Bald Ibis Overnight Trail

Date: June 2002

Weather: Cold during the day making for a lovely hike but very chilly in the evening.

Boy oh boy. This is a hike of note. Before anybody intends doing the Naukluft this is a good one to do, to prepare themselves. When leaving base camp you immediately start climbing. First gradually and then it becomes pretty steep.

The trail then takes you along the contour path, just below the craggy rocks, through indigenous forests, down gulleys, up ravines for quite a distance. Doesn't sound like much but all those up's and down's are quite exhausting. You pass windy corner, which is very aptly named, so be careful, very, very careful. (One of our party - I won't mention names - tried to take a header downhill.)


You continue further along before heading down the mountain at a moderate angle, across the valley and through the Black Wattle Forest. It is at this point that you must decide whether you are going to drag a branch with you all the way to the cave for a fire or drop off your back pack and return when you have energized yourself. (If you are lucky, the group ahead of you, took enough firewood to last the evening) .

From there you start climbing quite steeply for a short distance before it peters out to a gradual climb until finally, eventually and at long last you reach the overnight cave.


The trail back wasn't very well marked, so the various groups all went their own way. You started off with a relatively steep descent and from there the path undulated for quite a distance, past some huge and beautiful rock formations, before heading down to base camp.


My thoughts
Although a very looooooong and strenuous hike, it was absolutely great, with lots of variety. The steep climbs, the beautiful forests, the slippery downhills, the magnificent rocks and of course, windy corner. Even walking across the grassland from one mountain to another was a welcome relief from all the ups and downs. And we musn't forget about carrying your fire wood with you the last 3km's. A really superb hike and one I will hopefully be able to do again, although this time I think I will give the firewood a miss.(Firewood? If memory serves me correctly, I think I managed to carry a twig.)

Naukluft Trail

The BIG one, the AWESOME one, the BREATH TAKING and yet HUMBLING one. (Definitely a 'must do')

Date
10 – 17 July 2001

Weather

Warm during the day but chilly in the evenings. Cool on the last day.

Day1

Don't know what I was doing here. I mean this is a serious hike for serious, fit and enduring hikers. But not knowing what was ahead of me, I didn't really give it much thought. I should really learn to think before doing things. Saves on a lot of suffering. And yes, I suffered, big time.
We all set off in high spirits descending along a boulder strewn dry river bed for quite a distance and it continued on..... and on.... and on ....and then you start wondering what was so great about this hike, and what is so strenuous about it. It is like any other hike. Huh! Double Huh! Boy was I in for a surprise.
The trail ascends once a park perimeter fence is reached. Gee, that was said so blithely. I mean the ascent, maybe wasn't totally vertical, but I could have sworn it was leaning that way after a while. By the time you reach the saddle you are already so exhausted that you just want to lie down and sleep. But you can't, because you have to follow the path which contours the mountain for a while (for a while? what an understatement), undulating over hills, down gorges, up dales, aaaand it undulates over hills, down gorges, up dales, aaaaaand it undulates over hills, down gorges, up dales, until eventually it enters a kloof.

You follow the kloof for a while before climbing steeply once more up the mountain - by this time you are in that mindless state where you are so exhausted that everything you do is automatic. You don't know how your legs are moving, they just are. Anyway, you follow the contour path to the head of a kloof before reaching Putte Shelter. I would have felt excited, I'm sure. Just too tired to feel anything, which included the small stones digging through your miserable thin mattress.

Day 2:
I didn't want to leave Putte Shelter. It was such a nice place. But it was either leave with the group or stay there by myself. Not sure what I was more scared of. Anyway the trail ascended to the top of the ridge and then followed a jeep track before turning inland. And this is where it got tough again. Not through anything strenuous but those eternal dry riverbeds. The stones in there are not big enough for you to hop from one to another and not small enough for you to just carelessly walk on. So you have to balance on these ridiculous sized rocks, which is ok in the beginning, but mile after mile of this and your feet start yelling at you - especially when you don't have the right boots on. And boy, did they yell. After a loooooong while you reach Ubisis Kloof, where you can stop for lunch at the Cathedral Fountain, at the head of the kloof. At least so I was told. I was back into my mindless, automatic mode again. The trail then leads steeply - so what's new - down the kloof with the help of chains. Bit scary if you suffer from vertigo but not as bad as you expected. You then follow another blasted dry riverbed until you reach the Hut, which is an old house equiped with bunk beds, mattresses, flush toilets (that didn't work) and a very, very cold shower.

Day 3

You retrace your steps back to the kloof and up the chain ladders. From here the trail branches off and you follow a kloof and - surprise, surprise - a dry riverbed, before crossing a plateau to reach Adlershorst Shelter. The route is quite easy and because you are getting slightly fitter as the days progress you are not quite in that mindless state you experienced the last two days.

Day 4

Leaving Adlershorst the terrain is fairly level for quite a distance until it enters the Tsams Oost River Gorge. The trail then takes you through the kloof and just as you are about to get really comfortable, it rises steeply to bypass a waterfall. I must admit, the views were magnificent and well worth the effort of the climb, and a climb it was.

The descent into the valley is equally spectacular. The final part of the trail entails a walk along a dry riverbed and then along a gravel road to Tsams Oost Shelter, passing an enormous moringa tree and a number of springs. Tsams Oost has a steel cupboard to store supplies in for hikers doing the eight day trail. If it wasn't for the fact that I would have had to wait 4 days there on my own, I swear I would have just parked off there but being stuck in the middle of nowhere was a bit scary, but the thought did cross my mind - a couple of times.

