A Mini Traverse with Mini Humans
Having sailed oceans, cycled continents, and hiked mountain ranges, I’m no stranger to a life of adventure. A little over a year ago, adventure in the traditional sense was temporarily put on hold as one of life’s grandest adventures began: fatherhood. A baby boy named Kei. The term “on hold” is entirely subjective, of course. Given the opportunity, adventure, big or small, will find a way.
One of my greatest hopes as a parent is to see my child(ren) grow up with a sense of wonder for the wilderness, a respect for nature, and a love of the outdoors. I want them to get to the top of that mountain pass, lungs burning in their chest as are the blisters on their feet, and say “Wow, how beautiful!”, everything else forgotten in that moment. But how to encourage this sense of exploration without forcing it? How does one gently nudge your child towards a life of adventure? My belief? Exposure. Expose your kids to the wonder of these places at every opportunity and they too will learn to love and adore the wild spaces of our planet. This is the theory, at least. Time will tell. And so, with this in mind, begins our tale of little feet filling big shoes, in one of South Africa’s most beautiful wild spaces, the Cederberg.
The cast consists of two families. The Liddells, starring Kei Liddell, aged 13 months, carried by his mother Romy. The mule carrying, well, everything else, played by my good self. The gallivanting Grays starring Georgie and Sophie Gray aged 10 and 7 respectively. Parents Scott and Kez worked tirelessly backstage, making sure the stars of our story were always ready for the next kilometer. It’s truly amazing the distance a promise of sour worms will take you!
This hike, also known as the Cederberg Mini-Traverse, starts at Pakhys Pass in the northern Cederberg and finishes at the farm of Driehoek, for a total distance of 54km over four days. This would be the first multi-day hike for Kei and the girls — the first of many, we hope. After all, the best tales all need a sequel. Four days hiking through the rugged wilderness is no simple feat, even for the accomplished hiker, and the fact that Georgie and Sophie would be doing it under their own steam, carrying their own gear, makes it all the more impressive.
The night prior to setting off, we stayed at Alpha Excelsior, a beautiful working farm in the heart of Rocklands, the world-famous climbing area. During the winter months, the wo