TRAIL
( MIS ) ADVENTURES trail ( mis ) adventures by CARLA LEA FARINA
Salty Adventure
Even though I could not actually run the Salt Pans Ultra , I still managed to experience this incredible race in October .
actual trail to this point , so we found ourselves bundubashing through thick bush , scorching hot rocks and razor-sharp thorn trees . We eventually got there , parched beyond words , and were told there was no water – we were meant to bring the water !
Images : Gareth Roberts Photography & courtesy Carla Farina
For the past couple of months , I have been banging on about an amazing adventure I would be going on at the Salt Pans Ultra , a 100km trail race across the Sua Pans in Botswana . However , two days before the race , I was diagnosed with a chest , throat and severe sinus infection . I was put onto a course of antibiotics , and forbidden to run , but due to my thirst for adventure , I decided I was not going to let this stop me . So , I packed my bags ( minus my camel back and speed goats ) and set off for Botswana , because I was going to have a salty adventure , come hell or high water !
Arriving at the salt pans took my breath away . I have run in mountains and big five reserves , and on coastlines , and each has been an amazing , unique and unforgettable experience , but the salt pans are like nothing I had ever seen before . Hundreds of kilometres of white sand , and you feel like you are on the moon , or another planet . So , I took in the stark beauty , and then I did what any person suffering from three infections would do , I pinned on my volunteer badge and got to work .
Carla and one her beloved Baobabs
The Salt Pans Ultra is flat , but not easy !
My first job was to help my friend Stefan with markings . As I am an experienced trail runner ( and obviously never get lost ), we set out ( in the car ) to the various checkpoints , making sure the markers were visible , and ensuring that the places where there was a fork in the imaginary road were barricaded with death thorns and big rocks . I think we did a pretty good job .
Surrounded by my favourite baobab trees really did set the scene for this epic race and adventure . With there being two distances , a 50km and a 100km , there is a bit of something for all the ultra-runners , and while the terrain is incredibly flat , make no mistake , this race is hardcore . You run through extreme temperatures and glaring sunshine that make the race one of the tougher ultras , considering the conditions . Also , the cut-off is pretty tight , and it ’ s not a race you can do taking a Sunday stroll , especially if running the 100km . ( PS : The organisers are increasing the cut-off time by a few hours for next year .)
Time to Get Lost
Now that we ’ ve set the scene , Carla wakes up confident that no misadventures could happen while volunteering … Wrong ! For my last task of the day , Stefan and I had to get food ( and apparently beverages ) up to another pair of volunteers who were on lookout at the top of what was described as a little koppie . We were under the assumption we could drive to this point , but boy were we wrong . There was no
Our hearts sank as we got ready to make the treacherous journey back . However , we were told there was a faster way down . Please note … never tell Carla there is a faster anything . She will get lost ! And we did . Hopelessly lost , and the most dehydrated I have ever been . After what felt like an eternity , we eventually found the car . I was ecstatic , because I was one step away from needing to be put on a drip . Who would have thought that I could have such a misadventure while volunteering ? Oh , and then while I was sitting with the medic when we got back , a bee flew right into my ear , and that was even more entertaining than getting so lost … and also far more painful !
On the Bucket List
Putting my own misadventures aside , this race is a must-do ! It is truly something spectacular , and organised by an awesome group of people who care greatly about the environment that they are hosting this special race in . To watch the sun fall off the edge of the earth – that ’ s what it feels like with that flat , open terrain – and to see more baobabs than you can count , and most importantly to learn about now cultures and people , is a life-changing experience , so there is nothing that will stop me from running this race next year . My favourite part of the race was witnessing the emotion of every single person crossing the finish line , and I cannot wait to have my turn !
A highly recommended , incredible running experience
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-say-die attitude , and a healthy sense of humour about all the misadventures that befall her on the trails !
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