The typical clouds over Table Mountain are nicknamed “The Table Cloth”.
Last week, we conquered four more peaks in the 13 Peaks Challenge: Lion’s Head, Maclear’s Beacon, Grootkop and Judas Peak. With the Signal Hill in October, we have done five in total.
We hiked up Lion’s Head on Wednesday. It’s a short hike, but it involves scrambling over rocks and climbing ladders. After 45 minutes, we were at the top and enjoyed the magnificent views.
Lion’s Head 
Lion’s Head – Peak No. 2! 
The view from Lion’s Head.
The next three peaks are all part of the Table Mountain range. On Saturday, the Table Mountain was hidden in clouds, but we decided to go anyway.
We reached the top of Table Mountain within an hour. Another 20-minute hike across the flat top and we had reached our third and highest peak: Maclear’s Beacon. So far, we had covered exactly 4 kilometres.
The start at the bottom of Table Mountain. 
Heading for the clouds. 
Kai at the top of Table Mountain. 
Maclear’s Beacon – Peak No. 3!
From there, it was another 7.5k to the next peak, Grootkop (Big Head). Kai had downloaded the GPS route on his Garmin and we were glad for the guidance.
I was surprised by how green everything was. We passed many streams and a few ponds with frogs. We got our feet stuck in bogs several times. Finally, after almost 3 hours, we made it to Grootkop Peak.
Kai comparing his GPS with… 
…the map. 
Boggy marshland. 
Gorillas in the Mist. 
Grootkop – Peak No. 4!
Our next goal was Judas Peak. It’s the last peak of a mountain range called the “Twelve Apostles”.
As you would expect from a peak called Judas, it was full of treacherous chasms and crevices. I was too scared to climb the last few metres to the peak. Kai heroically climbed up alone to get the mandatory selfie done. By this time, we had done 14k and it had taken us 5 hours.
Budding Prothea 
Kai talking a selfie on Judas Peak 
Judas Peak – Peak No. 5! 
Watching from below. 
Now, it was all about getting down again. We were getting tired and had to be extra careful. Since we had left Maclear’s Beacon we hadn’t met a single soul. Most of the time, we also didn’t have any phone signal.
We had another hour to go when we came across a group of people. It was a medical team standing around a man who was lying on the trail with head injuries. It looked quite scary.
Fortunately, the phone signal worked and his hiking partner could call for help. The alerted medical team had to hike up to help them. They told us that their plan was to carry the injured man down on a stretcher.
As we continued our hike, I was imagining how difficult it would be to carry a stretcher. How would they get it down the difficult parts where you had ladders and ropes?
When we were nearly at the bottom, we heard a helicopter. Sure enough, it was heading towards the medical team on the mountainside. They must have found a way to transport the patient by air after all.
The medical team. 
Hout Bay 
Klein Leeukopp straight ahead, our peak no. 6. For another day. 
We finished our hike after 6.5 hours, 17.5 kilometres and 1’323 metres of elevation. Eight more peaks to go!
Our route. 
Finished!
In other news, we had some exciting wildlife at our apartment. There’s an otter who regularly swims in the community pool and we have two owls who visit our balcony every evening at 6pm. They don’t seem to mind us – they sit there for hours.
The otter heading for the a swim. 
This is Cyril. That look!
- Have you ever needed to call for medical help when you were out running, cycling or hiking?
- Have you seen any interesting wildlife lately?
I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs and Laura Norris Running.
Those views are breathtaking, but you indeed have to work for the opportunity to enjoy them. And why is it always the coming down part that is the most scary/difficult!?! 😀 Thank goodness the injured man wasn´t climbing alone (I guess you should never do that),
Oh I love, love, love owls! I visited an “owl café” in Tokyo once and got to hold some of the birds there. Their plumage is just so beautiful, and when you see them up close it becomes clear they´re predators. So much power in their feet and beaks. It´s funny they come to your balcony at an exact time – owl cocktail o´clock..?
Exactly, Riitta, these views need to be earned! 🙂 It’s a shame we didn’t have great views at the peaks, but the good thing about the clouds is that we didn’t get too hot during our hike.
