9 Peaks 9 Provinces Challenge and so it begins
These past two weeks have been rather exciting - crazy ideas - crazy mountain folk - logistics - maps - planning.
What started off as a fanciful idea after following Kobus Bresler some time back on his Face Book page during his 9 peaks 9 provinces crazy solo attempt, go me inspired to do the peaks myself. I then put it onto my bucket list and did not think too much about it until in December 2013, when two crazy blokes, one of which is a good mate of Kobus - go figure, changed my mind - the crazy duo raced in an old Jeep from province to province running and trekking up the highest points of each of the 9 provinces. The thing is they completed it without support in 4 days and 18 hours taking turns in sleeping and driving - flipping machines those two!! This got me thinking - first Kobus who was completely bonkers to do the challenge on his own, unaided and unsupported - when you listen to his incredible story of how he survived and nearly didn't - the close shaves he had with wild dogs, the icy chain ladder in the dark and other perils he faced would scare off normal sane individuals - but not me this sounded so super cool and most certainly I have faced the huge rats of Hillbrow, gone into very suspect and dangerous buildings alone as my job as an ALS Paramedic, had guns held to my head, had guns (multiple I might add) pulled on me, threatened rape and death, so this challenge won't scare me, so I think - all brave and bravado right now as I sit in my comfortable chair and a hot cup of coffee next to me, and my computer plugged into an accessible power source. Please note my legs feel broken after this mornings WestCliff Stairs training so not completely comfortable, however far more comfortable than I will be finding myself in 6 weeks. Then the story of the two blokes who set a new team record came to my attention. Reading about their story of adventure, courage and foolhardiness has encouraged me further - encouraged me to do what exactly I am not sure, I just know I need to experience this outrageous feat myself, to feel the pain, the fear and tiredness and to sit on each of the mountains feeling close to God and viewing His wonder from each of the peaks. Mountains are my thing, my therapy, my solace. The peace and quiet - or maybe not with 3 other ladies coming along I do not think its going to be quiet on the peak and Pamela has already said she will be singing her way up and down. Oui I may take some earplugs along or plug the ladies up with marshmellows provided they don't chew loudly.
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So readers, I have spent weeks plotting, investigating, planning as only a control junkie/ALS Paramedic can only do. The more I found out the less I realise we actually know. This is still a very new concept here in South Africa. As South Africans we always believe the grass is greener on the other side, so is the adventures and travel experiences - or are they. People People this is where you are so so very wrong. Our country is beautiful, we have some of the best adventures in the world and you can experience them right here on our door step - accessible and affordable - do not think for one minute because its in South Africa or its South African its kak - open your minds and join this adventure with us (sorry you can't actually physically join us on this one - we are full so look out or book for the next one coming soon) from the comfort of your armchair with your OBS and Klipdrift and be inspired, be very inspired.
So many people would love to take part in the world's 7 summits but due to financial and logistical reasons this dream can never be realised or can it. Why not try the South African 9 Peaks, less expensive and chances are you won't die, except if you freeze to death on the chain ladder, get eaten by wild dogs or carry arrogance in you rugsak!! In April we will be launching our Pink Ladies on Peaks - Adventures for ladies: https://www.facebook.com/pinkladiesonpeaks?ref=hl This aims to take ladies of all ages, shapes and fitness levels on bucket list adventures both here in South Africa and aboard, in partnership with Adventure Dynamics. This was the initial idea, however in true Kim style nothing can every be that simple. Eish.
I had a meeting with the legend himself Kobus Bresler, what a nice and down to earth bloke - this man is the real deal, a mountaineer with a deep love for adventure, his beautiful country and mountains. I can relate to this man and oh boy did we relate. We meet at a coffee shop to discuss the peaks and ended up 10 cappuccinos 4 hours later, all the adventures coming out, the excitement and post mortems - hell this guy has had some awesome mountain adventures. So often you will come across false mountain people who climb just because the mountain is there, or to set records, to prove that they are the man. I find these people tiresome and complete idiots and would rather die of a lethal injection than listen to their tales of conquest and I this and I that. Put me on the mountain with them so I push them off the edge, we really don't need these people they make the real mountain men and ladies look so bad. Ok just to clear up not all mountain people have violent and psychopathic tendencies like I do that's because I am a Paramedic in Hillbrow, so give them a break. Kobus has agreed to be our expedition expert and if I can make him - I will be dragging him along with us. For bait of course for the wild dogs he encountered on one of the peaks - they seemed to like him alot and we girls could use him as a decoy while we run. Pamela will throw marshmallows at them as we run off, I may take my tazer with, will make a pleasant change from tazering drunk, threatening and disorderly humans and tazer big wild dogs and save my mountain buddies life, I will be a real life hero then hey!!.
