I am packed and ready for my big 5-day hike through the Outeniqua mountains on our Garden Route up the east coast of the Western Cape. (Platbos to Harkerville for anyone that’s interested) we will be covering about 76 kilometres over the 5 days and the last 2 days we are expecting a LOT of RAIN. Poncho? Check!
I had loads of gear in the past, but I’ve had to get a few crucial bits in the last couple weeks to be able
to survive the 5 days out there. It’s the type of hike where you walk all day, get to sleep in a stone hut (2 out of the 4 nights there is no electricity or hot water) the other 2 night we live a charmed life with electricity and the bare basics.
Firstly getting my bag (I had a perfect bag but sold it when we thought we were emigrating - COVID killed that plan and left us with a few less items that now I’m finding I could have used) I ordered a bag online which turned out to have a little less padding than was actually necessary to carry a heavy bag for 5 days. So back at our trusty Cape Union Mart today I wangled a 10% discount on a more expensive bag that will do a far better job. I think those guys like me!
14 kilograms but to me it feels like 20!
PS. The bag in the pic is the ugly green one that I ordered online and is being returned tomorrow. I now have a very neutral charcoal grey bag that I will show you when I come home in 1 piece.
Last week I was in there trying on weather proof jackets and they didn’t have my size or an alternative colour for the one I liked. Red is probably a good option when you get lost in the mountains but I’m kinda fashion conscious and don’t plan on wearing a red jacket any other time. So I walked out with no jacket. The crazy thing is that the same afternoon I just had a feeling I should go back and try on a different jacket!
My cute mini gas cooker set!
So the next day I gave my daughter the car keys and she drove me (she’s a learner) to the mall over the mountain back to Cape Union Mart. And what do you know!!!??? As I walk in TODAY IS A 50% SALE!!! (Well, that day at least). I had had my eye on a far more expensive 3-in-1 jacket with a fancy zip up fleece and right there on the shelf it was marked R1399 instead of R2299!!!! Basically for the same price I was now getting my dream jacket AND A FLEECE!
Here’s the fun part. The lady had been helping me try on loads of jackets up until this point, so we go over to the till to ring it up and what do you know, R1799. She says nothing to me except that she quickly discounts it to R1399, while a fellow staff member runs over to the shelf and removes the price.
Next thing she leans over and say, “You’re lucky!” So I asked her why and she says, “We have to sell it to you at the price you saw on the shelf, but it’s been labelled incorrectly so you’re getting R900 off the full price.” Whoop whoop!!! So I tell her, “Jesus was looking after me today!” She laughed and agreed as she put my fancy jacket in a bag and waved goodbye.
Me:
pumped!!!
So when I went back for a tiny gas bottle today and walked out with a new backpack instead I think they must have thought I owed them from last week, but I still got that discount buddy!
All that to say I’ll miss you all this weekend and will be content creating up a storm with my trusty iPhone in my pocket. And my heavy backpack on my back.
Minnin and I went for a last minute early morning walk as the sun was rising to have a last catchup before my adventure. We do all our trail runs together but we’ve been taking it easy to avoid any silly injuries this week.
Our motto is:
DON’T FALL DOWN & DON’T BREAK ANYTHING
The timing was once again pretty epic.
So I’ll leave you with a couple gorgeous sunrise and ocean shots to keep you going until next week. Don’t get up to too much mischief while I’m gone.
Only joking!!!!! GO WILD!!!
10 ½ hours til the road trip begins and 30 hours til we start walking.
See you in a week!