The Ride Wild Coast
Everything at the farm this month has paled into insignificance when
weighed against the incomparable thrill of the The Ride’s Wild Coast Adventure
which I embarked on with Barry Armitage and Joe Dawson of The Ride last week.
Joining us was a return guest, Victor Kee, who has spent many years taking
clients riding over Exmoor . As it turned out,
we were a pretty invincible team… well, not so pretty but definitely
invincible!
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While this ride did little to prepare us for what was to come, it did
give us a taste of the beautiful scenery and breathtaking vistas that the Wild Coast
With only a short distance to cover on the first day, we allowed a
significant amount of time for Barry to faff – something that would become as
regular as coffee in the mornings to come – and then headed out on a bit of a
stop start commencement to the day. And what a ride! This section was new to
everyone and finding the correct path proved challenging – as did the path
itself! Leading our horses, we scrambled along in knee-deep mud, fighting off
the grabby branches and trying not to entangle ourselves or our horses in the numerous
obstacles keen to hinder our progress.
After a hot and sweaty start to our ride, the terrain became slightly
less exacting and we arrived at our first stop, The Kraal, in time for a spot
of lunch and well-deserved swim in the warm waters of the Mpande river. An
afternoon sojourn to the local shebeen (unofficial tavern) gave all the chance
to kick back, relax and soak up the friendliness and hospitality of the Xhosa
people.
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Day three saw us covering +-40km from The Kraal to Mdumbi – it also
presented us with our first big river swim. Under Barry and Joe’s expert
guidance, we intrepidly strided out into the
The next day was hot and we had some serious distance to complete so the
pacing of the ride was vital. With Reign and Victor dropping back rather on
some of the long hill climbs, we decided to swap horses in order to keep the day
moving. With a lighter rider on his back, Reign soon found his feet and slotted
in with the rest of the horses. The day ended even more beautifully than it had
begun, with a ride through a curiously atmospheric dune forest and out for a
last long beach canter and up through the river to Bulungula where we spent an idyllic
night in a thatch lapa in the paddock with our horses.
We all awoke early the next morning, except for Joe who remained huddled
in his Barbie sleeping bag even as one of the horses decided to investigate the
lapa for any signs of food. And who can blame her? We all found Equifeeds so
tempting in appearance that we sampled it and decided that it was a definite
improvement on some of the foodstuffs us humans were being presented with for
breakfast!
Now on our fourth day of riding, we were heading to The Haven, a section
of the ride that I had been particularly looking forward to. The Haven is
situated within the sister reserves of Dwesa and Cwebe which conserve one of
the Eastern Cape
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We were all very relaxed, knowing that we only had around 20-25km to
complete during the day, and so we added to our time in the saddle by losing
equipment (I actually rode back in an effort to locate my GPS that was actually
safely stowed away in my bag all along) and sustaining minor injuries. An
unexpected branch scratched me on the nose enough for it to bleed profusely and
require the expert first aid of Barry – i.e. he stuck a big piece of white tape
on my nose, laughed at me and took photos – ahh, the bedside manner!
A quiet afternoon was enjoyed, sort of, by both horse and human,
although Barry’s natural energy levels (approximately the same as a Duracell
bunny) meant he had trouble with this concept and forced us all to drink
copious quantities of red wine instead (I swear, I was an unwilling
participant!). A wonderful evening of laughter and silliness saw me struggling
to arise from my damp tent the next morning and I surfaced only just in time
for breakfast.
From The Haven we continued our journey down the coast and our last
night on the road would be spent at The Kob Inn, where I was back on familiar
ground having recently ridden up there on our newly adjusted 7-day beach trail.
It is a wet day from start to finish, with rain soaking us from above and
rivers soaking us from below. Our first challenge is the Mbashe River
The rain couldn't do much to dampen our spirits, although one or two
unexpected rivers did take some of the fighting spirit out of our leader. With
the countryside beginning to flatten out and the long beaches stretching ahead
of us, it was an incredible day’s riding with the overcast, rainy weather
providing good conditions for the horses and keeping us all cool and hydrated!
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The wonderful hospitality and friendless of the Kob Inn’s proprietors
and staff were a welcome luxury as we arrived sodden and shivering. Warm
showers, big beds and great food were some of the highlights of the evening. A
few more dry clothes would have been an added bonus but it was not meant to be,
although the tumble-dried jeans and socks were a welcome sight (and sensation) the
following morning.
Saturday marked the last day of our adventure and we had three rivers to
cross and just over 50km to cover to our final destination. The day is pretty
grey with intermittent rain and one of the horses is battling a little with
chafing from the girth the day before. We adjust all her tack, do away with the
martingale and set out with a whole new perspective – one which is primarily
filled with chestnut ears as the head is flung around in celebration of this
new liberty.
Shaan-Rae and Candis join up from The Kob Inn with
us at the beginning of the ride but the fast pace soon separates the original
four members of the team from our new companions. The beaches are fast and
furious and the horses, now on familiar ground, are full of running. We hit the
long beach
After a wade through the Nxaxo
River
What an incredible week! I feel almost homesick for the adventure and
for the companionship of both humans and horses. This trip has inspired me to
dream beyond my comfort zone, plan new challenges for myself and my horse, give
up smoking, and basically change the entire way I approach life and horses. “Right
now, in this tiny moment, there is no one who can clip the wings of my freedom.
Together, my horse and I, we can conquer untold wonders and discover all that
lies beyond these horizons.”
For more info on how you can be part of our Wild Coast Horseback Adventures - go to our web site
