A (Mad?) Hatters last minute summer hiking party to the Groot-Winterhoek Nature Reserve Disclaimer: the story recorded hereunder could be loosely based on real events but could also be fictional. Any resemblance to persons or events could be entirely coincidental and the author cannot be held responsible for the reader’s presumptions. It’s oft been said [...]
Boosmansbos wilderness area is well known for its flora and hiking and is only 3 hours from Sedgefield. I did this trail a few months earlier this year in the rain and decided at short notice to put it on for another go. We filled the 11 spots quickly. Ed and Mimi Shuttleworth, Lauren [...]
A large contingent of South Cape members and guests assembled during the Friday afternoon and installed themselves in various corners of the Kromrivier property. The majority occupied the campsite, but some others opted for a chalet and others for the permanent tents. We expected a team of 19 but one couple had car issues on [...]
Exploring the Koue-Bokkeveld The Koue-Bokkeveld is the name for a mountain range that should be familiar to those who journey to the Cederberg. Always there but slightly beyond reach! Eight South Cape members assembled at the mountain’s base last Tuesday afternoon as it was time to make our acquaintance with this ranges star attraction – [...]
The Groot-Winterhoek wilderness area, to the north of Tulbach, is well-known among serious hikers, while the large pool at “The Hell” is an iconic destination. But it took me many years to eventually get to this area and enjoy the delights of this special wilderness. At least three previous efforts to visit the area did [...]
The invasive alien tree Hakea sericea remains one of the greatest threats to the magnificent Klein Swartberg Mountains. As part of a bigger coordinated effort to control hakea in these mountains, MCSA members Gary Cundill, Hugh Sussen and I, together with Michael Moller, took on some hakeas on the Elandsberg Mountain above Ladismith. We began [...]
Eleven members joined me for a very relaxed and pleasant hike on a perfect winters day in paradise. The trail offers the very best that the lakes have to offer with stunning views and beautiful fynbos. We managed to get the whole way around the edge of Swartvlei without getting our feet wet and negotiated [...]
This was our second winter hike in the Swartberg, starting from the Ou Tol near the top of the pass. This hike surpassed the first in a number of ways. It was easier to organise, there were no postponements, the weather was much better and the route itself was much more interesting. Nine hardy souls [...]
The Old Toll circuit in the Groot Swartberg starts at the old tollhouse and rises up to the crest of the Swartberg Pass before turning eastwards and rising up to a peak. It then heads down to the Die Hel road and back to the tollhouse. It is a pleasant route on a well-marked path [...]
It took me awhile to distinguish between Bonnievale and Bonniedale, but when I did, I found the difference to be remarkable. Bonniedale is much closer to home and is a guest farm situated at the foot of the Attakwas mountains. It is fairly rustic camping with basic ablutions and a cool dam for swimming. One [...]