The church at Pella

The post brunch walk was brutal.

The winter temperatures here in Bushmanland are hotter than Johannesburg in summer and in summer here, it is not unusual to experience temperatures in the high 40's. So very hot and 16km of walking on soft sand back road tracks.

We headed from Klein Pella to Pella over a vast veld of stubby grasses and the odd scrubby plant. Then up and over a couple of passes in the mountain range up here on the border of the Orange River.

Midges buzzed constantly, sand in my shoes worsening the state of my heels. I was too weary, in need of a shower and rest to really take in the strangeness of this beautiful Catholic Church at the centre of life in Pella. It was built in 1895 by Bishop Simon.

Bushmanland walking

We were hosted in a kind and thoughtful way by the two remaining nuns, tea and homemade scones, a table set with all their best things before visiting the church. Some of the children sang, we were asked to make 3 wishes, a service was held which moved some of the group.

I am conflicted, the phrase godforsaken describes this extremely isolated community of 2000 souls but this church is their heart and their lifeblood along with the date palms dotted around the small town. A place run by women, raising children as men find whatever work they can in the greater area.

• Walking log: 17th August

Second leg of the walk, 15km. Slow, as mindful as I could be, encouragement by Fred, my body holding up ok, my feet a constant discomfort though. A little tension in the group as we are all weary and have different needs to get through each day.

Just had my feet carefully lanced and doctored and plastered by Frik ready for tomorrow.

Total kilometres to date: 62 of 301km

Temples of date palms, Klein Pella at sunrise

Bushmanland, bordering Namibia, is a vast, arid landscape, harsh and formidable. We have transitioned away form the flowers of Namaqualand to walk here in Bushmanland.

We are based at the Klein Pella Guesthouse on the largest date farm in the southern hemisphere. It is such an impressive organisation, high tech, immaculate with a caring responsible approach to the people and the place.

The accommodation is a gem. We were up before dawn to drive to the Orange River to walk the sunrise over the vast 'temples' of palms. The plantations felt like the temples in Egypt. An eerie sight these huge trees set in the desolation of a semi desert. I look forward to taking a box of their medjool dates home.

We have safari style stops to rest feet and revive a little, here we are after the first 8km this morning and the views of the palms while lying on my back....

• Walking log: 17th August

The first 16km of the walking today was from the Orange River past the palms, the precision planting of export table grapes and the business premises.

The walking was nice, even with the long slow incline all the way to the Guesthouse. My challenge is the increasingly worrisome blisters on both my heels. It is makes me anxious.

The fabulous 'Halfmens' of the Garoep Nature Reserve

The end of my first day, quietly in the lounge here at Klein Pella on the Orange River, just having had some blister management and content to have done the first 31km leg.

On the path to Garoep

We drove from Springbok to the nearby Garoep Nature Reserve to walk among the carpets of wild flowers, swathes of orange, yellow, purple and white. We passed herds of Gemsbok, Zebra and Springbok while the baboons were barking from the hills. The perspective as a walker is so different to being in a car. What a privilege. We were well taken care of by Frik and Jaco all day too.

By midday the temperature was about 23 degrees with no wind, walking on the sandy tourist route, it was very challenging at that point. My feet took some damage, a few blisters from the irritation caused by sand, heat and friction.

Apart from the sheer pleasure of the flowers I just loved meeting my first 'Halfmens', the Pachypodium Namaquanum, it has a very narrow distribution here in the Northern Cape.

Fred is enthralled with the spectacle of the flowers, he would stop, take a few photos and then run to catch up with me, as I quietly put one foot in front of the next - his energy is remarkable.

• Walking log: 16th August

The walk was in 3 parts.

9km along the access road into the Nature Reserve. Tar road. I liked the warm up exercises that we
did in the fresh Namaqualand morning air before heading off. Walked well.

14km walk along the tourist loop in the Garoep Nature Reserve. Felt fine heading off after our quick 'safari style' rest for iced tea. But it got hard going, soft sand and very hot. Felt shattered when I walked into the toilet block, put my head under water and breathed deeply. Feet were burning and a few little blisters started up.
Good rest, feet up against a wall yoga style, crackers cheese, pate and an egg and was ready for the last leg.

8km return walk out of the Reserve. Held up fine.

I am of an age with the women on the walk, but they out stride me and I fall a few minutes behind them on each leg. I an missing my 'bubble' of just the two of us walking, but need to do my own walk each day.

