Trek Up Lion’s Head – 10 Weeks Preggy

So, it was decided by Jan (my business partner) that a great idea for “bonding” with our team, would be to climb Lion’s Head after work one day.  From the beginning I was sceptical, but everyone else was excited, so I didn’t voice my um, fear.  It kept getting postponed due to the birth of Jan’s twins and various other engagements, but unfortunately the day did come.  The only bonding I could see happening, is that we would all jointly dislike him for making us go through this!

Before we get into it, I must just let you know that at this point I was 10 weeks pregnant.   Besides the horrible all day sickness, general tiredness and other fabulous things that go with it, I was probably not in the best shape to be trekking up the mountain.  Oh, and I’m seriously and disgustingly unfit on a good day…  I’m just using the pregnancy as an excuse.

Nevertheless, it was almost impossible to get out of it and maybe I’m also just a little bit of a sucker for punishment.  We left work at 4.30 with the hopes to start walking at 5 – making sure we get to the top with enough time to eat and then walk down.  This was a great plan, in theory.  Unfortunately Candice and Ayesha managed to get lost, and no, not lost up the mountain.  They got lost getting to the mountain…  As far as I know, they are not secretly blonde.  In her defence though, Taryn and I who both knew the way just happened to end up in Emma’s car, which was rather bad planning on our part.

After waiting until 5.20, we thought it would probably be a good idea for the girls that were there to get started and then for the rest to catch up when they got there.  Great!  I thought I could take it easy, making it less difficult for them to catch up to us later.  But flip!  Taryn and Emma lead the pack up the hill with ease while I huffed and puffed a few metres behind them.  I kept “taking pictures of the beautiful view”, but actually I just couldn’t do it anymore!  Finally the girls arrived and we were instructed to stop and wait for the rest of the pack – thank goodness!

Unfortunately the stop only made it harder to start again, but luckily this time I had a partner at the back with me who was equally confused by why on Earth we were doing this to ourselves.  Candice and I held up the rear with Jan a few metres ahead patronising us with comments about having to whip us into shape and other rubbish.  I am not ashamed to admit that at this point I would quite easily have pushed him off the mountain.  But that would mean catching up to him to push him off, and that just wasn’t going to happen.  There is also a ladder perilously located on the edge of the abyss which leads to a section that is so narrow that they have placed thick metal chains to cling onto just so that you can get to another  vertical assault – where you have to hold onto the metal handles for dear life just to make it up there.  Did I mention that I am pregnant?  And that my legs are as short as stumps?  Or that I am really, really afraid of heights?!  Ja…  That.  Plus my rock wasn’t there to guide me and keep telling me that I won’t die – yes, Seth bailed on me.  But I can’t really blame him, there’s no ways I’m ever doing this again.

Despite the slog and awfulness of it all, it really is beautiful!!  Wow, Cape Town is a stunning place, but it’s unfortunate that you have to put yourself through all this just to see it!  Ok, ok, it wasn’t so bad for everyone else, and I would definitely recommend it if you are ever in the area.

Because of the delay in the start and my slowing down the pack, we weren’t able to make it all the way to the top in time to be back down at a reasonable time.  So we stopped about three quarters of the way up and had a seat and a drink.  Finally time to rest for 10 minutes.  The view was just breathtaking – it even made the red ants biting me worth it.

Then it was time to trek down again – so much easier than going up!

Thanks again to everyone for coming, it was great.  But my vote for the next “bonding” experience, is that we go to a comedy show.  Where we can sit on our butts, eat food and laugh – none of this exercise crap!