HIKING – HARKERVILLE HIKE FOR 2009
On the 27th of February 2009, 14 VP scholars embarked on the Harkerville Hike. This scenic hiking trail is situated near the Outeniqua pass along the N2 and is a 25km trail from start to finish.
The first day was focused on the arrival at the hut with all the hikers bristling in great anticipation for the following day’s events. The evening kicked off with a braai at the well-equipped Diepwalle hut and we spent the rest of the evening chatting around the campfire. In the absence of technology it was an early night for some hikers who had nothing better to do but for those less idle it had only begun. The second day saw an early start to the 16km hike from Diepwalle to Fisantehoek. The trail began with a descent into the lush vegetation of the wilderness, before meandering along the mountain edge and then back down again. The terrain was fairly easy with one or two strenuous ascents. By afternoon we had found Fisantehoek hut, which was an old farmhouse at one stage. After an early supper we indulged in an interactive game introduced by the teachers. Not long after sunset the more active group decided to play “hide and seek” which took us into the late hours of the night before passing out from all the exertion. The third day was just as lively and although only 9km of the trail remained there were still some monstrous inclines to tackle. Before we knew it we were at the finish with thankfully no casualties.
On behalf of the hikers we would like to thank Mr Theron, Dr James, Ms Meyer and Ms Kendall for an unforgettable hike and memories that will remain with us for a long time.
ALEXANDRIA HIKING TRAIL
This hike took place outside Alexandria during the third term and this time we had a few more “intellectual” hikers.
We left early on a Saturday morning from school and drove for a few hours before we reached the start of the trail. On arrival we were warmly greeted by some staff who assisted us to transport our belongings to our destination. The morning was sunny and warming quickly and the hikers were jovial. Despite there being a trail to follow some “intellectuals” decided to take a short cut, which resulted in them taking a longer route. All in all the scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed the undulating mountainous terrain. Despite the heat and the distance all the hikers arrived safely in the late afternoon at a stylish campsite. It had a shower with hot water, which is an absolute luxury on a hike. There were two grand tents with bunk beds in each and an outside house with a kitchen and a satisfactory braai area. Amazingly, just before the campsite there is an obstacle course and a terrific “foofie” slide that extents over a large river from one bank to the other. It was this “foofie” slide that separated the men from the women and kept us occupied most of the afternoon. The evening started with the usual braai, followed by some great topics of conversations and later an ecstatic game of president. We all had an early night and retired to bed. The next day arrived all too soon and we followed the route back to where we started.
It must be mentioned that a few “bright hikers”, cheated by taking a short cut, which lead them to the finish whilst only covering half the distance. This was simply by hiking along the jeep track on top of the mountain rather than down in the winding valley. Nevertheless everyone eventually arrived at the end with time to spare. From then it was not long before we arrived back at school after a fantastic weekend.
To the dedicated teachers who assisted (Mr Theron, Dr James, Ms Meyer and Ms Kendell) in the great expedition we extend a huge thank you. If it wasn’t for them the hike would have not been possible.
Samuel Salcedo
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