Latest / Wander the World with Pippa Hudson / Wander the World: Walking Safaris of Africa

Transcript

Wander the World: Walking Safaris of Africa · Wander the World with Pippa Hudson

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: If you prefer not to fly, perhaps today's segment is
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: just for you. You might have to fly to get
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: to some of the destinations, but once you're there, feet
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: firmly on the ground, please, because today we are doing
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: some armchair wondering of the world with Dennis Costello, who
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: is a qualified trail guide for the really extensive list
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: of solo tricks under his belt, everything from the ice
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: caps of Greenland to the jungles of Papua New Guinea.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: And if it can be navigated on foot, chances are
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Dennis has done it, especially so if it is a
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: trail somewhere here in Africa and particularly in South Africa.
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Now he's written about them for years on his website
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Walking Safaris dot Africa, but he's now released a book
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: to help you follow in his footsteps if you like.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: It's called Walking Safaris of Africa From the Cape to
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Kenya and it's published by Pelagic Publishing. Our thanks to
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: the team at Blue Weaver Marketing for connecting us with Dennis,
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: who is joining me on the phone this afternoon. Dennis,
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: great to have you with us on the show. Welcome
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: to Cape Talk.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Hi, Hi Favor, Thank you for having me on good afternoon.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: It's a great pleasure to have you with us. Dennis.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: What drew you into this field of trail guiding was?
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: Was it something you were exposed to in early childhood
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: or something you discovered for yourself in adulthood, Ah.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: Much later. But before I even answered that question, I'm
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: going to remind you we spoke when my first book
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: came out twenty twenty one, and a nice story associated
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: with that, and I got contacted when the new book
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: came out by somebody in Cape Town who heard that
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: interview and didn't know you could even do these type
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: of walks in National Park in South Africa, got intrigued.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: And at the crucial point, the phone line drops. Oh dear,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: oh dear, our apologies for that. We were try and
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: get Dennis back again to complete the story. I'm sitting
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: here with bated breath waiting to hear what role my
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: first interview with him played in this story. Apologies, We
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: are trying to connect on a different line with our
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: guests to continue the conversation about walking safaris of Africa.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Dennis cost is his name, and this is a guide
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: to guided walks from the Cape to Kenya. And maybe
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: while we just keep on trying to get hold of him.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: Let me give you a bit of background to this
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: book and its purpose. So Dennis defines a walking safari
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: as a guided walk in a conservation area where there
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: is the possibility of encountering game of some kind. Whether
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: that's an elephant or a bookie around the corner might
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: be up to you, but is it for the purposes
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: of today's conversation. That is his concept of a walking
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: safari is it's on foot in a conservation area with
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: the possibility of an animal encounter, and it is led
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: by a trained guide. Right. I hope it's third time.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Lucky Dennis. We've got you back on the phone line
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: and you had us all Montinta hooks there. You're about
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: to tell us what happened after that last interview.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a nice story. He heard our interview, went investigators,
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: did his guide training and it's now a trails guide.
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: And that came out of being inspired by that of you.
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: So sometimes I'm sure you do things and do interviews
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: you don't know what comes of them. But that's a
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: great example of you changed somebody's life there with that
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: interview four years ago.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: We've all got goosebumps. Dennis, thank you so much for
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: sharing with that. I've never heard that story before, so
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: that's absolutely remarkable. And if that listener happens to be
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: listening right now, please reach out to us by emails
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: that we can carry on this conversation in more detail.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: But Denis back to the new book. While we were
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: struggling to reconnect with you there, I just explained to
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: the listeners that your your definition of a walking safari
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: for the purposes of this book is a guided walk
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: in a conservation area with the possibility of encountering wildlife
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: in that cond of text. Dennis, what is it about
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: the experience of exploring regions on foot that you find
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: so special that has drawn you into this with such depth.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: Well, the key word there is the guided, because all
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: these walks, when you're in the hands of a professional
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: guide just brings a new dimension to us. No matter
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: how much you know I think you know about wildlife
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: and birds and trees, and the professional guides around Africa
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: have another level and they really open up areas you
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: just would never have thought about. They're going to talk
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: about geology and insect life and termite mounds and tracks.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: Tracking is a really interesting part of it, So just
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: add a whole new dimension. And to be honest, once
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: you've done a couple of walks, you'll find going in
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: a vehicle a bit constraining, a bit boring and eal.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: You know, safar as are wonderful. You do see a lot,
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: but it just opens up so many doors to you,
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: the full range of biodiversity, and you know Africa has
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: such a range, and South Africa has such a range.
