Saturday, 20 September 2025, will live long in the memories of those who partook in a variety of athletic challenges in support of conservation and rangers.

While four Soutpansberg rangers in the EWTs Savanna Conservation Landscape donned their uniforms to complete the 21km Game Rangers Association ranger challenge, the EWTs CEO, Yolan Friedmann participated in the 21km challenge at the Zuka Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal in support of rangers everywhere.

The Soutpansberg rangers, based at the EWTs Medike nature reserve, were accompanied by members of the recently formed Mideroni cricket team. Running on a cooler day at only 15 degrees Celsius was a welcome relief as members of the local community joined them to run stretches along the route as they cheered them on.

It was in the Maloti-Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site that the weather played havoc with the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Wildlife ACT ambassadors participating in the 10th annual Rhino Peak Challenge.

On Friday afternoon, when the 48 ambassadors running for conservation gathered on the balcony of the Drak Gooderson hotel in Underberg to prepare for the adventure that lay ahead, their view of Rhino Peak was clear. This challenge is the vision of Spurgeon Flemington, who has been driving the Rhino Peak Challenge since its inception.

It was the EWTs donor relations officer Tammy Baker’s seventh Rhino Peak Challenge, a second for Catherine Vise, and a first for her colleagues, Catherine Kuhn, Ian Little and Dave McCollough.

Spurg’s words during the pre-challenge briefing on Friday included “Watch out for snakes on the path, don’t get lost, it’s windy up there, and for safety reasons, I will be turning ambassadors back who haven’t summited by 11:30 am. If you haven’t reached the rhino horn by then, I’m really sorry.”   Those remarks prompted a few more nervous glances being exchanged amongst the group.

As these remarks sank in amongst nervous participants, he added, “While you are all lying awake tonight, keep pushing for those funds. This is a fundraising event first and foremost.”

The Rhino Peak Challenge (RPC) is a conservation fundraiser aimed at raising funds for the EWT, Wildlife ACT and the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme for the conservation of vultures, rhinos and cranes. In the past decade, more than R10 million has been raised through the RPC, with some R1.8 million being raised so far this year.

Shortly after the ambassadors gathered to set off in four groups of 12, ten minutes apart, the weather changed.

“As we’re about to start, the wind picked up significantly and the weather turned. We all looked nervously towards the peak where the conditions looked bleak with rain, wind, lightning and thunder raging over the mountain,” said Tammy. “Despite this, we set off, hitting the icy rain almost immediately.”

But there was no reaching the peak for the ambassadors as conditions deteriorated. Tammy says once she reached the seven-kilometre point, she started getting worried about the last 500m to the peak.

“It’s sheer rock and difficult enough on a dry day, never mind when it is wet, slippery and full of mud,” she said.

It was then that some of the sweepers started passing them on the way down, telling them it was “too dangerous” up there, that Spurg had “called it”, and that no one would make the peak this year.

Catherine Kuhn says:  “The safety of the ambassadors came first, and it was indeed a good call. The rain made everyone freeze and soak to the core, and lightning in the Drakensberg is not something you take chances with. Being part of MCSA Mountain Rescue for 13 years, I could well appreciate, respect and understand the extremely difficult call the race organiser had to make”.

Although she knew it was the right safety call, Tammy pushed on to meet up with Spurg, who had been sitting further up the trail in cold and wet conditions for nearly two hours, turning ambassadors back.

On her way back to the finish line, Tammy says she “drank in the mountain with its pristine water and incredible scenery” before being welcomed across the line by Chris Kelly from Wildlife ACT and his team.

Despite the disappointment of not reaching the Rhino Peak on Saturday, Catherine Kuhn and two other ambassadors, Ben Bert and Dave Rose, decided to give it another go on Sunday morning.

“Starting at 5 am on Sunday, the weather was absolutely perfect. By 08:45, we had reached our goal and summited the Rhino!  The view is unbelievable from up there. The hike is a tough one, and not one to be underestimated by any means,” says Catherine. “We had a flight to catch, so we had to Vooma down the mountain – we were all down safely by 11:00 am”.

Tammy says every year, when it’s about halfway into the challenge, she questions why she is doing this.

“But then, when it’s done and dusted, I say to myself that I can’t wait to do that again next year.  That’s what the event does to you. It’s a life-changing experience. I think about the rhino peak every time I run. Once you’ve been there, it never leaves you”.

For those still wanting to donate to the Rhino Peak Challenge, please visit https://ewt.org/rhino-peak-challenge/

**  The EWT would like to thank the Ford Wildlife Foundation for supporting our entire team of RPC ambassadors.