A breakaway from the treadmill of life is how George Euvrard describes the marathon trek he and 11 others completed this week.
A breakaway from the treadmill of life is how George Euvrard describes the marathon trek he and 11 others completed this week.
It took the 10 women and two men 11 days to complete the 260km Indlela yoBuntu Pilgrimage Walk. They ended in the Gamtoos Valley, near Baviaanskloof, on Tuesday 17 June.
From different parts of South Africa, their average age was 60. The oldest participant was 72.
"It was wonderful and an incredible pilgrimage revealing a range of experiences discovered no where else," Euvrard told Grocott's Mail this week.
"It was both a purposeful journey for mind and soul, a break away from the treadmill of life itself."
If the journey was a rest for the spirit, it was no rest for the feet, Euvrard said.
"It's a demanding walk, on which you average 25km a day," he said.
But the breathtakingly beautiful places the pilgrims saw, often inaccessible by car, made it all worthwhile.
After a full day's walking starting after breakfast at 7am, they would walk until nightfall.
They would spend the night at a farm or church along the way.
All but one, who had to drop out after day four because of being unfit, completed the journey.
"The walk cannot cater for everyone," Euvrard said. "There is a certain distance that needs to be covered each day in order to reach overnight accommodation."
The key element in the undertaking, Euvrard said, was relationships and participants developed strong cameraderie.
People who had been complete strangers at the start of the journey, were fast companions and friends by the end.
The pilgrims were also moved by the hospitality of people in the communities, churches and farms that they passed through and overnighted on.
Euvrard said they'd received generous accommodation, food and hospitality from people they'd only spoken to over the phone.
But he cautioned would-be wanderers, "You must never walk through a farm without permission."
Relationships matter, he said. "It is all about the trust, dream and involvement that a community brings together. They give more than just food."
"The chance to experience something new and journal the experiences of each day was an opportunity like no other," states Euvrard.
The journey was an experience to learn to let go, a chance to see the bigger picture of life itself, he said.
"The experience is memorable for different people in different ways, such as the gale-force winds on mountain peaks, or the fields of proteas we walked through.
"It is an opportunity to discover different things about yourself as a person. It is about the attitude that you bring to the experience – not what is there already."
Euvrard said his best memory had come from "the enormous joy of getting the most from what I provided as an opportunity for others to experience our land in the middle of nowhere".
The pilgrimage, he said, is "a true journey of yourself".
Many of the strong independent woman on the journey had come alone leaving behind their partners who were either too old, or did not want to participate in the pilgrimage.
They'd discovered a tremendous sense of safety and liberation from walking in the bush.
George and Gwenda Euvrard
"There is also a lot of time for personal, inner self-reflection and an opportunity to escape from life through quiet times and walks in silence," Euvrard said.
"Often the group would feel closer to each other in silence than in noise and conversation. Memories were built through reflection in groups and sharing of experiences of the day."
"It is not age that matters. Anyone can do this, but fitness is key," Euvrard said.
"If you are not a walker you need to train for six months beforehand."
The expedition has plans in case of emergency, but often there is the problem of no reception and people can get separated form the group and become lost.
"There are no prescriptions as to who can attend," Euvrard said. "It does not matter your age, gender, race or religion. It is about being open and willing to learn and experience from each other."
Euvrard said one of the funniest highlights of the trip was when a member of the group was charged by a bull.
"This was, of course, only funny afterwards," he said.
Next year, the group of pilgrims will undertake the second half of the journey, from Grahamstown to Knysna.
