Challenge Archives - Nicola Ann Art

Ben Nevis, Scottish Highlands

In Edinburgh, the day before my Ben Nevis adventure, a street photographer warned me about the hike. “It’s steep at the start, in the middle and at the end. And it’s mostly steps, steep slippery steps. It’s tough, tougher than you could imagine.” Nonsense, I said to myself. How bad could it be, really?! After all I’d whizzed up Sani Pass (starting at 1544m and rises 1332 vertical meters to summit at 2876m) and Table Mountain (1,086 metres above sea level). Ben Nevis stands at 1352m above sea level, not that much higher than Sani Pass. The gradient only being 15 percent steeper. What’s 15 percent in the grand scheme of things, right? Well… Only after reading the article discovered on Walkhighlands about the hike, I thought much better of it. Perhaps Steve, the street photographer, wasn’t exaggerating after all. And not training for the walk was perhaps a little unwise from my side. From Fort William, a town nestled along the shores of Lock Linnhe, in the western Scottish Highlands, we accessed Ben Nevis. The United Kingdom’s highest peak. With the ground wet, rocks glistening, and the mist lifting at the beginning of the hike, the two of […]

Dec 24

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Cycling, Nature, Off-Road, Safari, Wildlife 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Challenge, cycling, Early morning, Gwahumbe Game Reserve, Jimny, KwaZulu-Natal, Off-road, Rhino, Rugged Terrain, South Africa, Suzuki, Suzuki Jimny, Wildlife

Fancy mountain biking with a rhino?

Can you even imagine mountain biking with a rhino…? Well, unfortunately – of course I did it hoping for the ultimate experience, a beastly encounter that would make the heart drop to the foot and adrenalin force the blood to violently pump – it didn’t happen while on two wheels. After exhausting ourselves by bicycle through the spectacular Gwahumbe (Saturday morning, 13 December) a favourite private game reserve for a day visit (because of the rugged landscape, and amazingly it’s just over an hour’s dive from Durban), we jumped in to my Jimny. The climb down to the hippo pool brought us head-on with the rhino. We ensured we kept our distance, and that he was aware of our presence. A non existent exist strategy caused the brain to deal with many jumbled thoughts – in other words, we were trapped. He appeared to be relaxed, and while munching the grass on the edge of the track he glanced in our direction and moved closer and towards us. I felt my body stiffen, my heart do somersaults, goose flesh ripple all over my body the moment his nose touched, albeit it a gentle touch, the Jimny’s nudge […]

Sep 23

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Nature, Off-Road 4 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Challenge, Exploring, Highest Pub in Africa, Jimny, KwaZulu-Natal, Off-road, Rugged Terrain, Sani Pass, South Africa, Suzuki Jimny

Sani Pass adventure

A first I’d never driven a vehicle up Sani Pass – experienced it a few times as a passenger and even walked it a couple of years ago in just over 2.5 hours – and couldn’t wait to experience the thrill in my Jimny. Well, it turned in to more than a Sani Pass adventure anyone could have bargained for. Road trip With the day off from work on Friday, we departed mid-morning for Mkomazana Mountain Cottages where we spent two nights enjoying a log fire and freshly baked scones (best scones ever tasted) brought to us first thing on both mornings – the closest accommodation before San Pass, about 3kms on dirt road after the Sani Pass Hotel. Replenish At Himeville Arms we relished a late lunch and took pleasure in stretching our legs after almost a 2.5 hours drive. If only we’d driven 500m past Himeville Arms where we discovered a quaint café with outdoor seating – it appeared new and fresh and worth a visit, which we did the following day for lunch. Definitely worth it and even offered traditional home-style cooking such as bobotie. Rustic yet comfortable Upon dumping our […]

Jul 02

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Off-Road 0 comments tags: 4x4, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Challenge, Early morning, Father's Day, Jimny, KwaZulu-Natal, Off-road, Rugged Terrain, Suzuki Jimny, Toyota Fortuner

Jimny VS Fortuner Challenge

Right back in the saddle – or in my case, off-road, grinning, behind the wheel of my new Jimny – I thought the best thing to do is a challenge. I put my Jimny up against my dad’s Fortuner (3.0 D-4D 4×4) at Killarney 4×4 track this past Father’s Day. Well, let me just say that my camera captured the scenery as expertly as ever. The End. Okay! Confession time. Pops’ Fortuner beat my Jimny. Impossible, I know. Dumbfounding, absolutely. That’s it – do points really matter? No, a win is a win, as the die-hard Sharks’ rugby fans always mutter. No, it has nothing to do with the driver. I tried every line possible and the wheels in the air caused the wheels in the dirt to churn out the sand – evil dust devils from every direction. Eventually, with my head hanging slightly lower than before, I congratulated Pops! After days of going through the motions and wondering what I could have done differently, we decided that due to not deflating my tyres caused my distress. Challenge back ON! Watch this space – it will be taking place towards […]

Apr 10

4×4 training – let’s get stuck!

Thank you to both Suzuki Pinetown and Travis Duggan from Shift Group for the well organised 4×4 training, or rather adventure, that took place at the Killarney track in Shongweni, a week after I purchased my first ever 4×4 vehicle. Impeccable timing! Never-ending thrills beneath a sky as blue as the Indian Ocean streaked with wisps of cloud, a sun throbbing hotter by the hour and a breath or two of air in a valley surrounded by red earth and green lush shrubbery! What more could anyone want? A bevy of Jimnys and Grand Vitaras were all eager to get their tyres caked in thick dirt and washed off at the river crossing both at the start and end of the semi-challenging route. Did you say a river crossing? Driving my spanking new car through water with rocks and slime and… “Cars do not like water,” Travis informed the group, all glaring at him with expressions like a kinetic strap pulled tight. Was that supposed to make me feel better? “But the Jimnys can safely absorb water up to the Suzuki badge.” As the river appeared that it would only reach mid-rim I started breathing again and felt […]

Mar 23

by Nicola in 4x4, Adventure, Nature, Off-Road, People 0 comments tags: 4x4, 4x4 challenge, Adventure, BeanOn Photography, Challenge, Jimny, Killarney Track, KwaZulu-Natal, Off-road, Rugged Terrain, Shift Group, Shongweni, Suzuki Jimny

One life. Live it.

Land Rover once said: “One Life. Live it.” I experienced something today for the first time by enjoying being a spectator at a 4×4 challenge, held at Killarney in Shongweni. Actually, because I am planning on purchasing a 4×4, one that was going to take part at the event I had to witness just how well it would do. Unfortunately, due to the track being too “soft” it ended up not competing. Just as well as most regrettably damaged their vehicles and had wished they’d never taken them out. But it made for great viewing so thank you to those who didn’t chicken out! Of course I was rooting for the underdogs: “Lucky N” and luminous “e-car”. Unfortunately, my rooting did not help. “Ooh!” “Ahh!” “Ouch!” And many vulgarities were heard whenever the Amarok got stuck; after the fourth time, in the same spot, despite trying different ways to attack the ditch coated in mud, only vulgarities could be heard. The vehicle should be labelled “AmarokDisaster” instead of “AmarokStar” – as highlighted in one of the images below. We only hung around for the first heat, which was enough to make me want to experience […]

Ben Nevis, Scottish Highlands

Fancy mountain biking with a rhino?

Sani Pass adventure

Jimny VS Fortuner Challenge

4×4 training – let’s get stuck!

One life. Live it.

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