by Ollie Esplin
Once upon a time in a land not so far away there was a young maiden. At birth, she was christened The Gordian Edge. She was a via ferrata, a one-of-a-kind, raised by a small group of unsung heroes in the mountain-loving community. She was a Mystical Creature, original and unique, rising 400 metres over 3 long pitches. Unfathomable views met those who braved her 13 mm steel cable vein. She was located in the biggest mountain range in South Africa – the Drakensberg – on Beacon Buttress, between the mighty Sentinel and the world-renowned Amphitheatre, in a place previously known as the Orange Free State – where there are no oranges, nothing is free, and the roads are in a hell of a state.
Her adventurous nature led her to wander into foreign lands and combined with her incredible beauty, she awoke a Big Bad Wolf. The Big Bad Wolf attacked fiercely. Its propaganda incited the villagers from the nearby land. Ultimately, the alluring huffing heroes who raised her were persecuted and punished by blind injustice and the Mystical Creature was slain. Her steel vein was cut out and all her beautiful traces were erased. And just like that, she was gone.
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