Mzanzitravel Magazine - Issue 9

Hiking
beauty of the Cape Peninsula, you can do the 88km, 5-day Hoerikwaggo Trail
that takes you from Table Mountain to Cape Point, passing through Hout Bay,
Silvermine, Kommetjie and Simonstown.
These are but just a few of the many, many beautiful walks and hikes available,
while there are numerous other activities also to be enjoyed. Contact Hike Table
Mountain on +27 (0)60 539 9340 or Table Mountain National Park on +27 (0)21
712 0527.
The Otter Trail – Eastern & Western
Cape
Strictly speaking this is a coastal hike and not a mountain trail, although it winds
its way along the base of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountain ranges.
Possibly the most famous hiking trail in South Africa, the Otter Trail winds its
way across cliffs and beaches, through rivers, up craggy ravines and through
beautiful forested areas – all the way with magnificent views of the Indian Ocean.
It covers one of the most pristine coastal areas of the Garden Route in the Western
Cape and forms part of the Garden Route National Park. The trail begins at Storms
River Mouth in the Eastern Cape with its awesome suspension bridge across the
sea and river mouth, making its way to Natures Valley in the Western Cape. There
are comfortable overnight huts along the way with water, firewood, braai and other
facilities.
The hike takes five days to complete a distance of 45km. Due to the physical
demands of the trail it is restricted to people between the ages of 12 and 65. It is
essential to make a booking with SANParks by calling Tel +27 (0) 12 426 5111.
Drakensberg Hikes – KwaZulu-
Natal
The magnificent Drakensberg ranges more than 1,000km across the northeastern
parts of South Africa, running from the Eastern Cape, around the eastern
edge of Lesotho where it borders KwaZulu-Natal, around to the Free State,
through Mpumalanga and up to Limpopo. It forms the eastern and highest portion
of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau.
Those who have hiked or climbed in the Berg, as it is affectionately known, keep
on going back year after year, and many will tell you it is Southern Africa’s best
hiking region.
of the Southern Drakensberg. Some sections are steep Hiking but any reasonably fit
person, including children, will be able to easily complete each section. Most of the
trail lies within the Cobham and Garden Castle Reserves. There are also several
trails in the Cobham Reserve. Small patches of indigenous forest are encountered
along the way, but most of the trail passes through mountain grassland with
lovely views of the mountains. The trail consists of five sections and overnight
accommodation is available at the end of each section.
The 6km day hike up the Sentinel Peak hiking trail takes one to the top of the
tallest free standing mountain in the Drakensberg on the western side of the
Amphitheatre. A famous feature of this trail are the twin steel ladders hikers have
to use up an almost sheer cliff face, but once the climb has been completed, hikers
are rewarded with unsurpassed views of the mountain range and the foothills and
plains far below.
The Amphitheatre trail offers a guided hike in the Northern Drakensberg that leads
to the top of the highest waterfall in Africa and second highest waterfall in the world,
the Tugela Falls, with spectacular views. This hike can be covered in a full day,
although the more extensive hike is recommended only for experienced hikers and
takes about 3 days to complete. Another favourite with many hikers is the Rainbow
Gorge Trail, an easy 6km meander that the whole family can do, starting at the
Cathedral Peak Hotel and then following the Ndumeni River upstream, passing
through a forest and into a gorge filled with waterfalls and rock pools.
Other popular hikes include the 4-hour Sugar Loaf trail; the 5-hour walk to the
Injisuthi Battle Cave; the 3-day Bell Traverse starting at the base of Cathedral Peak
and rising to the top of Mlambonja Ravine; the 2-day Gxalingenwa Cave Hike; the
Ganabu Ridge and Baboon Rock Hike; the easy 3km Shermans Cave Hike; the
100km, 6-day Blinkwater Hiking Trail; and many more. For more information call
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife on Tel +27 (0)33 845 1999 or the Drakensberg Tourism
Association on Tel +27 (0)36 448 1557 or Cell +27 (0)83 485 7808. There are also
numerous companies offering guided hiking packages in the area.
Outeniqua Hiking Trail – Western
Cape
If its pristine indigenous forests with giant yellowwood trees in a fairytale setting
that tickles your interest, the Outeniqua Trail is just the thing. Located in the
Southern Cape near the town of Knysna, this 108km 7-day hike is designed for
the more experienced hiker. There are however, also shorter 2 and 3-day options.
Like the Table Mountain National Park in the south, it is home to hundreds of
hiking trails, with the difference being that they are found in four provinces and two
countries. In this section we only look at some of the hiking trails in the KwaZulu-
Natal section of the mountain range. Some other Drakensberg hiking trails are
covered elsewhere in this article
A mere two hours’ drive from Durban is the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park that
offers a number of hikes ranging from easy day walks to more challenging three- or
four-day trips into the mountains. Many regard this area as one of South Africa’s
top wilderness experiences. The best-known feature of this park, part of a World
Heritage Site, is the Amphitheatre with cliffs that rise 3,000 meters above sea level
and forms a backdrop for the Tugela Falls, Africa’s highest waterfall at 948m. The
area is also home to an abundance of San (bushman) rock art paintings.
The trail can only be completed from west to east, starting at Beervlei Hut, an
old forest station, above Swartvlei near Wilderness, passing above Knysna and
ending near the Harkerville Forestry Station close to the N2 highway just before
Plettenberg Bay. Along the way hikers pass through some of the most beautiful
indigenous forests in the country. The forests are also home to the rare Knysna
elephant, but you are unlikely to spot one of these shy creatures, of which there
may be only be between one and a handful surviving.
Carving its way through the mountain foothills and forests, the trail also makes
its way down to the coast where beautiful rock formations may be explored and
seaside caves can be found. Basic overnight accommodation is available in 8
overnight huts along the route. For more information call SANParks Knysna office
on Tel +27 (0)44-302 5606 or (0)44 302 5600.
The Giant’s Cup Trail runs along the foothills of the Drakensberg from Sani Pass on
the Lesotho border to Bushman’s Nek near Underberg in the picturesque foothills
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