Adventure

Scott / Amundsen Centenary Race to the South Pole

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:29:13 +0100

I have recently returned from an epic race to the South Pole! Pete Van Kets and I represented South Africa in the Scott / Amundsen Centenary Race to the South Pole. Seven teams from six nations took part with us coming 3rd. Only three teams made it officially. The first of the British teams were emergency evacuated by aircraft after one of the team contracted bilateral pneumonia and almost losing his life. The second British team saw a team member breaking his arm. They decided to try a...

Mkhambathi Nature Reserve…I’ve found what I’m looking for

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:08:43 +0100

I think I have found what I’m looking for. Mkhambathi Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape is one of the most photogenic, pristine and priceless places I have been on my Year in the Wild. There is so much to admire about this relatively small 7000 hectare reserve on the northern Wild Coast of South Africa. Excuse all the superlatives which you’ll come across in this blog..but this place deserves them. The reserve runs along spectacular coastline, where calm inlets offer respite from the hu...

Revamp yourself and WIN with the Schick Adventure Boot Camp Challenge!

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:16:10 +0100

STAND IN LINE TO WIN YOUR SHARE IN PRIZES VALUED AT R100 000! Do you find yourself thinking ‘If only I could start again? If only I had more time to prepare healthy meals and eat properly? If only I had the motivation to exercise enough to stay slim, keep fit and be healthy. If only I had taken better care of myself when I was younger? If only I had the finances to get the support I need?’ For most of us life is demanding and for many of us it’s easier to focus on work, the kids, o...

More than motoring: a Nüvi on the move...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:42:57 +0100

As a motoring journalist, I often get to play with really fancy, expensive cars. But I've noticed that it isn't just the break-the-bank machines that come with built-in navigation these days: little piddly cars have these systems too, even though they are quite often fitted as expensive options. Incidentally, from a car buying point of view, it is never a great idea to spend extra money on optional extras for your new car. Firstly, you can't keep them when you sell the car; and secondly the used ...

6 Weeks till Roof of Africa race

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:28:23 +0100

At the end of September i took another trip down to Lesotho to do some more Roof Training with Enduro World. This time i decided to try my Yamaha YZ125 as it is much lighter then the YZ250F and easier to start. The last time i rode a 2 stroke was a year ago so ofcourse i had some getting used to. After burning 3 clutches i got the hang of it and was flying around the Lesotho Mountains using my Garmin Foretrex 401. I am very happy to say i have mastered the whole navigation skills!...

Voetspore: All-terrain vehicles

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:22:31 +0100

The Voetspore team has been making steady progress on the Agulhas Alexandria expedition. Currently the six guys in their three Amaroks are halfway there. The journey had taken them from South Africa to Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda where they crossed the Equator.

Riding on the roof of Africa

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:19:56 +0100

This past month I went with Enduro World to Lesotho to do Roof of Africa Training. We rode in Ramabanta over four days.We rode on the old Roof tracks and did some of the common passes that will be in this years Roof like, Black Neck, Spiderman and 2 Tits pass. I could finally test out my Garmin Foretrex 401 in the Maulti mountains and learn how to use it properly. I found it quiet tough in the beginning to the follow the Garmin but in the end I was like a pro. It helps alot to be able to navigate...

Ripples for Good: What is your big adventure?

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:50:46 +0100

"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."-- Rabindranath TagoreYour life reflects your decisions: what are yours?The poet David Whyte asks: what is the courageous conversation I am refusing to have with myself, in my own heart and mind with regard to my work and the present life threshold on which I find myself?For each of us, there is a courageous conversation waiting to be had....

Year in the Wild - Kgalagadi National Park

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:07:11 +0100

I am now in the Kgalagadi National Park as part of my year-long journey to 31 of South Africa's most special nature reserves. This part of our country is so very different to the rest...and it feels very FAR from anywhere else. That's partly because it actually is...it's a good 1 000km from Joburg, and even farther from Cape Town.

Voetspore

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:19:45 +0100

We are getting ready to go. The plan is to leave Pretoria on 1 September, overnight at Victoria West, and travel to Agulhas on the2nd. On the 3rd we’ll spend some time at the southernmost tip of Africa, before the journey starts in all earnest on 4 September, early in the morning, at the lighthouse of cape Agulhas. The first section we invite other people to travel with us. it will be hectic, but is will be fun. First aim is to get to the southern Drakensberg, and the hamlet Rhodes. From there ...

Riding the storm

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:45:59 +0100

This past month I have been training up a storm for The Roof of Africa. On the 2 July i raced the Liqourland Kei National Enduro down in P.E and after my bike catching on fire on the first lap I went out again for a second lap and took the Win in the Ladies class. The folloowing weekend 9 July was the Enduro World Cross Country (EWXC) and the Women in Motorsport (WIM) races which fell together as one race, after a tough first 2 laps from a serious amount of arm pump i got a 2nd place in both the ...

The Band 4 Hope Project

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:28:31 +0100

We’re always on the look out for craftspeople who we can develop products with to sell through our shop, Vagabond Van. Through ongoing trade, we hope that we can help the wonderful people we meet along the way and share their talent with you.Near Harare, in Zimbabwe, we came across a business which produces copper and zinc bands (which are believed to have empowering properties but I’ll save that for another post)....

Conquering mountains

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:21:27 +0100

This morning my trusty Forerunner 305 and I went for our first run on the mountain in 15 very long weeks of non-running (forced rehab to heal a femoral stress fracture I picked up while training for the Namib Desert Challenge earlier this year).

The Vagabond Diaries: The Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:12:52 +0100

Usually, the most stand out moments of our journey have been unplanned and have cost very little.Like the magical evening when we called bush babies from their tree top slumber and fed them gooey bananas in Swaziland. In between sleepy munches, these primates gripped our similar but much bigger hands with their own tiny digits. It was enchanting.Or when we found the perfect spot to set up camp on a dry river bed deep in Kaokaland and could hear the laughter and ancient melodies of a nearby Himba ...

The Wild Coast Hike

Thu, 19 May 2011 19:00:20 +0100

The Transkei is an amazing coastline which is hugely diverse with some spectacular unpopulated areas. We always talked about walking the Transkei and last year we made the commitment by starting the first leg. Because of time constraints, we divided the coatline into three parts for three years during the Easeter holidays. Port Edward to Port St Johns last year, Port St Johns to Hole in the wall this year and Hole in the wall to Kei River next year.The Haworths joined us this year and we spent th...

A life waaaaay less ordinary

Thu, 19 May 2011 18:52:53 +0100

As if skydiving fulltime isnt enough to get the adrenaline flowing— it was time for Charles and Ralph to take a road trip. It wasn’t to be any thing special just a quick trip to Mozambique involving scuba diving eating fresh crayfish and drinking lots of beer.WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONGWe elected to take the VW Touareg it was Charles pride and joy and a four wheel drive with a lot more than your average comfort level. After many exciting days encompassing all a road trip could throw at u...