Rachel Colenso

Karen Watkins, an experienced hiker and reporter wrote this great article for the Constantia Bulletin. Last year Karen joined us on the Vlakkenberg section of our hike over the Cape Peninsula mountains. I hope we will see Karen and everyone whojoined us on this walk on our ascent of Lion's Head.

We have some super pics from Smitswinkel Bay, which I was interested to find was supposedly named after the booming echo of high tide waves resounding from the large cave just inside the Cape Point Nature Reserve. We had a very interesting group of people who were all very different, and hardly anyone knew each other at the start! It made the day rather fun as we all learned a littel more about each other, and enjoyed the favourable weather and wonderful scenery. In fact it was such fun and such a great group of people that I hope we can all meet up on another hike.

Last Tuesday I happened to see an eye catching photograph in the Cape Times newspaper, the silhoette of an athletic looking hiker on a mountain peak gazing into the mist; (somewhat reminiscent of Casper Friedrich's "Wanderer above Sea of Fog".) Two members of the Mountain Club of South Africa, Jonathan Tillett and Nick Allen have managed a remerkable trek from Gordon's Bay to the Cederberg. It is considered to be the first time that this journey has been completed in its entirity. Their journey took them 15 days, over a series of weekends. Much of the route was through rough terrain and thick vegetation. Being the first people to accomplish a long journey like this is always difficult, as you can never be sure whether all your hard efforts and planning will be rewarded, of if close to your goal your success may be thawted by some or other obstacle. The isolation of travelling through 'unchartered' or previously untrodden ground can be extremely hazardous too. ...

Yet another downpour and I was wondering whether we should think of calling Saturday's family hike to Smitwinkel Bay off. As a last resort check to see if perhaps the forecast for Saturday had changed, I was pleasantly surprised to find it has! We now have perfect conditions forecast. A cool day (16deg), no rain and partially cloudy. So if you were thinking it might not be the Saturday to venture out and join us, get your boots and bathers and think again. Smitswinkel Bay tends to be more sheltered from SW winds which are expected. For details see: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=175910296664&ref= mf or keep reading... Family hike at Smitswinkel Bay Join Rachel Colenso for a family hike to raise funds for Rape Crisis Cape Town Date: 14 November 2009 Time: 8:30 for 9 am Place: Meet at the Smitswinkel parking area Cost: R25 per person (Funds raised will be used to buy airtime for the 24-hour crisis line and to prepare care packs for rape survivors) Route typ...

On Saturday I gave a motivational talk at the inaugural fundraising function for Breast Buddies in Cape Town. The fundraiser at Edgemead Primary was very well attended with over 230 people enjoying the afternoon's food and entertainment from the beautifully laid banqueting tables. Steven Segal , this year's Mr South Africa who was MC and Auctioneer for the event was also sat at our table. He was accompanied by one of runners up in the upcoming Mr South Africa who was keen to get a feel of what Mr South Africa's role entails. Both men, other than quite obviously being very good looking were charming, warm and friendly. Mr South Africa is never decided on looks alone, but I was surprised to learn that other than having great interpersonal skills he has to be able to show talents in areas like singing or dancing when competing in the Mr Universe competition. We have a super ambassadors for our country with both these men, and wish Steven the best of luck for Mr Universe next...

On 24 October at 3.50pm about 50 people dived into the icy Atlantic at the last outpost of human habitation in the most South Westerly corner of Africa, Scarborough, near Cape Point. They spent 350 seconds (six minutes) bobbing about in the 8deg c water in support of the 350 Campaign. The ages ranged from 2 years old to around 80, some in wetsuits and some braving themselves against the elements. Two whales swam close to the shore during the event.

Today Rosemary and I stopped and gaped in awe as about 20 whales swam close to the beaches of Scarborough, and Witsands , heading north. Large fins and curved tails danced between the waves and plumes of sea water gushed into the air. It literally made me stop, for a long time. As Rosemary squealed in delight at each new sighting I thought of how fortunate we are to live so close to nature. Not everyone does, and so making a special day to think about how we can preserve our planet for future generations is very important. Tomorrow, Saturday 24 th October, is the international day for climate change. To raise awareness of the necessity of preserving our natural world is the international 350 campaign. 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. We are currently over 390 and need to return to 350 in order to sustain life on our planet. All of us need to take action to maintain a healthy environment for not just our sake, but that of our children. Aroun...

