We’re off on our 2026 virtual cycle/walk/run challenge!
Week 4 progress update from
Speedy Springbok …
On this next stage we head out on the N2 motorway and turn off to Raithby, on the outskirts of Somerset West, just before the road winds up the famous Sir Lowry’s Pass. Here there is a well-run preschool called Brak en Jan, which has about 100 children who, of course, get e’Pap breakfasts every morning. Founded in 1975 by Reverand Gerald Swartz at J.P. Bredel Farm to provide an early childhood education for children from the local farms, it has expanded over the years and now reaches out to children further afield. What is very impressive is that they have their own vegetable garden, which is both an educational resource and one which provides home grown vegetables for the children’s lunch.
Backtracking we cross the N2 towards Stand, then through Gordon’s Bay from where the road winds steadily upwards. Before we start, you may want to pause for some hydration and look across False Bay!
We are now going along Clarence Drive at the beginning of the Whale Route – see if you can spot any, though it is a bit too early in the year. When we get to the top this is the view that will greet you:
We follow the road round, past Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay until we reach Kleinmond, a picturesque coastal town famous for its rich biodiversity within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and where there is a unique herd of wild horses roaming the wetlands near the Bot River lagoon. Oh and by the way, it is a good place to restock with biltong!
As we enter, we turn left to visit Siyabulela (Xhosa for “we give thanks”), a preschool run by Alta van Wyk, whose love for the children and determination to do the best for them is very evident. Among the highlights of the school year are the Debutante evening and the Graduation! We provide e’Pap for Siyabulela and a nearby creche, Bambani, and another preschool, Smart Kids – 230 children in total. (For more information see Siyabulela Pre Primary School |
The next stage takes us to the historic town of Swellendam, 150 km away.
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Shared Stories
Paul Hurrell
I am hiking the Nakasendo Trail, an ancient trading route crossing the mountains of central Japan and connecting Kyoto with modern day Tokyo. Thankfully no bears were encountered, despite the warning signs! Amazing scenery – forests, ravines and waterfalls, with lots of steps!
Patrick Fleming
I thought I would walk 20 miles a day for 10 consecutive days and I chose to do the 182 miles of the Thames Path plus another 18 miles to achieve it. In hindsight it was a bit crazy but it was also inspiring to walk next to the river and see it in many different forms – from not even a trickle in fields at the start to a wide tidal expanse of water threading its way through London.
Ruth Guthrie
I challenged myself to walk the last 100 miles of the Camino Portugues in 8 days, finishing in Santiago de Compostela. It was an amazing experience as I walked through a beautiful part of Spain and encountering pearls of wisdom along the way. One was a sticker on a signpost: “No one will take the next step for you”, which spoke to me on a number of levels.