Table of contents for Go! Hiking Guide 2021 in go!

The other day, I sat down on the contour path below Platteklip Gorge on Table Mountain. My soul was tired and I needed a half-hour stroll in Deer Park above the suburb where I live, but the paths on the mountain lured me higher, first to the King’s Blockhouse where the Roman numerals on the old cannon fascinated me, and then back, past the plaque on another set of ruins: forest ranger Frank Jarman’s old house; a man “who from 1893 to 1902, had charge of the forest work that covered this wind-swept mountain with trees”. I was happy to find the seasonal Silver Stream in full flow – I had left my water bottle at home – and quenched my thirst with the coldest, cleanest mountain water. Then I…

MIA LOUW Lizzard stainless steel flask This flask keeps my coffee hot and my Energade cold – for hours. The lid has a ring you can connect to a carabiner if you want to hang the flask from your bag or belt. The flask is double-walled for insulation, has a volume of 530 ml and is available in a wide range of colours. R320 lizzardonline.com First Ascent dry bag This waterproof bag has kept my cellphone, camera and maps dry during many a thunderstorm and rain shower. The bag is made from a fabric called Cordura, which usually consists of a mixture of nylon and cotton. It’s used for parachutes and hot-air balloons because it’s lightweight but strong (with a 30-denier count) and won’t tear easily. R250 (6 ℓ) orR300…

GREYTON NATURE RESERVE Greyton Nature Reserve comprises 2 200 hectares around town. There are three entrances to this protected area: One at the top of Vlei Street, one in Park Street, and the lesser-known entrance on the other side of the Zig-Zag Trail. There’s a big map with the well-known trails at the main entrance in Park Street. These routes are all clearly marked, and each is indicated with a footprint in a different colour. Get a map at the tourism office (29 Main Road) or download it online at greytonconservationsociety.com (All the trails discussed here are in the reserve except Zig-Zag and Loerkop.) Entry to the reserve is free. WHO WAS FRITZ? Fritz Volk (1933 – 2009) was one of the former managers of the Greyton Conservation Society, which…

It’s just after 1am on a Sunday, deep in the Karoo. The moon is almost full but it’s playing hide-and-seek. It draws silver linings around the clouds that hang like shredded flags against the dark grey sky. Seven people walk in silence on a deserted jeep track, rarely used even by day. Their boots crunch on the gravel. Then a disembodied voice with an American accent says: “You have walked two kilometres.” It’s coming from the side pocket of Estelle van Dyk’s backpack, where her Samsung is emitting a blue glow. In reality, Estelle has already walked 10km because yesterday, upon her arrival at Bergvallei farm, she walked 8 km in the early evening. It’s hard to find Bergvallei on Google Maps – what you need is the 3222AA “Reiersvlei”…

De Hoop Nature Reserve is a 34000ha sliver of coastal wilderness between the mouth of the Breede River in the east and Arniston in the west. It also extends 5km out to sea – one of the largest marine protected areas in Africa. There are certain sections you can access as a day visitor, but for the true De Hoop experience, you absolutely have to hike the Whale Trail. Only 12 hikers per day are allowed on the trail – it feels as if you and your group are the only people for hundreds of kilometres around, surrounded by fynbos and crashing waves. Lace up your boots and let’s go! DAY 1 15,5 KM Potberg to Cupidoskraal Dark shadows block out the early morning sun. We look up to see…

The night sky looks like a royal blue dome tent. The only light is the fire by my feet. I also have a headlamp, but the batteries have to last for a few more nights so I only switch it on when necessary. Meerkats have a sentry to watch for danger. On the Primitive Trail in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, we do the same – each hiker stands guard for about an hour and a half at a time during the night. Kruup! The call of an African scopsowl echoes in the dark. Impalas snort in the bushes. A fiery-necked nightjar sings good lord deliver us and draws my eyes away from the hypnotic dance of the flames. But the night sound that scares me the most is a gr-gr-gr-unt right next to…

Chris Leggatt, Wilderness @chriscrossingsa The walk between Sedgefield and Wilderness takes you across a long expanse of deserted beach – it’s a wonderful walk on a spring low tide, when the sand is hard and easy to traverse. I love the softness created by the coastal mist, and the fact that the mountains are also so prominent in the background. To me, it sums up the Garden Route: the open space, the beautiful coastline and the towering Outeniqua Mountains. Where? Leave a vehicle in the parking area next to the Touws River estuary in Wilderness and drive to the Gericke’s Point parking area west of Sedgefield in another car – this is where your hike will start.…

