Six weeks time, and Christmas is
just about over. Time, where does it go?. Again, and again we find that “Good Intentions” have not
been done for whatever number of reasons.
The main reason is that they were ONLY intentions. No firm dates were made, and so things were
not done.
Looking back on the activity of
the club for the last months, leads me to ask the question as to what is the
Club doing wrong? Hikes and our monthly
socials have been in the main very poorly attended. We as your Committee ask for your input, what
do you expect your club to offer, and organize for you ??? Please let us know,
we need something to get our members to participate in the club’s activities.
Condolences
Earlier in the year, Erica
Jacobs, one of our club members past away suddenly, and a few week ago, a very
experienced hiker, and friend of many in our club, Luciano Colombo of Mountain
Backpackers, slipped and fell to his death
whilst coming down the Camel Pass.
Luciano was the second oldest man to complete the Double Grand Traverse
with Keith Ashton, Earlier this year. Our
thoughts are with the families and friends of Erica and Luciano.
Resignations
The club sadly bids farewell to
Graham Cullinan and Grethe Simkiss who have resigned from the club due to
Graham’s recurring back problems. As a
long standing leader and hiker we will miss Graham as a leader, and as a great
hiker and cyclist we will miss Grethe.
To Graham and Grethe, our thanks go to you both for your contribution to
our club over the years. We wish Graham
a speedy and full recovery.
New First Aid Laws that affect all of our
lives
New Medical Laws that have been
in effect for some time now impact on all people who get hurt or fall sick, and
especially on 1st Aid Helpers, and anyone else who may offer the
injured help. The new laws are very
strict on who can administer ANY MEDICATION to an injured or sick person. Whether it be an aspirin,
an antibiotic wound dressing, even a plaster.
The ONLY person who may do so is a registered Doctor or
REGISTERED Medicine dispenser. These
rules are far ranging, and have serious consequences. Hence Club First Aid bags are bad news, and
illegal.
To make it simple, everyone who
hikes must carry their own 1st Aid Kit at all times. That kit must consist of what you believe you
may need in any event. From your own
headache pills, to whatever else you may need, including bandages. All the club may provide is bandages and dry
field dressings. Any medication is a
no-no. If one has simple medications
like aspirin, pain relievers, muscle relaxants, etc, one may say to the injured
– I have such and such, if you want, you may help yourself to it. The aid carrier may not suggest that you
take such and such a pill. You should
also carry your own rubber gloves, etc, as any aider may refuse to help and
injured person unless they have rubber gloves, etc to prevent coming in contact
with the injured person's blood. Don’t shout at the leader ,
or any aider who may refuse to help, the Law is not on the aiders side should
good intentions go sour. As strongly as you may feel about the subject, the Law
is clear on who may advise any pills or medication to anyone.
You should all be aware of this
legislation as it affects your lives at home, on the street, in the office or anywhere where
someone may get injured.
Mountain Backpackers have already
issued a warning about this to all their members, and any new member who joins
is issued with a booklet which lays out in the one
section about First Aid and medication.
YOU HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE TO SUPPORT YOUR CLUB - The CLUB’S Christmas Social is happening on the SUNDAY 7th of DECEMBER at the St Mathews Church in
Hesketh Drive, Pietermaritzburg. This
venue has been decided upon as there is place to hold the Xmas party irrespective of
the weather. If the day is hot, the
open gardens and lawn will be the venue, if it rains
there is plenty of undercover shelter so that the party can go on. Please put this date in your diaries, and
make the effort to support your club at its last activity of the year. See all the details in the body of the
Newsletter. See you all at the
Christmas tree
The Chairman ,
Committee Members, leaders and club
members welcome the following New Members to our club - Celia Barnes,
Christine Connolly, Yvonne Engelbrecht, Marie-Chantal Peeters’ Jenny Rooks.
