Dave Annandale with Leopard

Dave Annandale had been in tight spots before. As an experienced outdoorsman he wasn’t about to start panicking just because he was lost in the Namibian wilderness. But facing down a big cat in the dark? That was something new.

"The night with the leopard was interesting," says 53-year-old Annandale with typical understatement. "I was too busy concentrating and shivering to feel scared though."

The tale of how Yorkshire, England-based Annandale found himself fending off unwanted feline company on a cold African night highlights how even the very best get it wrong sometimes. It also serves as a reminder that the places RacingThePlanet operates in will always have the potential to turn seemingly minor mistakes into life-threatening dramas.

As course director for RacingThePlanet: Namibia 2009, Annandale was tasked with the role of plotting a 250km route through brutal terrain that included the yawning Fish River Canyon. A veteran of several RacingThePlanet events, Annandale had worked as course director for Vietnam 2008 and was relishing the demands posed by his latest assignment.

Scouting the proposed course one afternoon Annandale took what he understood to be short cut through the canyon towards a planned rendezvous with a support vehicle. It was only a few miles away, so against his better judgment he opted to “travel light”.

“I had a satellite phone, 1.5 litres of water, a water filter pump, head torch, a few energy bars, medical kit, notebook, camera, backpack, half a space sheet and a lightweight fleece,” he recalls. “That was it.”

The terrain turned out to be barely passable and included several very steep descents, but it was nothing the former mountaineering instructor couldn’t handle. He stayed cool and pressed on, though the mileage on his GPS unit was steadily mounting.

“At one point I noticed a small cave with bones outside and was quite pleased to imagine I had passed close to what I assumed was a leopard’s lair,” he recalls.

As darkness began to fall, Annandale realised he was never going to make the rendezvous in time and therefore began planning for a night in the canyon.

“By midnight I was very thirsty and tired and decided to rest, “he says. “I made a bed from straw and stuffed my clothes with straw to add insulation, but I was still very cold in my t-shirt, shorts and lightweight fleece. I also jammed as much of my legs into my 25 litre rucksack as I could.”

Remembering that cave he’d passed with the bones outside, Annandale sensibly chose to spend the night up against a game fence to prevent him being approached from behind.

“The full moon came out and then I heard the male leopard,” recounts Annandale. “Its growl was a deeper version of two captive female leopards I had met earlier and because of that I knew exactly what it was when I heard it.”

Fashioning a protective cage from sections of game fence, Annandale kept the beast at bay by throwing stones at it. Eventually, the leopard took the hint and skulked off into the bush.

Annandale made it through the night, but it was late into the following day before he was able to hook up with the team out searching for him. In the end he’d travelled over 35 miles/57kms.

Although thirsty and weary he was none the worse for his ordeal and went on to manage the course on what proved to be a hugely successful event. But like all good expedition leaders he’s spent a lot of time reflecting on what went wrong that day.

“I lost count of how many times I said to myself ‘I should have known better’ and wished I’d had things in my pack that I almost always have with me. But getting upset and excited won’t change anything and doesn’t help, so you’ve just got to get on with it. The worst thing is to panic as you can’t function or think clearly.”

So, for anyone out there who figures travelling super light in places like the Fish River Canyon might be a good idea, here’s Mr Annandale’s recommended kit list. Needless to say, he always takes this stuff with him now…

Dave Annandale’s Recommended Kit List When Travelling in Remote Areas

Backpack - OMM Classic Marathon 25L Backpack
Water system - Hydrapak Reversible Reservoir II Hydration System
Emergency Bivvy - Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy
Whistle -JetScream Safety Whistle
Water Filteration Pills -Katadyn Micropur Forte MF 1T
Mirror - Coghlan's Featherweight Mirror
Headlamps / Lights - Petzl e+LITE Headlamp
Compass - Silva Thermometer Compass
Knives & Multi-Tools - 4 Deserts SwissCard
Sunscreen - Dermatone No-Touch Sunblock Lotion, 2 oz, SPF 30
Food - Expedition Foods Beef and Potato Hotpot
Snack - Clif Bar Energy Bar
Jacket - Patagonia Down Sweater