THE Drakensberg Grand Traverse is recognised as the mother of all Berg hikes. It covers roughly 220 kilometres, starting at the Sentinel car park in the north and ending at the Bushman’s Nek border post in the south, and incorporates six peaks as well as climbing chain ladders. The trek on average takes a hiker between six and 10 days to complete, and by all accounts is no easy task.

Just ask Mount Edgecombe resident, Brendon Farrar, who recently completed the challenge in under four days – 92 hours and 50 minutes to be exact.

“I could have completed it in a shorter time, but the weather was atrocious and there were times when I had to hunker down for six hours. The high winds brought on an extreme chill and doing this event solo is extremely tough. Mentally you have to be right up there.

“Guys like Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel, who are the current record-holders, have run it in less than two days. Everything I mapped out using a GPS and there are factors other than the weather at play. I was chased by a pack of dogs on the trail, but that’s part of the excitement and danger of the hike. I’m tempted to do it again but time will tell,” he said.

The 45-year-old is also an extremely talented trail runner and last year was awarded the 2015 Spiderman Award by Riverside Trail for his support and willingness to promote trail running.

“For me, trail running and hiking is about exploring. I’m able to get to places I wouldn’t be able to with a car. It’s just a liberating sport and it’s really a sport that tests your fitness levels,” he explained.

Another recognisable feature of Farrar’s career is his relationship with his border collie, Zippy.

“She’s the best company when I do local runs, she’s more famous than me on the trails around Durban. It’s lovely having her alongside me and I’ve completed a few trails with her. Border collies require a lot of exercise and having her on the trails is a great way for us to both keep fit.”