The Intrepid Explorer magazine - Summer 2014

Explorer

www.intrepidexplorer.co.za • Summer 2014

The Intrepid

Live the life of Adventure

IN MIGHTY FOOTSTEPS Kingsley Holgate retraces an epic African journey

geronimo!

Air sports to scare you silly

Ditching Africa Biking across the continent

the shark warrior

Naked in a net – for nature

trailblazing with Ryan Sandes and AJ Calitz

the polar prince

Harry and war heroes conquer the South Pole

chasing waves Bertish brothers in the Comoros

on safari with spud Bejewelled Zanzibar

R29.90 Incl. VAT

• WIN! An incredible getaway to Sanbona Wildlife Reserve worth R15 000 • ON TOP OF THE WORLD with Sibusiso Vilane • WALKING WITH WOLVES – From Petrolhead to Pilgrim • THE ENCHANTED FOREST – The Last Great Wilderness • EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED with Braam Malherbe • THE LAST WORD BY JOHNNY CLEGG

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contents 04

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10 FOREWORD Andre Labuschaigne, Cape Union Mart CEO

EDITOR’S NOTE Winning ways! And now for 2014...

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COMPETITION Win a two-night getaway for two, worth R15 000, at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

WALKING WITH WOLVES Geoff Dalglish follows in the tracks of Canis lupus on El Camino Salvaje

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THE BEAUTIFUL ART Paul Steyn interviews the Lion King & Queen, Dereck and Beverly Joubert

THE POLAR PRINCE Robbie Stammers recounts how Prince Harry ‘walked with the wounded’ to the South Pole

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RETRACING THE

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FOOTSTEPS OF JOSEPH THOMSON

Another Kingsley Holgate adventure in Africa

GERONIMO! Take a leap of faith on Fiona McIntosh’s big-air extreme sports options

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THE ENCHANTED

FOREST

Graham Howe visits the magical Białowieża in Poland

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AFRICAN RHAPSODY John van de Ruit joins in the unique rhythm of Stone Town

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GET THE SHOT Photography pointers from Jacques Marais

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C on ten ts

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The Bertish brothers’ surf exploration across the islands of the Comoros

Ryan Sandes has run across a desert, through a jungle and down a canyon

CHASING WAVES ON THE MOON

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DITCHING AFRICA Explore the continent on motorbike – never mind the sore arse, cracked ribs and broken fingers, says Anton Crone

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TO THE TOP, FROM

Shan Routledge tracks the rise of inspirational mountain climber, Sibusiso Vilane

BACK TO THE ROOTS The second part of Johan Lambrechts’ enlightening series on the origins of travel essentials

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ONE GOOD TURN A trio’s random acts of kindness are returned in a remote corner of Africa

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THE SHARK

WARRIOR’S WAY

Lesley Rochat is raising awareness of the dangers of anti-shark nets – by posing naked on a poster

NOWHERE

THE ROAD LESS

94 100

LIFE THROUGH

THE LENS

In this edition, we feature the photographic masterpieces of Lou Coetzer

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Braam Malherbe advises how to prepare physically and mentally for a great expedition

A SKY HIGH AJ Calitz took on the Maluti Mountains in the inaugural Lesotho Ultra Trail – Africa’s first Ultra SkyMarathon®

News from the outdoors

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UNEXPECTED

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ON THE WILD SIDE

HIT THE ROAD, JACK The Big 5 – catch a sighting of the latest motor vehicles

EXPECT THE

READY, STEADY, TREK! How to gear up for a monthlong excursion with sun, wind and everything in between

TRAVELLED

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104 110 111

C APE UNION MART STORE LISTINGS

THE LAST LAUGH Graham Howe visits the headhunters of Borneo

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THE LAST WORD Jammin’ with Johnny Clegg

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Explorer The Intrepid

Live the life of Adventure

Publishing Editor ROBBIE STAMMERS robbie@intrepidexplorer.co.za Advertising Sales Director KEITH HILL keith@intrepidexplorer.co.za Art Director STACEY STORBECK NEL indiodesign@mweb.co.za Chief Sub-Editor TANIA GRIFFIN Office Manager TARYN KERSHAW taryn@intrepidexplorer.co.za Staff Writer and Social Media Liaison SHAN ROUTLEDGE

foreword Andre Labuschaigne

G

reetings! December is a wonderful time for so many of our customers.

They take leave from work and disappear on various holiday adventures.

What did you do?

Perhaps it was the ocean that you visited, or maybe the bush? Were you with family, or was it a ‘solo expedition’?

Irrespective of the destination, I do hope you feel rejuvenated and ready for another wonderful year. I trust you are already planning your next adventure!

This issue of The Intrepid Explorer features some massive names, including none other than Prince Harry himself. The prince recently undertook a 335-kilometre trek to the South Pole with a group of wounded soldiers. We also interviewed Sibusiso Vilane (the first black African to summit Everest), Kingsley Holgate (the bearded adventurer), and Bev and Dereck Joubert – the legendary conservationist filmmakers.

I hope this latest edition compels you to spend even more time outdoors.

Is there really any better place to be?

Yours in adventure,

Andre Labuschaigne Chief Executive Officer Cape Union Mart

P.S. Don’t forget to download your digital version of The Intrepid Explorer on the official website: www.intrepidexplorer.co.za.

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Editorial Contributors Graham Howe, Geoff Dalglish, Fiona McIntosh, Lesley Rochat, Conn Bertish, Anton Crone, Johan Lambrechts, Ryan Sandes, Terry Walsh, AJ Calitz, Paul Steyn, Jacques Marais, John van de Ruit, Andre Bredenkamp Photography Cover – Press Association UK Graham Howe, Anton Crone, Lou Coetzer, Scott Smith, Ezan Vercueil, Mike Ellis, Francesca van Rooyen, Fiona McIntosh, Julia Clarence, Ross Holgate, Bev and Dereck Joubert, Getty/Gallo Images Back Office Support and Accounts Solutions BOSS (PTY) Ltd Managing Director: Rita Sookdeo Account Managers: Lucindi Coetzer Cape Union Mart www.capeunionmart.co.za Group Marketing Manager: Evan Torrence Marketing Manager: Nick Bennett Printer Creda Communications Distribution Universal Mail Link Special thanks to: Kingsley Holgate, Nick Loughran – Press Secretary for Prince Harry, Sabrina Hill, Richard Holt PUBLISHED BY

Managing Director: Robbie Stammers Physical address: 174A Main Road, Claremont, 7700, Cape Town Postal address: PO Box 23692, Claremont, 7735 Telephone: +27 (0) 21 683 0005 Website: www.intrepidexplorer.co.za

No article or any part of any article may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the publisher. The information provided and opinions expressed in this publication are provided in good faith, but do not necessarily represent the opinions of Cape Union Mart (PTY) Ltd, Insights Publishing or the editor. Neither this magazine, the publisher or Cape Union Mart can be held legally liable in any way for damages of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from any facts or information provided or omitted in these pages, or from any statements made or withheld by this publication.

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Our Intrepid Explorer

contributors Geoff Dalglish is an adventurer and environmental activist who firmly believes that Life should be lived with passion. In 2011 he went from Petrolhead to Pilgrim with his decision to walk with messages about treading more lightly and lovingly upon the Earth. He’s covered more than 14 000km, most recently as an ambassador for WILD10, the 10th World Wilderness Congress. He’s a former motoring magazine editor, race and rally driver, overland expedition guide and is the author of Lost and Found.

Paul Steyn is a widely published travel journalist. Having guided throughout Africa for some years, he went on to edit a prominent travel magazine, and now writes about and photographs unique experiences around the world. He enjoys documenting scientific expeditions and most recently joined a team of researchers and River Bushmen on a 250km transect of the Okavango Delta on traditional mokoros (dugout canoes).

Dubbed an Agent Provocateur by the local media, Conn Bertish is an internationally awarded creative director and storyteller, with a passion for work that is fundamentally different from the norm. He is one of the infamous big-wave surfing Bertish Brothers, a conceptual artist, filmmaker and writer. His passion for creativity, nature conservation and ocean awareness has led to his numerous accolades at environmental, wildlife and surf film festivals around the world.

Terry Walsh is a gypsy by nature and a nomad by heart. He grew up in the UK and Canada and has travelled all over Europe, North America and southern Africa. He would rather be climbing than doing anything else, and loves a cold beer and a yarn around a campfire in some far-off place. Terry is a mountain guide by profession and plans to do an epic trip from Cape Town to Kenya, climbing some of the best peaks along the way.

Anton Crone is a freelance writer and photographer who has been widely published across a range of top travel and outdoor adventure magazines. Some of his most recent excursions include driving from Cape Town to the Serengeti and back in a Smart car, a journey through southern Africa in a 1967 Land Rover on the Put Foot Rally and travelling by motorcycle from the Cape to Rubondo Island on Lake Victoria and back.

Lesley Rochat is a former lingerie and swimwear model, television actress and presenter, who has dedicated her life to helping save sharks and runs

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the non-profit organisation, AfriOceans Conservation Alliance in South Africa, which she founded in 2003. She is a two-time Panda Award winner, a documentary filmmaker, campaigner, public speaker, renowned underwater photographer, writer and activist.

Her efforts are recognised internationally. As such she is an inductee of the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Fiona McIntosh, a freelance photojournalist, and the editor of Nightjar Travel magazine has an enviable life of travelling and adventuring all in the name of work. When not at her desk, she can be found out on Table Mountain hiking, rock climbing or enjoying a sundowner. She’s skied to the North and South Pole, stomped up a few continental peaks and dived the world’s most iconic dive sites. McIntosh is the author of numerous books on the Indian Ocean Islands, hiking, scuba diving, mountain biking and other adventures.

Johan Lambrechts is an award-winning travel writer from Belgium. He loves travelling, but he also likes camping in archives to bring forgotten great explorers back to life. His series about the roots of outdoor equipment is published in magazines in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and now in South Africa. His other passion is Antarctica. He visited the Antarctic Peninsula several times, published two books and gives lectures about the coldest continent on Earth, both for adults and for kids. One of his topics is the first polar journey of Roald Amundsen on the ship Belgica in 1897.

Lou Coetzer started photography 39 years ago as a high school pupil and has come a long way since then. A winner of numerous International and local photographic awards, he also set a new benchmark and precedent in the photographic industry with the first free digital photography courses for Nikon SA and was responsible for the innovation, design and introduction of the world’s first 360-degree custom photographic chairs.

John van de Ruit is the author of the highly successful Spud series of novels, of which more than half a million copies have been sold in South Africa alone. They’re laugh-out-loud tales of life at boarding school, told through the diary entries of John “Spud” Milton. Spud, the first in the series, broke all sales records for a debut novel in South Africa. Van de Ruit is now The Intrepid Explorer’s very own ‘Bill Bryson of the Bush’, whereby he takes us on wily adventures visiting some of the finest bush lodges that southern Africa has to offer.

Graham Howe is one of South Africa’s most experienced lifestyle journalists; he has contributed hundreds of food, wine and travel features to South African and British publications over the last 25 years. When not exploring the Cape Winelands, this adventurous globetrotter reports on exotic destinations around the world as a travel correspondent – and for the weekly travel show on SAfm. Jacques Marais is a pro photographer/author who regularly contributes to a wide selection of premium adventure, travel and outdoor magazines, both in SA and abroad. He has shot and authored numerous outdoor titles and is currently working on An Adrenalin Guide to Southern Africa. His short stories feature in an adventure anthology and during the acclaimed Red Bull Illume Image Quest sports photography awards, Jacques was honoured as a TOP 50 finalist from a field of well over 20 000 international shooters. Most recent honours include both a Gold and Silver Award in the respected SONY Profoto Awards.

Andre “AJ” Calitz is a trail runner who has made his mark on the SA trail running scene, setting course records at almost every race. He came to trail running in 2011 with a strong pedigree and has been a multiple All Africa Triathlon Champion, South African Duathlon and Triathlon Champion and South African Cycling Champion. He also holds silver medals for Two Oceans and Comrades finishes.

As of 2013, he is a full-time athlete. AJ is a K-Way ambassador.

Braam Malherbe is an extreme adventurer, conservationist, youth developer, motivational speaker, television presenter and author of the best-seller, The Great Run. He has been involved in counter-poaching operations as an honorary ranger for SANParks, co-founded the Table Mountain National Park’s Volunteer Firefighting Unit, and is actively involved in numerous non-governmental organisations and conservation groups.

Malherbe has run the length of the Great Wall of China as well as the entire coastline of South Africa, and has taken part in an unassisted ski race to the South Pole.

Ryan Sandes is a South African trail runner. In 2010, he became the first competitor to win all four of the 4 Deserts races, each a six- to seven-day, 250-kilometre, self-supported footrace through the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Gobi Desert in China, the Sahara Desert in Egypt, and Antarctica.In addition to trail running, he is an active mountain biker, paddler and surfer.

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Winning letter

editor’s note Winning ways – Bring on 2014!

We wish all our readers a fruitful, prosperous and adventure-filled year!

T

he end of 2013, our first year of publishing The Intrepid Explorer, could not have concluded better if we had scripted it. The Intrepid Explorer walked away with a Highly Commended honour for Best Launch 2013, and I was humbled to win the Editor of the Year 2013 award in customer publishing at the annual PICA Awards – our local equivalent of the Oscars in magazine publishing.

Yes, I do feel we can brag a bit, so please indulge us for a few moments.

This was what the PICA judges had to say about the magazine: “Packed with travel editorial of the highest quality, contributed by South Africa’s iconic explorers and top travel writers and photographers, the magazine is an unputdownable read. The judges felt it perfectly embodies the adventurous spirit and ignites a passion for the Great Outdoors.”

We could not have put it better ourselves! So onward and upward is our aim for 2014 and beyond.

Thanks again to all our superb contributors, and it’s thrilling for us to have new features from adventure gurus such as Kingsley Holgate, Braam Malherbe, Ryan Sandes, AJ Calitz, Fiona McIntosh and Graham Howe, to mention but a few. I would like to welcome back John van de Ruit with a new ‘On Safari with Spud’ feature and introduce new contributors: Paul Steyn, Geoff Dalglish, Lesley Rochat, Terry Walsh, Lou Coetzer and Conn Bertish.

I’m really grateful and impressed with the press secretaries of the Kensington Palace Press Office, who were so accommodating and helpful with the cover feature on Prince Harry. And I’m immensely chuffed to have my childhood hero, Johnny Clegg, in The Last Word of this summer edition.

We are extremely excited to be branching out and extending our reach: from this edition, The Intrepid Explorer will be available not only in every Cape Union Mart store, but also in the top retail bookstores and outlets nationwide. We sincerely hope we can thereby reach an even larger readership.

We urge you all to download the FREE digital version of every edition of The Intrepid Explorer and/or the full PDF versions of previous editions from our website at www.intrepidexplorer.co.za.

And please LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter; this year we have loads of amazing prizes up for grabs, almost on a weekly basis, on both these platforms. You would be crazy to miss out on the chance of taking home some of these prizes.

In closing, take heed of the wise words of James West: “A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”

Until next time, live the life of adventure!

Robbie Stammers Publishing Editor

Congratulations to the winners of our last edition’s competitions!

• T he biggest win was a luxury stay at the Clifftop Exclusive Safari Hideaway worth R13 300 – well done to Paul Lilienfeld!

• The two winners of Paul Myburgh’s The Bushman Winter Has Come are Renee du Rand & Stuart Hammond.

• The two winners of the Atlas of Dive Sites of South Africa & Mozambique are Cathy Neuwenhuys & Vicky Fourie.

• The two winners of the Springbok Kitchen cookbook are Russell Gildenhuys & Jaco Bezuidenhout.

The Intrepid Explorer magazine arrived a couple of days before we – my wife, twin boys and I – left for a well-deserved holiday to an island on the Great Barrier Reef. As a South African living in Queensland, Australia, I was over the moon when I realised I would have time to relax on a pristine beach and read the magazine.

What perfect reading material for an idyllic holiday destination! Having travelled extensively over the years, reading this magazine brought back a flood of wonderful memories of Africa.

I especially enjoyed the interview with Braam Malherbe on the rhino poaching situation and the ongoing search for a solution, as well as the inspiring Wilbur Smith interview – real tales from Home that went straight to the heart.

Just as I would recommend Heron Island – a tropical coral cay surrounded by a teeming sea of green turtles, reef sharks, stingrays and crazy parrot fish – to all of my friends I would most certainly also recommend they take the time to read The Intrepid Explorer. Both the island and this magazine proved to be interesting, educational and inspirational!

Thanks for a great mag, Drew Editor: Thank you, Drew! What a beautiful place to visit, and thank you so much for taking The Intrepid Explorer along to such a far-flung destination. I hope you enjoyed the read on the island, and here is a R500 Cape Union Mart voucher for you to get some superb gear to take on your next intrepid adventure!

Win, and have some fun doing it!

Take a photo of yourself with your copy of The Intrepid Explorer magazine in wild and wacky places or on an exciting adventure – whether it is on a mountain cliff, at an exotic location, or even under water! Three lucky winners will each win a 750ml bottle of the Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old and will have their photo published in the next edition of The Intrepid Explorer. Named the ‘World’s Best Blended Whisky’ at the 2012 Whisky Magazine World Whisky Awards, the Three Ships Premium Select 5 Year Old has made South Africans burst at the seams with pride.

Send your photo, a description of your location, and your name and contact details to robbie@intrepidexplorer.co.za.

win big

with The Intrepid Explorer magazine and Shamwari Group

Win a getaway worth R15 000 at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve

E

xplore the grandeur of the Klein Karoo at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, regarded as the Western Cape’s premier wildlife destination, near Cape Town on the renowned Route 62 – the longest wine route in the world.

Sanbona, part of Shamwari Group, is a 54 000-hectare reserve offering five-star accommodation at its beautifully appointed lodges: Dwyka Tented Lodge, Tilney Manor and Gondwana Lodge, as well as the Sanbona Explorer Camp.

Dwyka Lodge is a luxury safari tent experience set on a horseshoe riverine area, hidden between breathtaking rock formations, where the landscape is dramatic and magnificent.

Gondwana Lodge boasts fun for families with a large swimming pool, a children’s entertainment room, the Kids on Safari programme and views over the vast plains of the Karoo and the Bellair Dam, which now offers a unique boat safari.

Tilney Manor is the original Manor House, steeped in settler history, with an old-world charm, designed in true Karoo-Cape Georgian manor house style with six large bedrooms. Two unique experiences are the white lions and the endangered riverine rabbits.

The sheer expanse and stark beauty of Sanbona gives one a sense of humbleness, the realisation of the inconsequentialities of life, a temporary release of the daily stresses of everyday living. Sanbona allows one to be at peace, allowing one to curl up with a book, seeking solitude and introspection.

To stand a chance to WIN this incredible prize, please send the answer to this question below, along with your name and contact details, to taryn@intrepidexplorer.co.za.

Question: What are the two unique wildlife experiences that one can find at Sanbona?

The winner will be notified by 31 March 2014.

Your experience will comprise a two-night stay for two adults sharing, including accommodation, game drives and all meals at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve. Extras such as beverages, transfers, flights, telephone, laundry, gift boutique and all additional expenses will be for your own account.

The winning voucher can be redeemed over weekdays between 1 May and 31 August 2014, subject to availability and excluding public holidays, and is not transferable or redeemable for cash.

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Call 08600-34000 or visit www.capeunionmart.co.za. Stores nationwide. Products subject to availability. All our products are covered by our famous 5-Way Guarantee, ensuring that you always get the best price and advice along with the fairest exchange policy.

Pr in c e Ha r r y Robbie Stammers recounts how the world’s favourite royal, Prince Harry, joined war heroes on a 335-kilometre trek to the South Pole

Prince the polar

He is the royal prince everyone loves: the one whom we all have watched grow up, from the distraught 12-year-old boy bowing his head in sorrow at his mother’s funeral, to the fun-loving rascal we love to read

about – with his late-night antics and naked strip poker session in Las Vegas. Harry gets away with it all because one cannot help but feel he has earned his right to have some fun on the side; it makes the royals seem less smug and more human to the rest of us.

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Pr in c e Ha r r y

T BELOW: Prince Harry (right) pulls the pulk which is guiding US team member Ivan Castro, who is blind, during ski training in Novo, Antarctica, ahead of the charity trek OPPOSITE: The Walking With The Wounded teams have a moment of fun, making a thank-you to Virgin Money out of snow.

Virgin Money sponsored the South Pole challenge

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he other reason we cannot help but admire Harry in everything he does is due to his ability and determination simply to muck in and make a difference. As a member of the royal family, it would surely be more than enough to languish in his ‘blue blood’ privilege and merely do the odd royal visit around the globe, wave his hand slowly to passing crowds, play polo and drink copious amounts of gin and tonic.

But not this chap.

Prince Harry has always been keen to continue the work of his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who helped support people suffering from HIV/Aids in the United Kingdom and abroad.

In 2006, Prince Harry jointly founded Sentebale, a charity to help orphans in Lesotho. Together with his great friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho – the younger brother of King Letsie III – Harry set up the organisation to offer long-term support to community organisations working with children and young people, and in

particular to those working with orphans.

He has returned almost every year to Lesotho, and definitely has his mother’s knack of making people feel special – laughing, dancing and holding small children on his lap.

Harry has served two tours as a British Army captain in Afghanistan, flying over enemy lines and engaging in firefights in his role as an attack helicopter pilot. He has been extremely vocal in the past about not expecting any special treatment, but wanting to be up there on the frontline with the rest of the chaps, simply doing their duty.

So it came as no surprise when he enthusiastically accepted the patronage of Walking With The Wounded, a charity that provides rehabilitation services for military veterans. Although Prince Harry has travelled all over the globe as both a member of the royal family and a captain in the British Army, the 29-year-old was going to be going below, way below, where he had ever gone before.

The prince’s dip into the cold is not the

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He was exactly what you would expect from a “military man – no airs or graces, he just mucked in

with everyone else”

first time the thrill-seeking royal has put himself in freezing temperatures. In 2011, Harry took part in the Walking With The Wounded trek to the North Pole for five days, where he spent the night in a tent while temperatures outside dipped to a chilly 25° Celsius.

“Is that all it was – minus 25?” Harry joked at the time to ABC News’ Bob Woodruff. “It felt a lot colder than that in there.”

The South Pole, though, was to be a far greater challenge. This time around, the prince would be travelling to the Antarctic (in November 2013) to compete against teams from the United States and the Commonwealth in a 16-day race across the South Pole. Harry joined a team of injured British servicemen and women to raise funds for Walking With The Wounded.

When Prince Harry arrived at Novo airbase, where they were going to spend a few days to acclimatise before the trek, he joked that he had flown all the way to Antarctica to escape his four-month-old nephew, Prince George. Prince William

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previously acknowledged that his first-born child has “a good pair of lungs on him”, and his brother hinted that that was why William wished he, too, could take part in the 335-kilometre race to the South Pole.

“I think he’s quite jealous I managed to get away from his screaming child,” Harry said with a smile.

Harry also revealed how his father, Prince Charles, had been worried about his most recent adventure. “My father was a little bit concerned; I obviously tried to keep him calm by saying the North Pole was the dangerous one because we were walking on frozen ocean, whereas this time there are deep crevasses – but hopefully the guys will take us around that. Apart from frostbite and stuff like that, you should be able to look after yourself.”

The weather was not on their side, however, and each day the teams spent 12 hours skiing with 10-minute rest breaks every two hours; this was all done in temperatures of -50°C. So tough were the conditions faced

by the expedition that the competitive element, which would have seen the UK team race against the US and Commonwealth teams, was abandoned after the halfway mark.

Instead, the 335km Antarctic trek saw a group effort by the service personnel, who pulled 11 (70-kilogramme) sleds, or pulks, and who had all suffered life-changing injuries in conflict. It appears the decision by expedition director Ed Parker was the right one.

The mood in the group was significantly uplifted, as the teams were able to break their line formations and rigid race conditions. The team members have commented that, in the previous weeks, they had found themselves rushing each other and perhaps pushing themselves too hard, leading to individuals making impulsive decisions which, when in such a harsh and unforgiving environment, could have dire consequences.

Harry had this to say about changing

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Pr in c e Ha r r y ABOVE left: Dominic West and Prince Harry checking kit weights ABOVE RIGHT: Prince Harry (left) of Team UK with Heath Jamieson of Team Commonwealth, holding up the trophy together at the South Pole

the expedition to a group effort as opposed to a competitive one: “It is nice to see everybody intermingling with each other, not only every night because we camp together, but also during the day. People are starting to enjoy it and it gives these guys a good chance to consider how they feel, to think about friends at home, to think about fellow friends who are also injured.

