Steve Berberich

Berb

Steve Berberich

Married to Ruth, three daughters, four grandchildren, retired architect. Enjoy about anything outdoors...gardening, camping, canoeing, sea-kayaking, wood turning, bee keeper, and of course traveling. Ruth has recently retired from public school teaching career, so we are looking to travel as our full-time avocation.








Africa » South Africa » Mpumalanga » Hazyview September 12th 2016

Got up to finish the Panorama Route with God's Window and a couple of waterfalls. Started out bright and sunny, but by the time we got to God's Window we were socked in. I hiked a little further up the mountain and did get a nice view of surrounding area with cloud moving in. As I hiked further up, I got back into fog. We proceeded to the waterfalls and back to town for breakfast. We heard good things about Harry's Pancakes, so we gave it a try, and glad we did, Great coffee and very special pancakes. Got to Sabie River Bush Lodge in good time, as the drive was more or less eventless. Seriously, every square foot of the earth has been altered to plant pine tree, eucalyptus trees, or banana trees. Then Hazyview ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Mpumalanga » Graskop September 10th 2016

Got in our Pretoria guesthouse for our first South African meal. The women were most pleasant, and in their introductory conversation suggested they prepare a typical breakfast. We have no food limitations. Urgh...could not believe we got eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, tomato, sausage. I have not really gotten over a month of that menu in England. We will try to do better. The drive today is about four hours. Our plan is to check into Daan's Place, get any suggestions for the Panoramic Route, then off again. Unfortunately, it was overcast, but hey, we're only here once, so we'll make the best of it. You're supposed to experience the various overlooks starting from south to north...they supposedly get better and better. We mentioned we might drive straight to the top and work our way back. Well, ... read more

Africa » South Africa » Gauteng » Johannesburg September 8th 2016

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cumbria » Coniston May 31st 2016

"No mountain profile arrests and excites the attention more than that of the Langdale Pikes and no mountain group better illustrates the dramatic appeal of a sudden rising of the vertical from the horizontal; the full height from valley to summit is revealed at a glance in one simple abrupt upsurge to all travellers on the distant shore of Windermere and, more intimately, on the beautiful approach along Great Langdale. Nor is the appeal visual only: that steep ladder to heaven stirs the imagination, and even the emotions, and this is especially so whenever the towering peaks come into view suddenly and unexpectedly.." - Alfred Wainwright We hiked from Old Dungeon Ghyll to the familiar tops of Pike Of Stickle and Harrison Stickle and then Thunacar Knott, High Raise, Sergeant Man, Tarn Crag and Blea Crag ... read more
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Stickle Tarn
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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cumbria » Ambleside May 29th 2016

Leaving Yorkshire Moors, heading for Yorkshire Dales. Bryson suggested a nice hike was from villages of Thaite to Muker hike. Turned out to be a nice walk aling the river, but surpring number of people until we realized it was a long national holiday weeked. Went to Muker, but it was overcrowded and looked like a popular hangout for the "crotch rocket" jet motorbikes. Ribblehead Viaduct was our next stop. Whernside Walk was a great opportunity to get an up close experience at the amazing Ribblehead Viaduct, then a distant view from the top of the dales. I had Googled the best hike at Ambleside and the Fairfield Horseshoe Hike came up. It was my first experience following Wainwright's comments...believe me they are over simplified. And identifying one wayfinding rockpile from the next is a real ... read more
Fairfield Horseshoe Hike
Walking Thwaite to Mucker
Walking Thwaite countryside

Europe » United Kingdom » England » North Yorkshire » Ravenscar May 28th 2016

We looked on the www and found there was an archeologist leading a 6 hr walk in the North Yorkshire Moors NP at Ravenscar. Online registration was closed, but we figured we'd drive up just to see. Turned out only four people had signed up, so we were welcome. I've always said I would love to take a long hike with a geologist, so this is next best thing. Really nice folks also. In York's railroad museum I had leared the standard gage for railroad track is 4'-8". They had suggested that actually came from the Romans. (we had been told it was from the height of Queen Victoria, which had great doubt). Anyway, interestingly, there were ruts in some stone that looked pretty close to that width from Saxon times. There were also a number ... read more
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English channel

Europe » United Kingdom » England » North Yorkshire » York May 27th 2016

York YHA is in a good location to take the Ouse riverwalk into the city. The hop-on/hop-off bus pass both provide a good orientation and transporatation. Phil and I split up as we anticipated different interests. York Museum and Gardens included ruins. York Castle Museum was a little pricey, but turned out to be quite interesting. You could spend all day, as many displays include a good deal of reading. The portion including the prison was interesting. History of incarceration. And projected video images on cell walls with inmates describing the conditions. A good chunk of the day was meandering in and out of churches. I really missed the grandkids when visiting the National Railway Museum...they would have loved it. The people working there truly enjoy sharing knowledge about the history of railroads. York YHA url=http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/york?utm_source=googl ... read more
National Railway Museum
Ruins in Yorkshire Museum Gardens
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Europe » United Kingdom » England » Cumbria » Ambleside May 26th 2016

Off to Edale for breakfast and hike of Kinder Scout. "Kinder Scout has long been a daunting place for walkers. There’s no easy way to scale the flanks of this brooding hump, and when you finally, painstakingly reach the plateau, the moorland that greets you appears bleak and unrelenting. For many , that’s the charm of moorland. The ascent of Kinder is the first stage of the Pennine Way, one of Britain’s most popular long-distance paths. And there is a good case for arguing that Grindsbrook Clough, the original route of the Pennine Way, which inched its way up Kinder, is as tough an ascent as anything between Derbyshire and Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. Very impressive to see the spectacle of The Woolpacks, Crowden Tower and other improbable stone features. This is a moonscape ... read more
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KinderScout


We started the day in Ashford in the Water to take a tour of the village well dressings...a little bizarre, quite frankly, for a "celebration of water and the life it brings". Well dressings are pictures made with "growing things" like wood, bark, flower petals, berries, leaves, seeds, etc. on a bed of soft clay. The board is then mounted at one of the village springs or wells. This tradition is carried on in various towns and weeks throughout the summer in the Peaks District. 2016 has been designated as the year of the garden in England. The village church had a flower show to coinside with their well dressing tour. Edale YHA - http://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/edale?utm_source=google&utm_medium=maps&utm_campaign=google-places ... read more
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Church flower show
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Off to Bakewell for some breakfast. And then on to Monsal Head, to begin the day hike on the Monsal Trail. The trail is a traffic free route for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and wheelchair users through some of the Peak District's most spectacular limestone dales. The trail runs along the former Midland Railway line, and River Wye, for 8.5 miles between Blackwell Mill, in Chee Dale and Coombs Road, at Bakewell. Most of the route was opened to the public in 1981 but four former railway tunnels had to remain closed due to safety reasons, with public footpaths taking people around them. These four railway tunnels - Headstone Tunnel, Cressbrook Tunnel, Litton Tunnel, Chee Tor Tunnel – opened for trail users a few years back. Our plan is to walk from Monsal Head to Wyedale, ... read more
Monsal Head - our start
Cressbrook
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