TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
Go Out and Explore
Happy 2021 to my trail running family , I can ’ t wait for all the adventures in store for this year ! That is , if we kick COVID-19 ’ s butt ...
This first edition of Trail MisAdventures 2021 is going back to the routes of
trail running , and why you should all try trail if you have not yet done so . So , in order to make my argument as to why trail running is tie for first as the best sport in the universe ( obviously jointly holding the number one spot with tennis ), I would like to introduce you to a little place about an hour inland from East London , called Stutterheim . This place is full of adventure if you just know where to look .
I have been going to Stutt about four times a year since I was not even a year old . It ’ s my second home , and my favourite place in the world , but after becoming a trail runner , I started seeing Stutt from a totally different perspective . You see , trail running gave me the confidence to explore this amazing area on foot . There are mountains , forests , rivers and valleys , and the most beautiful places are only accessible on foot .
It really is amazing to see a place that you have been going to for 30 years from a new angle . Don ’ t get me wrong , I have always had adventures in Stutt . ( Actually , no , I have had many , many misadventures in Stutt !) I remember when I was younger , my family owned a dairy farm in Stutt , and the first time my brother and I were allowed to do some exploring on our own , we decided to take a walk to the bass dam , via the dairy to watch the milking , but we never made it to the dam , because we both got stuck knee-deep in cow poop . We were stuck there for about three hours before my mom and aunt started wondering why we hadn ’ t come home yet , as it was getting dark !
Finding Hidden Gems
So , yes , Stutt is full of amazing opportunities for adventure , but I am so excited that I am now a trail runner , because I have found spots in the forest and hide-outs on mountain tops that I could only have dreamed about in the past . For example , I have a lovely 18.5km route I run that goes up to a beautiful waterfall . This year , I decided to run a bit further up that route than I usually go , and I came across the most beautiful pool . It was like heaven ! Going still further up and there was another waterfall . Had I not run up there , I would never have known .
OK , granted , exploring alone possibly isn ’ t the greatest idea for me , as we all know my ability to get hopelessly lost … and nearly fall off cliffs … and , and , and … but that is a risk I am willing to take . That said , you will never guess what happened this holiday ! Believe it or not , I got to rescue someone from a misadventure – yet another first !
You see , I took my cousin and his friend on a run to one of my favourite ( secret ) spots , which is also a waterfall , but it was super slippery , and when we got there my cousin ’ s friend slipped and fell , and gouged a hole in his arm . I was like a superhero , mixed with Rambo and Dr House as I patched him up and then we headed home to get him to a real doctor . Eight stitches and a tetanus shot later , and he was as good as new . Anyway , the point is this , even though our adventure was cut short due to a misadventure , trail running gave us the opportunity to have the adventure in the first place , and that ’ s the really awesome part .
Take a New Path
So , heading into 2021 , I have a challenge for all of you . Think of your favourite place in the world , then go there and run . But don ’ t run the routes you already know , just go out and explore . Run a route you ’ ve never done , and if you see a new path , take it , even if it ’ s not a part of the route you were planning to do . You never know what you might discover , and that is the biggest adventure of all .
Oh , and one last thing … Take a visit to Stutterheim , because there is magic there . It is so beautiful , and a place just longing to be explored . See you on the trails , running family !
Images : Courtesy Carla Lea Farina
About the Author
While Carla ’ s ‘ day job ’ is Head Tennis Coach and Director of Tennis at Game Set Match Tennis in Johannesburg , her second love is trail running , which she tackles with an unquenchable thirst for adventure , a never-saydie attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
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