“I think it is a really, really good thing that the guys have more time on their hands to think about stuff like that, rather than just ‘grit and grind’ and trying to push through the pain barrier as they race each other.”

He reportedly told dirty jokes along the trek to keep everyone’s mind off the unbearable cold.

“He told eye-wateringly rude jokes, which for a non-soldier like me was quite shocking,” exclaimed actor Dominic West, who was the celebrity patron of the Commonwealth team.

But apparently stand-up was not Prince Harry’s only talent, as West also praised his latrine-building skills. The teams had to dig latrine pits at each overnight stop during their journey, with a wall of snow around them to keep out the wind while in use.

“I remember thinking that Harry did art at A-level, and you can tell he is artistic,” said West. “He did one with castellated sides and a flag pole, a loo roll holder – and you’re sitting there thinking, ‘this is a real royal flush’! He must have spent about 40 minutes making it.”

Finally, on 13 December 2013, they reached the southernmost point on the globe. After 335km of treacherous terrain comprising glaciers, mountains and vast crevasses, and facing extreme cold and winds of up to 80km per hour, Prince Harry had officially become the first

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royal to reach the South Pole.

A total of 12 injured servicemen and women who have overcome life-changing injuries took part.

Some of the team members included amputee Major Kate Philp, 35, who lost her leg below the knee while serving in Afghanistan in November 2008 and Sergeant Duncan Slater, 34, who became the first double amputee to reach the South Pole during the trip. He lost both his legs after the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit by an IED (improvised explosive device) in the Babaji area of Afghanistan in July 2009. Captain Ivan Castro is an active-duty officer who has served tours from Desert Storm through to today’s war on terrorism. It was on a tour of Iraq in 2006 that he was blinded by a bomb blast.

The only female member of Team UK hailed Prince Harry as having been “fantastic from beginning to end”.

“Especially considering he hadn’t had as many training opportunities because he is so busy, he was a really strong, fit individual.

“Personally speaking, there were a couple of days when I was struggling and he was there every time, at rest breaks, helping me out, buoying me up and pulling me on. He was exactly what you would expect from a military man – no airs or graces, he just mucked in with everyone else,” Philp added.

“It was an amazing feeling,” said Harry.

“Every single one of these 12 deserves it.

I mean, they have dug out blind to get here … [I]t’s just remarkable the fact that someone with no legs [Duncan] has made it here, and to have done it in recordbreaking time, no doubt.

“And Ivan as well. When I look across, I see him being guided around, totally

blind, from America, and absolutely hates the cold. And you know he’s not doing it for himself, he’s doing it for his buddies back home – and that goes for everybody, every single one here.”

Their achievement, said the newly bearded royal, “will just prove to everybody there is so much that can be made possible when you think that nothing is left”.

“But I am so proud. I’m so chuffed and I’m so privileged to be here with all these guys and girls. I think we’ll be having a few whiskies tonight and then everyone’s looking forward to getting home. Mission: success.”

After a long, cold journey the royal prince toasted with his comrades. “Most of us, Harry included, just went on a two-day bender with the Icelandic truck drivers who had brought some lethal home-brew with them,” West recalled. We would expect nothing less from our fun-loving prince.

Harry joked that – competition or not – his team had won. “The conditions were a lot tougher than we necessarily could have expected. The wind and the storms proved horrendous. However, video doesn’t lie, and Team UK did win. We did.

Those are the facts,” he said mischievously.

“On a serious note, inspiring others is one of the cornerstones of this charity, to demonstrate to those who have experienced life-changing injuries that everything is still possible. I hope this truly unbelievable achievement will remind everybody that they can achieve anything they want to,” he added.

Well done, Prince Harry. The Intrepid Explorer raises a glass to you and your compatriots.

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G eof f Da lglis h

Walking with

wolves Geoff Dalglish tracks one of the most feared and demonised predators

As an ambassador for the World Wilderness Congress, he is pioneering an international walk that could become El Camino Salvaje, or The Way of the Wild. And to succeed, he has to become a wolf‌.

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ŠSylvain Macchi

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n

ight after night I hunker down in my sleeping bag, listening hopefully for the haunting howl that is the signature call of the species and imagining long-legged silhouettes detaching themselves from the shadows and moving swiftly and gracefully in the moonlight.

I’ve heard the sound only once before, the hairs rising on the back of my neck and stirring something deep and primal within me from the ancient past. Is it the call of the wild within us?

For centuries, Canis lupus has been the subject of myths and legends and often viewed as something to be feared and exterminated. How could it be otherwise, with children’s songs such as “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” – from the equally disparaging film, Three Little Pigs?

Unsurprisingly, it has been ruthlessly hunted, although – almost miraculously

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– it is staging an astonishing comeback in many places in Europe where it was hunted to extinction.

Part of my job, I decide, is to honour this iconic predator with a more honest press, and suddenly I’ve been granted the opportunity to do so. Having walked the equivalent of a third of the circumference of the planet with messages about treading more lightly and lovingly upon the Earth, I’ve been appointed an ambassador for WILD10, the 10th World Wilderness Congress in Spain.

I’m pioneering a walk that could become an international hiking trail called El Camino Salvaje, or The Way of the Wild. The idea is simple, and some may say absurd: I’m a wolf, or at least trying to think like one.

Starting on the shores of Lake Geneva and finishing 124 days later in the Spanish medieval city of Salamanca, I’ve undertaken an exploration and celebration of the return of wildlife, in particular iconic species such as the

wolf, bear, lynx and bearded vulture.

And I’m doing it at a remarkable time of change. With a mass migration of farmers and villagers to the cities during the past 50 years, vast tracts of rural land have been abandoned and the original occupants need no invitation – there is a spectacular return of wildlife, even though their numbers are depleted and some species wiped out by human encroachment and intolerance.

My 2 500-kilometre route through Switzerland, Italy, France, Andorra, Spain and Portugal loosely follows wild animal migrations and links four major mountain ranges: the Alps, Grand Massif, Pyrenees and Cantabrians.

Sometimes I marvel at my journey. How did I morph from Petrolhead to Pilgrim and go from editing motoring mags to walking at the time-honoured pace of our ancestors, allowing me to connect deeply with the natural world around me? The San Bushmen, Aborigines and Native Americans

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LEFT: Geoff (orange shirt) riding the thermals with vultures above and below the tandem paraglider

G eof f Da lglis h

OPPOSITE PAGE: Brown bears are among the iconic carnivores staging a remarkable comeback in parts of Europe

alongside a mountain stream or watching an eagle soaring on the thermals.

If anything, this walk has intensified a lifelong addiction to wild places and wilderness, heightening my gratitude for those pockets of sanity interspersed between the madness of the modern world.

And I salute the resilient animal migrants. How have they managed such incredible migrations, overcoming obstacles such as roads, highways, bridges, rivers and humans intent on their demise? I’m awed by their intelligence, resourcefulness and will to survive.

That they must survive seems obvious, too, as they have as much right to the Earth as we do and it is biologically evident that the absence of a keystone species such as a wolf impacts on the intricate workings of an entire ecosystem.

It’s going to be all about compromises between humans and other predators; what has happened in the United States intrigues me, especially with the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park,

“

For some, wolf music is as deeply moving as Beethoven’s

Fifth Symphony... For others, it is a call to arms, stirring up mad

hate,

blind terror.” – John B. Therberge, naturalist, in Wolves and Wilderness would understand what I’m doing and why. And funnily enough, many moderns would as well – even if they remained content to view life flashing by through the windscreen of a car.

And perhaps that’s sensible: being a wolf isn’t easy, particularly if you’re sensitive about how others feel about you.

Almost everywhere I encounter heated emotions, although there is a growing realisation that we’ve tampered enough with the delicate balance of nature and got it all wrong. It doesn’t need this 60-something hiker with sore feet and an aching back to point out that our current

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ways are massively destructive and entirely unsustainable.

Others are appreciating that we all need a connection with the natural world for our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Nature Deficit Disorder is a new description for a 21st-century malaise that can lead down a lonely road to depression, anxiety and exhaustion.

Admittedly, speed was my drug of choice for decades and provided regular fixes during my life as a motoring journalist and race and rally driver – although never the peace and clarity I feel sleeping under the stars, walking

which is widely believed to be the world’s first national park.

Pivotal to that project has been the passion and perseverance of conservationist Renée Askins, author of Shadow Mountain: A Memoir of Wolves, a Woman and the Wild.

“Even though we killed the wolf, every last one of them in the West, we never extinguished the wild – we only became more deeply alienated from it... The darkness and rage that drove us to torture and exterminate wolves in such hideous ways is part of the dark wildness present in each of our hearts, even today,” she writes.

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G eof f Da lglis h Clockwise left to right: Geoff walked for weeks on end to the accompaniment of the music of rushing water from snowmelt; A five-star welcome from the mayor of Salamanca (right); John Horler, Amala Hicks and Geoff at the end of his epic 124-day walk through six countries and four mountain ranges

“Restoring wolves to the West was more than just implementation of a law or the fine-tuning of an ecosystem; it was our nation grappling with its complicated relationship with the wild.

“Bringing wolves back to Yellowstone was an act of raw faith, of abandon, of hope… It was an act of giving back something we had taken – not just from the land or our first national park, but from our souls.”

I’m thinking about her insights when I stroll into a normally tranquil Rhône-Alpes town to discover an incredible buzz as locals prepare for the annual herding of sheep to the high summer pastures.

Do I tell anyone I’m practising to be a wolf?

It’s an exuberant day of festivities culminating in a huge flock of sheep being herded through the streets, with crowds of visitors lining the route and snapping away with cellphone cameras like paparazzi.

Every bed and campsite has been taken by the avalanche of out-of-towners, so I head on until I’m warmly welcomed at a faraway guesthouse. Before I have a chance to explain that I’m a vegetarian, a steaming pot is placed before me and, you guessed it – it’s lamb! I grapple with my conscience and decide not to offend my generous hosts. Besides, I’m a wolf; meat passes between my lips for the first

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time in 13 years.

Weeks roll into months of walking.

My blisters are now calluses and I’m no longer worrying about not speaking the language, getting hopelessly lost, falling off a cliff, running out of water, or having the physical and mental stamina to make it to Salamanca, which is hosting WILD10.

The mayor of Salamanca is preparing a reception for me and I’m to be honoured at the congress itself. Best I be there!

More worrying is the possibility that I may never actually see a wolf in the wilds, making a mockery of my epic walk.

Finally, on Day 99, I reach the Sierra de la Culebra region of northwestern Spain, and nature guide Antonio Herrero Carretero assures me: “I can almost guarantee you’ll see wolves!”

And we do.

I join others in the fading afternoon light and constantly scan the landscape through a powerful telescope, looking for the telltale movement that will signal the arrival of a wolf – Big, Bad or otherwise.

A movement is spotted through the scope and Antonio immediately confirms it is indeed el Lobo. Although this one is far away, I feel the same exhilaration I know from sweaty-palmed close-up sightings of animals in Africa. My heart hammers, just as it did days earlier when I had sighted bears in the wild.

“Seeing a wolf up close is very, very difficult,” Antonio assures, “but seeing one from a distance like this isn’t difficult at all if you know where, when and how to look.”

That evening we’re in a nearby guesthouse and a frown creases Antonio’s brow and a sadness softens his rugged features as he speaks quietly of the wolf immortalised in a photograph hanging on the wall.

“It took me 22 days to capture that moment,” the former army sergeant says, pointing to the image of a sleek female in her prime. “I had watched her often, from the time she was a baby, the only female in a litter of five cubs.

“I was admiring her through the telescope, as I had done so often over the past four years, when a hunter’s bullet found its target. She fell to the ground and later I watched the hunter walk up to her lifeless body, cut off her tail and hand it to the ranger who had facilitated the hunt.”

Antonio enthusiastically embraces the goal of WILD10, of making the world a wilder place. He argues the long-term sustainable benefits of wolf tourism, rather than hunting. “When the last wolf has been shot, what then?”

Visit www.wild10.org, www.earthpilgrimafrica.com or www.aherca.com for more information.

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Pa ul Stey n

beautiful

the

Paul Steyn goes behind the camera with top wildlife filmmakers, Dereck and Beverly Joubert

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art

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Growing up as a kid, I recall being completely in awe of the lives of Dereck and Beverly Joubert. I probably wasn’t alone. Like most youngsters, I dreamt of a life of wild adventure and romance, and the Jouberts seemed to embody that dream completely.

I remember watching epic films such as Eternal Enemies and pledging to spend my entire life in the bush, documenting wildlife behaviour – just like the intrepid couple.

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Pa ul Stey n

A ABOVE: Dereck filming Legadema, who features in Game of Lions and Living with Big Cats. Legadema plays with her reflection in the lens of the camera MIDDLE: Dereck and Beverly in Duba, Botswana, filming The Last Lions RIGHT: After 30 years of work, Dereck and Beverly have recorded over 3 000 kills

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lthough I’m a fair bit older now, I would hesitate to say that much has changed in terms of my admiration of the Jouberts. They are towering figures in the realm of wildlife films as well as passionate conservationists, working tirelessly for the preservation of Africa’s big cats. They truly are a pair of African icons.

It’s a stormy day in Johannesburg, and unfortunately lightning has struck down the Joubert’s Internet connection, so I’m resorting to good old telephonic communication for our interview. There’s so much I want to find out about the couple, and I’m glad to have their full attention for

Botswana to research lions, and started at the Chobe Lion Research Institute.

And there, one day, we discovered a film camera. We pulled it out and started playing with it and realised that we were at the dawn of a new era in many ways – where media, film and television was a far more powerful way to talk to more people than via scientific papers.”

“It was romance, adventure, exploration that took us on the journey to Botswana,” Beverly continues. “We very soon realised that that’s where we wanted our lives to be.

We wanted to be exploring together, we wanted to have this unique world of discovery and to be able to share it with the world.”

the next hour. I begin the conversation with a question about their lives before their rise to success on the world stage.

“What led you both to a life of wildlife filmmaking?” I ask.

“Beverly and I met in high school,” Dereck begins wistfully. “I went to the army and Beverly then went to college.

We always had a life that was leaning toward going to the bush, but in which exact direction we did not yet know.

“We had the opportunity to go to

The couple seem to communicate effortlessly between each other. I suppose that’s what happens when you live out in the bush together for years on end.

“I think that we were intrepid,” Dereck concludes. “And we are still intrepid, actually. I think we were intrepid explorers.”

The conversation flows easily and we begin to talk about the motivation behind their continued creativity.

“We soon realised that there were issues we had to talk about,” Beverly says.

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Pa ul Stey n

“this unique world of discovery

We wanted to be exploring together, we wanted to have

it with the world.”

and to be able to share

“We couldn’t be delusional about them and we couldn’t ignore them. And that’s when we realised that every single film we took on would have a powerful conservation message.”

I’m interested in how the Jouberts have managed to make a career out of wildlife filmmaking – particularly in the conservation space. For every guy with a camera, there are thousands of others trying to make it profitable. What set them apart?

time when some massive climatic and environmental change was happening and we were able to cover it. It set the course for our filmmaking. The world appreciated that, and National Geographic picked it up. From then on we developed this relationship (with the society), which has now gone on for 28 years.”

One thing that strikes me about the Jouberts’ films is the immense thought and creativity that goes into their stories.

outward from there. We want to get the broad global conservation message out, so how do we do that? Through the story.

So the creative process for us is finding the story that serves the cause.”

It’s clear that the preservation of big cats is a major motivation for the couple in everything they create. I’m interested how this has played out over the course of their careers. “If there’s one thing in hindsight that you could change in terms of your

“I’m not sure it is very profitable,” Dereck says with a laugh.

“Our films are not high-budget at all,” Beverly adds. “We take on films and put that entire budget into two to three years.

For us, getting a budget is about creating the best art that we can.”

What was their first big break?

“We initially took a stab at a few films,” Dereck reflects. “Then at one point we were in the Savuti marsh when the Savuti dried up completely. We were there at a

Everything – from the music to the lighting, the scenery, the narration and the environmental message – comes together to create what could only be described as beautiful art.

I ask about the creative process.

“It’s a number of things,” Dereck replies excitedly. You can tell he loves this part of his job. “Being out there is certainly the biggest stimulation for us. But in terms of the process: I know for me, it starts with an image – what I want to achieve. Then I go

conservation message, what would it be?”

I enquire.

Dereck doesn’t hesitate: “I think that if we had been able to be more influential earlier on, we could have had a role in stopping declines. We did a film called Lions of Darkness in 1995, when there were still 45 000 male lions left. If we had refocused on that, and made our careers about that, and made the rest of our films as protest art, I think we could have played a role earlier.

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Pa ul Stey n

left: Beverly and a friend in the Makgadikgadi salt pan in Botswana BELOW: The Jouberts’ latest project is an up-close look at elephants

“I think we have played a role, but we’ve got down to the point where we have only 3 000 male lions and we are still saying the same thing. I just wish we had been more effective.”

We are now entering the topic of lions, poaching and the potentially explosive hunting debate. Botswana recently abolished the hunting industry completely, causing a major uproar from operators and advocates of hunting all around the world.

“I know it’s a hot topic,” I begin apprehensively. “But what do you think will happen to those hunting concessions in Botswana now that they are vacant?”

Dereck is clear in his reply: “I don’t think this is a hot topic at all, and I’m more than happy to talk about it. In fact, it’s a cold topic because the hunters are moving out.”

He continues, “There is one concession already being tendered right now – area 34 in the Okavango Delta – and that was a prime hunting area. Already there was a line of about 12 photographic operators

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who put up their hands and said: ‘we will take it.’ These areas will converge gradually or fast – depending on the area – into photographic areas.

“We have a prime case in point in the area called Selinda, which we took over about six years ago when it was a hunting area. The animals were skittish. It was crazy! When Beverly and I lived there, we saw about 50 buffalo in five years. We saw one leopard in that time. Today, there are 9 000 elephants. It has had a huge turnaround. It hasn’t been poached at all.

In fact, it’s now making money. And that money is being ploughed back into anti-poaching.”

I’m told that the Jouberts’ latest film, Game of Lions, has a strong anti-poaching/ hunting message. I ask about the theme of the film and what we can expect from the story.

“This film looks at the nomadic phase of male lions,” Dereck explains. “In order to survive this phase in their lives, the lions have to be smart, big, bold and survivors.

All of these attributes make you into a survivor in general, except for one thing: these are the exact attributes that hunters look for when they come into Africa to shoot a male lion. So these battle-scarred, weary warriors come out of the swamp at the age of four or five years, and have survived for all the right reasons. The exact reasons that got them to that point are why they are pre-selected by a trophy hunter.”

The Jouberts have been creating films for most of their lives and I’m interested to know if or when the creative storm will die down. “Will you ever stop filming?” I ask.

“The creative storm continues. And for as long as our brains will keep firing,” Beverly assures, “we will continue to be creative in every way. It won’t only be through film. We are constantly branching out into new technologies. A long time ago we realised that we do not want to be dinosaurs!”

I can hear a commotion in the background.

“My gosh, can you hear that hail?”

Beverly exclaims with some alarm. “It’s the size of golf balls!”

It sounds like the Apocalypse out there!

I ask if they have any final thoughts before signing off and hunkering down to weather the Jozi storm.

“I think we are all standing in the sunset of the natural history blue-chip era,” Dereck says. “And I think there are other ways to tell these stories now. There was a time when everybody gathered around the television on a Sunday night for a BBC or National Geographic special. But that doesn’t happen anymore – and certainly in less and less influential audience groups. So we are adapting to where our message can be heard best. I think that visual images still tell the stories best, so we will be filming for a long time yet. It has been a creative storm, and we are still in the middle of this storm because we have more ideas than we have time to execute.”

He pauses briefly. “I think film and media will be part of the tools of our message for a long time to come.”

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Kin gs ley Holga te

Expedition volunteer Andre Bredenkamp joined Kingsley Holgate and his trusty Land Rover on another incredible journey of discovery

footsteps

retracing the

of joseph thomson

Part of my philosophy in life has been to fill the days with as much adventure as possible, given the restraints of my bank balance. So when the call came from Kingsley Holgate to join him once again on an epic journey, I readily agreed. He is the most travelled person in Africa, so I knew the itinerary would not be from some travel agency catalogue.

Photographs Ross Holgate

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“H

PREVIOUS SPREAD: K-Way ambassador Kingsley Holgate pores over the Joseph Thomson expedition map

ABOVE: The start of another epic expedition in the footsteps of the early explorers – our journey starts on the outskirts of Mombasa, Kenya from Rabai Mission Station

MIDDLE: This is just as Joseph Thomson would have seen it: unspoilt, beautiful Africa. The area now forms part of Amboseli National Park RIGHT: Crazy cyclist Mike Nixon finds a route for the vehicles, behind looms the snow-capped Mt Kilimanjaro. It was part of Joseph Thomson’s objective to prove that a snow-capped mountain existed close to the equator OPPOSITE: Ice axes and crampons are needed to traverse the glaciers of Mt Kenya

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ave you ever read the book, The Man-eaters of Tsavo?” asked Kingsley. “Well, it is about the building of the railway line by the British into Africa from the port of Mombasa. The stars of the story are these two lions that ate about 100 workers while they were trying to lay the tracks. It was such a fiasco that they called it the Lunatic Line.

“More importantly, have you ever heard about Joseph Thomson?” he enquired further. I hadn’t.

“He was the first European explorer to travel from Mombasa to Lake Victoria and return in one piece. It was his reports that resulted in the railway line being built, and that was the catalyst for the formation of modern-day Kenya. I have copies of Thomson’s original maps and I want to retrace his footsteps. It’s going to be great fun; we will just camp out in the bush as we go!”

I only had one question: “King, did those lions have any children?”

Joseph Thomson’s first trip was with the Royal Geographical Society expedition led by Alexander Johnston, to establish a route from Dar es Salaam to Lake Nyasa and Lake Tanganyika. Johnston died during the trip and it was left to Thomson to take the leadership role.

He successfully led the expedition over 4 500 kilometres during the next 14 months, collecting many specimens and recording numerous observations.

He got back to London in late 1880, and published a book, To the Central African Lakes and Back, through which he made a name for himself.

Thomson wanted to do something more notable and managed to solicit funding from the Royal Geographical Society for his own expedition, this time to explore a route from the eastern coast of Africa to the northern shores of Lake Victoria. British Empire traders required the route, but it would have meant travelling through the hostile Maasai homeland, which was deemed suicidal.

So in 1883 Thompson once again set out, with the motto: “He who goes gently, goes safely; he who goes safely, goes far”.

His leadership style proved successful, and he reached the lake – documenting the route for future travellers. He also made many important biological and geological observations including the first credible reports of snow-capped mountains on the equator, having travelled past Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Kenya.

The return trip proved as dangerous: Thomson was gored by a buffalo, suffered from malaria and dysentery – but he survived. His best-selling book, Through Masai Land, followed in January 1885. One of the first to read it was H. Rider Haggard, who promptly wrote King Solomon’s Mines. Thomson was outraged, however. The ‘party tricks’ he had played on the Maasai warriors – by removing his false teeth and claiming to be a magician – were coincidentally also performed by the character, Captain John Good, in King Solomon’s Mines.

Our journey to follow the Thomson trail forced us onto the main road between Mombasa and Nairobi, which is only a single lane in each direction. In all

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Kin gs ley Holga te my years I have never seen so many big trucks on such a poor road – it was never-ending for hundreds of miles!

There is also a bizarre local custom: the drivers do not switch on their lights until it is completely dark; they believe this wears out the battery! So every day there are numerous fatal accidents.

Onward we travelled under the shadow of Kilimanjaro, “Mad” Mike Nixon riding his bike most of the way – although the park wardens stopped him when we went through the gate of the Amboseli National Park. Most of the game parks in East Africa do not have fences, as the game migrate across the plains.

While Ross (Holgate) was busy changing our damaged rim and tyre, an elephant appeared from the bush.

Needless to say, he hastened the repair.

After another day on the trail, we

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reached the outskirts of Nairobi. The following morning, we left Kingsley and the team to continue on Thomson’s route while we took a taxi to Mt Kenya.

Part of Thomson’s expedition was to prove the existence of snow-capped mountains straddling the equator.

Unlike Kilimanjaro, which is a trekking peak, Mt Kenya is a bit more technical.

