildings provide a quaint backdrop to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the still room, housing four immaculate gleaming copper stills, and the most decorative polished copper and brass spirit safe in Scotland. The grey and black stone dunnage warehouses are neatly arranged opposite verdant pastures with the South African flag flying proudly alongside the St Andrew’s cross and the Scottish Royal Standard.

One of the more scenic settings in the region belongs to Royal Lochnagar, the distillery awarded a Royal Warrant by HM Queen Victoria in 1848, after visiting the distillery from neighbouring Balmoral Castle. During the summer months the castle is open to visitors and can be extremely busy; in my books it makes more sense to visit the distillery! The distillery’s core expression, the Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old (sadly not available in SA) is a big malt with a light smokiness. The typical old stone buildings are not out of place in this tranquil, rural setting, and most visitors are welcomed at the reception area by the obligatory distillery cat. The visitor shop is well stocked with various Diageo bottlings, as well as some excellent whisky literature. The processes are very traditional and the guided tour very informative. Distillery tours run seven days a week at 30-minute intervals and cost £5 per person. Being one of Diageo’s distilleries everything is run by the book here; neat, clean and efficient, and photography is not permitted in the distillery.

For the more adventurous a visit to the Grouse Inn at Cabrach can be very rewarding. The whisky collection in the bar is legendary and many enthusiasts have tried in vain to acquire some of the cherries from the canny proprietor, Wilma McBain. With over 700 whiskies in the bar and 230 whiskies on optic, the Inn is an ideal place to try some prized malts, and Wilma’s home cooking is very welcome in the colder months.

In the next issue, look out for our tour of Islay! 

An optic is a tot-measure fixed to an upside-down bottle for easy pouring.

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126 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

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DO IT NOW | inDULGE:

DO IT NOW | inSURE:

Words by Peter Fairbanks

DO IT NOW OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2010

FINANCIAL TIMES

WILL YOUR GOLDEN YEARS BE

GOLDEN?

In my final article about the importance of savings and pension provision, I will use a simple example to put into perspective what income you can expect to receive when you retire, and give you some practical steps on how to provide for those golden years.

Let’s use a 30 year old for the purposes of this example.

From the age of 30 until the age of 60, there are 360 pay days left. So if you earn, for example, R20 000 a month and your total employee contribution is 13% of your Cost to Company, you will put away R2600 per month. Now before you get over excited, you also need to take into consideration the risk cover, administration costs and fees at the average in the market, which is about 3%. Therefore, only 10% of your total contribution will go towards your retirement savings. So if you take R2000 x 360, this gives you a total of R720 000 net capital.

For just a moment, let’s forget about all the normal quickfix solutions offered to ease our financial burdens, inflation, salary increases and all those clever people who promise great returns on your investment, and take a good hard look at this figure - R 720 000. Are you happy with this amount and do you honestly believe that this will see you through 20 or more years of retirement? This is currently less than three times your annual salary! If you can reconcile yourself with this figure, congratulations, you have just become one of the 98% of South Africans who will retire in poverty and if you’re lucky, survive on the bare minimum. Now what really baffles me is that these statistics are published in every second paper and magazine, and yet there are still so many people who simply ignore these horrific facts and would rather buy the flat screen TV on credit. The sad reality is that the flat screen TV won’t feed you or pay for medicine when you are retired.

Now for most of us in our glorious 40s, it’s too late to try and turn the ship. But if you would like to improve the future, then educate your children to be more prudent and ‘save’ them from this ‘head in the sand’ mentality and lack of financial planning.

In my opinion, the biggest flaw is to step into that big black hole of credit cards and personal loans. I understand that most of us unfortunately have to buy two necessary items on credit; a car and property, but for everything else, if you don’t have the cash saved then don’t buy it NOW. If at this stage of the article you have a light sweat on your brow and your heart rate is dangerously high, don’t do what 99% of us tend to do and ignore these signs. Tackle this problem head on and make use of the time left by following some of these easy steps.  Take action now. Sit down with your spouse (if applicable) for half an hour and do a monthly budget. It is really scary to see just how many people, and this includes some top executives in our country too, who look at me in great disbelief when I ask them for their personal monthly budget.