• 4:41
  Speaker 3: It's a shame not to take at least one walk.
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: And when you're in these areas and you know they're
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: open for everybody. I've just come back from a trip
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: in the Kruger area where we did some backpacking trails.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: Now these are harder, not for everybody, but we also
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: did other trails up in Pafouri, for example, which are
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: really accessible to everybody. You're ambling about for maybe four
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: or five kilometers over two to three hours, and so
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: people shouldn't feel that it's all about walking. It's far
• 5:11
  Speaker 3: more about the talking and the stops and just being
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: in nature and just absorbing that wonderful feeling of being
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: out in the wild.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: It's such a completely immersive kind of experience as well.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: Dennis I find. You know, when you're on foot in
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: the bush, you hear sounds that you miss when you're
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: in a vehicle. You catch the little creatures on the ground.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: As you've referenced, it's about the other things you stop
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: to look at because the guide points them out to you.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: But it's also just the things you notice because you
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: are moving that much more slowly. You're not sort of
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: whipping your head around too late to catch a bird
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: that you missed on the previous tree. You can stop
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: and be quiet and look at it. So it's a
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: very different way of completely immersing yourself in the bush.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: Now let's talk about it, Yeah, go ahead, yeah, Dennis.
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about the way you've structured this book and
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: what your intention is. As you've already said, it's not
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: just about the really serious, hardcore multi day trails, although
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: some of those are reflected in this book. There are
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: equally many more shorter accessible walks, and you also point
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: out the many different ways of having a walking safari experience.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: It doesn't have to be too onerous, it doesn't have
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: to require peak level fitness. Do you want to talk
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: to us a little bit about some of the in
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: betweens and the different kinds of walking safaris that are
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: out there to be experienced.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and the nightly nor South Africa's got the full range.
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: Other parts of Africa tend to be kind of more
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: expensive lodge based walking, and there's some great mobile walking
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: up in Zambia and Kenya, but South Africa has the
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: full range. So if you see yourself as a walker,
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: you can go and stay in a trails camp a
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: few nights and you know, Sand Park's one wonderful wilderness
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: trails camp. Lots of private ones, but if you just
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: want to taste of it, there's lots and lots of
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: camps and lodges in parks throughout South Africa where you
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: can just swap in a walk one morning instead of
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: going out on the game drive vehicle. You say, rather
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: a walk, and it's a good taster and a good
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: way to, you know, just to get that different experience.
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: So when you know backpacking type ones are are demanding,
• 7:11
  Speaker 3: but they're they're actually quite a small part of that.
• 7:13
  Speaker 3: And you know where you go and sleep out under
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: the stars, it's it's a really special experience and if
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: people are up for it and you have the gear
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: and the energy, there's nothing like sleeping out under the stars,
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: you know, taking terms to watch for wildlife at night.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: It's an experience you share with, you know, the earliest humanity.
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: You can imagine people doing this two hundred thousand, three
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: hundred thousand years ago, hearing the same sounds of the animals,
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: the hyenas and the lions. But walking in general lets
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: you share that experience. When you're sitting up on a
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: copy looking at the view, you're doing something that humans
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: did long, long ago, and the trails guides are keeping
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: alive those skills that allow us to do that, that
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: you know, allow us to stay safe when we're walking
• 8:00
  Speaker 3: in these areas and be aware of what's around and
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: do the tracking. So I think that's a special aspect
• 8:05
  Speaker 3: that people don't realize until they actually do it. It's
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: not just about a learning experience, a classroom experience. It's
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: about doing something that humans have always done, and it's
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: very rare to be able to do that, to experience
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: something like that. So I really encourage people to even
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: if you don't see yourself as a walker, you know,
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: next time you're in one of the wonderful national parks,
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: if walks are offered they're very affordable, especially in the
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: public parks. Give it a try.
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: I absolutely endorse that suggestion. Dennis. Thank you now, just briefly,
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: because I've got one eye on the clock and time
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: is marching away. The new book breaks down by country,
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: by region, by park, the different options that are available,
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: and it gives really great advice on For example, if
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: you're heading to Kenya in such and such a park,
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: you have these walking options. If you're in Kruger, this
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: is where you find the backpacking packing, the easier trails,
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: et cetera. So we won't dive into any specifics of
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: individual trails except perhaps just say to you, can you
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: give our listeners a sense of the scope of the book.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: How much of Africa do you cover? How many parks
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: are represented? Just tell us a little bit about which
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: areas are represented in this book.
