The Old Diocesan Issue 10 - Magazine - Page 51
EPIC
Beyond the hiking,
additional elements
include abseiling,
mountain biking,
shooting, rock
climbing and clearing
alien vegetation, plus
sailing, water-skiing
and kayaking at
the Waterbase in
Clanwilliam. There
are also outreach
programmes with
two local schools.
Route maps generated on Fatmap helped guide the way. Wolfberg Blue’s hike
with staff was about 80km, including 3,000m of ascent.
IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE to sum
up my experience in words, but
perhaps it is worth trying – the
latter being a word we learnt
the true meaning of during Epic.
I won’t go into details, but I will
provide snippets from the staff
and solo hikes respectively. The
staff hike started our experience,
with three staff members
accompanying my group of
12 boys, Wolfberg Blue. Later
we’d do the solo hike – and there
would be a 24-hour spell when
we were each truly on our own.
IT BEGAN ON A GLOOMY, windy
Tuesday, with Wolfberg Blue
dropped at the top of Pakhuis
Pass, an 80-kilometre hike south
to Sanddrif ahead of us. After
several hours, we arrived at
the Heuningvlei Hut earlier
than expected, and walked
on to discover a rocky outcrop
where we soaked in the views.
“No rest for the wicked and weary”
was the motto of our lives for
the following two weeks. The
day rolled over, and the night
was icy – but still the sun did rise.
We walked on, and on, for the
next three days, with only our dry
and redundant conversations and
a game of cards to keep us sane.
On the second-last day, we walked
for roughly 27 kilometres, taking
well over eight hours. For the last
couple of kilometres, I walked far
behind the pack, bringing up the
rear. As I passed a kink in the path,
there I saw two staff members
and eight boys strewn across
the path. With the sunlight
dwindling, they looked defeated,
many cursing the mountain
(under their breaths) and the sun
for their malevolence. So we sat,
and I wrote, “Epic is not designed
for us to beat our friends, to be
the first one home or the quickest
one out. Rather it is personal
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 47