News — Camera

By Fareed Behardien

After about 4.5kms of running along the Pipe Track we came to a sudden stop. Taahir pointed to the cairn on the rock ledge next to us and said, “Welcome to Three Firs”. After a few hops up the rock steps, he motioned towards Tammy and me to join him. No signs, random paths and what looked like a bit of scrambling ahead. Where the heck were we heading…?

                                 

The start of the Three Firs route is about midway between Woody Ravine and Slangolie Ravine on the Pipe Track. It is not particularly difficult to ascend, however steep drop-offs on the right of the trail gives it an EPIC feel as you make your way up Table Mountain next to Slangolie Ravine.

                                   

Steep, slippery underfoot at times, dramatic views and a massive sense of adventure – this sums up Three Firs :)

The climb up was fantastic as you arrive right next to the “Saucy Dog” rock formation. I wouldn’t recommend descending down Three Firs as the path is loose and there are some tricky sections – my spidey sense would also caution against attempting this route when it’s wet out.

We followed the Apostles Path towards Llandudno. After another 1km of running (and a bit of clambering up rocks), Taahir turned right on a short bit of single track. The trail was slightly overgrown as we squeezed past the fynbos. I was sweeping (aka the slow one at the back) and tried to keep Tammy in sight, when suddenly she disappeared through a small gap between a Yellowwood and a rock.

                           

Taahir had led us straight to Tranquility Cracks!

Like a portal to a new dimension, we found ourselves in a series of corridors like a maze between massive rocks on top of Table Mountain. A real hidden gem with the most amazing view of Lion’s Head and the Back Table.

Lots of photos and a few snacks later, we returned to the Apostles Path and ran back towards Kasteelspoort. A quick stop off at the Old Cableway (some more pics of course) and then it was down Kasteelspoort and back along the Pipe Track to the start.


Following lessor known routes with zero signage and exploring Table Mountain. What a way to start a Saturday.

It only happens once in a 'Blue Moon', is admittedly the first thing that comes to mind, it's a popular phrase with no actual meaning to it. Let’s face it, the phrase sure is catchy. If you feel inclined to reading the definition(s) of what a Blue Moon really is on Wikipedia, and its text book definitions then go for it, or continue scrolling and and we'll give you a little breakdown on what we've found. Well the interesting bits anyway.

"A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year, either the third of four full moons in a season or, a second full moon in a month of the common calendar.

The phrase has nothing to do with the actual color of the moon, although a literal "blue moon" (the moon appearing with a tinge of blue) may occur in certain atmospheric conditions. This phenomenon is specific to calendars. Lunar calendars like the Indian national calendar always have one full moon a month."

For starters, it’s the very rare occurrence of blue moons in a certain time of the year, in every third - fourth year…at times even two blue occurring moons in a single year.

Reason being: there is more than one definition of which both are more or less in line with one another.

1 - You have to understand that there is a full moon for every month of the year, summing it up to 12 full moons , 3 for every season , 1 full moon every month but on rare occasions there are 13 full moons in a single year, or a 4th full moon in one astronomical season , the third is The Full Moon . But that’s just the textbook definition in summary.

2 - However, volcanic eruptions too can actually cause a moon to appear ‘Blue’ to the naked eye from below the hemisphere when dreaded volcanic smoke engulfs the earth.

3 - At the Moons furthest distance from the sun, Ice crystals may began to take form due to the harsh inhabitable cold environment and you got a Blue Moon.

The most common description of a Blue Moon is that there are 2 full moons within the same month, the first being a full moon and the second being names a 'Blue Moon'. A little digging brought an interesting article on the origins of the name 'Blue Moon' for this rare occurence. Apparently parts of history called it a 'Betrayer Moon', this was due to the fact that 'The Moon' and it's different positions and phases were used for time and date management. Having to full moons through some calenders off, thus it being called a 'Betrayer Moon.

The most recent Blue Moon occurred on the 31st August 2012 and with the next Blue Moon closing in on us, scheduled for the 31st of July, this coming Friday, what better way to not only view & enjoy the memories of such a rare occasion but to capture it with a GoPro Hero’s Time-lapse feature... Nice idea right?

If you miss this years Blue Moon you'll have to wait till 31 January 2018.

Ideal accessories:

Skeleton Housing, to plug in your External Battery, (Preferably the Wasabi Battery Kit as this gives you a good 30 minutes extra worth of life span) and a Tripod Mount as I’m not exactly keen on hand-held recording for long stretches at a time as you'll want as stable a video as possible.

In regards to capturing these epic night time video: check out our blogs that will assist you in getting the most of your experience.

Keep an eye out for our other 'Blue Moon' themed blogs this week, and definitely check out our 'Blue Moon' sale which kicks off today!

By Albert van Niekerk

I knew I should have printed the directions but, like always, I never did. The sun was setting and darkness approached quite rapidly as the mist eerily started to swallow the gravel mountain pass that we were driving on. Even though I was convinced that we must have missed a turnoff somewhere, I refused to admit that we were lost. I just kept on driving, pretending that I knew exactly where I was going.

• Difficulty: 3/5
• Fitness Level: 3/5
• Photo Ops: 4/5
• Adrenaline Rush: 2/5

A crisp breeze blowing into the car carried the amazing smell of moisture on a dirt road. I love that smell, to me that is the smell of adventure. After going around yet another winding bend on the mountain pass, Sanddrif Holiday Resort miraculously appeared out of nowhere like a mirage. We were tired and sticky after our 4 hour trip (it was supposed to be only 3), so we quickly settled into our cozy 3 star self-catering cottages.


