Climb a mountain
When was the last time you stood on top of a mountain, or even a hill? It’s good exercise and it’s fun. Leon-Ben Lamprecht chatted to a keen climber.
Mountains fascinate people.
They present a challenge – from the first caveman to tackle a slope behind his home to Sir Edmund
Hillary and Tensing Norgay who conquered Everest’s 8848 m. You don’t have to be stripped to the waist with a little bag of chalk at your belt and a roll of rope over your shoulder to be a summiteer. South Africa has many lovely peaks that you can hike up.
Mountain memories.
Leon Kriel, art director at go!’s sister magazine Drive Out, has already trekked to Everest Base Camp (5380 m) and has his sights set on Kilimanjaro. One of his best mountain memories is when he recently climbed Seweweekspoort Peak, the highest point in the Western Cape (2325 m). It’s in the Klein-Swartberg north-east of Ladismith, on the farm Weltevreden. Leon and five fellow hikers, including George Nel, Weltevreden’s owner, spent a month planning the hike.
“It’s more a stiff hike than a climb. It is steep and rocky, but if you hike regularly, you’ll make it,” Leon says.
“On this particular mountain it’s important to walk with someone who knows the way, because there isn’t really a path, and you have to scramble through a few crevices to reach the top.” Most parties hike to a cave just below the peak on the first day and climb to the summit the next morning. It’s about eight hours’ walk to the cave and another two to the top. “The weather played along nicely,” says Leon. “We got to the cave, put down our backpacks and pushed on to the summit. Then we spent the night in the cave and went back the next morning.
Unforgettable experience.
“The view from the top is unbelievable. They say on a clear day you can see all the way to Beaufort West. Just don’t linger at the top too long – you don’t want it to get dark while you’re still on your way back down.” The hike down takes about six hours, and in places you have to slide down on your bottom. Is it worth the effort? “The sense of achievement is great – you have conquered the peak. It’s like surfing: Once you’ve caught that first wave, few experiences can match it.”
Go! says: If you’re eager to climb but nervous, join a mountain club and learn from the veterans.
"I want to do it too!"
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