In November 2024, when the getaway was planned, the Cape Cycle Tour had not appeared on the planner’s horizon! Thus it happened that the poor getaway participants had to scrable to find routes around the road closures on departure day, Sunday 9 March. The idea was to meet at about 16:00 at the Hawequas Scout Adventure Centre a few kilometres outside Wellington where we would be based. Amazingly all 10 of us arrived there from as far as Hout Bay by then!
Having settled in on this sunny afternoon we walked up to the large cement dam nearby for a cooling swim. Sundowners and a later supper gave opportunity for members to catch up on news and get to know others better.
Monday found us at the start of the route on the Hawequas property at 7:00 to take advantage of the crisp early morning air and generous areas of shade. The property has 3 possible routes to choose from along the slopes of Huguenot Kop, not to be confused with Huguenot Kop on Du Toit’s Kloof Pass. We combined the two longest routes, named South and North, forming a neat circular route. On the neighbouring farm, more or less where the 2 routes meet, one can ascend to visit a memorial plaque where the rock faces begin, commemorating a family tragedy in November 1959. That section is more challenging because the path is steep and narrow, with loose granite surface, but everyone was willing to give it a go. It was so chilly on the rock shelf at the plaque that we didn’t stay long before descending to the main path! The total distance of that day’s route was 12 km.
Back at ‘camp’ there was free time to swim, read, chat, nap! The mosquitoes had kept several members awake the night before. The property ‘manager’, Kuba Miszewski, paid us a visit, checking that all was well and giving more information about the area, its history, etc. By 17:00, when we were all due to get together as group again, several members had visited the little natural mountain pool in the nearby river and had declared it a treat.
After sundowners and a later supper with a red sunset as backdrop, members were entertained by the fun antics of Kuba’s beautiful ridgeback dog. Not much later the whole party was in bed after a full, satisfying day, knowing that we were due to be packed and ready to leave by 6:45 the next morning.
The drive to Tweede Tol on Bain’s Kloof Pass brought us there at 7:30. The route we would walk is named Route-1, and is allowed as special concession on application to MCSA members. The path passes interesting terrain over and between rocks, with changing views of surrounding mountains, and far vistas until we arrived at the river. We took it slowly up the steep section, stopping wherever there was good shade, because the day’s temperature was due to reach low 30’s. A highlight was coming across many nerina sarniensis, commonly known as Guernsey lily. Their bright red petals with prominent stamens, appeared as splashes of colour, sometimes dramatically amidst the black branches from the fire last January. A delight to see.
While we enjoyed the shade of a rock wall near the waterfall on the Wolwe River, there was time for a swim and an early lunch, after which we swam at 2 other pools as we slowly descended along the river bank back to our cars which we reached by 13:30. By then most members had had their fill and preferred to start their long journey back home, while 3 of us decided to spend a while longer at the very large pools in the Witte River across the road before leaving for home.
Thus ended a 2-day getaway for mostly Tuesday hikers.