If you don’t know what your financial position is, then how can you adequately prepare?     

 Contact your broker. If you don’t have one, then contact one of the reputable assurance companies and they will allocate a person to assist you. Don’t phone your shortterm or medical aid broker as they are not the right people to speak to; just as you wouldn’t call your assurance broker with a medical problem. You need to get in contact with a specialist who will be with you to the end.  Supplement your work pension/provident fund. Your broker will be able to advise you on personal products to enhance your situation. According to your need or situation, he will offer you a variety of products, but the most practical of these are Retirement Annuities, as it is a one-man pension plan with attractive benefits and flexibility. Your policy will also be protected against creditor claims, you will have a variety of choices at retirement stage and the greatest advantage is the tax benefits during the term of contribution.  Stay within your monthly budget. If you have established that you are unable to contribute adequately towards your retirement sufficiently, then it is imperative that you stay within your monthly budget and don’t overspend.  Don’t over commit to an outrageous premium you can’t keep up. The best option is to start a policy now, even if it is a minimal amount, and then try and increase the premiums each year when you revise your portfolio with your broker, so that you can reach your goal within the next five years or so.  Settle your debts. Pay off any clothing and vehicle accounts. With this additional income, rather commit to increasing your retirement contribution before buying a new car. In this way, you will slowly but surely be heading in the right direction of financial wellness.

To conclude on a truly sombre note: Do yourself a favour and sit down with an elderly couple who have had to sell everything, are now tucked away and forgotten in a dreary backroom, with no income after a lifetime’s hard work. I can promise you that it is one of the most unpleasant experiences you can ever imagine! Most of us will say that, this will not be me. You are wrong. All of these people will tell you that some 30 years ago, they had the same arguments, all the excuses and answers, luxury cars and houses, and could never imagine themselves in this situation they ended up in.

If you need advice or assistance with your financial planning, send me an email on pfairbanks@sanlam4u.co.za – I will be only too happy to help make your golden years, golden!  

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www.doitnow.co.za  Lifestyle >> 127

DO IT NOW | inTERTAINMENT:

Words by Richard Flamengo

Platform: PC Genre: Action/Adventure (Real-time strategy) StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once more in StarCraft II, the fast-paced, real-time strategy sequel to its legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded and brand-new unit types will do battle across StarCraft II’s galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.

• Amazing graphics and story line.

• Multi players including real ID friends.

Recommended for: •

EVERYONE!

DIN verdict:

Following on from the first StarCraft instalment launched 12 years ago, the story continues to unfold four years after the end of the Brood Wars. This brilliant sequel will keep you on the edge of your seat and playing for hours. Guys, it might be worth investing in a couple of Greys Anatomy series box sets to keep the wife entertained while you strategically battle your way through the StarCraft galaxy. Once you are done with all the campaigns and challenges the game has to offer, the online multiplayer mode awaits where the StarCraft boys are separated from the StarCraft MEN to gain higher rankings and rewards as you progress. My first online battle resulted in my demise in less than 10 minutes. Needless to say, it’s very competitive and sure to keep you returning to your strategic drawing board.

All and all, this game offers something extraordinary from the Blizzard team and can be considered a worthy investment to add to your gaming repertoire. In other words, this game is so AWESOME that it’s worth buying a R10k PC just to play this R500 game on – seriously! You will need an internet connection to play the game.

Artist: Genre:

Prime Circle Rock

Prime Circle’s status as South Africa’s foremost rock outfit is undeniable with the launch of their brand new album Jekyll & Hyde. This 12-track album is the fourth from our premier rock group and includes the hit song, one which I’m sure most of you will have heard on the radio, ‘Breathing’. I’m pleased to say that the remaining 11 tracks are all just as good. The song writing mix has been expanded with the addition of two new members, Dale Schnettler and Neil Breytenbach, who have joined the established trio of Ross Learmonth, Dirk Bisschoff and Marco Gomes. The result is an awesome album with something for everyone.

