George B. Shaw summed up the current status of the Trail Guides’ Brief when he said; “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. This greatly neglected, yet critical discussion between the Lead and Back-Up Trail Guides before a walking safari should include standard operational procedures (SOP’s) or ‘golden commands’ for a sudden situation or dangerous encounter.
Life on Trail
The gnarled, exposed roots of two large Apple-leaf trees provided us with a suitable bench. Recent tracks of Buffalo and Elephant at their base further suggested that the misshapen trees were well used scratching posts. We were having lunch beside Mabandi spring on the Lonely Bull Backpack Trail in Kruger […]
Gift on a Windy Day
Ask any Trails Guide about the weather conditions they least enjoy, and the majority of answers will involve wind. Firstly, animals seem to vanish, seeking out dense cover and thick bush to avoid the blustery conditions. Most importantly though, our sense of hearing disappears, as the constant background noise of […]
Trails Guide ‘Dreamtime’
Aboriginal Australians have developed, and are bound by, highly complex belief systems that interconnects the land, spirituality, law, social life and care of the environment. These Traditional people share a common belief in the creation or “Dreaming”. The creation myths tell of legendary totemic beings who wander over the continent […]
A Native Land Ethic
The Native American Chief Seattle (Si’ahl) was born in 1780 and became a much respected leader of the Duwamish (Dkhw’Duw’Absh) tribe. He was, without doubt, a prominent figure among his people and pursued a path of accommodation to European settlers. His body was returned to the Earth on 7 June […]
Too Close for Comfort
There they stood, four tons of energy, locked together by tusk-filled gapes. The goliaths took up a substantial amount of space and I was terrified. I feared for the safety of our guests that lay trapped in their tents and the very real possibility of them being trampled.
Crafters of Stories
Being able to tell stories is an invaluable skill for all Trails Guides. It’s how you create a connection with your guests and facilitate their reconnection with Nature. Like any skill, it needs to be learnt and practiced.
Discover Wilderness Guiding
Somewhere between measurement and metaphor, your guests will find meaning. Creating moments of enlightenment on Trail is the challenge of Wilderness guiding. It is the challenge of not being confronted by the limitation of language.
Holistic Trails Guiding
Trails Guiding is more multifaceted than popular definition or even qualification criteria would suggest. That is why the Lowveld Trails Co. philosophy is based on the concept of three multi-disciplinary spheres.
Trail Junkie
Follow the journey of a recovering addict as he explores the origin of his compulsive behaviour. “I had to understand myself better. I had to understand you better. Why do Primitive Trails make us feel so good?”