Image by trekSA

The following is a list out lining the kind of hiking gear I’ll bring with me on Los Glaciares and Torres del Paine National Park hiking trail ( 21 days trip ). This list is not meant to be prescriptive. Please feel free to discuss hiking gear with us if you have any questions.

- backpack , DEUTER 65+10

- 3 waterproof bag SEA TO SUMMIT , 2L  , 13L  and 35L

- day pack SEA TO SUMMIT

- 1 sleeping bag NORTH FACE ( goose down feathers , -10 C )

- 1 sleeping bag  FIRST ASCENT ( goose down , 0 C ) , linner

- 1 camp mattress PACIFIC OUTDOOR - blow-up mattress

- trekking boots LA ESPORTIVA KARAKOM

- 2 pairs of trekking socks

- 2 head torch PETZEL TIKKINA and PETZEL eLITE ( emergency )

- 2 tops , thermal (wool + polypropylene)

- 2 bottom , thermal

- 1 fleece

- 1 Bennie and 1 balaclava

- 1 hat

- 1 pair of glove BLACK DIAMOND

- 1 goose down jacket NORTH FACE

- 1 waterproof jacket NORTH FACE Goretex

- 1 waterproof pants CAPE STORM Goretex

- 1 quick-dry trekking pants CAPE STORM

- 1 shirt

- 1 sandal CROCKS

- sun glasses

- trekking poles BLACK DIAMOND

- 1 durable water bottle 1L NALGENE

- 1 water bladder of 1.5L CAMELBAK

- 1 lightweight trek towel SEA TO SUMMIT

- 1 personal toiletries ( small tooth-brush , small amount of tooth-paste )

- 1 SEA TO SUMMIT iPOOD ( dig holes ).

- 1 camera NIKON COOLPIX

- 1 lightweight personal medical kit

- 1 lightweight cooking pots MSR TITAN set

- 1 Titanium Spork

- 1 lightweight Small cup

- 1 set of NALGENE small plastic bottles

- 1 lightweight stove MSR POCKET ROCKET

- 1 lightweight tent BIG AGNES SEEDHOUSE SL 1

- 1 tent footprint

- 1 space blanket

- 3 Harnesses and 3 Carabiners ( group safety )

- 1 LEATHERMAN

- 1 SWISS KNIFE

- 1 SAS SURVIVAL GUIDE book

- 1 GARMIN GPS geko

- 1 Map of Los Glaciares and 1 Map of Torres del Paine

- 1 iPOD ( iTOUCH 32 GB )

- 1 Small kit repair

- 1 Money Belt

The aim of the Harvester’s Lunch is to celebrate our natural bounty by eating it…….in a special way. It also celebrates all the folk in this unique little borough who buy into that old adage “local is lekker”. All the food we eat is harvested locally, grown or caught and prepared in or as close to our own kitchens as possible. The Harvesters Lunch highlights the importance of protecting the incredible ecosystems that support our plants and awesome beasties as well as encouraging and supporting those age old skills of harvesting, food preparation and cooking.

The hunter and gatherers  prize ( kalzoni) of this year went to Guilio for his awesome whole wheat flat bread , the wheat was harvest and turn into flour by himself  , amazing commitment to the spirit of gathering !

Fantastic way to start 2012 !

The quality of soccer was very impressive , nice to see  Scarborites of different age group getting together and having a lot  FUN !

Thanks  the organize team for another awesome day in the beach !

Looking forward to next year !!!!

Twenty tourists had to be evacuated from the Torres del Paine national park in Chilean Patagonia following the outbreak of a forest fire that has extended to over twenty hectares because of strong winds and difficult access for fire-fighters, reports the local press.

The tourists were camping in a refuge just two kilometres away from the fire which was first reported last Tuesday, next to the Grey Lake along a 60 degrees slope which makes the task of 80 fire-fighters extremely perilous according to a release from the Chilean National Forestry Corporation, Conaf.

The fire was located next to a tourist path and although the cause has not yet been clearly established it is believed a campers’ bomb-fire not properly extinguished and with the help of strong winds had much to do with the incident.
Given the slope many of the fire-fighters and CONAF members have had to approach the burning slope from the lake in Zodiacs but the winds are proving a formidable enemy.

The regional Emergency Office from the province of Ultima Esperanza where the park is located has declared a “red alert” and described the situation as “very complicated, almost critical”
Support has been requested from the Chilean Army and the nearby mining town of Rio Turbio in Argentina.
Jonathan Donaide from the Emergency Office said that winds blowing at over 80 kilometres per hour are making the task of fighting the fire “extremely difficult”.

Torres del Paine Park with over 242.242 hectares is one of the most visited in Chilean Patagonia.
In February 2005, a fire by a careless Czech tourist wiped 13.880 hectares of native flora, causing a major catastrophe.
A camping gas store not properly used by Jiri Smitak sparked the fire. He was arrested and sentenced but apologized and begged for pardon. He was finally set free but the Czech government later financed the reforestation of the destroyed area.

The smoke from the forest fire can be seen from the park’s administration’s office 35 kilometres away.
Vicente Nuñez head of Chile’s Ministry of Interior Emergency Office said tht the regional civil protection system has been activated on the field with all the operational coordination needed to confront the emergency”.
A Twin Otter is over-flying the area to assess the situation and keep track of the fire.
Nuñez said four forestry brigades, two from Torres del Paine, one from Punta Arenas and another from Puerto Natales are involved in the operation.