Jekyll & Hyde, like the previous three albums, delivers a great variety of sounds from hardcore rock to the ever-popular ballads for serenading the ladies. Only time will tell if this album will reach the same heights as the previous three, but I’m certain it will be right up there with the rest of them, as it delivers its own fair share of hits to join the likes of ‘Hello’, ‘Same Goes for You’, ‘Live This Life’ and many, many more.

• ‘Breathing’.

• ‘All of Me’.

Recommended for: • SA & Rock music fans.

DIN verdict:

128 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

The album has been released in three different packages. The first being the standard 12-track album, the second is a specialised Look and Listen release including a second disc with some live renditions of the well known hit songs, and the third is a specialised Musica release that includes a bonus DVD labelled the India EPK. I opted for the second package, but must say that I’m also tempted to purchase the Musica bonus DVD edition. Regardless of which option you go for, what is important is that you buy this album and support our local boys – it’s well worth every rand and cent you spend!

Director: Starring:

Jon Turteltaub Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel and Alfred Molina

Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modernday Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can’t do it alone so he recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It’ll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Whenever Jerry Bruckheimer is involved (Pirates Of The Caribbean, National Treasure, Prince Of Persia and the list goes on and on) you know you are in for something special. Add to the mix Nicolas Cage and Jon Turteltaub, who reunite after the National Treasure collaboration, and you have a recipe for something AWESOME in the making.

• Nicolas Cage.

• Great story telling.

Recommended for:• All action adventure movie fans.

• National Treasure fans.

• All Cage and Bruckheimer fans

DIN verdict:

Director: Joe Carnahan Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Sharlto Copley and Jessica Biel

The movie takes you on a ride that will have you and the whole family spellbound and entertained from start to finish. Nicolas Cage proves once again why he is regarded as one of Hollywood’s best.

Alfred Molina has become an expert at portraying the ‘bad’ guy, and the chemistry between these two actors is electric! An unexpected highlight is Jay Baruchel, from Tropic Thunder and How to Train your Dragon, one of Hollywood’s rising stars, who pulls of a brilliant performance as Dave next to Nicolas Cage.

In summary, this movie will have you smiling long after you left the theatre and is the perfect night out for you, your date and the family, with a box of popcorn in one hand and a slush puppy in the other.

A group of Iraq war veterans look to clear their names with the US military after they where framed for a crime they didn’t commit. The four men from the Alpha unit (A-Team) set out on their quest to clear their names and ensure justice is served in their own unique way, which all makes for one heck of ride!

All remakes need to be compared to the original and in this case, the original ‘80s TV series, which was a massive hit, stacked the deck even higher for this movie. I’m pleased to say that this movie delivered in all departments - story line, acting, action, comedy, the works. The only area that I would tip the ‘80s TV version over the new and improved A-Team big-screen version would be that of BA, played by ‘Rampage’ Jackson, a UFC fighter. Although I can’t really find fault with his performance, somehow it just isn’t the same as that of Mr T, who became an icon with his gold chains and ‘fool’ slogans.

• From a South African perspective, Sharlto Copley.

• ‘Fantastic chemistry amongst the cast

Recommended for: • All A-Team die-hards & Action movie fans.

DIN verdict:

One expects excellent performances from veteran Liam Neesan as Hannibal (Taken and Batman Begins) and rising star Bradley Cooper as Face (Hangover and Valentine’s Day), which they deliver on in abundance. To me, however, the biggest surprise was that off the unknown and our very own Sharlto Copley, who most of you will remember as Wikus from District 9, who portrays the role of Mad Murdock brilliantly. He gives the movie that something ‘extra’ on the comedy side and a touch of local flavour.

In summary, this movie will take you on a journey of emotions from nostalgia, remembering segments of the old ‘80s show, to disbelief in some of the action sequences and uncontrollable laughter in others. All and all, and in the words of the famous captain Hannibal Smith, “A plan that came together brilliantly.”

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DO IT NOW | inFOCUS:

Words and Photos by Jacques Marais

130 >> DO IT NOW ď‚ October/November 2010

Photographic Chronicles Shoot! Trail Running Off-road running offers exceptional outdoor shots to photographers keen to progress beyond Planet Pavement. Join adventure shooter Jacques Marais as he pounds South Africa's top trails in search of some action shots.

