When Cara invited us to do a hike with 18 other people in the Drakensberg, we didn’t hesitate for a moment. This had been on our bucket list for a long time.
The group’s plan was to do a hike called “Giant’s Cup”. We were to cover 60 kilometres (37 miles) and 2’000m (6’500ft) of elevation in 5 days, including overnight stays in huts along the trail.
The websites talked of a 5-star hiking experience with glorious panoramic views, grassy plains and spectacular valleys with streams and pools.
It was exactly that.
We met up with the group on Wednesday morning and started our hike.
For the first day, we hiked 13k. On the way there, we discovered a beautiful pool. Of course, swimming was called for.
It turned out that we shouldn’t have spent so much time at the pool. Because only a few hours later, we got caught in a heavy downpour. We were drenched by the time we got to our first hut.
Day two was a short 9k hike. Somehow, the green landscape reminded me more of Scotland than South Africa.
We arrived at hut number two before the rain. It was close to a pool, so more swimming!
For day three, we had a 12k hike on the agenda.
This brought us to our third hut. They were built in the African style and are called rondavels.
Unfortunately, the toilets and showers weren’t well maintained.
But the beds were comfy and we had a nice fireplace.
On day four, we had to do the 13k hike in the rain. We missed the stunning views, but at least it didn’t dampen the mood.
Fortunately, our last hut had a warm fireplace and nice bathrooms (they became my new fixation).
For the last day, we hiked to the hotel at the end of the trail. A hot shower never felt so good!
This hike was a wonderful experience, not only because of the beautiful landscape. It was nice to be off the grid for a few days and to hike with a bunch of strangers. We got to know each other better while chatting during the hike and by the end, it felt as if we had known each other for years.
Also, I was impressed by everyone’s resilience and positive attitude: not once did I hear anyone complain about the weather or badly maintained bathrooms. South Africans are definitely no complainypants – they just deal with it.
I learned a few practical lessons, too: next time, I will need to pack less food and more clothes, especially a second pair of shoes. Also, a washing line to hang stuff to dry would have been a good idea. We have already planned our next hike for May next year. This is so much fun!
- What was the last time you got drenched in the rain?
- Are you and underpacker or overpacker? What do you take too much/too little of when you travel?
I’m joining Kooky Runner and Zenaida’s link-up, Tuesday Topics. I’m also joining Runner’s Roundup with Mile By Mile, Coach Debbie Runs, Confessions of a Mother Runner and Runs with Pugs.
Wow, your hike sounded absolutely wonderful! I´m sure the whole group welded together, there´s nothing like a shared experience. 🙂 Did you have to pay for the use of the huts, or is it free for all? In Finnish Lapland there are free huts that you can use, they rule is you have to give up your space to a newcomer if you´ve already stayed one night.
We felt like old friends at the end of the hike! Some of them were from Cape Town and are runners, so I hope we can go out for a run with them sometime.
We had to pay a small fee for the huts (USD 30.- in total) and needed to reserve in advance, as the huts only had 24 beds. I love that Lapland rule! It makes sense!
What a fun adventure!!! Did you sign up in advance for this as part of a tour? I would love to do something like this. Your photos are beautiful!
It was all privately organized by a friend of Cara’s. When a few people cancelled, they looked for some new ones to fill their spots, and that’s how we ended up being part of this hike. It was such a lovely group – some of them are runners so I’m hoping to go for a run with them soon.
Perfect hike it seemed. Amazing people, games, exercise, good food, magnificent scenery! Wow🤚
Did anyone sleep outdoors or in tents?
Rainy 🌞season at this time of the year there? Looked like it was chilly w the down jackets some were wearing. I know weather. We talk about weather all the time😂 Weather talk is fun🤚
Wearing clothing that dries quickly is pretty important. This type clothing is light as well! I love cotton & wool but totally impractical when hiking as such. When one is warm & dry, one is usually content!
Oh that second hut’s toilet & shower were pretty grotty! 😱 I have used similar ones to this & it just feels awful. Yeah I would rather build a field latrine & use that. I always carry a folding shovel, they are light & strong & perfect for digging holes. The last hut’s toilet & shower looked like a spa in comparison 😂
Did you check for bedbugs? Yikes! Those huts are a mecca for them! Sorry to spook you. Hallowe’en👻🎃! And you don’t want to bring them home w you either! 😬
Warm rain running is fun. That is all I have to say about that!😂
Nothing like a good card game w a new group of friends. Chess is a blast too! Were you the popcorn chefs? Hah.
