Part of our #richtersveld mission during the Isuzu South Africa#BeyondAukoerebis Expedition has always been getting every member of our families to experience #adventure, sometimes a touch beyond their comfort zones. The #Tatasberg ascent was a case in point …
What seemed a straightforward #peakbagging mission morphed into a solid few hours on one of the highest peaks in this extreme and decidedly arid environment. A gargantuan boulder field at the foot of the mountain meant the group split early on, with Karyn Marais and Kim van Kets following a rugged gully to the east, while I kept a watchful eye on Robster bounding along a steep line to the east.
Densen Magaisa and Peter Kirk joined up as we approached the false summit, before trekking into a final traverse in search of a line onto the final 20m-plus cliffs. A few edgy scrambles and jumps really tested the boys, and we all got our endorphins properly kick-started en route to the giant summit rock.
We managed to find a slightly easier line down, but the Drip Drop SA sure came in handy. Kim took a tumble on a loose rock and sliced open her calf, and it just goes to show how easily things can go wrong. Fortunately, KVK is a seasoned adventure racer, and handled the painful trek – as well as an emergency cross-border mission and 19 stitches – like the Wonder Woman she is.
Right now, the #BeyondAukoerebis Crew is holed up against a howling gale in quirky-beautiful #LuderitzBay, with German confections and Gothic architecture all round. But the long road to #FishRiverCanyon and the gorgeous Gondwana Collection Namibia Private Mountain Camp is waiting. But first we have a date with the #Kolmanskop Ghost Town at dawn
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