GCT Day 1, 6 August, 2022
Day 1. Saturday 6. Bushmans Nek to Swiman Hut. 14 kms
The Group. Photographed later at Pholelea Hut
The Glory of the Drakensberg
At a chilly 7 a.m. we were ready for our transport to Bushman’s Nek, the start of out trail. Two mountain men, Matthew and Mike, who Hettie had sourced from Underberg, arrived in landrovers. Trailers were packed and we rattled along, not missing the potholes, for a bone shaking hour to the Ezemvelo Bushman’s Nek station. We started hiking at 9.30 and the day was warming up. The steep unforgiving uphill climb en route to Langalibalele Cave produced much puffing and panting and warmed the body further.
A large parliament of baboons (yes, that’s the collective noun!) greeted us, spread out on the skyline. Further on we saw a large herd of wildebeest and heard the jackal’s human like call. Vultures were swirling overhead. We explored Langalibalele’s cave with its Bushman paintings and rocky upper storey. The trail then revealed an impressive expanding view of deep valleys and imposing blue mountains with a sprinkling of snow on the high peaks. We walked through rolling fields of yellow grassland. The grandeur of the berg before us. The weather was warm and sunny with a fresh breeze from the north. Ideal for hiking.
We were a strung out group of hikers. The fast “voorloopers” were eager to be at the front. Deon led from the middle, assessing the group’s pace. Clive and Erica were the sweepers.
A river lunch stop refreshed us. We dipped out hot feet in the coolness and filled our water bottles with pure clear river water. We came across a quaint tiny secret cave with a tree shrouding it, which someone dubbed “Hettie’s Honeymoon Hideaway”.
A further one and a half hour hike and we were at the rustic Swiman hut, with its bunk beds and thin mattresses, its broken windows patched with cellophane but welcome hot showers. A notch up from camping in a tent in winter. Hettie’s tea, coffee and hot chocolate station was a treat. Our warm supper of chicken curry and rice was delivered early by young entrepreneur Jess of Wild Flower Catering from Underberg.
The fire in the common room was lit and we gathered for Deon’s briefing for the next day.
I delivered a short appreciation to Hettie, the Original Pioneer Woman, thanking her for her recces, her meticulous planning of logistics and food and so much more and especially overcoming insurmountable odds, to make this reverse hike happen.
We presented her with a voucher from Woolworths.
Sleeping bags beckoned and most of us retired by 8 p.m. It was the most splendid day’s hiking as it had all the elements of the glory of the berg.