Good morning from South Africa! I'm trying to catch up on my blogs that I've been putting off on writing. It's another two week blog update this time and there is lots and lots to cover so sit back and get comfy!
Week 39 (Monday 27th May - Sunday 1st June) - Co-instructing and Father A Nation.
So back on Monday 27th I was still up in our base near Potchefstroom. We started the day by quickly putting up a spiders web between two trees before preparing for our course. I was SUPER excited for this course as me and Talitha were being given a chance to co-instruct! Not all the volunteers at OB have been given the opportunity to instruct a group so it was really fantastic to be trusted enough by the staff to be let loose with a group in the mountains of Venterskroon.
The group itself was eight (meant to be fifteen) fourteen year olds from a private school in Nigeria. They arrived in the morning and after the opening circle we started with some ice breakers, paperwork, course conditions and tone setting. After lunch we did gear sort which is giving each participant all the equipment they'll need for the course and also all the group food that they would be cooking out in the field. Since it was quite sunny we quickly did the float test in the pool. Everyone who does a water activity at OB needs to do this before hand and it's basically just lying on your front and back with a life jacket on to ensure you can float and remain calm in water. Before it started getting dark (around 5.30pm now) I showed them how to pitch the tents correctly and once they had all theirs up with everything inside we did the spiders web before having dinner, debriefing for the day and then heading to bed.
The following day I was running PT at 6am which I think everyone was secretly thankful for since it was absolutely freezing outside the warmth of our sleeping bags. After a slow start to the day the group finally got round to making breakfast (oats) and de-pitching their tents. Our first activity was rafting and after quickly jumping back into the pool (which could of been so much colder but thankfully it wasn't) to do the float test with two girls that didn't do it the previous day, we all headed down to the river. Getting the raft into the river was an activity in itself but once on the water we soon started to head quickly upstream. The group seemed to enjoy doing it, especially when me and Talitha set them the challenge of how many times they could spin the raft a full 360° in sixty seconds. They managed five full turns! Once everyone was back on dry land, we gathered all our stuff up and set out on our hike to our campsite for that night. After hiking for just over two hours and after a lunch stop, we finally made it to 'field' where we'd be camping for the night. I think some of the group were genuinely surprised that we would be camping here that night - "Your unpacking your tent? We're actually staying here?!". After doing some group initiatives with them we started camp craft and first on the agenda was digging our toilet for the night. After collecting water, pitching tents and setting up the kitchen, the group started cooking (in front of some very curious free roaming cows) for the night. Me and Talitha's dinner that night was a classic camping meal - pasta.
Wednesday was another early morning and after PT and breakfast (more oats for me), me and Talitha collected the abseil and rock climbing set up bags and headed off up to the abs site. After doing the set ups we didn't have to wait long till the group arrived with Aphiwe (the instructor helping us out). We started with abseiling so we went through all the important safety information and sorted everyone out with harnesses and helmets. I got the chance to abseil half the group down (Talitha doing the other half) which was fantastic! After lunch at the bottom of the abseil we moved onto rock climbing which everyone in the group attempted. We were both really proud that everyone had a go at this, especially the few that struggled with the abseil. After walking back down the mountain we headed to our new campsite for the night - 'gorge'. It seemed to get dark so fast that night and cold too.
Thursday was definitely the most challenging day for everyone. Waking up in gorge and discovering our tents FROZEN solid was definitely a surprise. With the amount of ice on me and Talitha's tent you would think that we were camping in the Cairngorms in February. The cold was slowing everyone down and even some hot oats (love having oats for breakfast now) couldn't lift the cold mood over the camp. Time seemed to be moving incredibly fast and the group was definitely not going to be leaving on time to start the long hike up round the mountain back to base. Once they finally got moving everyone was a lot happier, especially since the sun had finally decided to show itself. However, the time had other plans and it was soon clear that the group were going to end up walking in the dark due to the speed they were going at. This was something that we could not let happen, especially due to the terrain and steepness of the trails. Us three instructors discussed this issue and we ended up making the call that turning back would be in the best interest of everyone. The group had mixed responses to this but after talking to them I think they understood. Safety always comes first. On the way back to base one of the participants became unwell and we had to get her evacuated back to base. I'm just glad that we were easily accessible to the bakkie and not at the top of a mountain like we should have been. I stayed with her while the others continued with the hike back. Once everyone was back we started with the clean up - washing sleeping bag liners, rucksacks, emptying the bins and cleaning the stoves. Before we knew it it was soon going to be dinner time but before we ate I got them all up and moving about with some games in an attempt to keep them warm. The group was definitely happy to not have to cook on the stoves that night and they even got to sleep in the dorm rooms that night!
