Tuesday 31 May 2011

It's getting colder. We're hotting up!


It’s been a busy few weeks since the 7 Summit Challenge team came back from the land down under. Since our return, we have been plotting and scheming initiatives for South Africa’s kids to make sure they never fall in to the trap of drug abuse. This really is a huge responsibility and something we feel very privileged to be a part of. So keep watching this space for all kinds of awesomeness ensuring future generations of South Africa are informed and given the best possible education when it comes to the perils of drugs.
As promised, we told you we would take you up the mountain with us and we are not the kind crazies to break promises! So our ever-dedicated camera savant, Barry Hamman has put together a little montage of footage of our Mt Kosi summit.
The first thing to note is how Kabs LURVES the bizarre names the Aussies seem to give, well, anything! Seriously, when you try and pronounce half the names of places, it feels as if you are speaking ‘alien’ proper! This kept us very amused for most of the trip.
On a more serious note, the footage sees Kabs telling his story of how he got involved in drugs. And if you pay attention to his account, it’s amazing to see how easy it is to slip into this underbelly of darkness. It’s so important to see that even the most successful and driven people are vulnerable to the dangers of drugs. Through work on himself and a strong core faith, Kabs managed to pull himself out of the gutter and is now reaching mountain heights. What struck me most was when he says how lucky he considers himself to not be HIV positive from he’s experience. This is a very sobering thought. Kabs is now 9 years clean and is using his sobriety to inspire and help others.
Crazy how one morning we were in Joburg and then we were in Australia’s outback not 24 hours later. We were so privileged to be at the top of the mountain for such a worthwhile cause and when we looked at the scenery we were surrounded by and had the good fortune take in, we realised just how lucky we were.
But enough of that, we want you to see the footage for yourself. As you will see, Kosi is not the highest or the most arduous climb in the world; they even have a little walkway to help you on your way but it still qualifies as one of the 7 Summits. The toughest challenge of the trip was the training we did after Kosi in the Blue Mountains. It wasn’t for the faint-hearted but these are the necessary steps we have to take to ensure we reach our dream of eventually climbing Everest
So check it out and you’ll get a taste of where we were, the team camaraderie and the really bizarre Australian names. For like everything!  Happy watching!  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS34W3kuTEU&feature=youtu.be

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