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~ I dont blog about things to be liked. I blog about things that I like ~ ... so that one day, on my death bed, I will have said and done what I wanted to do, and die peacefully without regrets.
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says..' Oh shit....She's awake'

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Waterfall Hiking Trail (aka Day 1 Route and start of the Otter Trail)

Get your walking shoes on, put on enough sunblock, take lots of drinking water and experience nature at its best!



Hiking Trail: Waterfall Trail (Known as Day 1 Route and start of the Otter Trail)
Name of Reserve / Area: Tsitsikamma National Park
Nearest Town: Storms River Village, Plettenberg Bay
Province: Garden Route
Country: South Africa




This route starts (when facing the ocean) to the far right of the Storms River Mouth Resort, just next to the camp grounds. Wow! this was such an amazing walk we had here.

One is often exposed to only one type of environment... Here we had thick dense forest, some board walks and bridges, shrubbery, rock scrambling, flat open fields, bolder hopping along this magnificent coastline and a nice freshwater pond to swim in at the end... definitely a must do when you visit the area.

Duration of hike: 4 hours if you stop as often as we do to have fun and take pictures. Its a 6,4km route to the waterfall and back. Without stopping, it took us about 45 minutes to walk the 3.2km back to base.




Directions to get there: From Cape Town, take the N2 towards Plettenberg Bay. About 60km pass Plettenberg Bay, and just after the Blaauwkrantz River is a turn to the right which takes you to the entrance of the Tsitsikamma National Park by the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp.




Recommended starting times:
Summer: not later than 14h30
Winter: not later than 13h30




Contact Information:
SANparks - Tsitsikamma Section
Phone: +27 (0) 42 281 1607
Reservations: +27 (0) 12 428 9111
www.sanparks.org/parks/tsitsikamma
reservations@sanparks.org




Best time of year to go: Anytime.

The route is marked with little yellow otter paw prints all along the way...



What costs did you incur to do this hike:
Entrance to the Park: Free entry (if you are a South African Citizen) for Wild Card Holders (www.wildinafrica.com)
Accommodation: varies from Camping to Stunning self Catering log cabins of up to R900 per night in season.
Actual hike: Free when in the park.




How safe is it: We felt very safe walking in the park and on this route. Do not go without water as its is a long walk and there is limited shade from the heat of the day.



Fresh Water: Only at the camp. The walk does cross a stream at various points but its not recommened to use as drinking water.




Difficulty: Due to the uneven & slippery terrain, The Waterfall Trail is rated as difficult and is not recommended for unfit hikers.




Pets: No pets allowed in the park.



How will I rate this hike? The route hugs the cliffs all the way to the waterfall. We experienced bolder hopping and rock scrambling, as well as various flat sections all along the route. At the start we were very fortunate to see a Blue Duiker grazing on the beach below us. The pond below the Waterfall provided everyone with a welcome break from the heat of the day. The Tsitsikamma area is experiencing a severe drought during the time we visited the park (and wrote this article), which explains why the waterfall was so small.



The actual (and very popular) Otter Trail starts on this walk and continues past This waterfall for about 45km in total. It takes the hikers an average of 5 days to complete this grueling but very scenic challenge, and is booked out 2 years in advance.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Storms River Mouth Circular Route

Hiking Trail: Storms River Mouth Circular Route

Name of Reserve / Area: Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park
Nearest Town: Storms River, Plettenberg Bay
Province: Garden Route
Country: South Africa




Directions to get there: From Cape Town, take the N2 towards Plettenbergbay. About 60km pass Plettenbergbay, and just after the Blaauwkrantz River is a turn to the right which takes you to the entrance of the Tsitsikamma National Park by the Storms River Mouth Rest Camp.




Contact Information:
SANparks - Tsitsikamma Section
Phone: +27 (0) 42 281 1607
Reservations: +27 (0) 12 428 9111
www.sanparks.org/parks/tsitsikamma
reservations@sanparks.org




Duration of hike: 1 hour





Best time of year to go: Anytime.

What costs did you incur to do this hike:
Entrance to the Park: Free entry (if you are a South African Citizen) for Wild Card Holders.
Accommodation: Cost varies from Camping to Stunning self Catering log cabins of up to R900 per night in season.
Actual hike: Free when in the park.

How safe is it:
We felt very safe walking in the park.




Fresh Water: Only at the camp, none on the route.






Difficulty: Easy, short 2km circular walk. Most of the walk is fairly flat and on the boardwalk. The route continues - after the main suspension bridge over the Storms River Mouth, up the cliff about 300m above.

Pets: No pets allowed in the park.




After you cross over the hang-bridge, the route continues to the lookout point ontop of the hill.



A short easy climb takes you to view the Storms River Mouth resort from the other side...







We stopped here for a short coffee break and to enjoy the view.



Having gone back down the mountain, the route takes you back on the lower level of the boardwalk to the campsite.







How will I rate this hike? Very easy, but so beautiful and well worth visiting.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Simonsberg in Franschoek is a must do!

SIMONSBERG 1390 metres

Hiking Trail: Circular ridge route on the Simonsberg
Name of Reserve / Area: Simonsberg is a private property.
Nearest Town: Stellenbosch
Province: Western Cape
Country: South Africa

Duration of hike: 6-8 hours
Directions to get there: From Cape Town CBD, take the road to Stellenbosch then drive to the summit of the Helshoogte Pass.

