Last year, Angela Blackwell set a daring goal: to take on the 60km Pondo Trail with her guide dog, Jaydee. Today, she’s back from an “exhilarating adventure” that proved to be a masterclass in trust in herself, her guides, and her four-legged companion.
Port Edward, South Africa (11 February 2026) – Last year, we shared the inspiring story of Angela Blackwell and her bold mission to take on the Pondo Trail with her trusted guide dog, Jaydee – a loving companion who has been by her side since she lost her sight to retinitis pigmentosa.
Several months after she first shared her daring goal, we’re happy to report that Angela and Jaydee saw all 60km of wild coastline through!
Fresh from what she describes as “an exhilarating adventure and an absolute privilege,” we caught up with Angela to hear all about the journey.
“At times, I felt like pinching myself in awe of the magnificent coastline that exists within our own land. It was hard to believe,” Angela reflects.
Hiking through unknown terrain without the one sense most vital for navigation was a massive undertaking, but thankfully, it was not a journey she had to face alone.
“I never at any stage felt unsafe or afraid,” she says.
“For me, the whole experience was a masterclass in trust. Trust in my guide dog, trust in myself, trust in my guides, and trust in the land beneath my feet.”
Angela had incredible support from Wild Child Africa, whose guides were phenomenal from start to finish.
“They made additional preparations for the fact that we would be joining them on the Pondo Trail. It was the first time that they had hosted a blind person and their guide dog. They gave me the attention and care I needed and treated me with the utmost dignity,” Angela says.
Though she was in good physical shape entering the trail, Angela explained that the rugged terrain, dangerously deep descents and having to rely on the instructions of others as she could not see where she had to place her feet, was the most challenging part of the hike.
“The guides were very good at explaining the route we had to navigate and made good judgments on when it was unsafe for me to walk with my guide dog and instead use an assisted human guide.”
The mental focus did not, however, outweigh the love and support that surrounded her as she was also accompanied by 20 of her friends and family throughout the trail.
“I tried my best to walk the trail with great courage and grace at all times. I was worried we were going to hold everyone up, but that never even happened. It was all kinds of wonderful. I was surrounded by kindness, encouragement and good vibes.”
As for Jaydee, she was a happy hiker throughout the adventure!
“My dog is very fit, adventurous and spirited. She likes to move, so there were many times she was trying to get past the hikers and get to the front, which was incredibly sweet.”
Looking back on the trail, a journey that initially seemed quite daring, Angela says she felt profoundly held the entire way, with nature on her side from beginning to end.
“We had to take a boat to get to the start of the trail. I hadn’t been on a boat for years. The feeling of that ocean spray was amazing. We then navigated to an inlet where we were all told we’d need to jump off the boat, into the water and swim for 5m through the ocean to get to the shore, which was a bit scary. When the boat pulled into the inlet, there was a lot of excitement from the skippers upon seeing a beautiful little sandbar appear from nowhere, which we could all walk onto. That was quite amazing. No one had ever arrived on a sandbar before. It was so profound,” recalls an emotional Angela.
With no injuries, just full hearts, an incredible adventure was accomplished.
The trip culminated with Angela being presented with a traditional Pondo walking stick made by Lead Guide, Luke Powers, made from a local tree known among the Xhosa and Zulu tribes for its great strength and sacredness. The stick is traditionally carried by leaders and those who shown courage, strength, character and Ubuntu and was the perfect honour of Angela’s resilience.
“To host these two and watch them work together has been incredibly humbling. The way that they took on the rugged single tracks of Pondoland, the steep rocky climbs and descents, the river crossings, day in and day out, was phenomenal. It takes guts to decide to walk all day when you can’t see where you are going. And it also takes deep mental reserves, when every step is an unknown. Ange, I salute you. You are a brave warrior woman who showed grit and tenacity on another level, proving that almost anything is possible if you set your mind to it,” Luke beautifully shared.
At the heart of Angela’s adventure was to prove that vision loss does not mean living small. Part of this awareness has also shone a light on the South African Guide-Dogs Association (SAGDA) and the vital work they do in training dogs to become life-changing companions for people like herself.
She quietly hoped she could raise R100,000, but she incredibly surpassed, raising well over R300,000 to date. Her campaign is still running, and all proceeds will go toward training dogs like Jaydee and helping change more lives.
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