Friday and Saturday I am running various climbing courses for beginners at Cape Union Mart at Canal Walk. The courses are open to young and older. Check out the website http://www.capeunionmart.co.za/news/default.php?news_id=146 Once you have been bitten by the bug 'climbing' the world takes on a different shape. Suddenly places like Montagu, near Worcester become much more than a quaint Victorian village nestled around an oasis of palm trees and hotsprings. Last weekend we ventured out to this idylic location, camping at a favourite destination for climbers and cyclists, called De Bos. The campsite is situated along the banks of a river and enjoys shade from a variety of trees. Over almost 20 years the campsite has changed little, except decreasing in size due to a flood that washed 10m of river bank away. This time though, I noticed things that had previously been completely ignored... or rather Rosemary noticed them. First were the farmyard of animals, from Ostriches, to She...

Bouldering is a rathe r esoteric subgroup of climbing. The experts are instantly recognisable. They are either stick thin or built like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and all carry a large doubled over mattress on their back, (a bouldering pad for crash landing.) Their hands are whitened from resin chalk which is used to dry the perspiration from their fingertips so they can cling onto minuscule holds. Their rubber soled climbing boots help suction them to the rock, so they can clamber orangutan style, upside down through caves. Besides being a sport in its own right, climbers have for many years 'bouldered' as a form of training for technical rock climbing and mountaineering to develop the power and stamina to complete difficult routes. The sport generally involves following a sequence of technical climbing moves up a boulder which is low enough not to use a rope. The sequence is given a grade representing its difficulty and a name to distinguish it from other problems. Last weekend o...

Well done to Nicola Rowbotham who was selected as the 2009 fitness diarist for Shape magazine, and after months of training and preparation is about to set off on her demanding challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is 5895m high, and commands respect from mountaineers. Other than fitness, stamina, and enduring focus, climbing mountains also demands a high level of self discipline... and not just in the training. A significant number of people have had problems ascending Kilimanjaro, often due to altitude sickness. One of the main problems seems to be that fit and enthusiastic climbers ascend too quickly, not allowing their bodies to acclimatize to the increase in altitude properly. Whilst anyone can suffer from altitude sickness, not having the self restraint to take things at a steady pace definitely increases the chances of this occurring. When you climb at altitude your body has to work a great deal harder to pump the reduced levels of oxygen around the body. Ab...

On Saturday, Rosemary, my two year old daughter, and I set off to explore the private nature reserve called Basskloof. The perimeter is shared with the Redhill section of Table Mountain National Park, and the edge of Scarborough Conservation Village. Anyone can enter for a nominal fee of R10, purchased from the Mouse Trap shop in Scarborough. The small reserve has much to offer, with stunning views of the mountains in the Cape Point Nature Reserve, and the Atlantic Ocean. Many plant species thrive in the hilly terrain, and in October you can see an entire vlei of white Chin Cherinkees in the upper valley connecting Scarborough with Table Mountain National Park. In the winter months mountain springs, and little streams tumble over boulders into the valley. There is also an abundance of wildlife including birds, tortoises and.... not to be forgotten snakes. Rosemary was trotting a few metres ahead and from nowhere her legs were suddenly entwined with the body of a snake. Without hesitati...

On Saturday, Rosemary and I set out on our first mini exploratory mission since my foot operation in June. Our aim was to locate a potensially new bouldering area, situated on the farm behind the Good Hope Nursery. The circuit is roughly 2km in length, something that can be accomplished with a small child, with many 'discovery' stops enroute and a good rest at the halfway mark. The first part of our uphill journey was on a clearly marked path, which eventually branched off with a newly formed track heading up to the line of boulders. Rosemary loved finding the the flowers and the half hidden signs indicating various fynbos species enroute. The path wound up between and round sculpted rocks, proteas and other plants. After about a kilometre we reached a sandstone outcrop forming a prominent ridgeline marking the upper reaches of the farm. Most of the boulder problems were not suitable for adults, as they were too short, but Rosemary enjoyed scrambling to the top of a few of th...

Hooray! Today I discovered a pleasing review of my book in the July-August edition of Fitness Magazine. It was headed in the events section under a 'Fitness and Health Lifestyle'. Then was contacted by SABC to do an interview for the afternoon sports program on SAFM next Saturday. Since the operation on my foot there has been every good excuse to take things easy, including ofcourse the Cape winter storms. Perhaps this is the pre-spring wake up call to get out there and get fit again... There is a horizontal bar beneath our staircase beckonning to be pulled up on, there's a gym mat shouting 'sittups!', and a mountain behind our house screaming 'Climb Me!'..... see you later...

