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Start
The afternoon of arrival in Knysna's forests is a welcome retreat from the journey there. The start is about 30km into the forest and a 30-minute drive from Knysna town itself, at the small forestry hamlet of Diepwalle. Here the support crew will help you go through all your gear and make suggestions as to what can still be left out. After a short, guided walk in the surrounding forest and a brief introduction to the history of the local elephant population and the challenges of tracking them you return to camp where a sumptuous feast prepared by the local community awaits. (D) |
Day 1
The massive Outeniqua yellowwoods of Knysna were our companion for the first half of the day as we wound our way along forest paths to the edge of the reserve. By lunchtime we reached our first river crossing thereafter it was a gentle walk towards Camp 1 on a private farm on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay. (13 kms) |
Day 2
After coffee and breakfast around the morning fire we were ready for a briefing of the day ahead. The route would take us through various plantations and more private farms as we wound our way towards the Keurbooms river and by evening we would be deep in the river gorges. Each morning we were presented with a map for the day with GPS markings on (it's not necessary to carry a GPS device but many people do). The brief ensures that the whole hiking group is aware of what lies ahead, the expected terrain and the potential tricky spots, this also allows hikers who prefer to walk alone to do so without feeling nervous about losing their way. There are two guides, one at the front and one at the back, to ensure there are no mishaps. One of the great things about an unmarked trail is getting used to navigating one's way through the mountainous landscape. (17km) |
Day 3
On day three we made our way through the mountain fynbos of the Soetkraal, an expansive mountainous area just north of the Tsitsikamma forests. It was a long and tiring day with endless mountain vistas. (15 kms). |
Day 4
The fourth day was a scenic route out of the pristine Tsitsikamma mountains into the farmlands of the Langkloof, walking on an old jeep track through the mountains and almost circumnavigating Thumb Peak. (18 kms) |
Day 5
Day five meandered through a series of farms with Peak Formosa a permanent presence in the south-west. The day ended in a small valley in the foothills of the Kouga mountains. (21 kms). |
Day 6
The sixth day saw us entering the dramatic mountain vistas of the Kouga Wilderness area. This seldom-visited area is rich in mountain fynbos and is a haven for leopard. Some of the farms in the area look like nothing has changed in the last 100 years. (22 kms). |
Day 7
Day seven introduced us to a large-scale rehabilitation programme on a vast stretch of private wilderness. Here we had the opportunity to taste and savour organic produce from the various orchards we walk through. We camped in a lost valley surrounded by the sound of frogs. (18 kms). |
Day 8
Today we chased through thick bush over a number of small hills with no defined path, before we joined another jeep track which opened out onto a plateau cut by the Kouga river in the south-east. By evening we wound our way through this abandoned farm and down into a picturesque valley, where we camped in a pasture. (16 kms). |
Day 9
After an extended breakfast alongside the Doringboom river. By evening we found ourselves at Koue (cold) Nek on the ridge of an old wagon pass. And true to its name the wind and rain can be biting and very cold at Koue Nek. Despite the weather, at this point on the hike you will have made some good friends and could well be huddled around the fire singing and telling stories late into the night. (19 kms). |
Day 10
The tenth day was a long and winding route through the southern section of the Baviaanskloof mountains. The mountain views were endless and inspiring as we rounded peak after peak moving from mountain fynbos into dry grassland. Soon enough we encountered slopes covered with hundreds of flowering aloes, and there was no doubt that we were entering a whole new biome. The path into camp was framed by intense orange cliffs - camp this night is not the usual two-up in a tent . . . a secret luxury awaits. (24 kms). |
Day 11
This long winding walk through the Baviaanskloof itself is the highlight of the hike in many ways, particularly for those who have never been to the 'kloof. We crossed the same river countless times, in places shallow, in other spots thigh-high after the floods. This was a beautiful relaxed walking day with only two main climbs, the rest flat and easy. The scenery was spectacular, towering red rock mountains and thick acacia thorn trees along the riverbanks and a valley alive with game and wildlife. This section is also home to a number of buffalo so we walked with caution. It's a great opportunity to read the many tracks in the sand and get an idea of the active movement of game through the area. Our camp was at the well-known Rooihoek camp at the confluence of the Baviaanskloof and Kouga rivers. (21 kms). |
Day 12
This was a rest day which we spent swimming and exploring the surrounding area. There are many amazing short walks in the area should you need some time-out from the group to do your own thing - many took a stroll up to Wittruggens and observed the sweeping horse-shoe of the Kouga river where it meets the Baviaanskloof river. (20 kms). |
Day 13
By now we were raring to go again and this day was a very long trek through the mountains on old wagon paths, through unmarked bush and ending at Cambria Café - an opportunity to stock up on drinks, chips, chocolate and hand-rolled tobacco, twak! Our camp that night was set in a grove of rich thicket and aloes with a sloot cascading straight from the mountain with the sweetest water imaginable. (21 kms). |
