Gwahumbe
GWAHUMBE GAME RESERVE, near Mid Illovo, 6TH March 2022
Leader:Â Dave Sclanders
The team:Â Keith and Margaret Ashton, Iain Kerr, Alistair Nixon, Hettie Randall, Rebecca Wakeford, Johan and Christa van Dyk.
 Our hike set out on a sunny, clear sky morning from the carpark at the top of the gorge. Below were green fields of lush grazing with pockets of giraffe, wildebeest and zebra, munching happily together.
The trail took us back towards the main gate then turned alongside the cane fields dropping down into the gorge. Lots of flowers greeted us from all directions, a lovely setting to start us off.
The mercury climbed as the day lengthened. We were very relieved to reach the huge cave with its ultra long table and benches, to have a break after a boots off boots on crossing of the first stream.
We then had a climb out of the gorge on a 4×4 track accessible only to Super Trucks, one of which I was NOT! After much heavy breathing we arrived back at the level of the cars where we had started from, taking a left fork to find the secret path down to the Hippo Pool. Our leader found it through long grass by means of only he knows! We dropped down the fence line on a very precarious path, passing the now abandoned 4×4 Sani Pass track until we reached the road lower down. We arrived at the Hippo Pool with its duckweed topping with no hint of the sole resident hippo that we had been warned about.
Following the path through the valley floor, we were hemmed between krantzes, bedecked with aloes, euphorbias, tree ferns and other frilly bits. Quite a statement. The river fords were full from the rains, we had another 2 boots off boots on crossings within 100m of each other!! But so nice and refreshing!
As the road straightened towards the bush camp we realized that we were being watched by a young giraffe with sheer astonished interest. Our leader, now walking under his umbrella out front, seemed to my mind, to be the reason for the curiosity as he did look like a 2 legged dung beetle! The crowd then strengthened to the rest of the giraffe family and a gathering of zebra and wildebeest chilling under the trees taking respite from the now baking heat.
We stopped for lunch at the Mzigi Bush Camp. Nicely laid out under huge Acacias. Kitchenette with ablution, a communal hut and 5×2 sleepers – stilted, A-frame thatched huts with mattresses. All overlooking the Gwahumbe river. It had a real African safari feel to it.
After lunch, we looked in at the waterfall and campsite before heading up out of the valley for another extreme summit.
A lovely day albeit a bit warm!! And a lovely venue. Hope to go back soon, in winter?
Hettie Randall