CHRISTMAS PARTY (PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF
VENUE)
The annual Christmas Party will
take place on Sunday, 7 December 2008 at St Mathews Church Hall in Hesketh
Drive at a cost of R10,00 per person. Time of arrival is from 11h00. For the more energetic Allan Goddard has
been requested to lead a hike through the Conservancy which is said to be very
lovely. Members not in the mood for
walking can relax in the company of like-minded friends. Braai fires will be ready by 12h00 to
commence preparing lunch. Members
please bring meat, salads, rolls and drinks or whatever is your fancy, for
lunch. Tables, chairs, cutlery, plates,
glasses cups, saucers and spoons are available at the venue, but a few extra braai’s would be appreciated. A hall with a verandah is on site in the
event of rain (remember the 2007 downpour) as well as toilet facilities and a
kitchen. After lunch a further fun
event for which each member is requested to bring a small gift to the value of ±R15
will follow with Santa and his ‘Hairy Fairy’ handing out the gifts. Please bring a small plate of cakes/biscuits
to share for afternoon tea. Prizes will
be awarded for the various events plus prizes in a Lucky Draw. Again this year there will be the
announcement of the winners of the Best Article in the Newsletter, the
Photographic competition and the person who introduced the most new members to
the Club.
Directions: St Matthews is situated in Hesketh Drive, No
115 on the left-hand side and is well signposted Please advise your
attendance to Irene on e-mail Irene@pid.co.za, telephone 082 575 4978. We look forward to seeing you there.
ANNUAL
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Our thanks to all members who have already paid their subscriptions for
the 2008/9 year. Subscriptions were due with
effect from 1 August 2008, however there are still 42
members who have not paid even though reminders have been issued by e-mail,
newsletters and statements.
In
terms of the Club Constitution, membership ceases if subs remain unpaid 3
months from the due date - i.e. end October 2008.
However
to allow members a last chance to renew (we understand in these hectic times memory
fails us) final payment date has been extended to end of November 2008.
We do
not want to lose any members so please pay your subs as soon as possible
directly into the Club’s Bank Account as follows - R65 single and R100 family membership:
ACCOUNT NAME - MIDLANDS HIKING CLUB
BANK - NEDBANK
BRANCH - HILTON - BRANCH CODE 151925
ACCOUNT NO. - 1519007299
Please put your name as reference to assist in allocating payment.
If depositing cash please include the cash deposit fee.
You
may fax your deposit slip to 086 550 6979
If you wish to resign or do not intend renewing your membership please
would you let me know by e-mail, phone or above fax.
Thanks
again to all members who have renewed timeously, we
look forward to everyone else renewing soon and continuing with the club.
A REMINDER WHEN
INTENDING TO JOIN A HIKE/trail
Please
contact the leader of the specific hike by the Wednesday evening before the day
hike at a week-end, and as soon as possible after publication on the fixture
list for week-end hikes, trails, etc., as reservations have to be made
timeously. Also remember that hikes
requiring up-front payment should be deposited into the Club’s bank account as
soon as confirmed that you will be partaking.
CLUB BADGES
The Club has a supply of badges available
suitable for affixing to backpacks, daypacks, hats, etc. Club logos can also be embroidered on t-shirts, ten shirts are needed before we can pass them on for
completion. Badges cost R15 each and
the embroidering of the logo is R10.
The logo is as shown on the cover of your Newsletter.
ALLISON’S MOUNT GILBOA Roseanne Dix
26 July 2008
SATURDAY HIKE - about 12km including a climb of about 650
metres
19 Hikers - Margret Kirsten,
Margaret Robberts, Graham and Jean Ward, Peter Comrie, Adrian Rowe, Peter
Wedge, Neville Lee, Lindy Farrell, Jen and Mike McCrombie, Jack Long, Libby
Deysel, Iris and Alvin Stevens, Joan Templeton and Howard Townsend, Rose Dix
and our Leader, Allison Gunning.
Allison’s hikes are always so
popular and this one lived up to – and passed – all expectations.
Most of us have climbed Gilboa
several times and were possibly thinking it would be a nice bit of slightly
boring ‘leg work’. Well, exercise it
certainly was, but with an element of surprise, as this time we started off
from the neighbouring farm “BUSHWILLOW PARK” taking a completely different route through a
pristine indigenous forest, emerging higher than Grey Mare’s Tail Falls and
further to the south. Having gained a
good height, we were reluctant to backtrack down to the falls so we continued
up through grassland for an easy climb to the Gilboa Summit.
Jack Long – a legend - and one we
proudly call a friend – lead us up to the Beacon, where we relaxed in the
sunshine and exchanged news over our varied lunches.
