The four couples were a disparate collection and it is worth pointing out that Olympic Standard Hiking is not a prerequisite. It is nothing like, for example the Otter Trail, ( Sawubona February 1999.) which does demand an above ordinary level of fitness. An architect and a computer whiz kid together with their wives were the 'pros' of the party, having been on a multitude of walks before, Wilderness Groupies no less who were able to name drop like mad, had a real knowledge of the environment and probably brought to hiking what apres ski does to Winter Sports. A Dutch honeymoon couple, a geography teacher and the photographer/author made up the party and it is amazing how within minutes of first meeting, a 'We've known each other for years' feeling prevailed.

The first get together is at sundowner time and one is advised to make the most of the event as they will be the last 'Sundowners' you will likely experience for the next four days. What you do experience however is the evening ritual of eating your meal followed by the several hours of swapping yarns, relating Wilderness experiences and generally soaking up the atmosphere.
IT IS like nothing else you have experienced. It is completely humbling and it is Wild. The recent occurrence dramatically described by Mike Reid whereby a rogue Elephant totally destroyed the Fly Camp to which we were headed on the following day had the group wanting to check their insurance policies and read the small print on the trip disclaimers. However, it was countered by the expectation that we were about to see life in the raw and perhaps excitement that only the Wilderness could offer.

The nightly fireside narratives were as good as supping a fine wine, without the morning hangover ! The food menu, so Mike said and who are we to doubt him, was what had evolved from many previous treks. It was plain, wholesome, full of carbo-hydrate and for the midday lunches, easy to carry and prepare. This was just as well because you all share the chore of carrying the provisions. It is at one's lunch break on the first day of the walk that a vital principle of Wilderness is realised. Whatever you take in to a Wilderness, you take out. Even a substance such as orange peel which previously one would have assumed decomposed, has to be removed. According to Mike, decomposition of orange peel and even paper can take ten years let alone plastics!

The nights spent out in the Wilderness are under canvas and without luxuries, that is of course unless one calls a blanket a luxury. Showering and toilet facilities are provided but do not expect little sachets of shampoo and eau du toilet. One even needs imagination to describe the loo and shower doors which are a spade and a bucket respectively. The spade together with toilet roll and matches are kept at the end of a path to the Imfolosi flood plain and if they are present, the toilet is vacant and one can proceed to perform in front of whatever audience the Wilderness chooses to provide. Don't forget to burn the paper before burying your production, remember it can take years to decompose ! As for the shower, if the bucket is by the camp boiler, the shower is vacant. Mix half a bucket of water to whatever temperature you wish and off you go to the spot in the bush where another bucket, complete with its tapped bottom awaits you. It's amazing how far half a bucket of water will go when used in this fashion. Don't look for the heated towel rail however and if you are wondering why the bucket is oval and not round..... the elephants as you may remember have been this way !

And what about the wild life ? Strangely, you probably see more driving around a Game Park than you do walking. The animals are timid, will move away rather than confront you with two, in our case, notable exceptions. I had read several of Mike Reid's regular Natal Witness articles where he describes 'one on one' encounters with animals objecting presumably to his presence. On our trail, he took extreme care to ensure we were not exposed to danger, checking our approach to animals relative to the wind, insisting that we walked silently and in close formation for example. It made one feel like a real explorer, even if the rear of the person in front of you displayed all the insignia and bulges of twentieth century consumerism ! No, our safety was Mike's concern and when we sighted two white rhino some three hundred metres distant, he bade us be quiet and still. In barely audible tones, he assured us that rhino could only see for some thirty metres or so but their sense of smell and hearing were of super league standard.

Our silence was not in question so one can only assume that one of our group had not taken advantage of the shower facilities that morning. The two rhino caught our scent and turned at speed towards us. Rhino do not look as though they are moving quickly and I for one have always thought that, if not being able to out run one on the straight, I could duck and dive to keep out of their way. ''Follow me'' urged Mike, ''I need to get you into cover'' I looked round to observe the rhino and could not believe how quickly they had eaten up the three hundred metres. They were upon us, no more than fifty metres away and I now know where the expression ''Feet not touching the ground'' must come from. Rhinos have a 'dressage' approach to running, they glide over the ground and the awesome sight of their ears oscillating back and forth filled this intrepid explorer with panic !

''Keep running, follow me'' Mike implored and I knew he was serious when he failed to stop and retrieve his favourite hat which had fallen off in the flight. Eventually, with hearts thumping, lungs pounding and a multitude of scratches bleeding, we took sanctuary amid a large thornbush. Doing a quick count up, to Mike's obvious concern, we were only seven, we had lost Judy, the Dutch Honeymooning Bride. Richard our fearless Zulu was not with us either but Mike had sent him off to divert the rhino! A bit harsh we all thought, taking affirmative action, equal opportunities and all that a bit serious! But where was Judy? We dare not move from the cover of the bush as the rhino were still only within fifty metres from us. We just had to wait and hope that like all good adventure yarns, the heroine and the faithful game ranger would eventually appeared safe but shaken.

Judy, full of initiative had scaled a tree and saw the charging rhinos brush past her sanctuary and at first hand, witnessed Richard's turning of two rhinos, albeit at the second attempt. ''How do you turn a pair of charging rhinos?'' Apparently you stand in front of them, wave your arms around and shout loudly. But unfortunately, you do have to wait until they are within thirty metres, remember Mike had said that their eye sight is poor.

Mike's therapy for the incident was decisive. He got us walking, silently and positively. We walked for over an hour until we stopped for lunch and we even then, there was little conversation about what had happened. Asked if he would have shot the animal if they had got too close, Mike was quite dismissive. ''What would be the point,'' he argued. ''If the animals were on you, I couldn't shoot in case I missed and got you. And if you had already been killed, what was the point ? Revenge?'' There is some sort of logic and the fact that he had never needed to shoot an animal under those circumstances did give us reassurance if we needed it.

Mike informed us that the charge would be one of the highlights of the four days, it would be the event which we would feature in relating our Wilderness experiences. True as it is, we all felt this was sad because there was so much more for us to take from our stay, from our intrusion, than a bit of a scare with two relatively harmless and timid animals. He is, of course totally correct. You just have to relate the story but the Wilderness is not just about the thrill of the rhino charge, any more than seeing a zebra taken by lion which we did. None of us particularly wanted to be charged any more than we particularly wanted to be able to discern the difference between leopard and impala dung, but we can now! Similarly, we can all pick out the track of a wild dog from that of a cheetah and dozens of like skills, none of which will be of much value in suburban England.

What is important however is that there are now eight more disciples who understand the creed of Wilderness. The challenge for the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service is that they need to have the likes of our group to experience Wilderness and pay for the privilege of so doing. They need 'Tourism' in the widest sense to fund their activities but the more bodies who take the trip, the more intrusion,, the greater the threat to the precious environment they seek to preserve and protect. A challenge to get the balance right it undoubtedly is and however it evolves, there cannot be a perfect answer. Surely we all must be thankful that there are the Mike Reids of this World who will defend and promote the Wilderness ethos, however imperfect it might be.

But our enduring thanks go to the man who single handed was able to reverse two tons of angry rhino , travelling at some forty kilometres an hour, with his bare, waving hands, a lot of shouting and even more nerve. Thank you Richard!

For information regarding all Wilderness Trails and Camps and for reservations, contact:
Bookings@kznncs.org.za.
or
The Reservations Officer,
P.O. Box 13069,
Cascades 3202,
South Africa.

Eric Strange, October 2000.