Senior Scout Adventure: 1990 Cederberg
9th National Senior Scout Adventure – 1990
Report by Scout Anthony van Dijk of 2nd Durbanville
We were team 32C26. C26 was our course and 32 our patrol number. I was the only 2nd Durbanville scout on the Adventure and went with a patrol from 1st Edgemead. Our leader was Half-pint (Mr. Neville Rasmussen).
Day 1.
The buses left Cape Town at 8.00am. Our bus had to stop at Piketberg as we had an air bubble in the fuel. We eventually arrived at Cedarberg base camp and we collected two boxes of our food. We sorted out the food for the first five days. After Opening ceremony we were taken by truck to the Fox hunting and Electronics base. We slept in the old farm house.
Day 2. Fox hunting and Electronics.
There were 4 electronic beacons for foxes hidden in a 1km square area. We had to pick up the different signals with a receiver.
At Electronics base we made an electron man, an electronic gadget which emits a loud beeping noise when you pull the ears or press the nose.
Then we hiked across the Wolfberg via Wolfberg Arch and the Cracks. We went down the extreme right Crack and found it blocked when we were almost at the bottom. We lowered our kit with ropes and climbed down ourselves. We got out of the cracks as it became very dark.
We finally reached the foot of the mountain and reached River camp at 12.45 and slept very soundly even though it was freezing cold.
Day 3.Diving.
While some were diving in the big 7m pool with an air pipe attached to a generator the others were jumping off the cliff side from different heights. After supper we hiked to the private observatory belonging to the Astronomical Society of S.A. We were told about Astronomy and saw Jupiter and Saturn through the telescope.
Day 4.Hiking.
We left the campsite and hiked along the shale band through the Cedarberg Wilderness Nature Reserve via Gabriel's Pass to Welbedacht Cave. Supper was two hours of pancake making and eating.
Day 5. Climbing.
We hiked up to Tafelberg plateau to our Rock-climbing base. We did a 30m climb, a Tyrolean traverse and a 30m abseil. The top of Tafelberg itself looked like the moon. We saw same dassies on the way down. Then the long schlep down Welbedacht Gorge to the valley and Camping HQ.
Day 6. Pioneering and Dutch Oven Cooking.
It took us exactly two hours to complete an aerial runway which we slid down for 50 minutes and then dismantled. Then to Dutch Oven cooking base. I made a cobbler along with two others. Supper was potjiekos, cobbler, apple pie and custard. Then on to Clanwilliam Dam.
Day 7. Water Sports.
After a short Scout's Own we had a water skiing lecture and then went water skiing, boardsailing, canoeing and parasailing. After lunch we did kayaking and more boardsailing.
Day 8. Canoeing and Ultimate Challenge.
Set off in the canoes. When we finally reached Canoeing Base we were totally soaked and so was all our kit even though it was tied in strong plastic bags. The damp things from the rain had steamed in the sun and condensation on the inside of the bags had made everything wet.
Then to Groot Kloof, the Ultimate Challenge Base. We had our T-shirts screen printed. We played volley ball and slept. Then we played two games of survival. Dismal defeat both times.
Day 9. Forestry and Handicapped Awareness.
We were given a talk on forestry and world conservation. Half-pint and I cut down a 15m tree in 21 minutes. We had a chainsaw mania competition to see who could cut the thinnest slice from a tree trunk. I came second and won a peak. For tree climbing base we had a harness around us and the tree, and a steel spike attached the front of our boots. We had to walk up the tree.
Then to Handicapped Awareness Base. We were divided into groups and had to find out what different sounds, smells, feels, pictures were, but we were questioned two hours later to also test our memories. We went on the course in pairs, one was blindfolded and the other had to lead him. The course had ditches, poles, rocks, tree stumps, a river to cross and other things to make it difficult. After that the blind people had to tie a stretcher together and we all had to carry one person on it. We were all blind. He was the only one who could see and he had to guide us.
At an informal campfire where we told jokes and had riddles to solve.
Day 10. Outdoor Museum.
At the Fossil Hunting area we had a discussion on fossils. I found a big bag of fossils. We had a lift to Archaeology. We saw paintings of people and of elephants and had a talk on the San, the environment, their history and the forms of hunting and the reasons why they painted. In the evening we were given a talk on birds. We saw Red-eyed Doves, Cape White Eyes, Cape Francolin, Spotted Prinia, Turtle dove, Cape Bunting, Rock Pigeon, Laughing Dove, Cape Bulbul, Olive Thrush and Cape Robin. Then we were taken to Sanddrift River base.
Day 11. Packing up
We helped dismantle the campsite. We left the River campsite and hiked back to HQ. After supper we had a campfire with all 520 Adventurers because it was the last night.
Day 12. Closing Parade
After packing up everything and a cleanup parade we had closing parade. We had lunch in the bus and reached Cape Town at 5.00pm very tired, dirty and happy. All the members of my patrol earned the Award.
Thanks to Mr. Rasmussen a great leader and the 1st Edgemead patrol for being such a great bunch of guys and tolerating me in their patrol. Thanks to Mr. Inglis, the Adventure Organiser and his team and all the assistants for a great Cedarberg Adventure. I can't wait to go again.
