Hiking
General Information
The
Mountain Club of South Africa was founded in 1891 and at
present consists of 13 sections throughout Southern Africa.
Membership holds many privileges and is certainly sought
after by persons who have a love of adventure and appreciation
of the natural environment. We are sure that you will find
the Mountain Club interesting with much excitement to be
found in its activities. Ask lots of questions. Join in
our activities as they suit you, organise your equipment
so that you are comfortable without carrying too heavily,
set aside enough time for walking or climbing and suddenly
you have access to a new life style.
Before Setting Out
Make sure that the outing
is not beyond your training and experience and that you are physically fit
enough.
Ensure that your equipment is suitable - always include weatherproof
clothing.
Equipment and Provisions
The weight of your pack should not exceed one third of your body
weight.
With experience you will draw up your own checklist of equipment.
Begin by obtaining one from an experienced hiker or a book on hiking.
Pack
clothing in waterproof bags.
Hiking Techniques
Do not leave the group without arranging with
the leader.
Beware of loose rocks - for own safety and those below.
Dislodging of rocks and throwing of stones is strongly discouraged.
You will
have to carry out all your rubbish - bring a bag for it. Do not burn or bury
rubbish.
Take precautions against sunburn.
Leave farm gates as you found
them.
Toilet
The rules of personal
sanitation are simple. Adhere to them:
Carry a trowel.
Walk a good way
away from any shelter, camp, path or water.
Dig a small hole. Remove stones
if necessary. Cover the hole completely, so that when you have finished a
passer-by would not suspect that any digging has taken place.
As a final
precaution, place a rock over the dug area. But please note that a rock alone is
not adequate.
Children should be trained from an early age, and supervised
for many years. A small child will readily enter into the spirit of the
determination that no one must ever know they have been in that spot.
Washing
Never pollute streams
with soap or toothpaste.
Never swim in a stream which supplies a farmer with
his drinking water.
Never wash your hair in a stream, or stand in it soaping
yourself all over.
If you do not like washing in a billy, carry an ice-cream
container or a small washing bowl and wash in this.
Litter
Take home all your litter.
Be meticulous
and pick up every bottle top, drink can ring, sweet paper, silver paper,
cigarette end .. everything.
Keep a plastic bag in your pack for this
purpose.
Note that orange peel does not rot and therefore counts as litter.
Apple cores do rot but should be well hidden.
When you leave your camp, or
any area, check that no evidence is left show that you were there.
Feel
about these things so strongly that you automatically pick up any litter left
by someone else.
