While we have been in the US for over 25 years, we are originally from South Africa. Having some time off, we decided to enjoy an extended stay with family to decompress and plan our next adventures. The flight to SA takes almost 2 days so the ability to have an extended period there was a blessing.
Our trip got off to a great start when we volunteered to fly a wee bit later (thereby shortening our layover) with Delta Airlines in exchange for $2,000 in cash vouchers! It is always great to get back to SA and spend time with family and friends, eat familiar foods and visit familiar places, but this time it was extra laid back and carefree as we had so little on our itinerary and were not at all pressed for time.
Monique’s mom is a keen hiker, and at 76 still belongs to multiple hiking clubs and does 2-3 hikes a week. This offered us the unique opportunity to join in on an endless array of local day trips plus a few trips further afield. Here are some of the hikes that we did to begin our attempt to “walk it off”:
Hike: Loerklip to Slangkuilkloof – 18.5 miles, 4,700 ft
We hit the ground running with an overnight hike in the Boosmansbos area of the Western Cape. We began at the Boosmasbos Wilderness Area campsite which exceeded all expectations. The variety of campsite options blew us away: from primitive sites to sites with their own kitchen to fully kitted glamping, this place had them all.
We set off early and hiked up through valleys of fynbos and proteas to our overnight stop – an old stone shepherd’s cottage with nothing but a mud floor and a table to sleep all 8 of us. The next day we wound our way back to camp, where Monique and I decided that we needed to “test” the glamping option ;). Actually, a proper bed was mostly in order. Everyone else had their comfortable car camping kits and we only had hiking gear, so we felt a little underwhelmed by the muddy grass and cramped quarters.
Hike: Sleeping Beauty Crest Trail – 6.1 miles, 2,276ft
The reason we stayed an extra couple of nights in Boosmansbos was so that we could get to this out-and-back trail along the Garden Route early. A couple of folks went all the way to the Summit, but we camped out at the neck with a couple others and waited for them. Jetlag is a real thing.
Hike: Helderberg West Peak – 6.1 miles, 2,778ft
Monique and I grew up in the shadow of the Helderberg (means “bright mountain” in English) and have gone up the West Peak many times via a few different routes. This time we joined Monique’s Mom up a route that was new to us. It was quite a climb, but what a stunning day!
Hike: Uitkyk via Dutoitskop (Franschhoek) – 5.6 miles, 2,355ft
Franschhoek in the Western Cape is one of our all-time favorite places: a quaint, historic town with beautiful architecture, fabulous food, and incredible wine-tasting. But there are also many great hikes around Franschhoek. Since we knew we had a tough 6-day backpacking trip coming up, we used this well-known hike as a good little training hike.
Hike: Panorama (Jonkershoek) – 7.4 miles, 3,215ft
This hike has been on our list for a long time and has been the subject of at least one attempt that ended prematurely due to lousy weather blowing in hard and fast. It’s a monster. The path is a wicked scramble in a number of places, and using your arms to haul yourself up by the grass is the only answer. Needless to say, it is a sheer drop in others. BUT it is sooo worth the views in all directions! We were incredibly blessed to be able to join a small group tackling this doozie of a hike and enjoyed every minute.
Looking down on the Neck – zoom in to see the path going down this side
Hike: Keartland’s Pass and Blind Man’s Corner via the Matterhorn – 11.2 miles, 3,450ft
We took a few days to travel up to the Central Drakensberg area of South Africa and stayed at the Champagne Castle Resort. What a lovely hotel. The setting was positively divine, nestled as it is in the mountains, the food was good, and we met so many wonderful people at dinner in the evenings. Our first hike was a bit of an adventure as the path was very unclear for the first few miles and we basically just scaled the side of a mountain, re-routing when we got stuck in a kloof or ravine with no exit. Once we reached the top of the Matterhorn, we could see other poor souls in the far distance ahead of us, so we knew we were not the only crazies to be attempting this particular route. The views were spectacular, and although the day was long, it was well worth it. It would have been great to be able to walk the Contour Path for another few miles to see into the next valley along, but the day was long enough already, and the swimming pool awaited!
Hike: Nandi Falls – 5.9 miles, 1,305ft
With legs a little tired from yesterday, we opted for a shorter and slightly less steep hike this morning. This one took us along a path on the opposite side of the valley to where we had hiked previously, which meant cooler temps and completely different vegetation and scenery. Once we got up, the trail essentially followed a contour path about mid-valley that took us into an endless series of ravines which were cool, dark and dripping with water and running with waterfalls. Tranquil, ancient, undisturbed, it was a magical experience.
Hike: Doreen Falls and Ribbon Falls – 6.2 miles, 2,290ft
We headed over to the Cathedral Peak area of the “Berg” for our final hike. It was a fascinating drive through authentic Zulu towns and across fabulous landscape. It was a little intimidating at times, and we felt somewhat exposed, but we were really glad we did it. South Africa has changed so much since we grew up here, and while many of the changes are great to see, others are less welcome. The valley on this side was not quite as spectacular as Champagne Castle, or maybe it was just that it was not as easy to access on day hikes. Either way, the hike itself was not as amazing as our other two have been, but both Doreen Falls and Ribbon Falls were amazing. The ladders and steep rock scrambles required to get up to Ribbon Falls had our legs quaking by the time we got down. Three hard days, we were ready for a rest.
Doreen Falls
Ribbon Falls