How to Photograph Trail Running by Jacques Marais So running is running is running, right? Not quite … chances are that once you've converted from tarmac, you'll be a trail disciple for life. And the same goes for photographers: once you venture into the world of wild running, shooting athletes along a road race will never again come with quite the same cachet.

Graduating into off-road mode means you have to be fit, fast and ready to sweat it out along the course. Lightweight equipment scores high on the must-have list, as the only way to truly capture the action is along the trail itself. A small and comfortable compact DSLR body and small-sized lenses are key, but quality remains a priority, so get the trade-off right.

Shooting styles vary from photographer to photographer, but I prefer to get up close in order to get the gritty reality. You can only capture all the pain and elation that goes hand in hand with trail running when you're out there, with the athletes, experiencing exactly what they are going through.

Enough theory - here are some shots which will show you exactly how to do it!

Image 1 The Event: Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge, Cape Town, Western Cape  Shot: Nicola Francis negotiates the high-lying trail section along the Twelve Apostles, with the big blue of the Atlantic Ocean unfolding at her feet.  Technique: In order to create some background blur, I shot at a slow shutter-speed and panned with the movement to get the runner in sharp focus.  Specifications: 1/30th sec @ f8; Canon 5D MkII with a 17-40 mm lens; fill-in from Canon Speedlite 580EX flash More Info: www.trailrunning.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za  Lifestyle >> 131

Image 2 The Event: Featherbed Salomon Trail Run, Knysna, Western Cape.  Shot: Ryan Sandes, ultra-marathoner extraordinaire, powers up the steep ascent into Featherbed Private Nature Reserve.  Technique: Again using slow shuttersync combined with flash, but this time with flash manually zoomed to concentrate the freezing (and corresponding focus) on the athlete's face.  Specifications: 1/20th sec @ f5.6; ISO 100; Canon 5D MkII with 15mm Fisheye lens; fill-in from Canon Speedlite 580EX flash; under-exposed by one stop.

More Info: www.magneticsouth.net

132 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Image 3 The Event: Southern Storm Duathlon, presented by Hi-Tec, Buffels Bay, Western Cape.  Shot: The full field of Storm Chasers sets off along the beach on the Goukamma run, shadowed by the media helicopter.  Technique: Sometimes it is all about being there at the right time and place - a real WYSIWYG shot. Setting your incamera parameters can be used to enhance colour saturation and contrast though.  Specifications: 1/1000th sec @ f5.6; ISO 100; Canon 5D MkII with 100-400mm telephoto zoom.

More Info: www.southernstorm.co.za

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Image 4-5 The Event: African Otter Trail Run, presented by Hi-Tec, Nature's Valley, Western Cape.  Shots: Athletes photographed along the sea cliffs as they pound the breathtaking Otter Trail towards the finish at Nature's Valley.  Technique: Vary your angle of view and perspective, thus placing your competitors within their surroundings to add drama to your photograph.  Specifications: 1/100th sec @ f11; ISO 50; Canon 5D MkII with 70-200mm telephoto zoom / 17-40mm wide-angle zoom.

More Info: www.southernstorm.co.za

134 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Image 6 The Event: Featherbed Salomon Trail Run, Knysna, Western Cape.  Shot: A runner crosses the old train bridge across the Knysna Estuary en route to the finish at the Cruise Cafe.  Technique: Remove yourself from the immediate action to get an overview of the event; colour always add an interesting dimension. Had to push ISO and contrast due to lack of light.  Specifications: 1/800th sec @ f5.6; ISO 400; Canon 7D with 100-400mm telephoto zoom.

More Info: www.magneticsouth.net

Image 7 The Event: Featherbed Night Run, presented by Petzl, Knysna, Western Cape.  Shot: A runner sprints along the railway track during the fast-and-furious dark zone event.  Technique: Shooting at night offers creative options, for example keeping your shutter open for longer in order to create 'light trails' like in this photograph.  Specifications: 1 sec @ f4; ISO 400; Canon 5D MkII with 1740mm wide-angle zoom.

More Info: www.magneticsouth.net.

www.doitnow.co.za  Lifestyle >> 135

Photo Gallery

DIN Reader entries - enter your photograph in either Adventure, Sport or Lifestyle section.