On Friday HWB Communications launched the 1000 Hearts Campaign in aid of The Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust. I was rather shocked to find that the staggering number of over 52 000 reported rapes per year in South Africa represent only a fraction of the actual number. 8 out of 9 cases go unreported. After hearing about the amazing service for victoms that The Rape Crisis provides we were invited to purchase a heart for someone we love, and to spread the word to encourage others to 'purchase a heart' on their on their website. For R100/month you can help a victom and their family obtain counselling and change their lives for the better. I have been thinking hard out a small way I could make a difference and will be holding a cake and coffee networking morning at my home. R20.00 will buy you a cake to go with your coffee (R5.00). By asking friends to treat a friend to cake and coffee we can spread the word and help victoms receive the help they need. Keep looking, and I will keep you...

A great Lead up to Women’s Day On Thursday evening the Business Women’s Association Book Club invited me as their guest author. It was a fun event held at the Lion's Kloof Lodge in Higgovale. About twenty guests arrived and enjoyed soup and a glass of wine, sat at a long dinner table. The presentation went well, and my book seemed like a popular choice. It was a memorable evening. Huge leaps away from the stereo typical image of a book club, as... well... a touch dry. Not so with the 'Go-getter' members of the BWA. The atmosphere was friendly, fun and full of life, a definate must for any business woman wanting to join a book club with a lot of Zing.

Whilst the BWA has an assertive pressence in in the business world, there was once another BWA... One that made people dream of basking in the sun, whilst swinging gently from your hammock strung between two palm trees on a tropical beach, rum in one hand, novel in the other. British West India Airways (Also known as BWIA) once provided flights across the Atlantic to the Carribean Islands and some of the South American countries on the East coast. (Subsequently taken over by British Airways.) My talk tonight at the Business Womens Association Book Club is thousands of miles away from a Carribean vacation. It details amongst other things our dramatic survival through a storm in the Swiss Alps. Perhaps though, one of the business women attending will be thinking of a future break from their demanding jobs and the cold winter storms. They may purchase a holiday to the Carribean, where they will bask, book in one hand, rum cocktail in the other. I am hoping it will be my book they choose a...

Camping with toddlers may seem a bit of chore. All the getting ready, the packing, unpacking, crying over dollies left at home and misplaced tent pitching enthusiasm. An easy alternative is 'balcony camping.' (Or 'stoep camping') Two nights ago Rosemary looked up at the crescent moon and milky way from her balcony 'camp bed' with wonder before exclaiming. "I can't reach the moon. It is too high." There was quite a pause, then, "I can reach it with a step ladder." Rosemary's camp bed is our bouldering mat, and it has never seen quite so much use as it is now. Later the moon set blood red over the Atlantic ocean, that earlier that day I had braved a 'swim' in. Large bats flew overhead, and the calls of the night were plentiful. Most interesting was the grunting of the Eland which seemed to echo across the valley. The great advantages of balcony camping are: having use of your entire kitchen including the microwave. having the l...

Thursday evening saw a fantastic event sponsored by Petzl at the new adventure centre in Cape Union Mart, Canal Walk. The competition was well attended with a good crowd. Over forty people arrived whilst I was there. Many bravely signed up to participate in the speed climbing event. Scores broadcast on a large screen made the competition more fierce as did the super prizes, head torches and other items by Petzl. In some ways it had the same essence of the National Climbing Competitions in the 90's which would draw crowds at the Cape Town waterfront of up to 2 000 for the finals, and were televised on our South African sports slots. I was delighted to be able to encourage new climbers by providing copies of In a High and Desperate Place , my book, as prizes. It was rather tricky though not to be just a little biased, when I was asked to throw a copy into the crowd of eager hands. Well done everyone who participated, and well done Claire for winning the Women's Beginner section!

Climbing Event at Canal Walk On Thursday 16 July 2009 Petzl are sponsoring a climbing day and fun competition (from 6pm). It is to inaugurate the opening of the new, amazing Adventure Centre in Cape Union Mart at Canal Walk, Cape Town. Amongst other treats is a full size climbing wall to play on. I will be signing copies of my book, (In a High and Desperate Place) and donating a few as spot prizes for the competition to encourage our climbing youth of today. It is a fun and entertaining opportunity, and if you are still in doubt as to whether to go, keep reading... In the early 90's I was competing in the National Climbing Championships South Africa. A close friend of mine pointed out his main competion in the men's final, saying "There are the two Jeremy's, the one's incredibly strong, and the other one is a real dark horse. You never know what he is thinking!" The epic adventure in my book starts at a London climbing centre, when 10 years after our first enc...