Puff adders in Tokai forest....

[carbon:gal]

Even though I ?hate? snakes I must admit that at 10 cm?s spidy?s this little fellow is very cute! 

 

I sincerely hope he was not injured by the cars?<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

On Saturday my one foot was like in 30 cm?s away from a ?borrie geel? cape cobra at koeberg.  He was super scared and I have no pics to proof it.

 

[bustthesickness]

 

 

On Saturday my one foot was like in 30 cm?s away from a ?borrie geel? cape cobra at koeberg.  He was super scared and I have no pics to proof it.

 

No way   I'd have crapped myself. Did it rear up?

 

[carbon:gal]

Yes!  On passing it I saw (from the side of my eye) a flat head, then round, then flat head?and I was just thinking?ooooo keep your line snake, just keep your line!  Ek wil nie noual bokveld toe gaan nie.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Then I tried to warn my partner (behind me) but all of a sudden I was like a fish out of water, only blowing air bubbles ? as I could NOT get a single word out of my mouth!  

 

Then as always after a snake encounter my partner had to hear the same line??ek wil NOU kar toe gaan?ek wil nie meer hier ry nie?ek wil huis toe gaan??like a toddler with heavy puffed up cheeks!

[bustthesickness]

hahaha! wow, u'r lucky the snake stayed put. I think 99% of the time we don't even see any of the snakes around us. How often is that rustle in the bushes a snake? more often than not!

 

Cool story tho, hehe, if u were with my riding buddies you'd have heard the all time classic "harden the fnck up" line, probably followed by a PK sound from your side.

 

[PhilipV]

Me and my GF had to walk past the same puffy three times in Wildernis this past holiday. Laying nonchalantly at the side of the (only) road to our home, only moving into its hole after about five minutes of me swearing and crapping myself with fright. I much rather prefer walking past it and not knowing about it, than seeing it. (counter intuitive I know.)

 

[brussel]

so we're in jonkershoek on saturday training for the epic. And we head onto the schweet single track of the new XC course and I am couple of meters ahead of my mates when one starts swearing like a trooper screaming at the other to ride faster.

 

Of course I stop to see what the deal is, and there next to the path disturbed by me is the biggest mo-fo puffadder I have seen in years. He was thicker than a bike waterbottle! Much to my snake-phobic mate's disgust!

 

Anyhow certainly made him climb a little faster with all the adrenaline

 

[Snailtrail021]

Hi,

 

This might be a bit off topic, but is without a doubt the best place to find the answer I?m looking for!

 

What is the tarred road on the top of silvermine like? (the road that goes to the tower, above tokai forest)

 

Ie in terms of tar quality, how well paved is the road?

How steep is the road?

Does anyone have any pictures at all that might include a bit of the tar in the background??

 

I am keen to know because it might have a bit of potential as a downhill skating location! But that has some specific requirements.

 

Also, how hard is it to get access to the road by vehicle??

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

[parabola]

 

 

Hi' date='

 

The tar road going up to the mast is on top of Tokai on the Constantia Nek side, not the Silvermine side. It is only accessible to the public by walking or riding.

Ie in terms of tar quality, how well paved is the road?

Very well tarred. very little road traffic up there.

 

How steep is the road?

@#*%ing steep

Does anyone have any pictures at all that might include a bit of the tar in the background??

 

 

I am keen to know because it might have a bit of potential as a downhill skating location! But that has some specific requirements.

Its very narrow, twisting and is flanked by a deep gutter. Certainly parts of it are skateable, but I wouldn't try it. It will end badly .

 

Also, how hard is it to get access to the road by vehicle??

Not possible unless you are a ranger.

 

[/quote']parabola2010-03-04 16:30:31

[Scoe]

is it just me, or is there no seat?seatpost on that bike?????

[WOFT]

Hi there.

 

All this snake talk freaks me out a bit. I often ride alone (go on, judge me!). I have heard talk about the "aspivenin" kit - it is a small suction kit that is supposed to suck out some of the poison from a variety of bites and stings.

 

Does anyone know if these actually work, and where one can get them in Cape Town?

 

[Canaris]

Hi there.

All this snake talk freaks me out a bit. I often ride alone (go on' date=' judge me!). I have heard talk about the "aspivenin" kit - it is a small suction kit that is supposed to suck out some of the poison from a variety of bites and stings.

Does anyone know if these actually work, and where one can get them in Cape Town?
[/quote']

 

I would rather take a blunt ax and chop my foot off than use the "asivenin" kit, with the "Small suction kit".  The best is to get to a hospital ASAP and let them treat you with the correct anti-venom.  Just for interest , rather take a crepe bandage, a stop watch and a marker pen with you.  If a puffy bikes you , loosely wrap the wound with the bandage (so that you feel that you are doing something).  Then start the stop watch, every 10 minutes mark the point of swelling.  AND GET TO A HOSPITAL QUICKLY.  THe medical staff will look at the lines on your leg to determine the rate of dispersion of venom and decide if ANTI VENOM is necessary.  (Remember  big snakes often "dry bite", so an antivenom may be unnecessary).