I see you had hiking poles! Are those your new poles you won as a race prize a while back?
That was quite far from Cape Town! How were the roads to get there? I imagine you traveled by bus or something like that?
Great reading & fun pics. Thanks for sharing🌞
It was an amazing experience, Yves. I especially liked the feeling of being self-sufficient, fending for yourself in the wild outdoors and that sort of thing. 🙂
One couple brought a hammock with them and slept in that. A good idea, especially with the bedbugs. My greatest paranoia was turning around while asleep and then touching the mattress with my face. Yuck!! We had a sleeping mat as a protection, but still! Halloween indeed, ha!
It was quite chilly and it rained every day around lunchtime. I was struggling with having soaked shoes (Hokas). I didn’t have a second pair of shoes, not even flip-flops. Fortunately, sitting by the warm fireplace helped to dry them off a bit. Lesson learned!
Oh, a folding shovel is a great idea! So much cleaner than using a grotty toilet. I confess I didn’t use that shower… I used the basin for a cat wash.
The couple with whom we spectated the Cape Town marathon on the bikes gave us that popcorn tip. The best ever! People loved it. We did it every night.
Well spotted! The poles are our old poles… the new shiny ones are still in Switzerland. We were the only ones who used poles and I found them extremely helpful. Not everyone in the group was convinced that they are useful, though! 🙂
The trip took was long, it took us two days. We were four people in the car to reduce the environmental impact and the cost (USD 420.- for petrol for both ways). The roads were surprisingly good. They weren’t motorways like in Europe, but good roads. Also, there was very little traffic – a welcome change to Europe.
We did pass a few interesting towns… the one that sticks in my memory was Mthatha. People were selling chicken feet by the roadside and that sort of thing. 🙂
Good to see you running again, Yves! I hope to join you soon sometime this month.
I once slept in a very inexpensive hotel room in Cuba for 50 cents a night. I know why it was so cheap. The place was crawling w cockroaches. I don’t know how I stayed there.😱 I pulled the bed away from the wall & put in the centre of the floor so no walls were near the bed. Cockroaches climb the walls. That was the grossest place I ever slept at. I left early the next day as soon as possible. 😂
Oh my goodness! That sounds like a horror movie! 🫣
I bet you would never stay in a place like that today. 😂🤣
Hammock are perfect for this scenario. Next time? Camping hammocks have a fly to keep things off you.
Too bad about the wet shoes. There are gortex runners for trails. They are perfect for trails, light & keep feet dry without having to bring another pair.
Hammocks are indeed worth thinking about. They’re lighter than air mattresses, mats and the like. And no bedbugs! 😄
We talked about Gortex shoes in the hiking group. You are right, it’s something to think about. 😊👍🏻
How fun.
I’d love to do this. Especially in a place so scenic.
Also it’s lonely hiking alone.
I usually over pack and unfortunately my getting drenched were during several half marathons
Hiking alone also has its benefits, but for this tour, I was happy to be in a group. We didn’t see a single soul for 5 days! It was quite amazing.
Ugh, being wet for an entire half-marathon is awful… I bet it took you a long time to warm up at the finish line.
Wow, was für ein tolles Abenteuer in der heutigen Zeit des Komforts !! Erinnert mich an meine Zeit bei den Pfadfindern vor gefühlten 100 Jahren – alles sehr einfach gestrickt in einer netten Gemeinschaft, man sieht euch die Freude an. Besonders gut gefällt mir das Bild hoch auf dem Felsen !
Dann auch noch Regen und relativ ” einfache ” Hygieneverhältnisse, aber es ist etwas Besonderes in unseren Zeiten. gefällt mir!
Meine Erfahrung mit nassen Regenklamotten, zumindest nach dem Laufen: ich rieche sonst nie – weder nach Schweiß, noch sonst, aber wenn ich nach starkem Regen meine Klamotten ausziehe, dann ” duften ” sie unangenehm – und es ist besser, wenn ich sie gleich in die Maschine gebe. Aber in deinem Fall: woher Maschine nehmen ?????????????? 😉
Die Schlepperei stelle ich mir auch gewöhnungsbedürftig vor, von daher kann ich gut nachvollziehen, dass du das nächstes Mal hier sparsamer sein wirst.