More details below.

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.

The closing date for the next competition is 1st November 2010 and the winning photo will be featured and credited in the December/January issue of DO IT NOW. 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. Only amateur photographers may enter.

Email your 1-3mb compressed .jpg image to infocus@doitnow.co.za There is a maximum of one entry per person, per issue.

The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Please note that your images may be published in the DO IT NOW magazine and on the DO IT NOW website. By entering the competition, you agree to abide by these rules.

136 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

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NOW

inVOLVED

Words by Tracy Knox Illustrations courtesy of The Plastics Federation of South Africa

PLASTIC

Friend or Foe?

As the usage of plastics increases markedly, so does the scrutiny of the environmental toll of plastic.

Since its mass production began in the 1940s, plastic’s wide range of applications and unique properties has propelled it to an essential status in society.

It’s difficult to imagine what a single day would be like without plastic.

Some plastic items, such as food packaging, become waste only a short time after purchase. Whilst others, such as plastic grocery bags lend themselves to be reused many times over as book and lunch bags as kids head off to school, as trash can liners and to pick up Fido’s droppings off the lawn. Yet at the same time, we cannot ignore the environmental impact plastic has once discarded.

The Plastics Federation of South Africa, which represents all sectors of the SA Plastics Industry including polymer producers and importers, converters, machine suppliers and recyclers, is committed to implementing practices that can contribute to a cleaner, safer and better world. One such initiative that is sustainable, economical and environmentally responsible is recycling.

Efforts to recycle plastics are increasing every year and currently in South Africa, some 28% of packaging waste is being recycled, which is in line with the world best performance. This has resulted in plastic recycling becoming a big business with over 240 plastic recycling companies operating in South Africa. An encouraging sign indeed!

Why should I recycle?

Simply, to protect our environment and all living things. More specifically, the government wants to reduce the amount of plastic as well as cans, paper and glass going to landfills by 70% in the next decade or so. To meet this target, households need to stop simply throwing away rubbish and start implementing the two Rs: Reuse and Recycle. Brand owners also need to be responsible for reducing the amount of packaging used to protect their valuable products.

According to a global 2001 Environment Agency report, 80% of post-consumer plastic waste is sent to landfill, 8% is incinerated and only 7% is recycled. In addition to reducing the amount of plastics waste requiring disposal, recycling plastic can have several other advantages:  Conservation of non-renewable fossil fuels. Plastic production uses only 4% of the world’s oil production but every saving is important.

 Less energy is used when recycled materials are included in the manufacturing process.  Reduced amounts of solid waste going to landfill.  Reduced emissions of carbon-dioxide (CO2) and methane.  Recycling is good for the South African economy as it decreases the necessity to import raw materials and reduces the consumption of non-replaceable local raw materials.  Opportunities for income generation and alleviation of poverty through decent job creation.  Prevents litter and contributes to a cleaner, greener and healthier South Africa.  Less litter benefits all creatures on land, in rivers and in the marine environment.

Home recycling Recycling at home may seem like a real schlep, but the benefits are well worth the effort. Here are some tips to help get you started on a greener road.

There are three recycling options available to you: 1 Organise a kerbside collection service and work with your municipality.

2. Take your recyclables to a municipal drop-off point or simply a buy-back centre.

3. Let informal recyclers take your recyclables to a buy-back centre.

What plastics are recyclable?

Plastics are made from oil and coal, non-renewable resources and much of the plastic packaging we use every day is recyclable. Ice cream and milk containers, fabric softener bottles, plastic bags and even cling-wrap can all be recycled.

The easiest way to determine whether a plastic product is recyclable is to look for the recycling logo. There are seven plastic recycling logos and most plastic packaging is imprinted with one of them.

The logos tell you what type of plastic a container is made of, which need to be recycled separately.

... Recycling at home may seem like a real schlep, but the benefits are well worth the effort ...