Elsje Kemp, Stellenbosch @elsje_bob Jonkershoek never disappoints! My friend Chris Spies and I adapted the Panorama Trail a little – we started at the Second Waterfall Trail and went up a steep path called the Kurktrekker (corkscrew). From there, we crossed the Dwarsberg plateau to Victoria Peak, returned to the plateau and followed the Panorama Trail the rest of the way. I took this photo of Chris on the Berg River Nek. Where? Jonkershoek Nature Reserve is just outside Stellenbosch, in the Hottentots-Holl and Mountains. Cost: R50 per adult; R30 per child; free with a Wild card. Contact: 087 087 8250; capenature.co.za…

Charlene McMurray, Ballito @charlsaccount I took this photo within the first half hour of our hike. It was chilly even though it was December – we were glad to be wearing beanies and jackets. It was stunning to walk through the wildflowers, and through the landscape in all its vivid colours, as we made our way higher towards the mist. The hike to Sleeping Beauty Cave is in the Garden Castle section of the southern Drakensberg. It takes about one and a half to two hours one way, if you’re relatively fit, with numerous stream crossings, a section of riverine forest and breathtaking scenery. Where? The Garden Castle wilderness area is about 33 km south-west of Underberg in the southern Drakensberg. Cost: R45 per adult; R20 per child. Contact: 033…

STARTER KIT Are you new to hiking? Treat yourself – or another newbie – to these basics. Hiking Trails of South Africa There are several reasons why this guide by Willie Olivier has been reprinted eight times. It lists more than 500 local hikes, from the shortest day hikes to the wildest multi-day trails. Trails are categorised by province or region, and every section also has a map to indicate the various locations. The trail descriptions are concise but provide necessary information like distance, estimated walking time, permit details and whether or not you can get a map at the starting point. Upfront, you get sections about first aid, hiking etiquette, food menus and even a packing list. At the back, there’s a glossary of geological terms, contact details for…

When I was in school, we used to go on a hike on the first day of spring every year. This feels just like that. Look at all the blossoms! Our group of about 40 hikers set off from the farm Werda in the east of the Witzenberg Valley this morning and we’re making our way through orchards. I soon fall behind because I stop to take photos of the flowers at every turn. It’s still early, and the bees in the hives among the rows of fruit trees aren’t yet abuzz. But the sun will soon peek over the mountains… Over the next few days, we’ll walk across many of the farms at the base of the Witzenberg, in the northern corner of the valley below the Groot-Winterhoek Mountains,…

“It’s like when Frodo runs down the forest path to greet Gandalf,” says my hiking buddy, Rachel Fischer. It’s our first day on the Fanie Botha Trail and Rachel, Annelize Mare and I have just started off from the Ceylon Hut, where the scenery is definitely reminiscent of the Shire in The Lord of the Rings. The late Fanie Botha was a politician for 25 years in the National Party. When Rachel told her colleagues she was doing the five-day hike that he established, one said: “I hope the trail is more easy-going than the man was!” Temperament aside, Botha had a vision. The trail opened in 1973 and was the first of a national network of hiking routes that he had planned. He wanted to create a series of…

Marianne Barnard, George @mbarnard_gardenroute Pass-to-Pass is a trail that links the historical Montagu Pass with the Outeniqua Pass in the Outeniqua Mountains near George. Most people hike it one way, leaving a vehicle at the other end, but you can go out and back if you’re fit and adventurous. My hiking buddy Jan-Hendrik Els and I tackled the trail, starting from the Outeniqua Pass side. Soon after the start point, you climb steeply to a spine, which you follow to Montagu Pass. I fell behind as usual. When I saw Jan-Hendrik staring off into the distance, I knew the small figure on the rocks would lend depth to my photo. It also shows how big the Outeniqua Mountains really are. Where? The trail starts at the TV antenna (called Sputnik!)…

MIA LOUW You sometimes forget how far north the Drakensberg stretches, all the way beyond Kaapsehoop in Mpumalanga. My husband Hancu and I often explore this area on day hikes, and we’ve also done the Kaapsehoop Trail (60km, 4 days). Like the Fanie Botha (p88), it’s run by Safcol (South African Forestry Company SOC Limited). There’s another Safcol hike on my radar: the Magoebaskloof Trail (62 km, 5 days). You see the impressive Debengeni Falls along the way, as well as the tallest planted tree in Africa – a 81,5 m-tall Sydney blue gum in the Woodbush Forest Reserve. Hiking is a good reminder that you don’t need much to enjoy life. You do need hiking gear, of course, but when I’m on top of a remote mountain peak, I…

