ADVENTURE PRODUCTS IN PROGRESS
Maretha Shroyer
On World Environment Day 2006 a special ceremony took place in the rugged Dwarsberg Mountains to sign the Memorandum of Agreement for the Dwarsberg Hiking Trail, the first commercial adventure product in the Heritage Park. The North West Parks and Tourism Board, Batlokwa Boo Kgosi Tribal Administration, Bakgatla Bakgafela Tribal Authority, Johnny Smit and the Heritage Park Adventure Guides all committed to support this project.
In six months we have made good progress.
- A footpath has been established for 23 km of the 29.5 km Dwarsberg hiking trail. The trail building provided jobs for 22 people from local communities. Construction of the overnight shelters will start in Jan 2007.
- Eight Heritage Park Adventure Guides were selected out of 79 applicants. They are currently employed by NWP&TB on fixed term contracts.
- The eight Heritage Park Adventure Guides and the two Heritage Park Field Officers completed their First Aid (level 2) and Nature Guide (NQF level 2) training successfully with an average of 86%.
- During trail building late iron age tools and signs of old Batswana settlements were discovered. An Archaeological study was commissioned to provide more information on these findings.
- The “Friends of the Heritage Park” was established on 7 July at their first AGM. The Friends have had two week-end camps in the Heritage Park and are busy with a range of projects to encourage the youth to get involved with adventure and conservation activities.
- Paul Cryer from Wilderness Leadership School in Kwazulu-Natal came on two fieldtrips to provide technical assistance with the Dwarsberg Trail development.
The 4-day Dwarsberg Hiking Trail will be completed in April 2007. The trail is varied, interesting and fairly strenuous. The trail starts at the Marico River and moves along the foot hills of the Dwarsberg Mountains before ascending the mountain via a forested kloof. The final two days of the trail is essentially a walk across the top of the mountain.
Other adventure products that are currently being planned are: kayaking on the Molatedi Dam, mountain bike trails and horse back trails. We hope to launch these projects in September 2007 during tourism month.
For more information on the Dwarsberg Hiking Trail or to join the Friends of the Heritage Park please call Obakeng at 073 209 8710.
