When a challenge comes your way you jump out of your comfort zone and grab it by its feet!
That is exactly what five women, all over 60 years of age, decided to do. They met each other for the first time in Robertson and started walking south and towards Cape Agulhas. Every day they would start walking at 07:00 with their daypacks with them and some protective clothes for possible rain, which they did encounter at Dassiesfontein, and two cold fronts that did indeed lash Hermanus. Luckily, for them, good Samaritans transported them to cover and they managed to dry their clothes in time for their next day’s walk. Every day their main luggage was delivered to their destinations. They usually stayed at guesthouses along the way, sometimes 4-star facilities, but other times just with the essentials!
The women come from different backgrounds, ranging from the medical world to law and finances, but they share one thing, that they love to walk.
Rita Jordaan, from Riversdal, is the “Head Girl” of the group and besides a love for walking she adores dogs.
Anne Duiker, the oldest member of the group, is still working, although retired. She is also very fond of knitting and needlework.
Louise Steenkamp ran away from Pretoria and she doesn’t want to go back!
Barbera van Staaden is a retired nurse and currently hoping to find a healthy and wealthy male companion! (Well, my dear, it is after all the Pilgrimage of Hope walk!)
Marianne Duvenage, from Pretoria, loves nature and walks because she wants to clear her mind.
The route started in Robertson and meandered through the vineyards to McGregor. Then they walked via The Galg to Greyton. Then followed Genadendal and they entered The Overberg, where they had coffee at Dassiesfontein, where they rain scrambled their plans to cross the mountains to Volmoed in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The walk along Rotary Drive with its magnificent views down the Elephant Path, behind the sport centre, was slippery and quite difficult, but beautiful. The next day they enjoyed our lovely cliff path, but when the weather was again not suitable to walk the solitary beach between Dutchies and The Kelders, they decided to make use of transport to take them to Kleinbaai.
By then the weather became good for walking and they progressed to the farm close to Baardskeerdersbos. Currently they are in the Sandberg Fynbos Reserve on the way to Elim where they will stay for the night. From Elim they head down to the farm Springfield Estate in the Agulhas National Park.
From there they will walk along the coast from Brandfontein to the lighthouse at Cape Agulhas, their final destination. A taxi will take them to George, from where they will fly back to Johannesburg, with many pictures and wonderful memories of their great adventure in the Western Cape.
