Hi All,
Yesterday I posted some pics of me-n-my Landy doing the Ben 10 eco mountain passes in the Eastern Cape, and it came to me that this would be, an utterly awsome hike that can be done.
A BIT ABOUT THE CHALLANGE
It is an official challange to traverse 10 of the major passes in the Eastern Cape, in seven or less days.
It is run by mountain passes of South Africa, you register with them, pay a small fee (around R300) and then you do the passes, and you need to take photo’s of yourself at the summit boards, with the date & time on the picture.
You send your photo’s in and you get registered on the their “hero” list in perpetuity…
In no particular order, the 10 passes are: -
[Ben MacDhui Pass (3001m)
02. [Carlisleshoekspruit Pass (2563m)
03. [Volunteershoek Pass (2581m]
04. [Naudes Nek Pass (2590m]
05. [Lundin’s Nek Pass (2170m)
06. [Joubert’s Pass] (2234m)
07. [Bastervoetpad Pass] (2240m]
08. [TTT [Tiffindell-Tenahead Traverse] (2720m)
09. [Otto du Plessis Pass (2115m)
10. [Barkly Pass (2018m)
So the challange is to do the passes in any way… cycle / car / walk with or without your critter, so, between the passes you are quite at liberty to move between the passes by vehicle.
WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE
So as not to make this one hell of a lengthy post, and because there is waaaay more information on Herr Doctor Google about the challange, < search Ben 10 eco challange / www.mountain passes of South Africa> but this much I will say:-
MY OPINION
I have been bumbling around this country for the better part of 45 years on foot / bike / cars / bakkies & Landrover’s and in my humble opinion, there is nowhere more spectacular that the mountains in the Eastern Cape.
Couple that with the many places of interest, the small quaint & spectacularly beautiful town’s like Lady-Grey and many other’s it makes for a facinating and very beautiful adventure.
As stated, I did the challange in My 24 year old Landrover that goes by the name of Thewherethefuckarewecar …<Don’t ask>
Why? Well he’s a mere stripling of lad, a mere 19 years old, and I’m 3 * + that, and got rickity creaky old bones… he can do the labour, I’ll stick to the sightseeing, thank you!
I cannot adequately reccomend this as a possable hiking adventure of a lifetime destination.
Now I’ve always said, No matter how technically perfect a phot is, There is no photo that can ever adequately describe how spectacular a place is… A picture remains flat & 2 dimensional… The third dimension, the emotion of the sight or place is just not there…
For that… You just have to jolly-well go there yourself.
Notwithstanding, here are a few pics I took, I’m just a mik-n-druk photographer to give a rather bland and totally inadequate sense of the beauty.
if anyone want’s me to post more, Gladly, just comment
RGDS
Warren
SOME PICTURES TO TITTERVATE YOU
Lady-Grey dam & Picnic spot… A brooding and somehow uncomfortable place… I planned on bacon & eggs, But packed up and left for more cheerful places
Sights along the way on the challange… A mere spit-in-the-ocean of everything there is to see
The reward…
