Adventure With a Purpose: Tankwa Karoo Camino 256 km 2 Provinces 10 days desert trek: cause; Red Cross Children's Hospital Day 2: 7 May 2016

Day 2 of the Tankwa Karoo Camino: Desert walk for Red Cross Children's Hospital

I was up at 04h30 ready to tackle the desert. I was dressed and got out my tent only to find darkness and blackend skies around me and everyone else still asleep. The Tankwa Team had started the fires and hot water was already on the boil. I went back to my tent to get my instant oats and mug.

It only gets light around 07h00 here and the organizers did not want anyone walking in the dark. A few other walkers had woken up and we sat around chatting, eating our breakfast and drinking coffee. At around 06h00 it was still dark and the stars blazed across the milky way. We spotted 3 shooting stars which lite up the morning sky. It was rather spectacular without any outer lights taking away the impact the shooting stars made. I felt really blessed to have witnessed such a spectical and was ready to conquer the day. My feet were a little tender from the blisters caused by the nylon stocking experience but nothing that would prevent me from walking.

I made up my tent as the wind picked up and had to wrestle somewhat to stop the flysheet from...well flying off.... and became covered in Karoo sand. I just cannot stay clean for long even when I am off duty. I dragged all my stuff to the big truck and got ready to walk as the first bits of light broke on the horizen. it was a little chilly and I needed to put on a long sleeve hiking top. Mist was rolling in and hanging low on the surrounding mountains. Today was a long and hard haul of 25.3 km up the pass and back down again.

I was excited to be walking up the pass today and it felt really good to stretch the legs uphill as we snaked our way passing spectacular mountains and small gorges. I love mountains they allow me to feel free of all the worlds issues, free to dream and imagine, free to heal and resotre my soul and being. After walking the entire day on uneven dirt roads and only being able to see the mountains in the distance this was a real treat to be close and personal with the mountains I love so much.

The sun's rays started to peep past the mountains creating spectacualr shadows, great for some early morning photots and those with big cameras were in their element.

The pass sits at 1080m. Spectacular clouds surrounded the mountains with low lying mist along the rolling hills created in spectular early morning hues of soft golden colours. You would be foregiven thinking you had landed in the set of Lord of the Rings.

I walked mostly on my own today, but passed a few people along the way. I got into my rhythm quickly with my trekking poles and it felt really good. I was not out of breath once trekking up the pass, this was some good training for Elbrus and my backpack was a bit heavy at 15kg, but I needed to do this. I did later, as my foot got worse ease the load down to 8 kg in the last days. It was a little strange in the begining to walk with a group or another person for a short while only to part ways when one took a break or needed the loo. We would chat about life, blisters and the beautiful Karoo and about our loved ones. Some would share profound wisdom and life stories and then would move on to the next group. By the end of the 10 days this group of strangers would become a unit, supporting and encouraning each other as the days became longer and more painfull with every step.

Lunch time with Monty and Charles

The last 8 km of today were really uncomforatble I could feel the hot spots on my feet and needed to get into camp to sort them out before they caused any real issues. I was really regretting leaving my softer cross trainers at home opting for hiking boots and sandles instead. If i ever do this again i will only walk in cross trainers as this is a walk not a hike and hiking boots for me were inapporiate in my opinion. I had a lot of time on my own I did not really think of anything profound or life changing, mostly I just though of nothing, taking in all that surrounded me. The quietness, the wind, the rhythmic clink of my poles hitting rocks, the smells of the fynbos especially in the mornings and late afternoons. My head is usually so busy with far too many serious thoughts and this was a time to keep my head empty and fill it up new sensory experiences and visuals, ones that would not create nightmares.

Nothing for kilometres at a time, the sound of your boots hitting the ground, the shifting loose sand and rocks that formed the thin top layers of the dusty road. The path less travelled. Time stood still and sometimes you needed to wake yourself up to remind yourself where it was you were going too, why you were here, it was easy to get lost in the moment of this tranquilly and rugged landscape. Its beauty engulfing you in the most surprising of ways. reminding you of times gone by, of times when warriors ran on this land, hunting, gathering, making offerings to the gods, sitting, singing and dancing around large fires, thanking their anscestors, a time for renewal, a time for new beginings.

The 20km mark and time to rest and put the feet up. I loved these times the wind blowing yet silent, the small insects going about their business as I closed my eyes and took in the smells and sounds of the wild Karoo, the warm sun flooding my body, renewing me for the last home stretch.

one of the many dry river beds

The one thing that really amazed me is how blue the sky was, it was a blue for the mornings, a blue for the midday, a blue for the afternoon and a blue that gave way and welcomed the sunset. In the city with all the smog we do not get to see this deep blue. Agaisnt the lilac hues of the mountains and the white sand with the multicloloured pastles of the fynboss you were almost forgriven to thinking that the ocean would be around the corner.