Was macht A ?? Hast du gar nicht erwähnt !!
Genau das war für uns so neu und reizvoll, liebe Margitta. Alles sehr einfach, kein Strom, keine Einkaufsmöglichkeiten – wir waren völlig auf uns selbst gestellt. Es war wunderbar!
Das Hüpfbild gefällt mir auch am besten – wir haben lange dafür geübt. 🙂
Auf der Heimfahrt waren wir zu viert im Auto und es stank bis zum Himmel (die Fahrt dauerte zwei Tage). Als wir zu Hause ankamen, schmissen wir als erstes die Waschmaschine an. Es dauerte seeehr lange, bis alles gewaschen und an der Luft getrocknet war (wir haben keinen Trockner).
Mein Rucksack war mit 12kg schon schwer (obwohl andere viel mehr trugen). Ich war froh um jedes Gramm das wir gegessen haben. Das nächste Mal wird optimiert!
Lady A hatte sehr gut mitgemacht, das Wandern gefiel ihr. Ich habe nach der Wanderung mal einen Testlauf gemacht (sehr langsam mit vielen Gehpausen) aber da hat sie doch wieder rumgemurrt. Es braucht so viel Geduld!
What an amazing mini adventure. It must have been great to go off-grid like that, hiking and meeting new people. I feel so much nostalgia seeing these photos! I really miss South Africa, and KZN in particular.
It sounds like you’ve already dialed in your gear for next year now. I am the same with overpacking. Whether its holidays my running pack, I tend to usually bring more than I need. I guess we can turn this into a positive and call ourselves ‘well prepared’, rather than overpackers! I usually bring too many gadgets and/or food.
The weekend before last I ran to the west coast, and along it for a bit. It was about 3.5 hours total, but I got drenched by passing rain multiple times over. In-between I was lucky with some sunny spells though, and witnessed an amazing sunset over the ocean, so it was totally worth it.
Will you do the Drakensburg again next time? Have you considered going north for some adventures (maybe near Limpopo province?) I lived there for a while (near Bela Bela), and still have family there. There are some great game reserves to do safaris or camping at.
Oh, it was wonderful! Especially being totally self-sufficient – no electricity, no shops, no hotels. I can imagine how you miss KZN – although Wales is a good alternative.
Ha, yes, after this trial run, we will be better prepared for next time. I think you put a lot of thought into what you pack for your ultra races, especially what you put in your drop bags for the checkpoints. In a race, it’s always better to have a little bit more than you need. You never know!
That long run on the west coast sounds epic, despite being drenched several times. We do anything for a good sunset, right? Was that when you were testing your TrailFly Ultras?
Thanks for that tip, Sean. I just googled it – oh my goodness, the area around Bela Bela looks awesome! I will definitely keep that in mind. Our next hike will be along the Fish River in Namibia – I have no clue what to expect but everyone says it beautiful.
I used some well worn shoes for that one – didn’t want to risk any issues before I had worn the TrailFlys in properly! Steadily increasing the mileage in them.
That sounds amazing – Namibia won’t disappoint I’m sure! There are some great nature reserves and resorts in Limpopo, so its yet another potential option. I’m sure you’re not short of planned trips and adventures though. Looking forward to hearing about the next!
I’m looking forward to exploring more of South Africa and neighbouring countries. Such an amazing region!
I’m a HUGE over-packer, so I would really need to fine-tune my “needs” for an adventure such as this. This really looks fun, though! I love all the scenic pics, and the one of you jumping on the rock is epic!
Ha, that’s my favourite photo, too! It took us about 20 takes until we had everyone in the air at the same time. You would do well at packing for this Kim, as you have some good ideas on how to use clothes in different ways. For example, bringing a set of arm sleeves would have saved me from packing several long sleeve jumpers!
What a wonderful week! Er yes, it just takes one bad bathroom to get obsessed with good bathrooms.