I started off with this notion of a 4 ladies team to take on the 9 peaks. Well well, in two weeks all this has changed and my simple idea has run wild, this is sooo cool, but now the responsibility and expectations have also grown. Actually not grown - exploded. This is now a huge expedition and from just the 4 ladies wanting to be the first all girl team to complete this event, we now have two teams. Team Blue - the boys of course which will comprise of Jordan Williams -15 year old and will be the youngest, then Expreme Mountain Legend Sean Disney himself - I am sure he is coming along just to laugh at me, watch me suffer and cry when the wild dogs want to eat me and mostly get my son to climb faster than me for all the pain I inflicted on him when many years ago I was still practicing as a Sports & Rehabilitation Therapist and the nut would come in for treatment after an expedition - game on fossil Diz game on!! The third member we are hoping will be Kobus provided he can get the time off. How awesome would that be the very man who started all of this and holds the solo record to come along in our team, very humbling and very excited. He knows each of the mountain intimately and with such passion that when he describes the mountain you feel as though you are right there. There is no way you cannot want to climb these peaks after listen to this man talk about every tiny little detail to what tree stands to your right, to what large rock is in front of you, to where you need to carry water and where you will find water.
Then there is us the gorgeous pink ladies, the most important athletes of course. Team Pink - myself, Irene Rugheimer (Mountain Goat 777), Sane Nkabinde (Mountain Gazelle 777) and SA's own Adventure Girl Little Miss MMI Pamela Buckle who will be taking hot chocolate and marshmallows in abundance provided she shares with all of us, that is. We are planning small mini event around each of the summits to create branding and fundraising opportunities for corporates. Some of them will be rather pleasing to the boys which is why I think we suddenly have a boys team coming along. Will not spill the beans but they promise to be fun and quirky. Our agent Nthabiseng from UpRoar have created some awesome and fun things for us to do and this promises to very exciting. Lots of media, social media updates planned.
We want to make this event an annul event and have created an Adventure with a Purpose corporate event - where corporates will put together teams to race against each other in true South African style based on the principles of the Amazing Race. Corporates will be able to choose which charities they will be raising funds for. So our little event from just a meer launch has how two teams - Team Blue and Team Pink racing against each other for our chosen charity Meals on Wheels SA. Their theme is Meals on the Move so they are loving this idea. As of today we are blessed to have Land Rover Pietermaritzburg who have sponsored us Land Rovers. We have a sponsored Peugeot with an outdoor trailer which will carry the wait for it......gas stove, gas fridge and a shower just for Pamela and Sane (Irene and I will make mountain girls out of them soon - we were taking along a stack pile of wet wipes and would have had a bath in this fashion.) Gershon from Meals on Wheels was horrified and immediately organised a portable shower for us ladies, with a clean MOW sponsored shirt for each day!! Bless him. Each team will be driving in their own Land Rover taking turns to sleep and drive. Nearly all our meals will be eaten while driving - no time to waste. So having someone cooking awesome meals for us, being able to shower and not stink each other out in the Land Rovers is quiet a plus. Yes boys girls can pong too!!!
Sizani foods have sponsored us with their fortified foods and products so we will be eating like kings and queens. The game rules are that the team needs to drive themselves between the peaks and climb all peaks. We have been blessed that we have a support team with us who will wait for us at the vehicles and cook for us. We will also have a vehicle carrying the media and camera crews, one cameraman will follow us on all of the mountains (hope you are fit my boy - not carrying your sorry butt back down on my shoulders will leave you for the wild dogs amusement.). He is not allowed to assist in anyway just film and capture our highs and lows. Blink Pictures will be taking all the footage for the cameraman and from our GoPro's and putting together a short documentary for us. After speaking with Kobus the Drakensberg mountains are going to be a challenge. Especially the big one - up Sylvia's pass - remembering we are by now sleep deprived, tired, stuffed and short tempered and in desperate need of chocolate a comfortable bed and a leg massage and a spa treatment not to forget a hairdryer. This is the big challenge - many people who have tried to challenge Kobus's record have turned back here and failed dismally, very cocky fit young men who are obviously not mountain folk and at the first sign of cold, mist and some snow have come scampering back down with their tails between their legs. When I see how these really fit blokes have failed I start to get sick in my stomach - I am 48 years old these blokes half that - so oh boy this is going to become a mental game - mentally I am very tough - physically maybe not so much - so I am terrified, excited and nervous all in one. Kobus assures me that if we take it slow and are sensible we will achieve our goals. Oui as I set here with my very sore legs and knowing that I have to drag myself out of bed tomorrow at sparrow fart, for a fast trek tomorrow I think maybe my body - she is too old for this. But hell what life without a bit of adventure......
