After several intense weeks of work, we finally had some time off and wanted to do something fun and active as a family. In pandemic times, a hike seemed the most attractive option but after our crazy six-hour hike in search of Botswana’s highest peak, we were nervous about venturing out on new terrain, especially with kids. There are not many marked (or well-publicised) hiking trails in Botswana but after a vigorous search online, I found three mountain biking trails close to Pilane which is a short drive from the city. We downloaded the GPX files for the trails which formed a neat loop – we would start on Intro to Super Snake (1.2km), then onto the Super Snake (1.4km), and finally onto the Side Winder (0.8km) which would take us back to Intro. Given the short distances and modest elevation gain, we were confident that the kids could handle it.
My son Thiwa was extremely excited, repeating several times that this was going to be a “wild adventure”. Knowing he doesn’t enjoy much physical exertion, my worry was he might tire quickly. But my husband Ditiro was quick to point out that we’d be back in an hour so he would be okay. We set off around 11:30 and grabbed a quick cappuccino on our way out. We took the right turn off the A1 to Pilane and wound our way through the picturesque little village. On our way out of Pilane, we turned off the main road and onto muddy jeep track until we spotted green tags in the trees, the trademark sign of a bike trail. We parked our car under some shade and two slender dogs emerged from a nearby farm, wagging their tails politely.
Ditiro loaded our water bottles into his backpack and we set off with great excitement, smiling brightly for the camera in our purposefully coordinated orange and camouflage outfits. Given what transpired later, I say this with some sarcasm at our highly misplaced priorities…
The Intro To Super Snake was easy to navigate – flat and mostly free of rocks. The trees along the path had started to take on some autumn tones and the pale blue skies scattered with puffs of clouds formed a beautiful backdrop. The cool air temperature was perfect for a midday hike.
But with the good rains this season, the grass, now dry, was extremely long and within the first 20 minutes the kids started what would become a losing battle against the relentless thorns and sticky seeds. We had to stop several times for them to pull them off their socks, sometimes even having to remove their shoes to do so.
I was desperate for the kids to enjoy themselves so I tried to keep them focused with positive and motivational words – “This is such a great adventure guys!”; “You guys are doing great!; “How lucky that we are out here, huh?” “What a beautiful day!” But as they continued to moan and groan about the thorns, I took a more hard-line approach, “Just IGNORE the thorns!”; “Don’t be SILLY!”; “Come on kids, it’s not THAT bad!!”
The turn off Intro onto Super Snake led to a short climb and descent over a small hill. The trail was quite windy and rocky but aside from the sticky seeds which continued to terrorise the kids, it was a lovely section and at one point gave a pretty view of the village in the distance.
Ditiro spoke animatedly about returning to this trail with a bike and pointed out many details in the dense bush – the greyish lichen on the trees, intricate spider webs, the wild berries (motsotsojane) which we offered our bemused children and various insects and spiders, a huge army of ants and a persistent bumble bee that was determined to land on my hair.
Admittedly, at this stage, the thorns had become a nuisance for me too and I regretted wearing running shoes instead of trail or hiking boots. For the poor kids, the sticky seeds were now in their socks, shoes and on their track pants. Mistake No. 1. Inappropriate hiking gear. I now changed my hard-line approach to wild promises of expensive hiking pants and fancy hiking boots from Cape Union Mart, a good hiking store in town.
Ever the innovative child, Kaia decided to remove her socks so the thorns wouldn’t irritate her as much. Thiwa followed suit and for a little while this kept the discomfort at bay.
I think we were an hour and a half in, when Thiwa declared it was time for a snack. Ditiro and I looked at each other and then one of us had to explain that we had deliberately left all the snacks in the car because “we’d only be gone a short while!” Mistake Number 2. I can still hear the incredulity (perhaps disgust?) in Thiwa’s voice as he said “You LEFT the snacks in the car?!”
I quickly brushed him off with “We will be back before you know it”. And indeed, we might have been… had we not decided to take the Side Winder which according to the map would take us very close to our car. Mistake Number 3. There are just no words to describe what happened next and if there is any picture that speaks volumes, it is this one…
I don’t know the last time someone rode the Side Winder but from the rocks, the overgrowth and thorny thicket of trees, I’m not exaggerating when I say it must be YEARS. Up to this point, our main complaint had been the onslaught of thorns, but there was always a path as well as green tags (even a green tyre) to assure us that we were on the right track.
But now the real bush-bashing began. No path, no green tags… nothing but wild thorny bush on sloped and rocky terrain.
And to make matters worse, just as we got to a section where we could see the approximate location of the car down below, there was a galvanised fence supported by sturdy posts blocking our path. This fence must have been put up after the Side Winder was created, cutting off the path, which now explained the ruggedness of the terrain we had just traversed.