Two peaks, Batian (5 199m) and Nelion (5 188m), which require a certain type of madness before you attempt them. Then there is a third option, Point Lenana; when you hear people say they have climbed Mt Kenya, they usually mean Point Lenana.

The walk to base camp is absolutely beautiful, and if you are lucky you may see game including buffalo and elephant – as we did. It took three days, which is not quite enough time to acclimatise, but very early on the fourth day we started up the

17 rock pitches with two local climbing guides who knew the route.

The pitches were between Grade IV and V, which is challenging at sea level but much more difficult at altitude because of one’s lack of energy. The weight of a pack does not help matters, and climbing with gloves (which is necessary as the temperature was around zero degrees) is a real issue: rock climbing at this level is heavily reliant on finger grip, and gloves are a severe handicap.

The first pitch was really tricky and we let the guide lead. Mike offered to follow, while I was on ‘belayed’. Unfortunately, he simply could not get over the first obstacle. In desperation, I got under Mike and said: “Just stand on my head.”

It worked, and he was on his way. The second guide must have wondered who these jokers were. Fortunately, we did not make fools of ourselves again all day.

By 14h00 (after some eight hours’ climbing) we were at 5 050m, a mere 150 vertical metres to the top, when we rounded a corner into the shadows, only to find the rock covered in a thin layer of ice and snow – too little depth to use ice axes, but sufficient to make every handhold on the rock very dangerous.

The guides said they were not prepared to attempt the last three pitches.

I was quite annoyed at first. I have reached the top of every mountain I have tried to climb in the last 10 years! Mike calmed me down, and reminded me that we had had a great day, and safety was more important than reaching the summit. In hindsight, we should have planned to have additional days so as to try a different

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left: Maasai warriors form a guard of honour as Kingsley carries Mashozi’s ashes BELOW: As a tribute to Mashozi, we distribute life-changing spectacles to the Maasai men and women of the area

route on the sunny side of the mountain.

We had the ability to cope with the degree of difficulty of the climb.

Oh well, perhaps I will return one day…

The next day we travelled to Ol ari Nyiro, The Place of Springs – a 100 000-acre wildlife sanctuary and nature conservancy in western Laikipia in the Great Rift Valley owned by Italian-born Kenyan national and best-selling author, Kuki Gallmann. She created the conservation park in memory of her son and husband, who both died tragically in Africa.

Over lunch, she told us her story. Very rarely have I been so spellbound and in awe of someone and her life’s work. In 1980, while pregnant with her daughter, her husband died in a car accident returning from Mombasa with a handcarved crib for the baby. Sveva was born, but never saw her father. She hardly remembers her brother either, as three years later Emanuele – who as a teenager had already become one of Kenya’s leading authorities on snakes – was bitten

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by one and died at the age of 17.

Despite being on her own with a young child, Kuki chose not to return to the comforts of Italy, but rather to stay in Kenya and to make a difference. As a living memorial to Paolo and Emanuele, she established The Gallmann Memorial Foundation, which promotes co-existence of people and nature in Africa and is active in education, biodiversity research, habitat protection, reforestation, community service, peace and reconciliation, poverty alleviation and public health.

Next it was onward to the Maasai Mara.

There were a few reasons for this part of the journey, apart from the fact that Thomson had travelled through the region. About 20 years ago Kingsley, his wife Gill (known as Mashozi) and their son Ross had a ‘concession’ in the area.

Mashozi passed away in December 2012 and this part of Africa had been her most beloved. Kingsley wanted to scatter her ashes from the Ololoolo Escarpment above their old camp.

The Maasai people are an interesting lot.

They have a reputation as fierce warriors, and they stood against slavery during that dark period. Slave traders quickly learnt to leave them alone. They live alongside most wild animals with an aversion to eating game and birds. Cattle are the currency of their wealth, and their herds graze among the game.

We arrived and, to our shock, there awaiting us – as a guard of honour – were about 30 Maasai men and about 20 women in full traditional dress. It was incredibly moving. The elders had obviously loved Mashozi and they were there to show support for the family. This is not something many people would ever have the privilege of seeing.

Kingsley and Ross were accompanied to the edge of the cliffs. Then the warriors withdrew and left the family to their thoughts. Mashozi’s ashes drifted with the wind. Thereafter, the women came forward and led Kingsley and Ross back to the fires where the goats had been placed over the coals some time earlier. It was a very special evening – something few of us will forget.

So the next morning we decided it would be fitting to continue with Mashozi’s special work – distributing reading glasses.

None of the older women could read, but they complained that they could no longer see the colour of their beads – and without being able to do beadwork, they felt helpless. Some people obviously needed cataract operations, but that was beyond the scope of our assistance. Well, for the time being anyway.

Our time in Kenya was drawing to an end. Some of our group needed to get back to the office and flew out in a small plane that afternoon. The others would turn the Land Rovers in a southerly direction and also head for home.

Hopefully the return journey would be less dangerous than it was for Thomson.

Once again, it was an incredible journey of discovery with two legends: Kingsley Holgate and his trusty Land Rover.

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Experience it!

Ground Rush Adventures has offered tandem skydiving in Swakopmund since 1997 and has an impeccable safety record.

Bookings are essential

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Tel: +264 (0)64 402841 • Fax: +264 (0)64 403446 Cell: +264 (0)81 124 5167 Email: freefall@iafrica.com.na • Website: www.skydiveswakop.com Address: Box 281 Swakopmund 25 Moses Garoeb street / Anton Lubowski street

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Fion a M c I n tos h

Geronimo!

Take a leap of faith on Fiona McIntosh’s ‘big air’ sports options in southern Africa

As I teeter on the edge of the Bloukrans Bridge, harnessed up and my feet trussed together, I seriously question my sanity. What on earth possessed me to sign up for the highest bridge bungee jump in the world?

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Fion a M c I n tos h

b

ut there’s no turning back. The chilling countdown begins: Five, four, three, two, one… bungee! and I launch myself into space. It’s an adrenalin rush of note that’s over too soon. I’m scared silly, but I love it.

Then comes the sickening recoil as the stretched latex cord reaches its limit and contracts, shooting me back up before I plunge again, my stomach lurching. Finally the bouncing stops and I come to rest upside down, staring at the brown river below.

When the crew member comes down to hoist me back to the bridge and to safety, I hug him with relief. But truth be told, I’m stoked. Few experiences beat this when it comes to bragging rights!

Southern Africa is not short of heart-stopping adventures. But for me, the most terrifying are the ‘big air’ sports. Jumping out of a plane with a tiny parachute strapped to your back or diving off a bridge with a bungee cord around your ankles is for the birds.

Try these leaps of faith if you dare.

Skydiving Johannesburg

If living in edgy Joburg isn’t enough excitement, how about upping the ante a bit? Skydiving is the ultimate adrenalin kick: the thrill of racing earthward before the chute is pulled is indescribable. If you want to play it safe(ish), jump in tandem with an instructor.

Scarier is a static line jump where your rip cord is pulled for you, but if you want to go big then sign up for an accelerated free fall course where, after the necessary tuition, you jump solo. And if a bird’s-eye view of wide, open spaces rather than cityscapes appeals, head north to Namibia and take the plunge over one of the most spectacular landscapes on the planet – the starkly beautiful Namib Desert.

Contacts Johannesburg Skydiving Club: 082 330 0111 or www.jsc.co.za Ground Rush Adventures (Namibia): +264 64 40 2841 or www.skydiveswakop.com.na

Victoria Falls Bungee

At a whopping 216 metres, the Bloukrans Bridge Bungee is the highest bridge bungee in the world – but the Vic Falls Bungee, at 111m, wins the day when it comes to the setting. Straddling the mighty Zambezi River, the bungee platform on the iconic Victorian bridge can be accessed from either Zimbabwe or Zambia, so it attracts a huge international following. It’s certainly scary, but it is safe? Well, the risks involved were highlighted on New Year’s Eve 2011, when a 22-year-old Australian tourist Erin Langworthy plunged into the churning, crocodile-infested waters below when her bungee cord snapped. She survived, though, so don’t let it put you off. According to the Zambian Minister of Tourism (the first punter to jump when the bungee reopened after the accident), the chances of the cord snapping are about 1 in 500 000. Wusses can opt for a gorge swing, a cable slide or the highly educational and scenic bridge tour.

Contacts Face Adrenalin (Bloukrans Bridge Bungee): 042 281 1458 or www.faceadrenalin.com

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Shearwater Adventures (Vic Falls Bungee): +263 13 44471 or www.shearwatervictoriafalls.com

Batoka Gorge Swing

So which is scarier, a bungee or a swing? For me, the sudden free fall of a swing is way more gut-wrenching – and judging by the blood-curdling screams coming from the lookout platform above the cliffs of Zimbabwe’s Batoka Gorge, there are plenty of big strong men who’d agree. Wild Horizon’s gorge swing, overlooking rapids three and four on the Zambezi River, is one of the best and most spectacular – a 70m free fall, followed by a 95m-long pendulum swing. And that’s just one of a medley of adrenalin rushes including a flying fox, zip line and canopy tour offered at the same site.

Contact Wild Horizons: +263 13 44571 or www.wildhorizons.co.za

Moses Mabhida Stadium Swing

Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium Swing is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world, which makes it kinda special. Climb the 450 steps to the tiny launch platform and admire the view of the impressive stadium and Durban coastline before launching into the abyss. The 60m free fall, on which you reach a speed of 120 kilometres per hour, is nothing short of terrifying. But hey, it’s a great way to become intimately acquainted with the iconic stadium!

Contact Big Swing: 031 312 9435 or www.bigrush.co.za

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Maletsunyane Waterfall Abseil

This one is guaranteed to take your breath away – from the altitude, if not the sight of the scary sheer drop. After half a day of training, you’re taken to the top of the 204m high Maletsunyane Abseil in Lesotho, the Guinness World Record holder for the highest commercially run abseil in the world.

The view from the top of the cliff as you do your final safety checks is giddying, then the spray from the falls adds to the excitement as you descend into the deep, dark gorge. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Contact Semonkong Lodge: +266 2700 6037 or www.placeofsmoke.co.ls

Table Mountain Abseil

South Africa’s most iconic and scenic abseil is from the top of Table Mountain. The spectators give you the heads up as you gingerly lean back, step over the edge and slowly drop out of sight down the 112m cliff face. Then comes the seriously scary bit as you reach the edge of the overhanging section and dangle in space. Don’t forget to stop and take in the breathtaking scenery on the way down!

Contact Abseil Africa: 021 424 4760 or www.abseilafrica.co.za

Zip 2000

Completing the trio of Guinness World Record holders, Zip 2000 at Sun City is the longest, highest and fastest adventure slide in the world and an essential tick box for adrenalin junkies. Whizzing down the 2km-long foefie slide at 120km/h is guaranteed to get your heart rate up.

Contact Unreal Adventures: 014 557 1544 or www.zip2000.com

Karkloof Canopy Tour

Although communing with nature is a big part of the thrill of canopy tours, zooming through the trees on a series of high wires is right up there on the adrenalin stakes. The Karkloof Canopy Tour, with its long, swooping slides over the spectacular valley of the mist-belt podocarpus Karkloof Forest Reserve in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, is the scariest – but expect high-speed action and adventure on all the other five in the Tsitsikamma, Drakensberg, Magaliesberg, Magoebaskloof and Swaziland’s Malolotja Nature Reserve.

Contact Karkloof Canopy Tour: 033 330 3415 or www.karkloofcanopytour.co.za

SCAD Free Fall

So you think you’ve done it all: skydiving, bungee, swings, abseiling and even rap jumping (abseiling forward in paratrooper style). Hah. But have you ever tried SCAD? Jumping, without a safety cord, into a suspended air catch device (a big net) is the newest thrill at the colourfully decorated Orlando Towers vertical adventure centre in Soweto. A range of other high-adrenalin activities from rap jumping to base jumping are on offer should you want to make a day of it.

Contact Orlando Towers: 011 956 6307 or www.orlandotowers.co.za

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enchanted the

Graham Howe heads into the last great wilderness in Europe where bison, wild boars and wolves still run free

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forest

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G r a h a m Howe

i Poland lies at the crossroads of West and East – a crucible of history stretching back one thousand years from the castles of Teutonic Knights to the medieval towns of Warsaw and Gdańsk.

Photographs Graham Howe

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n Poland, the stork is a symbol of children, fertility and prosperity.

Driving overland from Warsaw, we spotted hundreds of the storks with bright red bills that migrate to Poland every summer, building giant nests on every telephone pole, chimney and rooftop. The storks depart in autumn, fly from Poland all the way across Africa – and return to the same nest every year with uncanny accuracy, using genetic stork GPS. If only I could read maps like a stork, we’d never get hopelessly lost on holiday in remote parts of a foreign land with very foreign signs. To the uninitiated, a Polish road sign resembles alphabet soup with lots of z’s and not enough vowels.

We followed a maze of charming back roads through fields of poppies, wheat and wildflowers.

In the heart of the forest we stopped for lunch at a zajazd, Carska – a fairy-tale restaurant on the platform of a disused railway station once exclusively reserved for the use of Tsar Nicholas II, decorated with poignant portraits of his family.

His private railway line ends in the forest where he hunted bison and boars on the wild Russian frontier.

The Tsar’s private church is a landmark of Russian Orthodox design.

We were looking for an overnight destination called Sioło Budy, which I managed to mispronounce as “So long, buddy”!

As dusk fell, we stumbled across our rustic wooden chalet in the heart of Białowieża Forest near the village of Puszcza. It resembled a gingerbread house out of Hansel and Gretel – complete with lumberjacks, barns with steep snow roofs, wishing wells and women in shawls and traditional folk costume who served us supper in a log cabin decorated with wild boar skins.

The Polish sure are hospitable. They have a saying: “When a guest is in our house, God is in our home.” Dinner was on the wild side with traditional country fare: blood sausage, wild boar worthy of Obelix, żurek (a sour, fermented rye soup with boiled egg), the national dish of bigos (hunter’s meat stew) and herbed pierogi (dumplings).

It was time to go to bed after several shots of vodka and wild berry brandy. Farmers retire early in these parts. In midsummer it only grows almost

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G r a h a m Howe dark for a few hours at midnight.

The Royal Oak Trail leads into one of the most famous national parks in Poland – an ancient forest called Puszcza Białowieża, a Unesco World Heritage Site on the border between Poland and Belarus. Try pronouncing it properly if you have to ask the locals for directions. Or simply point out your destination on the map.

One of the last great stretches of wilderness in Europe is home to the last free-range herd of bison as well as zubronie (a strange bison/cattle cross), wolves, lynx, moose, tarpans (medieval horses) and red deer. Many of the tall trees – oak, beech, pine and spruce – in one of the last original lowland forests on the

continent are over a hundred years old.

We spotted a few of the 400 bison bred back from extinction from the great herds shot out by regal hunting parties of kings, tsars and dukes, and only reintroduced back into the wild in the modern era.

Stampeding through the reserve in a cloud of dust, these magnificent beasts are an awesome sight. Make way!

Weighing in at 850 kilogrammes, an adult European bison is the largest mammal in Europe. Today they browse at peace on the plains of this 150 000-hectare transfrontier park on the old Soviet frontier.

Border guards on patrol in the woods in a jeep stopped and asked what we were doing there, in a scene straight out

of the Cold War. And a moose called Lena took a real shine to me. It was the mating season – and the solitary moose (whoever’s heard of meese?) get lonely in the woods. She had a lovely pair (of antlers), and butted me rather amorously. Ouch! Lena got so close I only got shots of antlers and a wide angle of her long nose peering up my camera lens. Talk about From Russia with Love. These moose are too sexy for their velvet antlers and grow a new pair every summer.

On our walk in the woods, the ranger said: “If you get lucky, you’ll see more than mosquitoes!” Polish mozzies must be the biggest in the world. You need a tennis racquet to swat ‘em off – or a strong pair of antlers and the thick skin of an elk.

The Poles claim they invented vodka in 1405 – way before the Russians. When in

previous spread: Białowieża Forest, a Unesco World Heritage Site and transfrontier wilderness area on the border of Poland and Belarus top left: A traditional woodcutter’s cabin in the forest TOP RIGHT: Red deer in the Tsar’s traditional hunting grounds LEFT: An upside-down chalet in the forests of Kashubia symbolises the topsy-turvy history of Poland under communism

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G r a h a m Howe Poland, a land of vodkaholics, you have to try a tasting. We dropped by the Polmos Bialystok vodka distillery (1928) – which exports vodka all over the world – and climbed to the top of the highest column stills in Europe (42 metres).

The distillery is famous for its Żubrówka Biała, vodka infused with prairie grass and named after the zubrow (bison), which is a national icon of potency on beer and vodka labels. I was told the bison pee on the grass, contributing a unique aromatic character to the vodka.

Poland is a wonderful adventure destination with vast lake districts called pojezierze. Lovers of the great outdoors come to Biebrzański Park Narodowy (they must practise pronouncing it for months), the biggest wetland in Europe – a chain of fens and waterways covering 60 000ha in the Biebrza (Beaver) River.

Twitchers from all over the world come to kayak the Czarna Hańcza – a 60km wetland trail with rustic campsites and agri-tourist cabins along the way – and spot rare species such as the greater spotted eagle, eagle owl and white woodpecker among 280 species of birds.

Biebrzański is one of the last refuges for moose (elk) in Europe – and the wolves, wild boars, badgers and beavers saved from near extinction. From the balcony of our country hotel, we heard a wolf howling across the river at midnight and made sure we slept with the doors closed.

Where-wolf? Over there, wolf!

Taking a boat ride with the rangers through the channels of this tranquil waterway reminded me of a mokoro (canoe) ride on the Okavango Delta, listening to the birdsong on the banks and in the reeds.

The deeper we travelled into the Polish

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countryside, the further we travelled back into the past. In the 14th century, Poland was occupied by the crusader Teutonic Knights – the Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, who built a mighty chain of 120 castles that were 20-30km apart.

In the rural town of Niedzica, we slept in a Teutonic castle converted into a hotel and

a whimsical note in the far north in Kashubia, a discrete part of Eastern Pomerania (Pomerelia) – homeland of the lost tribe of the Balts, who speak their own dialect and proudly preserve their own rich culture and folklore. They settled here over a thousand years ago and evolved into the minority of 250 000 Kashubians with their own alphabet, road signs (don’t even ask)

The zubrow (bison) is an icon of potency in Poland on beer and vodka labels - and out in the wild.

enjoyed a medieval dinner dressed as knights and wenches. (I don’t think they’ve changed the mattresses or the menu since the medieval era…)

Malbork Castle, the mightiest Gothic fortress in all of Europe and a Unesco World Heritage Site, was one of the highlights of our travels through Poland. It was once the capital of the Order of Teutonic Knights, and the palace of the Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen.

This massive redbrick Gothic fortress on the Nogat River in the north is a landmark visible for miles – and comes complete with unique long-drop toilets with a trapdoor to get rid of troublesome guests (and cabbage for toilet paper), a medieval hall for Black Adder banquets, and knights’ sleeping quarters (rather like a medieval backpacker).

Our on-the-road journey ended on

and flag, and who play a bizarre musical instrument called a burczybas (a huge double bass played by three men).

The cultural centre of Kashubia in the forests of Szymbark captures the history of Poland in wood. Curious tourists like us come from all over the world to gawk at the longest single plank in the world (36.83m in length), hewn from a 51m high spruce tree that was 120 years old – and which made it into the Guinness World Records. It took hundreds of men nine days to cut the plank, which shed 300kg of sawdust. (I faithfully wrote this all down in my notebook; I have a head for details.)

We sat down at the longest wooden table in the world – the Nobel Prize Winner’s Table made for Lech Wałęsa – cut from the very same tree. Wałęsa, Polish hero and leader of the Solidarity movement that toppled communist rule in

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G r a h a m Howe

LEFT: A gospoda, a Polish inn or tavern serving traditional Polish food BELOW: Sioło Budy in Białowieża Forest, a farmstay with rustic barns, wishing wells and gingerbread chalets

Poland in 1989, is the patron of Kashubia.

His penthouse in the all-wood hotel has three taps: two for hot and cold water, and one for beer piped directly from the brewery. Sadly, the suite was already taken so I didn’t get to try it out. I guess the moral of the story is that if you go down to the woods in Poland today, you’re in for a big surprise.

The locals believe Kashubia was the last part of the world created by God, who left all the world’s unused wooden building materials here. Everything is made from wood in the heart of lumberjack country: from the old sawmill, a multi-storey luxury wooden hotel, the log chapel, woodcutter cottages, a posh wooden Polish manor house, log cabins and a bizarre upside-

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down house that is very disorientating to walk around – symbolising the end of communism and the return of freedom.

Over a few beers at the micro-brewery, we sniffed peppery snuff out of cow horns, an old Kashubian ritual that soon had everyone sneezing into their beer. It’s considered rude to refuse to share the snuff – a gesture of welcome and hospitality – so we snorted deep draughts like the locals.

You wouldn’t want to offend one of these guys; they’re all built like lumberjacks.

Kashubia even has museums dedicated to Polish tobacco and snuff lovers. We went there, too, so as not to offend our burly hosts.

We were sent on our way after a full rendition of the national anthem of

Kashubia. The guide burst into song in a style reminiscent of Borat, praising the beauty of the woods, the sacred trees, the forest keeper, the woodcutter, the carpenter and the acorn of life.

A few schnapps later, I left with clear nasal passages, humming that old Monty Python tune: “I’m a lumberjack and I’m okay / I sleep all night and I work all day / I cut down trees, I skip and jump / I like to press wildflowers...” Go on, you know the rest…

Graham Howe was a guest of the Embassy of Poland and Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For information on tourist destinations in Poland, telephone 012 430 2621, email pot@pot.gov.pl or visit www.pot.gov.pl.

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My fascination with the East African island of Zanzibar began at boarding school. I have a vivid image of a poster that once graced the wooden partition of my working cubicle. It painted the picture of a white, sandy beach almost slithering into a bejewelled, turquoise sea. In the foreground of the picture languished a stark naked beauty stretched out on a towel in a terribly inviting pose.

Photographs Julia Clarence

Rhapsody african

John van de Ruit sings the praises of Stone Town, where real and romantic collide in a harmonious fusion for the senses

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 5

On s a f a r i w ith Spud

u

nfortunately, this idyllic poster was frustratingly marred by the large inscription of ‘ZANZIBAR’ emblazoned across the image. Sure, it was pleasing to be informed of the location of this sumptuous, secret beach but the careless manner in which the second ‘Z’ covered the model’s privates was a galling and continuous letdown for any self-respecting, horny teenager.

The second reason, of course, is that Zanzibar was where Freddie Mercury was born.

I have developed a nasty habit of late airport departures. No matter how much time I allow for various last-minute sundries, sure as weekend rain I find myself weaving through traffic in a great state of agitation, simultaneously gawking at the clock and lambasting slow-moving, dim-witted, myopic hog swine in the fast lane.

Minutes before our planned departure, I predictably remember a plethora of vitally pressing household chores that I neglected to complete thanks to a combination of international cricket and chronic laziness.

Backwashing the pool, on the face of things shouldn’t take the average pool-owning human more than 200 seconds. I somehow managed to triple that. Finding a bloated kamikaze frog stuck in the pump delayed matters, as did a burst rubbish bag en route to the outside bins.

Further unnecessary security checks, an odd-sock crisis, a meandering chat to our neighbour about the state of the nation, and a last-minute panic over passports completed the picture.

The horrible bottom line: Jules and I were running horribly late for our next intrepid adventure. ‘Horribly late’ became ‘just in time’, and we took off into ominous thundery skies.

Landing in Dar es Salaam at night obscures its size. It is a big, bustling port city with a sense of thriving African vitality about it. Our taxi driver extolled the virtues of the place and claimed that our hotel, The Serena, has been frequented by notables such as former United States

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PREVIOUS SPREAD: Room with a view – a rare Indian Ocean sunset BELOW: The Serena Inn – Afro-Boho-Colo-Chic OPPOSITE: Anyone for afternoon tea and crepes?

presidents Bush and Clinton.

No surprise, then, that we were halted some distance from the hotel by armed guards who inspected the underside of the car with a mirror and then checked for the old tell-tale bomb in the boot. Finding nothing but a scrabbly old backpack and Jules’s considerably more elegant suitcase, they waved us through to the hotel reception where a metal detector awaited.

Having travelled in rather loose-fitting pants, I was understandably loath to part ways with my belt at the entrance. But, being ushered like royalty into the elegant lobby of The Serena, I was forced to shuffle along – holding myself suspiciously with the left hand while shaking hands with the right.

