Corlett Gardens’ resident raise R55 000 to help mammals
LYNDHURST – Brits passed many beautiful forests during her journey.
A Corlett Gardens resident in Lyndhurst has been climbing the highest mountains across the world, raising about R55 000 for stray animals in the process.
Marthie Brits, former head of the department at Northview High School, has climbed quite a number of mountains and has even seen the ‘roof’ of the world – all without porters or guides.
She retired in 2017 and decided to take hiking trips across the globe such as the Himalayas, a mountain range in Asia separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.
In the last 18 months, she has been to Nepal three times to hike in the Himalayas. “My first hike was the Mount Everest base camp hike and it inspired me so much that I decided to go back.
“I did my second hike at The Poonhill and Annapurna base camp hike. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the Annapurna hike as there was a cyclone that moved in over that area and the route was closed. The Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world and also prone to a huge number of snow slides.
“I had to change my route and went down into the valley to a hot spring. My third hike was in November, where I went and did the Langtang Valley hike. The Langtang is close to the Tibetan border, the highest country in the world, and also seen as the roof of the world.”
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She said there was still a lot of evidence of an earthquake that took place in 2015 and she had to cross a huge number of landslides caused by the earthquake. “The earthquake’s epicentre was at the Langtang Valley on the route where the whole valley was destroyed. Within a short period of time the valley was rebuilt. I have never seen so much determination as I did over there.”
She was very excited to see a lot of waterfalls and the river which is always visible there. She also praised the beauty of the dense forests she passed on her hikes.
“After Langtang, I did a part of The Heritage Hike. Unfortunately, I could only go up to Nagthali, the highest point on this route, as I didn’t have enough time to go further.”
Last year she walked for deserted cats, donkeys and dogs and raised R55 500 for them by managing to go to the only land border between Nepal and Tibet at Rasuwaghadi. “That was pure luck, as tourists are not allowed there…I got to stand on the bridge at this border. Unfortunately, the border has now been closed for three weeks due to a virus outbreak,” she concluded.
Details: daisytjie@gmail.com
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