At 95, Sarel van Rensburg is still finding ways to stay close to the mountains that have shaped much of his life.
Anna Kolosyuk / Unsplash / Illustrative purposes only
The Montagu artist and lifelong mountaineer is currently showcasing a collection of paintings inspired by his decades of climbing and exploring in an exhibition titled All the Mountains I Have Climbed.
The solo exhibition is being held at the Montagu Country Hotel art gallery from 1 October to 30 November, with its official opening taking place on Wednesday, 7 October.
Van Rensburg is known in South Africa’s mountaineering and rock-climbing circles, having reached Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest Base Camp while already in his 80s. He has also climbed Bloupunt in the Langeberg mountain range near Montagu.
Today, his adventures look a little different. He still walks the lower rocky ridges around Montagu, with the Kranskop route among his favourites, and explores the region’s mountain passes in his 4×4.
For Van Rensburg, though, the thrill of reaching a mountain by road is not quite the same as earning the summit on foot.
“I enjoy driving myself and reaching the top of a mountain on a road trip, though it compares a little with the thrill and fulfilment of reaching the highest peaks as a climber,” he says.
That relationship with the landscape now lives on through his paintings.
A former mechanical engineer, Van Rensburg works mainly in oils and continues to paint alongside his other interests, including wood sculpture and tinkering with engines in his workshop. He is also a lifelong lover of choral music and was a member of the SAUK choir in the 1950s. Today, he still sings with the Kierie Choir at Huis Uitvlucht in Montagu.
He remains active in his community and manages his own Facebook account, while regular walks and time spent outdoors continue to form part of his daily life.
Asked about the secret to a long and healthy life, Van Rensburg points to a good sense of humour, curiosity and finding joy in the small moments, particularly those found in nature.
In a town surrounded by the dramatic folds of the Langeberg, his exhibition feels like a fitting record of a life spent looking upwards, whether from a climbing route, a mountain pass or the canvas in his studio.
Source (IOL)
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