To the Castle, lads!

You will hopefully not have forgotten the (April) Cape Gauntlet this Saturday (yes, 31st of March). Briefing will be at 09h00 in the Siebert Training Centre at Worcester.

There is a Case of Castle to be split (after flying) between those who choose to wear something military on the evening of the second Marching Gauntlet – let’s try to rally to the flag, push the boat out and ‘scramble’ for the wardrobe this Saturday. A synchronised watch will not count!


For those that choose not to be military, we will have a special induction ceremony that might be more fun than comfortable. The choice is yours.

Join the fun, or join us after flying for beer, cheer & deer (or whatever dead animal you choose to sacrifice!) and the logger wars as we (politely) wrestle with the technology to download & score the flights. And the provisional results ceremony, although a little casual to be called a ceremony, usually is worth the beer you can down while listening.

Can you handle it?

Marching Orders!

On Saturday 10th March, the Cape Gauntleteers got their marching orders. Undaunted by having to round a turnpoint published on the day (a challenge to their 'GPS' skills) they headed off into the early wave at 11h15 lead by Craig (LW) Fussell on an Assigned Area Task of minimum 195 and maximum 684km.

Briefing was, unusually, held in the 'Siebert' training centre and all were able to 'see' the task on the overhead provided by Peter (ID) Farrell (thanks!). Also thanks to extra assistance from the tug-pilots and superb 'chivvying' on the ground, launching was competed within an hour and the gate openned on the AAT at 12:25.

Craig (and most of the field) elected to climb in the wave at Badsberg and then joined Martin (GOK) Grunnert (with Jerry Betbedder as p2) on Waaihoek and the Witzenberg for the run north. Meanwhile Adriaan (K17) Hepburn jumped to the front ridge from the Slanghoek wave and had to contend with that most annoying of effects at Worcester - even though the wave is pumping, there is practically no wind on the front ridge. Adriaan got as far as Saronberg before the gravity of the situation got the better him and he selected a field just to the North of the town. Not even 30 minutes later, Peter (ID) Farrell and Alan (X32) O'Regan came (softly) by, and although Saronberg was still weak, there was enough to allow the trip north to continue.

And slowly the ridges improved, allowing better cross-country speeds as the day (and more importantly the ridges) warmed to the idea. In the event though, it was not really practicable in the marginal conditions to venture further North than Renosterhoek, and only GOK, X32 and LW ventured very far south of the Du Toit's kloof tunnel. Effectively this meant that everyone came home early, and a few extra kilometers of 'stretch' and the handicaps sorted out the positions. Hats off to Martin (GOK) Grunnert for making the old girl go the extra mile, it really keeps us all humble, Martin!

William (GIG) Whitaker deserves special mention for competing from the winch (well done!) and Jacobus (GUC) Hartmann showed admirable restraint in turning back from the front ridge before it became trench warfare - great decision Jacobus! We hope folks who see the traces will avoid noticing that he outclimbed X32 at Slanghoek, proving again that it is not what you got, but what you do with it that counts!

The next Gauntlet cannot be on the first Saturday in April (Easter). 31st March is suggested.