Rachel Colenso

This week "First Date Nightmare", our survival story which is based on our survival story and book "In a High and Desperate Place" is to be broadcast throughout Africa. It will appear on the 25th and 26th on Animal Planet . Here's a sneak preview of our show ;) I Shouldn't Be Alive - First Date Nightmare from Robert Shacklady on Vimeo .

This is the beautiful Pleasant Pond in Maine, NE Coast USA. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, tranquility and abundant wildlife. Green technology has a habit of becoming rather 'ungreen' when money is involved. Nobody would want a wind farm here. Add to the obvious decline in tourism, the negative impact on the environment in an area known for its birdlife, and only one questions remains... Why build a noisy, and visually unattractive 'factory' here? Please help to put a stop to unconsidered 'Eco' developments from taking over. Support this cause. One day they may support yours. www.protect-our-lakes.org.

Wow! What a crowd! Met up with Gerry Rantseli and introduced her to Rosemary, Jasmine and my Mum just before she cut the ribbon for the 10km start of the event. Mum was rather fascinated by it all as her walks are always up mountains. We were joined by her 81 year old hiking friend Inez. Then the heavens opened and some ran for cover or home. What tough ladies. Mum, Inez and little Rosemary plodded on ... and on... through the downpour. Revived by coca-cola with hands held and jogged to the finish line. Rosemary had hoped the grand finale would be grander or longer, so we had to run across the line again. Invited Mum and Inez into the VIP Tent with me and the girls, which they thoroughly enjoyed. All warmed up with tea and delicious eats, also introduced Mum, to Margaret Hewson, director of the Look Good Feel Better campaign. What an awesome campaign www.lgfb.co.za and what a memorable event!

Met with good friend Cherice today for a walk up one of our local mountain peaks, Swartberg, situated near Simons Town. It is a super walk with astounding views, magnificent flora and easy options to be lengthened by adding in additional peaks of Simonsberg and North Peak. These mountains rise steeply for over 600m straight out of the sea, and are a daunting prospect for most hikers on a hot day. Less known is the ascent options from the opposite West flank of Klawer Valley. This area is mostly a dedicated Naval base with live firing ranges which possibly put some people off. The entry is past large signs reading "Enter at your Peril," somewhat reminiscent of a pirate story, but foreboding nevertheless. So for those who are brave or foolish enough to continue down the deeply eroded and steeply inclined dirt track, (just about manageable in an ordinary Golf in first gear,) a pleasant surprise awaits. The path leads up via the old military blockhouse, and gives stunning views o...

JOIN THE CRUSADE AGAINST BREAST CANCER AT THE 2011 AVON JUSTINE ITHEMBA WALKATHON IN CAPE TOWN, GREEN POINT PARK SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER 2011 This inspiring annual event draws thousands from across South Africa in an action packed and fun filled, family day to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer. My daughters and I were invited as celebrity VIP guests and we look forward to meeting many of those who are joining the walk against breast cancer.

500m of vertical ascent spread above us, the last mile to the summit. We had covered about 5 miles uphill. Not a great deal for an adult, but a marathon for a four year old. "I think little legs can do this." I looked down at her big blue eyes peering out from the hood of her over sized waterproof,glistening with raindrops on her eyelashes. Then I knew Rosemary would make it all the way to the top, and was enjoying the challenge. Climbing with young children takes a little extra planning and preparation as well as consideration for the routes selected. Below is a list of things we did and items we had that made our journey up Snowdon with Rosemary(4) and Jasmine(1) a very pleasant experience for all. Being Prepared: 1. Selecting the right route: Little children like variety. It is helpful to have stretches of the route where the path is wide enough to hold hands and tell stories, or point out things enroute without stopping. Having varied and interesting scenery helps young c...

Wedidit! - Reached the top of Snowdon with actress Louise Bush, friend and photographer, Steve Gorton, and our entire family from Jasmine (14months, who was carried by Dad Jeremy, Rosemary (4years) and a very proud Mum. We have also reached our target of raising £1000 for the Eilidh brown Trust, and managed to carry up a huge banner to wave from the summit to highlight the dangers of fracking, (Hydrolic fracturing) for methane gas. We think Rosemary may have made a record as the youngest person to climb Mt Snowdon unassisted. She had great fun, and loved the scrambly sections in the rain. - Just the right height and age to make it exciting scrambling for her, yet not terrifying for Mum and Dad to supervise. Everyone helped 'Little Legs; to the top with encouraging drinks of ribena, stories and even errecting Steves 8 man bivi shelter next to the footpath to have lunch and hot drinks in the rain. Will post photos soon. A day to remember...

Just a few days to go until we make our charity ascent of Snowdon with Actress Louise Bush the butterflies have set in. We had planned to do loads of fun 'training' sessions with Rosemary and piggybacking Jasmine up some hills... but... London is not very hilly. So other than our Richmond Park circuit, which is beautiful (but not very hilly) we have opted to join the British Armed Forces for some real training. We have joined the Changing of the Guards Guards at Buckingham Palace and marched down the road with them to Horseguards Parade, and then through Green Park. Quite a jolly affair with lots of men in leapard skins, drums banging, and trumpets blowing etc. Rosemary's march turned more into a skip, but it was in time, and everyone seemed very happy. After our exhausting military training we took a well earned break on the Thames River Taxi. Just hope Snowdon is like a Christmas tree... after many years they grow smaller. Our hope is that our efforts will bring in £1000 ...

