Drakensberg Dam Charity Swim

My father swims with a Masters' swimming club based in Joburg called Wahoo Masters. They participate in outdoor open-water swims around the country and provide some social outlets for the "old folks" so to speak. My dad heard about a charity swim taking place at the Drakensberg Peak Resort in the Central Drakensberg. The course was either 100m or 25m in a dam (aka pond) on the resort property, proceeds would benefit the local SPCA. My father and I had visited this part of the Drakensberg before and found the scenery spectacular, so we decided to return to show my mom around and because we could check out Lesotho as well.

The drive from Johannesburg to the Drakensberg is somewhat boring at the beginning, as you head southeast on N3 through Orange Free State, which is rolling farmland (and brown this time of year). Once you leave N3 at Harrismith, however, things get much more interesting. You pass Sterkfontein Dam, the largest dam in South Africa. It reminded me of Lake Mead since it is surrounded by rocky cliffs and has deep blue water. Just past the dam you pass from Free State into KwaZulu-Natal province. The border is marked by a spectacular and somewhat hairy descent from the highveldt into a rocky valley. You can see the large peaks of the Drakensberg rising in the distance as you wind you way down the escarpment. I had to really pay attention when driving not just because the road is winding, but because a troupe of baboons live in the area and love to sit in the middle!

We got to the resort just before the race began and met up with the rest of the Wahoos participating. The dam was picturesquely located in a valley at the foot of Monk's Cowl mountain. The resort was somewhat "rustic", but there was a fun spirit in the air and lots of people had brought their dogs. Luckily for us the weather was unseasonably warm and sunny, around 24C. The water was about 10C, but the warm temps gave us hope that we would survive! We found out the 25m course was supposed to be for kids only, so we decided to brave the 100m event.

When I put my hand in the water, it didn't seem that cold, so I just jumped in. Well. It was bloody freezing! I started swimming from the shore where we started towards the boma in the middle of the pond that served as the finish line. The water burned and stung my skin. It was too cold to put my face in, so I swam with my head out of the water. About halfway through I felt like I was having an asthma attack. My breath was wheezing and my arms stopped working. I seriously considered asking for evac from the rescue kayak, but decided that would be pretty wimpy so I kept going. Once, when I was much younger, I fell through the ice at Lake George. I managed to pull myself out immediately, so it wasn't that scary or cold, I just remember being soggy and freaking my mother out completely. Well, now I know a little bit what it feels like to drown in icy water because it was sort of like this swim.

When we stumbled out of the water we made a beeline for a big bonfire that was throwing off all kinds of lovely heat. Everyone was a little clumsy, red and blotchy from the cold. We all talked about how that was the worst idea ever! The good news is that we raised a lot of money for the local SPCA and donated several hundred kilos of animal food to them.

The event also had some prize drawings that ranged from free waffles at the Waffle Hut in Winterton to a free weekend at a local resort. Lucky me, I won a free one hour horseback ride at a nearby stable! I arranged to cash in the next day. My dad was quite jealous as they had a lot of donated prizes, but he didn't win anything.

All swimmers got free gluhwein, hot soup and a roll so we snarfed the snacks and lay around in the sun with the whippets that one lady brought. They seemed a bit mystified at our insanity to go in the water. After a while, I punted around the pond on a raft with two of the kids who also participated from the Wahoos. We used a bamboo pole and had a fine time. I felt like Huckeberry Finn and Tom Sawyer with my jeans rolled up an our raft. We saw some fish in the water, including a large one about 16" long. The kids were quite funny, always insisting that they knew exactly how to punt, even though we mostly spun around in circles. We tried to land on the island in the middle of the pond, but it was covered in sharp grass so we hopped back on the raft. "South Africa isn't for wimps," said one of the kids.

We watched South Korea lose to Uruguay in our rustic cabin, which was disappointing but somewhat inevitable. For dinner the swim team had a huge braai. I contributed some beef mince patties, which I had mixed with my super-secret ingredient, Mrs. H.S. Balls chutney. We also had boerwars sausage, shish-ka-bobs, some really good potato salad and one of the Tracys made more gluhwein. Since the temperature dropped considerably after the sun went down, the warm drink was definitely welcome.

One of the other Tracys had brought her four whippet dogs along, all of which were attired in purple fleece jackets. Tracy made a nest on the porch for the dogs with pillows and blankets and they spent the evening happily snuggled together like sausages.

Eventually it was time for USA vs. Ghana. Most of the team were supporting Ghana, as they are the last African team left in the tournament. Apparently they were fated to carry the hopes of the continent as they outplayed the US and won in extra time. We went to bed somewhat disappointed that the US team's World Cup run was over, even though they performed very well and made the second round.