If you are running on a bit of a budget or prefer camping, Sanddrif also offers a beautiful shaded camping site as a cheaper alternative. Visitors are advised to book well in advance as the resort fills up rather quickly during weekends and school holidays. Also take note that due to strict conservation rules only a certain amount of day visitors and hikers are allowed on the hiking trails at a time.

At first light the next morning, we set off to hike up the Wolfberg Mountain into the famous “Wolfskeure” or Wolf cracks. But to get to the cracks you first have to make your way all the way up the mountain. The climb is rather steep but I reckon anyone with a decent pair of hiking shoes and an average fitness level would be able to make the climb. Taking young children along might not be such a good idea as some parts of the overall hike can get a bit dangerous, and of course, if they get tired you will have to carry them.

As you make your way up the mountain you will have a spectacular view of the Dwarsrivier and the surrounding Cederberg valley. Nearly at the top of the mountain the little footpath just seems to disappear. I was concerned that we have wandered off course, but right at the foot of the towering cliffs, we found a tiny arrow guiding us towards a crevice in the rock face.


Armed with head torches, we made our way into the crevice and wormed our way upwards to find a small cave chamber right above us. This part of the trail is appropriately named “The Chimney” because of the vertical climb in the tight little tunnel. If you have some issues with tight spaces you should probably turn back because there are quite a few more of these claustrophobic encounters further along the way.

Climbing over and under a couple more rocks in our way, we finally reached the Wolf Cracks. It was even more spectacular than I imagined. High walls of stone on either side gave me the impression that I just stumbled upon the set of a Lord of the Rings movie. The sheer size of the cliffs reminds you just how utterly small and insignificant you really are.

After we fought our way past various rocks blocking our way along the canyon, we finally made it to the top, which was surprisingly flat. From this perspective we could literally see hundreds of other cracks in the mountain, all dissolving into the mountain top. It looked as if though a giant cat took a swipe at the mountain with it’s paw and left it scarred with hundreds of parallel cracks. Be sure to pack a lot of snacks and water because once you sit on one of the cliffs and have a look at the beautiful view beneath you, you might not want to leave for a while.

If hiking up a mountain sounds a bit too hardcore to you, you can always go and relax next to the riverbanks of the beautiful Dwars River. Only a short 30min walk from the Sanddrif campsite you will find the dark brown waters of the notoriously known “Maalgat”. On a hot summers day in the Cederberg mountains, the “Maalgat” is the perfect place to go for a cool down. Here you can sunbathe on the rocks or plunge high off a cliff into the refreshing deep water below.

The Cederberg Mountains is the perfect weekend breakaway since it is only a +/-250km drive from Cape Town. The secludedness and lack of cell phone reception really allow you to take a break from the real world and gain a new appreciation for your surroundings.

Thanks Albert for sharing! - Here to Stay

By Terence Vrugtman

Looking for any reason to go on an adventure has become a day job for me for well over a year now. The opportunity to try something new, spend time with those that matter to me and have a camera in hand has become a full time pursuit, and I love it! As an occasional racer, I found the notion of convincing myself to go and watch comrades a bit silly. Mike Benci, a mate of mine, was planning on running and I wasn’t ready to take on 12 hours of mental and physical war. So why would I go? Well, Comrades isn’t the only event or activity happening in Durban. There's the beach, surf boards, I own a kayak… there's the beach. After weighing up the pros and cons, I decided it would be best if Mike didn’t drive to Durban alone, ergo Ash and I packed our bags and just like that the adventure started.


After recently returning from the Nedbank Save the Rhino Trail Run the idea of a holiday wasn’t a good one according to my wallet. So the plan was to have fun on a budget and just keep it simple. We did exactly that, and so can others.

Transport can be expensive in this day and age, the cost of petrol is sky high and plane tickets aren’t cheap either. Car pooling was the best option and we all love a great road trip. Packed into our semi-fuel efficient Parejo ‘io’ we shared the cost of a round trip to Durban which was less than R700 each. As these weekends become more frequent, you start to appreciate the open road along with great company.

Accommodation in Durban is an easy thing. I thought finding accommodation would be a real mission especially because we were booking two nights before a race that attracted thousands of people to Durban. The mass of back packers that Soccer World Cup left behind made the search easy. We found a homey place about 2km away from the beach that was still really affordable. Back packers are not only a prudent form of accommodation but they often come with free entertainment… in its own form.

Comrades and its logistics aside, Ash and I spent the bulk of our time as close to the ocean as possible. We visited Addington Beach near uShaka Marine on the first day and didn’t want to leave. Our goal was to find affordble and fun activities to do for 2 days. With little knowledge and even less effort we found what we were looking for.

For a while now, Ash and I have always wanted to do some SUPing. So we hired two boards and hit the ocean for our first SUPing experience. I was expecting to pay about R200 per board and was comfortable with that, I was pleasantly shocked to find that we could rent two boards for 1h30mins at R200! The open ocean, SUPs and the will for adventure provided ample laughable moments and the fun we were looking for. It wasn’t as easy as one would think and the massive swells of high tide didn’t make it any easier. Not that we were complaining.

Mike and some local friends hired a kayak and joined the party in the ocean, also for only R100 per hour per boat. A real bargain because you can hire a two-seater and have as much fun, if not more. The challenge of getting the kayak out to sea and surfing it back was the real source of fun!

The first morning in Durban, we walked along the promenade, the second we decided to do something different. We hired an old-school Schwinn Tandem bike and went for an hour long ride. The bike came from the same store as the SUPs and also only cost R100 for the hour. It was a ton of fun and is ideal for couples. We loved every second and took turns steering, racing other people, looking at the sunrise and trying to convince people for a high-five while on the move.

For more adventures, follow us on Instagram: @Ashezzzzzz and @Act10nMan

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Check out www.adventurelife.co.za for more in depth adventures.