go hiking · midlands hiking club news volume 2 no. 3 17 january 2012 getting to the top is...
TRANSCRIPT
MIDLANDS HIKING CLUB NEWS
Volume 2 No. 3 17 January 2012
Getting to the top is optional. Getting
down is mandatory.
Ed Viesturs
go hiking
MIDLANDS HIKING CLUB COMMITTEE
Chairman: Brian Henwood ([email protected]) Vice Chairman: John Fourie ([email protected])
Treasurer: Kevin Knox-Davies ([email protected]) Secretary: Carolee Thomson ([email protected])
Activities Co-ordinator: Chris Simpson ([email protected])
Newsletter Editor: Brigitta Simpson ([email protected]) Website: Rod Hart ([email protected])
Member: Mark Nellist ([email protected])
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S LETTER, CHAIRMAN’S CHATTER, WE HIKED TO …, CARTOON, 4 U TO READ, WE HIKED TO...
Page 1
Editor’s Letter Lettie Oosthuizen wrote with
great enthusiasm about her
first Berg hiking experience!
See page 3! Maybe this piece
of inspirational writing will
prompt you to take up your
own pen to share your hiking
experiences with us.
In Chairman’s Chatter Brian
tells us about the positive ef-
fects hiking can create in our
bodies, for example the re-
lease of “feel good”
hormones.
True adventure is always as-
sociated with hiking which
can also bring about untold
tragedies. Read Gary Rad-
cliffe’s book (paperback or
kindle) to discover the truth
about certain deaths on
Everest.
Remember: send in your
experiences and adventures! Brigitta
Make 2012 your best hiking experience ever!
HIGHMOOR
Photograph:cd sim
pson
Chairman’s Chatter by Brian Henwood
New Year Resolutions and the
benefits of walking – Dave
Coward brought to my attention
a most interesting article in the
Daily News on 5 January, the
contents of which are worth
sharing with you. We
all know that walking is one of
the best forms of exercise but
did we know that it benefits
both body and brain. Much of
our time is spent seated in a car,
seated at a computer or a desk,
and then again seated for watch-
ing TV for long periods. An os-
teopath is quoted as saying that
the seated position ‘tightens and
weakens the muscles in the
back’. It is no wonder that many
complain about lower back
pain. But a physiotherapist
states that ‘walking nourishes
and lubricates the discs and
joints of the back’.
A fitness expert believes that
‘walking is incredible for your
butt as long as you do it with a
long stride’. We must try this at
our next hike – just remind me!
She also states that ‘to burn fat
you should walk at a brisk pace
of 140 steps a minute, and in 20
minutes you will burn 180 to
220 calories’. She also suggests
increasing the workout by car-
rying a backpack with a bottle
of water inside, or trying a
longer hike rather than a brisk
walk. And you better believe
this. Researchers at the Univer
sity of Illinois conducted a
study and concluded that regu-
lar walking can increase the size
of your brain. At the end of a 12
month study period brain scans
showed that a group of 50 to 80
year olds assigned daily walk-
ing exercise, had an average 2%
growth in the brain’s memory
centre. The professor of Psy-
chology and Neuroscience at
the university believes that car-
diovascular activity, such as
walking, boosts blood flow to
the brain, triggering neuron
growth.
Another American boffin says
that walking, like all exercise,
causes the body to release “feel
good” hormones and that the
gentle pace of walking is
thought to be one of the best for
depression. And across the
world a British professor agrees
and states further that ‘being in
contact with nature seems
to provide mental restoration
and those things you experience
through the senses such as the
eyes and the nose have an effect
on the brain’. Another British
professor says that walking al-
lows the brain to fully absorb
the surroundings which seems
to boost mental wellbeing.
It is not too late to review your
New Year’s resolutions.
Subscriptions – Thank you to
all the members that have paid
their 2011/12 subscriptions. If
you are one of those few that
have not yet paid please give it
top priority this week. Kindly
deposit your R70 for standard
membership or R110 for family
membership into our bank ac-
count - Nedbank account
1519007299, Hilton Branch
code 151925. Please don’t for-
get to put your name as a refer-
ence.
Christmas Party – About 50 at-
tended a highly successful gath-
ering at the Hilton College Na-
ture Reserve on Friday 16 De-
cember. This is a third of our
membership! And about 30
joined Teresa for the hike to
Gwen Falls. Thanks to Teresa
for arranging the venue and for
leading the hike, and to Bushy
and Pat for playing their roles,
and many others who assisted
in making this a most enjoyable
event. If anyone found a red
wine tote with ‘Garden City
Commercials’ printed on the
side please contact Noel Harper
or myself.
Communication - Don’t forget
to use our new club email ad-
dress [email protected]
for club correspondence.
Having been enlightened about
the benefits of hiking I am sure
that we are going to see you
soon.
Page 2
MARCH MEETING
The St Helena
Experience Allison Gunning
ONE Space left!
1-6 August Contact:
Chris Dobson or Margaret Kirsten
BANKING DETAILS NEDBANK
BRANCH CODE: 151925
ACCOUNT NUMBER 1519007299
Give your name as a reference if you do
an EFT or a DEPOSIT
MEMBERSHIP
Annual Subscriptions Ordinary Member R70 Family Member R110
NEW NEW NEW NEW
MEMBERSMEMBERSMEMBERSMEMBERS Welcome!Welcome!Welcome!Welcome!
