News Bulletin – October 2011
2011 was the year of technology trial for Paraplanning Direct. We have reviewed a number of our processes and have embraced technology. Our clients now log into our website to lodge all job requests. An automatic acknowledgement is sent to them on receipt of the job request. Over the next few weeks, we will be trialling further improvements to the online form to cut the time required for you to send us your job request.
As much as possible we conduct meetings on Skype. Skype software is free and it enables free communication between Skype users and for a minimal subscription fee to call non-users. However Skype only works with a fast internet connection. Please add us on Skype, our address is: paraplanningdirect.
In October, I attended the Millennium 3 conference at the Vines Resort & Country Club in Perth. It was a great opportunity to network and catch up with clients and colleagues.
2011 was also the year of our great African adventure. We spent the last seven and a half months touring Southern Africa, visiting South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, and Botswana and of course my homeland, Mauritius. Technology enabled me to manage the business during our travels and it was great signing up new clients along the way. The highlights of our trip were three walking trails and a pony trek through Lesotho.
First in March was the Giants’ Cup Trail, of 59.3 Kms. The trail is located in the Drakensburg or Barriers of Spears, South Africa. We set off from Sani Lodge at the foothill of the Sani Pass on a morning where the clouds were hanging low. The scenery along the trail was spectacular and one could be easily have been mistaken to think that the trail was winding through the Scotland Highlands rather than the midst of Southern Africa; the light drizzle and mist accompanied us all the way to the first hut, Pholela Hut. We would soon mourn this overcast day as the sun grilled us on the rest of our trek, making the walking much more arduous. After so much heat, we could not resist the cool water of the pools at the end of day 2 and day 4. Peppermint Pools, a 10 minutes’ walk from the Swiman Hut with its crystal clear water, the smooth rock lining and the backdrop of mountains, was a pleasant reward after covering over 12 kilometres on that day. On Day 3, we were lucky to experience an amazing display of lightening over the distant mountains as we picked up the pace to the Winterhoek hut, in time to avoid the rain. Winterhoek Hut was in fact 7 thatched roof rondavels set like a kraal with a lapa (common area) in the middle. The beautiful green mountains, the waterfalls, rivers, the Langalibalele cave with its bushman paintings and sightings of elands and baboons made it a memorable experience.
Winterhoek Hut
Peppermint Pools
The Drakensburg
The Drakensburg
The pony trek in Lesotho was very ambitious for non-riders. Not only did we opt for a 4 day ride, but we choose to ride to the summit of Thabana Ntlenyana, 3482 m, the highest point in Southern Africa. We booked the trek, despite the warning on the website as follows:
“NOTE: This tour is for the experienced horse rider as it entails 2 1/2 to 3 long days in the saddle!! Accommodation in the motebo is very basic and warm sleeping bags are required.”
As we were returning from the Giants’ Cup Trail the day before the pony trek, we assumed that we would be in top shape and that no physical exertion would be too much for us. We would soon find out that walking and riding are very different physical activities.
As for sleeping in the motebo or shepherd’s hut, it was a real experience. Firstly cow dung on the floor, not dried… but fresh from a wondering calf, secondly the ticks or whatever the bugs were that had us scratching all night and then the cold air streaming into the motebo, as motebos have no doors. Definitely not for the faint hearted!! It was after the night in the motebo that we tackled Thabana Ntlenyana. We ended up being 12 hours in the saddle on that day!!We were fortunate in reaching the summit shortly before the clouds rolled in and spread across the valley. Shepherds standing silhouetted against the skyline above us, sleeping in the motebo and village rondavels guarded by fierce dogs, food cooked by the locals in the villages, using the long drop and last but not least the physical pain after being in the saddle for so long were all part of the pony trekking experience.
Thabana Ntlenyana
- Basuto boys
Makhupana Valley
Motebo (shepherd's hut)
Imagine magnificient views, the bark of baboons, mighty mountains passes, fynbos (indigenous plants) overgrown mossy valleys, streams dotted with flat white rocks with the sun’s rays dazzling through the fernery… stretch the imagination further… showers at the end of a day’s walk and flushing toilets. This is what is on offer on the Tsitsikamma Trail (place of the roaring waters); a 60 km trail in the Eastern Cape that we explored over the Easter break. While the trail starts at Nature Valley, we cut short the first few kilometres of the trail. The first hut, Kalander Hut was too close to civilization for peace of mind so we decided to skip it. We were after all in South Africa, with its horror stories of mugging, raping and killing. Not only is the trail first class, but the facilities at the huts and location were amazing. Bloukrantz Hut perched on a cliff overlooks the Toulbos River with its clear ponds, waterfall and reddish cliffs. The panorama is magnificent and the pools so appealing that despite having covered over 13 kilometres on day 1, we were keen on a dip in the freezing water. Our toughest day was on Day 3, walking to Heuningbos Hut, we covered 13.7 kms in 6.45 hours. The undulating terrain with slippery patches covered with trees debris, mossy roots, all presented a challenge. Day 4 was another taxing day with the crossing of two saddles, Splendid Pass and Nademaalsnek, both over 400 metres high. On this clear day, the views were incredible. However as the clouds gathered we doubted our chance of getting to the Sleepkloof Hut dry. The Gods were watching over us and we made it just in time.
Tsitsikamma Trail
Tsitsikamma Trail
Bloukranz Hut in the distance
Pool on the Tsitsikamma Trail
Finally in July we set off for the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. The Fish River Canyon is a classic hiking trail and one that features predominantly in the trekking reading books. The Canyon, 160 kms long and 27 kms wide, is the second largest canyon in the world right after the Grand Canyon in the US. So it was with much trepidation that we were about to embark on this gruelling trek. Fellow hikers have warned us about the boulder hopping and knee-jarring experience of going down the canyon. Yet nothing could have prepared us for the amazing experience. What we did not know and found out the hard way, was that walking the canyon is not simply following the Fish River for 90 kilometres; there are a number of tributaries, tracks cutting inland, huge boulders that forces one to cross the river, thigh-height river crossings. We were extremely lucky to catch up with a church group of trekkers from Cape Town that took us under their wings. Had it not been for them we might still be wondering the canyon… in fact a few days after we exited the canyon, three trekkers went missing in the canyon. While the Canyon is majestic with its wild horses, hot springs and grandiose scenery, the one thing that sets it apart is the sense of total isolation. The feeling of being at one with nature and away from civilization is incredible. There are no set camps, no huts, no markers, no toilets or taps. On some evenings, we only had the stars and the moon for companions. Although it was winter, the sun at midday created extreme heat as we struggled up and down boulders and trudged through the sand. Fortunately the numerous river crossings provided an opportunity to dip and cool down. Exceptionally this year, the canyon was littered with wildflowers; this array of yellow, pink and blue flowers blanketed the canyon floor in parts and was in total contrast to the otherwise arid scenery. So it was with a heavy heart that we reached the little palm oasis of Ais Ais, which marked the end of the trail.
- Views over the Fish River Canyon
Near Baboon Hill Fish River Canyon
The Quartz
- Another river crossing
Fish River Canyon
For a more detailed account of our Southern Africa trip, click on the link below.