In the middle of nowhere graves dotted the horizen - this land was bare and desolated to the naked eye, but when you stopped and looked for a moment longer you discovered a vibrancy of colours and tiny life pushing its way through the hardend soil. little green shoots, tiny flowers and a little lizard scurring along keeping the circle of life moving. overhead the sounds of circling crows ever present to take what was left of the weak.

The colours of the changing sands amazed me. One moment you were walking in red desert sand, then orange and now white sand. So many of the riverbeds dried up waiting for the promise of rain, a promise of new birth. the land looked thirsty, deserted, abandoned, only the tough fynbos survived and even this was looking tired. This land needed water and lots of it soon.

Me and my shaddow having our long conversations. The time drags when you are alone, alone in your thoughts, alone in prayers, your mind wonders to many things, things that can change, things that can't. I wrote some really brilliant pieces for this blog during those quiet moments, I wish I could have plugging into my brain as most has vapourised with time.

if you seek you shall find....little stunning gems hidden along the way. the Karoo is filled with incredible flowers thriving in this desert.

Along the road i finally saw the signs hearlding the end of the days walk and as I entered the road to the quarry i was greeted with the bustling activity below me as the fires were crackling against the silence, the large pots of great smelling food on the go revealing inviting aromas for later. Freshly baked Karoo treats and hot coffee filled the air, waiting for the weary traveller. it was a very welcoming sight indeed. A few had arrived before me and the multicoloured tents were slowly being put up.

Today I noticed for the first time the luggage cart!! I put my 2 red bags and my yellow 50l container onto it and wheeled it to my spot that I had chosen for my night camp. It was a bit of a runaway cart that needed some serious driving skills and at one stage I though it would run away from me and plunge over the edge into the abyss of the quarry. Clive Owen leaped to help me and assisted to wheel the cart safely to my spot and helped take off my luggage. With Clive and his wife was another friend Kelvin Baron they became my camp neighbours and as time went on and I started to struggle my foot demons (I later developed a stress fracture) causing me to be on my feet for 8 to 10 hours a day, Kelvin and Clive would pitch my big tent and leave my bags next to the tent. They became my camp angels. One of my big lessons for the trip was to accept help. It is really difficult for me to accept help as I am always the one helping others and fixing things, always the one in control giving the orders, now I had to sit back and allow other people to help me. it was really hard but it was part of my journey.

This was Charles such an interesting man with great knowledge of the bush, fauna and flora.

The red luggage wagon!!

Soon the camp sprung to life as weary walkers hobbled in, tents erected, the sound of tent pegs being hammered into the quarry floor, the tired chatter and exhanging of potions, lotions, plasters and rememdies filled the camp smelling like a traditional pharmacy as everyone went about their daily routine of washing up and addressing their sore feet and bulging blisters.

two of the many great charaters of the Tankwa Camino - just loved these guys

This was Chase the youngest to tackle the Camino his sister Jo who was 16 and their Dad, Craig Botha.

Karin - she had the most beautiful hair when I grow up I want hair like that!

Today I pitched my own tent and for what ever reason I made damn sure that I chose a spot that would swallow up my tent pegs, the guys were even laughing at me when they saw how I hammered those pegs in. I had also placed my tent in a different direction to most of the other tents a move that I would be greatful for later.
I washed up using my camping 5l bucket filled with hot water and gorgeous smelling soaps filling my tent with great girly smells and the feel of hot water against my dusty and gritty skin was pure bliss. I had bought myself a small lanton that hung up in the center of my tent above my head. The lanton could be dimmed or turned up bright. The advantage of this is that your neighbours cannot see any shadows as you undress and wash up - something I learnt the hard way on my first Kilimanjaro trip. So especially for you ladies this lanton is a must for a bit of privacy.

my awesome "blister sisters" with Marteen standing in the background - my first out in the field blister stop was with this seasoned warkers and they gave lots of good advice and I had many many laughs with these girls.

After my foot soaking treat, which was heaven using a packet of epson salts thrown in it was time to brave the blister treatment. I had never taken along a blister kit before as I had never needed one so this was all new to me. Yes I am a paramedic but I spark when you are either dead or dying with 27 guns shot wounds to the body, this is elementary, this is first aid and I suck at this actually and many will tell you that EMS personel make horrid patients. I had a blister on the ball of my foot and one on my heel. My husband and other hikers had told me war stories about injecting methylate into the blisters then threading them with a sewing needle and cotton. I have given birth to 3 children so how bad could this really be? I swigged back a sip of Cape port we had been given just in case - i had watched movies and this always seemed to do the trick. Sissies all of them I thought as I injected the orange liquid into my blister...........