Day 5:
The day starts with a hard climb up Broekskeur and then undulates through several kloofs and valleys before finally, finally, a long descent to a valley and a disused windmill. A jeep track then guides the hiker across wide plains and across dry riverbeds (I really hate riverbeds) until a gravel road is reached, which takes you to De Valle Shelter.

Day 6:

From De Valle Shelter, the trail takes you up the valley towards the waterfall, before embarking on a short but veeeeeery steep climb up the mountain until a contour path is reached. From here the trail hugs the mountainside and then enters the top of the waterfall. A dry riverbed is followed for quite a distance to the watershed where it meets an old jeep track which it follows down to Tufa Shelter.

Day 7:

From Tufa Shelter the trail leads across the valley and then enters a steep kloof. An ascent up the the kloof is made with the help of chains including one of 28m, while baboons sit at the top and screech at you. You just wish that at that time, you had the energy to screech back. The trail then follows the riverbed until the mountaintop is reached. Here one has the chance of seeing some incredible views. It is at points like these you realise why all the effort - because it is worth it. The last part of the days walk leads across Kapokvlakte until the Kapokvlakte shelter is reached.



Day 8:

The last day of this amazing trail starts off the way the previous day ended, with a walk across Kapokvlakte. After what seemed like an endless walk (seemed - it was an endless walk) the trail started its descent, which was pretty steep in places, into the Naukluft River Gorge. The trail follows the riverbed back to the starting point at Hikers Haven, bypassing a number of pools along the way. At that point I just wanted to get home so I ignored all the pools and literally flew back to the hut.

My Thoughts:

I wasn’t ready for this hike, not only on a fitness level, but mentally. Naukluft has so much to offer and a certain degree of fitness is required to appreciate it. The stark but glorious desolation, the magnificent gorges, the eternal riverbeds, those plummeting descents and perpendicular ascents. I wasn’t ready, I don't think anybody can ever be ready for Naukluft, but I am so glad that I did it, because it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to and the memory of it will be forever etched in my mind. Not only of the hike itself, (The bits that I can remember) but the stark beauty of the area.

Alexandria Trail

Start of the Alexandria trail is at Langebos Hut. A stone hut with basic amenities. Sleeps 12 people in 2 rooms each with 3 double bunks. There are mens and ladies showers (cold water only) and flush loos. Braai area is a bit of a mess. No grill for braaing. Parks Board chappie came around and classed us all in general ( footprinters) as "Oh that bunch
!"---booking story I presume. You can leave your cars overnight at Langebos hut but they must be moved in the morning to the office area where there is a watchman. Not too far from the start which is at the hut.


DAY 1
Left at 7.20am. Lovely walk through Afro-Montane forest. Forest giants dripping with 'old man's beard' Saw 3 pairs of Knysna Loeries, also vervet monkeys near the 'Waterboom'. Easy walking. Lots of ducking in Spider Alley. (Golden Orbs- BIG ONES). Poor Rob copped them first. Saw a glimpse of a grey bushbuck. About 3 hours walking to the edge of the forest then 10-15 min's through paddocks and onto the road. This takes you past Woody Cape Resort. Here you take a side path to the right then left along the fence then onto a wooden boardwalk which brings you out on the beach. It was a lovely, lovely day! No wind.
Saw a dead Dolphin on the beach and blue bottles being eaten by snail looking things. We reached the beach at about 11.15. The dunes are spectacular and we saw a fish eagle perched on top of one of them. Had lunch on the beach, lovely. Just past our lunch spot we found 2 freshwater springs on the beach. Reached the rope ladder at about 13.30. Wow Aileen, I wouldn't try this one if I was you. VERY scary! 2 of the rungs were broken making the ascent even harder. If the wind was blowing it must be a nightmare. Bit of dune walking on the top of the sand cliffs.



This eventually becomes coastal bush and you continue along here on a bit of a loop and thence to the hut. Trail is fairly well marked. Reached the hut at about 15.00.Very nice hut. Also sleeps 12. Most mattresses have no covers but the hut is clean and has a broom. The verandah is a threat to life and limb (floorboards rotting but to be replaced April 2004.) Lots of bird life at hut, also saw a whale and plenty of dolphins. Lovely view from verandah of the 3 islands, one of which has a lighthouse. Tried to find the path to the wreck but it was so overgrown we gave up.
TO USE THE LOO
Knock first so spiders do not get a fright when you open the door. Allow spiders time to exit, flick up lid and step back quickly! If nothing with more than 2 eyes looks back at you it's safe to sit!



Left at 6.30. Easy walking through coastal scrub (more spiders). Huge climb out of bush and up face of first dune. Dunefields absolutely magnificent! Quite hard walking but exhilarating to be amidst such beauty. Hard on the heels and calves and very hot. Trail is fairly well marked. Sometimes there are no poles so you have to look for the tyres they used to anchor the poles. Reached the end of the dunefields at about 10.30 then through more coastal bush.
Hit the track in the farmlands at 11.00. Hundreds of tiny snails clinging to the grass about the size of this (@). Very long stretch and very hot. Stopped at old farmhouse and chicory oven. Topped up water bottles from tank on roof. Turned left off track onto trail, again through indigenous bush.Saw 6 more Loeries and Rob found a red feather. Also more Bushbuck. Eventually came out onto another road and followed this to the new huts they are building for hikers. Very nice too.





Reached the office about 13.45, piled into our cars and headed off to Hogsback for the Amatola trail the next day. Next time this is booked must make sure there is a day inbetween to catch your breath. Beautiful trail! Well worth doing.

Heather Cunningham