• 9:17
  Speaker 3: Oh, I've forgotten how many parks there in it. But
• 9:20
  Speaker 3: there's nine countries and so covered all of the countries
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: of Southern and East Africa. Big chapter for South Africa
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: obviously because it's got the most walks of all, but
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: it covers Namibia for example. It's very popular with South
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: African visitors. There's some wonderful walks. There less wild life,
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: so more about the walking. But I can highly recommend
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: Etindeca Walking Trails for example. And there's a new trails
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: camp there called on Guma Trails Camp which has opened
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: just this year, so it's got the full spread. And
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: one thing I did which I really missed out in
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: the first book was I included lots of the smaller
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: safari operators that are run by trails guides, and this
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: was a gap in the first book. So there's lots
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: of trails guides. Sometimes it's just a one or two
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: person operation that are running these walks, particularly in South
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: Africa and Zimbabwe in Kenya, and I really recommend these
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: These organizations are the best way to organize a trip
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: because they know everything about where to go, times to go,
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: getting the best places to stay. So I think that's
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: one of the valuable things in the book. And I
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: just like to mention the other aspect to it, which
• 10:32
  Speaker 3: I did also, to be narratives that the book isn't
• 10:35
  Speaker 3: just a reference guide and to help you find walks
• 10:38
  Speaker 3: and prepare for them and when to go and all
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: that sort of stuff. But there's about a dozen narratives
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: throughout which really give you a feel for what it's
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: like in the particular place to be on foot, and
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: so walks that I've undertaken such a couple of guest ones,
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: which really should inspire you and make you know the
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: sense what it's really like to be on foot in
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: these beautiful wilderness areas.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: Of course, you're not strictly speaking on foot, you're on
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: foot in a shoe. And the one thing I wanted
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: to touch on among the many great practical tips in
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: this book, including what to pack, what not to pack,
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: how not to overpack, of being another issue, but footwear.
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: If you are going to be doing this kind of
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: adventure regularly and you fall in love with the experience
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: of walking in the bush, it's worth investing in some
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: decent footwear. What do you recommend are some of the
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: sort of features that what one should look for.
• 11:26
  Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, the most important thing is some good souls,
• 11:29
  Speaker 3: because some of these trails would be thorny and you
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: don't want to thorn coming through your footwear. So but
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: most trail shoes would do the job. You know. Some lightwear,
• 11:37
  Speaker 3: lightweight hiking boots are good if you're going to be
• 11:40
  Speaker 3: doing longer and more intensive walks, and definitely for backpacking
• 11:43
  Speaker 3: trails you need boots, but you know, your normal trail
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: shoes are fine. And I always laugh when I see
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: what some trails guides wear. You know, I'm saying the
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: book you must wear this special footwear a couple of
• 11:55
  Speaker 3: weeks ago, as in Tafuri and the guy that's wearing
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: sandals which you don't want to open toes. But here's
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: the guys wearing it because they're comfortable in it, and
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: that's what they like to wear. A lot of people
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: like to wear their values, the belskins, which you know
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: would be the traditional footwear, the clouds in the bush.
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: But you know, make sure you get the good quality
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: ones with good souls and not the fashion statements. But
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: where what's comfortable is the most important thing.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: It's more important to feel comfortable and have the protection
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: that it is to look stylish. I take your point out. Dennis.
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: It's been a real joy to have you on the
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: show again. I'm sorry it was a bit of a
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: stop start conversation there, but so love you'd be able
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: to catch up with you and to tell listeners about
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: the new book, Walking Safaris of Africa, guided walks from
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: the Cape to Kenya. Is it widely available in all
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: good bookstores already?
• 12:42
  Speaker 3: Dennis, It certainly is. It's published in the UK, but
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: it's in all South African bookshops. Online, you'll find it
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: in usual places, and if your bookshop doesn't have it,
• 12:51
  Speaker 3: they can get it in quickly.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: Dennis, Costella and lovely to chat to you again, and
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: our best wishes for your future walks and the success
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: of this book, which is called Walking Safaris of Africa.