The morning was a sauna. Queuing up at the ferry port with what felt like every Tanzanian and his dog, was a bustling and aromatic experience. A great melee of passengers, touts, ferry staff, security personnel, hawkers, well-wishers, baggage handlers, tearful relatives, men with enormous amounts of luggage, women carrying children, children carrying even smaller children, and even smaller children carrying nothing whatsoever.

The packed ferry sliced through water impossibly azure, heading northeast into the Indian Ocean. Ninety minutes into the journey, the great island of Zanzibar rose into

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view. It was far larger than in my imaginings and the rooster perched on Jules’s favourite suitcase seemed to agree as he gazed out longingly toward the shore.

The overhead television screen crackled into life with a loud warning – or perhaps it was a salute or high praise in a language I didn’t understand. But wait, the first word seemed to strike a chord. Hey, I know that word…

“Bismillah!” (In the name of Allah) Stone Town is a labyrinth of alleyways bisecting immense buildings of fading Arabic opulence. It’s a heady mix of bohemian beauty, decaying charm and a thriving, happy Tanzanian energy. The ubiquitous “hakuna matata” is on the lips of every local you meet. This delighted Jules, who has an unnatural passion for The Lion King for a woman of her age.

While I mumbled on about Disney’s exploitation of Africa while grimly slurping on the straw of my Coke, my life partner skipped along the path, belting out: “When I was a young warthog!” at a surprisingly misguided volume.

We sauntered through the garden where Freddie Mercury stumbled out his first steps. A hawker selling postcards even showed us the house where young Freddie was allegedly born. Suspicions over the truth of this were raised when the

man seemed to point out the Department of Sanitation, and demanded five dollars for the privilege of his brief company.

I obviously did the only sane thing one could do in such awkward circumstances: I flatly refused to succumb to his five-dollar extortion attempt but, sensing bad blood in the air, splurged 10 dollars on his postcards – all of which involved a stick man rowing a dugout.

Thankfully, the altercation ended in joyful “hakuna matatas” and a series of complicated handshakes.

We strolled on, drinking in the buildings of Stone Town with their shuttered windows. It reminded me of another World Heritage Site town that we have had the privilege to explore – Luang Prabang in the jungles of Southeast Asia.

Clearly, the World Heritage Site judges have a soft spot for shuttered windows.

The Zanzibar Serena Inn on the sea fringe of Stone Town is a beautiful place to stay, stunningly decorated in what can only be described as Afro-Boho-Colo-Chic.

It’s luxurious without feeling opulent, and with its outlook over a tranquil bay, the inn is a thoroughly nurturing and relaxing place to escape the world.

Highly advisable is a good old languish beside the swimming pool, which borders the sea wall. I can also recommend timing

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fastjet utilises its Airbus A319 aircraft to fly between Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with fares starting from R1 600, inclusive of all government fees and taxes. Call +27 (0)11 289 8090, email sales.southafrica@fastjet.com or visit www.fastjet.com to find out more or book a ticket.

Flights depart from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport at 14h15, and land at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport at 18h50. The return flight from Dar es Salaam to Johannesburg departs at 10h30, landing at 13h20. Dar es Salaam is one hour ahead of Johannesburg.

From Dar es Salaam, travel to Zanzibar by pre-booking a direct flight on local airline, ZanAir, or a ferry service from the port. fastjet also flies domestically within Tanzania from Zanzibar to Kilimanjaro, and Dar es Salaam to Kilimanjaro, Mbeya and Mwanza.

South African passport carriers are exempt from applying for a visa for business or leisure stays of up to 90 days or less, and a valid Yellow Card (international certificate of the yellow fever vaccination as approved by the World Health Organisation) or a statement of medical exemption is required.

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your afternoon swim with the arrival of the tea and crepes cart. It doesn’t get much more zony than reclining in your lounger, devouring a raspberry and chocolate crepe, sipping on a mug of camomile tea, and observing the great sun as it plunges into the sea.

It was an early Saturday evening and a hotly contested local beach football match broke out within view of our balcony. By the time the light faded, I had the score down as four goals each.

In truth, the team wearing no shirts – and often no shorts either – should have built a commanding lead. It was obvious they were sorely let down by their rotund striker, who consistently fell over when attempting to shoot. Furthermore, their left back’s controversial tactic of repeatedly hoofing the ball far out to sea and swimming madly after it seemed, from the comfort of my balcony, a waste of time and good possession.

The Serena also owns a beautiful stretch of beach some 20 kilometres across the island, which we explored the following morning. It was idyllic, although I can sadly report there was no naked supermodel with a ‘Z’ through her privates.

The hinterland of Zanzibar is typically tropical and intensely humid away from the cooling sea breezes. This is where the vast

percentage of the locals live, trade and carry out their lives independent of tourists.

We passed through fields of herbs and spices which, a few centuries ago, made Zanzibar one of the world’s great ports.

Cardamom, clove, nutmeg, tropical fruits and vegetables changed hands in a flurry of scooters, cars, pedestrians and the odd panicked chicken. Even a dramatic cloudburst did little to worry the locals as they hustled and bustled around spazas and humble stores.

Having spent much of the day baking in the sun and wallowing in the ridiculously warm ocean, we returned to Stone Town and set about finding a bar to ward off our considerable thirst. Not far from the Big Banyan Tree (which is by no means small), we chanced upon just the place. It was a laidback, beachside bar and grill, edging the port. We halted when we read the sign above the entrance: ‘The Mercury Bar’. Not only an excellent watering hole, but a place to pay homage to a voice that soundtracked much of my youth.

Queen wasn’t playing – Tracy Chapman was. Her voice seemed to speak to the scene before us. Young children frolicked in the sand while a dredger laboured to deepen the channel. A number of immaculately dressed Tanzanian ladies drenched themselves alighting from a

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On s a f a r i w ith Spud ABOVE left: A quaint corner in the labyrinth of Stone Town MIDDLE: It may be 37 degrees in the air-conditioning, but I’m still having my morning coffee RIGHT: Arty surprises around every corner

precarious fishing boat. Elsewhere an old man relieved himself against the sea wall with equally fading blue and red graffiti. A crow and a seagull tussled over something as the smiling waiter brought us cocktails loaded with fruit juice so sweet it puckered our cheeks.

Around us, other travellers gathered and sat, ordered their drinks and surveyed the scene. Locals mingled at the bar, drinking Kilimanjaro Beer as Chapman’s

voice faded on the system and disappeared altogether.

Jules and I gazed out at the tableau and attempted to take stock of a whirlwind visit to a country that felt at once foreign and familiar. We longed to explore more of Tanzania, the wild savannah in the west and Kilimanjaro up north. But memories were made in Stone Town, where East Africa’s real and romantic collide in a tantalising fusion for the senses to untangle.

And then, splicing through the middle of our conversation, Queen’s unmistakeable harmony danced out over us: “Is this the real life or is this just fantasy? / Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality. / Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see.”

To treat yourself to a Zanzibar holiday of a lifetime, go to: www.serenahotels.com or email reservations@serenahotels.co.za.

G et th e s h ot

GETTING THE SHOT: This is one of those images you don’t want to miss, for a number of reasons.

Natalie is not only one of South Africa’s sporting icons, but she also stands tall and proud in spite of being disabled, with people from all walks of life looking up to her.

I wanted to capture an image that portrays her in this light, and it was an added bonus that she completed the swim together with Tony. As I wanted to get a low angle of view from the water, I used an Outex rubber housing to protect my SONY SLT-A99. This enabled me to not worry about the waves while outlining the subject against the sky.

A 16-35mm lens on the full-frame Alpha Body meant I could guarantee exceptional sharpness, while the Exmor sensor and BIONZ Processor could supply enough of a dynamic range to shoot without flash. Although the Outex housing allows a limited amount of access to controls, I preset the camera to shoot in AV mode, using an ISO setting of 200 in order to cover a range of shutter speeds.

The latex Outex Waterproof Housing hermetically seals your camera to keep it safe from the elements www.facebook.com/outexSA

THE SPECS: Body: SONY SLT-A99 Lens: Carl Zeiss f2.8 16-35mm Focal Length: 16mm Aperture: f4.5 Shutter: 1/800sec ISO: 200 Lighting: Natural light only Post-processing: Adobe Lightroom 5 More info: www.sony.co.za or www.jacquesmarais.co.za

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shot

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Aqua Heroine

by Jacques Marais

Get the THE IMAGE: Natalie du Toit exits the water together with event founder Tony Lubner after a strenuous 6km open-water swim at this year’s Sabrina Love Ocean Challenge. Du Toit, one of the sporting ambassadors for this annual charity event, dedicates a few days every year to the meet in order to help raise funds for children with disabilities. www.sabrinalove.co.za

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J oh a n La m br ec h ts J oh a n La m br ec h ts

Part 2

roots Back to the

of outdoor accessories

Johan Lambrechts navigates the origins of essentials that have changed our intrepid adventures forever In the second part of this award-winning series, we look at the history of five more iconic travel devices and equipment.

S

unglasses, thermal underwear, malaria prevention, vaccines and the compass have all made themselves virtually indispensable on our travels. But it’s amazing how they first came into being. Fancy a gin and tonic, anyone?

Sunglasses – A Natural Gadget The Inuits of Alaska have lived with snow every day of their lives since time immemorial. The combination of bright sunshine, snow and ice is literally ‘blinding’. This prompted the Inuits, 2 000 years ago, to invent an ingenious gadget that would protect their eyes against snow blindness.

But these early prototypes were not goggles or sunglasses in the strictest sense. The Inuits used natural objects, materials they found in the wild: animal bones, pieces of ivory, antlers, reindeer hoof, wood, tree bark and leather.

They would then cut out one or two narrow slits out of the material – wide enough to see through, but narrow enough to filter the sunlight and protect their eyes against the bright reflection of the sun. Sometimes these polar dwellers smeared soot onto

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the inside of these goggles, in order to eliminate any reflection completely. As a finishing touch, they attached a carry-strap made from seal leather.

The first sunglasses also acted as a sort of telescope for the Inuit hunters, who thereby could better spot reindeer. As they were made from natural materials, the goggles never froze to their eyelids or eyelashes.

This was particularly useful in harsh weather, as Western polar explorers were later to discover firsthand. They often had to wrap their metal viewing and measuring instruments in cloth, to prevent them from sticking to their skin at temperatures that could fall as low as -40°C.

Thermal Underwear – It’s All About the Heat The experience of explorers in polar expeditions played a crucial role in the manufacture of the first outdoor clothing.

From the 19th century onward, there were two ‘schools’ of expedition clothing. Some explorers copied the clothing of the Inuits to protect themselves against the cold, and donned heavy animal skins and fur. Other adventurers came up with variations on the traditional Western clothing they wore at home during cold winter days, such as long and warm underwear.

This clothing was introduced by the American Benjamin Thompson (1753-1814), who would later become the Count of Rumford.

He was an innovative genius of the mid-18th century, always busy thinking about items that could improve daily life, so he developed and introduced the first drip coffee pot and

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the kitchen range.

On the run during the American Revolutionary War, the cosmopolitan count reached Germany via London. There he entered the court of Karl Theodor, the Kurfürst (Prince-Elector) and Duke of Bavaria, as his aide-de-camp.

When Theodor asked him to reform the army, Thompson tried to devise the most appropriate uniform for the Bavarian soldiers. Through countless experiments, he discovered it is the layer of air in a garment that determines the strength of isolation.

That’s when he decided to develop a new kind of underwear.

The principle: by using two layers of textile, the body heat is trapped in between and no heat goes lost. Moreover, the warmth stays close to the skin, which makes an outdoor adventurer completely protected against cold air from the outside.

Unfortunately, not a single German manufacturer was interested in this very first thermal underwear, perhaps because it was too revolutionary for that time. Thompson had no other option but to start production of the garment on his own.

For the next major outdoor clothing invention, we had to wait two more centuries.

One hundred years ago, all outdoor clothing was made from cotton, wool and fur. These provided effective protection against cold and wind, but caused problems when the wearer perspired during strenuous exercise, soaking him to the skin and causing rapid heat loss. Old-fashioned windproof clothing absorbed perspiration rather than wicking it to the outside.

These problems quickly ‘evaporated’ thanks to radical innovations in the textile industry during the 20th century. The first of these was the development of rayon, an artificial fibre made from wood and stronger than silk. Later, truly synthetic fibres such as nylon, acrylic and polyester were developed.

But the biggest innovation was probably Gore-Tex®, launched in 1978.

Bill Gore and his wife had previously run a company using the synthetic polymer Teflon to isolate electronics. But in 1969, their son Bob discovered that when this substance was rolled out into a sheet, it formed a porous yet powerful fabric.

He invented the Gore-Tex® membrane, consisting of more than 1.4 billion microscopic pores per square centimetre.

The pores were one-twenty-thousandth the size of a water drop, but seven hundred times larger than a water vapour molecule. Perspiration, in the form of water, could escape, but rainwater could not get in. It was nothing less than an outdoor revolution.

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Malaria Prevention – A Gin and Tonic For Me, Please!

Malaria, or marsh fever, existed in China since 2700 BC at least, but was named by the Ancient Romans as mal’aria, meaning ‘bad air’ in Medieval Italian – a reference to the smell of the swamp fumes believed at the time to be the origin of this often fatal disease.

It was only in 1897 that Sir Ronald Ross, a British army surgeon working at a hospital in India, provided definitive proof that mosquitoes were responsible for the spread of this parasitic infection.

For ages, travellers in the tropics tried hard to protect themselves against the parasites and the fever, in the early days using quinine from the bark of the Peruvian cinchona or kina-kina tree, which grows on the side of the Andes Mountains.

The Jesuit missionaries made a very effective powder from this bark – polvo de los Jesuitas, or ‘Jesuit powder’ – which was used all over Europe and South America.

It was not until 1820 that two French chemists, Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou, isolated the active ingredient in the cinchona tree.

But the taste of the quinine was so bitter, that the British soldiers and civil servants in the tropics who had to swallow this medicine every morning added sugar and soda water to make it more palatable. The result was tonic, from the Latin tonicum, meaning ‘medicinal drink’. Then someone discovered that the

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taste of the tonic could also be improved by mixing it with a large measure of gin…

Before long, gin and tonic became a favourite throughout the British Empire. The advent of gin and tonic made malaria prevention almost a pleasant task for British soldiers. After a while, the tasty and healthy cocktail was even served in gentlemen’s clubs in London – thousands of miles from the nearest malarial mosquito. Nowadays, the quantity of quinine in tonic is a minimum and is produced synthetically. Even in malaria pills, quinine has been abandoned.

Because some parasites have developed resistance, new synthetic substances such as atovaquone and proguanil are now used as a means of malaria prevention.

Vaccines – Cow Power What many contemporary travellers and tourists see merely as an annoying must-do, is one of the biggest achievements of mankind. Without vaccinations, there would be no tourism.

Or worldwide travel, for that matter.

Long ago, the contact with foreign cultures had a very dangerous side effect. Exotic diseases were for explorers, seafarers and merchants the most common cause of death. Travellers in olden times had to put up with far more tribulations than they do today. Syphilis, smallpox and influenza were ubiquitous and often fatal, and proved to be the strongest weapons during the conquest of the New World by the Spanish conquistadores.

Ninety-five percent of the indigenous population died of Western diseases!

The idea of making oneself immune by using a milder variant of a virus stems probably from China or India. When, in 1721, a smallpox epidemic was rampant in Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu – wife of the British ambassador to the Ottoman Court – followed the example set by the Turkish inhabitants. She used the technique of inoculation or variolation to save her own children from the disease. She intentionally infected them with a sample of the live smallpox virus, by introducing it subcutaneously on their arms or legs in order

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J oh a n La m br ec h ts to produce or boost immunity by these non-immune persons.

Although the method used by Lady Mary was successful, it remained quite unreliable. But this all changed in 1796 when British doctor Edward Jenner began researching a vaccine, prompted by the observation that milkmaids appeared to be immune to smallpox.

Jenner injected his gardener’s son – who appeared to have been a perfectly willing experimental subject – with the non-fatal cowpox, followed by a dose of the extremely dangerous human variety. The result was spectacular: the boy survived because he was immune, and the vaccine (from the Latin word vaccinus, meaning ‘pertaining to a cow’) was born.

Today vaccinations protect travellers against cholera, diphtheria, hepatitis, polio and typhus in the most hazardous tropical regions of the world.

The Compass – Right Place, Right Time Sometimes it is crucial to be in the right place at the right time.

That is exactly what happened when some Italian seafarers began to use mariner’s compasses on the Amalfi Coast back in the 12th century.

The combination of this phenomenal invention and well-built ships enabled the intrepid seamen to discover the world and ultimately paved the way for major explorers such as Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus. These maritime conquests lay the foundations for prosperous trading nations such as Venice, Holland and England.

It is surprising, however, that the clever Chinese took no part in these voyages of discovery across the oceans. After all, it was the Chinese who originally invented this revolutionary navigational instrument 2 000 years ago, when at the Imperial

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Court they first dipped a mysterious ironstone into water on a piece of wood. Drawn by the Earth’s magnetic field, the stone always pointed north.

The Chinese saw this compass as a perfect element of the feng shui philosophy, which describes how our surroundings can influence feelings of happiness. But there it ended.

It took the Italians 12 centuries to perfect the compass for use when navigating at sea. Before then, seafarers had navigated by the wind, the stars or by using hand-drawn maps of the land.

For a long time it was believed that Flavio Gioja, a marine pilot from the Italian city of Amalfi, further developed the ‘dry’ version of the compass. He is thought to have abandoned the Chinese container of water and placed a free-moving, rotating magnetic needle (made from magnetite) inside a circle under a glass case – the mariner’s compass. The circle showed all the directions of the wind in a fleur-de-lis design with 32 points, and made an exact orientation possible.

Alas! Italian historians have discovered recently that there is no proof whatsoever that Flavio Gioja ever lived. Presumably, the Italians got their knowledge from the Persians and thus the mariner’s compass must have been a collective invention.

Yet the inhabitants of the city of Amalfi are still very proud of their imaginary mariner, and have erected a statue of him on the Piazza Flavio Gioja.

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Ter r y Wa ls h

Stranded in a remote corner of Africa, my intrepid friends and I had to rely on the kindness of strangers to get us home, writes Terry Walsh

good

one

When we set off on our African adventure, we had the goal of doing something positive for others. It was a vague notion, but one we felt was important. Little did we know we’d be on the receiving end of such generosity.

Photographs Ezan Vercueil

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turn

t

he plan was simple: 6 000 kilometres, five countries and two weeks in a 40-year-old VW van. The plan didn’t last long, but the trip did.

Matt, Ezan and I are three very different people from three very different parts of the world. Matt is from Chicago, Ezan originally from Bloemfontein, and I’m from the United Kingdom and Canada. It is our sense of adventure that unites us.

It all began one night over a beer when Matt mentioned he wanted to do a commercial overland tour. I hit him with another idea: “Let’s do it ourselves, the old-fashioned way – and as cheaply as possible.”

He liked the idea, and a few days later I relayed our plans

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to Ezan, who immediately wanted in. As luck would have it, he’d just acquired the van!

As our departure date drew closer and we got geared up, our excitement grew. We knew this trip would be special and we wanted to make a positive impact in any way we could. We’re not rich guys, and we knew our ability to make the journey would be limited – but we simply had this deep desire to ensure that in some way we could give back.

With this in mind, Ezan came up with the name: “Random Acts of Kindness Tour”. It was simple but brilliant. For every day we’d be on tour, we’d conduct at least one ‘random act of kindness’. It could be anything from picking up a hitchhiker, to buying

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someone lunch. On day one, we bought lunch for some car guards and nearly caused a riot!

People said we were crazy to attempt this trip in our old VW van, but to us it was the perfect vehicle.

Our plan was to head up the N7 from Cape Town to Namibia, then across to Botswana and from there to Victoria Falls, returning through Johannesburg.

First stop was the Cederberg, a few hours from Cape Town, to do some climbing. We then headed for Namibia’s Fish River Canyon and the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld National Park, picking up hitchhikers along the way. One guy travelled all the way with us from Clanwilliam to Springbok.

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previous spread: (From left to right) Matt, Terry, Ezan in the Namib Desert RIGHT: African fish eagle takes flight in the Okavango Delta OPPOSITE PAGE: Mokoros in the Okavango Delta

We crossed into Namibia late at night and it seemed an easy drive to the canyon, but we took a wrong turn and got lost. It didn’t matter, though; we were having a good time.

We stopped to ask for directions and ended up hanging out in a village seemingly comprised entirely of shebeens.

After a quick beer, we headed out and that night camped on the banks of the Fish River.

We woke up early the next morning in astonishing surroundings. The riverbank is 200m of beautiful soft white sand surrounded by high peaks. Thousands of animal tracks dot the sand – it’s a truly magical place.

After days of climbing and long drives without showering, we all felt pretty gross.

So despite fearing the crocs, we jumped into the river and had the best bath ever.

From |Ai-|Ais we made our way over to the Fish River Canyon proper, and had our first bit of car trouble. The van was losing power, but it seemed a minor problem and we didn’t worry too much – we’d get it sorted in Windhoek.

But the Windhoek experience wasn’t great: finding a mechanic on a Friday was a nightmare and the locals were rude.

The big exceptions were the guys at The Cardboard Box Backpackers – they’re brilliant, and they put us up for free!

As soon as the van was ready, we wanted to get out of there, but it was late and the info we had on the Botswana border indicated it closed at 18h00.

There was no way we’d make it in time.

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We took off for Etosha instead, planning to catch the sunset over the pan and spending the next day driving through the park. It didn’t quite work out that way, though.

The drive up to Etosha was loads of fun. We met some great people, handed out cold beers to some guys on the road and gave a ride to a guy who gifted us some zebra meat in return.

But it took much longer to cover the miles than we’d anticipated, so we had to make some big decisions. With 1 000km to travel before 18h00 the following day, we all agreed that we’d be up before sunrise. We figured that if we could be on the road by 06h30, we could cover the distance in just under 12 hours. With speed restrictions in the park forcing us

down to 60km/h, we needed the full 12 hours.

The plan was for me to take first shift while Ezan took photos. Then we’d swap every three hours until we’d chased down the 1 000km. It was a big target, but for the first 400km we were spot on.

Just after our first shift swap, I was roused from a deep sleep by a massive explosion. Ezan immediately shut down the engine and we all bailed out to see what had happened. Everyone was tense but still very hopeful that it was something minor such as a broken fan belt.

When we opened the engine bay, however, it became devastatingly obvious that the problem was far worse: the engine had literally exploded. We were just south of the Angolan border, more

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Ter r y Wa ls h

I once heard rock climber and

environmentalist, Yvon Chouinard, say: “Adventure is when everything goes wrong – that’s when the adventure starts.” than 160km from the nearest town, and things looked bleak.

Eventually a very kind Dutch couple towed us into Rundu, the nearest town – a trip that took hours and included our crashing into their car! That first night we camped out in the middle of town, and

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everyone was nervous. There were drunkards, fires and chaos everywhere.

In the morning we managed to get to a mechanic and tried to stay positive. We still figured we’d be on our way again within a couple of days. We were very wrong.

The mechanics kept getting things

wrong and lied to us repeatedly. Delays piled up until eventually we’d been stuck there for over a month.

During the first 10 days, we camped out in the scrapyard. Replacing the engine would be very expensive, and we had to save money.

Things changed when Boela, one of the mechanics’ apprentices, invited us to a party at his friend Louis’ place on the Okavango River.

Louis first laughed at our story, but then refused to have us camping out in the scrapyard and invited us to stay with him. I don’t think he expected us to stay there for another three weeks! Louis is one of the nicest guys we’ve ever met, and now a true friend.

People in Rundu got to know us quickly, and everywhere we went they were incredibly kind. We had many dinner invitations, and twice a local shop owner even gave us the biggest steaks I’ve ever seen.

At one point Ezan dislocated his shoulder and, with no money to pay for medical treatment, the local doctor sorted it out for free – thanks to Louis.

We met a peace corps volunteer called Steph, who invited us to spend a night camped out in her village.

It was these Random Acts of Kindness that we’d set out to conduct, but were instead being directed our way.

The day before the mechanics promised the van would be ready, we were informed it would be another week.

This was devastating news; it meant we wouldn’t keep our commitments in Vic Falls, and for Matt it meant the trip was over. He caught a bus to Joburg and then a flight back to the US. We were bitterly disappointed for his part, but at that point he simply had to be practical.

