ARTICLES IN LATEST ISSUE
OLD FAITHFUL Discovers Botswana and Namibia, Part 3 Tsumkwe to Epupa Falls. Some wise traveller wrote, Great journeys are memorable not so much for what you saw, but for where you camped. Following on from my previous article in DO IT NOW, Xen and I had left Tsumkwe, a small settlement inhabited by bushman in the north-eastern section of Namibia, and were on our way to Etosha		Across the Spine of Taiwan There's something to be said for New Year's resolutions, if you stick to them. I had the most awesome and memorable adventure of my life as a result of a New Year's resolution: to fill my life with as much adventure as possible. The fact I was living in Taiwan, an adventure heaven, made it so much easier to fulfil.		Solo Across Western Sahara Leaving the developed comforts of Agadir in southern Morocco behind me, I ventured towards the large grey area named Sahara on my map. There would be no backup crew or support vehicle on this expedition, no satellite phones, GPS navigation or get out of jail free cards on offer.		Snowboarding in Lech, Austria My wife Elri, some friends of ours and I boarded Swiss Air just after 20h00 destined for Zurich and three weeks of skiing, snowboarding and touring through Europe. First up was a week in Lech, Austria, then a week in Meribel, France, and lastly a week in Grindelwald, Switzerland.
Tanzanian Daredevils - Part 1 This is the story of Shaun Sutton, Konrad Boshoff, Edwin Jones and Darius Boshoff and their sailing adventures across the Indian Ocean in an ngalawa. In the land of Hakuna Matata, Simba, Pumba and Timon embark on adventures unknown to your typical suburban bloke, who drives a luxury car that has more airbags than a presidential stretch limo		To Cross an Ocean This is not about technical sailing, nor is it about rules or racing. It's about dreams! Something to look forward to, something that starts with an idea and then becomes a reality. Something exciting, dangerous and almost out of reach.		Hope. Pray. Paddle. - Part 1 It's just another ordinary Monday evening in late May and well into winter, but Cape Town graced us with a small window in her relentless greyness. We were standing next to one of the canals at the Century City Canoe Club, waiting for our friend Ross to introduce us to the sport of Stand Up Paddling (SUP). We were a bit sceptical, as isn't this an old man's sport? I mean, why not just get a kayak?		ACRO - A Glimpse into the World of Paragliding Aerobatics A paraglider is the only aircraft in the world that can do a positive-G forward loop. Performing aerobatics on a paraglider that has no rigid structure is not for everyone, but for pilots with ample experience, it can become an addiction.
Australia - Part 2 of 2 - Victoria Australia is a massive country, the sixth biggest in area at 7,600,000-odd square kilometres. This was never more evident than on our journey from Cairns to Melbourne, some 2,800km due south. Where Cairns was scorching hot and dry, with beautifully warm turquoise seas, Melbourne was cold and wet, a deep blue ocean of cold currents.		Avalanche Hits Fourways When you hear the words snowboarding and skiing, thoughts of cold temperatures, warm clothing, pricey expeditions to far-away mountains and snow come to mind. Now imagine that you could invite all your fun-loving friends to a day of snowboarding without having to go on holiday, or travel to the nearest snow-covered mountain. This dream is now a reality!		Taking Adventure Racing to a Whole New Level DO IT NOW met with Mark and Monique Dickson of Assitport Adventure Racing Club (Assitport AR or AAR), to find out more about a new, and somewhat unique, membership service they are offering to anyone who is looking to get into adventure racing, and its component sporting activities, whilst being treated like a VIP		The World's Most Beautiful Triathlon - Indian Ocean Triathlon Mauritius is often advertised as a honeymoon and holidaymakers' paradise. But what you rarely hear about are the fantastic sporting events that are held there, including the sport of triathlon. The Indian Ocean Triathlon has been in existence for seven years and although popular with European triathletes wishing to escape the onslaught of winter
ELEVEN Sun City Š Africa's Toughest Triathlon Why have the organisers of ELEVEN Sun City tagged this race as Africa's Toughest Triathlon? Simple, it's a tough course! The swim takes place in the crystal clear water of the Water World Complex, but as soon as the athletes transition to their bikes, the course starts to exert its grip, as athletes have to run 500 metres uphill to reach the mount line.		Lesotho Sky 2011 - Racing with a Purpose The Lesotho Sky 2011 is a new event on the MTB calendar that took place in November and played host to bike teams from around the world, South Africa and Lesotho. I was privileged to take part in it too. Christian Schmidt, mountain bike enthusiast, race organiser and founder of the event, was born in Germany		Shuttle Days - A Fun MTB Ride for Everyone So you like to ride downhill trails, but don't fancy the uphill climbs? Then a Shuttle Day at Contermanskloof MTB Trails is the answer to your prayers. Contermanskloof MTB Trails was opened in December 2009, with modifications and extensions being added and maintained on a daily basis.		Berg & Beach Walker Bay and Hermanus are probably best known for the Southern Right Whales that visit during their annual migration. Hot on their tails were almost 100 trail runners, some from as far as Gauteng, who also temporarily migrated to these areas, to take part in the 50km Berg & Beach stage trail run in October.
