The reason this blog started a few years ago was to share my experiences on the trails where I run. To take you with along the rugged, rocky pathways and give you all a sense of what I love so dearly.
A very stubborn Achilles injury has kept me away from my beloved mountains for FAR TOO LONG and it has been a pretty bleak year – having to settle for an indoor swimming pool and a mountain bike (though the latter really has been a reasonable substitute, I suppose).
Today I hit the trails again, Achilles tape firmly in place, brand new Salomon pack on my back and a very positive headspace.
I had no route planned, just went with where my feet took me. I ended up veering off the Chappies tarmac and up in to the mountain to the top of Chapman’s Peak proper. The more altitude I gained, the stronger I felt and the more I wanted to run/scramble to get to the top.
I stopped a few times to take some of these pics and then after a brief pause at the trig beacon, zoomed down the other side, skipping over rocks, dancing over roots and quite literally laughing out loud at the sheer joy of it all.
There is so much I love about it, it’s not easy to put it into words. The completely intoxicating solitude, the space, the speed (sometimes!), the outrageous beauty at every turn, the pleasure of feeling the strength coming back into my legs, the desire to just keep going and the knowledge that I can.
There has been a degree of denial with this injury of mine, and it would be foolish to rush back in and set myself back yet again. So there’ll be no cork popping just yet…
BUT I am ‘cautiously optimistic’ that I can start to play in my mountains once again.
african notes 
Gorgeous in every way….to see pics and way can feel your pure joy and delight in being up in the hills again this way. Thanks for sharing x
Delighted you are back in the mountains and well done with the photographs amd as always great writing.
Sooo thrilled for you my darling. Tried leaving a comment but for some reason could not. Just to say you write so very well that I felt the same pure joy and euphoria with you all the way. And the pics are stunning – good time to be up there I guess, flower-wise! LOL Mxxxxxxx
Thrilled for you Karo that you are up there again.
Thanks for sharing the magical place we live in!
Love your description of it as ‘outrageous beauty’ – you’re so right! You make me want to jump and start running up mountains too.