The group of young hikers had caught up with us at this point. They had left their packs behind, a sign that they were heading for suicide gorge for a spot of kloofing or canyoning (this video clip shows typically what it's all about). We were in no hurry ourselves, content to absorb the splendour of the region. the early morning cloud had burnt off and it was turning into a warm day, with signs that it was going to be really hot later.

The Riviersonderend Gorge is 24 km long, and Suicide Gorge is a 17 km circular haul. Some people do both gorges on the same day. It's not to be attempted by the faint-hearted. With jumps from 3 to 15 metres in height, the highest compulsory jump being approx. 15 metres, a lot of time is spent in the water as you follow its course through the gorge. The only way out is to continue down the river, thus a commitment to a day of kloofing is essential. the water, which assumes a tannin colour, is also extremely cold, even on a hot day.

Above Boegekloof lies Dwarsberg at 1523 metres. Leaving the Boegekloof river gorge, a momentary glance back up the kloof in a north-westerly direction provides a splendid view of the route towards the ridge that ultimately leads down into Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, on the Stellenbosch side. We soon reached Suicide Gorge, down which the young hikers ahead of us had begun to make their way. Despite encountering pools where the desire to immerse ourselves in it's crystal-clear waters seemed a worthwhile option at this stage, we crossed the river just above where it drops sharply down into the gorge below. Following a path that virtually turned back on itself with the river now directly below us, we reached another stream within Noordekloof, where we stopped for lunch and a swim. Both these spots are also an excellent source of drinking water.

An hour or so later, we pressed on as we headed up Noordekloof towards Pofaddernek, literally 'puff adder neck', a gradual yet steady climb. Despite the cloud mass building up to the west, a sure sign of the impending rain weather, the temperature was up. The front was only expected to hit the next day, so there was no immediate cause for concern. The weather in these parts being unpredictable however, the last thing you want is to be caught out in the thick of it.  Occasionally, the breeze brought some welcome relief however there were moments on the path where we found ourselves sheltered from it, the heat rising in waves off the ground. We knew there was still a long way to go after Pofaddernek, not least the long descent down Bobbejaankloof ('baboon gorge'), our hut at Boesmanskloof ('bushmen's gorge'), as well as Theewaterskloof Dam, still out of view at this point. The zig-zag path, not as well maintained, was fairly eroded in places, not least the short cuts that had been created between sections of the path.

We reached Boesmanskloof hut late afternoon, still illuminated by the sun soon to slip behind the mountains at the end of another day. To the east, into which Riviersonderend flows before it meanders on before forming a tributary of the Breede River, we viewed Theewaterskloof Dam ('tea water's dam', possibly a reference to the tannin-coloured water from the mountains), which forms part of the Western Cape Water Supply System. It was strange being back here, in a way. Many years ago, during my days as an electrical engineering student, I had worked for a spell at the Department of Water Affairs and had paid a visit to carry out inspections and test the soil pH. This was no time for life's reminiscences. Our priority after a wash was to organise our dinner in the shelter of the outdoor kitchen before nightfall, as depicted by Ralph's photo below, a study of a pair of seasoned hikers, if ever there was one. For the record, note the bottle of condensed milk on the table, evidence of Ralph's raging sweet tooth I was referring to earlier. The wind blew a gale all night and the windows and doors rattled. I don't think my iPod had progressed beyond track one before I had lapsed into the state of reduced consciousness. I remember waking up in the middle of the night remembering that I had left damp hiking clothes and socks draped over a rock for them to dry, so I got up and ventured outdoors to recover them.