I get to meet Zakumi, our famous FIFA 2010 mascot

Zakumi is a leopard, a common animal found in South Africa, with green hair wearing a shirt saying South Africa 2010.

Zakumi's green and gold colors represents South African national sports' teams colors. He is the South African mascot for the FIFA 2010 coming up in June and July this year.

His name comes from "ZA", the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for South Africa, and "kumi", a word that means "ten" in various African languages.

Keep your eyes out for Zakumi when you come to hike in our mountains when you visit our beautiful country :)

Hyena Trap Karoo National Park

The Hyena Trap: Early stock farmers of the Karoo Area built these traps in their attempt to eliminate the brown hyena, jackal and leopards in the area.

I think it was a very cruel thing that they did, but we cant change history, and hopefully only learn from these mistakes of the past.

The Brown Hyena is now sadly extinct from this area.

Even though this is not a hike as such, its one of the many interesting places you can visit when you go to the Karoo National Park.  Its within walking distance from the main reception, but there are also other traps similar to this located all over the park and can be seen if you go for a drive around.

Contact Information: Karoo National Park

Main Camp Phone: 023 415 2828 / karooreservations@sanparks.org

SANPARKS Reservation Phone: 012 428 9111 Pretoria / 021 422 2816 Cape Town
reservations@sanparks.org
www.sanparks.org

Karoo National Park Fossil Trail

Wow... check this out man! These fossils were extinct 30 million years before dinosaurs evolved. How cool is that?  The Karoo has an immense amount of very interesting history of the earth from the days before the separation of the Gondwana Land.  No where else in the world is there a place as special as this place. 24 000 fossils have been found here since this park was declared a World Heritage Site.  You just have to come over and see history of 300 - 250 million years ago. 

The start of the trail is within walking distance from the Reception of the Main Camp and about 200m in distance.

BRADYSAURUS - This fossil was donated to the park.

"... hello Brad! Nice to meet you too :)"

100 Million Years of Geological History.  The Karoo was a massive inland sea.

The Permian Deep South: when all the major continents were still grouped together into a single super continent called Pangaea.

Map of Gondwana Land:

Rhinesuchus - Amphibian Monsters, closer related to frogs than reptiles like crocodiles.

Diictodon - I liked this one the most. It had so much character.

The Fossil Trail in the Karoo National Park is not very long, but you could spend a good hour or more on this short route.  As you can see in the pic below, its right next to the Main Camp.  Here I have my chief photographer caught snapping away - I just love the way he gets so carried away when he takes pictures :)  Thanks Al for all the stunning photos!

This park has so much to offer, we had to almost run through everything. I would not mind coming back here some day soon to experience it all again.  The vast open spaces, the stars at night, the silence of nothing, it was an awesome experience.

The Park is very well maintained. The people were so friendly and helpful. Thumbs up for this Sanparks venue.

Karoo National Park Pointer Hiking Trail

Hiking in the Karoo National Park proved to be one not to be missed. Ive been to many parks and hiked all over, this one was lovely. The hike itself was not the best hike Ive ever had, but was absolutely stunning.  The total experience of the Karoo National Park was awesome. This park is very underrated and I think talking about the entire experience as a whole is the only way to go.  I cant cover it all in one post, so the rest of our experience at the KNP, will be published in future posts.

Directions to get there: From Cape Town CBD, take the N1 for about 460km.  About 2 km before you reach Beaufort West, you will see a sign on your left for the Karoo National Park

Hiking Trail: Pointer Trail
Name of Reserve / Area: Karoo National Park  BIG SKY COUNTRY. Read on to find out why we say so :)

Nearest Town: Beaufort West
Province: Western Cape
Country: South Africa

Rising early has never been one of my favourite things to do, but with Boot Camp Al by my side, whilst we are visiting a Sanparks venue, I have little choice but to bear the cold darkness before the sun rise and head for the hills.  Its true, once you are up, its a wonderful time to enjoy the sun rise and the fresh feeling of a new day.  The weather has a end of summer chill in the air, but as that sun rises, oh boy... do you know about it.

