GENERAL INFORMATION & TIPS FOR PONY TREKS - ESSENTIAL TO READ AND TAKE THE NOTES WITH YOU TO THE LODGE, BEFORE GOING ON ANY PONY TREK
RIDING HINTS
PLEASE SIGN YOUR INDEMNITY FORMS BEFORE SETTING OFF ON TREK.
THIS IS AN ADVENTURE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND WEARING OF A RIDING HELMET IS ESSENTIAL. PONY TREKS AND HIKES CAN ONLY BE SENT OFF WHEN YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR MEDICAL AID DETAILS IN CASE OF ANY EMERGENCY EVACUATION.
There are no back up services with a vehicle to collect you. Should you fall off your horse. You will have to return to the lodge by horse back. Treks are taken at your own risk.
There are several mountain passes which are quite hair raising. You may always get off the horse and walk, whenever you do not feel safe. This is entirely your own choice and you must make your own decisions. The horses may occasionally stu mble, but always manage to correct the mselves. Do not panic, just sit and have confidence in the horse.
Be aware that the horses do occasionally pull their heads down to eat grass. If you are holding on too tightly, he will pull you over his head and you may fall off.
Going up and down mountain passes, ride with loose reins. You will see that the horse steers his way, using his head and neck.
Before mounting, make sure that the girth ( the strap under the horses’ sto mach is tight. Once mounted, do not pull the reins up tight, you just MAY pull the horse over backwards.
Adjust your stirrups so that your knees are slightly bent. When standing up in your saddle, your butt should be about 6" (150 m m) above the saddle.
To make the horse go, sort of push the reins forward, dig your heels into the flanks, (sides) of the horse and make a clicking noise. To steer the horse, move the reins across the horses neck. i.e. To go to the Left, move the reins across to the left. You will discover that this can be better done using one hand only.
Be fir m with your horse. Use as much force as you feel necessary, without hurting the horse. Should you be too soft with it, it will take advantage of you. If your horse is lazy, cut yourself a s mall stick and just show it to the horse. It should not be neccessary to actually use it!!
GOOD LUCK!!!!!
DESCRIPTION OF TREKS.
- 2 DAYS: RIBANENG WATERFALL
About 6 hours. Cafe selling cold beer, drinks at Ha Lebona. Leave gear in hut, hire guide for walk to botto m of the Ribaneng waterfall. ( pay about R10.00). Duration of the hike is about 3 hours return. You can do this hike in the morning if preferred, if in no hury to get back to the lodge. Return to the lodge the next day and insist on the circular route back to Malealea. i.e. a slightly different route alongside the Ribaneng river.
2 3 DAYS: RIBANENG BOTH NIGHTS.
As above, except that you do the Ribaneng waterfall hike on the second day in the afternoon, after riding to the top of the waterfall, up “Slide Your Ass Pass”, about 4 hours riding. Magnificient Views fro m the top. Sleep in the sa me hut that night. Return to the lodge on the third day.
3 4 DAYS: RIBANENG, KETANE & SEKOTING.
This is the best trek as you go through really re mote villages.
Day 1, as for Ribaneng. It is essential that you hike to the waterfall in the afternoon.
Day 2 is quite long, about 7 hours with stops. Insist on seeing the top of the waterfall on day two, although this will add another hour onto the duration of the trek. Arrive at the village of Ha Hlalele, ( Chief Matias), put gear in the hit, hire guide and hike to the Ketane Waterfall about 2 hours.
Day 3 is about 6 hours to Sekoting, a beautiful village surround by a ring of mountains, known as “Sekoting sa lifarike”, which means “The trough which the pigs have dug!”. Chief Puli and his wife are your hosts.
Day 4 is a long ride of 7 hours back to the lodge.
This trek is often dpne the reverse way, depending on availability of hut space.
PLEASE NOTE: When the Makhaleng River is in flood, we have to use the bridge (see map on wall). This lenthens the trek on Day 1 and Day 4 by about another 2 hours extra making the trek really long.
PONY TREKKERS NOTICES.
Please bring back all your rubbish fro m the village huts. They do not have rubbish du mps and we do not want to pollute the villages with our western rubbish, cans, bottles and plastics.
- Do not give sweets to the kids. If you must give the m anything, rather give the m fruit and let the m earn their handouts. Eg, for taking a photograph, getting the m to sing, or carry so mething for you. Use the m as Guides on hikes Another good way for the ecology, is to get the kids to pick up papers and rubbish and reward the m. Make the m aware of pollution.
- At the outstations, your dishes will be washed for you. Please arrange this with your guide.
- Should you have a proble m with your gas cookers - that is too little gas co ming through the jets, si mply unscrew the cooker top fro m the cylinder and try to suck out whatever is causing the obstruction in the jet.
- Before leaving on trek, pack all your extra belongings in your car and drive it to the reception area, where they will be quite safe. Any valuables can be handed in for safe keeping. Any meat that requires freezing can also be left in the fridges.