We walked along the fence trying to find a place to jump over or crawl through but both the fence and path along the fence were impenetrable. Ditiro then said we should make our way back to Super Snake and cut across a field that seemed to be in line with our car. Just look how close we had been to our car when the fence had blocked the path!
As a parent you know how bad it must be if even your children give up on the whining. The thorns in our shoes (at this point Kaia was literally hobbling as her sockless state meant her shoes were now full of thorns); our rumbling tummies… none of that seemed to matter anymore as we battled our way through the thicket, completely aware that snakes were probably lurking in our midst. And then as Ditiro clutched onto his phone in true modern-day pioneering, my daughter’s voice, strong and brave said – “This is an adventure but it’s not really fun, is it?”
Friends, I couldn’t be the hero anymore. I couldn’t be that motivational voice of reason, that brave commander telling the troops to keep their chins up. I just responded, “You’re right my girl. This is not fun at all.” And with that gentle acknowledgement, we continued on our journey.
Like brave soldiers, the kids understood the plan and walked in silence as we headed back to Super Snake and then through the open field. The field was much easier to navigate and the blue dot on Google Maps started getting closer and closer to the car.
Then as we emerged from the grassy field, there in front of us, sat a rusty, beat-up Chevrolet truck next to a dilapidated house. The kids ran to it with excitement. The thorns, scratches and hunger didn’t seem to matter as they hurriedly clambered in, marvelling at its seatless interior.
They asked questions about how old it was and how it had come to be there. It was marked Made By Steyns – Box 742 Pretoria. From what we could ascertain it had been used to pull a drilling rig that we had seen on our drive in. We now knew we were very close.
Almost 3.5 hours (and ONLY 4km!) since we had started our hike, we saw our car. Take a moment to feel our jubilation and listen to our celebratory shouts as we removed our shoes and hopped into the car. We immediately tucked into the snacks and soda sitting right where we had DELIBERATELY left them. As we drove towards the main road, I felt such disappointment that the hike had been a disaster. But once we were safely on the main road, the kids chatted excitedly, with one of them declaring between a sip of Coke and a bite of chocolate, “You know, if it wasn’t for all the thorns it would have been really nice!”
I looked at Ditiro and smiled. It was not the hike we had planned but it was certainly the “wild adventure” Thiwa had anticipated. It will probably be the hike that stands out long after beautiful trails are forgotten. Maybe this was just the dose of excitement we all needed? It’s either that or my poor children have been put off hiking forever! What do you think?
I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida on their link up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining the Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner, Runs with Pugs, and Laura Norris Running! Be sure to read their blogs and catch up with other runners from around the world.
The Gaborone Runner 
Those kids of yours are such troopers!!! I’m sure they are telling all their friends at school about their weekend adventure 👏🏾👏🏾
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! I cannot believe we put them through that, LOL. A clear example of character building if ever there was one!
LikeLike
Oh, it was an adventure indeed – just another part of the bush that you had never seen before!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who knew an innocent 1-hour hiking idea would turn out to be the biggest adventure of all time! Haha!
LikeLike
Haha, Shathiso, this is hilarious!
I showed the GPS graph to Kai and his reaction was “Oh no!”
Your poor kids – they will not forget this experience for many years. But they were very brave.
Did you have any bugs and horrible flies to contend with?
LikeLiked by 1 person
And the worst part is that section to get to the blocked fence was the WORST section of the trail. Aside from the thorns had we avoided the Side Winder, the story would have been far less dramatic! Thank goodness there were no bugs (aside from the bumble bee for a moment) and no flies at all. The major complaint was the thorns and sticky seeds that are terrible when they get on socks and in shoes. And then of course the Side Winder which as you can see was a nightmare. Otherwise, it had the makings of the perfect hike, LOL! Best part – this happened a month ago and we are still laughing about it so definitely one for the family story books!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I bet that this is a story they will absolutely remember and tell again and again! They were real troopers, and I think you acknowledging that nope, this ain’t fun probably helped a lot.
I may have led Mr. Judy astray a time or two (like the second hike just recently). We all survived. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That acknowledgement made such a difference Judy! I think it made them feel we are in this together. LOL re: Leading Mr Judy astray 😂 We all lived to tell the tale!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you’re right & that’s the spirit!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are brave. I tried to hike with my stepsons once and they complained the whole time. I also got my hubby and me lost.
Now I go alone. Or with a friend. Lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love all the hikes and trails you do!!
I’ll have to make it up to mine with a nicer trail… If they’ll agree 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope. You have to start them early. I wish I did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OMG what a crazy adventure! Your kids were so resilient. I don’t know if I would have been at such a young age dealing with all of those obstacles, lol.
