84 years young and still hiking in the Berg

A few weeks ago, I was on a hike in the Mnweni (up Rockeries Pass down Mnweni Pass), which was a birthday trip for my friend Karen Hauptfleisch. She wanted to see the sunrise from Mponjwane Cave on the morning of her birthday. We had hoped for snow, and though it snowed in the midlands that weekend, the Northern Berg was dry. It was pretty cold though, with the freezing level starting well down in the valleys.

What was remarkable was that we were accompanied by Sarel van Rensburg, who is 84 years old! He has hiked in the Berg for many years and was still able to do this hike, though we took it very, very easy. He is probably the oldest person to have done this circuit!

When "Oom Sarel" was still in his seventies, I even went rock climbing with him and he did some of the leading!

Just shows, you are never too old to stay active in the mountains!

www.featsa.co.za/2014/07/84-and-hiking-mnweni/

Paul Fatti was part of the group that I joined on the recent climb up Devil's Tooth and Tyrolean Traverse. He is 70 years old and has two artificial hips! Probably the oldest guy to have climbed the Tooth.