The great fossil hunt: Compassberg
Originally published on Getaway
The wind is blowing our socks off. Our noses are running and we are fighting over the small pocket of oxygen around us. Dale looks at me and asks, “What are we doing, man?” I suck in as much oxygen as I could to release a feeble response. “I don’t know.” I really didn’t have a clue. Like other parts of our roadtrip to discover South African pre-historic life, climbingCompassberg was unplanned. We did not have the right gear nor were we prepared to conquer 2 502 metres of altitude.
I, clad in skinny jeans, a knitted cardigan and worn-out converse boots, had insisted that climbing Compassberg would be a walk in a park. Dale, a seasoned hiker who has conquered Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, was a bit pessimistic about the hike. He felt we were not prepared for the hike. Bianca’s quick surrender earlier did not make things easier. She had thrown in the towel at the foot of the mountain after our 90-minute walk from Compassberg Farm. She walked back to check on our photography equipment.
Now, we were at the top of Compassberg, the highest peak on the Sneeuberg mountain range. We had done it. After three hours of suffering in the wind, we had done it.
We took time to savour the moment. We listened to the rocks echoing our howls of glory and put our names on the list of people who have conquered the Eastern Cape’s second highest peak. We tried to take photographs of the incredible hike but the wind wouldn’t allow us. We had two choices. We could either take panorama shot and let the winds blow us down the cliff or sit and admire the view. We chose the latter!
After spending 30 minutes on the peak, we decided it was time to make the descent. We hadn’t followed any trails on our ascent and we had to find one before the wind blew us off the cliff. I admit, our failure to find a trail on our ascent was my fault. I was so excited about my first hike that I ended up nazi-hiking, something Dale had warned me about. According to him nazi-hikers are hikers who, in the heat of the moment, get so excited about conquering the mountain without stopping to enjoy the scenery or following any trails.Luckily, Dale found a trail marked by rocks and we followed it . However, this did not make things any better. The gusty winds continued. We sought refugee between some rocks and Dale snatched a few photographs to mark the achievement.
After Dale had taken a few photographs, the puffs seemed to calm down. To our dismay, after a few steps, the winds returned, forcing Dale to land on his knee. By now, I was a bit cynical about thriumphant descent. And the sight of the trees and wildhorses near Compassberg Guest Farm did not make things things any better. Our eyes scoured through the landscape and we could not place Bianca. We were certain that the wild horses had gone wild and buried her in the shrubbery.
After an hour and half, it was over. Well, not really. We still had a 90-minute walk back to Kompassberg Guest Farm on the 4×4 route. Oh mighty cars are 4x4s. We needed one take us home desperately. At the foot of the mountain, Dale took a few photographs of the mountain. We began our trek home with our heads down. The arid Karoo landscape seemed to be laughing at us. We had underestimated Compassberg, its offspring.
We were almost halfway, when Bianca appeared out of the bushes. Her bonding session with nature had been disturbing by the piercing stares of wildhorses. She joined us as we trekked the farm. After a few minutes, we took a drink on a stream that runs along the 4×4 route. This seemed to inject life back into our bodies and we walked home feeling proud of what we had achieved.
Climbing Compassberg, as a first-time hiker, was very tough for me. If I had listened to Dale’s wordsouldn’t have returned home with cracked lip and sun-burnt skin. However, without his guidance, I wouldn’t have survived the descent. Climbing Kompassberg with a seasoned travel journalist taught a few things about hiking and travel journalism.
What I learned
I learned to never climb a mountain without proper gear. You are put your life at risk each time you hike without proper preparation. I also learned about the perils of nazi hiking. By rushing up the mountain to reach the top of the mountain, you end up missing the scenery and not enjoying the hike.
On the travel journalism side of things, I learned that writing about stuff you’ve experienced is much more exciting than just researching them. To put it neatly in the words of Dale:”It is not the job of a travel journalist to travel and tell people where to go. We as , travel journalists travel to experience new places, new cultures and people. And if the enviroment allows it , we tell people to go and experience so they could broaden their world.” Climbing Compassberg with an accomplished travel journalist did not just broaden my world. It opened an entire;y new one. A world of travel adventure.
If you are interested in climbing Compassberg or book a place to stay at Compassberg Guest Farm contact Brenda and Alf McCabe, tel 049-842-2420.Permits cost R20.