Ultra Walk progress: 31km of the 301km

Fred's wonderful photos from our first outing in Garoep Nature Reserve

En route, driving from Cape Town to Springbok

A cold early morning view into the Cedarberg at Kardoesie

Afternoon light on a Quiver Tree in Springbok

We have arrived in Namaqualand.

Banana milkshake and a cappuccino in the quirky Springbok Hotel, the space defies description, part bookstore, part museum, part random memorabilia, part precious rock collection, part cafe and locals having an early dinner.

The scenery and weather has been changeable all the way up the N7, cold and overcast to start but its cleared up now, a vast blue sky here in Springbok, our overnight stop before heading to Klein Pella.

The flowers from the minibus look promising, swathes of orange, yellow, white and purple, I am looking forward to walking among them.

The most fascinating thing for me today was learning about the 'circles' formed in the landscape by the underground termite colonies. They leave these circular scars in the landscape where very little grows.

The wild flowers are calling

I have been resting the last couple of days, getting the last fews things organised, starting to pack now and we leave very early tomorrow morning to meet up with our fellow walkers in Wellington for the transfer up to Springbok.

Our final itinerary has arrived and looks quite marvellous.

Eco Ventures Namaqua Ultra Walk

Programme and Route 2015

Travel from Paarl, Cape Town to Kamieskroon via Kardoesie, at the top of the Piekenierskloof Pass, for breakfast. Along the N7 to Springbok, in the heart of Namaqualand    

Accommodation & Dinner : Elkoweru guest House

Briefing before dinner

Day 1

The “Big Walk” starts at Goegap nature reserve. The route takes you along Namaqualand scenery with Quiver trees and flowering succulents. . 

Overnight and Dinner: Klein Pella Guest Farm                                             30km

Day 2   

Start before breakfast on the banks of the Orange River and walk along the unbelievable ‘forest’ of

17 000 Date Palms. After breakfast, walk to Pella for tea with the nuns at the historic Cathedral, built by French priests.

Overnight and Dinner: Klein Pella Guest Farm                                             30km

Day 3   

Walk from Klein Pella, leaving Boesmanland into the ‘Swart Rante of Steinkopf in the Copper mining area

Overnight and Dinner: Randspaar Guesthouse, Kamieskroon.  30 km

Day 4

From Grootvlei to ‘Skilpad” – Namaqualand Nature Reserve and back to ‘Bowesdorp”.  Stop for ‘Pannekoek’ along the way!. Meet Lita Cole at her nursery – the real flower of Namaqualand

Overnight and Dinner: Randspaar Guesthouse, Kamieskroon.                        30 km

Day5

Walk the Wilde Perdehoek Pass, one of the oldest Passes in Namaqualand built by Italian prisoners of war and the Messel Pad Pass down onto the ‘flats’ of Namaqualand. (Optional change to Nourivier due to roads that is washed away)

Overnight and Dinner: Randspaar Guesthouse, Kamieskroon                           30 km

Day 6

Walk from Arkoep into the Kamies Mountains for Lunch at the tea garden of Taaiboskraal. Sulene Archer will entertain you with stories of the area. Walk after lunch to the top of Kamies Pass, surrounded by farmlands and scenes that are only a reality for 6 weeks per year.

Overnight and Dinner: Randspaar Guest House, Kamieskroon                        30 km

Day 7

Take on the Kamies Pass to Leliefontein along the ridge of the mountains to Garies. Visit G’nis se winkel for dinner, and shop while drinking a glass of wine

Overnight and Dinner: Garies Guest House                                                           30 km

Day 8

Drive to the Knersvlakte Spens for coffee and a talk of the succulents find in this area. Walk ‘Brand se Berg’ into the Cedarberg Mountains with its amazing rock formations and fynbos. Today the going gets tough and the tough get going!

Overnight and dinner: Boskloof Swemgat Chalets.                                            30 km

Day 9

Walk from Boskloof, a green valley with beautiful farms and rock formations to visit ‘soldaat kop’ and the grave of CJ Louis Leipoldt. Visit the Rooibos tea factory in Clanwilliam.

Drive to Lamberts Bay

Dinner: Isabella’s Restaurant in the harbor of Lamberts Bay. 

Overnight: Albatros Guest House, Lamberts Bay                                                30 km

Day 10

Along the coast from Elands Bay to Lamberts Bay for the last leg of the 301 km Walk.  Finish on the beach at Lamberts Bay.

Dinner and Prize giving evening at Steenboksfontein at the Plaaskombuis.

Overnight: Albatros Guest House Lamberts Bay        30 km

Depart from Lamberts Bay to Cape Town International Airport, via the Pepper Tree Restaurant in Philadelphia for breakfast. 

