Karoo MTB Tour 2015 – epic
"Epic!" "Unforgettable!" These were some of the descriptions my co-conspirators (5 riders and 2 drivers) offered to describe this 8-day cycle tour along the back roads of the Baviaanskloof and Swartberg Karoo. Almost perfect weather, breathtaking scenery, no crowds,...
read moreCape coast riding
As we prepare for what is becoming an annual, backroad cycle tour through the Baviaanskloof and Karoo, we have been cycling the Cape's coastal roads, roads of unrivalled beauty. Here are two videos of recent Sunday-morning rides shot with the GoPro Hero4: [HTML1]...
read moreKayaking to Duiker Island, Hout Bay
Deon and I resumed our double sea kayak trips off the Cape Peninsula after a break of more than a few years. We intended to launch at Three Anchor Bay but some or other mass walking/running event had sealed off any access to the sea between there and the Waterfront....
read moreOutdoor Vlogs
None of these recent activities (kayaking, cycling, windsurfing) warranted a blog post in and of itself, so I thought I would aggregate the short video clips into one post. They do give a sense of this beautiful part of the world that I get to call "home". They also...
read moreLangeberg Traverse – Rim of Africa
"A mountain journey of no ordinary experience" goes the Rim of Africa tagline. It suggests an other-worldly, spiritual journey, or maybe a quest that will test you deeply. If I expected profound epiphanies as I wrestled with career frustration and anger, I was to be...
read moreHeuningvlei cycle circuit
Our last visit to Heuningvlei, in the Cederberg, was so pleasant that we decided to make it a weekend base for some leisurely exploration around the area, which incorporates the Wupperthal Commonage. Some hiked to Middle-Krakadouw, others took a donkey cart tour,...
read moreAgter Tafelberg – Paarl traverse
Two things about this impromptu hike concerned me in retrospect. Firstly, I had a premonition the night before departure that it would end badly. Usually I do not experience premonitions, and never bad ones. Secondly, after strenuous bundu-bashing and scrambling with...
read moreCruising the Lycian Coast, Turkey
Unlike more accessible portions of Turkey's Turquoise Coast, Lycia is relatively undeveloped. The ancient sites of Lycia are centred on the Teke Peninsula that is bracketed by the gulfs of Fethiye and Antalya. Historical records of the ancient state of Lukka date back...
read morePerdekop: racing the front
Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, Franschhoek Every now and then Kevin gets the itch. On this day, in the full knowledge that a mommy of a cold front was on its way he talked me into a quick ascent of Perdekop, east of Franschhoek Pass. The hike up enjoyed brilliant blue...
read moreCederberg MTB Tour
164 km circuit in 3 days Colleague Johann Kistner organised this circuit of the Cederberg as a sort of team-building exercise. There was plenty of initial interest, but eventually the riders were pared down to 6, with Marion driving the backup vehicle - my trusty...
read moreFish River Canyon Trail
"...in the desert you can't remember your name / 'cos there ain't no one for to give you no pain ..." America's Horse With No Name seemed rather apt as I reviewed the Go Pro video clips from this hike. The Fish River Canyon is a remote, ancient and dramatically harsh...
read moreKaroo MTB Tour 2014
Ah man - those were idyllic days on the backroads of the Baviaanskloof, Karoo and Little Karoo. I left my legs on Rooiberg Pass and my mind somewhere between Bruintjieskraal and Montagu. But it almost didn't happen. Makadas Adventures' tour was to be a repeat of the...
read moreEikenhofkloof abseil, Groot Drakenstein
Eikenhofkloof is much more benign than Volstruiskloof. There are only about 7 shortish abseils down sloping walls rather than the precipitous, long drops down Volstruiskloof. So I would recommend that you do this one first if you are a novice. Paul Verhoeven led this...
read moreVolstruiskloof: 15 abseils later
Duiwelskloof (Devil's Ravine), Duiwelstand (Devil's Tooth), Groot Drakenstein (Great Dragonstone), Helshoogte (Hell's Heights), Banghoek (something like Scary Corner) - these mountain feature names suggest something about the nature of the mountainscape in which this...
read moreBainskloof rock-hopper
The Bainskloof Rock-hopper is an annual, fun, MCSA outing involving bouldering and swimming up or down the Witte River in Bainskloof, between Tweede Tol and Eerste Tol (Second Toll and First Toll). Yes folks, tolling is as old as road-building despite what the current...
read moreAlexandria Trail, Woody Cape
A round-trip drive of 1700 km is a long way to go for a weekend hike. It would have to be really special to justify the travel I argued, especially in the face of Marion's barely-concealed disapproval. Doubts loomed when Chris reported that his tendonitis could...
read moreA change of pace: fast fun at KBay
[HTML1] Time to get back on the water and try out the Mastehero mast mount for the GoPro that I ordered online from Slovenia. I was pretty impressed with it, although I think it is intended for more modern masts of a smaller diameter. Consequently, I had to mount it...
read moreEscaping to the Cederberg: Wolfberg and Tafelberg
It has been years since I last walked in the Cederberg. At one time we were regular visitors, not only hiking and spending weekends in CapeNature's Herberg cottages, but also participating in the Botanical Society's annual cedar rehabilitation efforts in the Driehoek...
read moreVictoria Peak in the snow
The best experiences are always born of spur-of-the-moment decisions. Kevin Koorzen and I were both suffering from cabin fever after weeks of winter had gripped the Cape spring but as the first sunny day revealed white peaks, we were "on". An early setback was being...
read moreBoesmanskloof: Hiking from Greyton to McGregor and back
There have been a few attempts over the last 150 or so years to build a road through Boesmanskloof between the towns of Greyton and McGregor (formerly Lady Grey). The road would link the Little Karoo with Cape Town via Robertson, McGregor, Houwhoek and Somerset West....
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