Durban - Two Grade 11 Treverton College students, have been invited as ambassadors for the conservation fundraising initiative, the Rhino Peak Challenge.
As part of the challenge they will climb parts of the famous 3 056-metre Rhino Peak mountain to raise funds for endangered wildlife.
The Rhino Peak Challenge (RPC) is a conservation fund-raiser that takes place in the Maloti-Drakensberg World Heritage Site each year.
Since its inception in 2016 the RPC has raised almost R3.7m for Wildlife ACT, The Endangered Wildlife Trust and EKZNW. These funds are spent specifically on projects involving vultures, rhinos and cranes.
According to the Midlands school, Jarred van Alphan and Kai Broom were invited to do the RPC as a result of their success doing SA’s most gruelling hike, the Grand Traverse in the Drakensberg earlier this year.
Jarred is from Fourways and is at boarding school in the Midlands and Kai lives in Mooi River.
On the Grand Traverse, they were accompanied by science teachers Shaun Robertson and Derrick Brown on the Grand Traverse.
“The boys' peak physical condition and aptitude for endurance set them apart as the natural choice to complete the Grand Traverse as part of Treverton College. Their experience with orienteering, trail running, rock climbing and being avid outdoor adventure enthusiasts were instrumental in preparing them for the mental and physical fatigue that they faced during the Traverse,” said the school.
The Grand Traverse, as it is known, entails a rigorous hike of approximately 246km from the Sentinel car park in the north to Bushmen’s Nek in the south.
The traverse wasn’t all plain sailing for the team.
“The disorientating mist made navigating challenging and cost time and energy. Ascending and descending approximately 1 100m and fitting in 25 to 30 kilometres a day proved a serious physical challenge. Added to that were the high winds, cold drizzly rain, long days of walking, frustrating mountain bogs and innumerable tufts of grass,” stated the school.
The boys will be facing another adventure in the Rhino Peak Challenge on September 17.
The duo who were invited as ambassadors will be accompanied by Travers Pellew, Treverton College’s sports co-ordinator.
For further information please visit rhinopeakchallenge.co.za and Treverton.co.za