check out our FB page for our NGO : https://www.facebook.com/teamzodwafireandice?ref=hl
our NekNomination doing good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gPb5bz3PHQ&feature=youtu.be
What started off as a fanciful idea after following Kobus Bresler some time back on his Face Book page during his 9 peaks 9 provinces crazy solo attempt, go me inspired to do the peaks myself. I then put it onto my bucket list and did not think too much about it until in December 2013, when two crazy blokes, one of which is a good mate of Kobus - go figure, changed my mind - the crazy duo raced in an old Jeep from province to province running and trekking up the highest points of each of the 9 provinces. The thing is they completed it without support in 4 days and 18 hours taking turns in sleeping and driving - flipping machines those two!! This got me thinking - first Kobus who was completely bonkers to do the challenge on his own, unaided and unsupported - when you listen to his incredible story of how he survived and nearly didn't - the close shaves he had with wild dogs, the icy chain ladder in the dark and other perils he faced would scare off normal sane individuals - but not me this sounded so super cool and most certainly I have faced the huge rats of Hillbrow, gone into very suspect and dangerous buildings alone as my job as an ALS Paramedic, had guns held to my head, had guns (multiple I might add) pulled on me, threatened rape and death, so this challenge won't scare me, so I think - all brave and bravado right now as I sit in my comfortable chair and a hot cup of coffee next to me, and my computer plugged into an accessible power source. Please note my legs feel broken after this mornings WestCliff Stairs training so not completely comfortable, however far more comfortable than I will be finding myself in 6 weeks. Then the story of the two blokes who set a new team record came to my attention. Reading about their story of adventure, courage and foolhardiness has encouraged me further - encouraged me to do what exactly I am not sure, I just know I need to experience this outrageous feat myself, to feel the pain, the fear and tiredness and to sit on each of the mountains feeling close to God and viewing His wonder from each of the peaks. Mountains are my thing, my therapy, my solace. The peace and quiet - or maybe not with 3 other ladies coming along I do not think its going to be quiet on the peak and Pamela has already said she will be singing her way up and down. Oui I may take some earplugs along or plug the ladies up with marshmellows provided they don't chew loudly.
So readers, I have spent weeks plotting, investigating, planning as only a control junkie/ALS Paramedic can only do. The more I found out the less I realise we actually know. This is still a very new concept here in South Africa. As South Africans we always believe the grass is greener on the other side, so is the adventures and travel experiences - or are they. People People this is where you are so so very wrong. Our country is beautiful, we have some of the best adventures in the world and you can experience them right here on our door step - accessible and affordable - do not think for one minute because its in South Africa or its South African its kak - open your minds and join this adventure with us (sorry you can't actually physically join us on this one - we are full so look out or book for the next one coming soon) from the comfort of your armchair with your OBS and Klipdrift and be inspired, be very inspired.So many people would love to take part in the world's 7 summits but due to financial and logistical reasons this dream can never be realised or can it. Why not try the South African 9 Peaks, less expensive and chances are you won't die, except if you freeze to death on the chain ladder, get eaten by wild dogs or carry arrogance in you rugsak!! In April we will be launching our Pink Ladies on Peaks - Adventures for ladies: https://www.facebook.com/pinkladiesonpeaks?ref=hl This aims to take ladies of all ages, shapes and fitness levels on bucket list adventures both here in South Africa and aboard, in partnership with Adventure Dynamics. This was the initial idea, however in true Kim style nothing can every be that simple. Eish.
I had a meeting with the legend himself Kobus Bresler, what a nice and down to earth bloke - this man is the real deal, a mountaineer with a deep love for adventure, his beautiful country and mountains. I can relate to this man and oh boy did we relate. We meet at a coffee shop to discuss the peaks and ended up 10 cappuccinos 4 hours later, all the adventures coming out, the excitement and post mortems - hell this guy has had some awesome mountain adventures. So often you will come across false mountain people who climb just because the mountain is there, or to set records, to prove that they are the man. I find these people tiresome and complete idiots and would rather die of a lethal injection than listen to their tales of conquest and I this and I that. Put me on the mountain with them so I push them off the edge, we really don't need these people they make the real mountain men and ladies look so bad. Ok just to clear up not all mountain people have violent and psychopathic tendencies like I do that's because I am a Paramedic in Hillbrow, so give them a break. Kobus has agreed to be our expedition expert and if I can make him - I will be dragging him along with us. For bait of course for the wild dogs he encountered on one of the peaks - they seemed to like him alot and we girls could use him as a decoy while we run. Pamela will throw marshmallows at them as we run off, I may take my tazer with, will make a pleasant change from tazering drunk, threatening and disorderly humans and tazer big wild dogs and save my mountain buddies life, I will be a real life hero then hey!!.