After breakfast on Friday we continued with our clean up of the gear and once everything was sorted the group had the chance to shower. Something they'd been looking forward to all week. Afterwards we had our final debrief with them and finished up with some paperwork about the course. We got them to each fill out a experience letter and one of my favourite responses was definitely "Thank you to Talitha who is like a cute six year old and Rachel and her strength to tolerate our nonsense". Lunch and a closing circle later, the group was soon piling onto a bus and leaving. Instructing a course was definitely an experience and something I'll never forget! After debriefing with Nthabi (who was CC for the course) I headed off for a shower before me and Talitha sat down with an orange and a bar one (basically a mars bar which I'd been saving all week), to complete our paperwork for the course. We also properly said hello to all the other instructors (and Scott!), who had joined us up in Potch for the next course...
Friday was far from done. At 5.30pm we were expecting the next course to start but the buses were running late. This course was another 'Father a Nation' group (just like the one we had in Hopetown). I think the total was 96 men all from Alexandra - one of the "roughest areas of Joburg". One of the busses finally turned up sometime after six o'clock and those on board were soon sorted into groups. While we waited on the other bus (which had broken down during the drive) I found myself in the kitchen peeling a LOT OF potatoes and cutting them into chips with the other instructors who were still waiting for their groups. Once the other bus had finally arrived (some point after 9pm maybe?) things were very hectic around base. All the staff ended up having a meeting at 11.30pm to discuss all the issues that were being thrown up that night. It was very late when we all headed to bed with the prospect of what tomorrow was going to bring.
Saturday morning saw an early start for me and Talitha. By 7am we were being driven out to the abseil/rock climbing site and after our walk up to the top we were unpacking and setting both activities up. I did the rock climbing set up - my favourite one to do since you get to abseil yourself down to the bottom! The first two groups arrived and the morning was soon going fast. It was really interesting to chat to the guys as they waited for rest of their group at the bottom of the abseil. One of them even managed to spot some Springbok which I quickly snapped some photos of. All seven groups had a go at either rock climbing or abseiling that day. It was really nice to support those activities and each group definitely seemed to have a good time! Scott was instructing one of the groups and when he came up to the abs site with his group he brought a box of chips for me and Talitha which definitely made our quick lunch break 100× better. That night a concert was held in the hall at base and I was so surprised at the effort and enthusiasm all the groups had for it! Since this was a Father a Nation course each group themed their performance around gender based violence. There was songs and there was drama performances, each one amazing!
PT was at 6.30am on Sunday followed by breakfast and then the groups had solo time before sharing stories with each other. A really nice ending to the weekend. Thankfully the buses were on time and after lunch all the participants headed back home. The rest of the day was spent packing and cleaning up before we had a small braai for dinner. I've definitely loved my weeks here!
Week 40 (Monday 2nd June - Sunday 8th June) - Bark chips!
At 4am we left base up in Potch to make the 13 hour drive back down to home in Sedgefield. Seeing my bed again was a very welcomed sight and so was the weather! Much warmer down here than up north. Tuesday was mainly spent unpacking everything and tidying up base as on Wednesday someone from Outward Bound International was going to be coming for OBSA'S two year review.
Wednesday was bark chip day! Like marmite you either love it or hate it. At 8.30 we headed out to fill the gear trailer and both bakkies full with bark chips. It was hard work but enjoyable due to everyone having a good laugh. Many people did decide to move at the wrong time and ended up with faces full of incoming bark chips! The whole day was filled up with this as we went for two rounds so when we arrived back at base after going for the second load, the guy from OBI was here. After some very brief introductions (he was from Scotland!), we ran up to shower and make ourselves a bit more presentable for the braai that night.
Thursday was spent doing general maintenence around base - mainly finding places for all the bark chips we brought back. Friday we did some community service near our abseil site here, pulling invasive plants out. Over the weekend we hired a car with some of the other staff and went out and about.
Another two busy weeks here at OBSA.
Enjoy the photos below from week 40 and hopefully I'll get this weeks blog up tomorrow...
Rachel :)
Our group with their certificates after the closing circle.
It was VERY cold Thursday morning.
Hiking up the mountain.
Never go anywhere without your crocs.
Being abseiled down by Aphiwe as the example for his Father A Nation group.
Some springbok in the distance.
The top of the abseil.
The view from the abs site.
All the Father A Nation groups at the end.
The bottom of the abseil.
My new trousers I bought from the market.
