IC trip: Ololokwe

Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. There are times in life when you have to take a risk, and sometimes that involves leaning back over a cliff thousands of meters above the ground. Normally, this is devastatingly outside of my comfort zone because I am petrified of heights. I did not realize how deep this fear would penetrate my confidence until we were standing by the edge, overlooking miles of game reserve. If it weren’t for my obligation to fulfilling CAS requirements, I would have been sitting in my room binge watching a TV series into the early morning hours. Instead, I had a breathtaking view and a break from electronics. Even though I had to cling to the ground below me to prevent myself from breaking down into tears over the height factor, it was definitely an experience I’ll always hold in a positive light. Not to mention that I thought I was going to die at least several times a day. I came. I saw. I conquered. It was not without difficulty, however.

Climbing Ololokwe was six difficult hours. My lungs were burning and my legs felt like they were going to detach any minute. But they didn’t, and for that I am extremely grateful. Knowing my terrible physical condition, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. No pain, no gain, but thirty minutes in, I was ready to call it quits. I doubted I could make it to the top of this behemoth of a plateau. I wanted to set up a hammock somewhere in a secluded corner and rest for the rest of the day, but that wasn’t an option. We were going to make it to the top, and that was that. This climb tested both my physical endurance and mental strength. It took a lot of willpower to keep hiking up the steep slope. I learned that sometimes a little bit of determination and confidence can get you to the top. Even though I was ready to quit, I kept walking and made it to the top. It’s quite a metaphor for life: a bit of grit is all it takes to climb mountains.

The second most horrifying thing I did in my life was abseiling down, and later scaling, a sheer cliff with an invitation to a spectacular view – if you didn’t mind the height. I did. It took a lot of convincing and encouragement from my friends to get me strapped in the gear. I’m really glad they were there; otherwise I would’ve sat out on the activity. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Ololokwe helped me grow as a person both physically and mentally. I’m now more open to trying activities outside of my comfort zone, as well as more motivated to stay in shape.