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Ter r y Wa ls h

LEFT: Terry swings through the Wolfberg Arch in the Cederberg BELOW: Zimbabwe on the left, Zambia on the right with aerial view of Victoria Falls

For me and Ezan, however, Louis came to the rescue once again and drove us to Vic Falls in his car. We’d already invited him to come with us, but it was incredible of him to volunteer his vehicle.

Once in Vic Falls, we were treated to free bungee jumps and helicopter rides

by Shearwater Adventures and a sunset cruise at the launch of a new riverboat.

In Botswana, the guys at The Old Bridge Backpackers in Maun first found our story amusing, but then put us up for free! They invited us on a two-day guided trip into the Okavango Delta at virtually no cost. These guys were top-class, and ‘The Bridge’ is the most beautiful backpackers at which I’ve ever been accommodated.

The experience at the hostel was as much relaxed and beautiful as the drive into Maun was stressful. Animals in rural Africa definitely have right of way, and at night they don’t give a damn about cars!

Crossing back into South Africa in the middle of the night, freezing cold, with my sleeping bag wrapped around me, felt incredible – we were almost home.

I once heard rock climber and environmentalist, Yvon Chouinard, say: “Adventure is when everything goes wrong – that’s when the adventure starts.”

There’s something about that statement that really grabs me. We get so caught up in the comfort of our normal lives that we have no idea what adventure is really about. My friends and I got just a little taste of adventure on our trip and, despite all the problems we encountered, Ezan and I are already planning the next one.

Stranded in a remote corner of Africa, it was the ‘random acts of kindness’ of strangers that got us home.

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conserving a vanishing way of life

the

SharkwayWarrior’s Naked in a net, for Nature

South African marine conservationist Lesley Rochat has set out to prove by example that sharks are not the evil man-eating predators we perceive them to be, but an extremely threatened and important part of the marine ecosystem.

Lesley proves that sharks are peaceful and misunderstood animals as she shares the ocean with them

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©Scott Smith

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Les ley R oc h a t

K

nown as “The Shark Warrior”, Rochat has travelled all over the world, free-diving with sharks to film and photograph the experience for her international Panda Award-winning shark awareness campaign, Rethink the Shark.

Frustrated by public and government inertia about shark conservation, she has now stripped naked for a poster raising awareness against the shark nets of KwaZulu-Natal which kill many sharks and other marine animals annually. Though this passionate campaigner has gone to all kinds of extreme lengths to raise awareness, it was the first time she went completely naked, tying herself up in gill netting to make a point as visually powerful as possible.

“I have proudly joined women who have, through the ages, gone naked to protest against numerous issues of concern. For example, women have gone naked against bull fighting, against war, against the fur trade, and now against the senseless slaughter of our sharks and other marine life in the KwaZulu-Natal shark nets in South Africa,” Rochat said.

Sharks are being killed at an alarming rate (over 70 million sharks a year) and most are caught by long-line vessels that trail up to 140-kilometre lines with over 2 500 hooks attached.

The demand for shark parts, in particular their fins – the most expensive fish product in the world – is increasing to satisfy the palates of the elite in a broth called shark fin soup. The way in which their fins are obtained is one of the most cruel, barbaric and wasteful practices (compared to the illegal rhino horn trade), whereby sharks are finned alive and then thrown overboard to die a slow and cruel death. Even in South African waters, shark-finning is happening daily – people are simply unaware of it.

Rochat’s last trip to Florida, United States was part of her research in areas of high shark attack frequency. Her interest in this state is that although Florida is known as the ‘shark bite capital’ of the world, no shark nets are placed to protect bathers. South Africa, however, still has shark nets lining sections of its coast, which indiscriminately

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ŠWalter Bernardis and Johan Boshoff

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Les ley R oc h a t ©Mike Ellis

kill many sharks and other innocent marine animals every year.

“These nets are wiping out our tiger shark population, which people come from all over the world to dive with. They are of high value in the shark diving ecotourism industry. Florida, despite its high shark attack statistics, is a very positive example for South Africa to follow,” said Rochat.

From Florida, she set sail on the Dolphin Dream for Tiger Beach, a dive site in the Bahamas. Tiger Beach is considered a top shark diving destination of the world.

Rochat gathered images and footage of sharks for a book and a documentary to use for her campaign, which aims to put shark attacks into perspective.

As part of the campaign, she free-dived with large tiger sharks at Tiger Beach. “It’s important for me to walk my talk and show people that sharks are not monster man-eaters with insatiable appetites for humans, but rather beautiful animals we ought to respect and protect,” she said.

The Rethink the Shark campaign highlights that, on average, less than 10 people are killed by sharks every year while more people are killed yearly by faulty toasters or by falling off chairs.

Tiger sharks are considered the second

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most dangerous shark in the world, and free-diving with them was a new experience for Rochat. “Because of all the bad publicity that tiger sharks have received over the years, I felt vulnerable.

But the second I dove down and swam beside a beautiful tiger shark, my fear dissolved, replaced with the simple joy of being free with the animals I love so much. They really are very badly misunderstood; they need all the help they can get,” she said.

“It’s time to ‘Rethink the Shark’, and to rethink who the real predator is,” she added.

“Though there might be nothing more terrifying than the cry of ‘Shark!’ when swimming in the ocean, if sharks could speak they would all be shouting ‘People!’

“Populations are plummeting around the world and already 110 species of sharks on the international Red List are threatened with extinction. For all their perceived menace, sharks are extremely fragile and in deep trouble,” Rochat emphasised.

Sharks play a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of the marine ecosystems, and oceans denuded of them will have severe repercussions on the millions of people who depend upon the oceans for food. Scientific reports project the collapse of all fisheries by the

©Scott Smith

ABOVE: Lesley swims fearlessly beside a beautiful, graceful tiger shark RIGHT: Trying to change the world’s perception, Lesley’s actions speak louder than words as she swims fearlessly with sharks

year 2050 – and as fish stocks decline, shark catches are on the increase.

Sharks are good indicators of the health of the oceans, but despite their importance in the marine food chain, they remain a low conservation priority.

“Their future survival depends largely upon those in power supporting the conservation efforts of organisations and scientists and to changing fishing practices, limiting catches, banning finning, severely prosecuting perpetrators, protecting endangered species, creating more marine protected areas and shark sanctuary areas, and enforcing all of the above,” Rochat concluded.

For more information and to follow Lesley Rochat’s cause, go to www.lesleyrochat.com.

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Real rewards come in Gold.

Klipdrift Gold and The Intrepid Explorer magazine hosted a tribute to the Bravest Men We Know with a glamorous dinner event held at the beautiful Katy’s Palace Bar in Johannesburg toward the end of 2013. The event was hosted by Robbie Stammers, editor of The Intrepid Explorer, and a hundred guests got to rub shoulders with SA sports legends and some of our country’s boldest adventurers, one of whom was Braam Malherbe, who regaled the audience with tales of his astonishing journeys.

Tumie Mamashela, Maiketso Kgantsi, Pheto Nat Wildeman, Thompho Mokoena, Mohlomi Lehoko, Thabiso Motloung and friends enjoy their Klipdrift Gold in VIP style

The appreciation of Gold.

www.facebook.com/KlipdriftGold

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18

From left to right: The stylish Katy’s Palace venue • Jacob Mabogoane explained Klipdrift Gold’s history to the VIPs • The band – Chilli & Lime – had everyone enthralled.

From left to right: Roland Dallenbach, Klipdrift hostess, Kyle Williamson and Klipdrift Gold brand ambassador, Ashley Hurst • Grace Montsho, Louise and Andre Butler and Moliehi Mahabane • Adventurer Ronnie Muhl, The Intrepid Explorer editor Robbie Stammers, ‘Out on Air’ radio presenter Pamela Buckle and guest speaker, Braam Malherbe.

from Left to right: Klipdrift brand manager Helmuth Kisting presents Klipdrift Gold Legends caskets to the Intrepid Explorers – Ronnie Muhl, Monde Sitole, Braam Malherbe and champion trailblazer, AJ Calitz and Robbie Stammers • Monde Sitole, ex-Springbok hooker James Dalton, Pamela Buckle and Ronnie Muhl • Lucian De Morne, Helmuth Kisting, Tumi Mamashela and Jerome Adonis.

Explorer The Intrepid

Live the life of Adventure

www.intrepidexplorer.co.za

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18

waves chasing

on the moon

w

Conn and Greg Bertish’s surf exploration across the islands of the Comoros

The Comoros group of islands is located between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar in the upper Mozambican Channel, off the coast of East Africa. The fact that the four-island archipelago is named after the moon – from Arabic, qamar – is fitting, as it is a largely unknown surfing territory due to its isolation and position in the swell shadow of the much larger Madagascar.

The findings and contemplations of our eight-day exploration will hopefully shine some light on the surfing potential on these ‘Islands of the Moon’, writes Conn Bertish.

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aiting isn’t really waiting when you’re in paradise. It becomes a form of involuntary contemplation: the taking of time to consider things deemed less important in the rampant society in which we live.

Like the way the tide shifts across coral, revealing throughout the day the different forms of life, each uniquely structured for survival; the way it exposes the hook in the ledge that could be the next Padang Padang, with the right swell; the way a white-water bombie flashes in the night off an outer island shoal; the way the fox-sized bats swarm the sky at midday in the blazing sun, swooping like seabirds, skimming the swell; the way the synchronised fishing boats wait – then skirt hurriedly between coral heads, between sets, through the exposed keyhole and into the lagoon, expertly; the way roads, lined with contorted ylang-ylang trees, pock-mark through high jungle villages and down into scrabbly port towns filled with the microphoned praises of Allah.

These are the islands of the Comoros, and they are both fickle and

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B er tis h br oth er s LEFT: Greg bottom-turns at Mushroom Reef BELOW: The two brothers do the reef dance across the pristine coral reef after a surf

ripe with beauty, culture and surf potential. But your contemplation will be needed. So pack it deftly between your 5’10 fish and 8’ stand-up paddle board (SUP), as this is a place where patience will reward you with waves of solitude and perfection.

“I have seen those,” said the toothless fisherman, pointing at our boards. “Two years ago I saw.”

It was the first landmass we encountered off the coast of Kenya – after a Nairobi midnight feast of fried goat, Tusker Beer and meat tea – and through the window of the small plane, the four Comorian atolls looked loaded with potential. White-water lined the coast, confirming our predictions of a

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big southwest swell moving up East Africa. Knowing the boys in JBay would be scoring six- to eight-foot supers that morning, added an extra edge to our landing, right alongside a pristine 2ft close-out beach break.

We hit the ground running, on the trail of a double left-hand point near a salt lake down south, past cows and villages of humans, with no dogs. It seems that when the French colonised the Comoros in 1841, they brought with them dogs of all shapes and sizes – but after the Comorian independence more than a century later, all dogs were considered symbols of oppression and chased off the islands.

The point was a perfect setup, regular corduroy lines wrapped into a bay edged

with black pebbles. The swell was small but ideal for a post-flight SUP session.

While trading waves, we kept our eyes open for turtles, as the Comorian coastline is a famous hatching ground for green and hawksbill sea turtles. Thankfully, their population is relatively safe here, due to the partisan Muslim inhabitants who do not consider the turtles fit to eat.

Throughout this trip, we would encounter several of these curious characters buzzing the lineup.

The next few days revealed far more potential; some reef-into-beach-break setups, a gnarly left-hander down the side of a harbour wall, a bunch of outer bombaras in desolate bays breaking consistently for two hours over mid-tide.

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BELOW: Conn chats to local kids at Moya Beach and shows them how to paddle an SUP OPPOSITE: Moyo Beach, Anjouan, Comoros

All our finds were doable, but playful and small; we needed to go south to find more swell.

The ferry is leaving this morning – no, it’s going later today. It’s going now, hurry – no, it’s not going today, maybe tomorrow. Wait… it’s going, in 10 minutes, yes.

An eight-hour ocean voyage saw us arriving on time two hours late in the middle of the night at a chaotic sweaty port with no one in charge. Our boards were somewhere, split between boats, multiple handlers and a locked truck with no driver. This was Anjouan – the southernmost island of the Comoros, with more broken roads and jungle paths leading to more swell, and a right-hander called Dead Fishermen.

Perfect, gleaming peelers greeted us as we rounded the bend in the road; a small but plucky takeoff over shallow coral ledge, followed by a walled curve into a beach break, with local village kids whooping from the trees. Having never seen surfboards before, they swamped us on the beach to pile on.

It can now officially be said that it’s

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possible for an 8ft Corban SUP to carry 11 grinning island groms on one wave – but it’s not recommended. We would return to Dead Fishermen again in the hope of seeing it deliver 6ft dredging tubes in a bigger swell, but further discoveries awaited us down south.

T-shirts. Hook, swing, hook, swing. We watched them for hours between surfs, scrabbling overhead in fruit trees and swooping over the sea.

We woke to a fresh view from a cliff overlooking three different breaks: a peaking left and right ledge a kilometre

There is very little that compares with the pleasure of splitting the peak with your brother in warm, glassy waters far away from the rest of the world.

I’ve never really had the time to consider bat hooks before. They really are hooks, on bats. Livingstone’s fruit bats, or Comoro flying foxes, are mega bats with wingspans of up to 1.4 metres and unique to the Comoros. Their forearm hooks and curved feet enable them to swing around the trees like a community of possessed black

to the north, and an outside barrier reef left point a few more to the south.

Distance, and a large tidal range, meant that different spots in the area switched on for a fickle two hours periodically throughout the day. This is where our SUPs made a huge difference to our wave counts throughout this trip. They became

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B er tis h br oth er s mules as well as surf craft for the next four days as we traversed our 5km aquatic playground, leaving early in the morning with supplies of water, bananas, chocolate, sunscreen and two short boards in tow – primed and ready for anything the day would throw at us.

While paddling between breaks, villagers would often spot us and call others to witness the strange procession of our surfboard train. However, no one was witness to a wide set on day 6, which ripped our anchored stash through the impact zone, across the reef and into rocks – leaving one Spider 5’10 finless and three bananas and an energy bar lost to the sea.

This paddle-and-surf technique worked like a treat, though, leaving our arms and legs aching as the sun set, after days of riding empty wave after wave after wave.

There is very little that compares with the pleasure of splitting the peak with your brother in warm, glassy waters far away from the rest of the world.

Consider a pothole in the road which no one fixes. Now put a large rock in the pothole, so that the road becomes unnavigable and vehicles must create new paths to avoid it, thereby causing congestion and mayhem. After a period, local wisdom dictates – the pothole will

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be fixed by the authorities – but only once it has been deemed a problem to the flow of traffic. Clever? Crazy? Or both?

Car tyres don’t make that screeching sound when you skid on gravel. It’s more like a prolonged scraping and sliding accompanied by dust, flying stones and curses. Usually the culprit is a cow or overladen bus or pothole or person, but for us it was a spot we dubbed Nasser Point – a regular peaking wedge that bent itself down a pebbled point alongside a small village settlement. It caught us completely by surprise as we rounded a bend in the mountain road. It wasn’t supposed to be there, the swell too south, but there it was – one hundred feet below us, wrapping perfectly into a rocky bay.

We walked between the ramshackle houses lining the point. Curious eyes followed us as we picked our way through the dirt and litter and plastic to a jump-off point on slippery black rocks. We feasted in the glassy 4ft perfection, trading neat tubes and walling carves under the tropical sun, feeling the glow of a surprise gift – privileged, and spoilt.

This was our last session before catching our connecting flights home, and although we whooped until sunset, it was bittersweet: this perfect point,

trashed with humanity’s waste, a poignant and telling ending to yet another ocean paradise, teetering on the edge of mass pollution.

Perhaps it is idealistically naïve, but I want to believe that if the Nasser Point community (or any other, for that matter) surfed, it would be a different story. That the feeling of simply riding a wave, of fundamentally connecting with the energy of our oceans, would have a direct and profound effect on how to treat and protect the local environment.

Looking again, backward now, out of the porthole in our plane returning to East Africa, the green atolls disappear like four fading thoughts in a cloud of sea.

They are not Bali, nor are they Hawaii, the Maldives or Mozambique – these islands are there to be found by true adventurers and seekers of time, solitude and waves of contemplation.

These are the Islands of the Moon, and unlike any other.

To find out more about getting there, what to do and where to score, contact Greg Bertish at True Blue Surf & Island Travel: info@truebluetravel.co.za or visit www.truebluetravel.co.za. With thanks to the Comorian Tourism Board.

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Anton Crone shares a few reasons he thinks biking through the continent is best

Africa

ditching

Instead of jumping on a plane and sleeping

through the flight, explore Africa by road for a

fulfilling experience of a lifetime – never mind the sore arse, cracked ribs and broken fingers.

I

was sitting on a parking lot kerb in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, when a car pulled up. The driver rolled down his window, checked out the number plate on my bike and said, “Jissie, bru! All the way up from Cape Town? Your arse must be lank sore.”

I replied that it was indeed sore, since I’d taken a detour via Uganda. And in that

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instant, we ran out of conversation. Had I gone via London, we would have nattered.

As it was, he merely giggled nervously and drove off.

It used to be that the closest I got to the rest of continent was a cramped seat, 10 kilometres above. While Africa whizzed beneath me, I’d line up a phalanx of Johnny Walker’s to chase a sleeping pill.

Then I rode halfway up and now I

couldn’t care if I never saw Europe again.

Going by motorcycle has much to do with this sentiment because I was exposed to so much. Instead of watching Africa play out like a documentary on a car windscreen, on a bike I was in it – in several ditches, to be precise – avoiding all manner of road hazards.

By the time I got to Newcastle, there were parts of my body that hurt far more

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An ton C r on e OPPOSITE: Crone attempts adventurer pose; forgets beard BELOW: Moto-Taxis get a washdown in Uganda’s Albertine Rift Valley

than my arse. I cracked a few ribs taking a tumble in Tanzania and broke some fingers in Mozambique when I crashed to avoid a pedestrian. Before I had even left South Africa, I brought the bike down on a tight corner in Sandton, and on return I met my mom in ‘Maritzburg where, instead of the celebratory dismount I had intended, I misjudged the angle of her driveway and the bike and I came tumbling down.

“You really shouldn’t be riding

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motorcycles,” she said as I rolled to a stop at her feet. She had been saying that since I was 12.

You see, I’m accident-prone and I’m strangely accustomed to it. If you looked at my track record, you’d see that crashing is what I do best. I’m just dumb enough to embrace the mantra that when you fall, the best thing to do is get back on the horse.

In 2012, Guillaume and Dorette de Swardt spent their honeymoon riding

from Cape to Cairo on a Chinese 125cc.

To me, the bravest thing was taking their trip after tying the knot, not before.

I met a young couple in Nairobi, towing a small caravan with an old VW Beetle. They had made it through places that would keep CNN’s Christiane Amanpour awake at night. Their strategy was ignorance: they didn’t plan, they didn’t GPS – they simply pitched up and asked directions.

At the time of writing, Ron Rutland was

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An ton C r on e

RIGHT: Ugandan biker checks his alarm clock BELOW: Bikes are the real long-haul carriers of Malawi

pedalling his way across Uganda in his quest to cycle every country on the continent, and we all know Riaan Manser’s epic feat of circumnavigating the continent by bicycle. I’m mentioning these bold African travellers to remind you what a bunch of wusses we are.

My trip was a doddle in comparison. I left Cape Town, rode around Lake Victoria, and came home. But it was also one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life, and I want to encourage readers to do similar.

Instead of getting on a plane to Heathrow, spend some time exploring the continent on which you live. You don’t need balls, and you certainly don’t need a BMW 1200 GS and matching riding gear. Like Rutland and Manser, you don’t even need an engine. You just need to do it.

Here are a few reasons I think biking Africa is best

Your arse gets sore You need to climb off and give your arse many breaks. The more uncomfortable the seat, the better. It means you meet people in obscure places. In a car, you’re most

likely to chat to petrol attendants and cops at checkpoints, and speed through the places in between.

On an uncomfortable bike, you look for an excuse to stop – a village, a goat herder, a vendor selling fruit. Even in the most remote places, people often materialise out of nowhere for a chat. The greatest conversation starters are: “Where are you going?” and “Where are you from?” It’s a great way to get a sense of the culture.

You end up in ditches Before Rwanda, I spent time in a Tanzanian ditch avoiding an oncoming truck, and I chose to ride in a Ugandan ditch because it was safer than the stretch of road I was on.

Rwanda’s ditch inspection came about because of a truck overtaking on a blind corner. The country is incredibly hilly – and if it weren’t for that ditch, I might have tumbled to my death. A bunch of school kids helped me out and, by the time I was standing, they had my bike upright and ready for action.

“Get him! Get him!” they shouted, and I was so riled up that I chased the truck. All the kids along the road cheered me on, but after a few hundred metres the anger subsided and I was laughing, realising how pointless it was. Riding back, they cheered me on again. It was a moment of solidarity with a bunch of kids, and that’s the best solidarity there is.

You break ribs One rainy evening, the bike slipped on clay and I had no time to break my fall.

So I broke my ribs. This was near the town of Moshe in Tanzania. It was terribly inconvenient; I had a long way to go before I got home. It’s the type of thing that makes you question whether or not you should simply pack it in.

There was an international airport nearby in Arusha. The thought of a passenger’s elbow in my ribs made me wince, but it wasn’t that which made me decide to keep going. The truth is I didn’t want to miss the people I was sure to encounter along the way – it was that simple.

You crash to avoid pedestrians By the time I got to Maxixe in

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Mozambique, I was glowing with the warmth of the Malawians and Mozambicans I had met.

I was riding along happily when a little girl ran into the road. I had to think fast and I chose the ditch again; the other choice was meeting a taxi head-on. But I couldn’t avoid her altogether and hit her with the back of the bike. I went down, certain she was badly hurt, and when I looked back a crowd of people were gathered by the roadside looking down at the ground. I extricated myself from the ditch and scrambled over there.

The crowd parted and a man held the girl by the shoulders. He saw me and said, “She’s fine! She’s fine! Don’t worry, she’s fine!” To prove it, he lifted her up by her forearms and shook her like a rag doll. I cannot tell you how relieved I was. It was then that I noticed my two broken fingers.

There was only one thing for it, so I pulled them back into place and by then people were literally dusting me off, setting my bike upright and helping me bend the forks back into position. Someone had collected the shards of my indicator and handed them to me.

By the time I reached the town centre, word had got out – and while I sat at a petrol station catching my breath, three people came to check whether I was alright. It was incredible.

You come home to mummy And she reminds you that you’ll never grow up – and perhaps that’s a good thing. Riding two wheels is too much fun, craziness and adventure for an adult.

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Shan Routledge tracks the rise of inspirational mountain climber, Sibusiso Vilane

top

to the

from nowhere

Rising above his lowly circumstances, real-life

hero Sibusiso Vilane became the first black African to summit Everest twice and by two different routes. He has since completed the Seven Summits and the Three Poles Challenge – becoming one of only 38 people to have completed the ‘Explorers Grand Slam’

b ABOVE: Sibusiso at the summit of Mt Aconcagua (6 962m) on 18 January 2012.

The cross marks the summit and was made from the parts of a crashed aircraft OPPOSITE: Sibusiso at the summit of Mt Aconcagua

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orn at Shongwe Mission in Mpumalanga, Sibusiso Vilane never dreamt he would one day stand on top of the world.

Moving to Swaziland at a young age, he grew up under tough conditions, not able to enjoy the luxury of three meals a day; he didn’t even begin formal schooling until the age of 11 – no one ever expected him to amount to much.

With so much working against him, and no matter how much life sought to make him lose hope and believe he was worth nothing, it’s an unbelievable feat

that he could rise above the “conditioning and the inflicted limitations” to believe he was limitless, he acknowledged.

It was when Vilane was working as a game ranger in Swaziland that he finally found his catalyst for change: in the person of John Doble. He met Doble in 1996 and not only did they become great friends, but he inspired Vilane to take on the world and was instrumental in finding the necessary sponsorship for his Everest summit expedition.

Vilane said that, “John Doble opened my eyes and made me believe in myself.”

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Sibus is o Vila n e It was this that made him realise, “It is not our backgrounds that matter, but what we want to achieve for ourselves.”

After Vilane’s initial meeting with Doble, he started summiting peaks in the Drakensberg. Just three short years later, he summited Kilimanjaro – the start of an incredible journey that would eventually lead him to the summit of the highest mountain in the world, Everest.

In 2003 he set off for the Himalayas to become the first black African to summit the world’s most feared mountain. But the journey to the Queen of the Himalayas was not easy: before Vilane even started climbing, he experienced challenges.

