Saul Barnard gedenkuitdaging

Saul Barnard, die hoofkarakter in Dalene Matthee se Kringe in die Bos, het goud gepan in die Meulbos naby Knysna.  Hy het ook vermoed die Engelse apteker op Knysna verneuk hom as hy sy goud aan hom verkoop.  Dus het hy George toe geloop om sy goud daar te gaan verkoop.  Die vraag is nie hoe ver George van Knysna af is nie... die vraag is jy so hard soos Saul Barnard? 

Die roete.

Ek en Hamman het gedink ons is so hard soos Saul. Ons het rugsakke gepak en is aan die voet van die Phantompas afgelaai op ‘n koel dag een Desember.  Saul het die bospaadjies geken, hy kon die weer lees en hy het geweet waar hy is en waarheen hy oppad is.  

Ons het nie eintlik ‘n idee gehad nie en bloot die teerpad oor Phantom Pass gevolg tot dit grond geraak is. Daar het dit begin reën. Die pad was lank en hard. Te lank en te hard. Daar waar dit weer teer geraak het ons besluit ons voete is te seer en ons is te moeg. Saul was definitief harder en ons is druipstert huistoe. 

 

Profiel van die roete vanf George na Rheenendal, die riviere/passe is aangedui.

Die hedendaagse Saul sou sekerlik in Rheenendal gebly het, want dis die naaste dorpie aan ou Millwood myn.  As hy moes stap George toe sou hy sekerlik dit padlangs gedoen het: dan is daar darem ‘n kans om ‘n geleentheid saam met ‘n verbygaande boer of vakansieganger te kry.  Maar nie baie mense ry meer die kronkelende agterpad, wat bekend staan as die Sewe Passe pad, tussen George en Knysna nie.  Tegnies is dit nie sewe passe nie, maar agt passe... besoek gerus die webwerf. 

Ek het besluit om Saul na te doen dit sekerlik voldoende sal wees om die roete net in een rigting af te lê: hy het darem nie in een dag soontoe en terug geloop nie. Logisties gewys is dit seker eenvoudiger om van George Rheenendal toe te loop. Die afstand is 60 km met ‘n totale vertikale styging van ongeveer 1400 m.  Die klowe wissel van koel inheemse woude tot meer oop plantasies, dus is die rigting sekerlik afhanklik van jou voorkeur vir die tipe terrein wat jy wil afgelê in die oggendkoelte. 

Vanaf George loop die roete deur die Zwartrivierhoogtepas en verby Saasveld landboukollege.  Na Saasveld sak dit deur die klowe van die Kaaimans en Silwerrivier. Elk van die klowe is oor die 100m diep en onder kruis ‘n brug vroeg uit die vorige eeu die rivier. Die hange is bedek met die tipe bos waarin Saul homself sou tuis vind. 

 

Die Silwerrivier

Reeds vroeg in die dag het ek besluit ek sal die opdraandes uitstap en die res draf soos ek voel en kan.  Na die Silwerrivier klim die roete uit op ‘n vlakte (Wildernishoogte) en loop met boomryke lanings deur plase en kleinhoewes. Na ‘n paar kilos kronkel die pad af na die Touwrivier met sy staalbrug in plaas van beton soos die vorige brûe.  Na die Touwriver klim die roete op na ‘n besige teerpad vanaf Wildernis.  Die pad het nie ‘n skouer nie, dus was dit nie baie lekker om daar te draf nie.  Die motors jaag genadeloos op daardie pad.  Gelukkig verskyn ‘n skouer, of ten minste iets waarop jy kan draf, nie te ver af in die pad nie.  Hierdie stuk pad is omring deur oop velde en dit is jy, die pad, en die son (en elke nou en dan ‘n kar wat TE hard gery word). 

 

Touwsrivier

Die teerpad hou aan met lang reguit stukke oor die Dieprivier met sy moderne brug wat die noodsaaklikheid van afsak in ‘n kloof onnodig maak.  Al sou die kloof ‘n welkome lafenis teen die monotoon van die warm teerpad gebied het.  

My mikpunt was Karatara.  Daar is ‘n kafee en ek beplan om daar goed af te saal.  Ongelukkig is dit is nog 12 km af in die pad met die Hoogekraalrivier tussen my en die 1,5l Coke wat ek myself al sedert die onaangename nou teerpad beloof het.  

