THE CULTURE OF WALKING

“ON FOOT, THE PULSE OF THE DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS COMES THROUGH YOUR BOOTS”

THE CULTURE OF WALKING

Our ability to walk upright is thought to date back to the Early Stone Age, a period more than one and a half million years ago. It was then that our ancestors stood upright and gingerly took their first steps. These small steps would prove to be a proverbial giant leap, allowing humankind to fast-track its development along evolution’s long and winding road. Walking on two legs allowed our forebears to develop and use sophisticated tools, quickly turning them into a dominant hunter-gatherer society.

   So it was that mankind became walkers, striding proudly upright across the vast plains of ancient continents. As hunter-gatherers, they walked out of a necessity to support their nomadic lifestyle rather than for pleasure, searching the wilderness for food and shelter. Slowly this natural landscape changed as evolution marched on, with first agriculture and then industrialization taking its toll. Vast cities of concrete and steel mushroomed throughout the developed world, replacing trees, rivers, grasslands and forests with tarmac roads and soaring skyscrapers. Green belts and park lands all but disappeared in some places and soon many city dwellers found themselves captives of an unnatural environment of their own making.

   Which brings us to where we are now at the beginning of the 21^st century and, some would say, with civilization at its technological peak. Many of us find ourselves in a position where we have more income, resources and free time at our disposal than any previous generation. And in order to escape the pressure and stress of our urban environment, we buy ourselves some time in the great outdoors, because it is here that we are able to rediscover the instinctive simplicity that came so easily to our cavemen ancestors. And what better way to get in touch with our earthy side than by exploring the many natural splendors of our planet on foot?

STEPPING OUT

   In essence, walking is about undertaking small journeys of discovery. It might not be exploration on a grand scale discovering the far-flung corners of the globe, but it still captures the sensation of travelling into the unknown. You might well be on a well-trodden track, a route that you have walked many times before, but such is the beauty of nature that it will show you a new face every time.

   A glimpse of scarlet in the undergrowth might uncover a previously unnoticed flower, or a flash of feathery blue will reveal a kingfisher flitting along a stream bed.  Over the years, a hiking route will become like and old friend, ageing with you and mellowing as you get to know it better. Seasons will herald joyful changes along a regular trail, dressing it in splashes of colour in spring, or shades of green in summer, while winter will bring with it the return of stark and simple lines. Over time, trees will shake off their spindly adolescence, spreading gnarly branches in greeting when you again encounter them after a decade or two. It does not matter how many times you travel a certain way – every walk will bring with it new discoveries, allowing you to explore to your heart’s content.

ON GOOD TERMS

   Over the generation, as we tramped along our bridle-ways, country lanes and mountain paths, some walkers donned rucksacks, dressed in technical clothing and took to using specially designed equipment. Walking was no longer just a stroll in the wilds, and a host of new terms and expressions was born. Nowadays, people go hiking, trailing and backpacking all over the world. High on ridged peaks, mountaineers traverse; in canyons or gorges, individuals dabble in canyoneering or kloofing; clamber on all fours up a steep scree slope and you are elevated into the realm of scrambling; follow a route hugging the coastline and you’ll be pleased to know that you are coasteering. Many related terms exist and, it is impossible to cover all of them.

   Before we boot up though, it is useful to define two universally accepted terms associated with walking: hiking and backpacking. Although the word backpacking was originally coined to describe the process of walking in the outdoors with a pack on your back, and is a term widely used in the USA, in other parts of the world backpacking is usually associated with budget travel, and hiking has replaced it as the term used to describe a walk in nature, along a well-marked, defined pathway or route. Therefore, depending o which country you are in, you will find both hikers and backpackers walking along a trail in a conservancy or a state forest, across a public common, or in a national park, following a route, possibly with the assistance of a map, a trail-guide, or both.

   Hikes can either be single-day or short routes, or long trails that require a number of days, even weeks, to complete. Many multi-day hikes traverse wilderness areas with the aid of marked trails, with hikers having to move from Point A to Point B, possibly along a compass bearing, or with the aid of map coordinates, and usually encountering a wide variety of terrain. These expeditionary, or wilderness, hikes are usually more rigorous than hiking along marked trails and require detailed planning and preparation, as well as a higher level of experience from participants.They are frequently in remote locations, and may involve a group of people with a range of specialist skills.

   So far, so good, but the small matter of terminology does not quite end here either. Travel beyond the borders of your home country and you’ll find people talking a different walk. In New Zealand, the outdoor tribe go tramping; and Australians venture into the outback for a bush walk. A ramble across the moors might be the norm in England, but many South Africans prefer hiking, while Americans and Canadians stick to either bushwacking or backpacking.

   Venture beyond the comfortable cocoon of the first world and you will encounter a further culture shift, discovering that most people in developing countries rarely walk for pleasure. To them, walking is often an economic reality, but this does not mean that they take no pleasure from it. On the contrary, walking is often an intregal part of courtship rituals and other traditional rites, allowing individuals or groups time to get to know each other.

THE NEXT STEP

   A final observation: venturing into the great outdoors for a walk is often not about reaching a destination. For most of us, a walk is about the enjoyment of a journey on foot between two points, allowing us to take pleasure from a heady blend of fresh air, scenic views and simple exercise. Sweeping panoramas, the emerald glow of a deep forest at noon, or the invigorating scent of a mountainside alive with heater are sure to put a spring in your step.

