Mont-Aux-Sources

Mr T was reminiscing after reading an article in the. paper. He stared vacantly out the window at the rain coming down.

“What’s going on Mr T., What’s on your mind?”

“It’s a mountain”

“Ohh Mr T that sounds like a big problem. Let’s break it down into steps and see where we go.”

“No, no, nooo Mrs T you got it wrong. You see it’s a real mountain, the source of my thoughts this rainy morning.”

“You might know that Mont-Aux-Sources is the highest mountain in South Africa. It peaks at over ten thousand feet. It is accessible via chain ladders or a rock-ridden gully. Some french fellows, explorers I guess must have known about the rivers that flowed from said peak before they named it the “…Sources” Who knows maybe they followed the Tugela River, or tributaries of the Orange River to it’s source.”

Mr T took a sip of his morning coffee before carrying on.

“Mont-Aux-Sources is part of the plateaux overlooking the amphitheater below. There is a sheer wall of some nine hundred feet extending down to the amphitheater floor. Some are bold enough to sit on the edge of the wall taking in the glorious view. Not far from the edge a rudimentary hut accommodates overnight travellers and I’m sure there was the convenience of a long-drop latrine up there.”…

…”I was probably eight years old when my father decided to climb to the top of Mont-Aux-Sources. My mother gamely went along and my close friend Geoff joined us for this gig at the Source. We stayed at the Cathedral Peak Hotel, not far from the trail leading up to the hills and beyond.”…

…”After breakfast that day our ascent began. The hotel had prepared a picnic lunch of sandwiches and some water. For the life of me I cannot remember if a guide accompanied us. I feel that someone else was with us which makes sense as my folks were prudent people. My mother would have put her foot down had a guide not been with us.”…

…”It was mid-afternoon when we reached the gully. Mother refused to use the chain ladder to get to the plateau. The gully is a narrow scar carved into the rock strewn with boulders which meant stepping up and over each one, up and over, resting here and there. While resting my backpack escaped rolling down. A boulder got in it’s way not too far from where we sat. I thought it was a goner.”…

“That was luck Mr T” replied his better half before he continued…

…”We spent the night in the hut but here my memory is vague. We must have used the chain ladder to descend from the plateau. I doubt my mother looked down. From there as soon as the trail became hilly Geoff and I began to jog down to the hotel ahead of Mom and Dad.”…

…”You know when they finally arrived back at the hotel Geoff and I were on the tennis running around knocking balls . This did’t help the moral of my parents who took days to recover their golf swings.”

The T’s needed more tea and coffee after Mr T’s discourse. Mrs T gathered her thoughts before telling Mr T her side of the story.

“Years after your experience I joined a group of kids from school on who were going on a trip to the “…Source”. My urge to travel ran deep. It didn’t matter that it was a religious group. We went up the chain ladder from the Orange River side of the mountain. During our ascent a backpack came loose and was never seen again.”…

…”Some kids sat on the edge of the wall with no trace of butterflies disrupting their nerves.”…

…’What I remember is the guys began sleeping in some caves while the gals slept in the hut until the cold drove the guys back to the warmth of the sleeping hut. It was crammed. The bed of hay woke the allergies of some. Coughing, sneezing and whispering went on and on. I was next to a huge fellow of rugby playing proportions. Honestly it was like sleeping next to an elephant. Every time he moved I ended up squeezed under his shoulder.”

They agreed that it was some feat.

#climbing #mountains #montauxsources #facingfear #nature