Mt Gilboa 18 June
Hike Leader: Neville Lee
We met on a chilly but magnificent morning at 8 in the car park at Bushwillow, with the weather gods definitely in our favour. We were a group of nine, eager to start, despite Neville’s warning that the first hour would be a steep ascent.
He wasn’t kidding. It was a hard slog up but Neville was a fantastic leader, enabling us to move at a pace comfortable to each of us. After the initial slog, we walked through a magical fairy forest – pristine and exquisite. We crossed multiple streams, observed the delicate ferns and admired ancient rock formations. We passed a magnificent gulley of clivias, aptly also named bush lilies and Neville promised that he would organise a return trip in September to see them in bloom.
When we emerged from the forest, we crossed a gentle escarpment with glorious views in all directions.
Throughout our hike, Neville informed us of places of interest, like the waterfall, that he also suggested we go to on a future hike.
We then did the final ascent to the peak of Mountain Gilboa, which was actually a doddle, compared to the initial steep climb.
A relaxing and pleasant lunch was enjoyed while admiring the breathtaking 360 degree views, some local dassies and a couple of cranes were also spotted (not by me).
The walk down was equally lovely, though one (with an adventurous spirit) did a little detour. We arrived back in the car park in dribs and drabs – exhausted and exhilarated – after a truly spectacular hike with great hiking peeps.