Team Underpack here, especially when it comes to clothes. Most of my trips are 2-3 days long and casual, so one pair of jeans and one pair of shoes does the trick. But it doesn’t give me any leeway if there’s surprise rainstorm, so I like your plan of taking extras just in case.
Yuck! I hikefess that I didn’t use that shower, but did a catwash over the basin instead.
Yes, that’s exactly what I did, too. One outfit for the legs and several tops to change. The problem was getting drenched, which left us with no options other than to wear the wet stuff. I was so glad it wasn’t too cold!
Liebe Catrina,
ahhh, ich war schon so au f den Bericht eurer Wanderung gespannt. Das scheint ja super geklappt zu haben! Wie toll! 😀
Wer hat denn die Tour organisiert? War das so eine Art Bergclub oder privat?
Ich war noch nie auf einer Mehrtagestour in den Bergen unterwegs. Bin mir auch nicht sicher, ob ich das wollte, ich bin immer froh, wenn ich am Ende des Tages für mich alleine sein kann! 😉
Aber ich kann mir gut vorstellen, wie toll sich die Dusche “danach” angefühlt haben muss, obwohl ihr ja durch die Schwimmmöglichkeiten noch ein paar Extras an Körperhygiene mitnehmen konntet. 🙂
Liebe Doris
Es war eine super Erfahrung!
Das war eine rein privat organisierte Tour: Cara kannte den Organisator, Rhys. Er hatte über die letzten Monate in seinem Freundeskreis nach Leuten gesucht, die so eine Tour machen wollten. Er selbst hatte die Wanderung noch nie gemacht – auch sonst niemand in der Gruppe. 🙂
Als ein paar Leute ausstiegen, fragte uns Cara, ob wir mitmachen wollten. Klar!
Du hast Recht, der Aspekt, 24/7 immer mit Leuten zusammenzusein, war schon anstrengend. Aber während der Wanderung hat sich die Gruppe gut verteilt, so dass man gut ein paar Stunden für sich haben konnte, wenn man wollte.
Ich schwam in den Kleidern, die ich für die Wanderung trug (weil ich natürlich keine Badekleider mitgenommen hatte). Zum Glück trocknete alles schnell! Aber um die extra Waschrunde war ich sehr froh!
Stunning! what an amazing experience. There is a trail run the does that route in about 2 days!
It was amazing! I need to look at that trail run, Birdie!
You always have the best adventures! Thank you for always sharing on your blog – it inspires me to get outdoors more!
A multi-day hike was a new thing for me – but we loved it. Being off the grid and self-sufficient for a few days was a nice feeling.
First, that is an epic group jump shot!! I just love how many adventures you all continue to have!
Haha, we practised that about ten times before we got everyone in the air at the same time! It was great fun.
Liebe Catrina,
oh was für eine tolle Tour! Da wäre ich auch gern dabei gewesen. Eine gute Mischung, genau so viele km, dass man keinen Stress hat, nebenher baden kann und seine Mitwanderer kennenlernt. Ihr scheint viel Freude gehabt zu haben. Und diese Landschaft erst…. ich schmelze… das erste Foto ist klasse!!! War sicher ein wenig Arbeit, biss alle gut zugleich in der Luft waren, oder?
Und nun waltet Koch Kai daheim am Gaskocher? Aber bitte nur auf dem Balkon!
Ich habe mal in den 1990ern eine 3-wöchige Wanderung über die Alpen gemacht, da war der Rucksackinhalt großes Thema, hat bei mir sehr gut gepasst. Am Ende war sogar noch ein frisches T-Shirt für die Bahnrückreise da!
Bei dem Badewannenbild “ohne Heißwasser” musste ich lachen!
Zuletzt durchnässt? Ha, dank Schirm zwar nicht am ganzen Körper, aber im Regenschauer auf dem Weg ins Büro sogen sich meine Leguanos komplett voll. Im Büro angekommen, hatte ich das Wasser zwischen den Zehen (Kunstfell innen in der Winter-Edition speichert auch Wasser…) . Brrr, wie kalt. Genau für so einen Fall hatte ich schon immer ein paar Flugsocken gebunkert, so dass ich die Schuhe auf der Heizung trocknen konnte, was auch sehr gut ging.
PS: Wir sind auch in der Lostrommel!
