Stormsriver Adventures is a rurally based Eco adventure Company situated in the heart of the majestic Tsitsikamma Forest region aptly named “THE GARDEN OF THE GARDEN ROUTE”. The company boasts adventure activities which include the world renowned Tsitsikamma Treetop Canopy Tour, Tsitsikamma Forest Tour (Woodcutters Journey), Hiking Trails, Team Building, Local Crafting Facility and a Catering Facility / Restaurant.
The Tsitsikamma Treetop Canopy Tour is the first of its kind in Africa. Safety is paramount and the system has been built to the highest civil engineering standards. Imagine the Tsitsikamma Forest….30 meters above, as you gently glide on 10 slides to 10 platforms high up in Giant trees. The platforms provide an unbelievable view of this enchanting New World.
Spend a few minutes relaxing while your Guides enthusiastically explain the ecology of the forest – pointing out different trees and magnificent giant ferns way below. You may even sight the Knysna Loerie and the elusive Narina Trogon.
About 3 hours later you exit the forest, having undertaken the journey of a lifetime. A delicious light lunch will be waiting for you at our Restaurant. GREEN INITIATIVES:
Since 1998 Stormsriver Adventures has introduced, trained and developed 800 community members into the Eco Adventure Tourism Sector. These initiatives have included guide training and development, financial training in accounting, reception and client liaison, catering and restaurant management, computer literacy and life skills. We have a recycling depot on our site, glass, plastic and paper is taken to recycling plants. All our staff are trained on environmental and waste management. SRA has provided 4 meals per week to 200 primary school children for the past 8 years. Many of these kids do not receive a decent daily meal at home. Meals are delivered to the local primary school and are supplied by our empowerment catering company who are paid by SRA.
SPECIAL DEAL
Discount – We are offering a 10% discount on the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour.
Normal rate – R395/pp till end November 2009.
R450/pp as from 1st December 20009.
Discounted rate – R355.50/pp till end November 2009.
R405/pp as from 1st December 2009.
CONTACT DETAILS
Hosts: Anneline / Michelle Address: Darnell Street, Stormsriver Village, Garden Route Country: South Africa Region: Tsitsikamma / Garden Route Town/Village: Stormsriver Village Postal Address: P.O Box 116, Stormsriver Village, 6308. Telephone : +27 (0)42 2811 836 Fax: +27 (0)42 2811 609 Email :adventure@gardenroute.co.za Website:www.stormsriver.com
CONTACT DETAILS:
Host: Robert Veldman
Postal Address: PO box 20, Gariep Dam 9922
Telephone : +27 51 754 0060
Fax: +27 51 754 0268
Email Address: info@destijl.co.za
Website Address: www.destijl.co.za
Surrounded by the stark beauty of the Karoo, the Gariep Dam offers rest and respite to weary travellers crossing the country. The newly renovated 4 star De Stijl Gariep Hotel, overlooking the Gariep Dam with all encompassing views opens its doors to those seeking a night of comfort and luxury on their journey.
Formerly the Gariep Hotel, De Stijl Gariep Hotel now offers 41 chic, contemporary, extremely comfortable rooms and welcoming overnight accommodation. The atmosphere creates spiritual harmony for visitors and is ideal for lazy long weekends, breakaways, conferences, functions and weddings. The newly refurbished Mondrian restaurant, overlooking the swimming pool can seat up to 100 guests and we have three more unique venues, for up to 300 guests to choose from.
The Gariep Dam is the largest in-land water mass in South Africa and is therefore an adventures lover’s haven. We welcome bikers, gliders, cyclists, runners and boating enthusiasts to stay with us on their way to competitions and meetings.
Not only do we accommodate all adventure seekers – we offer more – numerous Boer war sites, river rafting, kayaking, fishing, boating, horse trials, abseiling and water sports are all offered near-by by chosen experienced and trained adventure companies. What’s more – we are surrounded by three game reserves, Oviston Nature Reserve, Tussen-de-Riviere Reserve and the Gariep Nature Reserve, 85 000 hectares of unspoilt bush, ideal for sundowner game drives and game viewing.
Visit us for an adventure weekend with good food and comfort second to none! On the N1, halfway between Cape Town and Gauteng and only 180km from Bloemfontein we are ideally placed to make your journey less stressful. Stop over with us or ask us about your next conference or function, we would love to welcome you to De Stijl Gariep Hotel.