- There is very little, if any , WOOD, at the outstations. Those who wish to braai have to take charcoal, firelighters and a grill with the m.
- Each person should take at least 2 litres of water for the lodge for the first day. Once at the outstation, you will be supplied with spring water. If you do top up along the way, be sure to collect only spring water fro m a spring higher than a village. DO NOT DRINK THE RIVER & STREAM WATER. If you have sensitive sto machs, use water purification tablets, although we do seldo m have any proble ms when using correct spring water.
- Try to balance the weights of your pannier bags to a reasonable degree and to wrap sleeping bags and clothing is plastic bags. Should you be short of plastic bags, they are for sale in the store for 50c. Should there not be enough roo m in the pannier bags for sleeping bags, they will be tied on top of the pack horse in seperate bags.
- Should you have proble ms with your pony on trek, ie too lazy or naughty, speak to your guide about changing horses with his horse.
- THE USE OF RIDING HELMETS ARE ESSENTIAL . They are available at the tack room.
- It is advisable to take an extra pair of shoes, should you do the Ribaneng hike, as your shoes will get wet on the hike.
- Be ready to leave fro m the lodge at the front of the Frasers shop at about 9.00hrs.
- You are under no obligation to feed your guides. It is your choice. They have been told to take their own food and water.
Remember to take CANDLES.
- The horses do not eat sugar, apples etc. Frasers store does keep fodder, so after the trek, you are welco me to buy a treat for the horses if you wish. (Be careful in peach season, the horses eat peaches & peels on the ground and trees!!! IF you are holding the reins too tight, you could fall off unsuspectingly as the horse ai ms for a peach!!!)
- Suggested tips for the guides. R20.00 per day out per group.
- WHAT TO TAKE ON TREK:
a) Change of clothing: b) Rain Coat: c) Sleeping Bag: d) Toiletries: e) Towel: f) Torch:g) Hat: h) Toilet Paper: i) Sunscreen: j) Candles: k) Water: l) Food & Drinks
Huts are equipped with Gas Cookers, Pots & Pans, Cutlery, Crockery, Eating Utensils, Mattrasses. A bucket of Fresh Spring Water will be supplied for washing and for cooking.
Suggested Dress on Trek.:
Long Trousers, Long Sleeve Shirt,
Riding or Hiking Boots. (Running Shoes will be fine)
Wide Bri m Hat with String
|Scarf around Neck.
- Wines & Beer are available for sale at the Lodge for “Happy Hour(s)!!!!”
- We regret the fact that not all our Guides have a wonderful knowledge of English, but where possible we will oblige by hiring the English Speaking Guides.
- Please re me mber that the Basotho Pony generally dislikes a tight rein, - keep the reins loose whenever possible, especially when mounting.
- Always, after mounting, check your girth straps ( the strap under the horses sto mach) for tightness or ask the Guides to check it.
- The weight limit per pannier bag is 25 kg ( 50 kg per pack horse, usually 4 persons to 1 packhorse). In the case of excess weight, an extra pack horse, at R210.00 per day, will have to be hired by the group. The weight li mit per rider is 90 kg. The carrying of heavy backpacks (about 10 kg) is NOT advisable and can lead to injuries. Should you run out of space in the panniers, please enquire about the possibilities of hiring an extra pack horse.
- The water fro m all the taps, has been treated with chlorine. If the chlorine taste is too strong, then fill your water bottles fro m the rain water tank outside the Dor m, otherwise you can buy Bottled Spring Water fro m the bar or Frasers Shop.
- Please re me mber that these treks are rough and tough, no frills whatsoever, ie.
No showers, you bathe in the plastic basins and strea ms.
No Flush Toilets, only Long Drop Toilets,
No Chairs, very few tables. Etc etc.
Should you have a s mall ca mping stove, take it along, as the stove at the hut might give trouble.
- You are welco me to tip your guides, but the trekking pay ments are to be made at reception on the day you leave.
OPTIONAL SUGGESTED TIPS - R30.00 per guide per day per group.
- Do not throw your rubbish down the toilets at the outstations or do not give it to the local villagers to dispose of. Please bring it back to the lodge, where it will be disposed of properly.
- Please bring your bags to the front of the frasers super market. They take ti me to beloaded onto the packhorses. This is where the treks start and the guides and horses wil be waiting for you.
DAY RIDERS AND HIKERS - ATTENTION PLEASE .1. Please do not pay the young boys more than R10.00 per hour, who are your Guides on Day Walks, or leading the horses on day rides. Any disagree ment, on their part will be sorted out by the manage ment. ( If you would like to add to the econo my of the country, you may take as many guides as you like per group, and pay the m individually as above, to distribute the income, but please do not pay one guide a large sum.)
The Children are always keen to take you to their homes and a tour to the local school can also be organised.
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