Imagine! Accidents can happen so easily – just one twisted ankle is enough to ruin a hike.
Aren’t they amazing?! I’ve never heard of an owl café – I just googled it. Now I need to go there!! You are spot on with the predator vibe: whenever “Cyril” turns his head and looks at us, his eyes are so piercing that it’s quite scary. Imagine being a mouse!
Haha, yes, Happy Owl Time!! 🙂
Oh wow! That is quite special, that owl is just magnificent!
Fortunately I haven’t needed medical evacuations and stuff like that on a trail, but Table mountain and surrounds are a bit notorious, People underestimate what a hike on the mountain entails. I have seen people at the hight of summer in haviannas with no water starting a trail that will take them 4-5 hours, and wonder… I have called my husband when a bout of runner’s guts got me bad during a race though – not nearly as dramatic as a helicopter evac.
The owl is amazing, Birdie!
Exactly! The Platteklip Gorge going up to Table Mountain is quite popular with tourist-type hikers… you will not believe the level of ignorance we have seen on that trail the last time we went up. It was a hot day and we saw people with flip-flops, no water, completely exhausted after the first 10 minutes. They really underestimate what they’re letting themselves in for.
Haha, Charlie to the rescue! Husbands can be great at saving us in awful races!
Liebe Catrina,
ah, hier sind sie, die nächsten Peaks! Eine tolle Tour und ihr seid gut und verletzungsfrei zurückgekommen. In so einer Region, und dann ohne Netz, da sollte wirklich nichts passieren. Da kann ich auch verstehen, wenn du auf den Gipfel des Judas Peak verzichtet hast… Und mit welch wunderschöner Aussicht wurdet ihr belohnt! Ich glaube, ich würde da jeweils länger verweilen wollen…
Auch die Tischdecke des Tafelbergs ist ja sehr eindrücklich. Solche Wolkenerscheinungen sind spannender als mancher Film!
Ein Otter im Pool, lustig! Und Eulenbesuch habt ihr auch? Ich finde Eulen immer sehr beeindruckend, mit ihrem durchdringenden Blick… sie bleibt da wirklich ohne Scheu sitzen? Auch ein interessantes Beobachtungsobjekt!
Gottseidank musste ich noch nie bei Laufen/Wandern/Skifahren Hilfe herbeirufen. Leider aber kann ich auch nichts von spannenden tierischen Begegnungen berichten. Ich würde ja sooo gern mal in der Schweiz Steinböcke sehen, die finde ich auch eindrücklich, aber das Glück war mir noch nie vergönnt.
Über eure Kleidung musste ich schmunzeln. Bei uns wäre es umgekehrt: ich warm angezogen, Chris luftig…
Liebe Grüße
aus dem nasskalten Rheinland!
Elke
Liebe Elke
Es hat sich gelohnt, trotz Wolkendecke! Es war schön, als die Sonne dann wieder durch die Wolken blitzte und wir ins Tal hinunterschauen konnten. Wenn das Meer nicht gewesen wäre, hätte es sich fast schon wie das Berner Oberland angefühlt. 🙂
Du glaubst es nicht, aber wir haben ausser Fotostopps keine einzige Pause gemacht. Wir wussten nicht genau, wie lange die Tour noch geht und wie schwierig sie sein würde, da sind wir einfach immer weiter.
Die Tischdecke ist faszinierend. Sie kommt nie ganz runter nach Cape Town, sondern wird immer wieder von wärmeren Luftmassen hochgedrückt. Sieht super aus!
Gestern sassen die Eulen volle zwei Stunden bei uns. Die eine setzt sich immer auf unseren Balkon und die andere in Sichtweite auf einen anderen Balkon. Immer der genau gleiche Platz zur genau gleichen Zeit. Sehr eindrücklich! Die anderen Vögel mögen sie nicht so sehr, die organisieren dann Sturzflug-ähnliche Angriffe, aber die Eulen lassen sie stoisch gewähren.