In the pic below you will be able to see the camp in the back, as we heading up the hill.  At first we started walking on the 800m Bossie Trail, but soon we realised we were on the wrong route.  The Bossie Trail is very interesting to say the least, as each bush is marked with a number and the guided numbered route has a detailed field guide that explains to one as you follow the path. Since this path was not on our agenda for the time being, we had to back-track through the bush to get onto the path that would guide us to the top of the world.

Duration of hike: 3 hours and the distance was 5.6km.  This trail has the extended option to do the entire contour of this mountain of about 12km, but due to our limited time we chose to do the shorter option.  We headed off into the trail about 6am, but took it rather slow to make sure we absorb and capture everything this route had to offer us.

Our aim was to reach the top of the right peak in the image below. On our way up we caught up with a large group of hikers.  I love finding people on the mountain. 

Soon we were able to see the town of Beaufort West in the far distance.  Beaufort West is the nearest town to the Karoo National Park and also considered the halfway mark for long distance travellers between Gauteng and the Cape Province.  They also have this kick ass little butchery called Groot Marino hidden in the town.  We did a special trip into town to go and find this place.  You know, if the locals recommend it, then you just cant miss out on the opportunity.  The place was ordinarily packed inside.  A queue for the biltong was averaging 15 people constantly, and double that for the fresh meat.  Never in our lives have we had such lekka biltong or the best boeriewors you will ever taste.  Wowee... what a nice treat!  ok, enough about the yummie meat that we could get our hands on, lemme get on with the hike.

Best time of year to go: Well, we went in April. I guess in the Karoo you can expect extreme temperatures both in Winter and Summer.  The weather in April was just perfect!  As we assended, the weather was perfect, but during the descent I really began to feel the Karoo heat.

Once we reached the saddle, the path turned to the right again.  Here we were again spoilt with the views of the vast open plains of the Karoo National Park.

What costs did you incur to do this hike: None to do the hike, but there is a fee for entrace to the park.
Wildcard Holders have all year round free entry to all Sanparks Reserves 086 123 4001

Being ontop of this hill really brought a sense of complete tranquility to me.  I just loved looking down onto the camp and the entire area understand the park a little better.

How safe is it: There is no crime here. One has to keep an eye out for the animals.  We have been warned to stay away from the Black Rhino and the Buffalo if we do come across them.

A coffee break on the best lookout point one can find! The crowd of people continued to walk on and soon we found ourselves completely alone and it felt really like we were ontop of the world.  It was so peaceful here, we just sat on this beautiful rock staring down into the vastness in front of us.

Fresh Water: none. (thats why its also a great idea to take your coffee flask with you too )

Difficulty: Path is well marked with Yellow Paint spots on all the rocks.

I just love this picture of me looking back into the distance as far south as the eye can see.  This view shows you only the 180degree view of a 360 degree that you can see from here.

Heading back down again proved to be beautiful landscapes all the way down.

Pets: Not allowed

As the shadows of the morning get shorter, we get to feel the might of the Karoo heat.

How will I rate this hike?
Once you have traveled all the drivable routes that the park has to offer, you just have to take a climb up this beautiful hill. It was not very high, we started on about 930m above sea-level, but climbed to about 1166m. The total climb was about 240m.  The reception has a map of the route.

The path ends with a short walk in a dry river-bed back to the main camp.

We were happy to do this walk as they will soon be introducing lions to the park in about 3 months from now, then this self guided hiking trail will become a guided hiking trail.  When you reach the top, you can appreciate almost the entire park in a distance.  This walk comes highly recommended to everyone who visits the park.

In the map image below the route is indicated by the yellow dotted line.

An awesome walk in a very beautiful Karoo National Park!

