Estate agent hikes for charity

By the end of October this year, Gilbert would have hiked 1 200km to raise funds for the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative. “The Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative entails educating landowners and farmers on the creation of corridors, which are strips of land connecting protected areas. These corridors enable animal migration and ensure key ecological processes, such as pollination and seed disposal, take place so different types of habitats are maintained,” explained Gilbert.

The Eden to Addo walk is an annual event where 24 individuals hike for 1 200km over 18 days in the Eastern Cape.

This walk began on 4 October in Kranshoek in Knysna and will go through the Garden Route National Park, the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve and the Addo Elephant National Park. The hiking trail is the toughest and longest in South Africa and involves strenuous, cross-country endurance walking over seven mountain ranges. “This is the third time I have done this walk since it was first undertaken in 2007,” added Gilbert.

“During my first Eden to Addo hike in 2008 I had the idea that I would ask my friends and family to sponsor me for the rest of the walk so that I could give something back to the habitat that was providing such an eye-opening, exhilarating experience for me. That year I raised R18 000,” she said.

This year Gilbert is determined to raise more money for the cause. “In 2014, I will follow the path elephants once took when these magnificent animals roamed freely, so it

is very symbolic of the work which Eden to Addo is doing,” said Gilbert. She has been training hard for the 1 200km hike and works out with a personal trainer to

prepare her body for the physical challenge that awaits her. Gilbert is adamant, “You have to be in the right head space to complete a walk of this distance.”