#die hel

Gamkaskloof, South Africa David Skok

This isn't a joke. No really, Die Hel is so amazing that it's difficult to describe what I felt when I was there. Before Christians crucify me for blasphemy, I'll give the context. My beautiful friends have this crazy notion that we must hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. I know! Crazy, right?! Anyway, I've made it clear from the start that I'll take the trip, but spend my time chilling while they break a sweat on Kilimanjaro. Towards the end of the last year we agreed to go on a three-day hike at the start of this year, as practice. I agreed just to practice moral support. It still took numerous conversations with my heart to deal with the reality of what I'd got myself into! Oh, I must mention that hike organiser is Mr Outdoors! With a little OCD and every cause to be worried about us noobs (people new to hiking). We got 6 attachments of information brochures, a long list of must haves, dos and don'ts, pictures of the destination, etc. Honestly, I read the mail, opened one attachment and panicked! Three days, a total of 40kms to hike, no electricity, no hot running water, anything you want you must carry in your backpack, allergy creams and pills, hiking boots, blister possibilities and hiking with people unknown to me! But, I promised and I was thus committed to going, for better or worse. I work with very outdoorsy people, who were very excited to help and give tips, as I'm not an outdoorsy girl at all! First dilemma: sleeping bag. I knew I had one, but I hadn't seen it in 12 years! Thanks gran for keeping things in order. Right, that's off the list. My people at the office hooked up a hiking backpack with carrying instructions, amid a barrel of laughs in the office, as the backpack was about half my size. My boss was willing to organise his rogue brother for me in case it was a partners hike. I went to the pharmacy for my "medical kit" of goodies. I practiced packing my hiking bag, as per the e-mail's instructions. We bought food the day before the hike, intent not to cook and carry light. All in all, I was armed and ready. 4 January 2012: arrive at Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area. Sun screen on, sunglasses on, caps on and backpacks on, we left the cars and got out there, our party of six. What I wasn't ready for was the test to my human spirit, especially on the hike back on our last day. It was an absolute test of endurance and my body and mind amazingly pulled through it all. I vowed from day 1 after we hiked to the cottage that I won't hike again, but Die Hel on day 2 was definitely worth it, along with the company. It is one of the largest natural rock pools in the Western Cape. We spent the entire day there and I wouldn't give up that experience for anything! I did burn and peel ever so badly, but I got an amazing experience exploring this one hidden treasure of this beautiful country with my amazing friends and the people important to them. It truly was a slice of heaven not to indulge in again. That's right. It's ticked off the list as achieved; no need to go back, unless by helicopter. My best out of coming back home from all this is that I finally understood why my gran was resistant for me to go on the hike: she thought when I said hiking, that I meant hitchhiking and was naturally worried for my safety. Next to that is finding out that Mr Outdoors is terrified and I mean insanely, irrationally freaked out by spiders! Who would have thought!