Contact Information:
Reservation Phone: 012 428 9111 Pretoria / 021 422 2816 Cape Town
reservations@sanparks.org
www.sanparks.org
Main Camp Phone: 023 415 2828
karooreservations@sanparks.org

New7Wonders of Nature FINALIST TABLE MOUNTAIN

I told you soooooo...........!!!

News Release

New7Wonders of Nature
FINALIST TABLE MOUNTAIN WELCOMES 20-MILLIONTH VISITOR
- Colombian journalist cast his votes for Table Mountain and the Amazon -

Zurich/Switzerland, April 7, 2010—Representing a unique link between the wet, sprawling rainforest of the South American Amazon and solid, majestic Table Mountain, Colombian journalist Frederico Uribe was the 20_millionth visitor to take the cableway up to the South African landmark.

Both Table Mountain and the Amazon, which runs through Colombia, are amongst the 28 Official Finalists in the New7Wonders of Nature campaign—Mr. Uribe cast his vote for both of them during his visit to Table Mountain

Mr. Uribe was in South Africa filming a documentary on the preparations for the FIFA 2010 World Cup.


Table Mountain; the Amazon; Colombian journalist Frederico Uribe on Table Mountain,
voting for his favorites in the Official New7Wonders of Nature campaign

Day hikes and luxury slackpacking trails in the Eastern Cape Drakensberg

Hi Juanita,

Love your site on blogspot. If you could add our Wartrail Skywalk it would be fantastic.

Location: Wild Mountain Adventures
Name of Reserve / Area: Eastern Cape Drakensberg
Nearest Town: Barkly East / Rhodes
Province: Eastern Cape
Country: South Africa

Directions to get there:

ROSSTREVOR GUEST FARM
GPS Coordinates:  S 30° 48' 30"      E 27° 35' 33"
From Barkly East take the R58 towards Aliwal North. After 3kms turn right (signed New England & Tiffindell). Follow this road for approx 9kms crossing the Kraai River at Loch Bridge (National Monument). You might want to pause at the layby further up this cutting to take in the scenic views including the famous Barkly Railway Reverses (only 3 of their kind in the world).

At the T junction turn right (signed Wartrail/Tiffindell) and follow this road for 11kms. Rosstrevor is on the left hand side - look out for the 'Cattle Crossing' road sign and our stunning sandstone barn.

Duration of hike:
4 day slackpacking trail – approx 4-6 hours hiking per day.

Best time of year to go:
A typical highland climate with moderate summers and cold winters. The area has summer rainfall with afternoon thunderstorms. It is suggested that you start your trails early in the morning so that you have descended the mountain soon after lunchtime. There is not much shade on the hike, but the temperatures are never opressively hot at this altitude.


Fresh Water:
Fresh water provided at at all overnight stops and you can safely drink from any of the mountain streams and fountains. as we hike very close to the sources and  there is no habitation in-between.

Difficulty:
Would need to be reasonably fit. We are hiking at altitudes of 1800m-2200m and there are steep inclines and descents. If necessary we can adapt the trail to a less strenuous contour route. No climbing required.


You might also want to give your version of the Mike Lundy rating which is a combination of the following two grades:

3C

1 = Easy stroll;
2 = Moderate;
3 = Streunous excersise;
4 = Only for the very fit

plus
A = No exposure to heights;
B = Mild exposure to heights;
C = Moderate exposure to heights;
D = Very exposed to heights;

Pets:
Not recommended as we are walking through sheep faming country.

How safe is it:
Extremely safe area and fully guided.

