FEEDBACK: Saturday 1 Feb 2014: Newlands Blockhouse/Saddle Run

FEEDBACK 25 January, Sunbird Centre into Silvermine Reserve

35 Turned up to the start in the cool of the morning of  magnificent summer's day.   The air was crisp and clear washed clean by the previous afternoon's rain.

 By all accounts a good run for all groups Main group led by Julian over a variation of the usual route with Gae as sweep and photographer.  

Main group did 14.5 kms and the Recovery Group 11.5 kms

FEEDBACK: 18 January -Constantia Nek

We had a very good turnout with 38 runners including nine newbies.   A good run over a familiar route to Skeleton Gorge and back through the gardens and the gravel tracks through Cecelia Forest.    The Recovery group turning back at Nursery ravine to give a slightly shorter route.

Main group examining the damage down during last year's spring storm

Recovery Group

Profile of Main group's run

Track followed by Main Group

FEEDBACK Sunday 12th January 2014: Signal Hill

FEEDBACK 21 December; Cecelia Forest

21 December Cecelia Forest

A great final run of the year along the mountain trails in and above the Cecilia forest.  38 turning out for an more or less uneventful run barring a few scrapped knees and elbows.  As usual impeccably managed by Piero.  

Recovery group

Wash-away caused by the recent storm

Combined Group photo at the end of the run

The post-run picnic breakfast

Some interesting but useless facts

During this last year we ran on 44 occasions covering a distance of 558.4 kms.  Altogether we had a total turn out of  940 runners. 

FEEDBACK: 14 December 2013

FEEDBACK: Tokai/Constantiaberg traverse

24 runners including 4 newbies,  mustered in the Tokai Arboretum parking area on a bright early summer morning to try out a new route discovered by Sandy.

Julian led out the Main hroup which was followed by the Recovery group for the slog up the Elephant's eye footpath to level 5 1/2.  

Here we turned right onto the trail which led across the slopes of Constantiaberg to Vlakkenberg.     This proved to be an interesting and spectacular narrow and somewhat overgrown mountain trail with one of two "scary bits" for those who are not keen on heights.    

Thenit was up the gully to the aerial service road and the long down hill back to the start.   Distance of 15kms taking 2hrs 30 mins plus

Consensus was that this was a good route which we should add to our list for future sorties.

Trailers dwarfed by the cliffs

The landslide clearly visible from afar 

FEEDBACK: 30 November, Newlands

And the wind blew!

32 turned out for the planned run to the Blockhouse round the corner and over the saddle and down Newlands Ravine.     But as we got out into the exposed sections the wind made running almost impossible.    Geoff, the leader of the Main Group, decided to can the saddle ascent and they opted for a trot along the boardwalks and contour path to Kirstenbosch.   Along the way the ran into Tim's Longer Faster Group who were about to ascend Dark Gorge.

Altogether 11.5 kms run.

Congratulations to Felicity who completed her 50th sortie today and Sandy for finally making her long awaited come-back to trail running and who completed her 30th sortie.

Thanks to Geoff for organizing today's sortie.

Neil, Sandy and Felicity braced for Take Off 

Alex and Jackie Romanoff, two Trailers taking the day off to assist at the Volunteer Fife fighters open day with Theresa in between

FEEDBACK 23 November: Constantia Nek

Lorraine reports as follows:

Well, today was 'interesting' in the proverbial Chinese sense of the word. Gregg was a fantastic leader and worked out a brilliant route for us which covered 12 or 13 or maybe even 14 kms (depending whose GPS we looked at) although I teased him dreadfully about his rating of 'not bad' exposure to heights. I struggled! One other lady (newish to the group) was in tears. Nicole Meyer, Thomas Andrews and Piero Granelli made up a fabulous suppor team for us though and we both eventually managed to overcome our fears.

 

I was amazed at Randolph's tenacity and physical ability too - well worth a mention. He hung at the back but was amazing on the steep scrambles. I think he must have a stash of Kryptonite at home.