Hoogekraal is formidabel.  Voor ek afsak rivier toe, kry die teerpad sy ry Ruigtevlei toe (Sedgefield se wêreld).  Die spilpunte tik-tik in die lande, maar net buite bereik van die pad.  In die hitte is daar nie eens ‘n windjie wat van die sproei my kant toe waai nie.  Die son bak en die hitte slaan met die stof uit die pad  - dis immers die middel van Desember.  My motivering was laag, maar ek druk maar deur, want ek is in die middel van nêrens en dit sal ‘n lang wag wees as ek hier langs die pad gaan sit.  So begin die sielkundige speletjies in alle erns.  ‘n Amperse moedbreker is dat die pad tot op die hoogste punt styg voor die padgode jou toelaat om af te sak na die rivier – vandaar die naam Hoogekraal.

Stamperig af met die pas van 1882, oor die mooi ou sementbrug en weer stamperig anderkant uit. Karatara is nog 7km aan en selfs die gelykpad raak nou moeite om te draf.  Soos alles in die lewe gaan die 7km ook met tyd verby, as jy net aanhou beweeg.  

Ek strompel uiteindelik by die Highland Home kafee in by Karatara.  Die dame agter die toonbank wil weet hoe ek daar gekom het, maar ek is nie lus vir verduidelik, of om op daardie stadium aan die ontvangkant van die “jy is bedonnerd”-kyk te wees nie.  Dus lag en knik ek net toe sy vra of ek fiets gery het.  Onder die koelte van die boom voor die kafee se deur het ek ‘n overpriced Golden Delicious appel en die laaaang beloofde Coke geniet asof daar nie meer Coke in die wêreld oor is nie.

"Barrington"

Die laaste 12km sluit twee passe in: die Karatarapas oor die Karatararivier, net buite Karatara en die Homtinipas kort voor Rheenendal. Tussen-in lê oop lande in die omgewing van Barrington (al bestaan Barrington nie op ‘n kaart nie, is daar wel ‘n kwekery).  Na Barrington, waar die teerpad wegdraai N2 toe, is jy in ‘n wêreld waar niemand kom tensy hulle daarheen oppad is nie.  Die pad skuif stadig onder my voete verby, maar die einde is in sig. Dit het my ‘n oomblik gegee om te reflekteer op Saul en die mense van die gedeelte van dié wêreld: die wat naby aan die beskawing bly, maar tog kies om eenkant hulle ding te doen. Of dis in elk geval die gevoel wat ek gekry het. 

 

Oppad na die Homtini.

Die afsak na die Homtini is warm en steil en sou die laaste spyker in my kis gewees het as dit nie was dat ek geweet het die einde lê net anderkant die bult nie.  Rheenendal self is ‘n versameling van ‘n paar huisies met ‘n kerk en skool. Ek skuifel deur die dorp.  Net buite die dorp lê die eindpunt: Totties, vernoem na die matriag van die Van Rheenen familie (wat die saagmeule in die omgewing bedryf het).  By Totties is ook die afdraai na die Meulbos en ek kon nie anders as om my spreekwoordelike hoed te lig in erkenning van Saul nie.  

Die pad is hard, maar Saul is harder. 

Totties by Rheenendal.

Multi-day kloofing trip

The mountains of the Cape have many pristine ravines, ideal for kloofing trips.  However, only a handful of these ravines are long enough that multiple days are required to explore them.  If one such kloof boasts 14 compulsory swims, it is best done in summer*.

This hiking route is only for people who like to get wet and stay so for a while.  Hence it is almost exclusively hiked during the hottest months in the Cape: December to February.  We were six who did the hike in late December.  Although it was the height of summer I was still wary of the weather because a couple of years ago we went in the mid-December but had to turn back on the second day due to bad weather conditions: A forecast of a 30% chance of light rain, with the outlook of clearing up the next day, turned into a three day storm.  It just goes to show that the weather in the mountains is always unpredictable.

With hopes for better weather we set off up the hill. The hike starts with an almost straight assault up the steep climb. The climb is so strenuous that it has inspired the owners of the property to leave hikers with an inspirational quote halfway up the hill from a play by James Thurber:

The way is long, and getting longer.
The road goes uphill all the way, and even further.
I wish you luck. You’ll need it.