   Soon you will feel the blood cursing through your body as you leave the daily grind behind and relish the freedom of the great outdoors. Along the way, take time out to lie beneath a spreading canopy of ancient trees, or admire the majesty of the mountains, soaking up the enchantment of nature. As our planet revolves under its wide blue sky, bask in the beauty of your surroundings. After all, unlike our cavemen ancestors, you are walking because you choose to, not because you have to.

We as hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses. Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

 

 

 

The End.

 

Safe Hiking.

 

           

References and Acknowledgements

Photos –Willem Pelser

From the Book: Hiking – The Essential Guide to Equipment and Techniques  –

                                           J Marais

Compiled by - W Pelser 

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

“IT WAS ONE OF THOSE WILD, SHINING DAYS, WHEN THE VERY AIR SEEMED POLISHED, A DAY OF FAST MOVING SKIES, AND THE CLOUDS BLAZING, A DAY OF LEANING SPIRES.”

UNKNOWN

TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

Summer: Soaring anvil clouds herald the approaching thunderstorms, precursors of lush growth, swollen rivers and rushing streams. Autumn brings forth its golden hues as the time for growth passes. Winter arrives with frosty mornings, tinder grass glistening white. Spring, warmer by the day, sees fields once burnt low flushing bright green, flowers and new leaves abound. Every season in the Drakensberg is special in its own way.

The Drakensberg lies close to the tropic of Capricorn and, in keeping with these latitudes, the climate is generally mild. From time to time, however, there are other factors that come into play, and they make for interesting and, occasionally, even severe weather conditions.

Although the warm Indian Ocean is almost 200km to the east of the Drakensberg it nevertheless plays an important part in the mountain range’s climate. From the coastline, travelling westward, the land rises steadily for about 100km. Here, it reaches an altitude of roughly 1500m and levels off to become an undulating inland plateau, dissected by a number of major rivers. To the south a number of foothill ridges protrude outwards from the mountains well into the midlands, and the topography is more extreme. In the west, presiding over it all lies the majestic Drakensberg Mountain range. More than 160km long, it rises abruptly to a height of 3 000m and more, creating a rugged barrier that affects the local weather in various ways. Be it thunderstorms or cold front, the result is often dramatic, intensifying the beauty and the extremes of nature.

For all but the winter months, the prevailing winds are from the north-east. Warm, humid air off the ocean, on its way inland, is forced higher and higher. When it reaches cooler altitudes, condensation takes place and clouds and thunderstorms form. Nowhere is this phenomenon more graphically displayed than along the Drakensberg escarpment in summer.

Every now and then the highs and lows of the pressure systems cause the wind to turn and blow strongly from the direction of the Antarctic, bringing with it colder weather.

Summer in the Drakensberg is warm, often hot. Mornings typically start with low-lying mist, especially in the valleys, but this soon burns off, absorbed by the heat of the sun. A breeze from the east brings with it more moisture, forming clouds above the peaks. By noon there is a fair chance that billowing cumulo-nimbus clouds, with their distinctive mushroom or anvil shapes, will form high above the mountains. Soon, thunder will reverberate among the peaks and lightning rake the sky. Huge raindrops will splatter the earth. Once on the move, the storm will make its way eastwards down the valleys………… often continuously reviving itself, until dissipating well out to sea, hundreds of kilometers away.

It’s a time of caution and respect for the power of nature! Walking in the mountains during an electrical storm, as spectacular as it can be, is not a good idea. In these mountains lightning has probably killed more people than all of nature’s other risks combined. One should be sure to keep well away from high ridges and not to take shelter under exposed trees. If a summer’s day trek is planned to be a long one, it is wise to get going early, even to start off well before sunrise. One has a good chance of beating both the heat of the day and the afternoon thunderstorm.

The sensations of experiencing a typical electrical storm: The rumble of the storm draws closer. The air, motionless at first, starts to bluster. It has an almost warm feeling about it. The sound of thunder becomes louder, lightning more threatening. The first drops fall. Intermittent at first, each audibly defined. Then the pace is increased, faster, louder, until the combination of thunder, wind and rain is a deafening cacophony. Suddenly the rain can be accompanied by hail. The air is charged and lightning strike the high ground all around as though you are in the middle of a war zone. In the face of nature’s onslaught, you are powerless.

Then, suddenly, as quickly as it arrived, the storm moves on. The sound of rushing water is everywhere. It spills down and off the cliffs to run through the grass, finding its way to the nearest gully. The sky becomes brighter. All around you the rocks and the landscape glistened, washed clean. Cloud, like steam, wrap the peaks, and obscure your view into the valleys below. The air is sweet with the smells of heather and grasses after their pounding by the elements. The rumblings diminish, moving away to the east. And towards the west it is dark and there is another storm forming. Soon, it will be heading your way…………

The region’s high summer rainfall can also create risk, with rivers beneath the peaks very quickly becoming swollen. If one is cut off while out hiking and there’s no alternative route, the sensible option is simply to wait for the flood to subside.

At this time of the year there is something special about the way that there is water everywhere, gurgling, and trickling in furrows and off the rocks beside the pathways. These small beginnings, from the tiniest trickle, gentle rivulet and stream, all eventually combine to form the raging torrents in the valleys below. Streams, often dormant during winter, become vibrant, with spectacular waterfalls appearing in unexpected places. Summer is also the time when wild flowers provide their colorful display and pleasant herby scents of woody fynbos and other sweet fragrances permeate the air.

We as hikers, explorers, and adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses. Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!

The End.

Safe Hiking.

References and Acknowledgements

From the book – “Best Walks of the Drakensberg” – David Bristow

Photos:  ©W Pelser

Compiled by:  Willem Pelser