Why oh why!!
Not that, please, not that, how is that possible that one of the last frontiers have been conquered by the lazy, wealthy, aristocratic, pretentious idiots!Yes that was my reaction to the article in the Country Life Magazine on "slack-packing" the Mighty Fish River Canyon!
 |
| An America at the Sulphur Springs Maccies! |
Now all of that has been spoiled as the "Hoity-Toity-Arty-Farty" needs to be accommodated!
They don't need to carry their packs, no-no, they sleep in pre-erected tents or cabins, their food are made for them (nothing less than 3 courses), their buts are wiped, but worst off all is that they can pass a lie-detector test when asked if they walked the Fish River!
This borders on blasphemy, its like taking a chopper up Kilimanjaro, or the cable car up Table Mountain, or taking the train up the Inca Trail, yes you were there, but that's it, no experience, no thoughts, nothing!
I am fully aware that some "otherwise abled" (to be politically correct), have the need to experience the outdoors, and I'm all for that, but being pampered just because of your financial stability or your lazyness or the fact that your currency lets you stay in Africa for a year on a $ / £100 (and that is if you buy a house in Clifton) irritates me!, it will only be a matter of time, and you will find a Mc Donald's at Sulphur Springs, or a cable car down to the bottom!
Next year I'm planning another trip to the canyon, this time I'll be fitter and better prepared, I will have even more time to adore the splendour of this magnificent place, but I dont know how I will react if I come to the causeway and I see people having a glass of bubbly while their feet are being massaged by barely clad girls and toasting "Jolly good show old chap" or "give us another Shiela" or (with a drawl) "its bigger in the States!"
I can already hear the noise of a chopper as it flies over the canyon at all times off day or night just to deliver some crackers with extra cheese to an overweight American who needs his cheese fix! I can see the plastic cell phone towers trees lining the rim of the canyon to ensure that they are able to check their stock prices in real time and "sell" or "buy" echoing through the silence of the canyon, I can see the tread pattern of Hi-Tech, Solomon and Wolverine being replaced by that of Gucci, Prada or Jimmy Choo.
To add to that it wont be long till the Health and Safety Officers take over, that will spell the end of life as we know it! The construction of a 85km long pathway build to the requirements of some ISO specification will take priority, with the gradient set to a certain degree as not to put to much strain on the ankles or cause blisters, add to that the signage in 4 languages and illumination and we are screwed!,.... because enter the bloody mountain bikers!
Immediately they will demand a MTB trail as it will be unconstitutional to only allow hikers, then the quad bikers and bikers because it will be unfair to only allow hikers and MTB's and not them and as always, the 4X4 clubs will lay the claim that they also need a place! That brings the recovery and medical service at every 20km to ensure a hasty service, and this all due to human nature and that's a fact!
When my family started camping we could fit all our camping needs in the back of our Tucson, soon that wasn't enough and we needed a trailer, soon we out-grew the trailer and bought a 4x4 off-road trailer, now we are contemplating a rooftop tent and all other gadgets needed to make the camping experience more civilized, a DSTV Drifta for the sport, a fridge for some cold ones, a large queen size stretcher etc! the same as will be happening to our beloved canyon.
So what do we do?... do we go deeper into the unknown, do we try to find an even more remote place to explore and do we spend more money on gadgets just to get some peace and quiet?
I think not, if you need a place to find your inner self, or if the environment dictates your happiness you will always be searching for the perfect place, the words "this would have been perfect if" would be added to all your thoughts and you will always be restless.
Give the "Hoity-Toity-Arty-Farty" their space, apply your mind to your environment. Yesterday I was truely happy!, the kids played around the pool, the family gathered and we had a wonderful time chatting away while the braai was going, no view of the sea, or mountains or whatever else, just in the company of family.
I leave with the words of Lao Tzu- In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.
Well till next time.
