Solvitur ambulando

Solvitur ambulando. I recently came across this Latin phrase in Paul Theroux's The Tau of Travel - a celebration of some of the best travel writing the world has ever seen. Translated, the phrase means 'it is solved by walking.'

Theroux writes, "Walking is a spiritual act; walking on one's own induces meditation," and I couldn't agree more. Walking is possibly one of the most effective and cheapest forms of therapy because it can be done anywhere in the world and all it really requires is a good pair of shoes (and perhaps some pepper spray if you're in a dodgy area). 

I love walking, hiking, jogging and basically anything that involves moving my beans. One of the best hikes I ever did was in Barberton with the Lowveld Rambling Club. We met at 8am at the Old Coach Road Guesthouse. It was August and pretty cold. The route started with a 400m climb up a koppie behind the guesthouse. I know uphills are difficult but this was on another level. We had to stop every 100m to catch our breath and remove a layer of clothing. By the time we got to the top (an hour later) we were out of breath, sweaty and almost undressed. Haha! 

 Like anything that's challenging, it's the end product that makes it worth it. And boy was it worth it. That view, sjoe! Sure it was nearing the end of winter and most of what we saw was dry and dull but it was beautiful nonetheless. We could see most of the De Kaap Valley, parts of the Makhonjwa Mountain Range, an old mine shaft and the many grassy outcrops that make up the Barberton region.  There were no buildings or cars in sight, it was just nature at its finest: raw and undiscovered.

We ate our sandwiches then made our way down the koppie and through a lovely riverine. I can't even remember the distance of that hike or what else we saw, all I remember is that view and the feeling I got once I reached the top of the koppie. It was something more than relief or satisfaction, it was spiritual.

Find out more about the hike here. 

P.s I've decided to get a tattoo with this phrase somewhere on my foot. What do you think?