Very busy time here in London. Met up with Louise Bush, the TV and West End actress who played me in our film, 'First Date Nightmare', for the T V Series, I Shouldn't Be Alive. Am not so sure I love the name, (First Date Nightmare doesn't sound like a wedding proposal...) nevertheless Darlow Smithson did an excellent job, with the assistance to two great actors, (Duncan Pow, ex Holby City doctor played Jeremy.) Thanks to the crew and cast it is now considered one of the ISBA greats. Hooray! It was super to meet Louise in the flesh. A very warm and friendly person with a big heart. My children thought she was great! Quite bizarre meeting someone who looks a bit like you, (on an extremely good day!) and has acted you... Louise and I have planned to do a charity hike up Snowdon, where Jeremy and I will guide her and perhaps Duncan to the top... although both are very fit so don't need much guidance... should be fun. The Eilidh Brown charity supports families with ...

This weekend is the premiere for our TV Drama Documentary. Catch the details below! I SHOULDN’T BE ALIVE SERIES 5 First Date Nightmare Premiere On a complex mountain descent, Jeremy and Rachel must dig deep to survive as the thunder begins… “I’d rather be here with you than with anyone else” – Rachel Colenso

These words below are not my own. They are words of someone who is living through the disastrous consequences of arsenic, benzene and other chemicals being pumped into their water and air due to Shell's fracking process. Every study, and every report I have read is similar. The full impact will only be realised once Shell and their service company have made their millions and paid off politicians. Please do not support Shell, who already have a shocking track record. Send on this message: "South Africa, you need to fight this with all you're worth. I live in Pennsylvania in the United States in the heart of the Marcellus Shale region - a shale basin touted as one of the largest, if not THE largest shale area in the world. They've been fracking here for several years. Our municipal water supplies have been contaminated, our private water wells have been contaminated. On top of this, our AIR has been contaminated. This process involves far more than just a drilling rig a...

Today I was invited to a wake for two baboons, Fred and Rude Boy. Sounds quite odd, and in some ways possibly comical. Fred was known for jumping into occupied cars to steal food. Naturally most ordinary human beings vacate their car pretty smartly when this occurs, so it proved to be a fairly successful, albeit rather bold tactic. How Fred reached this conclusion was not so smart. Close up wildlife photos make for great pictures to brag about back home. What easier way to get your one in a million picture than to offer food. Tourists and possibly tour operators have offered, and still do offer animals food just to get a photo. Fred's life was sadly cut short because he had become accustomed to the handouts and took things that obvious next step. When not supplied with what he expected to receive, on a few occasions he became aggressive. The State Vet was called in to intervene, and end the lives of these two well known characters. Today I watched about twenty tourists who had purc...

Don't forget to switch your lights off at 8pm for Earth Hour! Over 5 million people supported Earth Hour last year in India alone. Other things I will think about in that hour of darkness: 1. How lucky I am to have electricity and running water 2. Eating and showering in the dark is quite novel, but takes a bit more planning. 3. Wish I had brought more candles

Had a super day guiding one of my favourite clients and a friend of his up the sheer cliff faces of Table Mountain. They were shooting an advert on location and today, the day off, was perfect. Was also quite interesting speaking to someone whose passion for the mountains is on skis and the similarities between off piste skiing and technical climbing. Both very fit men, and we all had a super time.

Just enjoyed a whirlwind week with my good friend Dale Templar, who has produced a phenomenal documentary series for the BBC called 'The Human Planet.' It has been wonderful to spend time together and do some really cool things... like sitting next to my three year old, (Dale's god child), and watch her stroke a cheetah. The only sadness in an experience like this is the realisation that there are just 5 000 cheetah left in the world, and we as humans are continuing their path to extinction. However there is distinct hope for their survival in countries like South Africa, where new methods for conservation are being trialled and used. The Anatolia sheep dogs have been used for thousands of years in Turkey and the middle East to ward off predators of livestock as large as bears and wolves. Today they are being introduced onto South African farms to protect livestock. So far the results are outstanding.

My good friend Dale, and God Mummy to our eldest daughter Rosemary is paying us a special visit from the UK this week. Am looking forward to spending time with her and her family and catching up on the last 18months since we last were together. Dale is series producer of an awesome BBC production, 'The Human Planet', and I can't wait to find out how her last year of filming has been. See Gizmodo for a very cool intro: http://m.gizmodo.com/5737384/new-bbc-series-show-how-amazing-humans-can-be

Survival and protection of your assets in any walk of life is as much about being proactive in planning and preparation as it is having quick reactions, and the judgement to make the right decisions when the time arises. Working to a plan as a team is more effective than working in isolation. Watching homes with all their possessions burn to the ground, should be enough to encourage any person living in an area at risk of fire to take precautions, yet not everyone knows how to prepare. Here are a few tips I received from our local wildfire Superintendent when he paid a visit to our property: 1.) Make sure all your important documents and items are stored in one easily accessible, safe place in case you need to leave quickly, ( passports, drivers licence, cards, car keys and any medications you may need, such as asthma pumps). 2.) Ensure you have an evacuation plan, and that you are prepared. 3.) Keep your vehicle in good running order and the tank full. 4.) Ensure the guttering on your...

Summer has finally hit the Western Cape. Over the passed week daily temperatures soared to nearly 40deg C. For some the 'holiday' week may have involved ferrying irritable kids in hot cars to overcrowded beaches with no parking. Here are a couple of Cape Town's beach alternatives; outdoor, family activities where you can enjoy being active and close to nature without overheating. Silvermine Nature Reserve Part of the Table Mountain National Park, Silvermine is a great family option for all ages. Get there early, to take advantage of the shady picnic sites and take swimming costumes for a dip in the dam. The water is normally cool and refreshing, without needing to don an Atlantic Ocean wetsuit. Mum, Dad or the keen and fit can increase the activity level with a circuit run to the top of Noordhoekpiek which overlooks Houtbay. Come back and report your findings down below to the rest of the family who might well be studying the variety of flora and fauna around the dam. A gen...