The implementation behind every route page: how field notes are taken, checked and written up before they appear in the journal.
Nothing here is written from a desk. A route page starts on the ground, with a pen and a rough idea of where the path goes. What follows is the order we work in, and what we ask of anyone sending notes in.
Distance covered, elevation gained, where water was found, how exposed the ridge felt in the wind, and which sections were overgrown or had faded markers. Written by hand, on the day, while the details are still fresh.
Back at the desk, the notes are compared with the map and split into segments. A shortcut that saves an hour is only written up after it has been walked twice, so a lucky line does not become a recommendation.
Gear observations on footwear, packs and layering come from the same walk, not from a catalogue. The finished page records conditions as they were found on the day, with the month noted, so you can judge how the route may have changed since.
Walked something worth recording? Notes on distance, elevation, water and marker conditions are welcome. Use the form on the contact page.
Go to the contact pageQuestions about a route or a report can go straight to the group by email or phone.
The Firs, 32A Cradock Avenue,
Rosebank, Johannesburg, 2196,
South Africa
See how submissions are handled in the privacy policy.
Nothing here is written from a desk first. Each route page follows the same order of work, from notes taken on the path to the editing pass that turns them into something another walker can plan around.
Step one
Distance covered, elevation gained, where water actually showed up, and how exposed the ridge felt once the wind picked up. Overgrown stretches and faded markers get written down while we are still standing in front of them, not recalled later.
Step two
Back at the desk, the handwritten notes are laid over a map and split into segments. Where the ground and the map disagree, the ground wins, and the difference is recorded rather than smoothed over.
Step three
Segments become readable route notes: what the day asks of you, where the wind funnels between saddles, and which sections deserve a turn-back decision if conditions change. A shortcut is only noted once it has been walked twice.
Step four
Footwear, packs and layering are recorded on the day they were tested, not pulled from a catalogue. If a boot stayed heavy when soaked or a shell turned into a sauna on the climb, that goes in as it happened.
Step five
The finished page lists conditions as they were found on the day, with the month attached so you can judge how the route may have shifted since. A path that was clear in a dry month can be swallowed by vegetation after a wet winter, and the report says so.
Every report on this site started as notes taken on the move. Here is the order things happen in, from the first scribble on the trail to the page you read.
Step 1
Someone from the group walks the route and keeps a notebook going: distance covered, elevation gained, where water showed up, how hard the wind hit the open ridge, and which stretches were overgrown or had lost their markers.
Step 2
Back at the desk, the raw notes are matched to the map and split into segments, so each part of the route carries its own distance and climb instead of one vague total.
Step 3
A line that saves an hour only gets written up after it has been walked a second time. One lucky pass through the bush is not enough to send other people down it.
Step 4
Footwear, pack and layering observations come off the walk itself, not from a catalogue. If a boot stayed heavy when soaked or a shell turned into a sauna on the climb, that goes in.
Step 5
The finished page lists conditions as they were found on the day, with the month recorded. That way you can judge for yourself how the route may have shifted since.
Step 6
If you have walked something worth recording, you can pass your route notes on through the contact page. What you found on the ground is what makes the next report better.
Want to add a route or ask how a report gets put together? Reach the group through the contact page, or read more about why the journal works this way on the mission page.
We use a small amount of local storage to remember how you respond to this notice. Nothing is shared with third parties, and no tracking runs before you decide. You can read how we handle data in our privacy policy.