De Kelders Bed & Breakfast
De Kelders B&B is situated on the beautiful unspoilt Walkerbay coastline, surrounded by a protected Greenbelt. The house offers spectacular views over Walkerbay. The unique location provides unmatched tranquillity and invites all kinds of wildlife, including mongoose, porcupine and a variety of birds. A small seal colony is always visible playing in the kelp. We accommodate guests in 4 elegant double en-suite bedrooms, with private lounge, patio and snack facilities. The garden leads to a path through the fynbos down to the coastline, where a trail can be followed for miles.
Activities: The best land based whale watching in the world, with prolific numbers of Southern Right Whales on our doorstep. They migrate here each year from June to December to mate, calve and nurse their young. Humpback Whales, Breeds Whales and dolphins can also be seen regularly. A boat trip to the Dyers island marine reserve covers the greatest variety of sea animals and birds that you can encounter on a single trip: Seals, Dolphins, Sharks, Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales, Sun Fish, Penguins, Oyster Cracker and many other bird species. Gansbaai is world renown as the best place to see the Great White Shark. Kayak tours. Cave tours. Lighthouse tours. Four-by-four excursions offering a breathtaking view over Walkerbay. Unspoilt beaches for swimming or snorkelling. Endless hikes. Horse riding on the beach. The little town of Gansbaai, only two kilometres away, provides restaurants with great variety and unrivalled seafood, fresh from the fishing harbour.
CONTACT US:
Your hosts : Alet & Gerhard Kotze
Address: 18 Steyn Street, De Kelders, Gansbaai
Postal Address: PO Box 286, Gansbaai, 7220
Telephone : +27 28 384 0045
Fax: +27 28 384 1296
Email : info@dekelders.co.za
Website : www.dekelders.co.za
This is a unique opportunity to be a part of an exciting new horse safari operation setting up on the edges of Kafue National Park in Zambia.
Zambia is situated at the Northern tip of what is known as Southern Africa and is a landlocked state of approx 752,610 km sq. Home to the legendary Victoria falls and numerous other conservation areas it has been given the name The Real Africa – a title it proudly holds as its number of tourists increases annually. This country still has vast tracts of pristine Wilderness, ideal for new safari companies and perfect for those who wish to experience all the wonders of a game environment.
Kafue Horse Safaris (KHS) is owned and operated by Steven and Lucy Rufus and bring to the tourism industry a wealth of knowledge and professionalism supported by the success of both Limpopo Valley Horse Safaris and South Africa Horseback Safaris (SAHBS) over the last 14 years. Steven left Botswana in 2004 and with Lucy they have built SAHBS in to a profitable and well known company in the horse holiday industry. Always looking for new ventures and with the advent of a land reform act in South Africa they have sealed a 30 year concession agreement to ride and build their new venture in this wonderful country.
This very special horse safari company will have access to one of the largest National Parks in Zambia. Kafue National Park covers an area of some 22480 sq km and encompasses a vast and impressive range of scenery and wildlife. The lovely Kafue River and its perennial tributaries contribute to the great diversity of the landscape which makes this one of the most interesting and rewarding African parks to visit.
Zambia Horse Safaris – Our Horses
Kafue horse Safaris prides itself as having some of the best horses in the safari business and we have received many accolades on their quality and schooling.
All the horses are personally selected by Steven Rufus and are chosen with the same criteria as selecting an event horse i.e. pace, confirmation, ride ability and temperament. The various breeds include South African Boerperd, SA Warmblood, Quarter Horse cross and THB crosses. In particular we look for responsive horses that like to work, as well as be able to cope with the harshness of the African bush. They are all fit, in excellent condition and range in height from 14hh to 17.3.
The South African Boerperd (literal translation farm horse) is a wonderful breed, renowned for its hardiness, intelligence and paces. These horses have evolved to cope with extreme temperatures and terrain of Africa and you will be amazed at their sure footedness and bravery as they guide you safety through the bush.
All our horses are schooled in basic dressage movements – when not on safari – in classical English style to produce a soft and responsive mount for clients on safari.
