For 12 months - from the time of visiting the viewpoint which overlooks the vast and deep Canyon and then making the booking in August 2021 - I angst about the descent. If I can just get through this part of the hike, I will be fine, I told myself. Surprisingly all the anxiety I had disappeared when I arrived at Ais Ais Resort two nights before. I wanted to start the hike that very evening. I wondered if I would sleep. I think that is when the pull of the Canyon began for me.

The descent is relatively manageable as you go slow and are cautious. The second day of mainly boulder crossing, while exhausting, was fun too!

What kept me strong were the words of a young hiker, Zani, whom we met before our start. She said (in Afrikaans): “And if you feel that you can’t anymore, remember that you still have 500 percent left in you!” That was the best psychology and we often laughed about this when we felt depleted.

The short-cut route has a steep mountain or two to navigate - and at times I wanted to take the longer route rather than climb. But with the help from the team, and my hiking bag tightly strapped to my body so I could use both my hands, I managed to hold on tight and pull myself up the mountain.

On the fifth day, the walk is flat but with no shade. I wished I had carried an extra bottle of water to quench my thirsty-thirst and wet the parch dryness in my mouth which threatened to spread to the insides of my body. Small sips of water from the 20ml I had left and a generous share of 20ml received from my team mate, Mark, helped for a bit. The thirst and heat was threatening to beat us down. Godfrey rushed ahead, and at the last river pool, where the water is most stagnant, he knelt down for one last time at the end of the trail, to quench his thirst.

To be continued…