Hello from somewhere near Touwsrivier.

Gone is yesterday’s sunshine, which we made good use of with an 11½km hike through the local nature reserve, looking for fossils and enjoying the views of the snow-capped peaks of the Matroosberg.

It’s Sunday lunchtime, and ostensibly, it’s 3 degrees outside. But with a biting northwester and horizontal rain/sleet, I’m fairly sure it will feel a lot colder out there. Even the baboons have sought shelter on the leeward side of the camp infrastructure, and they’re seriously tough guys.
It’s definitely warmer inside the tent, but not by too much. Everyone else is in their beds, sensibly enjoying the luxury strength duvets. Probably Hungarian goose.
I can see my breath in front of my face in here, and I’m sitting only a couple of metres from a wood-burning stove.

Which is burning wood, by the way.

I chose to lob on a beanie, a rainproof jacket and some shorts and go for a 6km run this morning, past the incredulous, sheltering farmworkers and out along the tracks into the Karoo. And while it was very hard work in the wind and the cold, it was also really exhilarating. I’m never going to put myself into an ice bath or even a tidal pool, but a half hour this morning with just myself and the elements was superb.

I’ve never seen my legs go that colour before, though.
I’m not even sure that there’s a name for it.

The temperature is dropping now. Not just because the sun (ha!) has past its highest point for the day, but because the post-cold front weather is moving in. We’re mentally preparing ourselves for tomorrow morning, which is now forecast to have an actual high of -1 and a “feels like” of -8.

I’m hopeful that it won’t be long before this rain turns to something fluffier and whiter, which would be a perfect end to a lovely – if bitterly, bitterly cold – family weekend away.