Liebe Grüße aus dem sonnigen Rheinland
Elke
Liebe Elke
Das hätte dir gefallen! Die Hütten waren zwar kein Vergleich zu den Schweizer SAC-Hütten, aber genau das machte den Reiz aus.
Die Wanderungen waren jeweils recht kurz – in drei, vier Stunden hatten wir sie geschafft. Eigentlich hatten wir härtere Touren erwartet, aber es war ganz ok so. So konnten auch diejenigen, die nicht sooo fit waren, gut mithalten.
Für die Jump-Fotis mussten wir schon ein bisschen üben! Bestimmt 10 Versuche! 🙂
Du wirst lachen, wir hatten gleich beim ersten Abend nach unserer Rückkehr einen geplanten Stromausfall. Kai nahm sofort seinen Gaskocher raus und hat voller Freude losgekocht – in der Küche natürlich. 🙂
Du bist wieder mal voll durchorganisiert – nach drei Wochen sogar ein frisches T-Shirt für die Rückfahrt! Unglaublich!
Uiii, das mit den Leguanos klingt noch schlimmer als meine Wander-Hokas. Zum Glück bist du WIEDER mal super organisiert und hast für den Notfall vorgesorgt. Flugsocken!
YAY! Das freut mich! Das heisst, Chris macht in Berlin auch mit?
Liebe Grüsse aus dem regnerischen Cape Town – wir waren heute schwimmen im Regen, passt auch!
Ja klar, bei euren Stromausfällen hat so ein Camping-Gaskocher einen echten “Heimvorteil”! Prima, dass ihr darauf nun gekommen seid.
Wenn das Losglück uns hold ist, sind wir in Berlin dabei. Aber ich glaube auch sonst, da wird sich was finden 😉
Liebe Grüße
Elke
Da bin ich auch ganz sicher! Super, wir freuen uns! 🤗🤗
Wow, what an adventure! It looks like a great experience. Looks like a great group that made the best of it even when conditions weren’t ideal!
It was a fabulous experience in so many ways, Lisa. I loved the scenery, the hike, being off the grid and getting to know new people. So enjoyable!
This looks like so much fun! Bathrooms and showers are important. Many times that sets the mood for the rest of the trip. Or is it just me? I also overpack but many times too much of one thing and not enough of what I really need.
It’s funny how much difference a good bathroom can make! I didn’t even shower in the grotty showers, I just did a cat wash at the basin. All the more I appreciated that hotel shower!
That first photo is amazing! Frame-worthy! 🙂 What a fun adventure.
It took us several trial jumps to get it right, San! The hike was a fantastic experience. Now I’m hooked!
Your hike sounds like so much fun and what a great way to make new friends! The fern lined trail is beautiful, and of course I love the mandatory jump picture.
I am terrible at overpacking and usually use only about a third of the clothes I pack. 🙁
It was a great experience, Debbie! Now we’re connected to new friends around the country, which has great potential for future adventures.
That’s what I was afraid of and it resulted in taking too few clothes with me… argh, to get it right!!
Liebe Catrina,
ne schöne Mehrtagestour in netter Gesellschaft. Da bekomme ich Lust auch mal wieder loszuziehen! Es gibt ja nicht nur die Drakensberge, die zu weit weg wären, sondern auch andere lohnenswerte Wanderziele!
Danke für die eindücklichen Bilder, dadurch lässt sich vieles sehr gut nachvollziehen! … und die einzelnen Strecken waren gut zu schaffen, trotz doch einiger Höhenmeter. Da blieb genug Zeit neben dem Sporteln die Natur zu bestaunen, Land und Leute zu genießen, einander kennenzulernen, zu baden, miteinander zu spielen, aber auch fürs Essen und die Körperpflege! 😉 … und für alles musste vorgesorgt, alles musste mitgenommen werden. Eine kleine logistische Herausforderung! TOLL GEMEISTERT! – Allerdings können wir heute doch froh sein, dass die Klamotten so leicht geworden sind und kaum auftragen. Dabei lieber auf genügend Kleidung (2. Paar Schuhe) achten und beim Essen auf kompakte Verpackung bei genügend Kalorien zurückgreifen.
Schön war doch auch, dass Hütten da waren und nicht noch Zelte mitgenommen werden mussten! Da wäre für mich der Komfort absolut nebensächlich!
