Near De Doorns, in the Hex River valley, with the outspread vineyards towards the north, one can see the majestic peaks of the Hex Mountains – and iconic peaks like Milner Peak, Buffels Dome and Buffelshoek Peak. I wanted to hike into that valley to appreciate the grandeur of those high peaks and the massive rock walls. This hike was on my list since I used to travel south from the Free State towards Cape Town for some of my December family holidays.
At last, after about 30 years of longing, I did just that. And I was not disappointed. It is very difficult to get access to this area, all privately owned by one man. I got hold of an active member of the Worcester Section, who have established a good trusting relationship with the owner over some years. He was willing to arrange access for a group of MCSA members. Initially it was on our meets program for March this year, but it had to be cancelled due to rainy conditions. I followed up with our contact and he managed to arrange access again for a weekend in November. The access conditions are rather strict: He had to chaperone us and only 6 outsiders were allowed in, with some time constraints and out-of-bounds areas. He also took a few of his friends with him. This time the weather was good, and we could go.
We gathered in Worcester on the Friday afternoon and drove together into the valley – through the control gate, past impressive vineyards with flowering cannas lining the roads, age-old established farm homesteads, and more vineyards. It was obvious that these people pamper their table grapes for export. Then we went through a chain barrier and ultimately to the allowed parking area. We only started hiking after 6 pm and walked up the valley to a camping spot until almost dark.
Saturday was a lovely day with clear skies. We went up Dome Kloof during the morning, with its’ crystal-clear stream, lovely pools, great views of the peaks and cliffs, and enough shade to keep us cool. During the afternoon we hiked further up the main valley to see more of the high cliffs and peaks, some towering above you for more than 1400 meters! I returned to our camping site with a smile and a happy heart. What a marvelous day in the mountains!
We could not explore much on the Sunday, as we had to be out of the estate before 12 pm. We hiked back and our chaperone took us to some rock art. And so ended one of my “bucket list” hikes.
The group: (from left to right): Hugh Sussens, Jacomi & Derek Odendaal, Mari Swart, Dennis Lange, Johan Huisamen:
Meet Leader ~ Derek Odendaal