Don’t take life so serious, no one gets out alive anyway”.
I’ve pretty much recovered from that little incident last week, so I’ve started my “change of pace” weeks.
But, through an unexpected turn of events instead of hiking up a mountain this weekend, I got asked to help move some horses up the mountain. I’ve never been on a horse before and it was far from a beginners lesson but with a fearless attitude of “no risk no fun” I set my apprehensions to one side and had a laugh all the same.
I guess you only need to know one thing as a beginner. Falling off hurts more than staying on, so no matter what, don’t fall off. Easier said than done during the first canter after the first 5 mintues with one foot out of the stirrups. But I manages to keep my big fat bum near the saddle instead of on the ground.
We left Bushman’s neck, crossed the border into Lesotho then heading straight up into the mountains, with awesome views (when I got to look instead of hanging on for dear life).
Climbing a mountain on horseback seems a much more civilized way to get uphill. The distance between mountains is quickly bridged at a canter but the bumps, bruises and saddle sore bring a whole new meaning to pain (especially for men) which make the process on a whole far from civilized:).
But the occasional break by a river or waterfall or lunch make it all a little easier to cope with.
Horse riding was alot more fun than I though it would be, and at some point I hope to learn to do it properly and slightly more gracefully. But for now one day was enough, and I’m pleased we planned to take the truck back the next day and not on horseback, I was just so sore….
And now? Well I’m going to do my best to finish Catch 22 today, then tomorrow I’ll tackle my first mountain. Hopefully later this week I’ll get cracking on a 5-6 day hike through these beautiful mountains.
Great post Shane – looks amazing! Very envious of your upcoming trek through those mountains. Have fun!
Thanks John
That looks like a lot of fun and the best thing about them is that you don’t have to pedal them uphill!
Enjoy
Prachtig landschap, maar wat doet die mud aardappels op dat paard?
Glad to hear it went well! Best of luck with the rest of your trip.
Thanks, How’s sunny Berlin this time of year?
Awesome views! Loved your story. Sounds like it was an exciting day (soreness aside!) in that beautiful place.
Enjoying following your journey. Liked the comment about rule 5 in previous update. Take care, follow your dream and have fun buddy.
Thanks Noel,
Hope I dont bore you with stories of sunny weather while you’re at -25 degrees:)