First met Andre (Frog) on an icy winter evening on top of Giant’s Castle in the South African Drakensberg in the late 70s or early 80s. Either way, it was a while ago… Frog arrived at my tent without any gear… Frog had lost his gear during his climb… Frog slept in my plastic bivvy bag… Frog was cold… The next morning Frog was also wet from sleeping in a plastic bag…
Adrian (Pigmy) was a real climber… The kind who could do one arm pull ups in local bars and get barmen to serve you drinks fast…
Pigmy, Frog and I had a party with Ms Ricard one evening at Kranskop near Newcastle (South Africa), which led to Pigmy being elevated to supernova status as he became the first climber who dared complete a traverse of Kranskop Castle’s apron stones. Frog, not to be outdone by our friend’s exhibition of prowess, ventured unaided across the 1/2-inch deep moat, balancing on a 1-inch thick stick that was placed precariously across this very dangerous water defence surrounding the castle…
During the course of the long, lonely night following the short-lived affair with Ms Ricard, Frog and Pigmy had an incident in their tent. (Permission was denied to reveal the detail of in this particular publication.)
Frog, Pigmy, and I overcame the infatuation with Ms Ricard and became friends with Mr Glenlivet. Preferring his somewhat more mature nature to the overtly tenuous and frivolous personality of Ms Ricard. Many good evenings were spent in his company in mountains near and far, and good stories he’ll fondly be remembered by.
Then a few years rolled by while we were paying off study loans. Working more hours than we should so that the wheels of the economy could keep turning. And raising a new generation of consumers, who may one day bless us with grandchildren who would indulge us as we tell our vaguely remembered and completely unnecessary stories.
I decided it was time for a re-union and sent out a call to these two fine, upstanding gentlemen to dust off their limbs and come climbing in the Dolomites. A call that was met with a good dose of scepticism from Pigmy; which was soon replaced with healthy excitement. Frog had no hesitation in rising to the call. Already under the spell of the Dolomites, and having spent time here in 2009, he was a convert just waiting for the call.
Read on to find out what they got up to in this first of many adventures in the Dolomites.