We made our way gingerly down the newly blackened face of Gilboa…not
wanting to resort to our usual inelegant manner of descent, which would have
caused tell-tale markings on our shorts. Very little water was flowing over the
falls, but those sheer cliffs are impressive at any time of year.
We returned along the ‘old’ path
detouring through the Clivia Glade, and then back to the cars with a few
potentially wrong turns to keep us alert.
Mr Irvine Shaw has marked out
this path so clearly. He has obviously put in so much work – there
are also delightful little cottages and caravan sites which are available for
hire, …certainly opening up all sorts of new adventures for “the Boot Brigade”
Thank you Allison – your hikes
are always such a joy and you are such a patient, resourceful leader. Thank you
too, to Adrian with your maps and helpful info… a great day’s hiking with that
exciting element of surprise of being in unknown territory.
ENON / MINERVA HIKE – 12 km 400 climb Roseanne Dix
10 August 2008
Val Spicer, Lin Naylor, Fay Fenn,
Maurice Rall, Neville Lee, Bruce Aiken, Max Ramseier, Bronwyn Jones, Gillian
Cruikshank, Rose Dix, Albert Carelse, Di Tighe and our Leader, Dave Tighe
On a typically gorgeous KZN day,
we gathered at the cute little Enon Cottage, eager for Dave’s new Hike up to
the Wilderness area at the top of Minerva Heights. The first part of the hike was easy on
well-maintained plantation roads, after
which we bush-bashed through long grass
to the ever receding top where we were greeted by the vibrant reds of showy
Greyia Sutherlandii (Bottlebrush) against a bright blue sky. Apodolirions (Natal Crocus) nestled between
shiny grey rocks, sparkling against the newly burnt grassland. No wonder we drive long distances to savour
these splendours.
We lunched next to a big dam,
some of us having a well earned nap while the others caught up with news.
Dave then led us down a steep
path through a very old indigenous forest, where, if you can stop and feel the
silence, you can imagine all manner of small folk inhabiting the enormous
hollow trees.
Dave took us to a magic circle
which has been cleared in the forest, where one can camp. Imagine that!
Dave, thank you for yet another
wonderful hike and so many thanks for Di and Albert who perfected the art of tea
making.
CAMPS SITES VISITED Noël
The picturesque town of Port
Alfred must surely lay claim to two of the best camp sites in the country,
namely Medolina and Green Fountain.
Medolina featured in your Newsletter some time ago, and came very highly
recommended.
On a recent trip to the Cape we
stopped off at Green Fountain Farm Resort which includes a caravan/camping site
with trees for shade and a security fence for safety. It is situated some seven kilometers north of
Port Alfred and boasts beautifully grassed separate camp sites each one of
which has its own private ablution block.
A full sized bath, with separate shower cubicle, toilet, basin and all
the necessities such as tiled walls, mirrors, towel rails and that one
essential that so few establishments seem to think of installing, a bench on
which to put your clothes. Outside is a
wash-up trough with hot water on tap, electric plugs and shelves on which to
store utensils, food and other items. Luxury camping and the best part, no more costly than many other
camp sites.
A Braai and entertainment area
complete with swimming pool, children’s play ground and games lapa, as well as
laundry facilities are on site. Strict
security is observed with campers being provided with a disc to gain access to
the caravan/camp sites. Apparently this
is because day trippers would wander on to the property to enjoy what was for
them, a free day in the country.
On the farm are chalets, two,
three and four bedroomed en suite, a wedding chapel, conference centres and
second swimming pool. While we savoured
a delicious light lunch at The Milkshed Restaurant, geese wandered up from the
dam to take a swim in the pool before heading for the door into the Restaurant
and demanding lunch from the lady in charge.
They obviously also think highly of her culinary
skills.
While there is no direct access
to the sea, Kelly’s Blue Flag Beach is only some 10 minutes away. Port Alfred itself has much offer the
visitor who has the time to browse before moving on further down the coast.
TO ALL OUR CONTRIBUTORS:
Thank you to
all those who have contributed to the Newsletter over the past year.
Without your efforts there would be no Newsletter for our members to
know of the adventures and activities of those on Club outings. Very many thanks.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A
BRIGHT AND SUCCESSFUL 2009