National Freestyle Kayaking Competition Kayaking weekends usually involve waking up early, driving for hours and meeting up with friends, thus ensuring there is a strong emphasis on rapid rehydration and a general sense of jolliness. This was especially true of the National Freestyle Kayaking Competition (NFKC) weekend, which took place on the Vaal River in early November 2011		On a Winning Streak Racing requires passion and determination, but what makes a racer great is being able to keep a balance between practising, the pressure and passion. As a novice to the sport of motorcycle racing, but blessed with the ability to ride, 2011 was a phenomenal year for me.		My First Roof of Africa Attending the legendary Roof of Africa has always been a dream of mine, so when I got the opportunity to go through to the 2011 event, I was as excited as a kid in a candy store. As I set off from Jo'burg, my dream was finally about to come true!		Expedition Adventure Racing in Far Flung Places Getting a bunch of crazy friends together for a weekend adventure race is sometimes a logistical nightmare, but getting a committed team, along with all the race equipment, together for an international adventure race in a far off land can be somewhat of a daunting task to most folk.
What does it take to compete at the Olympics? There is no one answer to this question and I presume the path to participation for each Olympic athlete is as varied and diverse as their backgrounds. However, there are some commonalities to each story and certain attributes without which athletes would not be able to take part at the Holy Grail of sports.		Stanley's Mountain and Trail Run 2012 The iconic 24km Stanley's Mountain Run starts off from the High SchoolÕs sports field in the town of Ladismith, nestled at the foot of the Klein Swartberg mountain range in the Klein Karoo. About 1,5km outside of the town, the trail veers off the dirt road, crosses a stream onto a short section of jeep track and for the next three hours or so, runners will grind away on a single mountain track.		What to Expect at the Dakar Rally After spending many, many months of training and preparation, Darryl Curtis entered his first Dakar Rally this year from 1-15 January. As I have competed twice at this famous off-road rally in the past, my experiences will give you an inkling of what he faced, as he rode through Argentina, Chile and Peru to cover a distance of more than 9 000km.		Sports Massage Magic Every sportsperson is like an artist and each event provides a canvas that their body, the brush, spreads each colour of the mind to create a beautiful picture. Through the committed practise of a particular sport, numerous stroke techniques are developed to make use of the best combination of colours.
In Review: 7-UP People Carriers Lazy people with a bad attitude and no personality generally go for fast, flashy cars such as coupes and hot hatches; anything really with a GTi, STi or M badge. The obvious reason is to compensate for the lack of inherent coolness. But the more subtle reasons are that less physical effort is required to enter a low-slung car and thereÕs no need for more than a couple of doors		Warm Weather and Water Bugs Spring usually announces the start of the swimming season, together with images of long, warm lazy days basking in the sun. It also brings life-giving rain and the opening of many trout waters. As the days become hotter and Mother earth warms up to the idea of summer, so too does the aquatic life in our fly fishing waters		Olifants River Backpacking Trail - A HikerÕs Journal - Part 1 The Olifants Backpacking Trail is such a magnificent experience and yet it's the most dangerous backpacking hike in South Africa! Eight of us were tingling with excitement when we left Durban to go on this hike, with visions of being chased by elephants and stalked by leopard while taking a tea break in the bush		SHOOT! An Image Essay - Telling Photo Stories I'm sure youÕve heard the old adage stating 'a picture is worth a thousand words'? Well, here's how to make sure the photos from your next event end up telling a complete story.
QUADS 4 QUADS 2011: Riders on the Storm September 2011 marked the eighth year of the running of the Quads 4 Quads off-road motorcycle event from Johannesburg to Durban and back. The 2,000km round trip was held to raise funds for the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) and organised by Glenn Foley and Corinne Andrews of Family Adventures' social off-road club.		A Survival Guide to Life in South Africa - Part 1 It was reported on BBC News that, South Africa is the most dangerous country in the world, which is not at war. Sadly, this statement rings true when you consider that a rape occurs every 15 seconds, and this figure does not include child rapes, to average out at a horrifying 60 rapes per day, and more than 60 people are murdered every day in South Africa due to violent crime.