Was, noch keine Steinböcke? Das kommt schon noch. Diejenigen, die ich gesehen habe, waren alle in Graubünden. Aber Bern hat bestimmt auch welche.
Kai sagt immer, dass er ein Gfröörli ist! Es war wirklich nicht sooo kalt, ich glaube, er fühlte sich einfach wohler mit Jäggli & Co. 😉
Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnig-frischen Cape Town!
Absolutely breath-taking! I will say it again, South Africa is a stunning country! And how brave of you both, not to mention, tough for you to climb all those peaks in that time.
My heart goes out to the fallen hiker – and I pray that he got all the help he needed.
It’s so rare to have an owl that comfortable! Love how majestic he looks!
Such an amazing country, Shathiso! And if you think, this is all still in all in the neighbourhood of Cape Town… there’s still so much to see!
I felt so sorry for the man. He had a big bandage around his head, his eyes were closed and he wasn’t talking – it didn’t look good.
Majestic is the word! Even when the other birds flutter nervously flutter around Mr Owl, he is unperturbed. Very royal! 🙂
I know my husband wouldn’t do that, and I’m not sure I would either — so kudos to both you & Kai, Catrina! Wow! Stunning photos.
That must have been so disturbing to see the injured hiker. I actually haven’t come across that on any of our hikes, although ours are far less strenuous. I have seen people faint at races — once right in front of me — and one person had a heart attack during one race. Scary stuff!
Oh that owl is so cool! I’d love to see one hanging around our house.
I thought it was going to be an easier hike, Judy! I had imagined that once we were on the top of Table Mountain, it would be all flat. But it wasn’t! 🙂
Seeing the injured hiker was quite scary. But I imagine seeing someone faint or experiencing a heart attack can be very frightening, too! I hope they were all alright.
Owls are the best! They came yesterday evening and stayed for two hours. It’s so nice to have them around and see them up close.
I would definitely love to have an owl hanging out on our deck.
We have definitely been caught on hikes that were harder than expected — but not THAT hard! You guys are bada$$.
Haha, thanks, Judy! 🙂
I am drinking coffee while reading this and I got chills looking at those pictures. I mean they are beautiful but the hike still looks scary and difficult. That is awful about that man with the head injuries. Glad someone was able to call for him.
Thank you for linking up with us!
Some of it was quite tricky, especially when we got tired. Seeing the man with the head injuries made me realize how quickly accidents can happen. I’d rather go slowly but be on the safe side.
Thanks for hosting, Zenaida! It’s always fun!
These hikes definitely strike a chord with your adventuresome spirit, Catrina! That would be so scary seeing a medical team…I hope the injured climber is doing alright. Gosh, the views are pretty amazing 😉 Thanks for taking us along on your climbs!
It was quite an adventure, Kim! I don’t know how we would have fared if we hadn’t had the GPS. It did a great job of guiding us through the fog.
The views were a great reward!
I hope that hiker was ok. It didn’t look too good when we passed and I’m glad they could organize a helicopter.
Spannend, spannend am spannendsten, was ihr alles so auf die Beine wieder gestellt habt. Wenn ich mir das Profil betrachte, dann wird mir als Flachländern schon schwindlig, aber die Belohnung folgt sofort: diese wunderschöne Sicht aufs Meer, einfach nur traumhaft schön.
Weniger schön der Patient, aber zum Glück konnte er ja mit dem Heli wegeflogen werden, die Gefahr auf solchem Profil ist wirklich nicht zu unterschätzen, gut, dass er zwei es gemeistert habt – ohne Blessuren !
Wunderschöne Eulen, ich mag sie sehr !
Zum Glück war ich noch nie in der Situation, medizinischen Hilfe für andere oder für mich herbeirufen zu müssen – und außer Schlangen, Eichhörnchen, Rehen, Wildschweinen (keine besonders schöne Begegnung !!) sind mir noch keine anderen Tiere über den Weg gelaufen.
Bleib schön gesund und viele Grüße von ganz oben
Das hättest du als Flachländerin gut gemeistert, liebe Margitta!