We’ve been in Base Camp for 6 continuous days and most likely for another 3 days. The weather is super unstable with lots of snow…I’ve already seen 5 avalanches sweep across the mountains this morning. Every so often the elusive summit of K2 is clear enough to have a gasp and good look at. I doubt there is a more extreme or more intimidating lump of flaky rock. The route to the shoulder at 8000 meters is desperate. What lies above the shoulder and upwards is unimaginable. Here at Base Camp at 5100 meters, there are no insects, no plants, no ringing phones, no doorbells, no running water, no fast-food, no television, no bills to pay, no traffic fines, there’s no exercise at the moment, there’s no pressure, there’s no surf, there’re no dogs, there’s no family and I guess to many, this makes absolutely no sense. But one thing that we do have is determination and discipline.
What is amazing is that none of us have caught any respiratory infections or other malaise and I guess you could put that down to everybody’s experience on other mountains. You cover your mouth and nose because the air is so dry and you sanitise your hands regularly and its certainly working. There are definitely no opportunities here for swine flu – touch wood.
Still, the team are super amped and determined, and we are all willing. We have such a strong crew. So why do we do this? The reason why we do this is to try and overcome these sorts of challenges because we love to celebrate success. And we are challenged everyday. Yesterday morning, we were set to leave at 5am to establish Camp 2 but the snow was falling again. It’s so difficult to be patient when we have a job to get the fixed lines up to Camp 3. One thing we do have in Base Camp now is Russian bottled oxygen. It arrived yesterday. Well done Dave Hancock and the FTA team. The most action we had yesterday is when Fabrice lobbed a snowball against the side of my tent. My heart rate jumped from 45 to 90. No matter where you go, you’ll always find a reprobate.
The Ecuadorian expedition (Spanish) have moved over to the Abruzzi route now leaving less pressure on camp space, wear and tear on the fixed lines and anchors on the Cesen route.
Some other news is that yesterday my good mate and legendary waterman Julian Taylor swam 20 unprotected, shark infested kilometres in the open ocean to raise funds for the Danganya Primary school on Durban’s south coast. Well done Jules – makes K2 a joke!
Please remember to preserve our mountains, oceans and recreational facilities. And save Vetche’s reef from unscrupulous developers.
East Coast Radio interview with Sean this am (full interview on ecr.co.za):
Dave Guselli: If you don’t know who Sean Wisedale is, you soon will. You’ll find this on our web page by the way at www.ecr.co.za… The 43 year old is flying the East Coast flag very high. He’s attempting to become the first South African to climb the second highest mountain in the world and Anisa Ussuph caught up with Sean some 6000m up K2 in Pakistan.
Anisa: When you chat to Sean Wisedale, he seems like just a regular guy but this east coaster has done some extraordinary things. For one, he is a member of the prestigious 7 Summits club, the first South African member in fact and that means he’s climbed all seven highest peaks on seven continents. Now Sean is tackling what many regard as the deadliest of them all – K2 in Pakistan, the second highest peak in the world. I caught up with Sean some 6000m up K2…
Sean: How’s Durban?
Anisa: O, it’s fantastic, absolutely sunny…warm but you’re obviously not feeling that are you?
Sean: No, it’s pretty chilled… pretty cold at the moment. I’m sitting outside on the rocks… it’s the afternoon here so it’s really getting a bit chilly.
Anisa: Where exactly are you?
Sean: I’m at the base camp of K2 – it’s the second highest mountain in the world. It’s in Pakistan, up in the north-eastern corner, in the Karakoram, on the China and Pakistan border.
Anisa: Sean says mountaineering is part of his identity and so is film-making and he’s hoping to make a film about what it’s like to climb what’s regarded as the world’s deadliest mountain. I asked him to describe the scene for us. What could he see?
Sean: Ok, let me describe it to you…right now the weather has deteriorated this afternoon. On the left hand side as I’m looking towards the east is the huge…aahhh… how could I say it… the omnipotent K2. It’s shrouded in cloud right now… it’s a very, very steep, rock and snow encrusted pinnacle…an unbelievable wilderness. It is one of the most incredible places to be. It’s so powerful, there are these pinnacles and peaks… it’s far more attractive than the Himalayas.
Anisa: Sean, what will you do when you reach the top of K2?
Sean: I’m going to raise the South African flag and say please save Vetche’s Pier and Reef from development.