Unsere letzte Mehrtagestour liegt einige Zeit zurück. Wir sind den Rennsteig in Thüringen von ca. 170 km in 6 Tagen gewandert, (6. Etappe war nur noch kurz: 5 x ~ 31 km) Wir hatten nicht so viele hm, Unterkünfte mit Frühstück, brauchten keine Schlafsäcke und mussten wenig Essen mitnehmen, konnten es immer wieder mal nachkaufen. – Dabei treffen wir es beim Gepäck eigentlich immer gut, haben höchstens ein Ersatzshirt extra und bringen vielleicht was ‘Frisches’ wieder mit, weil wir immer wieder auch unterwegs (mit Hand) waschen. 😆
Das letzte Mal vom Regen durchnässt? – Weiß ich gar nicht mal. – Das bleibende Erlebnis war in den 90ern beim Ffm-Marathon. Vom Regen vollkommen durchnässt ins Ziel gekommen musste ich im Freien eine halbe Stunde auf meinen Kleiderbeutel warten. 😳 Hab vorher und nachher nie so gefroren!
… habs überlebt! 😛
Liebe Grüße aus dem Hochland-Café im kühlen, aber sonnigen Darmstadt! Manfred
Lieber Manfred
Diese Wanderung hätte dir gefallen. Im Vergleich zur Zugspitze war dies einen “walk in the park”. Wir sind jeden Tag um 7 Uhr los und meist waren wir vor Mittag bei der nächsten Hütte. Ich hatte es mir viel anstrengender vorgestellt.
Die grosse Herausforderung war genau wie du es sagst: die Logistik. Alles musste getragen werden und die Unterkünfte waren seeehr einfach. Das nächste Mal werde ich ganz sicher ein zweites Paar Schuhe mitnehmen. Bei der nächsten Tour im Mai werden wir dann keine Hütten mehr haben – da wird unter freiem Himmel geschlafen. Auch interessant (ich glaube, ich nehme lieber ein Zelt mit!)
Ich habe mich gefragt, was wir wohl gemacht hätten wenn einer der Teilnehmer einen Unfall gehabt hätte. Das hätte lange gedauert, bis wir eine ärztliche Hilfe gehabt hätten. Naja, zum Glück ging alles gut. 🙂
Eure Rennsteigtour gefällt mir auch gut! Was es für ein Unterschied macht, jeden Abend eine Unterkunft zu haben. Allerdings waren eure Etappen mehr als doppelt so lang wie unsere, da habt ihr auch euer Essen und warmes Bett verdient! 🙂
Das mit der Handwäsche ist eine gute Idee, das werde ich das nächste Mal auch mehr machen.
Das ist das Schlimmste!! Nach einem langen Lauf im Regen herumstehen! Das dauerte bestimmt Stunden, bis du wieder warm warst. DEN Marathon wirst du bestimmt nie vergessen, ha!
Liebe Grüsse aus dem bedeckten und jetzt windigen Cape Town!
Was für eine wunderbare Wanderung, liebe Catrina. Da wäre ich gerne dabei gewesen, bin schon lange nicht mehr gewandert. Die Tagesetappen klangen auch gut leistbar. Ist es nicht auch genial, wie schnell sich fremde Menschen zusammenfinden können?
Wann war ich das letzte Mal durchnässt? *überleg* Wohl irgendwann im letzten Winter mal beim Laufen. Allerdings war meine letzte Mehrtageswanderung um das Kleinwalsertal auch eine sehr feuchte Angelegenheit, ist aber schon ein paar Jahre her.
Ich neige definitiv dazu zuviel einzupacken und zwar das, was Du zuwenig hattest, Klamotten 🙂
Liebe Grüße aus dem sonnigen Oldenburg
Volker
Es war ein wunderschönes Erlebnis, lieber Volker. Du hättest gut in die Gruppe gepasst, besonders beim Schwimmen! 🙂
Die Leute sind sehr nett. Ein paar wohnen in und um Cape Town, die werden wir bestimmt noch ein paar Mal treffen.
Ich glaube, ich habe schon Bilder von dir gesehen wo du total durchnässt warst. Und du bist auch das Opfer einer nassen Mehrtageswanderung geworden? Dann weisst du, wie unangenehm nasse Schuhe sind am nächsten Morgen… yuk!