138 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

Where to take plastics for recycling So now that you have your plastics all separated, the below list will help you to find a drop-off site close to you.  A list of plastic recyclers around the country is available on the Plastics Federation of SA website. There is also lots of general information about plastics and recycling in general on this site too (www.plasticsinfo.co.za).  In Johannesburg, there are drop-off points at some of Pikitup’s garden sites.  Petco’s website has a list of drop-off points Cape Town, Franschhoek, Gauteng and Durban.  The Polystyrene Packaging Council lists drop-off sites around the country for plastics on its website.

What happens to my recycled plastic?

The diagram on the top right shows you how plastic is recycled.

Use of recycled plastic There is a host of products made from recycled plastic as referred to in the opposite diagram.

So while there are still many questions left unanswered when it comes to the environment and plastic, it is clear that plastic is here to stay for a very long time.

If you are as passionate about protecting our planet as we are, then it’s up to us to do what we can by reusing or recycling plastic. •

For more information on plastics and the Plastic Federation of South Africa, contact David Hughes on 011 314 4021 or david.hughes@plasfed.co.za or go to www.plasticsinfo.co.za.

Sources: www.plasticsinfo.co.za / www.petco.co.za / www.plasticmythbuster.com / www.polystyrenepackagingcouncil.co.za

www.doitnow.co.za  Lifestyle >> 139

DO IT

NOW

inVOLVED

Words by Lee Dormer Photos courtesy of the Pilanesberg Wildlife Trust

Khutsi’s Mum Rhino Poaching Must

STOP!

Playing with a puppy’s exuberance, Khutsi bounded about picking up vegetation with his finger-like lip and tossing it about. Occasionally, he would interrupt this game of fetch and throw by spinning around whilst simultaneously stabbing the air with his bump of a horn as if attacking an imaginary foe ...

Khutsi would often entertain himself this way and today he had played until fatigue forced him to collapse against his mother who was resting in the cool shade of a Shepherd’s tree. With the comforting sense of feeling his mother’s body pressed against his, Khutsi fell into a deep and restful sleep.

For a Black Rhinoceros, Suzi had the most placid temperament.

She radiated that deep soul-felt connection with her little boy.

Expelling a sigh through her nostrils, Suzi shifted her weight in a gesture of love and kinship as she firmly wedged their bodies together in the bond a mother feels for her child.

Remaining alert Suzi lay still, allowing Khutsi to rest whilst she rotated her ears to activate her acute hearing to warn of any threat to her adored son.

The rains had been kind this season, providing an abundance of browsing and Suzi was content that this winter would not be challenging.

140 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

The sense of well-being was instantly vaporised by the sounds of movement and the chirring of her attendant oxpeckers. Suzi rose to her feet in an instant. She turned and rushed forward, holding her head high and curling her tail. She began puffing and snorting as she intuitively sensed that danger was near. Scenting the air, she strained her ears forward and listened. There was no sound or scent and she began to relax, turning side on to glimpse Khutsi’s resting form.

Her mind slipped for a brief moment from the present to Khutsi and his delightful habit of bumping her head every time he wished her to stand still to allow him to suckle. At this moment she stiffened and her heart rate leapt as her nostrils were assaulted by the scent of several two leggeds.

Simultaneously, she heard the wet thud of a bullet penetrating her flesh, followed by a sharp cracking sound. The searing pain made

Suzie’s plea was for her son’s safety. She didn’t feel the panga hacking her rear horn.

Her life was gone.

This story is sadly a factual reconstruction of the murder by poaching of Suzi, a 24-yearold female Black Rhino born in Pilanesberg, South Africa, and killed in her prime.

Rhinos have walked the earth for millions of years and can truly be described as the living examples of prehistoric times. Their main predator has been man due to the Asian notion that rhino horn has powerful medicinal and aphrodisiac properties, and in Yemen where rhino horn is used in the handle of highly-esteemed daggers.

In Africa two species occur, the so called White or Square-lipped and the Black or Hook-lipped Rhino. Their numbers in South Africa are estimated to be only 19,000 and 1,700 respectively. The Black Rhino is regarded as being critically endangered and the loss of a single animal is a devastating blow to the conservation efforts for the species.

Rhino poaching throughout South Africa is on the increase. To illustrate this, the total losses in 2009 amounted to 122, whereas we have already passed this figure in July this year.