Finding a team was the greatest obstacle. “My experience of climbing big mountains was criticised, and I almost did not join the team as a result of it,” he explained. “Because I was not a popular climber or big-name person, no one wanted to sponsor me. Finding €37 000 was near impossible, but when one man decided to help, I was so pleased and I had to repay him by being the best – and I did.”

On previous expeditions to the Himalayas, Vilane had conquered the Pokalde, Lobuje and Island Peaks – all

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higher than 6 000 metres – in preparation for the giant Everest. He considered himself well prepared when he finally made the journey back to the Himalayas.

But he attributes his success not to his training, but his determination. He strongly believes that once he has committed to something, he has to succeed. “I fight all odds to make it happen if I really want it to happen. I have a very strong self-belief and I am very adaptable.”

When asked to describe the feeling upon finally reaching the peak, Vilane said he was simply overwhelmed. “I wept uncontrollably for a long time. We had been pushed down the summit attempt twice in severe wind and snow storms – both experiences were very devastating and we were all losing hope on the weather.

“But on the morning of 26 May 2003, after having taken a chance, we got to the top. I could not contain myself, the joy was overwhelming and it was the best feeling of my life! I get goose bumps thinking about it now!”

Standing upon that summit, Sibusiso Vilane had defied all odds and changed his life. Being the first black African to summit Everest was not enough, however,

and in 2005 he summited again along the North Ridge – the more difficult and statistically less successful side.

Though, summiting for the second time was not the highlight of his trip – as he always believed he would make it – but rather it was summiting with top explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, whom Vilane had personally asked to accompany him.

He was now the first black African to summit Everest twice AND by two different routes. Along with this success, three children’s charities benefited from his climb: the Birth to Twenty research programme at Wits University, the Africa Foundation, and the SOS Children’s Village in Swaziland.

This was merely the beginning of his relationship with various charities: Vilane has since worked with Lifeline Energy, which provides underprivileged communities with renewable energy alternatives, as well as the Nelson Mandela 46664 Bangles programme.

After conquering Everest and Kilimanjaro, it seemed only natural to Vilane that he continue climbing and complete the Seven Summits: the seven highest peaks on each of the seven continents. With Kilimanjaro (Africa)

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Sibus is o Vila n e ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Sibusiso on his way to Camp 3, Lenin Peak, Kyrgyzstan in 2012; Sibusiso on Mont Blanc, 2011; Sibusiso flying the SA flag at the summit of Mt Aconcagua which he did as part of the South African Adventure Dynamics expedition. The South African climbers in the photo are, from left to right, Jayson Funnell (15 years old), Henk Cronje, Sibusiso Vilane, Johan Jordaan and Michael Lewis

completed in 1999 and Everest (Asia) in 2003 and 2005, in 2006 he took on Aconcagua (South America), Elbrus (Europe), Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania) and Vinson (Antarctica), and finally Denali/ McKinley (North America) in 2008.

This was another world first for Vilane, but he wasn’t about to halt as yet – the next stop was the South Pole. The seed of this expedition had been planted by Sir Fiennes’ wife, Ginny, who – after Vilane had conquered Everest – suggested he try walking to the South Pole.

Further encouraged by a fellow Everest climber, Børge Ousland, a Norwegian polar explorer, Vilane enlisted South African Alex Harris and they began planning.

“The biggest challenge was the planning and ensuring we had done everything beforehand to stand a chance of succeeding – thank goodness we did!

We succeeded because of our meticulous planning and serious preparation,” he said.

He dedicated the 1 113 kilometres he trekked to the South Pole – in some of the worst conditions imaginable – to the children of South Africa. In May 2008, as a result of this generous act and the hundreds of sponsors supporting him, Lifeline Energy was able to provide 300 radios to children from the Nkomazi District Municipality, where he was born.

On 17 January 2008, Vilane and Harris became the first South Africans to walk to the South Pole completely unassisted: they dragged all their food and

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equipment, weighing 130 kilogrammes, behind them – another world first.

Of course, this meant Vilane was two-thirds through the Three Poles Challenge (South Pole, North Pole and Mt Everest). So in early 2012, he trekked to the North Pole, thereby completing the challenge.

Vilane is one of only 38 people to have completed the ‘Explorers Grand Slam’. With a list of achievements in the Guinness World Records, and accolades that include being awarded the Order of Ikhamanga (Bronze) by former president Thabo Mbeki and meeting the Queen of England, he could surely say he has done all he wants to do, but he says: “My bucket list is still as full, I am still to climb big mountains, I will venture into colder expeditions, I will take part in a number of adventure activities including Ironman.”

Having returned home, Vilane no longer works as a game ranger, although he attributes many important lessons to his time working in the reserves, most importantly “being time-conscious”, which is something he applies in his climbing and guiding.

Although he misses the knowledge he used to impart to guests and visitors about the bush and the environment, he is now a professional speaker, telling stories of his expeditions and trying to teach future generations that “we are limitless; we all have the greatest potential to achieve greatness – and it starts with a dream!”

Even after all his amazing travels and

Fact

You can read all about Sibusiso Vilane’s journey in his new book, To the Top from Nowhere (Aardvark Press), which recounts his life and climbing experiences and conveys the message that we are all born with the ability to conquer if we dare to dream and strive for what we believe in, regardless of the challenges.

adventures, Vilane is still happy to return home to South Africa and his family. “They say home is home! Yes, I have seen almost every corner of the Earth, but the one thing I look forward to is returning home to the warmth of the people and the sun.”

His achievements are astounding and undeniable. With an irrepressible spirit and infectious enthusiasm for life which inspires and uplifts people of all backgrounds and circumstances, and particularly children, Vilane is a real-life hero. How this boy, who was once a goat herder, turned into one of the top climbers and expedition leaders in the world can only be due to his pure spirit and determination.

“I feel very humbled by what I have tried to do and achieve in the world of adventure; the feeling comes from the fact that I never thought I would claim a first under my name, and now we talk of more than four of those firsts under the Sibusiso Vilane name. It is amazing, and I am very grateful to all those who have helped me to achieve all that I have achieved. Now, like most great men and women, I have a legacy.”

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ADVERT

unexpected expect the

In a life and death situation, you need to take responsibility for your own survival, says Braam Malherbe

Six days acclimatising for the thin air of the Antarctic high plateau

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On any extreme adventure, it is vital that you and your team are physically and mentally prepared and that you have the best gear and accessories.

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Br a a m M a lh er be

i

n anticipation of a great expedition, we spend much time, money and effort on physical preparation, training and procurement of the best and most suitable equipment.

When exploring dangerous and extreme environments, having reliable equipment at hand could determine the difference between life and death.

When caught in a blizzard on the Antarctic high plateau, confined to our tent for days at a time, the only thing separating me and Peter van Kets from wind speeds of 100 kilometres per hour and temperatures of -45° Celsius is a thin sheet of nylon material. If you have not completely sealed the base of the tent with snow, and the wind opens up a gap that rips the tent, it could be the death of you.

Your life is, quite literally, hanging by a thread. Hence, much research and development is devoted to explorer gear and accessories, and handsome prices are paid for the resulting items.

Physical preparation is vital. We learnt that, in anticipation of the 2012 Race to the South Pole, some of the teams had been in preparation and training for over two years, honing their skiing skills and experimenting with the best routines to survive in the cold and ice, with minimum visibility and snow storms.

Leading up to the Great Wall Challenge, where we knew we’d be required to run a marathon a day, six days a week, I started running 15km in the morning for about eight months before the start of the expedition.

Over the course of several months, I built up to 15km in the morning, 15km at noon and another 15km in the evening. All this was off-road over Table Mountain.

Long training buildups, increasing distances and intensity of training over lengthy periods of time are vital. Strain injuries could put an end to your explorer dreams as quickly as the idea first popped into your head.

There is another aspect to training and preparation that is often neglected or overlooked entirely by most new adventurers – the mental preparation for the unexpected.

In any expedition, no matter how much you research, read up on and talk to people who have been there before, you’re going to find yourself in situations that catch you

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Br a a m M a lh er be ABOVE LEFT: Tent back to the wind, double guy anchors using our skis, and tent totally sealed to avoid blizzards getting in and ripping the tent.

These are daily disciplines that can mean the difference between life and death ABOVE RIGHT: Bronchitis at -45�C is a serious situation. Fatigue with illness can break the mind. Focusing on the ‘big dream’ got me through

completely off guard. It comes down to your mental capacity to remain rational and control your most ancient survival instincts. This ability will determine whether or not you end up walking out of a dangerous situation.

What most people don’t anticipate in these situations is that despite being part of a close-knit and well-honed team, suddenly you’re completely and utterly alone. It is just you and your own worst fears and deeply suppressed demons. This is the place where the men are separated from the boys.

Inside our well-equipped, raised game vehicles and cosy safari tents we were safe, but out there in the bush our illusion of being at the top of the food chain was shattered instantly. Few hungry lions would pass up the opportunity of a free meal, particularly a not-so-agile mammal!

So, among a circle of young, relatively inexperienced game rangers with minimal weapons and a bunch of businesspeople shrieking in sheer panic, my rational mind, coupled with many years of practice, made an instant decision in a split second.

Disregarding all my better instincts and

It is just you and your own worst fears and deeply suppressed demons. This is the place where the men are separated from the boys.

An interesting illustration of this – funnily enough, completely unrelated to any extreme expedition – was an encounter I had a few weeks back in the African bush. I was giving a night-time astronomy talk for corporate clients, standing in front of a half-circle of parked game vehicles. I had positioned the vehicles in this particular way, with rangers panning their torches low so as to afford me protection. I was busy drawing connections between the celestial elements and our own bodies, when a male lion casually walked between me and one of the vehicles. He was approximately 20 metres from where I was standing.

As we Africans know, lions are dangerous during the day, but can be intimidated and discouraged from considering human beings as prey. Come nightfall, however, the bush belongs to them.

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the rangers’ urgent calls to get inside the game vehicle, I knew that if I were to run, I would be dead in a few strides of the magnificent animal. I knew I simply had to face the enormous cat and stand still.

Another thing every good African should know – but I suspect few have ever really practised – is that when faced with a large predator on foot, you never, ever run.

You can try this with your dog, even your house cat: anything small and fast-moving will be chased and potentially eaten. And in the case of the lion confrontation, the small thing was me.

So I simply looked at the magnificent male, not turning my back to him, and watched as he eyed me, hesitating for a split second, and then proceeded to walk right by me with a nonchalance befitting only the undisputed king of the bush. We

discovered later that he was part of a coalition of two young males, and his partner had been crouching in the dark behind one of the vehicles, ready to dash in for a surprise attack.

What does this tell us about expeditions? Expect the unexpected, particularly in extreme situations, and be prepared to stand on your own. Practically, all members of a team should have different abilities, and these differences should complement each other. If everyone is great at the same thing, it is not a good team. But if you’re going into a dangerous situation without immediate support, be ready to take over any other team member’s task in the case of an emergency.

If you’re going into the wilderness with three people, and only one of you can navigate, there’s going to be a problem.

And, more importantly, be prepared to be a leader – for others and for yourself. No one is going to take you by the hand and tell you everything is going to be fine when the crap hits the fan. Are you going to panic and freeze, or run away? Or can you contain your fear and work out solutions?

Unfortunately, one cannot practise real emergencies. But you can spend time on your own, become comfortable in your own skin, and accept that when it’s about life and death, you will need to take responsibility for your own survival.

The ability to avoid panicking in dicey situations takes experience and courage.

Lieutenant John B. Putnam Jr said: “Courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to face it.”

So, go out into the mountains and practise survival skills with minimal equipment and no other people to help you out. Because any team, just like that tent in the Antarctic blizzard, is only as strong as its weakest thread.

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PURE BAREFOOT TECHNOLOGY

BREATHO TRAIL FEELING IS BELIEVING Find out more www.vivobarefoot.co.za

Tr a vel gea r

trek

ready, steady, Shan Routledge details her preparations for a 27-day excursion in sun, wind and everything in between

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Tr a vel gea r When set the task of fitting everything one needs for a month into a single backpack (to be carried on one’s back), one is more than a

t

little overwhelmed. And I was no exception. With a month-long trek looming ahead of me, I was faced with the challenge of fitting my

K-Way Venture 60 Backpack R999

life into a 60-litre storage space.

he trek, done by Somerset College Grade 9 students, starts in Somerset West and finishes in De Hoop Nature Reserve, some 360 kilometres away – a total of 27 nights on the road and any amount of adventure between us and the end.

Now this trek is not for the faint-hearted, and I knew we wouldn’t be strolling along grassy farm roads. You can expect anything from torrential downpours, gale-force winds and chilly night temperatures to scorching 40°C days and clear blue skies – I needed to be prepared for it all!

Having the correct equipment is of the utmost importance when preparing for any trek or adventure, so here are a few helpful suggestions and tips from my experience.

In the bag

The most important piece of equipment is a backpack: living out of a bag for a month is never pleasant, but the K-Way Venture 60 backpack is the ideal bag for long hikes. It has long side pockets and two pockets in the lid, making it easy to organise all your equipment.

It is the most comfortable bag I’ve ever carried – and with extra padding on the hips and shoulders, it was the perfect choice for a 27-day excursion.

K-Way Kilimanjaro 2 ThermaShift Sleeping Bag R2 499

Sleep easy

A good sleeping bag is essential, and the K-Way Kilimanjaro 2 ThermaShift is an expedition-class sleeping bag with variable

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Tr a vel gea r K-Way Ladies’ Explorer Ederle Trousers R699

down channels that allow the down to be shifted horizontally, allowing you to control the insulation distribution.

It is the camping equivalent to a feather duvet, and was perfect for all the various conditions we experienced. With a full-length and foot zipper, cowel and neck collar, I could either open it up for warm nights or zip myself in as snug as a bug in a rug! Paired with a self-inflating mattress and the good old ‘jacket-in-the-sleeping-bag-cover’ pillow, I didn’t even miss my bed.

These boots are made for walking...

With 360km to travel, good hiking boots are vital. Even on a short day hike, the wrong hiking boots can turn any experience into a nightmare.

With our feet being the primary mode of transport for the next month, I needed the Ferrari of hiking boots: the Merrell Reflex II pair was perfect for this challenge.

Comfortable and waterproof, they have a modern design and felt like a pair of comfy slippers from day 1. The Strobel construction offers flexibility and comfort, while a Bellows tongue keeps debris out.

Breathable mesh lining maintains comfort by keeping your feet dry while the Merrell Air cushion in the heel absorbs shock and adds stability.

They were so comfortable that I could even cycle in them without getting a blister!

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K-Way Men’s Sweeper Moisture Manager Crew R299

Apt apparel

With the infamously fickle Cape weather, I knew I had to be prepared for anything and my (limited) wardrobe had to be flexible and reliable.

The first thing on my list was a good rain jacket. This is your most versatile piece of clothing – not only for rain but wind protection as well, and as an extra shell of warmth over your fleece.

And with the flooding we had last year, I was going to need something that was close to tsunami-proof! The K-Way Kilimanjaro trilaminate shell jacket is waterproof, windproof and vapour-permeable – what more could a girl ask for? It is fully seam-sealed and features a three-layer fabric consisting of a high-performance membrane bonded to a tough outer material and a robust inner mesh.

Next on the list was K-Way’s Sweeper: a long-sleeved, crew-neck Moisture Manager top made from polyester with a wicking, Cool Touch Sensation finish. The cooling technology slows the speed at which the fabric heats up when in contact with a heated body, helping to regulate your temperature. This top was perfect for the heat, providing protection from the sun and retaining heat when there was a chill in the air.

To pair with my top, the K-Way Ederle ladies’ explorer trousers were an easy choice. Not only are they made from 100% nylon full dull dobby with a UV protective finish (UVPF 40+), making them super comfortable, but the legs can also be zipped off, converting the trousers into shorts. This 2-in-1 feature saved space in my backpack, which was a huge bonus, and made it easy to switch between long and short trousers.

Sun safety

The Western Cape summers are hot! And knowing we would sometimes be spending up to 10 hours in the sun, I needed to pack in the best sun protection.

I paired the K-Way Explorer Ravine Peak Cap with Island Tribe SPF 50 Clear Gel. The peak helped keep the sun off my face and the sunscreen provided hardcore protection with a high UVA rating and unsurpassed results for water resistance.

Island Tribe SPF 50 Clear Gel R120

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Tr a vel gea r

K-Way Explorer Ravine Peak Cap R180

Kovea Fireman Stove R275

Food for thought

With the idea of living off dry food and energy bars not too exciting, I was ecstatic when I could fit the Kovea Fireman Stove into my kit. This little stove is robust and practical with manual ignition, durable design and a body made of aluminium die-casting.

What’s more, it’s lightweight and compact, which was perfect for me. I could have my tea in the mornings and cook my Smash and beans in the evenings!

A lightweight bowl and mug were essential, and the new Eco SouLife biodegradable three-piece cutlery set with carabina snap hook was the perfect accessory. Made from vegetable waste matter of corn, starch, bamboo and rice husks, it is eco-friendly and, once buried in the ground, it will biodegrade naturally – a huge relief if you sometimes tend to lose things…

Water works

As Bear Grylls says, “hydration is key”. My favourite piece of equipment was my K-Way 2l bladder. Fitting easily into my backpack, the water stayed cool and was easy to access with the pipe attached to my shoulder strap.

It has a super tough construction, which means it has maximum abrasion resistance and I didn’t have to worry about it popping or ripping. In addition, the premium film is anti-microbial, treated against a variety of microbes as well as mould and fungus.

Paired with an extra emergency water bottle, I never had to worry about being stuck without water in the middle of a hike.

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Eco SouLife 3PC Cutlery Set R60

A helping hand

On tough days, it was extremely useful to have the K-Way Compact Walking Pole. Up and down steep hills and on rocky terrain, it was a fantastic aid to keep steady and stable.

Made from a lightweight aluminium alloy that provides strength but without the weight, it was light enough to add to my backpack when I didn’t need it.

With the right equipment and clothing you’re never uncomfortable and, after 27 days on the road, I was quite happy to keep going. When you’re prepared, it’s not about the equipment at all – it’s about enjoying the journey and the surrounding landscapes. It’s about nature and our environment, our beautiful country. There’s no pain in your feet, no uncomfortable weight on your back – just the wonderful experience, the love, the camaraderie and the indelible memories.

K-Way Compact Walking Poles (Pair) R599

K-Way 2L Bladder R199

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AJ C a litz

a sky high AJ Calitz was both athlete and tourist in the mountains of Lesotho

a

Probably the greatest perk of being a professional athlete is that you’re invited to race in the most unbelievable places and mountains, none more spectacular than the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho. After a year of intense travelling and racing, my final event of the year would be the inaugural Lesotho Ultra Trail – Africa’s first Ultra SkyMarathon®.

hop, skip and a five-hour drive from Durban’s King Shaka International Airport lies the Kingdom of Lesotho – a landlocked country completely surrounded by South Africa, under the reign of King Letsie III. A delectable sour cream, biltong and avocado burger in the beautiful Free State town of Clarens was followed by a drive through the Golden Gate National Park, famous for its incredible yellow rock formations – with amazing views of free-roaming game and the enormous mountains in the distance, which we would soon run.

Our host venue for the week in Lesotho was the acclaimed Maliba Mountain Lodge, one of the African continent winners of the 2012 World Luxury Hotel Awards. Being professional runners and not soccer stars, we settled into our self-catering units overlooking the river; the view from my room, however, made it seem I was staying in a palace.

During the winter season, the mountains around the lodge are snow-clad and frequented by travelling snowboarders, skiers and mountain extremists. In summer, the locals offer numerous hiking trails, pony/horse/ donkey/mule rides on the mountain as well as swims in the crystal-clear river that flows from the mountains to the Butha-Buthe district.

The river is the lifeblood of the locals, providing drinking water, sustenance for crops, sanitation and a view to accompany

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the national sport of Africa: sitting around.

During our week-long stay in Lesotho, we encountered no frown or downcast face, nor any rudeness. It begs the question: if the Basothos (the local peoples) have so little, what do they have to smile about?

One look at the surroundings and one couldn’t help but feel very insignificant.

Every afternoon massive thunderclouds would roll in and, in a beautiful symphony of illumination and noise, struck the mountains where we would run later in the week.

One couldn’t help but be drawn into the timeless lifestyle of the Basotho: when the sun is down, sleep; when the sun comes up, get up and continue with the task of living.

The employees of Maliba Lodge had worked tirelessly to repair the damage caused by a catastrophic blaze that had all but levelled the beautiful hotel. Luckily, the camping site and self-catering units had remained unscathed. Within three months, a new conference and restaurant area had been built, and the rooms and main lapa repaired.

Sitting on the deck, enjoying a delectable three-course meal with an incomparable view of the 3 200-metre high mountains as backdrop, life couldn’t get any better.

A couple of days into our stay, we learnt that the local currency is called maluti – so is the local brew, as well as one of the tallest mountains. This can cause quite a bit of confusion: sitting at

Maluti, drinking Maluti, paid with maluti!

(Incidentally, most of the establishments accept South African rands.)

A host of esteemed South African and international trail athletes graced the starting line of the Lesotho Ultra, with Andrew Hagen and Tracy Zunckel taking the respective men’s and women’s honours after a gruelling 52-kilometre race, with altitudes of higher than 3 000m in thick mist and icy winds. Stark was the contrast between blanket shawls and Basotho reed hats versus the moisturemanaging, water-wicking, wind-stopping, hermetic, laboratory-designed, all-weather gear of the runners!

As if the main event weren’t enough, the next morning – after the festivities of the previous evening – a brave few toed the line for The North Face RUSH, a 300m vertical climb. Curious onlookers gazed from the comfort of the lodge deck, sipping a cappuccino or Maluti and no doubt thinking we had lost our marbles.

On our way back, I wondered why I’d never been to Lesotho; it’s only a short drive from Joburg or Durban. Truth is, I had no excuses. In Afrikaans there’s a beautiful descriptive word: sleg, meaning ‘bad or lazy’. In a word, I’d simply been sleg.

Lesotho is a jewel waiting to be discovered, catering for both the discerning luxury traveller and the shoestring backpacker. No matter who you are, get lost in Lesotho and find yourself.

AJ is a K-Way ambassador and uses K-Way gear and clothing on his trail runs

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Gear up. Get out.

K-WAY MEN'S NEBULA HOODY SOFTSHELL JACKET - R799

Windproof, water-shedding two-ply softshell hoody with an adjustable hood and elasticated cuffs.

K-WAY MEN'S BANDIT HOODY FLEECE - R699

The K-Way Bandit Hooded Fleece with 2 hand pockets is perfect for casual wear in the colder seasons. Elasticated cuffs, hem and hood for added comfort. Throw it on after a day on the mountains, just as the air starts to bite.

K-WAY GRADIENT 25L DAYPACK - R599

Keep your gear safe, dry and protected with the waterproof Gradient 25 backpack. Made from durable Ripstop and designed to ensure optimum comfort, it’s the ideal companion for all your hiking trips. With an assortment of features and different pockets, you’ll be equipped and ready for any adventure

K-WAY WOMEN’S VESTA 3IN1 SKI JACKET - R2 199

The K-Way Vesta is a three-in-one ladies’ ski jacket with a zip-in removable soft shell inner, made from 100% nylon rip-stop with a waterproof finish and milky coating. The jacket is lined with mesh for vapour permeability and features an adjustable and removable hood, underarm zips for added ventilation and engineered arm articulation.

K-WAY ZERMATT 950 ECO SLEEPING BAG - R899

The K-Way Zermatt Eco 950 sleeping bag is a versatile 3 season sleeping bag suitable for summer and autumn hiking and camping, and hutted trails. The Zermatt Eco is constructed of PrimaLoft Eco, an earth-friendly insulation that offers exactly the same performance and comfort as other, less eco-friendly materials. The K-Way Zermatt Eco 950 sleeping bag is extremely lightweight (weighing a paltry 950 grams), and rolls up tightly to save space. Both these features make this a perfect addition to any camper or hiker’s backpack. A 3D cowl offers extra protection and comfort, ensuring a snug night’s sleep in the foulest weather conditions. Comfort rating of freezing.

R ya n Sa n des

the road

less travelled Across a desert, through a jungle and down a canyon

© Craig Kolesky/Nikon/Red Bull Content Pool

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Trail running has taken me on a journey to all seven continents and allowed me to explore some of the wildest places on Earth – from China and the Amazon, to the Fish River Canyon.

he ancient Chinese city of Kashgar was the first international destination to which my trail running career led me. I spent four days there before running the RacingThePlanet 4 Deserts Gobi March in 2008.

