Gillooly's Farm Hike

Gillooly's Farm has a very nice picnic spot with a big lake, a very stiff walk up a ridge with great views over the Kensington Valley and Northern Suburbs of Johannesburg.


Jolene Pryra with family and friends		Dennis with his son and Juggernaut Mals


Brian with family and friends		Sandra with the Tomarctus females

Jarred with his small Malamutes, actually being Sibes		Tammy & Mischke and Marion & Malik

After everyone settled in and have found their spot on arrival, we were ready to start our next hike.

Wonder what surprises this hike is holding for us. Oh no, another river crossing, at least this time we could walk across to the other side.

Everyone got across with wet shoes and then the big surprise were awaiting us. An immediate climb up the mountain. In distance it felt as if we were climbing indefinitely to reach the top!

Reaching the Plato made the walking some what easier, but not for long, as we had to start the descent.

Before doing the last decent down the gorge, mankind and canine had a welcome rest and a drink or two.

Lets get this over with, the braai is waiting. Which way, should we be taking the long route or find a short cut back. As we received some direction from a passer by, we followed the narrow road to the bottom.

It was with great relief that we arrived back at the picnic spot to start our socialising.

The second outing was once again a great success, though I thought from the photo's that this walk would be much easier than the first one with only a slight hill..........ha ha was I wrong........boy the climb was steep. Now
to someone who is as unfit as me it felt like I was climbing Mt Kilimanjaro luckily I was walking my GSDxHusky and my one Spaniel and they are both quite fit and pulled me up the hill all the way............without them I think that I would just have come tumbling right down again. Francis was walking Chanuba and Canobie.......now Canobie also helped in pulling upwards but couch potato Chanuba started lagging behind so poor Canobie ended up pulling man and dog. Many people as well as dogs had to rest on the way up.........but there was no way I was going to stop just incase I could not get moving again lol. Once at the top whew what a relief.........only to find another steep hill so we decided to take a short cut back to the braai area...........we went down the hill over a stream and then a short way on the street in a residential area. What a sight to see all the Mals walking down the street, with every dog in each garden barking it's head off and others came running out to investigate. I saw the people that lived there watching us in awe. The walk was again an amazing experience and I cannot wait for the next one. At least this time I am not as stiff as last time.........shh don't tell anyone but that's because I did not have to do the hard work climbing my dogs did that for me. After the walk we all sat around and had a braai and the dogs were actually all easy going no grumbles or fights, Canobie only pulled right out of her pegs a few times because she just wanted to greet everyone who came by be it human or canine. I am also glad that I got to meet other people from the list who were not there on the first walk it's always great to put a face behind a name. I think we have formed a wonderful group......no actually it's more like one big family. Hope to see EVERYONE at the next outing early next year.........and thank you Johan for starting this amazing experience. Your three girls are wonderful Johan. ..... Mandy


Akira	Spirit	Rosa

My two 'oldies' kept up very well with the rest, but I didn't get the benefit of the famous malamute pull up the hill. I'm getting to be somewhat of an 'oldie' myself so it was tough going! Needless to say, coming downhill - some treacherous loose rocks etc - Maluk was quite eager to pull. Where was all that pulling when we were going up??? Thanks to Jolene's Mom who took Kina when we were pulling ourselves down the hill with one hand on
the fencing. (I think it was Jolene's mom?) My funniest part is when the dogs found a 1mX1m square hole with fresh water once we were down in the residential area - about 1.5m deep - and they were all around the edges drinking, and Maluk just stepped straight in up to his neck, muddying the water for the rest, and I had
to haul him out! I don't think he realised! The dogs were exhausted last night - I didn't seem them - except passed out in the garden! When I went out to check on them, they looked at me as if to say 'oh no, don't ask us to get up and come over, we are stiff and sore, and would just like to lie here in the cool - thanks!' .... Marion


Hawk	Skye & Luke	Akira & Rosa

After our second social outing/hike, I can honestly say that as a group we have achieved our goal as a Club; "to bring back the fun in owing an Alaskan Malamute". As someone have put it over the weekend, we have become one big family .... Johan