TODAY marks day 56 of Covid-19 lockdown. Not knowing if Nelson Mandela Bay metropole will stay on level 4 or move to level 3, the Voetsac Hiking Club has in the meanwhile challenged its members to “start hiking”.
“Fortunately, we can exercise for three hours a day. And there is a promise that this will also be relaxed. According to the Risk Adjustment Strategy that was adopted by the National Command Council, it is only at level 1 where recreational, cultural and sporting activities and facilities can be re-opened,” said Ralph Sheffield-Webb on Facebook. He is the chairman of the Voetsac Hiking Club.
The Voetsac Members Lockdown challenge started last Friday, May 15 and ends on Friday, May 29.
Izzy Leask, secretary of Voetsac said each participant had to register, download an app such as Map-Runner or Map my Hike to track their walk and then submit daily distances. The walking time will be between 06:00 and 09:00 only as per the government regulations. The daily submissions are collated and posted on the Voetsac Facebook and the person who has the most kilometres after the two weeks challenge, will win a prize from the Voetsac Hiking Club.
One of the participants, Danita Ferreira, said, “I do take part, but not in a competitive way, rather to explore town and to go down memory lane revisiting paths my fellow hikers and I did when we were young.”
Each morning at 07:00 they start hiking in and around town and cover an average of 10km before 09:00.
“It is so good to get outdoors again. It is driving me mad that our movements are restricted and we do not have the freedom of choice to do as we like.
“The short hikes in town are fantastic. I grew up in Despatch. So, each morning we take a hike in a different direction, walking past places where we used to go to many moons ago. It brings back so many fond memories,” said Ferreira.
- On Tuesday the top three hikers after five days of the Voetsac Lockdown Hiking Challenge were: Ralph Sheffield Webb with 85.02km; Bev Reen 57.20km and Annelise Schroeder 48.06km.