Anisa: What are you missing the most about home?
Sean: I’m missing the surf, I’m missing surf skiing, I’m missing the world in general, I’m missing my Katherine, I’m missing my mates… just missing Durban in general.
Anisa: What’s it like on the slopes of the world’s deadliest mountain, when’s Sean expected to reach the summit of K2 and how are his nerves holding up, for all that and more check out the buzz via www.ecr.co.za
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Guided treks & expeditions with Sean: Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Everest Base Camp, Mt Aconcagua, Mt Elbrus and Mt Kenya. www.seanwisedale.com / katherine@seanwisedale.com
We’ve been at K2 base camp for a week – it seems like a month. Other expeditions are arriving – a Japanese team of 7 climbers on the Abruzzi route and a Spanish team of 10 who are looking to climb on the Cesen route – the same route we are on; and where we have made a lot of effort now to fix ropes up to 6200m. The problem we face with other teams is that there is very little space to camp on the Cesen route and that is because it’s so steep.
At Camp 1, Wim and I secured a tent onto the postage stamp size ledge which is 2m wide by 3m long – where we overnighted the night before last. The width of a tent wall is the difference between us and a 900m drop. It took us 2 hours to secure the tent and not lose it to the wind.
Dinner was a jungle oats choc-chip biscuit, 2 butternut soups and 3 cups of rooibos tea. Because I hauled the tent, stove, pots, 2 gas canisters, my personal kit, sleeping bag, inflatable mattress, water bottles and video camera to Camp 1, I sacrificed taking my pee bottle. This meant having to climb out of my tent and face the wind and so after this expedition I’ll have bragging rights that I can keep my boots dry when aiming into a gale! As far as number twos are concerned, we use biodegradable plastic bags. Don’t try this at home!
At the moment I feel very nervous about the next 4 weeks. It is warming and we are moving closer to the summit push. Cold weather keeps the mountain intact. When it’s warm, everything moves and it’s amazing how alive K2 really is. At night, the glacier moves under my tent. I hear the tension cracks at the movement of the glacier and it sounds like 2 aluminium tubes being ‘pinged’ together. The bigger movements are like a 2 meter wide steel pipe being struck with a hammer. In the middle of the night they make me jolt in my sleeping bag.
The filming is going well and I’ve shot over 15 hours of video material. From high up the views are wild. Looking down onto the glacier from above, there’s a giant pool of icy blue water that’s the exact shape of Africa – makes me a bit homesick.
It’s very windy at the moment but we’re moving up and we should reach Camp 2 (approx 6700m) by Thursday.
Michele Fait’s body was helicoptered out of BC yesterday. We saw the two military helicopters fly in tandem while we were half way up the slope to Camp 1.
Throughout the day yesterday, Fabrizio led strongly up the slope. Tunc, Wim, Ron, the two high altitude porters – Roosel and Mohammed, and I supported; and the climb is now secured to 5850m. There is a lot of snow which is good because it means less rockfall. Fabrizio and Dave bravely broke the ice on the glacier and took swims up to their wastes. I went in on the way back! Dropping into the icy, glacial stream, you only do once. Trouble is that it’s getting warmer and everything is melting. Still, the temperature has dropped today and the weather has deteriorated which makes drying kit out difficult. We hope the snow does not fall heavily again.
We had a rest day in base camp today while we rotated teams for carrying rope and fixing gear. Climbing conditions are good and we hope they stay that way so we can continue fixing the route up to Camp 3 at approximately 7300m.
Weight loss is always an issue at altitude but we are being well looked after by our cook team. In our cook tent, there is head chef Pidar, Kamil Jan, Shavan Ali, Sahib Alam – all from Humua. This morning we had oats and eggs – my best! We now wait patiently to see what the weather cooks up.
Tomorrow we leave to overnight at Camp 1 (approx 6000m).
We left base camp at 07h00 this morning for the foot of the Cesen route to recover Michele Fait’s body. The weather was perfect but there was a wind building from the west. Wim, Jake, Fabrizio, Tunc, Dave, Fredrik (Michele’s skiing partner), Dave from the German expedition and I set out. On the walk in we could see Michele’s body lying on the slope. The details of the recovery are grim, save to say his body is recovered and wrapped. 10 strong men stood in respect of a fellow mountaineer. Fredrik wept at the passing of his friend.
