Backpacker Finishes Otter Trail In 12 Hours
National Geographic‘s 2007 Adventurer of the Year, Andrew Skurka, took on the Otter Trail and finished it in just 12 hours, armed with a packet of Marie biscuits and ostrich biltong.
Skurka arrived in the Garden Route last week and spent some time at the Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa where The Herald caught up with him.
Skurka, 27, is a professional backpacker and is known for his monumental hikes, including a 11064km hike through western America and a 12553km seat-to-sea route from Quebec to Washington.
He was invited to South Africa by SA Tourism to experience a “real adventure” and spent three days hiking the Drakensberg before coming to the Garden Route. Skurka‘s next African adventure will be to hike Table Mountain and Cape Point.
Based in Colorado in the US, he said backpacking was a way of connecting with the natural world that “enlivens and humbles” him.
Skurka said he led a lifestyle that emphasised simplicity and sustainability, and had become a role model for young Americans.
By Janine Oelofse
www.theherald.co.za
