SANTIE GOUWS MOUNTAIN GUIDE

Santie fondly collaborates with individuals and companies with shared values. WHATSAPP Santie today to discuss your collaboration idea.

DrifoodCo

Lizelle and Julian, owners of DrifoodCo, are those kind of people. Their dehydrated hiking meals contain a lot of lovely veggies, use re-usable, environmentally friendly packaging, are lightweight to carry and use minimal gas to cook... 

Santie is also proud and blessed to be one of their Brand Ambassadors. She took 8 DrifoodCo dinners along on her solo unsupported hike across Reunion Island in 2019, and never looked back. The meals are healthy and filling, the variety is lovely, a favourite being the Aubergine Curry... uhm but the Thai Green Curry is also to die for...! Nowadays they do tasty spreads and breakfasts too.. Chilli Choc Chip Banana Oats being an all time favourite.. 

Ralph Pina

Santie first met Ralph on an MCSA (Mountain Club of South Africa) 'uitstappie' to Katedraal Peak in Jonkershoek in 2012, when she had just returned to Stellenbosch after a 15 year stint in Johannesburg. Quiet, unassuming, passionate about preserving nature, critical thinker,... over the years they've become fond friends and hiking companions, sharing many hours in the mountains, contemplating serious conservation issues and life in general. Ralph has diligently kept an amazing record of all his outdoor adventures on his blog where Santie has had the opportunity to contribute an article or two as well. Thank you Ralph, and may we share many many more!

LiveTheJourney

There could not be a better match. When Santie first approached Jurgens and Karien, the owners of LiveTheJourney, the realization of a shared passion for adventure and creating hiking journeys that can really be lived and loved, was instant. Two weeks later Santie got onto an airoplane and joined one of their incredible recce hikes into a vast, wild and unexplored part of Namibia. 

Their fully-supported slack-pack hiking offerings currently range from the Namib100, a 100km 5-day trek across the Namib, the oldest desert on earth, to the incredible 4-day Wupperthal66 mountain cultural hiking experience in the Cederberg to the equally stunning 5-day Namaqua Flower hike across Nigramoep and through the Schaap River Canyon, with several other interesting hikes also currently under development. 

Santie has had the privilege to guide both the Namaqua Flower Hike and the Wupperthal66 Hike for LiveTheJourney in 2022. Apart from both being truly unique, world-class hiking experiences, what definitely sets LiveTheJourney's hikes apart, is the way in which their passion shines through to their attention to detail, warmth, and incredibly friendly and hearty South African hospitality! Nothing beats an evening around the fire under the stars with wonderful food and like-minded company, like one experiences during a LiveTheJourney hike.