The 2019 EBC group comprised people from different walks of life, age groups, gender, fitness levels and hiking experience. Two Base Camp veterans, several Otter or similar veterans and for some this was their first hike, like ever. We had the usual character traits: the serious, the funny, the talker, the sympathizer, the leader, the followers, the anarchist, the young, the old, the daring… in some form in more or less quantity in each of us.
The final team that took on this challenge included:
Bokkie. Commissar, SG and Group Leader. Full-time hiker and part-time fruit / veg distributor and grandkids taxi. 2nd BC. Passionate about encouraging others to join his hikes. It’s OK to wear long pants when it’s snowing:)
Khalid. Architectural Store Designer. Grandfather with three kids and two grandchildren. Occasional cyclist, a badminton player, cricket coach, Kilimanjaro summiteer and trekked EBC without the use of Diamox.
Rashid. Qualified as a dentist but pursued his entrepreneurial urge and currently runs an automated tissue manufacturing plant. Summitted Machu Pichu.
Razina. Gynecologist. Otter trail veteran and mother of three. Calm and encouraging.
Zunaid. Entrepreneur. Owns and manages a property portfolio including a medical clinic and national distributor of Eyewear. 2nd EBC, Otter veteran too.
Tahera. Owner of a glass and aluminum business and an avid hiker. Mother of three and grandmother of seven. Swam with dolphins. Completed Dolphin Trail, Sani Pass, Thabana Ntlenyana. Harvested olives in Palestine.
Fatima. Founder/Owner of cellphone wholesale and distribution business, married with two children. Completed Kilimanjaro, Sani Pass, Thabana Ntlenyana, among others.
Aneesha. Education Researcher and Project Manager at Wits, part-time photographer. Married with two girls. Completed Pondo, Sani Pass, Thabana Ntlenyana, among others.
Yusuf. Gynecologist, runs a fertility clinic and group doctor. Machu Pichu and Otter trail veteran.
Ahmed. Runs family’s shipping business and is a qualified diver amongst many other talents. Two kids. Recently completed Sentinel, Sani Pass but a hiker and outdoor enthusiast for many years.
Mohamed. Student – 3-year medicine at UCT. Avid reader and GoT fanatic.
Zayd. Media and web developer working remotely for an Australian company. He studied and spent 9 years in Australia. Lives in Polokwane and has a girlfriend in Johannesburg. Otter veteran.
Macky. He hails from Roshnee and while his passion is soccer, he has been pulled over the years into the family business. His crowning moment was victory against Ghana as under 20 national coach. The family business has been sold and he looks after the property portfolio while tending to his elderly parents. First hike.
Fayaaz. Security architect at Standard Bank where he has spent most of his career. Passionate renovater of properties that allow him a path to adventure. Completed many local hikes including the highest southern African peak, Machu Pichu and Kilimanjaro.
Raffick. General surgeon practicing in PMB and veteran of 13 Comrades. Machu Pichu too. Raffick has five children.
AK. Urologist practicing in PMB, married to a Psychiatrist and about to write his biography. Three kids, two of whom are medical professionals and the other a risk manager. Completed Machu Pichu and doing Mt Elbrus in July. Occasional cyclist, completed more than 10 Argus Cycle Tours.
Zinat. Buyer for a clothing fashion company that supplies large retail stores. Strong runner. Married an Iron Man or rather married a man and crafted him into iron. 1 daughter.
Mahdiyah. Client relationship manager for the Media, Technology and Telco sector at Citi Bank. She is based in London (where her love lies) and this was her first hike, like ever.
Fazel. Founded and runs a local custom software development company. Avid cyclist, keen birder. Enjoys fishing, reading and crafting words into sentences. Two daughters.