 

For cobra's and mamba's the crepe bandage must be tightly wrapped to prevent the spread of venom as the venom is different to puffy's.

 

This is my uneducated advice.  Best buy a SA snakes book and double check before you start playing with anti venom and snakes.

[gremlin]

Just remember, the snake has the right of way.

[Canaris]

Hi there.

All this snake talk freaks me out a bit. I often ride alone (go on' date=' judge me!). I have heard talk about the "aspivenin" kit - it is a small suction kit that is supposed to suck out some of the poison from a variety of bites and stings.

Does anyone know if these actually work, and where one can get them in Cape Town?
[/quote']

 

I would rather take a blunt ax and chop my foot off than use the "asivenin" kit, with the "Small suction kit".  The best is to get to a hospital ASAP and let them treat you with the correct anti-venom.  Just for interest , rather take a crepe bandage, a stop watch and a marker pen with you.  If a puffy bikes you , loosely wrap the wound with the bandage (so that you feel that you are doing something).  Then start the stop watch, every 10 minutes mark the point of swelling.  AND GET TO A HOSPITAL QUICKLY.  THe medical staff will look at the lines on your leg to determine the rate of dispersion of venom and decide if ANTI VENOM is necessary.  (Remember  big snakes often "dry bite", so an antivenom may be unnecessary).

 

For cobra's and mamba's the crepe bandage must be tightly wrapped to prevent the spread of venom as the venom is different to puffy's.

 

This is my uneducated advice.  Best buy a SA snakes book and double check before you start playing with anti venom and snakes.

 

here is the quote:

 

Recent research on Puff Adder venom in South Africa (*citation needed) suggests that keeping the victim active may actually decrease the venom's effect by allowing it to spread through the lymphatic system instead of remaining more localised.  The argument is that since the poison is cytotoxic, it will damage cells far faster in high concentration and lead to pronounced shock sooner.  The recommendation is to relieve the victim of his / her backpack to reduce the effort required, walk out of the Berg, and get to a hospital as soon as possible.  Depending on where the bite site is, walking may be difficult and very painful, so progress may be quite slow..   -http://www.berg.co.za/puff_adder.htm

 

[firewolf]

ABC - adders, boomslang,cobra. (and types thereof) CHN - cytotoxic  heamotoxic, neurotoxic.  Forward facing fanged and backward forward snakes must be removed in direction of fangs.  (Like anyone is gonna take the freaking time to check snakies teef, right?)

I have seen them whilst descending on tafelburg road (as a roadie) and everytime its just as I round a corner, and everytime I picture this long venom sack leaping up and biting into my calf where it hangs on while I pedal, screaming, down to a hospital, and everytime I feel my asshole clinch tighter than any bodies ass ever should.

[deanbean]

Lots of snakes around now, I was struck at by a boomslang on Sat, lucky my foot was on the upstroke so it missed, my best average speed for that ride ever.

Be more careful in the Autumn, we find that snakes get more active and seem to be more aggressive as they are in a countdown to the winter, when they have to stock up on body fat for hibernation.

 

[WOFT]

 

Hi there.

 

All this snake talk freaks me out a bit. I often ride alone (go on' date=' judge me!). I have heard talk about the "aspivenin" kit - it is a small suction kit that is supposed to suck out some of the poison from a variety of bites and stings.

 

Does anyone know if these actually work, and where one can get them in Cape Town?

[/quote']

 

I would rather take a blunt ax and chop my foot off than use the "asivenin" kit, with the "Small suction kit".  The best is to get to a hospital ASAP and let them treat you with the correct anti-venom.  Just for interest , rather take a crepe bandage, a stop watch and a marker pen with you.  If a puffy bikes you , loosely wrap the wound with the bandage (so that you feel that you are doing something).  Then start the stop watch, every 10 minutes mark the point of swelling.  AND GET TO A HOSPITAL QUICKLY.  THe medical staff will look at the lines on your leg to determine the rate of dispersion of venom and decide if ANTI VENOM is necessary.  (Remember  big snakes often "dry bite", so an antivenom may be unnecessary).

 

For cobra's and mamba's the crepe bandage must be tightly wrapped to prevent the spread of venom as the venom is different to puffy's.

 

This is my uneducated advice.  Best buy a SA snakes book and double check before you start playing with anti venom and snakes.

 

Fair points there. I suppose what I want to know is whether the aspivenin will buy some life/limb/digit saving time whilst getting to the doc.

 

Interesting thought about keeping active with cytotoxic venom. I'll see what my medic friends say is the latest protocal. My "snakes of south africa" book was published in about 1985!