Mit Ausdauer und Trittsicherheit bist du dabei. Und die Aussicht! Zum Glück war es nicht überall bewölkt.
Der arme Mann – mit bandagiertem Kopf und geschlossenen Augen lag er da, ich mochte kaum hinschauen. Ich war froh, dass sie den Helikopter organisieren konnten. Mit einer Bahre runtertragen wäre für ihn bestimmt schmerzvoll gewesen.
Eulen sind cool! Vor allem diese Augen!
Umso besser! Undramatische und ereignislose Läufe sind ein Segen. Wildschweinen bin ich noch nie begegnet – ich glaube, das muss ich auch nicht haben! 😉
Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Süden!
I feel tired only watching the pictures!
What a beautiful adventure! The landscapes are breath taking. You are more than a runner!
I wouldn’t have faced a challenge like this even when I was young.
Love the owls!
I needed the medical help when I broke my shoulder during a workout: they were very kind and professional.
It was beautiful, Stefano!
I didn’t know exactly how difficult or long this hike was going to be… I had imagined it to be all flat on top of the Table Mountain and that it would be a “walk in the park”. It was much hillier and more technical than I expected. But great fun!
The eyes of the owl are so fascinating. When he looks at you, you feel that he’s reading your thoughts.
I’m glad you had a great medical team taking care of you!
What an amazing adventure! Those views! Seeing that hiker must have been a sobering reminder about how dangerous the climb really was. I’ve never had to call for help while hiking but I’ve definitely had some close calls. I’ve never climbed anything quite like what you did, tho. I love all of your adventures!
It was fabulous, Wendy!
I felt so sorry for that hiker… it made us tread very carefully during that last hour of hiking.
I loved reading about your hiking challenge as well – it’s a great way to keep us moving!
Congrats on finishing that amazing hike, and without injury! Your pictures are beautiful, thanks for sharing! The older I get, the more afraid of heights I become so I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to climb up to the final summit either.
We hear an owl in the trees behind our house at night, but he’s mostly elusive and we’ve only gotten glimpses of him twice. It’s hilarious that the otter comes to swim in your pool even though he’s got a huge body of water just beyond. I suppose he likes the peace and quiet of not having other aquatic animals bothering him. LOL
Thanks, Debbie! It was great fun. I’ve noticed the same with myself – the older I get, the more I think of worst-case scenarios in my head. It’s the same with downhill running or mountainbiking. I envy the young people for their carefree approach! 🙂
Oh, so nice that you have an owl as well! Ours are very elusive during the day, but as soon as the sun sets, they’re out. Yesterday they came again. The otter also plays with the pile of cushions of the deck chairs around the pool. He throws them around and has a great time. It’s hilarious!
I love following along on this journey. I hope that the injured climber will recover and will be able to go back to mountains.
I’m pretty sure that I saw an owl once on a run. It was so unexpected and it flew away pretty quickly so maybe it was something else but it sure looked like an owl. Cheers to Cyril.
I hope so too, Birchie! It didn’t look very good, but I’m glad they could organize a helicopter.
I’m sure it was an owl! They fly so quietly and fast, they’re hard to identify. We have a new tradition now – as soon as the owls are out, we can have a happy hour. Cheers!
Good idea to download the map on your watch! I tend to save an offline copy of trail maps on my phone juuuust in case. My husband and I haven’t done anything that treacherous but I do make sure to notify people where we’re going and a time estimate. We’ve seen a helicopter rescue happen once too and it did guide us into being more cautious on our adventures. You guys covered lots of distance and elevation! Great job!
The GPS guidance was amazing, Virjinia! I’m not sure what we would have done without it, we didn’t even have a backup physical map to go by. And we didn’t even notify anyone before we headed out. A lot could have gone wrong that day – and that injured hiker was a sombre reminder.
We still have eight peaks to do so we will hopefully learn from that experience for our future hikes!
What a great hike! The views are amazing! I would’ve passed on that last peak too.
