The short of it
A few days ago I moved continents, to Canada. My wife, being Canadian, has a new work contract which requires her to live here again, and we decided this was a good time for a Canadian chapter in our lives. None of this will have a negative impact on VE, as the site, and all projects VE is involved in, will continue, and there are no plans or considerations to the contrary. All it means is I will have fewer Berg trips, limited to annual visits to SA. Being the founder and administrator of VE this move has relevance to the site, which is why I am announcing it, but essentially that's it - nothing much is going to change for most members of the site. This is "the short of it", but if you wish to hear more of my thoughts in "the long of it", then read on.
What will happen to VE?
VE is now in it's 8th year and I am pleased to see that the discussions and contributions are as lively as ever, in spite of the fact that the community may be comparatively small in number. No longer is it always necessary for me to reply to a thread, as many questions are quickly and adequately answered by other members. This is healthy for the forum and indicates a sustainable momentum which will keep the site alive and relevant. It also supports the fact that site will not suffer adversely by my move overseas.
I will continue to remain fully involved with VE in spite of going through periods of being relatively quiet on the forum as I focus on other things. Even so, you will still me online regularly as I will still keep an eye on things as much as possible, and I am perpetually busy with administrative tasks anyway.
VE now has four moderators and an advisory team which acts as a sounding board for deeper VE related matters, further strengthening the site's drive into the future. Our official Berg trips have gained a good momentum - diverian and tonymarshall will take over the active management of these as well as the Pine Tree Project and the Tseketseke Hut maintenance. I will still attend these if I am in the country at the time. We will continue to monitor the cable car proposal and draw attention to the concerns we have with it. Our supportive relationship with the AmaZizi Wilderness Group and the Mnweni Wilderness Working Team is set to continue to develop and more of this will become apparent in time.
I also want to add that I think it is important that VE never exists for its own good and purpose. Even though there may be commercial endeavours, VE was founded on values of being passionate about mountains, a promotion of mountains, and a proactive concern for the protection of mountains. The forum was founded with a simple notion of, "Hey, anybody else out there that thinks the Berg is just awesome?!", and this should always remain as a core value. Every generation must discover for itself a firsthand love for mountains, and must understand for itself the immense value of mountains, in particular the Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains which has always been a special emphasis of ours . VE is a current platform and catalyst in achieving this timeless objective, and even if VE one day ceases to exist , the objective must continue.
What will happen to intrepid?
Our move to Canada was based on motivations that were not driven by wanting to escape the challenges and difficulties that South Africa is going through. I have always been very proud of South Africa and this is not going to change. There remains a hope in me - a hope and belief that we CAN do it, that all is not lost, and that the problems our country faces still have the potential to ultimately strengthen us as they are overcome, rather than destroy us.
I have been very firm and intentional about not saying "goodbye" to friends and family in South Africa. We have not uprooted from there and prefer to say that for the time being we are doing a chapter in Canada. Nobody can say exactly what their future holds, but our intention is not to let go of South Africa. I can say this, having previously already lived overseas for a period of almost 6 years, after which I returned and lived in SA for another 10 years. It seems my life is destined to be lived globally - I have now lived and worked on 4 different continents - yet somehow these moves are not always an easy transition for me.
And the Berg continues to be an integral part of me, and I think of it fondly, proudly and longingly during my times in other countries. I lived in Nepal previously for a few years and am still very sentimental and attached to the people, the Himalayas and the country - yet, my first love as far as mountains go undoubtedly remains the Berg. To me it is totally unique, very special and one of the best places on earth! During years of living in Sweden after Nepal, Saturday mornings, with miserable weather outside, were spent with a cup of strong coffee going over my Berg maps. I can tell you that most of my Berg books are with me in Canada - many of them carried as precious hand luggage by various people - along with boxes full of maps of the Berg and Lesotho.
Those familiar with Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where I now live, will know that this is a very mountainous region, both on the island and on the mainland. The mountains are serious and big, and the areas vast and wild. From our neighbourhood, mountains that are snow-capped year round can be seen. I know that many adventures are waiting for me. Alpine climbing is something that has been in my blood for some time. I got my feet wet in 2004 when I ascended two 6000m+ peaks in the Himalayas, and various trips to the mountains in Canada and even the US have only kindled this passion. I am very proud of our home-grown "African Alpine" in the Berg, where crumbly basalt and pulling on grass tufts is an integral part of the climbing, while at the same time knowing that snow and alpine ice climbing is something that is instinctively natural and appealing to me. Avalanche and crevasse safety skills are not something South Africans are naturally born with though, and so I will be giving myself to deepening my knowledge of these. I am blessed to already have several mountain and climbing buddies here, some of which are even South African.
Perhaps as an addition to this thread, I will post some pictures of previous trips in Canada. Even so, there is a sadness and nostalgia in my heart as I know I will see less of the Berg for some time, being limited to doing trips during annual visits to SA. On the other hand I also see this as a gracious opportunity extended to AndrewP to do some catching up on peak ascents. I also hope that during my annual visits I will see a steady progression in the upgrading of tonymarshall's hiking gear.
Oh, and in order to pay for all my mountain gear, I will continue to freelance in the IT industry and work remotely, as I have for many years, in case you were wondering.
So what is my new IP address?
Well, unless you are moderator, you will not see my new IP address. But it doesn't really matter, and it is not something you need to know, right? I am still around, and there is no apparent difference in my posts when posting them from another country. For most of you my geographic location will make little difference, and this is my whole point. VE and the Berg remain an important part of me. And so, enough about me - now let us all continue to enjoy mountains across the globe ..... and in particular, to remain proud of our Drakensberg
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Take nothing but litter, leave nothing but a cleaner Drakensberg.
