Hi Everyone
SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2011 – SILVERMINE SOUTH / EAST (GATE 2 / THE R5 GATE / THE MUIZENBERG SIDE OF OUKAAPSEWEG)
Start Time and Place
07h15 from the car park just inside Silvermine Gate 2. If you come up Ou Kaapseweg from Tokai: when you reach the top of the pass the road flattens out for a short while, you pass the turn-off on the right which leads to Gate 1 and then the road starts dropping into the Silvermine Valley. As it begins to drop you will see a road sign indicating a road coming in from the left. Gently start applying brakes because it comes up rather suddenly on a leftward bend in the road and there on the left you will see a gravel road with a gate across it. A pleasant gentleman should be in attendance but only from 07h00; hence the slightly later start. He will require a R5 entrance fee. Although technically a Wild Card should get you in free, be nice and give him R5 anyway for being there to keep the “wildlife” away from the cars. The car park is just inside the gate.
Route
We will keep it a bit shorter to cater for any Sky Runners who are looking for a lighter leg-stretch after their magnificent efforts this last weekend. Well done to everyone who participated in it.
From the car park we will head off left and climb the little valley east of Wolfkop and from there we will skirt the Higher Steenberg Peak and drop down to the “antenna farm” next to the Lower Steenberg Peak. From there we will climb Muizenberg Peak and then descend Pecks Valley o’ a Million Steps. We will then take the contour across to Weary Willy’s Wait (desperately trying to avoid the climb up to Nellie’s Pool). This is where things start becoming a little negotiable. We will start climbing Echo Valley. If we have the services of Douglas and Michael we will try and find “that other cave” that Douglas was going to show us last time we were in this area. If not, we can either potter around looking for it or we can head straight up Echo Valley to the Amphitheatre. From there we will continue our Tour de Valleys by heading over to the top of Spes Bona Valley, down Spes Bona and left up to Nellie’s Pool. We will then take the gravel road to Junction Pool and head back to the cars along the single track that runs parallel to the road for a while and then drops onto the road for a quick sprint back to the cars.
Running Time
Approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours. A bit longer if we find the cave and faff around it a bit.
Distance
Probably not more than 15km
Difficulty
I wouldn’t call it easy but it is on the easy side of moderate.
Important Notes
1. Who knows what is going on with the weather these days so please be prepared for all eventualities in terms of clothes, kit and nutritional requirements. Water is becoming increasingly scarce on the mountain.
2. There is no cell phone reception at the start point. So don’t be late because you won’t be able to let us know.
3. No scary drop-offs and height exposure this week.
4. Please wear sunblock, hate / cap and snake-repellent (ask Bianca – see below).
5. Please sign the attendance register before starting.
6. Have fun.
REPORT BACK ON INDIA-VENSTER / CORRIDOR RUN
I have no idea why it’s taken us so long to bring India-Venster into our runs. I guess it’s because last time we tried starting a run with a climb (the Diagonal Route) there was an immense amount of moaning, Sandra was overcome with heat and had to turn back and the fast group got lost. Having only done India-Venster twice in my life (both a long time ago) I was, understandably, a little nervous when we started out. But not as nervous as I could have been. Having the super-knowledgeable CRAG-man Rod Prodgers (doing his very first acsis VOB Trail Run) and Snake-Whisperer Bronwyn (who at least has also done the route before) definitely helped settle the nerves. Of course within minutes the usual light-hearted moaning about the initial climb was soon echoing around the ravines.
The moaning gave way to quiet nervousness as we hit the rock pitches between India and Africa Ravines. This is the first time I have done them since the steel staples were put in and the climb is now significantly easier than it was. Having said this, it is still a good way to find out if you have a fear of heights. A couple of these emerged on the day and I guess I was not the most popular person in the group at this point. The nerves caused Durbanite new-comer Grant to lose control of his alphabet momentarily and he innocently referred to VOB as VOC. There was a horrified silence as he teetered on the brink of a “Literacy Award” for a moment. But we will give him a suspended sentence for his first offence. After the last little scramble at Fountain Ledge the mood lightened significantly and then the yakking started and never stopped again. Certain people actually managed to talk on the out-breath AND the in-breath. Poor Jane and Kathleen had to wait for 45 minutes for us at the top of Platteklip as they had taken the dog-friendly route up Platteklip to the summit.
From this point the run took on a very social note. The chatting continued unabated, the like of which I have not heard since Lorien last ran with us. This did, however, cause a speed-split in the group. By the time we got to Echo Valley the gap between quickies (as in fast runners) and the more conversationally-inclined was starting to widen. I asked Jane if she would mind leading the faster group as she knew the route well. The fleeting glimpse of horror past across her face which was soon replaced by her trademark determination. By all accounts the fast group battled to keep up with her rather than the other way round. Thanks for taking on this task Jane. Awesome that you have discovered now what we knew all along, that your place is amongst the fast runners.
All went well for the rest of the run, although I did see an ankle-crunching fall in the group that took the short route down Kasteelspoort. I don’t have the details yet but I am expecting Sian’s report any moment now so that we can deliberate over a Sailing Sandra Award. Once we were down on the final, open section of the Pipe Track we regrouped for a last time before the final dash in to the car park. Bianca hauled out a wad of tissues to daintily dab her nose but failed to see that a tissue fell on the ground behind her. I accusingly said: “Bianca!” and pointed at the ground behind her where the offending tissue lay. The groups underlying concern about snakes volcanoed out. Bianca (and others, it must be said) completely misinterpreted the gesture, imagining that there was a fanged terror about to feast on her calves. Panic spread across her face, a quick “sprint-on-the-spot” and then a scream that shattered windows around Camps Bay and had us all diving for cover. The subsequent laughter was punctuated by a surprisingly hard punch to my arm. Bianca clearly works out. The adrenalin helped us all to finish strongly and then settle down to an ICE cold beer with Geoff and Robyn.
Chuck Norris Award: Bronwyn Pithey for doing her first hard-core trail run without an ankle-brace (and without incident) after shattering her ankle a while back. Great stuff Bronwyn. Great return to form. Well done.
Thanks All. A great run.
Have a great week, Everyone.
Cheers
Tim
Tim Bellairs (Sir)
acsis VOB Trail Running
Cell: 082 321-0299
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