I have fled demons for many years. I have chased angels all my life. What I have realised is that there are both that exist within me. Which one I choose to feed is the one that fuels my journey. This Blog post has been long overdue. I don’t know what it is, but I try to disguise my procrastination with perfection, telling myself that the only reason I am not posting is because I want it to be just right.
If someone had told me that I would be running 226 km traversing the Drakensberg mountains, tagging 6 of the highest peaks in South Africa (and Lesotho), climbing 9500m, carrying a 9kg back totally unsupported for 89 hours, I would have laughed and said, “Not this girl, she isn’t capable of doing something like that”. Ahh the power of perception and the way we identify/define ourselves can be so limiting. I have spoken about this before and I intend to continue using this as a theme throughout my life as I am sometimes baffled at how my life changed from being a scrawny, scared girl who couldn’t stop drinking to a woman that conquers mountains and doesn’t fear the unknown. Or taking chances, even if the idea of failure might loom around the corner.
In March this year I completed the Drakensberg Grand Traverse. I ran this (well let’s be clear, there was not much running other than away from rabid dogs) quite a while back. It was an extraordinary experience, and the funniest part is I’m doing the same crazy run in a months’ time with my good friend and hardcore woman, Amri Williamson. I have always been a sucker for punishment and perhaps it’s the recollection that is either going to scare me or make me want to go do it again. Knowing myself the latter is the most applicable.
It started out decent, a balmy day with a gentle breeze. Michael Baker and I started at 6:00am from Sentinel Parking lot and off we went. Tagged Mont Aux Sources – easy peasy lemon squeezy, tagged Cleft- a bit more of a challenge but feeling fresh. Got to the cave, decided to have a solid four hours sleep then off we would go. The plan was to tag two peaks a day. Well, the next day was cold, wet, and windy. I was trying to be optimistic and still quite chatty, but Michael knew better, his silence and steadfast pace had me curious as to what was looming around the corner. As per our schedule we tagged the 4th peak on the route, Champagne Castle and the first of the day (day 2- approximately 30 hours in), onto the next. As we tagged Mafadi a hailstorm with winds of 65 km/h hit us face on and we had to quickly go off course to find some reprieve from the unforgiving storm that only the Drakensberg can generate in such a short space of time. I don’t scare easily but for the first time since running endurance events I was genuinely frightened. We managed to get some rest for a few hours and departed at 11pm that evening (41 hours in). I somehow gathered enough energy to make myself believe that it was smooth sailing from here on out- again, Michael was very quiet. The rivers were roaring after all the rainfall and river crossings were not as easy as the GPS indicated. At one of the crossings, I thought I would be a wise ass and try to cross quickly. Boom! I fell in and got washed down managing to stop myself by lodging my hiking pole in-between two rocks. It was 2am and the water was freezing, I gasped for air and quickly got out. Michael could sense my anguish and panic, he dealt with the whole episode very calmly. When I asked him if he saw what happened to me, his response was “Yeah that sucks dude”. I was more shocked at his response than I was at falling into the rapids. After we completed the run, he did tell me that he was very worried that I would go hyperthermic but wanted to keep me calm, and for that I will always be grateful because that was just the response I needed at that exact time.
After my little dip, Michael went to lie down while I tried to find the last bit of dry clothes I had in a ziplock bag. The rest were sopping wet including my down jacket which must have added a few kg to my pack. Thereafter the sun came out (the sun always comes up one way or the other) and we tagged Giants Castle and then the beast – Thabana Ntletyana. At this point we had been going for about 75 hours and had not rested in the last 24 hours. It was 11pm and we could not find a vacant hut or cave and started hallucinating. At that point we decided to stay at the Taj Mahal, well that’s what it was to us. The reality: It was a large rock with a bit of a crevice which we tried to crawl under. The last 5km of the DGT was the most difficult as I knew my dad was only a short distance away and I couldn’t wait to see him. I cried a little and Michael laughed at me, he said “after all that you cry right at the end?” I laughed too then we made our way down to Bushmans Nek border post.
This is a very short recap of my DGT experience, and I wouldn’t want to give too much away as the race looms around the corner. It was the hardest run I have ever done in my life and that feeling of knowing that I am going back gives me such a thrill, a high that I chased for many years but was always looking in the wrong places. When I am in the pain cave, that’s where I am with my innermost being. This is where my head and my soul convert, they listen and speak to one another. I don’t feel as though I am fleeing the demons, I feel as though I am chasing the angels and the angels always tell me the same thing. In order for me to be a happy person, I need to live from a more compassionate part of my nature and to have a sense of responsibility toward others and the world I live in. There are angels and demons within us all, but which one is fed will determine the life you will live. In my experience, compassion, kindness, and a general feeling of well-being towards humanity always wins and that’s when the angels sing!
Gear
Shoes: I used my Saucony Peregrine for this DGT and they were incredibly light which was ideal as 90% of the route our feet were sopping wet due to the saturated escapement from all the rainfall. The Peregrines have a 4mm drop so my advice is to get used to whatever you are currently running in and don’t make any big changes at least 6 weeks before race day. For the DGT race I will be running in the Saucony Xodus which is a 6mm drop and I think more forgiving for that sort of distance.
Socks: For these long missions, I much prefer wool socks especially if it's cold. I used the Stance wool hiking socks which are cushioned and ideal for high impact. On the warmer days I use the stance FEEL360 range.
Hiking gear and apparel: The First Ascent Corefit shorts are the bomb, I used them for the Tankwa crossing and they proved just as comfortable and durable for the Drakensberg Mountain range. I had absolutely no chafe after 89 hours of running and they are still in great condition. I used the First Ascent Pulse Tee with arm protectors during the day. BASE LAYERS!! The heat shield vest and long sleeve top is probably what saved me from going hyperthermic after I fell into the river and I feel that layering is paramount when traversing the Berg. The First Ascent Logan Fleece ¼ zip hoodie is ideal for a mid-layer when it's very cold and the wind picks up. For my outer layer (the shell) I used the First Ascent AR-X waterproof running jacket.
Sleeping bag: First Ascent Explorer Down sleeping bag. I know that when I get cold my energy levels drop and when you sleep for such a short time during an event like DGT you have to make sure that the time spent resting is not energy sapping. I was not willing to sacrifice warmth for a lighter pack, having said that the Explorer down sleeping bag only weighs 1kg and has an extreme rating of -10 degrees.
Underwear: A lot of women actually ask me about underwear and I only use the Boody organic bamboo range. Not only is their level of quality and comfort better than any other that I have used before, Boody manufacturing processes are eco certified. I used the Boody bamboo classic bikini bottoms and the racer back sports bra.
Pack: The Ultimate Direction Fastpack Her 20 litre is ideal for a mission like this. It is lightweight, women specific and checks all the boxes. My pack weighed 9kg with all my gear and I usually struggle with terrible neck pain on such a long mission but the way the pack is designed it disperses the weight evenly. I think that the fact that this is specifically designed for women makes a huge difference!
Nutrition: Maurten Drink mix 320, Tailwind endurance fuel, Hammer Gels and wholefood organic, raw food bars. Buttanut almond and macadamia nut butters. Leading up to DGT and post, I used Sport RX protein, recover Rx and the remedy greens collagen mobility for recovery and an immune booster.
If you would like to follow my journey you can find me on Instagram @jo_keppler