I love surprises. As we drive out of Cape Town, I’m excited. For my (belated) 60th birthday, my hiking buddy Shaen Adey and some other friends have planned a mountaineering trip into the unknown – the unknown for me, at least! We leave the N1 at Worcester and turn onto the R60, which becomes the R62 as the Boland fades into Little Karoo. When we turn in the direction of Towerkop, behind the town of Ladismith, I can’t help but wonder if my younger friends are more senile than I am… Just over a decade ago, I travelled to this area on a Mountain Club of South Africa meet to mark the 125th anniversary of the country’s first recorded rock climb. During that gathering I scaled Towerkop a number of…

My five friends and I are on the stoep of Faans se Huis. As we tie our shoelaces and ready our backpacks, we watch a leopard tortoise patrolling the fence of a prickly pear field, looking for a hole to squeeze through. It’s going to be a fun week with this group: Sarie Viljoen and Stacey Block are both teachers with heaps of patience; Nina Steyn is a physiotherapist so she can treat our aches and pains; Eloise Costandius studied zoology and knows every wild creature by name; and Alex Jordaan is a veldkos expert with an Otter obsession – he’s hiked it 19 times. Hannes Horn, owner of Bucklands farm, pulls up in his bakkie. The tortoise retreats into its shell – it knows it’s being naughty. Hannes says…

The journey begins in a rickety old Land Cruiser, chugging its way up the mountainside from Witsieshoek Mountain Lodge; 8km of pitching and bouncing along the utterly neglected road to the Sentinel car park. You could take your own vehicle, but only if you’re not precious about it. At the car park, we sidle over to the ranger’s desk to fill in the mountain register, a mandatory deed for all hikers. With the necessary admin done, we make our way to the trailhead. Gustav Greffrath from Itchyfeet SA, the lead guide for this excursion, delivers a brief safety talk and then turns to begin the ascent. Behind him is Anton Granger, a candidate mountain leader undergoing assessment. He is followed by Sgu Sithole, a porter; and Godfrey Tshuma, a guide…

Helene de Wet, Somerset West @helendewet19 Our friend group varies in age from 64 to 76 years old, but we’re all still teenagers at heart. We use every opportunity to enjoy life and experience new places and things. In June 2021, we hiked up Table Mountain on the Three Firs trail and came down Kasteelspoort. Three Firs is a steep climb, but Kasteelspoort is a bit easier, so it wasn’t so hectic coming down. Where? Park in Theresa Avenue in Bakoven and go up the path to the Pipe Track. Turn right and follow this path past Kasteelspoort and Woody Ravine. The Three Firs route goes up the mountain just before you reach Slangolie Ravine.…

Louis Roodt, East London @louis_roodt Hogsback is in the Amatole Mountains. From the Hogsback Arboretum close to town, you can walk various paths through the state forest to the waterfall. You can also walk along Forest Drive to a parking area right at the end, as I did; from there it’s about 700 m to the waterfall. Sunlight poured through the trees, the trail wound through stands of ferns, and the sounds and fresh smells made me feel like the forest was inviting me to share its secrets. This photo captures the entrance to the wonderland. Where? The arboretum is at the end of Oak Avenue. Turn right off Oak into Forest Drive if you’d prefer to drive closer to Kettlespout Falls. Access is restricted to daylight hours.…

Hirome Shigeaki, Worcester @hirome_shigeaki The view of the 70 m-high Bridal Veil Falls makes every step of this hike worth it. It’s a tough day out, taking you through pine and eucalyptus plantations, as well as patches of indigenous forest. Besides Bridal Veil, you also go past Glynis and Elna falls. The man in the photograph is me! It took a few attempts to set up the shot that I wanted, then I had to sprint back and forth probably a hundred times to see if I had captured the perfect shot! Where? Leave your vehicle at the Castle Rock caravan park near Sabie. The trail starts there. Cost: Permit R30 per person, available at the Sabie Forest Industry Museum. Contact: 013 754 2724…

The Fish River Canyon doesn’t have forests or abundant wildlife. A waterfall? Nope. A peak to climb? Also, no. So why do hikers speak of this place with such reverence? Because it’s so majestic. Just think: What did it look like – and sound like! – when the tectonic plates shuddered and the earth sank into itself? How long afterwards could you feel the reverberations? Could you see a cloud of dust from afar? How high was the water level of the ancient Fish River? What did the ancestors of the river’s yellowfish and whirligig beetles look like? When you walk in this landscape, it is beyond your comprehension. You try to take in the scale, but you give up after a while. And when you finally get out of…