3-hour hike to George Peak no mean feat for 6-year-old

GEORGE NEWS - A very lively six-year-old from George, Joshua Aucamp, amazed fellow hikers with his endurance during a group hike to George Peak on Saturday 22 June.

Joshua kept up with the group and reached the top in three hours. This is a 17km trail with an elevation of 1 337m.

George Trails on its website rates it as 'strenuous' and 'hard' and indicates that hikers can complete the route - up and down - in an average time of between five and eight hours. The group that Joshua was part of completed the walk down in about 2,5 hours, so their overall time was about 5,5 hours.

Joshua's brother, Liam (10), did the hike last year, so this was his second summit. The two brothers are very close, says their dad, Hendrik.

"When I took Liam up to George Peak last year, Joshua was not very happy that he could not join us. He is a busy little guy that wants to be part of the action. I think he is just naturally fit; we noticed it from a young age. I am very proud of him," says Hendrik.

Joshua says his legs hurt a little bit on the way up. "The last part was the hardest." That is where the trail gets more rocky and involves some climbing. "I had Energade and water, droëwors and rusks," he says when asked how he kept his energy levels up.

He did not look around much, because he just wanted to get to the top.

They walked from the Bike Park in Arbour Road. Says Hendrik, "It is a tough climb. I was amazed that we did it in three hours. And after we came back, Joshua even still played soccer with his older brother in our yard."

An active family

Joshua has done a lot of general walking around the Garden Route Dam and in the forests around George. "He did a few 5km parkruns in George and Harkerville, and an 8km hike at Robberg Nature Reserve in Plettenberg Bay."

The boys' love of walking comes from their dad who enjoys walking in the mountains, or just around town in their neighbourhood, mostly with the dogs and the boys. "My wife, Leisha, is more into swimming and exercising at the gym," he says.

Joshua also loves soccer as part of the Kingdom Warriors club where he is the only six-year-old among boys of nine to 10 years old.

"He also takes part in rugby, chess and cycling. He has even tried squash. He always has a ball close by, and also loves his dogs, Rubble and Leah very much.

"If I come back from work our family always play soccer before dinner and a game of chess after dinner. Mom also joins in when we play soccer."

The Merrell sport footwear brand suggests on their website taking six-year-olds on easy trails of no more than 7km and Backpacker.com advises no more than 7km in a day, so little Joshua far outperforms the expectations for children his age, especially taking into account George Trails' rating of the George Peak trail.

A proud Hendrik Aucamp with Liam and Joshua on George Peak.

The hiking group on George Peak. Back from left: Liam Aucamp, Manfred Dreyer, Hendrik Aucamp, James Matthews, Dan Matthews, Jayden Dreyer, Mel Baldwin, Robert Janse van Rensburg, Rhode Mostert and Mareli Janse van Rensburg. Front: Joshua Aucamp (standing), Pierre Mcloud (seated), Quinton Dreyer (seated) and Karen Dreyer (seated).