Wir sind wohl beide Minimalisten! 🙂
Liebe Grüsse aus dem bedeckten Cape Town!
Liebe Catrina, ich habe mal den Post rausgekramt, unfassbare 9 Jahre ist es schon her:
https://deichlaeufer.wordpress.com/2013/09/22/la-montanara/
Was ich auch noch sagen wollte: Das Eingangsbild ist mega!
Nochmals sonnige Grüße aus dem frischen Oldenburg
Volker
Ein cooler Bericht! Danke für den Link. Jetzt weiß ich, dass du schon richtig Berg-erprobt bist! 😄
Für das Föteli haben wir lange geübt! 🤣
Wow, what a fantastic time! I guess you had reserved the huts along the route? How cool that it is a set journey each day. It’s great that you all got along too.
LOL on the bathrooms. I can see how you would really appreciate the nicer ones after having to use the not-so-nice-ones.
Yes, we reserved the huts – they only cost USD 30.- for the whole week!
I’m so happy that everything went well with the group. So many things could have gone wrong – just one annoying or injured person would have been enough to spoil the adventure.
One thing I truly appreciate about South Africa is the completely contrasting landscapes across the country. Could you see how different Drakensberg looks from Cape Town, and if you explore other areas, you continue to see and appreciate the diverse landscapes – from desert to forest to beach, it just has it all! What a wonderful experience with a great group of people. That jumping shot shows how in sync you were!
Isn’t South Africa – or rather, southern Africa, amazing!! To think that Botswana is not too far away up north and again offers a completely different landscape! The drive from Cape Town to Drakensberg was incredibly interesting for us. So many different and beautiful landscapes!
I’m looking forward to doing Fish River in Namibia next year. I hear it’s beautiful.
By the way, I loved your post on Dar es Salam and how you tried to participate in a race! I did comment on it, but I’m not sure you spotted it. So much to keep track of when blogging, right?! 🙂
Just responded!!! Blogging adds a whole new dimension to life, I need a PA!!! 🤣
Crazy, right?!!! 🙂
A fun post, Catrina. The hut to hut reminds me a quite a bit of the hut-to-hut hiking in New Zealand. Simple cabins with no electricity, but a roof over the head. Packing for food, I used to be quite proficient from my climbing training. Everything weighed and calculated for calories. On our honeymoon in 1988 Lynne and I did a 6-day hut to hut backpacking trip. We had a portable backpacking stove and ate really well. At the end we walked out with 2 granola bars. Just as I planned it.
I’ve lost so much of that skill, and nowadays I do tend to pack heavy. I haven’t been on a backpacking trip in 8 years. The last few times it has been solo. Because I do go solo, I carry more for my safety. I know nowadays I can cut a substantial amount of weight just by using quality modern gear. Much of my gear is 30-40 years old. Quality, expensive gear in its day that has stood the test of time. But it is heavier than what can be purchased today, such as tents with carbon fiber poles. I’m of the mindset, if it works, I don’t need a new one. And help the planet in the process.
I’ve been doing a fair bit of reading on ultralight backpacking. At 64 my window of time to hike a major backpacking trail is diminishing. Still on the fence about buying new gear and the environmental impact. Have always a lot of respect on your thoughts, Catrina. Was wondering what you think about all this. 🌎
A hut-to-hut backpacking trip on your honeymoon, Carl?!! That’s awesome! What an adventurous start to a marriage, haha! But it shows that both of you love doing outdoorsy things in nature. Walking out with two granola bars after six days is the best proof that you know how to calculate and plan well. Love it!
I’m definitely on the team “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it (or replace it)”. I have so much stuff that is really old but works perfectly well. For example, my backpack that I used for this trip was 15 years old. Sure, there are more fancy backpacks on the market now, but I want to use mine until it’s falling to pieces. My reason is the same as yours: it’s better for the environment.
Also, there’s the muscle aspect: the heavier the gear, the more you carry, the better the workout. It’s like riding a bike: it’s more strenuous than sitting in the car, but it’s better for the human body (and the environment, of course)! 🙂
That’s a very good point about the muscle aspect, Catrina. Thank you! 😀