Time for another Fish River Canyon post, and on the third day things definitely started to fall into place. But, slowly does it, I was told this week that “good things take time” and this series is taking time. I will keep the posts the Fish River Canyon flowing and put a complete guide together right at the end.
At this stage of our Fish River Canyon Adventure, it was definitely time to travel far. My family has a little secret for days that we have to hike far, and that is to get up in the dark and go… Somehow miles before breakfast, in the dark, don’t count in my head.
I had forgotten about this, but quite by fluke, our team decided that to cover the distances we needed to cover to get to the finish timeously, we would have to start hiking in the dark…
And those bright dots in the centre of the photograph were the famous wild horses of the canyon, that we cruised past in the dark. And a massive thank you to the @wanderinglawyer who was tasked with walking at the back with me… I am not very chatty in the pre-dawn! But I do hike and I do keep going!!!
The canyon has two golden hours in a day… one in the morning and one in the evening…
Absolutely stunning light…
And a brilliant blueberry, apples and oats breakfast…
And even though a couple of km had been covered already, this is when my hiking day actually began…
Rocks… were rewarded with sand…
And for someone who was sure we wouldn't need short cuts... our first short cut. TOP TIP: Take all the short cuts (and thank me later). Study the Slingsby Map and know where all the short cuts are... make sure your water bottles are full, have a good shower... pour all the water over you and get as cool as possible... and up out of the canyon you go... along the crusty top, which is a great surface for hiking on.
There are several hints on where to go, but they are just hints... and this is why you hike with someone who has been before and knows where to go... The short cuts are actually really easy to miss if you are not looking out for them.
And suddenly it got so much easier... yup, it is all about the terrain.
I wasn't exactly flying, but I wasn't continuously at the back of the pack either... things were definitely looking up for me.
And the most stunning lunch spot of the week...
Perfect for a swim and the most delicious vegi-salad...
Then back into those shoes... and ready to go...
For a long afternoon...
Of weird desert plants... and scrawny nests...
And sand...
And rocks...
And a highlight for me... gravel!!!
It was far, but in a good way...
Ticked off 30km...
And camp was just around the corner...
Any corner, another corner, some corner... around the corner...
And by the time we got to camp, I had lost my spark... but, tired as I was, I was thrilled with the day. Bitterly disappointed that the camp was at the top of a really sandy bank and just too much effort for me to head down for a swim before collapsing for the day... so it was a straight collapse onto my ground sheet... a hearty dinner and off to sleep.
Definite Life Lesson of Day 3 was that you can be really beyond tired, and I am guessing form the outside the appearance of "totally done in." But appearances aren't everything and despite moments of "I really would rather not take another step ever," I was not nearly giving up and I was really pleased with the fact that while I was tired and I knew I would sleep well, despite what was hopefully a desert mouse scurrying over me in the night, I was really happy. Beyond happy... I was doing this hike, that I knew would be hard, this adventure of a lifetime, and I was doing just fine. Possibly not like a twenty-five year old (!), but slow and steady and I wasn't stiff or in pain. I knew after a good recovery sleep I would be up and ready to go another day.
That was Day 3 of the Fish River Canyon, done and dusted. Follow along for more challenges and life lessons from the canyon...