My blue tent on the left with my little stoep and camping chair

......in that second my life flashed before me. Holy shit!!! I held my breath for a very long time unable to breath, move and in truth if I had being giving birth at that very moment I would have ejected the baby with such force that it would have shot to the other side of Cape Town. My hidden six pack muscles contracted violently with every fibre and well my sphyincter muscles... well lets just leave it there shall we. I looked to see two of the male hikers chuckling in sympathy as my body revolted, my eyes rolled back. Eish after that I only threaded the blisters then put gentian violet on them. I was only brave enough to spray the methylate on while bitting on a peice of discarded shale!

Catching Wayne and Enid as they took photographs of the sunset. Enid told me that she had taken hundreds and just could not stop. I knew the feeling, I have hundreds too. I spared you though and only chose these ones. Note the green loo up on the embankment.

Wayne

Enid

We were treated to a spectuclar sunset, the night skies were on fire with rich and firey reds and oranges with a hint of pinks and purples mixing up with the brewing storm in the distance. You could see where the rain was falling creating rain "twisters". We were of both minds one that we did not want to get caught up in a storm and walk in the rain, but the farmers had prayed so very hard for many years for good rains and they really needed a miracle and it looked as though their prayers had been answered. Myself and other walkers spent the best part of an hour taking hundreds of photos of God's incredible gift. As the night sky colours deepened so did everyones happiness and excited chatter filled the night sounds. Three Jack Russels had joined us and the older one sat with its owner while the two younger ones ran around camp barking at the thunder. The local farmer whose land we had camped on arrived with his border collie, a popular dog breed for this area.

Time to play with the ball of fire

Wayne trying to create an Eqyptian pose and catch the fire in the sky

Love these pics of Gaynor, the seasoned desert walker - the sun caught her golden hair and gorgeous long legs

Every second the sky changed, the clouds shifted creating a spectical that was truely breathtaking.

Karin and Enid enjoying the quiet time

Karin writing her journal with incredible views

A huge storm was brewing and the wind was picking up. You could smell the ions in the air, the electicity was building, ready to crash over us and light up the night sky. We were largely shelted in our quarry and the several large drops of rain fell only to stop. We garthered around our mess tent and camp fire to listen to the Karoo stories of days gone by. We listened to all the names and folklore tales surrounding the unique and unusal plants of the Tankwa Karoo. Some were poisoness while others could be used for medicinal purposes. While all this was happening the storm was building, huge cracks of lightening lite up the sky orange and purple. the thunderous Karoo thunder expolding violently above our heads to the walkers "oohs" and "aahs". We were in for an adventures night. The talk was cut short and we very quickly collected our food, ate and rushed back to our tents.

The lightening lighting up the sky behind the mess tent

The loos had been erected on the rim of the quarry offereing spectaular views of the magical landsacape. Everyone had settled in for the night as the gusting windspeeds picked up circling the tents waiting for its prey. I was suddenly very relieved that I had hammered those tent pegs in as my tent started to sway to and fro. I spent the best part of the night with my feet up in the air and my arms out stretched as the heavy winds poundered my tent bringing it to its knees, flattened against my face only to bounce back up as it raged on to its next victim. the sounds of panicy voices running around the camp, the hammer sound of tent pegs being pounded into the ground. in that moment I regretted leaving my expensive hiking tent which can withstand heavy berg winds, heavy rain and snow. I prayed continously during the night that my tent would not be blown away into the Karoo night and that my poles would not break. We still had 8 days to go. I prayed we all would make it through the night with our tents intact. The whole night headlights scoured around, paniced voices could be heard long into the night.

Then the sand came with avenagnace snaking its way between and over the tents, searching for its prey. The sound was deafening as a sea of sand continously swept over our tents, the waves never ending, creeping into every little airvent and hole that opened up by the wind to flood tents. I was lucky my tent faced away from the onslaut of sand and I only had a small bit of sand on my face but so many others had tents filled with sand, pegs ripped out in the night, tents damaged and torn. Tents collapsed on top of people. the morning camp site resimbed a war zone a fierce Karoo battle of earth, wind and fire had raged the entire night. Everyone was exhausted none of us had slept. It had not rained but we had experiene a Karoo Desert Sand and wind storm, an extreme one at that. Well we came to the Karoo for adventure and adventure we were surely having. More was still to come.