It was a huge culture shock landing in China and trying to catch a taxi to my hotel, as very few people spoke English – notably my taxi driver! We weaved through narrow, overcrowded streets in a vehicle that was definitely not roadworthy, and the pollution levels were so bad that visibility was a mere 10 metres.

It was difficult to imagine the Gobi Desert was a short drive from Kashgar and, to be honest, on a few occasions while exploring the crazy city I thought the Gobi Desert race might have been a hoax!

I went on a few short runs around the city and was given the strangest looks by the locals; I don’t think being active or healthy was very high on their priority list, nor had they seen many Westerners.

On one of these runs I ended up at one of the weekly markets, which was a culture shock for this simple Hout Bay boy. One could buy just about any animal – or part thereof – and locals were betting on scorpion versus hedgehog fights. I have an immense respect and love for fauna and flora, so these sights left me sick to the stomach and got me thinking about how wrong we humans have it.

The Amazon Jungle was one of my favourite but scariest experiences. We ran 220 kilometres through snake-infested swamps; jaguar sightings were common;

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and it was so hot and humid that 35% of the runners dropped out after the first stage.

I arrived a few days before the event, and the race organiser kindly arranged for me to go for a run in the jungle close to the little village in which I was staying. I was very surprised when two army guards arrived to collect me for my run, but the race organiser insisted this was necessary for my own safety. I was pretty naïve and thought to myself, “Do these guys not know I’m from Africa?”

We started off on the run, which was much like running in a very hot and humid version of Newlands Forest in Cape Town – until I nearly tramped on a two-metre long cobra! I almost had a heart attack and, like a little girl, jumped into the arms of one of the guards. They had a good laugh at me and I instantly learnt two valuable ‘laws of the (Amazon) jungle’: almost everything is bigger than you, and nothing is your friend.

My Amazon experience was loads of fun, but I don’t think I would rush back there in a hurry – or at least, not to run through the jungle.

I remember camping on the side of the Fish River Canyon as an eight-year-old and being completely in awe of the size and magnitude thereof. Twenty years later, I was back there to run a 250km selfsupported race that starts on the edge of the canyon and makes its way into the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.

I had won the previous two multi-day races I had entered, and thought I was on a roll. My bubble burst about 15km into the race: I had run out of water, the temperature

was over 40 degrees Celsius and my main race rival was disappearing up a steep, rocky ascent into the horizon. Mentally and physically, the canyon had broken me.

The Fish River Canyon is like no other place on Earth. It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen, but the harsh terrain and brutal weather conditions also make it one of the most hostile places where I have ever run.

Two years later, I was back at the canyon, this time to attempt a speed record on the approximately 80km hiking trail. Again the canyon got the better of me and, after only two days of scouting the route, I had to abandon my attempt due to flooding.

The Fish River was a raging mass of water running through the canyon, and the several river crossings I would had to have made during the attempt would simply have been too dangerous.

A year and a bit later, I was back yet again and it must have been a case of third time lucky, as I managed to achieve my goal and set a speed record on the hiking trail. I was extremely nervous during the run, as I had firsthand experience of how quickly things could go wrong – and it is really very remote. For instance, it took two days for a helicopter to reach a tourist who had injured his knee in the canyon.

The canyon presents a raw beauty and rugged terrain that no photograph could do justice. It’s just about as tough as Africa can get.

But whether it’s a run through a desert, a jungle or a deep canyon, I wouldn’t change any of these experiences for the world.

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On the

wild side We give you the inside scoop on the outside world. We look at some of the astounding feats that are being

accomplished by intrepid people and places; new developments and books on offer; and a host of events on the calendar to diarise in which you, The Intrepid Explorer reader, can become involved. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and make the most of the outdoors!

Compiled by Robbie Stammers and Shan Routledge

World first for riverboarder Ray Chaplin

R

ay Chaplin has become the first person to river-board the length of the Orange River, from source to sea – an incredible 2 460-kilometre journey that began on 7 April last year, when he started his walk to the source of the river.

Not only did this physically push Chaplin to his limit, but he undertook the project with an environmental message highlighting humankind’s impact on our river systems and our marine environment as a result.

He attempted this journey completely unassisted and he was packed heavily, at times carrying 35 kilogrammes of gear

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and food to ensure he could survive the long distances between towns.

An early cold snap in Lesotho saw him regularly waking up surrounded in snow and his gear frozen, making the early stages slow and more challenging than expected. His rate of progress improved once back in South Africa, but the river quality rapidly declined.

“I came across four towns that are spilling sewerage into the river, drastically changing the ecosystem of our nation’s lifeline. Millions rely on it for drinking water, while travel and tourism, mining and farming sectors are all dependent on it,

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For more details on this incredible feat and a timeline of the journey, visit www.raychaplin.com.

What is riverboarding?

Riverboarding is a ‘face-level’ sport, in which participants lie on their stomach on a board, propelling themselves and steering with their feet which are equipped with fins (flippers). Riverboarders are known to run the same rivers and rapids as kayakers. While still very small in South Africa, with only a handful of people owning these specialist boards, the sport is growing rapidly internationally and 2013 saw the first Riverboarding World Championship being held in Indonesia.

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Out a n d a bout

too,” said the eco warrior.

Chaplin finally reached his end destination, Alexander Bay, on 23 December. This is where the Orange River empties into the Atlantic Ocean, making it a world first for a riverboarder to do the entire length of the river from source to sea, and the second longest riverboarding expedition ever attempted.

SA’s greenest hotel is leading the way

Wind turbines, lifts run on regenerative drives, solar panels and a grey-water recycling plant are some features that make the impressive Hotel Verde arguably Africa’s greenest hotel.

Hotel Verde has blazed a trail of innovation and set new standards of excellence in the hospitality industry, showcasing some of the most advanced, environmentally conscious technological installations, construction methods, procurement and operational practices in the world.

Conveniently situated a mere 400 metres from Cape Town International, Hotel Verde offers a 24-hour complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport. The hotel is also within easy driving distance of the city’s central business and shopping districts, with a V&A Waterfront shuttle running twice daily. Hotel Verde’s emphasis is on providing a comfortable space for both leisure and business travellers.

The 145 contemporary designed rooms are elegantly furnished and guests are encouraged to embrace the hotel’s greening philosophy by being offered rewards called ‘verdinos’, for sustainable practices during their stay.

For example, guests who do not switch on their air conditioning will receive a verdino, which can be redeemed at the bar or in the restaurant. The hotel feels this is a fun and influential way to get guests involved in promoting the ethos of the establishment.

With free Wi-Fi, a gym, an outdoor jogging trail and rock pool set in the tranquil wetlands, there is much to keep you occupied – plus, The Intrepid Explorer is now available in each room!

Go to http://hotelverde.com for more information.

Win

with The Intrepid Explorer and Hotel Verde!

One lucky reader will win a two-night stay with dinner and bed & breakfast buffet for two people, including a welcome drink, a green tour of the hotel’s sustainable building practices and herb garden, as well as shuttles to the V&A Waterfront – all valued at R4 530.

To enter, simply send the answer to the question along with your contact details to taryn@intrepidexplorer.co.za before 28 February 2014. Winners will be notified by email. This prize is not redeemable for cash or transferable, and accommodation must be taken up before 30 June 2014.

Question: How many rooms does the Hotel Verde have?

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Out a n d a bout

We dare you to find better places to run a marathon!

Come to Tanzania and take part in the 2014 Kilimanjaro Premium Lager Marathon (or 21.1km or 5km fun run), taking place on 2 March 2014 or 1 March 2015. Combine this race with a Kilimanjaro climb or a safari to the Serengeti, or perhaps relax for a few days on Zanzibar Island – the perfect destination to rest those weary legs.

The race is run at the foothills of the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro, and the scenery is spectacular. The four-day, land-only package includes: return airport transfers, bed & breakfast accommodation, entry fee and entry to our hospitality tent.

You can do one of the following: • Race & Kilimanjaro Hike • R ace & Wildlife Safari – lodge or under canvas • Race & Island or Beach Holiday • Race & Chimpanzee Trekking Safari • Race & Gorilla Trekking Safari Then there is the 2014 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, taking place on 29 June this year: running over the Victoria Falls Bridge, peering down to the gorge below, followed by a scenic run through the game-rich Zambezi National Park, then continuing through the small but vibrant tourist town of Victoria Falls. The event features a 42.2km, 21.1km and 5km race.

After the race you will go on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, and enjoy an after party with music and dancing into the early hours of the morning. It’s a race you won’t forget!

The four-day, land-only package includes: return airport transfers, bed & breakfast accommodation, entry fee, official marathon sunset cruise and entry fee to the marathon after party.

There are also safari packages available to Hwange National Park, Lake Kariba, canoeing or walking safaris in Chobe National Park on request.

For more information on either of the above marathons OR about the Victoria Falls Mountain Bike Challenge, which takes place from 12 to 14 June 2014, contact Wild Frontiers on 011 702 2035 or go to www.wildfrontiers.com.

Other bucket-list adventures to check out!

Wild Frontiers will be joined by The Intrepid Explorer later this year on these incredible adventures. To find out more about them and to join the team, listen to the talks taking place at the following Cape Union Mart stores over the next few months: 6 February Wildebeest migration & Kilimanjaro 5 March Kilimanjaro 2 April Kilimanjaro 9 April Kilimanjaro 10 April Kilimanjaro

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Ilanga Mall, Nelspruit, Cape Union Mart store Canal Walk, Cape Town, Cape Union Mart store Eastgate Shopping Centre, JHB, Cape Union Mart store Diamond Mall, Kimberley, Cape Union Mart store Loch Logan Waterfront Mall, Bloemfontein, Cape Union Mart store

18h00 18h30 18h30 18h30 18h30

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All’s fair in love and war at Absa Cape Epic

The dramatic new route of the 11th edition of the Absa Cape Epic, which takes place from 23 to 30 March this year, will offer participants from around the world an awesome trail that showcases the best that the Western Cape has to offer. Local and international mountain biking enthusiasts will be taking on the demanding eight-day mountain biking adventure of 718 kilometres, with 14 850 metres of climbing.

The Intrepid Explorer This time around, the ladies’ prize contributor Vanessa purse will finally match that of the men’s.

Haywood in her Cape Epic The Absa Cape Epic is already the largest apparel total prize purse in the world for mountain biking, and the increase to R690 000 for the ladies’ purse now takes the race’s total prize purse for all categories to R1 564 000. This announcement by the organisers of the Absa Cape Epic is important for the sport in general, and The Intrepid Explorer salutes you!

Follow the Absa Cape Epic at www.cape-epic.com or on Twitter (@absacapeepic).

pioneering journeys Tanzania Uganda through africa Kenya Wildebeest migration

Tel: 011 702 2035 or 072 927 7529 Fax: 086 689 6759 reservations@wildfrontiers.com www.wildfrontiers.com

Rwanda Ethiopia Botswana Namibia Zambia Zimbabwe

Scouts honour Madiba on Lion’s Head

On 11 December 2013, International Mountain Day, Western Cape Scouts paid their respects to their patron Nelson Mandela at the top of Lion’s Head. They climbed the mountain and, facing Robben Island, paid tribute to a man who helped shape the world in which we live today.

The Scouts held a ‘Scouts Own’ for Madiba to celebrate his life and thank him for his service as patron of SCOUTS South Africa (SSA). The short memorial service was led by SSA Western Cape commissioner Paddy Milner, in which he reflected on Madiba’s life, his time on Robben Island and how he embodied the 10 Scout Laws. The Scouts saluted and bid farewell to Nelson Mandela, with Robben Island and the Memorial Concert at Cape Town Stadium in the background.

Nelson Mandela was a man who not only inspired a nation and many generations, but who gave true meaning to the principles of “duty to God and duty to others”. A Scouts Own reiterates the importance of incorporating Scout values and community service into the way we live our lives.

The climb was the final activity as part of the ‘Paint the Lion Purple’ hiking initiative, which was started in October last year as a way of making the Scouting Movement more visible in our communities. It will be continued in 2014 at other venues.

On the evening of 11 December, Scouts from all over Gauteng paid their respects to Mandela outside his Houghton home, with a short service conducted by adults, youths and children of the Scouting Movement.

SCOUTS South Africa is an independent, non-profit educational movement dedicated to the development of young people in achieving their full potential as individuals and responsible citizens. Central to this programme is a continuous transference of values such as honesty, loyalty, responsibility and respect – all aimed at governing individual behaviour and the development of strong leadership skills that will equip members to be of service to others and to their communities.

For more information, contact SSA chief executive Milly Siebrits on 021 685 8420 or email: info@scouting.org.za.

A F R I C A T R AV E L S P E C I A L I S T S

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This summer’s best books Gone Fishing, MapStudio

This must-have fishing ‘bible’ provides a compilation of local knowledge from several expert anglers along the southern African coastline. All the well-known fishing spots – from the West Coast to KwaZulu-Natal – are covered, while separate chapters provide an overview of selected sites in Namibia and Mozambique. A selection of freshwater fishing destinations are covered in another chapter. Compiled by Paul Cowley, Justin Lindsay and Georgina Jones.

Mammals of Southern Africa and their Tracks & Signs, Jacana Media If you have your iconic Newman’s Birds of Southern Africa, then you need to “complete every bush lover’s set” and get a copy of this new title. It is the only book of its kind, with comprehensive information about southern African mammals. Easy to use and compact, it is perfect for pros and amateur trackers alike – ideal on a game drive. With a series of stunning photographs and illustrations, you can be sure you’re tracking the right mammal.

Written by Lee Gutteridge and Louis Liebenberg.

Things to do in a DORP, MapStudio Another must-have for intrepid explorers and written by our very own contributor Jacques Marais, this is a delightful book for those of you who prefer back roads instead of highways. It is a jam-packed reference guide to 150 dorps within South Africa’s borders – large, medium and small. Each section includes activities in and around the dorp, the history thereof, major festivals, restaurants and hotels.

Win

One lucky reader will walk away with a copy of each of these books. Send the answer to this simple question, along with your contact details, to taryn@intrepidexplorer.co.za before 28 February 2014. The winner will be notified by email or telephone.

Question: How many dorps are featured in Things to do in a DORP?

Run, fly or cycle the X-Berg Challenge

The ultimate sports challenge is set to take place in the mighty Drakensberg from 16 to 22 March 2014. This event will see trail runners, paragliders, mountain bikers and speed wings pitted against one another to see who is ‘King of the Berg’.

The challenge is to fly, run or cycle along a preset race route across the Drakensberg. The length of the route is approximately 190 kilometres in a straight line from the start, past all the turn points to the finish. The aim of the race is to finish as quickly as possible, travelling only by paraglider, speed wing, foot or bicycle.

After the start, teams will pass predetermined ‘turn points’ en route.

These have been defined by the race committee to make it equally difficult for each discipline to complete the route. Each athlete is free to plot the fastest way, using his/her own specific advantages to reach each successive turn point and ultimately the finish. The athlete who completes the route and reaches the finish first will be declared the winner of the race.

The event offers the full six-day challenge, plus a shorter four-day challenge for those pressed for time.

6-day X-Berg X-Treme Challenge: 186km as the crow flies 4-day X-Berg Mini Challenge: 92.2km as the crow flies For rules and regulations as well as online entries, contact XC Africa via e-mail: xcafrica@gmail.com or visit www.xcafrica.com.

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The all-new TomTom GO5000 has been redesigned completely to put you in control of your drive. Make the smartest driving decisions by knowing precisely what is going on around you and what lies ahead. Experience a new world of navigation.

The GO5000’s new interactive map puts the world at your fingertips. Simply zoom in and out to find and explore the places on the map with your fingertips. Tap on the map to get an instant route to your destination. Lifetime TomTom Traffic pinpoints exactly where delays start and end, so you always know your fastest route.

You’ll always be able to find your destination; you can search for any address in South Africa, using either the old or new street name. Along with 3D maps, you can see buildings and landmarks in stunning 3D. The TomTom GO5000 is the first navigation device with the full map of Africa, covering 57 countries. Get to your destination faster with free Lifetime Maps. For the life of your product, you can download four or more full updates of the map on your device every year. You receive all updates to the road network, addresses and points of interest. Use Tap & Go to instantly get a route to your destination. Save time and get moving faster. Search starts to find your destination as soon as you begin typing.

Feel on top of your journey like never before with a TomTom GO5000.

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You’ll never have to ask for directions again!

Windows to SA’s biodiversity

The year 2014 will see the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) celebrating 10 years of existence. This institute is responsible for exploring, revealing, celebrating and championing biodiversity for the benefit and enjoyment of all South Africans.

As one of its roles, SANBI manages the national botanical gardens as ‘windows’ to South Africa’s biodiversity for enjoyment and education. These botanical gardens are situated in different parts of the country, ranging from predominantly winter-rainfall Mediterranean climates (Kirstenbosch, Hantam and Harold Porter) to semi-arid climates. The Karoo Desert national botanical garden, situated in Worcester, with an annual rainfall of 250 millimetres, is the only truly succulent garden on the African continent as well as in the southern hemisphere. Other sites range from summer rainfall subtropical to tropical climates (Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal) to South Africa’s interior plateau areas that can receive frost during the dry, cold winter months between May and August (Free State, Pretoria and Walter Sisulu).

SANBI’s national botanical gardens are picture-perfect havens of biodiversity. They have embraced their expanded role of educating and informing the broader public of the value and importance of South Africa’s rich biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide through various programmes and events that are held in the gardens. As national biodiversity facilities, the gardens offer their visitors a unique taste of South Africa’s rich biodiversity. The gardens feature an array of facilities such as restaurants, function rooms and conference venues as well as various other activities.

As part of the organisation’s Gardens Expansion Strategy approved by the SANBI Board, SANBI is currently expanding its network of national botanical gardens to those provinces without these natural facilities. Priority is currently being given to the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. It is envisaged that by the end of 2014, two additional national botanical gardens would have been established – one in each of these two provinces.

For more info, go to www.sanbi.org.

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Robbie Stammers gives us a guided tour of the new, exciting vehicles that have been spotted on our roads recently

Like the Big 5 in the bush, these vehicles have unique characteristics: some may be featured for their strength and speed, and others for their comfort and size.

n Africa, the Big 5 game animals are the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros. The term ‘big five game’ was coined by big-game hunters, and refers to the five African animals that are most difficult to hunt on foot.

Nailing the Namib in the new Land Cruiser Prado

The Intrepid Explorer was honoured to be invited to attend the launch of the new Land Cruiser Prado, which took place in the spectacular duned landscape in the surrounds of Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. Thankfully, Toyota offered invitees an opportunity first to gain some valuable insights into handling sand, so off we went for a day’s 4X4 refresher course at the Goodyear 4X4 Academy at Klipbokkop Mountain Reserve just outside Worcester.

Our instructor, Gerhard, who was also going to be running the off-road adventures in the dunes of the Namib, put us through some tricky trails; many of us got stuck over and over again. I enjoyed the course, but left feeling quite nervous about tackling far bigger challenges in Namibia.

But, then, I had underestimated this new metamorphosed Prado, which was waiting for us at a hot, sticky and sandy Walvis Bay Airport. Toyota’s iconic Land Cruiser has undergone a host of improvements with bolder exterior styling, a more refined interior and even better handling for 2014.

Ringing the exterior changes is an extensive redesign with a deeper front bumper, heritage-inspired grille and newly styled alloy wheels that reinforce the Prado’s toughness, reliability and legendary off-road prowess.

Interiors, too, have benefited from comprehensive upgrades that raise quality, convenience and ease of use with new multimedia audio systems as well as a redesigned dashboard featuring improved materials, detailing and features.

The most impressive changes, though, are the new bells and whistles: under-the-skin fettling comprises upgrades to the electronically modulated Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System

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Subsequently, the term was adopted by safari tour operators for marketing purposes. For our purposes, we have chosen this quarter’s five preferred vehicles to review. Some would be ideal for an intrepid adventure into the bundus, while others would be more suited to the concrete jungle and the school run.

to enhance handling and ride-comfort characteristics.

Finally, Toyota has amplified functionality by providing additional driver guidance aids such as Blind Spot Monitoring and a Tyre Inflation Warning System on the VX, and Trailer Sway Control (standard across the range) which assists when towing by negating the possible unpleasant consequences of crosswinds or bumpy roads.

Top-level VX models get a Multi-Terrain Monitor, which gives drivers additional guidance when negotiating off-road obstacles by relaying video imagery via four cameras located at the front, rear and sides of the vehicle.

Multi-Terrain Select is another VX standard. This feature automatically controls power outputs and braking inputs to provide the swiftest progress over a variety of surfaces. The main change is that this feature is now operated by a dial.

The driver can select the appropriate mode according to terrain. Multi-Terrain Select regulates wheel spin, while MultiTerrain ABS regulates lock-up to maximise traction in any off-road scenario. Multi-Terrain Select is an evolution of Toyota’s A-TRAC (active traction control system) and incorporates All-Terrain ABS, thereby offering a wider range of slip control.

In addition, a fifth mode, to help negotiate a combination of rocks and dirt, has been added to the previous rock, loose rock, mud and sand, and moguls (middelmannetjie) modes.

This new dial offers simple, intuitive control of both the Multi-Terrain Select system and Crawl Control speed adjustment – the latter is standard on the VX models.

This dial, as well as the adjacent 4WD and Adaptive Variable Suspension (VX only) system switches, feature knurling and illumination for maximum clarity and ease of use – even under extreme off-road driving conditions.

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Hit th e r oa d, J a c k Land Cruiser Prado has the choice of two proven engines: a four-litre V6 petrol engine with dual VVT-i and a three-litre turbo-diesel. The quad-cam V6 petrol delivers 202kW of power at 5 600rpm, and 381Nm of torque at 4 400rpm. It is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting.

Combined-cycle fuel economy is 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres, and the carbon dioxide reading is 266g per kilometre.

The Prado’s 16-valve, DOHC 3.0-litre turbo-diesel that pumps out 120kW at 3 400rpm and 400Nm between 1 600 and 2 800rpm is likewise matched to a five-speed sequential automatic transmission, offering a combined-cycle fuel economy of 8.5 litres/100km. CO2 readings are pegged at 224g/km.

The A750F Super ECT five-speed automatic transmission has a gated sequential shift and optimum shift feel, thanks to an electronically controlled hydraulic shift system. The Prado automatic can be driven in conventional automatic mode with the shift lever in ‘D’ or in manual style using the sequential shift function. This transmission is matched to a full-time four-wheel drive system with a lockable Torsen centre differential and two-speed transfer case. Rather than a conventional lever, the vehicle has a dial to control the high/low transfer.

VX versions additionally feature a rear differential lock and CRAWL control – Toyota’s low-speed off-road cruise-control system. To put it plain and simple, this beauty was an absolute dream to drive. We all made easy work of the dunes, and I assure you they were not small – the Prado simply made it seem easier than it actually was.

Driving along the rugged coastline of Namibia, with thousands of seals on either side of us and dunes as far as the eye could see, was truly a liberating experience. When you’re behind the wheel of this type of vehicle, though, it makes it even that much sweeter!

What a fantastic launch, and what a superb vehicle.

The Prado benefits from a three-year/100 000km warranty and comes with a standard five-year/90 000km service plan.

Eat my dust – Renault Duster

Yes, we can all agree that this is not the Land Cruiser Prado, but I need to stop you right there – look at the price of this vehicle! The Duster is as affordable as one can get; an SUV that is surprisingly capable off-road and as a busy family car on the soccer run.

At 4.32 metres in length, 1.82m in width and with a generous wheelbase of 2.67m, the new Renault Duster offers more interior space than any other C-segment SUV. It comfortably seats up to five adults, with plenty of space to spare in front and back. Its boot capacity (475 litres in the 4X2 configuration) is nothing short of amazing, making the storage and carriage of family luggage an absolute breeze.

As a genuine SUV, the Duster has been engineered to handle the most challenging road conditions with comfort and safety.

Its high ground clearance (205mm in 4X2, 210mm in 4X4), its high-profile tyres and reinforced suspensions ensure high-level loose-surface ability.

My only criticism was that I found the interiors slightly plastic and not altogether pleasing to the eye, but the Duster is well-appointed nonetheless. The baseline Expression gives you air-conditioning, a CD/MP3/USB audio system, electric windows and mirrors, rear parking sensors, ABS as well as front and head/ thorax (front) side airbags.