I would love to have an otter and an owl visit. Two of my favorite animals. ❤️
You would have loved this, Denise! I’m glad I’m not the only one who is too scaredy-pants to climb up the last peak. 🙂
Owls are the best! They came again yesterday evening. And the otter is hilarious, he is so entertaining.
Liebe Catrina,
also, ich denke schon, dass ich recht bibelfest bin, aber von den Aposteln ist mir noch keiner begegnet … und ihr wart gleich in der Nähe von 12 Aposteln! 😆
Eine tolle Tour habt ihr da gemacht … und tapfer durchgekämpft habt ihr euch auch! Neben sonnigen Abschnitten war es ja teilweise richtig ‘suppig’ und zum anderen auch ordentlich profiliert und teilweise ganz schön verblockt! Wobei ich diese technischen, verblockten Abschnitte liebe … und ich mag auch diese neblig-gespenstische Stimmung! – … aber wenn ich schon nicht mitkommen darf, 😛 dann danke ich euch ‘wenigstens’ für die vielen, schönen Fotos!
Jetzt habt ihr schon 5 der 13 Peaks, allerdings sieht es so aus, dass die anderen nicht so dicht aneinander liegen. Ich bin schon gespannt, wie eure weiteren Touren dann ablaufen!
Glücklicherweise konnte dem Verunglückten geholfen werden … aber mit einem ziemlich komplizierten Abtransport. Abenteuerlich, abenteuerlich.
Wir mussten mal eine Schülerin von einer Skipiste abtransportieren lassen. Ich glaube aber, dass es ihr damals gar nicht so schlecht ging, sie schien den Flug mit dem Heli sichtlich genossen zu haben. – Ansonsten brauchte ich für eine rein sportliche Aktionen keine Hilfe, aber bei meinem Radunfall (Rad als ‘Transportmittel’) war ich schon dankbar, dass eine Studentin den Krankentransport geholt hat. In der Klinik war ich ja dann ohnmächtig geworden.
Wildlife: als ich im September meine Cousine in Berlin-Zehlendorf besuchte, kam mir mitten in der Villengegend am frühen Abend ein Rotfuchs entgegen. Sonst gibt es hier ja nicht so viele Wildtiere, die man zu Gesicht bekommt. Aber mit Wildschweinen hatte ich schon viele Begegnungen, auch recht nah dran … allesamt absolut ungefährlich!!!
Otter und vor allem Eulen würde ich auch mal gerne aus der Nähe sehen! – Mit dieser fremden Fauna kommen wir halt nicht mit! 😉
Aus dem nächtlichen Darmstadt
liebe Grüße Manfred
Lieber Manfred
Das Beste ist: es sind eigentlich mehr als 12 Gipfel – sie haben dann einfach die Namen mit Bibelschreibern aufgefüllt (Petrus und Lukas). Flexibel, die Südafrikaner! 😉
Genau, “suppig” ist der richtige Ausdruck. Ohne GPS wären wir verloren gewesen, die Sicht war nicht gut und wir sahen keine Gipfel, an denen man sich orientieren konnte. Die Kraxelei hätte dir natürlich gepasst. Wir hätten einfach dich immer hoch geschickt für die Selfies!
Ich musste die ganze Zeit dran denken, dass es Leute gibt, die alle 13 Peaks an einem Tag machen. Ryan Sandes brauchte dafür 15h 51min, der Schnellste brauchte 14h 11min (Matthew Healy). Ich habe sogar von einer Frau gehört, die die Tour hin und zurück gemacht hatte. Sie brauchte dafür 76 Stunden und durfte jeweils nur auf den Gipfeln eine kurze Schlafpause machen. Krass, oder?
Im Vergleich dazu sind wir im Schildkröten-Tempo unterwegs. 🙂
Haha, schön, dass es der Schülerin nicht zu schlecht ging! An deinen Radunfall habe ich auch gedacht. Zum Glück konnte dir schnell geholfen werden. Stelle dir vor, du wärst irgendwo in der Pampa gewesen!
