The Hiking Hag

So when I say I’ll be back, I will be back. Not in a dramatic action-movie way - more in a “this tiny town unexpectedly stole my heart and now I can’t leave it alone” kind of way. A few months ago, I visited Vaal Marina - mostly because the Vaal Marina hiking trail had landed quite recently on my “trails I need to hike” list. My hiking bud Rosemary had also been staying there temporarily, which felt like a convenient excuse to drag her into another hike with me.. Turns out, i

Today I met someone who I’m fairly certain is about to become a regular hiking buddy - assuming she can tolerate my particular brand of chaos. Temporary Name - Upgrade Pending Let’s call her “K.” - not because it’s mysterious, but because she hasn’t yet earned a Spice Name. That requires time, shared suffering, and at least one mildly unhinged hiking incident involving poor decisions and poorer logistics. Spice induction is a process. There is a system. It is deeply unserious

Hiking Is Not Just About Fitness Yes, stamina matters. But the real issue isn’t fitness - it’s energy. Not the “I hit 10 k steps before sunrise and need you to know about it” kind. The “why are you actually here?” kind. Why the Right Hiking Partner Changes Everything Hiking with someone whose energy matches yours is… different. You’re not subtly apologizing for your pace, and you’re not being power-walked through a trail either. Everything just… clicks. Even the harder hikes

I met a nice human today. I know - shocking. I was fairly certain I had already worked my way through the global inventory of decent people, but it turns out there was one left. Possibly more - I’m still processing. Choosing The Trail When it came time to pick a trail, I had one clear objective - nothing hectic. This wasn’t about the hike - it was about introductions. I needed to assess her hiking energy - not for her benefit, obviously - for mine. Because here’s the problem

If you think you can’t hike, this is - unfortunately - about you. You know that quote about believing people when they show you who they are? Let’s revisit that, because here I am - again -TELLING you who I am. And yet, as recent events have confirmed, some of you remain committed to not believing me. If you’ve ever looked at hiking and thought, “I can’t do that, I’m not fit enough,” congratulations - genuinely - you are exactly who I’m talking to. Because I was you when I st

So, I found myself in another small town again - completely unplanned. A last-minute change of plans for a new hiking trail somehow turned into a full-blown small-town adventure - as it does. So when my one hiking bud casually said, “Let’s just go to Bass Lake, in Henley on Klip” the name hit a strange nerve - familiar, but not in a logical way. Naturally, I didn’t argue. You don’t ignore cosmic nudges. That’s how you end up in places with no cappuccino - or worse - regular c