After a slow start we really got stuck in yesterday. The weather had begun to turn cold but the morning was still and sunny and it was decided we would go the full hog up on the mountains.
The day nearly never got going as Lionel the Ford Ranger struggled to get up to the Tower positions on a wet, slippery and steep road. Eventually I grew some balls and just flat out flawed it through the mud - just squeezing between fallen boulders and the drop below. It was one of the occasions where momentum more than 4x4 driving skill got me through. Ok - and a bit of luck.
After placing my second beacon Richard informed me that he had reached the plateau (a 300m climb) and was making a push for the top. He told me that should he not return I could keep his bakkie but should split his remaining tequila's amongst all MHP surveyors. My walk had just begun up the heavy slope between Pig and PieBald and this entailed much huffing and puffing - though every now and again I would stare up at the Paardeberg mountain - picturing Richard on all fours hanging onto the cliff - and this would normally get me through.
Richard summited mid-morning and when asked about his climb the response was simple - "It was Death".
Richard aka "Edmund Hillary" with his mountain in the background (far back left). On the drive home last night the clouds which had covered the Berg all afternoon cleared themselves for a bit revealing a blanket of snow across the Drakensberg. A cold but awesome sight.
No comments:
Post a Comment