What costs did you incurr to do this hike:
R3,575-R4,395 depending on the numbers.
This is a luxury slackpacking trail that includes:
Guest Farm accommodation (approx 3*)
Guiding by farm owners each day
Fully catered: Famhouse breakfast, packed lunch and delicious home-cooked dinners

Pics taken by:
Wartrail and New England Community Tourism Association

Describe the hike from beginning to end:
I have not been on this route, but it comes highly recommended by Kate of Wild Mountain Adventures :)   Thanks for sending us this route Kate. I hope our readers will come and join you! Regards, Juanita


Contact:Kate Nelson
Wild Mountain Adventures
Rosstrevor & Millard Guest Farms
PO Box 101, Barkly East 9786, Eastern Cape
Tel: 079 536 3996
Web: www.wildmountainadventures.co.za
Email Wild Mountain
Skype: kate.nelson101

Blog Header Image

I usually use my favourite images as headers and am always both sad to let the one go, yet excited to post the new ones!  So instead of them just vanishing into thin air, I will post them as I change them for good memories!  This picture was taken on a walk from Eagles to Table Mountain. I remember this day so well.  It was hot and sunny - but I was low on energy almost all the way.  Every time I walk on my hikes, I get reminded on how beautiful a country we live in.

Diagonal Route up, Kasteels Poort down

oh I LOVE my new toy that I got for Christmas!

this little genius GPS tells me distances, altitudes and maps the route for me directly onto Google Earth. yes... yes... we all have GPS's in our phones (and up our butts! ...is sometimes how I would prefer to put it), but this one is great because it downloads the data so nicely onto my computer. I just love it. Thanks to my awesome boyfriend, who spoilt me rotten for Christmas :)

ok, so here's the route... and I hope you will also like to follow it one day too!

Hiking Trail: Pipe Track, Diagonal Route, via Porcupine Ravine & Kasteels Poort
Name of Reserve / Area: Table Mountain National Park
Nearest Town: Camps Bay, Cape Town
Province: Western Cape
Country: South Africa

To start off with, the Vertical profile below shows how high we climbed as well as the total distance covered.



Duration of hike: 4 hours, if you stop to take pictures.



it all started at 5am and a very disalusioned sleepy me waiting to for 'the lights to come on' to make my next move - and that is to decide if I want to hike today - or kite (one of my other crazy mad hobbies). After much debate with my other half... especially the fact that we agreed on a 6 a.m'er and not a 5a.m'er as he suggested, we managed to get our butts out of bed and 'head for the hills'! (it looks like a blown-out day today with no waves anyway).

Directions to get there: From Cape Town CBD, take Buitengracht Road up towards the Cable Way, at the top of Kloofnek Road, turn left onto Tafelberg Road. Immediately on your right is the parking area for the Pipe Track. Take the steps in the direction of Campsbay, and soon your walk will follow a long narrow path the hugs the mountain towards its more famously known as the 12 Apostles.



Where are we going today? he said to me. So I replied with a very comfortable ... the Pipe Track. Its perfect for when you want to bail out of a planned route, as its long enough for a good walk and short enough if you still want to venture upwards.

Best time of year to go: On a cool cloudy day is always good.

What costs did you incur to do this hike: none

How safe is it: This route is as isolated as the rest of the routes on Table Mountain. Make sure you have some sort of protection on you at all times. We ran into tourists that were totally unprepared for the mountain again.

Today our snacks involved 2 apples, packet of peanuts, some banana bread and 4 sachets of instant cuppachino coffee, 2 litres of water each and a flask of hot water. Alex is not impressed with my choice of nibbles lately... but i have to remind him that we are training to get fit and keep in shape and that these snacks are NOT doing wonders to our waist lines at all.



The image above shows the route along the pipe track, which marks the start and end of this route.

Soon into starting our route we met up with a friendly gentleman and his doggie that he rescued 6 months ago from a local pound. He proceeded to tell us all about the Diagonal Route that we are about to follow.



Pets: Pets are allowed, but please remember that your dog also needs fluids and nutrients when you take them with you. The route is very exposed from the heat of the sun and the rocks get very hot. Ive seen how my own dogs got blisters under their paws from fairly short hikes on hot days, so please take care of them.



Walk along the Pipe Track for 2.5km and turn left by this sign which is the start of your up-climb on the Diagonal Route.