Füchse habe ich auch schon gesehen im Zürcher Wald! Auch Rehe. Aber noch nie Wildschweine… die scheinen eher in Deutschland zu Hause zu sein. 🙂
Mr und Mrs Cyril waren gestern auch wieder hier. Wir kennen uns jetzt schon ein bisschen! 🙂
Liebe Grüsse aus dem sonnigen Cape Town!
Wow, it all looks really amazing! I especially like the wildlife you got to see. I have been helping out at the local park with a few others, and there are some robin friends who visit us every time we arrive. They are very sweet and curious!
Luckily, I’ve never been injured while hiking, running, or cycling! Hopefully, it stays that way, and for you and Kai, too.
Robins! I love those little birds but I rarely spot them in Switzerland.
Helping out in a local park sounds very interesting indeed. I’m curious to know more about it. You always get involved in the most fascinating things!
I hope you will stay injury-free too, Kat. Enjoy your bike rides around London!
Wow those views and that elevation! You 2 are so adventurous and fun. I’d love to come visit and hang out just to run all of your cool routes. Hope that guy was okay
It was fabulous, Deborah! It would be fun if you could come and visit. But then again, Aruba sounds really nice, too! Enjoy!
That looks like a beautiful but challenging hike! It’s pretty scary to think about needing medical help in a place like that and not having a signal. I’m glad they were able to call for help and I hope the person was ok!
It was a great hike, Lisa! Exactly – when I saw that we had no signal I began to wonder how we would get help if one of us broke a leg or something similar. I’m glad it all went smoothly for us. But seeing the injured man was a reminder that we shouldn’t take it for granted.
Hi Catrina! I tried to comment on you Addo Post but it looks like Comments are closed! I’m doing a recap of my Addo Training and just wanted to ask if I could download that image you have of the Addo surroundings and use that in my post – I will label it with your blog address 🙂
Of course! Please feel free to use all the photos!
I am so looking forward to following your Addo adventure! 🙂
Liebe Catrina,
wow, vier auf einen Streich! Das ist ja super.
So wie du es beschreibst, liegen die vier Gipfel praktisch, um sie in einem Schwung zu machen, aber trotzdem bin ich sehr beeindruckt von der Distanz und noch mehr von den überwundenen Höhenmetern!
Ich selbst wäre sicher auch nicht auf den Judas Peak ganz hochgekommen. Da wird mir ja schon beim Foto anschauen ganz schwindlig!
Das runtergehen ist für mich oft die größere Herausforderung. Einerseits finde ich es sehr anstrengend und andererseits ist man ja schon vom Aufstieg (bei euch in Mehrzahl!) müde und vielleicht nicht mehr so konzentriert.
Die Wolken über dem Tafelberg würden mich wohl hypnotisieren – ich liebe solche Stimmungen. Und mit Eulen kann man sich ganz wunderbar unterhalten! 🙂
Liebe Doris
Genau, die waren sehr praktisch gelegen aber doch recht anstrengend! Ich habe mir dabei die ganze Zeit vorgestellt, dass es tatsächlich Leute gibt, die die 13 Gipfel an EINEM Tag machen. Unvorstellbar!
Dann hätten wir beide Kai auf den Judas Peak hochgeschickt und wir zwei hätten ganz gemütlich unten ein Schwätzchen gehalten. 🙂
Bei mir auch! Runtergehen geht in die Oberschenkel, man ist müde und die Stolpergefahr ist riesig – ich war froh, als wir endlich unten im Tal waren.
Das Wetter war eigentlich ideal – in der Hitze wäre es ganz schön brutal gewesen. Der Tafelberg hüllt sich nun schon mehrere Tage beleidigt unter einer Wolkendecke, während in Cape Town mehrheitlich die Sonne scheint.
“Unsere” Eulen – Mr und Mrs Cyril – sind uns ganz schön ans Herz gewachsen. Diese stoische Ruhe und der stechende Blick wenn er dich anschaut! Einmalig.
No, i’ve never had to call for medical help- that whole situation sounds scary and serious. I hope that guy is okay.
Climbing those peaks in the clouds like that looks kind of eerie, and super cool!
