The tra i l to Orange Peel Gap and the views on the re turn .

Monkeys and Mountains: My EPIC Day in the Drakensbergmonkeysandmountains.com /monkeys-and-mountains-drakensberg

My EPIC day in the Drakensberg, the highest mountain range in southern Af rica, involved two ofmy favorite things: monkeys and mountains!

It started with a hike to Orange Peel Gap, in the shadow of Cathedral Peak. There were incredible views throughout theentire hike that kept my motivation up. It wasn’t easy though. There were times I wanted to turn around and quit. I wastired, dehydrated and the hike felt harder than it really was. I preserved. Not even the odd cobra darting in front of mypath deterred me and I’m petrified of snakes. One of the reasons I love hiking so much is that it parallels life in a lot ofways – sure it’s easy to give up, but then you aren’t going to get the sense of accomplishment (and the gorgeous viewwhen hiking). If you give up every time you get tired, or there’s a tough patch, chances are you’re probably not goingto accomplish much of anything – when hiking or in life.

I wearily pressed on for severalhours, focusing on each step Iwas taking and not how far I stillhad to go. Each step I took, nomatter how slow, or how small, was getting me closer to my goalof reaching Orange Peel Gap. Eventually I made it. Our guidewas disappointed that it had takenus two hours longer thanexpected, but nevertheless I gotthere. Better late than never! Myefforts were rewarded with a viewover the UNESCO designatedDrakensberg.

I was proud of myself. Not somuch for hiking to Orange PeelGap as I’ve done tons of hikesthat were longer or morestrenuous, but for preserving, for

View from Orange Peel Gap – My reward for a l l the e ffor t!

not giving up even when I didn’tthink I could make it. I took anhour to enjoy the reward. Myenergy and spirit returned. Andthe way down was much easier. Two months later, I still feel asense of accomplishment.

Driving back to Didima Chalets where we were staying, we came across a troop of baboons, including a baby baboon. Just hanging out, foraging, being baboons. I was in heaven. I am fascinated by primates (and even hold a B.Sc inPrimatology – the study of primates) and can watch them for hours, especially when they’re in their natural habitats. Sadly, but not surprisingly the rest of our group couldn’t, so we hopped back in the van.

As we exited the van at Didima Chalets our guide noticed more baboons hanging out around the chalets. Our groupsnapped a couple of photos then headed back to their rooms for a much needed shower, but missing out on a babybaboon temper- tantrum. I stayed alone observing them until finally all I could make out in the darkening light wereshadows of the few remaining baboons, the rest having headed to the mountains for the night.

I gave a silent “thank you” to them for allowing me to observe them and take over 300 photos. I also gave a silentthanks to the cobras whose paths I had crossed earlier that day. They had not harmed me and were as unexcited tosee me as I was to see them. Encountering them has made me a little less fearful of snakes. Finally, I said a thank youto the Drakensberg. You showed me what I was really made of and what I’m capable of when I preserve. And nothingis more epic than that.

Thank you to the South African Tourist Board for hosting me.