Even though this hike didn’t go as planned, I bet they will want to do another hike soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved how excited they were in the car talking about the adventure. And seriously, that thorny path-less bush was horrible!! They really showed such resilience! I’ll have to keep hunting for friendlier trails to entice them 🙂
LikeLike
Well, I think Fate intervened, at the opportune moment, and placed that truck right in your path 😉 Despite the discomforts of all the thorns and rocks, this does sound like a (fun) family adventure, with a good lesson on perseverance and grit. I can only imagine how good the soda and candy tasted afterwards!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Next time I’ll just pack the soda and candy for extra motivation en route 😂
LikeLike
Wow! Well it did make for a good story! Kids are so resilient. I bet they will be so proud to talk about their adventure for many years!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh definitely! Even I had never expected to blog about it 😂😂
LikeLike
Oh dear! I love your honest description of the day, it made me laugh (well, knowing that you were here to blog about it, I felt safe to). I took my husband on a walk in the Lake District with not enough water or food and we got lost and I am ashamed to say I threw my map onto the ground in disgust when I realised we’d walked in a big circle! But at least that was just two supposed-to-be-adults! Well done everyone!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂😂😂Laugh my friend, laugh!! This was just a comedy of errors and even as I was writing, I had to take breaks to laugh especially when I looked at all the photographic evidence 😂 I think I would have thrown my map down too Liz!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my, what an adventure!! This story made me laugh. Your poor kids. But at least they will remember this trip whether or not it was fun. Or if you still have your blog then they can read about it. Not everything will be fun. That is how life it but you are still creating memories with them.
Thank you for linking up with us!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely one for the memory bank 😂😂 I’ve actually had to buy new pairs of shoes for them as we couldn’t get the sticky seeds out. 😂
LikeLike
Wow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
your son’s face in that one photo! You all are troopers for sure. My kids would be whining the whole time. Good lessons learned on what to bring next time though! Always have snacks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are so silly because we know what to bring but this really taught us NO shortcuts when out hiking, especially with snacks!!
LikeLike
Gosh this sounds like quite the adventure! My kids would have given up long before yours. Or maybe I would have given up on their behalf. Lol!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It certainly was! We didn’t think going back was an option as we kept thinking it would be better ahead 😂 By the time it did we were near the end. 😂
LikeLike
I loved this story so much. I have kids so I feel like I’ve lived it. The thing is, the things that go wrong often make the best memories. I’ll bet your kids will never, ever forget that hike, and when they talk about it (for the rest of their lives) it won’t be in a negative way. It really was an adventure.
Weird side note: My shower curtain has a map of the world on it, and today as I was washing my hair I noticed “Gaborone” and thought, I know someone who lives there! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you enjoyed the story and I think you’re right! This will be THE story they remember and tell over and and over again in a fond way, “Remember when…” 😂 I love that story of the shower curtain!! So happy little Gaborone features!!
LikeLike
What an adventure! Your kids will talk about that hike forever. Someday they will even laugh about it. It might be a while before they will hike with you again though. Lol.
I never go anywhere without snacks. Hahaha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Leaving the snacks – HUGE mistake and never again!!!!! 😂Yeah, another hike will take some convincing 😂😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kids are something LOL. Not going to lie: I wouldn’t have made it 3.5 hours without snacks, so I feel their pain!
I think we, as parents, try so hard to make the best of everything for our kids. We want them to love what we love, and we want them to appreciate the things we appreciate. It’s a double whammy when they’re not happy and things don’t go as you envision.
They will hike with you again. But don’t be shocked if they sneak their own snacks. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! That’s one mistake we will never make again. We truly thought it would be an hour or less. But next time even if that’s what we think, we will bring snacks along 😂 I just wish we had decent Hiking trails because I won’t lie, we didn’t enjoy that horrible trail either!
LikeLike
Oh my goodness, what an adventure! Your kids (and their parents) were quite stoic in getting through that hike. But, as I’m sure you know, sometimes the best memories were terrible experiences at one time. Your kids will probably tell the story to their own kids one day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes!!! This story will travel for generations to come, 😂😂
LikeLike
What an adventure! All things considered, I think your kids handled the situation very well! We have been enjoying our hikes with Baby E but I do get nervous about how things will go when she’s on foot!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just wish we had more decent trails! This was such a battle even for us adults! I’ll keep hunting for nice ones 😊 Baby E will love it!!
LikeLike
Sounds like quite the adventure! We started some gentle hikes with our one-year-old this year and she quite took to them…until she attempted to pick up every stick and took 20 minutes to move a quarter-mile as a result (so many sticks)! I look forward to hiking with her more, and I am sure your kids will want to hike again also!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that you’ve already introduced her to hiking!!
I need to find a decent hike to salvage the reputation of hiking for my kids!
LikeLike
“This is an adventure but it’s not really fun, is it?”
The honesty is great! And I bet you the retelling of this story has already gained legs and they were out for 6 hours and hiked 25km!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤣🤣Can’t wait to here them tell it in 10 years time 🤣 At least this blog will always be there to reflect the true record!
LikeLike