God bless Michele Fait – may he rest in peace. Our condolences to his family.
We arrived at Base Camp yesterday. Our camp is situated high up on the glacier, 45 minutes away from the foot of the Cesen route. To the north and towering directly over us is omnipotent K2. To the south is Broad Peak. The Godwin-Austen Glacier runs between two massive mountains and is strewn with ice debris from the avalanches that have blasted down from the precariously suspended seracs above. This morning, we hauled our first loads of high altitude climbing gear to the base of K2 – tents, rope, ice-axes, pitongs and other protection. 3 hours later we were back in the camp, load deposited and ready for tomorrow.
There are 4 expeditions here – total of 18 climbers – Japanese, German, Swedish/Italian and us. The Swedish/Italian pair had already pushed up to Camp 2 yesterday. Camp 2 is vertically above the base of the route situated at about 6700m. Swedish extreme skier Fredrik Ericsson and Italian Michele Fait were attempting to be the first to ski down K2. This morning, the weather was perfect – which was of no benefit to Fait. On the descent, the worst scenario possible happened – Fiat plummeted. Ericsson was skiing lower down the slopes and after he had seen Fiat fall, began to haul upwards to get to him. At Base Camp we watched, unsure if the fall had been fatal or not. We started to construct a make-do stretcher and prepare to assist with the rescue effort. Our leader Fabrizio headed out back up the middle of the glacier and we watched as Ericsson and Fabrizio reached Fait’s limp body 20 minutes later and began to lower him down to the base of the route. The slopes are avalanche prone and as the pair descended, Fabrizio then approached them from below. There is no way to safely recover Fait’s body today…he is secured on the slope. Fabrizio and Ericsson descended to base camp and we will attempt to recover his body tomorrow at first light.
In our camp, the mood is obviously very glum. Truthfully, it would be wise to return home. But K2 has a powerful presence and attraction; and we intend to continue our attempt to reach the top safely.
It’s snowing right now. May Michele Fait rest in peace.
Written/recorded by Sean: Friday 12th June at 7.30 pm from Skardu, Pakistan
This is basically my first recording live from the field. It’s been a testing 30 hours on a bus from Islamabad to Skardu. It’s 35 degrees and there’s no beer! Last night we stopped in Chilas – it took us 19 hours yesterday to get into Chilas. We did a total of 467 kms at an average of 25km/h. The plan was to fly into Skardu but the military took all the seats on the aircraft so there were no flights available. There’ve been troops and military activity all along the road as the Pakistani military transports tanks towards the North West.
Into the Indus Valley near Skardu
We travelled along the Karakoram Highway which was built in 1966 and was finished in 1979 – it took 13 years to build. It’s not a highway really, it’s literally a road that’s been blasted and hammered out of the side of the mountain for 800 kms. It’s the main route from Pakistan to China and it’s absolutely fascinating – must take my hat off to the lads for getting it together. Over 13 years, 1500 Pakistanis and 500 Chinamen lost their lives in the construction of the road. Even now, it’s so difficult to maintain because the ‘highway’ literally runs through the gorges and along the banks of the Indus river, one of the world’s longest rivers. The Indus river is so voluminous, it’s so powerful, it’s huge. It runs for 3200 kms, the mouth is at Karachi and it’s absolutely magnificent… (canoeists would love it!). It’s amazing to see how much water flows down this river, there are massive whirlpools…what an experience travelling along the Indus.
The Karakoram Highway has literally only been open for 30 years. Very few westerners have been here so when the locals look at you, they really see you as a stranger and there aren’t any women on the streets at all…you don’t see women, they’re tucked away.
Now, we’ve just got into Skardu… it’s very, very windy here, there are dust storms everywhere, it’s quite intimidating actually, just sitting out here now the wind is howling… jeepers…..that was quite hectic…. will phone back in 5. (Wind issues).
I’m back. It’s a good time to climb this mountain because of what’s going on in Pakistan at the moment, you really don’t know how much longer it will be open to visitors. The next leg is to Askole on Sunday and we’ll probably be leaving here by jeep. The road is very, very bad apparently. Gear check and chill tomorrow.
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To Camp 1 (FTA) 
Into the Indus Valley near Skardu 
Safari Experiences