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| Cahty Boss needs one more crew member loaded with money and able to take a month off. |
DURBAN’S foremost 20-something adventurer, Cathy Bosse, needs one
more crew member for this year’s Put Foot Rally from June 17 to July 4.
Bosse was among the 60 crew who completed last year’s edition and
her crew is looking for “one awesome, adventure-seeking and capable person to
join us on the social rally of a lifetime through South Africa, Namibia, Zambia,
Malawi and Mozambique in a vintage VW Kombi”.
“We are looking for a guy/gal between 25 and 35 years of age with a
driver’s licence,” she told The
Witness.
“You should also have the sufficient funds to travel on the rally —
enough to pay for your own food and a few places to stay along the way (although
camping is also possible) and the rally entrance fee will be shared amongst the
three joining crew members.
“In return I will be supplying the [1970s] VW Kombi to do the rally
in and paying for the necessary insurance, border crossing costs, crew uniforms,
etc.
“Basically you will need to be available next June for at least 20
days to travel on this amazing adventure.”
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| Gerrie Snidt, (yesss, that is his real surname) won himself this 1969 VW combi by writing why he loved his red 1400. |
The Put Foot Rally website is at pains to point out “It is NOT a
charity event, but is owned and run by Mountainshak Adventures, a
social-adventure events management, for profit company founded in 2009 “with the
sole objective of establishing a brand new, exciting out-of-the-norm social
adventure market on the great African continent, with events open to every
individual regardless of their background, ability or fitness levels”.
The company added the rally is also not a race; “it is an
unassisted African Adventure.
“That means no back-up, medical or mechanical, what-so-ever.”
That said, the website also has the slogan: “The road goes on
forever … and the party never ends.”
The crew take responsibility for their own planning, routes,
vehicles and equipment to get them to checkpoints, which are located at the
heart of each country.
“At each checkpoint the crew will meet up, have an awesome locally
flavoured meal, a themed party, and even do some good before moving on with
their adventure,” the organisers explain.
Mountainshak Adventures say their objectives are to prove that any
vehicle can be used to travel across southern Africa, driving over brand-new,
tarred roads in every country, where there are shops, basic services, cellphone
reception and Internet almost everywhere.
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| Any car can drive in Africa - like this old Datsun which Jared Elvins took on the Put Foot in 2013. |
“Camping is cheap in each country, most sites have hot showers,
electricity and braai facilities. It is no more expensive than your average
holiday in South Africa,” states the site.
The rally does have a serious side to it though, having joined with
the Put Foot Foundation to provide shoes to pupils who need footwear. The rally
last year raised R600 000, with half buying 4 000 pairs of shoes for 10 schools
in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Grahamstown and half going to the Project
Rhino, who are major contributors in the fight against rhino poaching in
KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is a fun and easy way to meet people, promote goodwill, promote
cultural awareness, respect and tolerance, all while having the privilege of
taking in some of world’s most incredible heritage sites. Our hope is to leave
Africa just a little better than we found it.”
E-mail cathybosse@hotmail.com for more info.
