When you head into the unknown guided by the elements, you unearth a trust that Nature holds you in, like a mother cradles her baby.
It was the Krom Rivier Beast Trail Run event.
One of the toughest courses out there.
The weather was building and it was to be a showdown of epic proportion.
The route reaches up to the top of 6 peaks as it follows a horse-shoe shape around the mountains surrounding the Krom Rivier Kloof.
With some big climbs and exposed mountain country, it was man up against the elements.
I was helping out at this event and super excited to be there.
3:30am roused from sleep as the weary trail runners' hearts teetered, hooves heard thumping, as one of the horses went careering past the tents, the start of the rain and a long day in the awe-inspiring Cederberg mountains.
We gathered as marshals and jumped in our bakkies to head to our respective checkpoints.
2 hours hike later and I found myself on top of Luno Peak. This moon like formation of rock and craters!
It then continued to rain for 8 hours straight!
I fortunately found shelter in a big overhanging cave where I was able to encourage and direct the trail runners up to the 1675m high Luno Peak, runners returned half frozen and shivering after the exposed and gnarly climb to tag the beacon. I stayed up there until the last runner came past with the sweeps.
We headed back down, helping another runner back to safety after being mildly hypothermic. The weather now having done a 180! And that night reaching -4!
They say we a mad bunch, going out into the wilderness, running for many hours, covering lots of kilometers, exposing ourselves in all our vulnerability, to Mother Nature.
Yet, one way we are able to overcome it all, is through the connection and togetherness of our trail community.
Perhaps making, 5 , 8 or 12 hours out in the mountains so doable.
Through the cold cold and rain we come through, happier and even eager to do it again.
(But give us a bit of time to warm up and have a drink)
So here's to an awesome weekend that left me feeling so fulfilled and happy to enjoy this thing we call trail running!
Below: Leopard claw grooves left on a Waboom from sharpening them.