I started off with this notion of a 4 ladies team to take on the 9 peaks. Well well, in two weeks all this has changed and my simple idea has run wild, this is sooo cool, but now the responsibility and expectations have also grown. Actually not grown - exploded. This is now a huge expedition and from just the 4 ladies wanting to be the first all girl team to complete this event, we now have two teams. Team Blue - the boys of course which will comprise of Jordan Williams -15 year old and will be the youngest, then Expreme Mountain Legend Sean Disney himself - I am sure he is coming along just to laugh at me, watch me suffer and cry when the wild dogs want to eat me and mostly get my son to climb faster than me for all the pain I inflicted on him when many years ago I was still practicing as a Sports & Rehabilitation Therapist and the nut would come in for treatment after an expedition - game on fossil Diz game on!! The third member we are hoping will be Kobus provided he can get the time off. How awesome would that be the very man who started all of this and holds the solo record to come along in our team, very humbling and very excited. He knows each of the mountain intimately and with such passion that when he describes the mountain you feel as though you are right there. There is no way you cannot want to climb these peaks after listen to this man talk about every tiny little detail to what tree stands to your right, to what large rock is in front of you, to where you need to carry water and where you will find water.
Then there is us the gorgeous pink ladies, the most important athletes of course. Team Pink - myself, Irene Rugheimer (Mountain Goat 777), Sane Nkabinde (Mountain Gazelle 777) and SA's own Adventure Girl Little Miss MMI Pamela Buckle who will be taking hot chocolate and marshmallows in abundance provided she shares with all of us, that is. We are planning small mini event around each of the summits to create branding and fundraising opportunities for corporates. Some of them will be rather pleasing to the boys which is why I think we suddenly have a boys team coming along. Will not spill the beans but they promise to be fun and quirky. Our agent Nthabiseng from UpRoar have created some awesome and fun things for us to do and this promises to very exciting. Lots of media, social media updates planned.
We want to make this event an annul event and have created an Adventure with a Purpose corporate event - where corporates will put together teams to race against each other in true South African style based on the principles of the Amazing Race. Corporates will be able to choose which charities they will be raising funds for. So our little event from just a meer launch has how two teams - Team Blue and Team Pink racing against each other for our chosen charity Meals on Wheels SA. Their theme is Meals on the Move so they are loving this idea. As of today we are blessed to have Land Rover Pietermaritzburg who have sponsored us Land Rovers. We have a sponsored Peugeot with an outdoor trailer which will carry the wait for it......gas stove, gas fridge and a shower just for Pamela and Sane (Irene and I will make mountain girls out of them soon - we were taking along a stack pile of wet wipes and would have had a bath in this fashion.) Gershon from Meals on Wheels was horrified and immediately organised a portable shower for us ladies, with a clean MOW sponsored shirt for each day!! Bless him. Each team will be driving in their own Land Rover taking turns to sleep and drive. Nearly all our meals will be eaten while driving - no time to waste. So having someone cooking awesome meals for us, being able to shower and not stink each other out in the Land Rovers is quiet a plus. Yes boys girls can pong too!!!
Sizani foods have sponsored us with their fortified foods and products so we will be eating like kings and queens. The game rules are that the team needs to drive themselves between the peaks and climb all peaks. We have been blessed that we have a support team with us who will wait for us at the vehicles and cook for us. We will also have a vehicle carrying the media and camera crews, one cameraman will follow us on all of the mountains (hope you are fit my boy - not carrying your sorry butt back down on my shoulders will leave you for the wild dogs amusement.). He is not allowed to assist in anyway just film and capture our highs and lows. Blink Pictures will be taking all the footage for the cameraman and from our GoPro's and putting together a short documentary for us. After speaking with Kobus the Drakensberg mountains are going to be a challenge. Especially the big one - up Sylvia's pass - remembering we are by now sleep deprived, tired, stuffed and short tempered and in desperate need of chocolate a comfortable bed and a leg massage and a spa treatment not to forget a hairdryer. This is the big challenge - many people who have tried to challenge Kobus's record have turned back here and failed dismally, very cocky fit young men who are obviously not mountain folk and at the first sign of cold, mist and some snow have come scampering back down with their tails between their legs. When I see how these really fit blokes have failed I start to get sick in my stomach - I am 48 years old these blokes half that - so oh boy this is going to become a mental game - mentally I am very tough - physically maybe not so much - so I am terrified, excited and nervous all in one. Kobus assures me that if we take it slow and are sensible we will achieve our goals. Oui as I set here with my very sore legs and knowing that I have to drag myself out of bed tomorrow at sparrow fart, for a fast trek tomorrow I think maybe my body - she is too old for this. But hell what life without a bit of adventure......
check out our FB page for our NGO : https://www.facebook.com/teamzodwafireandice?ref=hl
our NekNomination doing good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gPb5bz3PHQ&feature=youtu.be
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