Every South African should feel outrage that our fellow beings and a National Asset are being exterminated by ruthless money grabbers. I urge all citizens of our country to stand up for a more humane and moral society and be proactive in helping the law to deal with those who wish to rob the earth of these vitally important members of our community. To quote Edmund Burke; “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” •

her giddy and then shot after shot rained into her. One hit her in the knee, shattering the bone, and she fell heavily onto her chest, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening to her.

She struggled to her feet only succeeding to take a single pace towards Khutsi, who was now standing and squealing in a deep-throated panic. She collapsed again in intolerable pain.

Suzi was weakening rapidly as her life force drained and Khutsi’s squeals were fading as she fought death. She felt the first blow of the panga across her nose. The second blow cut deep into her nasal passages, releasing a fresh flow of blood. Choking in her own blood,

If you would like to contribute to the Anti Rhino Poaching effort in Pilanesberg Pilanesberg Wildlife Trust fund, the details are as follows: Banking Details: Pilanesberg Wildlife Trust FNB, cheque account Branch: 260246 - Mogwase Account: 62031121255 Reference: Anti-poaching fund Or visit www.pwt.org.za and click on ‘rhino anti poaching’. The PWT is an independent fund ensuring that all Rhino Anti Poaching donations are used for this purpose exclusively.

To contact them or find out more: Tel: + 27 (0)14 555 1622 | Fax: + 27 (0)14 55 5871 Email: andrew@pwt.org.za www.pilanesbergwildlifetrust.co.za/projects/anti_poaching_fund.html

www.doitnow.co.za  Lifestyle >> 141

DO IT

NOW

inCLOSING

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realise how close they were to success when they gave up ..." Thomas Edison

Our next issue is bursting with stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and here’s a sneak preview of what you can look forward to ...

Jade Gutzeit Interview Part 2 In the second part of our interview, Jade, an enduro extraordinaire, gives us some tips on what to do to improve your enduro racing, as well as some advice on what bike to start with, how to handle arm pump, getting more out of your riding by training smarter and much more.

Mountain Madness: CLIMBING EVEREST Climbing all of the seven summits - Kilimanjaro, Denali, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Vinson and Everest - is an exceptional achievement and one that only a select few can claim to have ticked off on their bucket list. To do this requires meticulous planning, incredible great support from guides, family and friends and sheer determination to carry on when the going gets tough.

Ben Swart is one of these intrepid adventurers who has climbed these magical mountains, and shares his experience with us about his latest and most challenging conquest – the mighty EVEREST.

Waveski Surfing Experience the acrobatic, adrenaline-fuelled sport of waveski surfing riders strapped onto lightweight, high-energy waveskis performing radical stunts. Pictured is Border’s Doug Copeland executing an aerial manoeuvre on his way to clinching the SA title in the Masters division at the SA Waveski Surfing Championships held at Jeffreys Bay on 7 to 9 August 2010.

Tracking the Elusive Cape Mountain Leopard It’s never easy to spot leopards in the wild and it’s even more difficult to capture them on film. Jurgen Vogt takes us on an amazing journey with Quinton Martins, project manager and one of the principal researchers of the Cape Leopard Trust and his wife Elizabeth, as they track the incredibly elusive Cape Mountain Leopard.

The biggest mistake people make in life is NOT making a living at doing what they most enjoy. Malcolm S. Forbes TOP TEN excuses if you get caught sleeping at your desk at work: 10. "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."

9. "This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in that time management course you sent me to."

8. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the typex. You probably got here just in time!"

7. "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm."

6. "I was testing my keyboard for drool resistance."

5. "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress. Are you discriminatory toward people who practice Yoga?"

4. "Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."

3. "The coffee machine is broken ..."

2. "Someone must've put decaf in the wrong pot ..."

And the #1 excuse 1. "... Amen"  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, the Founder and Team cannot except responsibility for any errors that may appear, or for any consequence of using the information contained herein. Statements by contributors are not always representative of the Founder’s opinion. Copyright 2009 DO IT NOW (Pty) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or stored on a retrieval system without the prior permission of the Founder. DO IT NOW 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.

142 >> DO IT NOW  October/November 2010

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