The other models wear the Dynamique badge, which brings 16-inch alloys, satin chrome exterior embellishments, a

Price tags Land Cruiser Prado TX 4.0 V6 Auto – R632 200 (incl. VAT) Land Cruiser Prado TX 3.0 DT Auto – R642 000 Land Cruiser Prado VX 4.0 V6 Auto – R728 200 Land Cruiser Prado VX 4.0 V6 Auto Sunroof – R738 200 Land Cruiser Prado VX 3.0 DT Auto Sunroof – R742 400

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touchscreen audio interface with navigation and some shiny black interior garnishes.

The Duster comes with a choice of two engines: the 1.6 16-valve normally aspirated petrol and the 1.5 dCi turbo-diesel.

The 1.6 models are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and rated at 75kW and 145Nm. The claimed combined consumption figure is 7.5 litres/100km.

The real winner for Renault is the 1.5 model, which delivers an excellent power output of 80kW with peak torque rating of 240Nm attained at 1 750rpm on the 4X4 and 2 250rpm on the 4X2.

Thanks to its manual 6-speed gearbox and its low-end torque, the 1.5 dCi affords unparalleled driving pleasure with its extreme responsiveness in all conditions. Amazingly, the 1.5 dCi boasts very low fuel consumption of 5.5 litres/100km in the 4X2 and 5.3 litres/100km in the 4X4. This Duster is definitely not to be sneezed at (yes, pun intended!).

Prices include a three-year/45 000km service plan and five-year/150 000km warranty, and Renault insists the Duster’s parts pricing is extremely competitive.

Price tags 1.6 Expression 4X2 – R194 900 1.6 Dynamique 4X2 – R204 900 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4X2 – R219 900 1.5 dCi Dynamique 4X4 – R239 900

Pure, unadulterated class – Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE Luxury Limited Edition

I’ve said it many times before and I will say it again: one cannot help but love this vehicle. I’ve owned two Discovery’s in my time and, by my own admission, each came with some niggles – particularly on the electronics side – but since then Land Rover has come up in leaps and bounds with the ‘Disco’, and it just keeps getting better. And better.

So where do I start? The Discovery 4 HSE Luxury Limited Edition makes its debut in South Africa with only 100 examples on offer locally and 2 000 globally. This model is guaranteed to turn heads with a distinctive new-look exterior. Bright silver finishing picks out the full-length roof rails and complements the Noble (satin chrome) plated door mirror caps, silver bonnet script

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and tailgate badge, complete with 20-inch 10-spoke alloyed rims.

The grille treatment is the opposite of the existing style, with the grille surround and fender vents finished in Indus Silver and the grille vanes in body colour. Door handles are in body colour and the exterior comes in three body colours: Santorini Black, Orkney Grey and, for the first time on the Discovery 4, Havana.

The interior of the Limited Edition boasts premium Windsor Leather, showcasing Ivory with contrast stitch for the first time. The Arabica seat colour – inspired by the Range Rover – is a first for the Discovery. Customers will also enjoy an extended Windsor Leather Pack to the fascia top, instrument panel binnacle, door top rolls, armrests and pull, while the perforated leather heated steering wheel is finished in Arabica or Ebony, with bright switch tips from the Range Rover Sport Autobiography. The interior detailing is complete with a new Dark Zebrano (lacquered dark brown wood) veneer and twist pile luxury carpet mats with contrast edging.

A host of feature upgrades are also available with this Limited Edition model, including the Harman/Kardon LOGIC7® Premium Audio system, which provides a staggering 825 watts of power, and Xenon Adaptive Front Headlamps including Cornering Lamps.

The Discovery 4 Limited Edition is powered by the 180kW 3.0 LR-SDV6, equipped with 6-speed automatic transmission with command shift, designed to deliver impressive fuel economy and improved low-end torque.

The premium interior and exterior enhancements to this model, combined with efficient performance, further consolidate the fact that this is one of the most versatile all-purpose vehicles on and off any road.

The biggest bonus? You can get this baby cheaper than the Range Rover, but with almost all the same perks.

Price tag: R849 600

Rugged, with an urban twist – Volvo XC60

Admittedly, for me Volvo always meant two things: one was its reputation for uncompromising safety, and the other its rather boring Scandinavian design element. But the latter has been knocked right off my mind’s perch with the last few Volvos I’ve had the pleasure of driving.

The XC60 is a case in point: sexy, sleek and full of speed. Firstly, Volvo has redesigned the front features into a new hood shape that emphasises the vehicle’s wide, confident stance and has made it available in 20-inch wheels – but with the same tyre profile height and ride comfort as with 19-inch wheels.

It also benefits from interior changes including new wood inlays, a new headliner, textile B-pillars and silk metal frames around the air vents and light controls. And the refined Volvo XC60 has a commanding driving position supported by generous ground clearance and a class-leading chassis.

Corner Traction Control is standard in the XC60. This torque vectoring system helps the driver avoid understeer by applying just the right amount of brake force to the inner wheels while powering the outer wheels when accelerating out of a corner.

With All-Wheel Drive, the new Volvo XC60 becomes an extremely capable vehicle on any road, in any kind of weather.

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Hill Descent Control further boosts this capability by automatically controlling the car’s speed when driving down steep slopes.

But wait, there’s more – as they say in the ‘classics’. New advanced software, including more rapid vision processing, has now made it possible to extend Volvo Cars’ present detection and auto brake technology to cover certain cyclist situations as well.

The new Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection with full auto brake is equipped with an advanced sensor system that scans the area ahead. If a cyclist heading in the same direction as the car suddenly swerves out in front of the vehicle and a collision is imminent, there is an instant warning and full braking power is applied.

The technology also detects if a pedestrian steps out into the road in front of the car. If the driver does not respond in time, the car can warn the driver and automatically activate the brakes.

It gets even better: Driver Alert Control is designed to detect and warn tired drivers; the system can also cover other situations where the driver is distracted.

Driver Alert Control consists of a camera, a number of sensors and a control unit. The camera continuously measures the distance between the car and the road lane markings. The sensors register the car’s movements; the control unit stores the information and calculates whether the driver risks losing control of the vehicle. If the risk is assessed as high, the driver is alerted via an audible signal. A text message appears on the car’s information display, showing a coffee cup symbol to advise him or her to take a break.

There are about six or seven other incredible new options I’d love to go into, but our space is limited so let me skip to the ‘petrol head’ stats. The T6 petrol engine has a displacement of 3.0 litres and pumps out 224kW and no less than 440Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is 10.7 litres/100 km. The XC60 is also available in the 2-litre GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) T5, producing 177kW and torque of 320Nm. And the five-cylinder D5 turbo-diesel has 158kW and 440Nm of torque.

The D5, with All Wheel Drive and automatic gearbox, has fuel consumption of 6.4 litres/100 km (CO2 emissions of 169g/km).

Do you want this Scandinavian beauty? Yes, you simply must have one!

Price tags Volvo XC60 T5 Powershift Essential – R479 600 Volvo XC60 T5 Powershift Excel – R486 800 Volvo XC60 T5 Powershift Elite – R495 700 Volvo XC60 D5 Geartronic AWD Excel – R546 300 Volvo XC60 D5 Geartronic AWD Elite – R555 200 Volvo XC60 D5 Geartronic AWD R-Design – R577 200 Volvo XC60 T6 Geartronic AWD Excel – R591 700 Volvo XC60 T6 Geartronic AWD Elite – R600 600 Volvo XC60 T6 Geartronic AWD R-Design – R622 600

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It may be an uncomfortable truth for General Motors, but since its launch in South Africa, the Captiva has been rather weaker at capturing market share than I had expected; I certainly remember the old ads with affection. It’s not an insult to Chevrolet that it hasn’t taken the market by storm, but simply a case of how strong the competition has been. The vehicles in this segment in particular should all take a bow – the choices are sublime.

I happened to like the initial Captiva so, with this mind, I wondered how Chevrolet South Africa had realigned the range.

Firstly, Chevrolet has deleted the 3-litre V6 from the Captiva model portfolio, retaining only the 2.4-litre petrol (in front-wheel drive) and 2.2-litre turbo-diesel as the sole all-wheel drive option.

The Chevrolet Captiva is powered by either a 2.4-litre Ecotec engine with variable valve timing that produces 123kW and 230Nm of torque, or a common rail direct injection 2.2-litre diesel engine that produces 135kW with 400Nm of torque.

Chevrolet has added a ‘Touch-Pad’ lift gate mechanism and passenger seatbelt warning. Dual-zone climate control air-conditioning is standard on the 2.2 LTZ AWD model and available as a factory fitted option on the 2.4 LT manual and automatic models.

The 2.2 LTZ now has keyless entry and push-button starting as part of the Passive Entry Passive Start (PEPS) feature. Also included in the specifications of this top-line model are illuminated door-sill covers that highlight the Captiva name.

An important safety item included in the 2.2 LTZ features list is a tyre pressure warning indicator, which I like. Hell, they’re all actually awesome in most areas.

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Is the Chevy Captiva-ting?

My only (and definitely my fiancée’s female opinion – which does count, gents, let’s be honest) is that the interior is very rudimentarily done and rather unpleasing to the eye. If Chevy can get that right, it’ll have a winner.

Price tags Chevrolet Captiva 2.4 LT FWD Manual – R322 100 Chevrolet Captiva 2.4 LT FWD Auto – R337 900 Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 LTZ AWD Auto – R443 000

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One-day-old African jacana chick staring down the barrel of the lens

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life through the In each edition of The Intrepid Explorer, we showcase one of South Africa’s top photographers. Our Intrepid man behind thelens for this Summer edition is Lou Coetzer

A sports photographer by training and portrait photographer by trade, Lou Coetzer believes this dual background has shaped his understanding of both action and light – allowing him to capture wildlife images to the best advantage. He is in constant search of exquisitely lit, high-action images shot against clean backgrounds.

His passionate involvement with the Photographic Society of South Africa led to three fellowships and an associateship. He has won numerous national and international awards and commendations for both sports photography and wildlife photography, and his photographs have featured in various top travel publications.

He has just launched a stunning new wildlife photography book, titled An Intimate African Journey, which is an absolute must for all wildlife lovers.

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But Coetzer feels his two greatest achievements in the world of photography over the last decade are the innovations he helped to bring about.

After nearly having lost his company due to lack of knowledge of digital photography, he convinced Nikon SA to supply a free digital photography course with every consumer D-SLR camera it sells. This set a new benchmark and precedent in the photographic industry.

The second was the innovation, design and introduction of the world’s first 360-degree custom photographic chairs on the Coetzer Nature Photography (CNP) safari boats on the Chobe River in northern Botswana, and later in the CNP custom photography vehicles operating predominantly in Etosha Namibia and Maasai Mara in Kenya.

For more information, go to www.coetzernaturephotography.com.

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Giant kingfisher with catch A worms-eye view of Chobe bull elephants

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Ph oto es s a y Young crocodile with Cape turtle dove catch

Juvenile African fish eagle kick-boxing a marabou stork

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Sub-adult male lions play.fighting

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Chacma baboons crossing a channel in the Chobe River

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store listing western cape STORES Bayside Mall (021) 556-3861 bayside@capeunionmart.co.za Blue Route Mall (021) 712-5979 blueroute@capeunionmart.co.za Canal Walk (021) 555-2846 canalwalk@capeunionmart.co.za Canal Walk Adventure Centre (021) 555-4629 cwac@capeunionmart.co.za Cape Gate Shopping Centre (021) 982-2000 capegate@capeunionmart.co.za Cavendish Square (021) 674-2148 cavendish@capeunionmart.co.za Constantia Village (021) 794-0632 constantia@capeunionmart.co.za Gardens Centre (021) 461-9678 gardens@capeunionmart.co.za Mill Square (021) 886-4645 stellenbosch@capeunionmart.co.za Mountain Mill Mall (023) 347-1484 worcester@capeunionmart.co.za Paarl Mall (021) 863-4138 paarl@capeunionmart.co.za Somerset Mall (021) 852-7120 somersetwest@capeunionmart.co.za Tygervalley Shopping Centre (021) 914-1441 tygervalley@capeunionmart.co.za V&A Waterfront Quay Four (021)425-4559 quayfour@capeunionmart.co.za V&A Waterfront Travel & Safari (021) 419-0020 waterfront@capeunionmart.co.za West Coast Mall (022) 713 4113 weskus@capeunionmart.co.za GArden route Garden Route Mall (044) 887-0048 gardenroute@capeunionmart.co.za Knysna Mall (044) 382-4653 knysna@capeunionmart.co.za Langeberg Mall (044) 695- 2486 mosselbay@capeunionmart.co.za

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The Market Square (044) 533-4030 marketsquare@capeunionmart.co.za

Middleburg Mall (013) 244-1040 Middelburg@capeunionmart.co.za

Killarney Mall (011) 486-4253 killarney@capeunionmart.co.za

EASTERN CAPE STORES Riverside Mall, Nelspruit Kolonnade Shopping Centre Greenacres Shopping Centre (013) 757-0338 (012) 548-9811 (041) 363-1504 nelspruit@capeunionmart.co.za kolonnade@capeunionmaart.co.za greenacres@capeunionmart.co.za NORTH WEST STORES Mall@Reds Hemingways Shopping Centre Waterfall Mall (012) 656-0182 (043) 726-0908 (014) 537-3651 redsmall@capeunionmart.co.za hemmingways@capeunionmart.co.za waterfall@capeunionmart.co.za Menlyn Park Walmer Park Brits Mall (012) 368-1015 (041) 368-7442 (012) 250-1909 menlyn@capeunionmart.co.za walmer@capeunionmart.co.za brits@capeunionmart.co.za Nicolway Mall Vincent Park Mooiriver Mall (011) 706-7573 (043) 726-2900 (018) 293-1788 nicolway@capeunionmart.co.za vincentpark@capeunionmart.co.za mooiriver@capeunionmart.co.za

OR Tambo International Airport Fountains Mall LIMPOPO STORE (011) 390-3245 (042) 293-0005 Mall of the North ortambo@capeunionmart.co.za fountainsmall@capeunionmart.co.za (015) 265-1067

mallofthenorth@capeunionmart.co.za Rosebank Mall KWAZULU-NATAL STORES

(011) 442-1959 Boardwalk Shopping Centre GAUTENG STORES rosebank@capeunionmart.co.za (035) 789-0321 Atterbury Value Mart, Pretoria boardwalk@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 991-3171 Sandton City atterbury@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 884-9771 Galleria Mall sandton@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 904 -2318 Brooklyn Mall galleria@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 460-5511 The Glen Shopping Centre brooklyn@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 436 -1300 Gateway World theglen@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 566-5111 Carnival Mall gateway@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 915-0470 The Grove carnivalmall@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 807-0642 La Lucia Mall thegrove@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 562-0523 Centurion Shopping Centre LaLucia@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 663-4111 Vaal Mall centurion@capeunionmart.co.za (016) 981- 5186 Midlands Mall vaalmall@capeunionmart.co.za (033) 342-0152 Clearwaters Mall midlands@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 675-0036 Woodlands Boulevard clearwaters@capeunionmart.co.za (012) 997-6960 Pavillion Shopping Centre woodlands@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 265-1666 Cresta Centre

pavillion@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 478-1913 BOSTWANA STORES Game City, Gaberone cresta@capeunionmart.co.za 00267-391-0948 Westville Mall gamecity@capeunionmart.co.za (031) 266-6049 Eastgate Adventure Centre westwood@capeunionmart.co.za (011) 622-8788 Riverwalk Mall, Gaberone

egac@capeunionmart.co.za 00267-370-0040 NORTHERN CAPE STORE riverwalk@capeunionmart.co.za Diamond Pavillion Centre East Rand Mall (053) 832-3846 (011) 826-2408 Francistown, Pick n Pay Centre diamondpavillion@capeunionmart.co.za eastrandmall@capeunionmart.co.za 00267-241-0398

francistown@capeunionmart.co.za FREE STATE STORES Fourways Mall

Mimosa Mall, Bloemfontein (011) 465-9824 NAMIBIA STORE (051) 444-6059 fourways@capeunionmart.co.za Maerua Mall, Windhoek mimosa@capeunionmart.co.za 00264-612-20424 Greenstone Mall windhoek@capeunionmart.co.za Loch Logan Waterfront, Bloemfontein (011) 609-0002

(051) 430-0230 greenstone@capeunionmart.co.za OUTLET STORES lochlogan@capeunionmart.co.za Access Park, Cape Town Hyde Park Corner (021) 674-6398 MPUMALANGA STORES (011) 325-5038 accesspark@capeunionmart.co.za Ilanga Mall hydepark@capeunionmart.co.za (013) 742-2281 Woodmead Value Mart, Johannesburg ilanga@capeunionmart.co.za Irene Village (011) 656-0750 (012) 662-1133 woodmead@capeunionmart.co.za Highveld Mall irene@capeunionmart.co.za (013) 692-4018 highveld@capeunionmart.co.za

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don’t lose your head!

Howe to tr a vel

The last laugh

Graham Howe learns more about the forbidden taboo of headhunting “Headhunting is a great burden to bear,” complained Emong Tinsang, our swashbuckling host in Sarawak.

O

ver an exotic platter of snakehead fish, tree spinach, ‘dead man’s fingers’ and deep-fried jungle fern, the great-grandson of one of the legendary headhunters of Borneo explained: “I inherited many heads from my ancestors. We have to respect the heads. You have to look after your enemy’s spirit for generations to come.”

We were dining in the island capital of Sarawak, an intriguing Malaysian city that floats imperceptibly between the past and the present on the banks of one of the mighty rivers of Borneo. The dinner conversation was as fabulous as the fare.

Without wanting to upset our host’s modern sensibilities, I’d been dying to talk about the forbidden taboo of headhunting all evening. After my third Tiger Beer, I finally got up the courage.

“Yes, it must be a great burden to look after someone else’s head as well as yours,” I commiserated with the man whose teeth were filed to a point in an Iban tribe initiation into adulthood. This unusual rite of passage must keep the local dentists pretty busy.

We debated the headhunter’s dilemma over a bowl of babi guling babas, a traditional dish of sweet suckling pig from the mountains, sun-dried to a crisp crackle and basted in honey.

Headhunting has been banned since the 1860s, but what do you do when you inherit a pile of centuries-old heads, long severed from their original owners? Return to sender? Or turn them into a tourist attraction in the communal longhouses where they traditionally hang in baskets in the bachelor’s quarters, the reluctant guardians of the spirits?

There’s no use being squeamish about these things. I’ll readily confess to a morbid

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boyhood fascination about headhunting.

I’d come to Sarawak to see a shrink and try my luck with a blowpipe. I was going to retrace the headhunter’s trail depicted in The Lost Idols of Sarawak, an alluring boyhood adventure novel that stirred my imagination with fantastic tales about headhunters, dreamcatchers, the sago dance, orangutans, flying squirrels, long-nosed proboscis monkeys and the incredible bearded pig.

A place of intrigue once known as the City of the Cat, Kuching is a charming timber city on the mighty Sarawak River that runs into the South China Sea. At sunset, we took a sampan (flat-bottomed wooden boat) on a romantic cruise past the night markets, the ramshackle Chinese chophouses, the palace and the string of lanterns that light up the waterfront.

Little seems to have changed since the 19th-century adventures of Joseph Conrad and the Brooke family, the dynasty of white rajahs who ruled Sarawak as a private fiefdom and built Fort Margherita – where we went to gawk at the infamous ‘laughing skulls’.

On our jungle expedition, we visited the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre where orangutans – orphaned by forest fires, logging and palm oil production – are sheltered.

“Stand back!” yelled a volunteer worker at feeding time. “You’re blocking off the orangutans from their food.” I moved out of their way, entranced by Mama Delima and baby Anwar feasting on a tropical fruit salad of papaya, oranges and bananas. I started thinking about lunch.

A long journey by road and river took us deep into rural Sarawak through a tropical landscape of palm oil and rubber

plantations. A navigator with incredible skills poled our wooden longboat upstream over rapids on a river as wide as the Mississippi, which straitened into a tributary, a stream and a trickle as the jungle closed in and the rainforest swallowed us beneath its lush canopy.

We reached Nanga Sumpa, a remote Iban longhouse built on stilts on the riverbanks near the Kalimantan border in Indonesia.

Over the next few days, we shared in the daily life of a communal longhouse.

I watched Iban women weave rainbow fabric on the long porch of a communal longhouse in Sarawak, and sift rice – their staple diet along with plentiful fresh fish, seafood, chicken and the odd squirrel. I learnt how to use blowpipes to hunt for the pot in the jungle, and cooked chicken, coconut milk, rice and spices inside hollowed-out bamboo on coals.

At night I enjoyed potent homebrewed rice wine with the man with the fabulous full-face tattoos whose ancestors had been real headhunters. I knew I was going to dream strange dreams that night.

“Are there any headhunters out there still?” I asked hopefully. The chief gave me a blurry rice-wine smile and ran his thumb along a razor-sharp machete until it bled.

“We keep our knives very sharp in case our enemies come back,” he joked. I think.

As long as I didn’t pass out, lose my head and wake up in one of those baskets looking down at tomorrow’s tourists.

Some of the heads looked alarmingly fresh – others blackened, wizened and ancient.

I struggled to stay awake. My imagination was getting the better of me as my hosts with those pointy, filed teeth grinned goodnight...

The Intrepid Explorer issue 5

111

the last word

A peek into the ‘cruel, crazy, beautiful world’ of musician Johnny Clegg

What are the top destinations on your ‘bucket list’ of places to which you’d like to travel?

I don’t really have a bucket list but China, the Grand Canyon/Colorado River, and Eastern Europe sound good.

Which favourite places have you already visited?

Dordogne in France, the Italian Riviera, Maasai Mara, and the Groot and Klein Karoo.

What is the weirdest food or drink you have ever tried?

Water rat in French Guiana – delicious!

Are you an adrenalin junkie? Can you share any experiences of shark-cage diving, bungee jumping, parachuting, abseiling or the like? If you have yet to try any of these, what would appeal to you, and what would not?

Nope, but I enjoy parasailing.

If you consider your upbringing, were/are you a bush baby or a city slicker?

A bit of both.

Braai or sushi?

Sushi as a starter, then braai.

What is the most memorable experience you have had with wildlife?

Being charged by a hippo in the Pongolo River, northern Zululand, on a nature film shoot.

If you were stuck on a desert island, would you know how to make a fire without matches, and how to catch dinner?

I reckon I could…

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The Intrepid Explorer issue 5

What is your tried-and-tested signature dish you serve your friends?

Whatever grabs my fancy and tests their sense of humour…

If it were up to you, what should be done to the people running the rhino horn trade?

This is a very emotive question and it is never contextualised. These people are syndicates – drugs, guns, stolen cars, human trafficking – and rhino horn is just an add-on for them. It is this global problem of crime syndicates that we have to address. It is impossible to contain rhino poaching by killing or arresting poachers; it is the syndicates we have to go after.

Beer or wine?

Beer (brutally cold).

Camping or luxury lodge?

Camping.

Is there a particular song you have written which stands out above the rest?

“Scatterlings of Africa”. The original Juluka version got onto the top 40 chart in the United Kingdom in 1983; when Savuka re-recorded it in 1986, it went to number 1 in France, Switzerland and Belgium. The song launched both bands internationally and it has a very special place in my heart.

You are currently working on a book and a musical – can you tell us a little about these exciting new ventures?

It’s an autobiography and a musical loosely based on my life story. The musical should be out by December this year; the book is more elusive regarding the time frame.

What are your pet hates/dislikes in people?

I’m pretty accepting of all people. I realise that everyone has bad days and I get pleasure when someone lashes out at some source of irritation.

It’s like a reminder that we are alive and present, and you have to take account of us because we are in the world and full of hope and passion. We all are trying to tell our story to anyone who will listen.

I myself am known for a certain degree of grumpiness in this regard.

My pet hate is people who, when approaching a green traffic light, apply brakes in case it changes to red; it’s such a bummer when the universe signals us to go forward, but instead we pull back in fear.

As a role model yourself, whom did you see as your inspiration while growing up?

The many Zulu friends who were mentors; academics such as David Webster, Professor David Hammond-Tooke, Prof.

Charles van Onselen and many others who shaped my wobbly brain.

I read a lot of poetry, novels and history and listened to many singer-songwriters who also shaped my palate: from Jethro Tull to Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, The Police, Peter Gabriel etc.

Many traditional Zulu maskandi street musicians also had a deep influence on my development.

Do you still get a thrill out of touring and doing live concerts?

I love live performances, but I can’t stand the travelling anymore. It’s a trade-off.

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