The Mountain Company - Hiker Sandi Leigh Moore’s journey from athlete to mountain muse

Sandi Leigh Moore arrived in Magoebaskloof in 2008 as a countryside farmgirl at heart, albeit one clad in urban armour: a system-programmed business owner, an athlete and a nature-lover who carried her fast dedication everywhere she went. “Haenertsburg is a beautiful holiday destination to take a break from the real world,” she thought.  "It offers magical mountains to cycle over and crystal clear streams to stop and drink from when trail running" That sure is not what big cities offer.

She had been warned about the mist. They said “It creeps into your head and changes how you view life”. She was told by locals that if she lived on the mountain she would not be able to leave. She did not believe them… but she eventually came anyway. When a mountain calls your name, it is etched in the valley echoes, inscribed in the depths of your heart. Seventeen years later she still cannot leave.

Sandi made Haenertsburg her second home away from Gauteng, visiting every month or two until she bought her “Homeindahills” in 2012. Five years later she had foot surgery and the surgeon said six weeks before she could run again. Being an avid triathlete, cyclist, aerobics instructor and personal trainer, she could not wait to live out that dream in this paradise. She has never run again. But that’s a sad story. Let us focus on what transpired as a result.

Sandi had established The Mountain Company in 2010, focusing on mountain-bike training camps, hiking, trail-running and promoting the region as an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Exploring the vast indigenous rain forests of Woodbush Forest Reserve, the rolling grasslands of the Haenertsburg Louis Changuion Trail, the crags and peaks of Limpopo’s highest summit - the Iron Crown, and the pristine wilderness areas of Wolkberg Wilderness, she discovered that she was not walking through nature; she was becoming one with it. She was being drawn back to her roots.

She started walking barefoot and stopping for photos instead became quiet time to absorb birdsong or to listen to her heartbeat in tune with the wind rustling through the leaves. It became easier to forget about what time she started and finished and instead focus on the journey, the adventure, the sightings, the quiet time: to explore the palpable connection that she felt when in the natural world. 

Sandi discovered that a saying she had considered a cliché “true happiness is found in all that money cannot buy” suddenly made sense when she took time to really appreciate the birds, bees and butterflies or the dappled sunlight through the forest trees. With access to areas not open to the public, she offers a large variety of trails: from routes for the fit hiker wanting a fast-paced 10-20 km mountain trail to first-time walkers venturing gently into a forest. She also offers outdoor walks coupled with art, poetry, meditation, breathwork, tree-hugging, water-therapy, soul-searching, as well as interactive public events or corporate and private group bookings.

Whether you come to Magoebaskloof to challenge yourself with the area’s highest peak; to hike in calm reflection beside a stream; or to simply breathe deeply beneath the canopy of an ancient forest, The Mountain Company invites you to slow your rhythm, to feel your pulse match your footsteps, to notice the shimmering mist as it creeps into your consciousness and changes how you view life. If you feel the mountain calling, you will know you have come home.

Visit The Mountain Company on Facebook, MagoebaskloofmountainCompany on Instagram, email mistymountainvillage@gmail.com  or WhatsApp 082 441 8088