Traversing the Cederberg
The surreal landscape of twisted, carved, and contorted rock formations consumed our lives for the days to follow… 2015 will undoubtedly go down as the year I fell in love with the Cederberg. It’s been a long time coming, to properly unearth my soul in amongst this craggy spectacle that lies somewhere north of Cape … Continue reading Traversing the Cederberg
Cape 2 Knysna 2015 video
Cederberg 2015: Tour de Tafelberg
“You’re planning the next trip and your saddle is still warm?!”, a good running friend chirped once, summing up in a nutshell my obsession for escaping for days on end on the bike. But a quick swipe of the fingers recently through the dusty layers that had built up on everything in the workshop, following … Continue reading Cederberg 2015: Tour de Tafelberg
Orange River 2014
Lifeblood: the indispensable factor or influence that gives something its strength and vitality Heading north again, but truth be told, this wasn’t just another river trip – this year the dirty thirties finally gave way graciously to the naughty forties, and all I wanted to celebrate the occasion was to escape to the one piece … Continue reading Orange River 2014
Cape2Knysna Challenge video
Cape2Knysna Challenge, 2014
A few days off work. An entry to the Knysna Forest Marathon. And another petrol price hike. Three perfect ingredients to justify getting on your bike and riding off over the horizon on another adventure. And thus was born the Cape2Knysna challenge, a kind of dodgy attempt to combine a holiday, exercise and sightseeing all … Continue reading Cape2Knysna Challenge, 2014
Tankwa calling
No one goes into the driest place in our country without good reason. Even fewer venture through without a destination on the other side. You don’t just accidentally stumble into the Tankwa. My introduction to this desert landscape came a few years back when our family weekend getaway turned into an exploration of a more … Continue reading Tankwa calling
It started off as an innocent idea…
Over the years of living in Cape Town I’ve had the very good fortune of visiting the beautiful Overberg town of Greyton from time to time. It’s one of those step-back-in-time villages, nestled in amongst the mountains that start forming the dividing line of the Klein Karoo and the garden route. At different times of … Continue reading It started off as an innocent idea…
Seweweeks Port Triathlon – Hike. Bike. Braai.
Seweweekspoort. Being a Natal boy who’s understanding of Afrikaans is dismally poor I always thought this was the name of a finely matured port (wine can mature in seven weeks, right?), so when the invitation came to join three good mates, Cobus, Andre, and Stif, to experience this wonder I naturally expected the outing to … Continue reading Seweweeks Port Triathlon – Hike. Bike. Braai.
Saturday night – boys night out with a difference
It had been a week of watching every conceivable weather forecast and prediction, trying to decide if our weekend exercise would consist of a ride, a morning run, or a hike… By Thursday the forecasts were deteriorating sufficiently to show a healthy weather system right on our doorstep that should dump a truck load of … Continue reading Saturday night – boys night out with a difference
the abominable trail runner
Another magic outing up to Victoria Peak in the Jonkershoek yesterday with brothers Andre and Charl. After successfully roping me into the Freedom Challenge, it’s great to see Charl start training towards upholding his end of the deal – running the Puffer next year (him being the cyclist and me the runner we thought it … Continue reading the abominable trail runner
Freedom footage
The daily scribblings of a Freedom Challenge rider, covering the 2300km route as it winds its way across South Africa. Part 1 – from the start in Pietermaritzburg to arriving in Romansfontein on day 9. Part 2 – day 10 to arriving in Prince Albert on day 19. Part 3 – from Prince Albert, via … Continue reading Freedom footage
Freedom Challenge – The dark days.
Part of the final video, covering Days 13 to 16, the dark days of the Freedom Challenge, and the start of my solo part of the journey across South Africa. Staring in the eyes of the moments that almost put an end to a dream. Turn the sound up – its a truly beautiful song, … Continue reading Freedom Challenge – The dark days.