The path will zig-zag almost half way to the top. From here the views of Campsbay and the back of the table are breathtaking. I had to take a few breaks up, but was not half as exhausted as my trip up Platteklip Gorge last weekend.



Difficulty: Easy, very little scrambling, but it was 10km in distance.



Soon you will reach a rock overhang, known as Porcupine Cave. It is not a cave, but a mere rock overhang and a perfect spot for a quick break before you start the next leg of the climb.



Once you have head around the face, the path follows directly over the waterway and up into Porcupine Ravine. Halfway up into Porcupine Ravine, keep your eye out for the clear path heading towards the right. Take this route which is clearly marked by two cairns which are packed on top of the rocks either side of the path.



Now you head in the direction of Barrier Ravine, which also hugs the mountain, until you reach Barrier Ravine.






At the top of Barrier Ravine, we stopped to have well deserve coffee break and picnic.

The banana bread and coffee went down so well. The wind was howling - at least 50km ph - but we managed to get a really awesome spot behind a big rock, with a stunning view of the ocean below. After the apples, nuts and 3 cups of the best Nestle Cuppachino coffee in the whole world, we decided to move on. At the point we made the call that the wind was blowing very strong... in fact too strong to continue our 3km walk to the Cable way (which was closed due to the strong wind), so we decided to rather head towards Kasteels Poort and back down to the Pipe Track.

The path drops over the top and into the Valley of the Red Gods. You could see the Mountain Club huts from here too. Pity we did not spent more time here... but its gonna have to be a definite 'must do' for next time.



I can always count on Alex for finding these stunning Protea's popping up all over the top of the mountain! He was all over the place with his camera. I lost him once, and to my not so surprise, found him up a tree - trying to get to the right angle to get his perfect shot.



This route turned out to be a follow your nose kinda path. Soon after crossing over the top, the path came to a cross road as you head down into this stunning valley of the Red Gods.



Fresh Water: There were small streams at the top, but in summer they could dry out completely.




At the sign - which gave us a choice of left towards Platteklip Gorge (and the Table) and will take about 2 hours to get there, or right towards Kasteels Poort. This is where we decided to take a right onto the boardwalk. Just imagine the expression on my face - when these people walked pass Alex stuck under the boardwalk to get his shot. "eh, ja hey... he is uhm... taking pictures :)" ... which is also part of the reason why I employ him as my chief happy snapper.



The path in the picture below is also known at the Main Road crossing the mountain. It can also clearly be seen in the Google earth image that I attached via my new Garmin GPS which I got from father Christmas last year! what a fun toy to have!



The path ahead of me, is seen in the Google Earth image below as the straight path that marks the point of the Valley of the Red Gods, down towards Kasteels Poort...



Walk about 300m to the next point where the path clearly forks either down towards Kasteels Poort, or can be continued towards the Corridor Ravine and Slangolie Buttress. Here we turned down towards Kasteels Poort to start our descent down table mountain.



A good resting point halfway down Kasteels poort is a beautiful flat rock... pity about the litter bugs and their graffiti that is drawn all over it.



The route down to the Pipe Track took us about 30 minutes.



Shortly before we got to the bottom,we crossed the watercourse of the Valken Buttress. To the left of the Valken Buttress (image below) is Barrier Ravine that we have just hiked through. Nice hey!?



Once you reach the Pipe Track, turn right towards Kloofnek. From here the path takes you 600m to the point where we started out assent into the Diagonal Route. The total distance back to the car is 3km from Kasteels Poort to Kloofnek Road where we parked our car.







How will I rate this hike? We loved this route. It was not difficult to climb and fairly clearly marked out route. The new signage on the mountain is looking very good. My foot was burning underneath from the pain of a car accident a few years ago, but nothing will stop me to come back and do this route again. Today... 1 day later... my legs are super stiff and I know we had a great mind and body work out!