Following huge success of the Beach Football Challenge last year ! We are delight to announce the 2nd Scarborough Football Beach Challenge :

- Where : Scarborough Beach, Sunday 01 JAN 2012, kick off at 4 pm. Weather permitting  !

- NO entry fee ( MAHALA ).

-If you like to be a helpers or donate a price for the winner team : please contact Elena at 0825845830 or caprichokids@gmail.com

-Early registration contact : Kelson at 0217801130 or caprichokids@gmail.com

While the soccer goes on let’s have a family get-together and picnic. Dogs, children and parents are welcome – but please keep under supervision so they don’t disrupt the competition.Bring your own picnic basket, water and chairs and shade if needed – umbrellas if not too windy

See you all  ,  Events like these do wonders to boost community spirit!

The Rules ; 3 a side Football

1. Pitch will be approx 20-25 metres long and 8-10metres wide. The goal will be approx 2.5 metres wide and be about knee high.
2. Players over 10 years old  ( otherwise only with parental consent and organise team ).
3. Kick off at the halfway line and the same for every subsequent  K.O
4. i.e. after a goal.
5. If the ball goes out of play the game is restarted at the touch line by foot (no throw ins).
6. Deliberate use of any part of the arm from the elbow down will result in a penalty, as will any serious foul (trips, obstruction etc as per the rules of the game).
7. Penalties will be taken with an open goal from the penalty spot,…….to be determined.
8. It is hoped all the games will be played in a sportsman like manner, no abuse of the referee’s decisions will be tolerated and very serious fouls could result in a player being sent to the sin bin for a period of 2 mins.

We’ll supply:

• a Bedouin tent for shade (and maybe to hide from the south-easter).
• a small field for children to play.

]]> http://www.treksa.com/start-2012-with-a-goal/feed/ 0 http://www.treksa.com/worm-farms-reduce-co2-emissions/ http://www.treksa.com/worm-farms-reduce-co2-emissions/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:14:45 +0000 trekSA http://www.treksa.com/?p=2160

“it may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly, organised creatures.” Charles Darwin.

trekSA set up 6 new worm farm with funds donated by our clients , this kind of initiative can go a long way to offset the carbon emissions of our flight.

Average flight Carbon Emissions of our last trip   = 2500 kg CO2.

Average Carbon Emissions reduced : by 6 Householder Worm Farm per year = 6000 kg CO2.

For every tonne of raw food waste that ends up in landfills, one tonne of emissions are released, however when composted through the use of earthworms, that number is reduced by 83% to only 0.17 of a tonne of gas emitted.

Householders can do their bit for the Global Warming problem by having a worm farm and thereby converting much of their household waste in to high quality garden soil (vermicompost) rather than have it go to landfill where it generates harmful Greenhouse gases

Vermicomposting is the process of using earthworms to breakdown organic waste material to create a nutrient-rich organic fertiliser and acts as a cheap, local alternative to the five million tonnes of fertiliser used pe annum, 66% or which is imported from overseas.

Thanks to ALL for the epic day in the beach  , a lot of FUN and the weather was perfect , light SE and small swell ; diver and nets fisherman had equal chance on the challenge. all competitors  IN the water by 9:30 and OUT by 10:30.

And THE SCARBOROUGH BEST CRAYFISH CATCHER for 2011 are :

Earl Valentine – ( using nets ) for  biggest crayfish caught , 690 grams  !

Mick – ( Diver ) 4 crayfish caught , Total weight of 2.3 Kilos.

Special thanks for the organising team :

Andre Greyling

Our judge panel ( Elena,Claire,Cindy and Xandra )

Richard and Cindy for sponsoring the awesome  prices ( 2 bottle of Scottish whisky )

Weavers for the Bedouin Tent on the beach  , shade and protection against the wind !

And Looking forward to the NEXT year challenge !!!

Situated on the mighty Zambezi River at the Victoria Falls, one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, the historic town of Livingstone is a traveller’s fairytale destination.

Awesome car trip from Cape Town to Livingstone via Namibia and the Caprivi Strip , took us 8 days driving average of 400 km per day and stopping into some great camping places in the way , VERY HOT but we always found a COLD Namibian beer and pools to cool us down ….

The Caprivi is  the only region that shares its borders with 4 other countries – Angola, Botswana,Zambia and Zimbabwe, all members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The Caprivi regional capital is the town of Katima Mulilo, which is located on the Zambezi River.

Another huge drawcard is that the Caprivi is surrounded by 4 perennial rivers – Chobe, Kwando, Linyanti and the mighty Zambezi! For years this area was the domain of the South African Army – wildlife suffered as a result- but with soldiers long gone, wildlife populations have recovered. These waterfront areas combine riverine forests with vast wetlands, attracting over 600 species of bird, 4 of the big 5 (less rhino) as well as boasting 4 National Parks – Bwabwata, Mamili, Mudumu and Mahango. Nearly 200 kinds of flora, shrubs, trees and fruits, complement the wildlife and amazing geography.

Scarborites Join us for a lot of fun !

We have all the elements in place:

- dish
- DSTV decoder
- projector
- audio
- screen

WHERE ? Scarborough Community Center !!!

For more info go to RUGBY WORLD CUP OFFICIAL WEB SITE