On the hike, we experienced the genuine wilderness, barely seeing another soul. The terrain varied greatly between desert, forest and all sorts in between. We walked across high mountains, beautiful waterfalls, floral meadows and perhaps most striking, the bizarre natural rock structures formed when the Cederbergs began life under the sea.
The cycle ride is more than just an enjoyable experience to look back on. It will live in my mind as a life changing week, pushing my body each day whilst enjoying some of the world’s most stunning scenery and forging new friends along the way. The South African countryside provides a remarkable backdrop. The Witfontein nature reserve, the calm waters of Plettenberg Bay and the windy point of Cape Agulhas will be abiding memories. Simply phenomenal, and something that I cannot recommend highly enough.
The stay in Cape Town and visit to the hospital were incredibly evoking and I would recommend this humbling experience to anyone seeking a different South African adventure.
The Cederberg is beautiful, more so than I could ever do justice to and I will never forget the stunning scenery. Our guides made sure we saw the best of this country and after climbing onto a ledge at 4,000 feet I will never again say I am afraid of heights!
My team of hikers were nicer than I could have wished for, especially since I came into this knowing nobody, and I am thankful that we got on so well!
What makes it even more worthwhile is The Phoenix Burns Project – the charity we were raising money for. To see our money going to such an amazing cause that works so hard to help children was a great privilege and I only hope I can do more for them with ABC in the future.
The ride itself was far more impressive, and gruelling, than I had ever imagined, but I have never been happier to go through so much pain! The group were fantastic, and some great memories were shared on that trip, and certain aspects particularly stand out, whether it be seeing the game, the unbelievable scenery or merely the first ice cold pint after a long day’s cycling.
The most important and poignant time of the trip was visiting the townships in Cape Town and the new burns unit of the Children’s Red Cross War Memorial Hospital where so many of the burns incidents occur and are treated. It was rewarding and emotional seeing that some of the children were amazingly upbeat even in those circumstances and knowing that we had done a little something to help them and their families.
The ride at times was extremely challenging, however we were continually rewarded with the incredible views of mountainous landscapes and African plains and a real sense of achievement. More importantly, the visit to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town really put things into context and made us realise what a fantastic and worthwhile cause the somewhat exhausting adventure had been for. I would thoroughly recommend such a challenge to anyone!
It proved to be a true life experience and much more rewarding than I had ever imagined! I tested myself physically in ways never experienced before, witnessed some spectacular sights of scenery, game and whales, laughed frequently and made some great new friends of all ages!
Great team, amazing cause, incredible experience!
The ride proved to be the most physically demanding challenge I have ever undertaken but without doubt the most fun and rewarding 8 or 9 days of my life. The camaraderie and team spirit throughout the whole cycling party made time on and off the bike so enjoyable and I made many new friends.
