Ex-Boys’ High adventurers
Three former Springs Boys' High School learners summitted Nahamadi Peak in the Free state on April 18.
It was a proud moment for Burns Maclear (67), Dave Inggs (65) and Koos Bouwer (66) as they were the first to summit the mountain this year.
The friends have undertaken the Nine Peaks for Northfield, a fund-raiser for the Northfield Methodist Church in Benoni.
Their mission is to summit the highest peak in each province in South Africa, and Nahamadi was their seventh.
With the drastic change in temperatures and the cold setting in, they were eager to get to the top of the 3 275m mountain.
Leaving the lodge, the highest in the Northern Drakensberg, they starting the challenge at 9am, departing from the Sentinel Car Park.
After completing a register they started their adventure.
Taking in the beauty of nature, they soon reached another challenge, two chain ladders which they had to climb, one measuring 40m and the other 25m.
Exhausted but proud, Burns, Koos and Dave, accompanied by a guide and a porter, reached the top at 2.30pm.
They wish their friends, Fred Ashton (72), Rob Beardsley (66) and Tervor Long (72) could share the special moment with them.
They had to withdraw from this fundraising challenge due to unforeseen circumstances.
Consuming the beauty of the Maloti Mountains for about 30 minutes, they the started the descent.
Burns says it was more difficult, yet manageable, to climb down the chain ladders.
That night, they slept in a cave with only their sleeping bags and the clothes they were wearing to keep their tired bodies warm.
“It was a -2°C chill factor,” says Burns.
Without much sleep due to the cold, they got up at 6am, had breakfast and left.
Determined to finish what they have started, the trio will next take on Seweweekspoort Pass (2 325m) in the Western Cape and Mafadi in Kwa-Zulu Natal (3 451m).
