A physical feat that provides spiritual peace
Vilane went from goat herder to mountaineering ace
WHEN Sibusiso Vilane was young, he had no choice but to work outside in nature as a goat herder taking care of his livestock.
He spent hours every day in the open fields of Swaziland.
Now, at 47, Vilane says he has a spiritual connection with nature. It is this connection that pushes the adventurer and mountain climber to seek out the highest peaks in the world.
Since beginning his climbing career in 1996, Vilane has become one of a handful climbers in the world to complete the Seven Summits and Two Poles challenge when he trekked to the North and South Poles.
He was also the first black man to reach the top of Mount Everest – twice, via different routes.
He has also summited Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, 18 times. The highest peak in Africa has turned into an almost yearly pilgrimage that he makes in July as part of celebrating Mandela Day and raising funds for girl learners. And now, for his latest adventure, he will attempt to summit Everest for the third time.
“I get so much energy when I look at the trees and wildlife and when I walk in the wilderness. I realise there is something enriching; it has become much more spiritual. As a result, I feel attracted to nature and mountains and that’s why I have been climbing for all these years.
“When you are in nature, it proves to you that you are nothing. You can think you are a dominant human being but you aren’t. I learnt this while sitting in a storm at the South Pole thinking that I don’t want to die,” Vilane said.
He said the itch to go back to Everest for the third time is about testing his physical limits. In the two months that it will take him to reach the peak, Vilane wants to see how his body will fare on the mountain, 15 years after his last climb.
He had planned to return to Everest in 2014 but could not get up the mountain because it was closed to clear an accident.
“I am trying to answer the curiosity that has been occupying my mind since I left the mountain. If I fail, it has to be because my body can’t take it any more. It can’t be an accident or a storm. I hope this time the weather will be on my side and I only have to contend with the physical side.”
Vilane said being older means he has more wisdom and patience as a climber.
“The older I am, the more experienced I am and more wise on mountains. Now I am more sensible and more cautious. I will be more aware of what my body is telling me. My summit is not about reaching the mountain; I have been there twice. This is my climb. This is where I am throwing my body on the line saying: ‘Can you cope?’
“My summit will be as far as my body is comfortable and can take me up. I have the question: ‘How capable am I now at my age, having been there nearly 15 years ago?’ The answer is: ‘You will never have an answer to that unless you put your body into it.’”
And so for this trip, Vilane is going back to the first route he used to summit Everest.
“I was young and very blasé and focused on the goals. I am hoping that this time when I go back, I will be doing it in a much more relaxed manner and savour every moment even before I get to the base camp.”
Vilane, for the first time, will lead a team of climbers to the base camp.
“People think base camp is doable and I think it is. This is just giving people exposure to things they never thought they would do. And when I leave base camp to continue my summit, I will have a special send-off,” he jokes.
Though he has achieved physical feats that most people can only dream of, Vilane believes anyone can do it and it is all about not putting limits on yourself.
“I believe that we are all naturally gifted with a physical body that can take anything if we condition it to. I have adopted the attitude that my body knows no limits and, therefore, I can take my body anywhere.
“It’s true that everything comes after proper preparation. Maybe there are a few people who are naturally gifted but I am not naturally talented. I wasn’t born with it; I train and work hard. Our bodies are more than capable if we open our minds and attitudes.”
To prepare for his expeditions, Vilane not only does it physically by running every day but mentally as well.
“Never underestimate the mountain. I always train my mind to expect anything. I also think about the worstcase scenarios that can happen and how I can overcome them.”
No mountain should be underestimated. The hardest he has ever summited, he says, is Mount Kenya, while Kilimanjaro is the easiest.
Though Kilimanjaro is easy, it was one of his worst hiking experiences in 2016 as racing driver Gugu Zulu died during the Trek4Mandela climb.