Scouts tackle urban hike for ultimate reward
Kailin Muthen has completed his 30km hike, on his way to receiving his Springbok badge.
A 30km city hike that took a team of Berea scouts from Tongaat toll plaza, to Moses Mabhida Stadium over a course of two days was part of scout Kailin Muthen’s attempts to earn the highest achievement for a scout, his Springbok badge.
Kailin Muthen undertook a city hike, accompanied by three fellow scouts, Travis Burke, Braden Abrahams and Vrisarn Naidoo.
“This is my final badge, and the hike is one of the projects I have to do towards the badge. There were certain requirements by the Scouting Body for the hike, which needed to be no less than 30km. There is also paperwork which needs to be submitted. I had to put together my admin work including maps of my walk, my safety plan, risks which needed to be counteracted, my kit list and menu, as well as budget and costing,” he said.
Kailin said the team, armed with all the equipment they would need, started the hike at 8.15am on 11 July, from the Tongaat toll plaza. The team linked around to Dube Trade Port and around the main entrance of the airport, and made their way on dirt road to Mt Moreland, passing through sugarcane roads and farms for most of the morning before reaching Sibaya Casino at 2pm.
“This was our first pick-up point, and we were taken to Gateway for our half our lunch, before setting off again at 3.15pm. We walked in the direction of La Lucia and used quieter roads for safety. We turned inland to Glenashley and ended up at the Glenashley Scout Hall at 6pm,” he said.
This is where the team had arranged to spend the night, and they pitched their tents, cooked dinner and got some much-needed rest after walking 22km.
They set off again at 9am the next day, walking along Fairway and then towards Blue Lagoon. They ended their walk at Moses Mabhida Stadium at 12.10pm.
“There was a lot to carry, and I am very proud of my team. They surprised me by pushing themselves as at times I wasn’t sure they could complete the task. They persevered! It was challenging for me as I was concerned about myself and the others’ wellbeing. It took its toll, but it felt good after what we accomplished,” he said.
Kailin said a lot of the other scouts decided to hike in the Berg, and he wanted to do something different, where he wouldn’t need any adult supervision.
“We could take care of ourselves, and we had a safety plan, so it was great being self-sufficient,” he said.
Kailin now has to log and submit details of his hike and obstacles experienced along the way to submit to get his badge.
“It will take me about two weeks to do that, but I feel it was a success,” he said.
Kailin joined scouts when he was 11 years old after deciding it would be an interesting and adventurous thing to do.
“I had family members who were scouts, and it was a different way to escape being at home, and I have learnt a lot of skills!” he said.
