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View of Cape Nature's Nuweberg
office from the service road. |
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It had been four long years since the last visit to my beloved
homeland and country of my birth, South Africa. Apart from the fact
that I had not seen my family (excepting for on of my brothers)
during this period, I missed the multitude of hiking options
available in this vast and beautiful country. So I could not
possibly contemplate a return visit without taking in at least one
major hike of at least three days. As a result of some prior
discussion and planning with a former schoolmate, friend and hiking
buddy, Ralph, whom I had last met in Patagonia two years ago, the
choice narrowed down to either the Cedarberg or Boland Trail, the
latter involving less than an hour of travel time. The GPS track
mapping the entire route is shown here, courtesy of Ralph Pina. |
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View towards Grabouw & Elgin from
the service road in Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve. |
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It was with some initial disappointment that we realised, according
to the website of Cape Nature website, that Landroskop
and Shamrock huts in the Hottentots
Holland Nature Reserve had
been closed due to a severe case of vandalism. Further enquiries by
Ralph revealed that the huts were now open and bookings were secured
as a result, however we would discover on the day that we weren't
'out of the woods' yet, so to speak. Only experienced hikers,
well-equipped for extreme weather, should consider this route, is
the advice. Trail distances on the Nuweberg Route are as follows:
Day 1: Nuweberg to Landdroskop - 12km
Day 2: Landdroskop to Boesmanskloof - 17,6km
Day 3: Boesmanskloof to Nuweberg
- 14km
Hut: Two huts and one hut are found at the overnight stops, each
sleeping 30 people. Huts are equipped with bunk beds, mattresses and
water. |
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We packed and set off from Stellenbosch for the Hottentots Holland
Nature Reserve around 08h00 Tuesday morning, via Theewaterskloof.
The Cape Nature official at the gate had other ideas as to whether
Shamrock hut was indeed available for us to stay over in. As far as
she was concerned, her instructions were not to give anyone the
keys, bookings notwithstanding. Confusion reigned for another hour
until it was finally sorted out, having also agreed not to lodge a
complaint regarding the state of the toilets, which were in the
process of being upgraded. Our prior hiking experience with regard
to the call of nature and Ralph's small hand shovel meant that we
were sufficiently well equipped, with an added ability to improvise.
The path took us past the reserve's main office building along a
service road that rose steadily, with Nuweberg Dam to our left. This
service road doubles back to the right before before continuing the
steady climb once again. We reached the point where the
service road drops down towards Eikenhof Dam, with views towards
Grabouw and the dominant section of the Hottentots Holland mountain range to the west
that
forms the barrier between the Cape Town metropolitan area and the
southern Overberg coast which may only be crossed by Sir Lowry's Pass.
At the start of the Great Trek in 1835 when migrants decided to
leave the Cape Town area, or Cape Colony as it was then known, the
first mountain range they crossed was this range. Cuts and wheel
markings from their ox wagons can still be seen in rock formations
in the vicinity of Sir Lowry's Pass on this mountain range. Much of
how the Overberg was first discovered and explored by early settlers
is described in magnificent detail in two books by Edmund Burrows,
Overberg Outspan and Overberg Odyssey. This
route still serves as the primary route out of the Cape Town area
for travellers heading up the east coast of South Africa. |
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Eikenhof Dam, bordering Hottentots
Holland Nature Reserve; In search of the elusive Sphynx. |
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Leaving the
service road, the path follows a distinctive hiking trail upwards
towards Nuweberg, to our left, at 1280 metres. The indication on the
map of an outcrop of rock referred to as The Sphinx brought constant
amusement for the rest of the day, as we set out to identify it. The
possibilities mounted as no fewer than three emerged as possible
candidates such that, today, we are still none the wiser and the
debate rages on.
We stopped for lunch as we reached the head of a valley with what
looked like Shamrock hut in the distance behind a hill and the final
traverse towards it. This required us to first cross a stream
(possibly part of the Palmiet River), which
preceded a wide loop in order to reach the hut.
The Palmiet River rises in the
Hottentots Holland Mountains. The river is about 70km long and fed
by 11 perennial tributaries and numerous seasonal streams. The river
meanders south from Nuweberg, through the Elgin Basin before it
enters the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. Relaxing in the sunshine just
off the path, a group of young hikers passed us, oblivious as to our
presence, heading for the hut adjacent to Shamrock. Surely, as
ageing, seasoned hikers, we weren't that well camouflaged! It was an
interesting valley, surrounded on all sides by peaks, the landscape
scattered with rock shapes of all descriptions that, with some
imagination, allowed one to conjure up resemblances to man and beast
alike. The real treat was the abundance of Cape fynbos and the
multitude of colours. |
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The rugged landscape of Hottentots
Holland Nature Reserve. |
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Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve
fynbos. |
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Mesmerising geology of Hottentots
Holland Nature Reserve. |
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The approach to the huts at the end
of the first day. |
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Upon reaching Shamrock Hut via a wooden walkway designed to protect
the marshland beneath it, we executed an improvised wash al fresco
before settling down to a cup of tea whilst sunning ourselves on the
open deck in front of the hut.
Having maintained a sweet tooth
over the years, Ralph's is usually laced with condensed milk, one of
his simple hiking pleasures for which I have got to know about him.
Whilst we were more than satisfied
with the accommodation, it was a real shame to discover that
construction workers who had been there before had left area around
the hut in a bit of a mess, plastic and paper strewn on the ground
an indication of their disregard for the environment. With the aid
of Ralph's gas burner, we soon rustled up a pasta dinner in the hut itself
before it got dark and the cloud began to roll in, transforming the
landscape entirely. Rain had been forecast on the third day. |
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View from Shamrock hut as clouds
roll in. |
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