No Sugar Added - Into the wild: swapping speed for scenery

OPINION - I am not a hiker. I find it a tad tedious compared to running, where things happen much quicker and you get a good cardio burn.

I once gave up my 07:15 G-bunch start time in the Cape Argus Cycle Tour to ride with a social group starting sometime after 11:30 and just take in the scenery and the vibe.

Jeepers, it was a long day in the saddle, especially compared to the sub-three-hour pace I was used to for a standard 100 km race.

The scenery was special, but I sorely missed the thrill of racing - a similar void I experience when walking a trail rather than running it. But I always ask myself, "When last have you done something for the first time?"

So here I am, slowing things down and embarking on a three-day slackpacking adventure right here in Wilderness.

I have two codes by which I live. The one is the question above, and the other is a rule that I have to do something that scares me at least every couple of weeks. While I don't anticipate the Wilderness Walk to be a white-knuckle adventure, it will certainly rank high on the novelty scale.

I've never done a structured multi-day hike, never been to those parts of Wilderness, Buffels Bay, and Sedgefield, or met the other people in our group - except for the guide, Anette Grobler, whom I recently wrote about for Women's Month.

The benefits of trying new things are well-documented in psychology and neuroscience - although that's not where I first heard this wisdom. It was actually in a sermon in church by the late Pastor Ray McCauley.

Doing something you've never done before triggers a release of dopamine, the pleasure neurotransmitter - nature's cocaine.

Paired with the rush of tempting danger and living to tell the tale, it is just euphoric - it makes me feel alive.

I find the accompanying sense of reward boosts my levels of motivation, excitement, and joy. It gives me a sense of stoke that fuels my energy to live. Trying new things, or simply a change in routine, is also good for the brain, stimulating it to form new neural pathways, helping to improve memory, creativity, and problem-solving, while slowing down cognitive decline as we age. My brain just functions better when I try new things and feel a greater sense of self-efficacy.

Back to the Wilderness Walk.

An adventure on foot into one of the most scenic regions of our country is too good not to share with our readers.

I'll be taking pictures and short videos along the way and posting them on the George Herald Facebook page so you, our readers, can follow.

What makes the Wilderness Walk special is that the area has remained largely unspoilt. Apparently, you can walk for kilometres along the beach and not see anyone else.

Then there are the ancient fossilised dunes and the fossilised footprints they keep hidden in a safe place for the handful of pathfinders who dare to try something new.

Waterfalls, optional river kayaking, and a few wetties at a local beach bar are just some of the highlights listed on the itinerary - not to mention just being immersed in nature for three days.

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