Ray Chaplin’s solo walk from Cape Town to Beit Bridge

Posted on 4 December 2009

After a good night’s sleep, I took a slow start again… I love the snooze button! A light brekkie while re-packing and getting all the electronics hooked up for charging as & when possible on the go.. and I was off.

I made some good time initially, enjoying the scenery and feeling fresh. Cloud cover, while playing havoc with charging stuff, helped keep things a little cooler which certainly helped! I’ve been drinking as much as possible, based on water supply of course, but remain dehydrated. Tang+ and Rehydrat and mixed into most bottles just to keep the body going. Any dry foodstuff is difficult at the best of times due to the constant dry…

The first old steel bridge today was stunning, and I enjoyed spending a little time there picturing just what it must have been like fighting in the Boer War… sitting in the nearby blockhouse day & night guarding the strategic river crossing. Sadly, there is ZERO water in the river so no bonus water for me yet.

I cruised on and my pace slowed as the heat kicked in. Spirits were certainly lifted when I saw a Springbok running around in the field off to my right. Unfortunately I was too slow to get my camera unclipped and on, but I saw him head into the distance and over a hill…

A million and one thoughts running through my head, I was keeping an eye on the terrain and an eye on any chance of water. I tried one windpump but the dam / tank had a concrete slab over the top – how rude!??!

And then I saw a low ‘pool’ with a pipe coming out of the ground, in the middle of nowhere. I had to check this out!!! And, to my delight, there was water. Well, it looked more like it was a urine collection point for all animals in the area… with loads of stuff floating in it and growing on the bottom. But, I filled my 4L ‘dirty’ bag and got going.

Just up ahead was my planned halfway point for the day so I pulled in and made myself comfy… and got filtering. And, what do you know… clean, drinkable water. Happy Ray indeed, so I opened some Vita Thion sachets and got drinking. Gotta love bonus water.

Big Steve called and, as usual, we hatched some epic ideas! He and I should start a brainstorming company… we’d make a killing!

From there, sadly, it was downhill. My legs slowed right down and my head just didn’t help. I cruised and limped, but pressed on. Until I saw a farm off to the right, with a little life… so I pulled in. Only to find locked buildings… and three labourers who were about as excited to see as the dead tortoise I saw the other day.

I came to another bridge, this time with two blockhouses – and it’s an awesome sight [check the gallery]. These were a little more elaborate than the blockhouse I saw earlier in the day…

From here I could see my camp – not where I’d planned, but where my legs were taking me.

Someone said the other day I’m clearly not enjoying the trail… and I felt offended by it. But it is true in a very small way. I feel I let myself be talked into doing this trip differently to how I wanted to do it and should’ve done it… so I regret that in some way, and maybe that frustration is coming out in my dispatches. I don’t know… but the experience out here is amazing, maybe just would be INCREDIBLE if I’d done things slightly differently.

Gear item for the day: Silk sleeping bag liner from Sea to Summit. Just opened it now and WOW! It’s awesome… first time I’m using it and am well impressed by the feel and comfort.

Anyhow, camp is up… the wind is HOWLING… dinner is in the tummy… and power is running low… so I’m turning in.






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