Stanford Lake Gr 9 learners tackle 7-day hiking and kayaking challenge

The Citizen

21-06-2025

Quick read
Gr 9s from Stanford Lake College completed a 105km expedition called In the Footsteps of Legends.
The 7-day journey included hiking, paddling, camping and moments of personal reflection.
The expedition started in Sekororo with a 10km hike and 840m climb to Christmas Plateau.
Learners camped in villages, bathed in mountain streams and saw part of the 1838 Louis Trichardt road.
Learners shared skits linking their experience to school values and did guard duty at night.
Full story below.
Full story
POLOKWANE – Gr 9 learners from Stanford Lake College recently spent seven days travelling 105km hiking and paddling in an expedition called, In the Footsteps of Legends.
The expedition started in the village Sekororo with a distance of 10km and an 840m climb. That evening, they camped at Christmas Plateau.
The rest of the week followed with different distances, uphills and downhills.
The group had the opportunity to experience a refreshing mountain stream bath.
On the third day, the group set up camp in Mankele Village next to the Olifants River. Some other memorable moments include a sightseeing of a section of the road that Louis Trichardt built in 1838.
On the last two days, the learners had to do guard duty, where they had to manage the beats and the duty roster.
At the last camp, the hikers took part in Solo, where they had the chance to reflect on all the privileges they have, as well as their gratitude.
The groups had to perform two-minute skits with the exhibition as the topic, and they had to cover at least two school values.
On the fourth day, the expeditioners exchanged their backpacks for rafts and river gear and paddled 10km to Loerie Camp. The next three days, the learners paddled almost 60km.
On the last day, the learners had to paddle to Thsabaleshoba village facing rapids such as Rent-o-kill, Double Trouble, and Rollercoaster.
Deegan Davis, one of the participants, says the expedition was phenomenal in every way. 'From the amazing views to the nights when we could see the city lights, everything was spectacular. My favourite moment was one morning when I woke up and the sun was peeking through the mountains to create the ultimate best view.'
Juliet Leher also participated. 'Kayaking was not easy, but it was worth it, and while you would fall in the water every once in a while, you would always come out stronger than you were before. Plus, hot chocolate always tastes best after a long hike.'
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