Contact Information:
Ed Flitters, Cape Hiking

(www.capehiking.com)

Best time of year to go: October to April.

What costs did you incur to do this hike: None, but I feel it is important to support the vineyard owners who allow access to their land.

How safe is it: Exposed and can only be recommended to those with experience and a head for heights.

Fresh Water: Plenty lower down

Difficulty: see above

Pets: Not appropriate as there are sections of scrambling

How will I rate this hike? Very highly. Simonsberg is an iconic peak which dominates the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek area.


sent to us by:
Ed Flitters, Cape Hiking
(www.capehiking.com)


There are some mountains that simply get into your blood. Beautiful, aesthetic peaks such as the Matterhorn in Switzerland or Ama Dablam in Nepal. Often solitary summits they dominate an entire valley or region, tempting walkers and climbers with their exposed ridges and dark gullies, offering a playground with a myriad of possibilities.




The Simonsberg is one such mountain. It does not matter where you are, Table Mountain, Cape Point, the Jonkershoek, Mont Rochelle Reserve, Paarl Rocks and even parts of the Cederberg, this iconic triple-headed berg dominates the skyline. I remember seeing it for the first time and being immediately captivated by its striking physical presence. For a mountaineer there are hills that are climbed and then forgotten or pushed to the back of one's mind, and there are those that are revisited many times during a lifetime, presenting different challenges on each occasion; the Simonsberg falls very definitely into this latter category.


Parking in the Thelema courtyard, at the top of Helshoogte Pass, and ignoring the dozing Weimaraners, we make the gentlest of starts, strolling up a gravel road past the ordered rows of vines. Looking back occasionally we are rewarded with magnificent views of Bothmaskop and Haelkop to the south and the Jonkershoekberge to the south-east. After about forty-five minutes a large dam on our right and a small cairn on the left of the track indicate a path cutting left through the fynbos. After another hour we come to large boulders, at about 800m, an ideal resting spot for a well-earned drink. This is the point at which the path forks.



The main path, our descent route, continues left and winds its way up the south-west facing slopes of the mountain. Our route, a longer and more exposed variant, forks right and heads up north-east towards the kloof. The path is very indistinct in places, as it is rarely walked, and the fynbos does its best to repel our advances! Two stream crossings, gentle when I first came here in dry weather, but far fiercer the second time after several days of heavy rain, remind us that the mountain environment can change very quickly and that these expeditions should never be undertaken without necessary items such as a First Aid kit, cell phone, waterproofs and plenty of water.



Entering the kloof, the steep and rocky path winds its way up along the stream, passing slippery mossy banks and some gorgeous waterfalls, throwing out rainbows as the morning light catches the droplets. Care needs to be taken here, as the ground is uneven and the rocks sometimes greasy and loose. After two and a half hours we now reach the nek at 1100m. Breaking out of the darkness of the kloof into the exposure of this breche affords us breathtaking views of the village of Pniel below and the vineyards which line the R310 and R45.



After a tasty sandwich or muesli bar our route now cuts north-west up the ridge, changing sides from west to east, to a large ledge at about 1250m. There is some easy scrambling here, but one still needs to take care, and the more able and adventurous can even practise the odd rock move on sun-baked sandstone. The setting is idyllic; flowers are everywhere and the white and grey rock is stained with bright orange lichen, adding to the Provencal feel. At 1320m the climb evens out and we pick our way through the heathers and orchids towards the summit. The hard work is well and truly over now and, for me, this is the most rewarding stage of our excursion. The slopes are covered in purple ericas and yellow daisies and, although we spot no wildlife on this occasion, other than the ubiquitous lizards, there is plenty of dassie and klipspringer scat to acknowledge their existence.



The summit is topped with a large wooden cross and just next to it stands a smaller cross commemorating the life of 21 year old Jeremy Wilshere. A fifty metre scramble on the east side of the summit reveals a beautiful bivouac cave, built from stones around a large overhang, in which two or three people could easily spend the night if they had the energy to carry up enough water. There is a summit book in an ice cream container stashed in here, and the dates reveal that this is another Winelands summit that is rarely visited. In the distance we can see Cape Point, Table Mountain and Lion's Head, and slightly closer the Wemmershoek range, Franschhoek Mountain, Victoriapiek and the Hottentots Holland mountains.



Wind and rain have carved away the first part of the path down, and we pick our way carefully over loose boulders and past overhanging proteas for the initial two hundred metres, but then we level off and meander across colourful fynbos-covered slopes, looking down onto the vines and dams below us to the south and west.




Easy walking allows us to enjoy the views and reflect on the day's adventure. After two hours we reach the point at which we diverged earlier on and, following the track through the fynbos, we arrive back at the dam and gravel road which leads us back to Thelema and eagerly-awaited refreshment! Thelema Estate prides itself on being one of the highest and coolest wine farms in the Franschhoek/Stellenbosch area. A former fruit farm, it is now a cutting edge winery, producing exceptional award-winning wines. Sipping a glass of Ed's Reserve (great name!), I cannot think of a better way to end a superb mountain day.



''He who climbs upon the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary.'' (Nietzsche)


Ed Flitters, Cape Hiking
(www.capehiking.com)


Thanks for sharing this with us Ed!
Loved walking with you in your area a short while ago. We look forward to joining you again on this one sometime soon.
Kind regards,
Juanita and Alex.

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