Day 14
Today was a slow meander through the Goode Hoop Reserve - once again a day for walking through rivers. The gorge we follow begins with gentle hills and soon enters high crags with the most pristine bush and wildlife on either side. Reaching camp by foot is not really difficult, but getting the back-up crew there with all the tents and packs makes for added adventure. This happened on our night in the Goode Hoop Reserve. We braced ourselves for a dinner of left-over lunch and a wet night camping under a couple of space blankets. Before the rain came down in torrents the familiar hum of the back-up vehicle could be heard and the tents were erected in time. (22 kms). |
Day 15
Leaving Goode Hoop, we also left the Baviaanskloof and entered the Groot Winterhoek Mountains with Cockscomb Peak rising before us. Yet another range of mountains lay ahead. One feature of the Mega-Hike is that after every mountain range is crossed a new one lies ahead revealing yet another vista of valleys and an inevitable change, sometimes subtle at other times more dramatic, in the flora. We spent the night on a farm wedged between the Elandsberge and the Zunga Berge, where the local farmhand "Bosman", kept us entertained with stories from the area. He clearly thought we were crazy to be undertaking such an epic trek. (21 kms). |
Day 16
Crossing the Grootwinterhoek Mountains through thick mist and rain denied us the full view of Cockscomb and the distant Springbokvlakte. Once the clouds had cleared we found ourselves in a secret valley of beautiful farms stretching in front of the Grootwinterhoek along the Kariega River. This area is dotted with hunting farms and the issue of canned hunting and conservation inevitably becomes a talking point among the group. (18 kms). |
Day 17
This was an epic and possibly the most memorable day of the entire hike, Not because of scenery - although it was remarkable in itself and nothing like what we had seen before, not because of steep mountain passes, no, this day was remembered for its length. Here we crossed on a long gravel road the Springbokvlakte. After 40km we finally reached the farm where we were scheduled to camp, only to discover there was still one last mountain to climb. We camped high up with a 360-degree view of the entire area, stretching form the Grootwinterhoek in the south (which now looked very far away), to the Kleinwinterhoek and Suurberge before us, and the expanse of Addo Elephant National Park our final destination.
Camping atop Witberg was a fitting final campsite for a hike of this nature. It was here that we were finally able to reflect on the extreme distance we have covered over the past two and a half weeks. Around the campfire that night we reflected on where we had been, each person spoke briefly about a day they remembered and the experiences we had had. It was a nostalgic evening with lots of laughter and a sense of the approaching end swept in on the evening breeze. (24 kms). |
Day 18
By morning we were all charged for the final day ahead. Descending Witberg we crossed into a forest of thicket and Spekboom and into a small valley known as Die Moot. As the morning progressed a strong emotional feeling began to emerge amongst the hikers. Each step was bringing us closer to the end. We had walked together now for 19 days and were tired and excited at the same time. The last kilometre was on a track of soft red sand. We were given the option of removing our boots and walking barefoot and in silence for that last kilometre to the Addo gates. This was a very profound experience for most of us. To our left was a herd of zebra and some giraffe, birds sang out from the thicket and butterflies drifted through the warm air - a fitting and idyllic ending. On reaching the gate we were greeted by one of the Addo rangers. It was a time for tears and hugs and relief and a group photograph. . . but the Mega-Hike was not yet over. Before lunch we still had to walk another 12 kilometres to where a surprise party of friends and family greeted us on the banks of the Sundays River.
After a feast in the shade and a quick swim in the river, (where a resident hippo and her calf are said to reside!) we started loading our packs into the transfer vehicles and began the equally long journey back home. (17 kms). |
Options
Option 1: 5th - 11th September. (6 days) Cost: R4,800
Option 2: 11th - 23rd September.(12 days) Cost: R9,600
Option 3: 5th - 23rd September: (19 days) Cost R13,800 |
Includes
. Tented accommodation on a sharing basis in safari-style tented camps. ON certain nights we will stay in chalets.
. All meals from start to finish. This is 3 meals a day including sandwich lunches.
. Support vehicles.
. Transfers back to the start at the end.
. Route maps
. GPS waypoints of route
. A guide to show you the way |
Excludes
. Any airfares to or from George or Port Elizabeth
. Medical or travel insurance
. Hiking sleeping mattress (it is essential that each hiker have their own Thermarest or equivalent hiking mattress, we will not transport anything bigger!!!)
. Sleeping bag. |
Notes:
. Minimum age requirement for any hiker is 18 years of age.
. All hikers must be of good health and of reasonable fitness.
. Acceptance onto the Mega-Hike is subject to the hiker completing and submitting the hike indemnity form, completing and submitting the entry form and paying in full by the start of the hike. It is essential that the form be FULLY and correctly filled-in.
. Should any hiker behave in such a way that it negatively affects either the enjoyment or safety of themselves or other hikers, that hiker will be warned and if need be, evicted off the hike without compensation.
. The notes in the interary were taken from the first, exploratory hike and therefore some details will have changed e.g. day 17 is no longer 40km. |
