Meet Leader: Evie Bowen
Hikers/MCSA members: Maretha Alant, Werner Frei, Clive & Sandy Louw, , Tony and Evie Bowen, Tanya Strauss, Karin van Niekerk, Judy Dixon, Cheryl & Greg Devine, and Marianne Halbsgut (guest).
Hike duration: about 7 hours including stops and swimming while the Hike distance was around 15 kms
We set out on a pretty perfect and a beautiful sunny day from the Saasveld Student housing. The track soon climbs uphill with wonderful views of the surrounding Outeniqa peaks and hills. Higher up we left the jeep track to wind along the mountain path to the Tierkop hut.
Here on the hut balcony we had our first snack break, noticing further vandalizing action on this delightful and unused mountain overnight hut – this time a shower door had disappeared!
Leaving the hut we descended along the jeep track to soon turn off to the right along the path to the Leaky dam (or old Garden route dam). The Fynbos and its flowering plants along this section of the path is particularly special.
At the Leaky Dam we crossed the dam wall. Some of the more engineering minded in our group inspected the leaks. On the far end we took the lower foot path to continue downhill.
This section of the path is badly overgrown and we were ducking in and out of newly grown Wattle trees and very bushy Restio’s. Sadly for the lunch spot along the path they did not provide much shade!
Further downhill we joined the jeep track for a certain distance passing near the Power Van railroad track, then branching off to left to pick up the fairly steep and slippery path down to Pepsi pools.
Pepsi pools – a foaming delight and 2 brave members (Judy and Clive) enjoyed?? the freezing effect of the cold water.
The hike finished off with a final walk/contour through some indigenous forest and back to the start at Saasveld Campus. It was a great day out in the George Mountains – thanks to all who participated and made the hike so enjoyable.