27

The camping birthday weekend was great. We managed to escape the rainy weather on the way up to the base camp. The hike up to the top of the Sterkhorn was grueling, but it was worth it to finally make it to the top. We got a little wet on the way down, but fortunately had a dry tent and dry clothes waiting for us at the campsite. I cant emphasize how important it is to get your tent set up in dry weather. Makes a world of difference. We spent the late afternoon/evening hiding from the rain, reading, and making tea, soup, and dinner with my tiny camping stove in the small covered area outside the tent.

The campsite itself was awesome. It was set next to a small stream that fed lush vegetation all around us. Good soft ground and the sound of frogs and running water made it a great place to sleep. The water allowed for trees and massive ferns to grow wildly next to the stream. A few meters behind our tent was a small waterfall where you could fill up your bottle with CLEAN WATER. Oddly, there were several mountain crabs scurrying around in pond under the fall. I havent seen these crazy crabs since I was hiking in Nicaragua. I caught one, and thought about boiling him for a snack, but decided we had enough food. Very strange to see crabs out of the ocean, but it must happen in cool, wet climates.

Monday morning (my birthday), we woke to an amazing view from the campsite. The fog lifted to reveal a great sunrise to the East. Behind us, the sun slapped the mountains, lighting up the path we had taken the previous day. The sky was so blue behind the peaks that it almost looked unreal.

In the picture below, the Sterkhorn is the 3 peaks off to the right (not the long broad castle looking peak on the left). You can see a small trail making its way up the grassy hill in the foreground. It was quite a steep hike, essentially straight up with no switchbacks. At the top, you could see over to the other side of the range. Was a nice view when the fog wasnt obscuring it.

We made it back to Durban on Monday afternoon, just in time to squeeze in some surfing. The waves werent the best, but it was a fun longboarding day. The weather is now warm enough that you can get away with just board shorts and a rash guard on a sunny day. The surfing is coming along, I just need some work on my rights, which are backhand for this goofy footer.

We then met some friends for dinner in Durban. We ate at an Indian food restauraunt called Vintage. Was a cool, diverse group of people. We ate too much, and then ate some cake. Finally came home very full, very tired, but very happy to have had such a great birthday.















This birthday was:
-My 27th
-My 3rd in another country
-My 2nd in Africa
-My 3rd in row on which I managed to surf
-My 2nd with Kylie
-My first mountain birthday
-Only 3 away from 30!!

It sounds so old, but I dont feel it at all!