*Lettie Oosthuizen
*Kostya Zloschastiev
WH
ALE T
RAIL
MONKS COWL 26-27 NOV 2011 (CAMPING)
by Lettie Oosthuizen
LEADER: BRIAN HENWOOD
Brian, Xiuli and myself left
PMB early on Saturday morn-
ing and joined up with John
and Christie at Monks Cowl
campsite. We arrived to a
picture of misty mountain
tops with time to pitch our
tents and have a quick
breakfast before setting off
on what was my first ever
hike in the Berg.
We headed down the valley,
crossed the Sterkspruit river
just above the falls and
made our way up the moun-
tain following the contour
path towards Mkhulumane
Rock. With magnificent views
of the mountains on the left
and the valley on our right
we passed several berg cot-
tages and what appeared to
be a fresh rockslide. Christie
took time to point out many
of the indigenous flowers to
Xiuli and I.
After resting at the stream in
the cool forest behind Mkhu-
lumane Rock we went on to
Steilberg where Brian left us
and returned to the camp
site to collect his vehicle. We
carried on down towards
Drakensberg Sun walking
through grassveld. We de-
cided to see how many dif-
ferent types of grasses
we could find. So there we
were, the four of us totally
engrossed in our mission to
find as many as we could.
There are about 750 species
of grass in South Africa of
which 44 are endemic. We
found 16 different grasses.
Past Drakensberg Sun we
carried on down a steep hill,
stopping several times to
pick blackberries. The sun
had been beating down on
us relentlessly so we rested
for a while in the shade at
the bottom of the hill before
crossing over the low water
bridge at Drak Sun. John and
Christie cooled off in the pool
whilst Xiuli and I lay on the
grass beneath a thatch um-
brella, waiting for Brian to
pick us up.
Back at the campsite we re-
laxed and had a braai for
supper and then everyone
retired for the night. It rained
during the night and the next
morning was cloudy with lots
of mist. After breakfast the
mist had lifted and we
started our trek up the moun-
tain to the Sphinx. It was
quite a climb but
fortunately the weather was
cool. We climbed up through
cool forest to a waterfall
where Brian and
Xiuli filled up everyone’s wa-
ter bottles with clear ice cold
mountain water.
After resting for a while we
climbed down to the path-
way again and went on to
the Sphinx where
we climbed up on to the
rocks with magnificent views
of the valleys below. Snacks
were consumed and photos
taken. We were greeted by
a troupe of baboons who
were frolicking on the moun-
tain slope opposite us. From
the Sphinx we walked back
down the mountain through
the forest /plantation on to
Champagne Castle Hotel.
From there it was a short walk
along the road back to the
campsite. We had toasted
sandwiches and something
to drink at the coffee shop
before packing up and
heading back home. A
weekend enjoyed by all and
for me, my first Berg
experience, awesome.
We hiked to ...…
Page 3
We h
iked to ...
Page 4
On the night of 10–11 May 1996, eight climbers perished in what remains
the worst disaster in Everest’s history. Following the tragedy, numerous
accounts were published, with Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air becoming an
international bestseller. But has the whole story been told?
A Day to Die For reveals for the first time the full, startling facts that led
to the tragedy. Graham Ratcliffe, the first British climber to reach the sum-
mit of Mount Everest twice, was a first-hand witness, having spent the
night on Everest’s South Col at 26,000 ft, sheltering from the deadly
storm. For years, he has shouldered a burden of guilt, feeling that he and
his teammates could have saved lives that fateful night. His quest for an-
swers has led to discoveries so important to an understanding of the disas-
ter that he now questions why these facts were not made public sooner.
History is dotted with highprofile disasters that both horrify and capture
the attention of the public, but very rarely is our view of them revised to
such devastating effect.
CalendarGirl! Highmoor hike with John Fourie (Nov ‘11).
Christie Exall
Five hikers, Chris, Brigitta, Christine, myself and our leader John,
arrived at Mountain Shadows Resort on Friday occupying various
forms of accommodation. We set out at 8h30 on Saturday for a
hike to the “Cleopatra” rock formation. It was an easy walk along
the top of the mountain range which was easily reached from the
Resort, with ever present spectacular ravines on our right. Condi-
tions were pleasant, sunny with a steady wind blowing. We
reached our destination in good time, lunch was had while admir-
ing the rock formations and scenery way down below. After a
good rest, we returned up and over a couple hills back to the Re-
sort. Photos were taken of Brigitta in various attractive attitudes!
“Calendar Girl” could not stop posing for the camera, thereby
adding a lighthearted feel to the hike. Almut and her son, Max, as
well as Mary from North Carolina (USA) joined us on Saturday
afternoon. Chris and Brigitta kindly provided their chalet for a
braai and get together in the evening. The usual boma was occu-
pied by a happy bunch of men at their “bachelor” party. Mary
downed beer with them and I think they enjoyed this girl’s com-
pany very much. The only girl at a bachelor party indeed! Sunday
morning dawned a bit chilly and misty. We were concerned that
Mary would not see much of the Highmoor Nature Reserve but
we set off anyway and hiked to Aasvoëlkrans cave. We proudly
showed off this “show case” of fauna and flora to our American
visitor. Back at Mountain Shadows a successful weekend came
toan end and we said our goodbyes.
CALENDAR GIR
L!
4 u to read