The picture of Cyril is hilarious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an owl close up like that in real life. And I love the otter- otters are so cute. Would it swim in the pool if people were in the pool as well?
I hope so too, Jenny. It didn’t look good when we passed – he wasn’t talking and had his eyes closed. And he had enormous bandages around his head.
It’s the first time I’ve seen an owl so close up, too! I’ve seen them in captivity but that is kind of sad. The otter only comes when the pool is empty, and he loves to play around with a pile of cushions of the deckchairs. He always makes us laugh!
What a smart idea to download the map on your watch – always good to have that as backup! That’s so scary about the man that needed medical assistance – I hope that he will be okay.
We were so glad to have the GPS guidance! I’m not sure what we would have done without it, Kim!
Yikes. I would have been nervous to climb to the summit too. And you would have had to leave me up there because coming down is a whole different beast. That poor man – how scary for him.
Haha, Jenn! I’m glad I’m not the only scaredy-pants!
I hope the injured man is alright. It’s good that they could organise a helicopter.
Your photography is so beautiful. I like to look at the pictures then go back to read the words. Downhill can be so hard! How scary for the hiker that was injured, I hope he was okay. I’m glad they could get a helicopter up there. It would be so difficult to carry him all the way down.
Thanks, Debbie! In these beautiful surroundings, it’s easy to take nice photos. 🤩
It was such a relief seeing that helicopter fly up there.
Wow on the owl and yikes on the medical emergency — I assume the rescuers have practice and a plan. I hope the person was OK. LOL on the treachery of the Judas peak!
The owl has been coming all week. He spent three hours on our balcony yesterday. It feels like Cyril is a family member now. 🙂
Haha, whoever gave the peak that name was spot on!
Wow, four peaks in one week. That is incredible Catrina and Kai. Amazed looking at the photos. And yes, those last few meters of Judas Peak sure does look treacherous. Tremendous planning that you were able to bag the 3 peaks along one route. After 6.5 hours, 17.5 kilometres and 1’323 metres of elevation.I’m sure you were ready for a good nap. Congratulations Catrina and Kai. ⛰⛰⛰⛰⛰😀
It was a great hike, Carl! I’m sure you would have enjoyed it! Not quite like Copeland Forest, but still very interesting. I was surprised how wet it was – I always think of South Africa as hot and dry but it was quite boggy.
Haha, yes! We slept very well that night. As an experienced hiker, you know how it feels! 😉
That hike looks stunning! I am amazed about the otter at your apartment pool. They are the cutest little animals!
The otter keeps coming back! He really seems to enjoy his nightly swim! 🙂
Wow ✋That is treacherous climbing. Bouldering is tricky. Need footwear designed for that to do it safely. Other footwear use is possible, but one must be especially careful. Sorry to hear about that injured hiker! Hope he is better. Air evacuation is the only way to get prompt treatment. Can’t imagine using a stretcher to go over boulders & ladders. In the end he would have been even more injured! 😱
I live w wildlife in our oak-pine forest. We have barred owls that are so majestic. Lots of waterfowl, wild turkeys, deer, birds of all kinds. I like woodpeckers in particular. We have at least 4 species. We live in a UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere called Frontenac Arch. Google it. You will see me waving at you🤣🤣🤣
Exactly that’s what I thought about the stretcher – if they have another accident while carrying him, the whole rescue operation will be a disaster! With the helicopter it was a lot safer.
Ah yes, I see Frontenac Arch! And nearly saw you waving, too! 🙂 You once mentioned that you live in a forest – it must be amazing to have so much wildlife at your doorstep.
Is housing limited in order to protect the wildlife? Or are new houses being built in the forest? I can imagine that it can be quite intrusive for wildlife if they allow too much construction.
That is strange about those owls. They must have had lots of human contact. Owls are normally shy & certainly don’t trust humans. Interesting that perch on your balcony!🤔
Up to when we departed they still came every evening, Yves. I find it strange too.
Nobody feeds them. There’s a market nearby and I think that’s where they hunt for mice and rats. I hope they’re still there when we get back.