Freedom Challenge 2013
Every now and then you stumble upon something new. Something that flicks a switch inside and brings you back to life. Something that snatches you from the daily routines and makes you aware of much more than you would have discovered while staring into your coffee cup at 4am trying to figure out why you … Continue reading Freedom Challenge 2013
The Bicycle Diaries
In just a few days time I will be setting off to tackle the Freedom Challenge – a dream of many years finally starting to come true with the first step on Wednesday – standing on the starting line. Its been a huge task just to get to the start line, in-between the dreaming lay … Continue reading The Bicycle Diaries
Chapmans Peak sunset
Conditions like these dont happen very often. For two days Cape Town had been buried beneath a layer of fog that had swept in off the cold Atlantic ocean and covered Cape Town from mountain range to mountain range. Even the airport had to shut its doors because the fog was too thick for the … Continue reading Chapmans Peak sunset
Tour de Towerkop 2013
Some photos from a training ride in the Karoo in early May with brothers Andre and Charl. These lads are seriously accomplished riders, with both having spent most of their lives in the saddle, and Charl having 25 Argus Cycle Tours to his name, the majority sub-3hrs. No rocket science needed to know I spent … Continue reading Tour de Towerkop 2013
Trying to make London my new home
If you’d stumbled upon that title out of the blue you’ll be forgiven for thinking that I had abandoned die vaderland and stowed away on a ship bound for the distant shores of Europe with no looking back. As tempting as the thought of earning a living in the land of the 14-to-1-Pound is, deciding … Continue reading Trying to make London my new home
Nog ‘n een
an ominous sign for a paddling trip… Luck favours the prepared. Or rather, in my case, a spirit that cant resist an excuse to drop tools and leave town for a few days on another adventure. If my memory serves correct the invite to join the trip actually came months ago so the ‘prepared’ part … Continue reading Nog ‘n een
snowmen and trails
It was early afternoon in August last year. I was back down at the car beaming a broad smile after one of the most spectacular trail run. I had just been introduced to a new area and a new range of absolutely breathtaking mountains and scenery. We had run the Jonkershoek valley outside Stellenbosch, and … Continue reading snowmen and trails
knocking on heavens door – Orange River ’06 to ’12
We all have a place we can go to hide. To run away. To find ones soul. To be lost, even if just for a while. For some it is in the mountains, the slow lingering beauty of the landscape beneath in reaching the summit, or in those brief few moments of absolute focus found … Continue reading knocking on heavens door – Orange River ’06 to ’12
Calm waters
Paddling into the afternoon on day 4 on a beautifully scenic and calm section of the river Continue reading Calm waters
On our way to the put-in
Listening for banjos
Sunset on Orange
Blessed to be on this beautiful river again. Looking forward to waving goodbye to civilisation tomorrow as we get onto the water Continue reading Sunset on Orange
Standard issue on a roadtrip :)
On that familiar road north
ready for the next adventure
Getting excited now, leaving the world behind tomorrow as we head north to the river. 4a.m. here we come! Continue reading ready for the next adventure
A trial by fire – an interesting introduction to the world of adventure racing…
I have always wanted to get to know the mountains above and around Franschoek. Ever since descending the Jonkershoek mountains in that epic snow run, and standing on the Bergriviersnek saddle staring down the barrel of the Assegaaiboschkloof valley that runs towards Franschoek. The curious part of me desperately wanted to go back and explore … Continue reading A trial by fire – an interesting introduction to the world of adventure racing…
Puffer 2011
the final few kms along Signal Hill Rd. Photo: Charl VD Spuy Another lesson learnt, and more respect to the mountains. Familiar faces gathering, a close-knit trail community huddled around in the pre-dawn chill for one of the country’s toughest ultras. The wind whips up off the ocean beneath as we take shelter in the … Continue reading Puffer 2011
Tuffer Puffer 100 miler – 2010
It was supposed to be easier this year. The experience gained from having pushed those unknown boundaries last year, the ‘been there, done that’ mindset implies you can do it again, but from a week out I knew this was not going to be any easier second time around. The months of training and preparation … Continue reading Tuffer Puffer 100 miler – 2010
Tuffer Puffer 100 Miler – 2009
You begin life on all fours. Crawling. Then walking. Jogging. Running. You do your first 5km time trial, then 10, then half marathon, then full.. somewhere along the line you are inspired and decide to submit an entry to the Two Oceans almost hoping it will get lost so you’ve at least tried. But it … Continue reading Tuffer Puffer 100 Miler – 2009
winter wonderland
Another beautiful run in a winter wonderland. After a promising weather forecast predicting more snowfalls on the Boland mountains we set off again in search of the white stuff. My company this time, the legendary ultra trail champ Linda recovering from a 3 month injury-rehab session which meant I finally stood a chance of keeping … Continue reading winter wonderland
run like a yeti…
Photos from a truly spectacular run in the Jonkershoek Mountains behind Stellenbosch yesterday in amazing conditions, a reminder (if we ever needed it!) of why we love trail running. The route took us from the Panorama Trail parking lot, up the “Corkscrew” (if a pass has a name like that you got to know what … Continue reading run like a yeti…
Towerkop 2008
Climbing the legendary Towerkop outside Ladismith, 2008 Towerkop (2189m) is one of the five major peaks in the Klein Swartberg range. The first known attempt to climb it was made by a Mr Ziervogel and party in 1850, but their attempt failed through a severe thunderstorm, in which several of the party nearly lost their … Continue reading Towerkop 2008
The Double
At 8pm, Friday night we set off to tackle the Double Hout Bay Trail Challenge, an out and back and back and out and clockwise and anticlockwise combination that involved around 80kms of trails on the mountains around Hout Bay. For those out-of-towners whose only knowledge of Hout Bay is related to fish & chips, … Continue reading The Double
Breede memories, ‘the best of…’
Breede River, Source to sea… this is our story
click here to download the full story (PDF) – Breede Source-to-sea Continue reading Breede River, Source to sea… this is our story
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