"This Ultra Pilgrimage walk offers every one that participate an unbelievable challenge.

It was designed professionally to renew the “whole being” - the physical as well as the psychological."

Walking the distance from Johannesburg to Cape Town

Solitude of Long Beach, Noordhoek

This morning the tide at Noordhoek was perfect for a morning walk, the beach was as good as always, even though it is overcast in Cape Town today, the sea sparkled and it was a luscious green in places. Horses, a whale out to sea, avocets and stilts among the gulls, just so marvellous being out and about, breathing deeply and feeling strong.

I have now walked over 1400km in 7 months in preparation for our Ultra Walk in Namaqualand, that is the distance from Johannesburg to Cape Town. It is one of those 'who would have imagined' moments. Delighted about how this year has shaped up for Fred and me. 

The next target is 1000 miles....

• Walking log: 12th August

8km Long Beach walk in Noordhoek.

Total kilometres to date: 1407

Lilies on the Common

Keeping walking. Enjoying the flowers on the Common.

• Walking log: 11th August

5km midweek speed walk.

Total kilometres to date: 1400

Salty sea air along the Atlantic Seaboard

Atlantic Seaboard walking

Yet another quite glorious morning in Cape Town. Clear blue winter skies, a fresh salty breeze and a great walk along the Atlantic Seaboard from Granger Bay to Seapoint. The promenade was busy with people out and about and I loved being part of it all.

• Walking log: 10th August

12km walk. Feeling more and more nervous, each niggle of my knee or an ache in my feet is getting me anxious. It is time to start the Ultra Walk now!

Total kilometres to date: 1394

Umbrella pines and fynbos

Map from Mike Lundy's book Easy Walks

Another fabulous walk here in Cape Town, the Pipe Track. I so love the huge Umbrella Pines along the way with their knarly roots exposed on the path. The fynbos is also coming into colour, lots of white, yellow and purple flowers dotted the mountainside.

It was much cooler on the mountain this morning as we stepped out as the walk is mostly in the shade to start.

The views, as always, are remarkable down to Camps Bay and Bakoven. The path was busy and social too.

• Walking log: 9th August

10km contour path walk along The Pipe Track. Always tricky underfoot with the broken stones, exposed roots and uneven steps. I can feel the exercise in both my feet and knees.

Total kilometres to date: 1382

A return to the starting point

Beauty of a walk along the shore from Muizenburg to the Kalk Bay Lighthouse

This walk from Muizenburg, along the St. James Walkway and into Kalk Bay was the first walk of our preparation, exactly 7 months ago, on the 9th January. Here I am again, this is a joyous walk, each and every time.

Everything is different and nothing is different.

• Walking log: 8th August

8km shoreside walk.

Total kilometres to date: 1372

The 'winter face' of the Rondebosch Common

The Rondebosch Common, Vibrant green.

Back in Cape Town. It seems fitting to be starting my last week of walking preparation here in Cape Town, where it all started 7 months ago.

The Common was beautiful this morning, a vibrant green and the spring flowers are starting to pop out too. This 'winter face' of the Common is so special and I am pleased I am here to see it again as I do my walking laps.

• Walking log: 7th August

5km speed walk around the Rondebosch Common.

Total kilometres to date: 1364

Final quick walk in Johannesburg

So here I am, seven months after making the decision to do the Ultra Walk in Namaqualand, getting ready to drive down to the Cape tomorrow.

This morning as we headed out for a quick final lap of Munro Drive and our golf course I am both nervous and excited to get going.

There is no answer about whether I have done enough preparation but I have put my heart and soul into the venture, done the work, done the planning and all that is left is to have the determination.

Fred and I celebrated with a good cuppa at our new local here in Norwood, the Coffee Exchange.

• Walking log: 4th August

8km power walk up Munro Drive

Total kilometres to date: 1359

The park in winter

Wow it was a particularly cold start to our Saturday morning walk, about 3 degrees and the wind was icy.

It warmed up though as we covered the kilometres, up and over Munro Drive and through the central suburbs as we made our way to Voodoo Lily Cafe in Birdhaven for our usual of poached eggs on rye and a large cappuccino, so welcome after the 10 kilometres and the cold.

We are certainly still in the grip of winter, our grass in the city parks is gold and trees still bare with no hint of buds as yet.

The landscaped 'erratics' looked marvellous today.

• Walking log: 1st August

14.5 kilometres.

Total kilometres to date: 1346.5

• Walking log: 2nd August

4.5km easy sunday morning walk around the golf course.

Walking companions: Ian and Julie Wedderburn

Total kilometres to date: 1351