The way is dark, and getting darker.
The hut is high and even higher.
I wish you luck.
There is none.

With those words resonating in our minds we tackled the last big push up a green gulley to the top of the ridge.  Luckily our overnight stop was only a couple of steps away from the ridge.  Those keen on exerting themselves can still make it to the riverbed on their first day, but we preferred a more leisurely pace.  Especially since it was Boxing Day and the Christmas excesses have not totally dissipated yet.  Apart from a gusty Southeaster which died down as it became dark, it was a very pleasant evening and we all slept outside the hut.  We fell asleep with thoughts of floating down the river, only to be startled by a group of hikers on their way up the mountain moments later.  

Descending to the river on the second day.

The next morning we started our descent.  It is not an easy walk down to the river and it takes longer than one would want, but it is all worth it once you reach the river. The compulsory swimming didn’t start immediately but we were ready to be in the water given the hot day.

We found that the best and most practical way to waterproof the contents of your bag is to pack everything in individual plastic bags inside of a large fertilizer bag. All of this goes into your backpack to guard against branches and any rocks you might graze against.  Floating your backpack in a survival bag while swimming could also work, but it is rather impractical to haul it in and out of the pools and over the rocks. Splash covers protect against splashes but since it is not waterproof it is of little value for floating your back pack. If you want to be really fancy you can take either a lilo (old school inflatable matrass) or an inflatable tube along.  This works very well and I managed to swim through some pools on the tube with the back pack still on my back, while with other swims I popped the bag on the tube and dragged it along with a rope (mostly when I had to see where I was going, since the pack had to ride high on my back to keep it out of the water).  The tube would also be the envy of your fellow hikers when you are leisurely floating in a pool at the campsite.  Of course dry bags could also be used, especially for electronic devices that are not waterproof.  When the guys from Extreme Lights heard we were doing the trip they offered to lend me one of their new waterproof headlamps to try out on the trip. Not wanting to spend the rest of the trip in the dark I decided to only test its waterproof capabilities on the last day.  I can report that it is definitely waterproof and that it delivers an awesome amount of light, but more about that later.

 

Lunch stop on day two.

Our lunch stop was at a beautiful pool at the base of a majestic waterfall (the first of many).  After lunch the kloof narrowed significantly and after a couple of wades we were treated with the sight of yet another beautiful waterfall before our first compulsory swim.  These swims could be rather uncomfortable on a cooler day since the kloof is so narrow that the sun only reaches the riverbed at noon.  The most impressive swim was the last one of the day where the kloof almost closes overhead to form a tunnel and you are left to the mercy of your imagination as you swim in the dark water.  I have no idea how deep the pool is, but with a waterproof headlamp one might consider diving for souvenirs there, since anything that is accidently dropped will most certainly be irretrievable in the dark water. 

 

The "tunnel" swim.

Not long after the last swim we reached our camp for the night on a sandy beach next to a beautiful pool.  All campsites are next to the river and mostly small therefore big groups (8+) have to plan their days very well to end at a comfortable campsite.  In the early evening the Southeaster started again, pouring dark clouds over the ridge.  It did not abate like the previous night and thus it looked like it might rain a little.  We prepared our camp for the eventuality of rain, but nothing came of it. 

The next day the kloof widened again and thus we kept on the river bank and on the trails there, with the occasional boulder hop across the river if it seemed better on the other side.  Unfortunately just after our overnight camp we saw the first pine-needled Hakea covering the slopes and also on the banks of the river (I pulled out the ones I could reach).  I always feel a little sad when I see these highly invasive plants far in the Cape mountains - soon there will be many more.  

The longest swim, stretching around the corner.

After lunch the kloof narrowed once more and it was time for more swimming.  Our timing with the swims proved to be perfect since the last swim of the day was the longest one of the whole kloof - probably about 200 meters long - and we reached it just in time to finish the swim before the evening chill started creeping in.  Our campsite was also not far and we stumbled into camp while still damp.  After decorating the campsite bushes with our wet gear we settled down and sipped on a decent Scotch mixed with a little bit of water from the river.

The following day had only two compulsory swims and thus it felt quite long and very hot.  Every now and again someone slipped and fell into the water to either escape the heat of the boulders we climbed over, or our own body heat, or both since there were not much shade around.  The day ended with the river running through a narrow gorge into a long deep pool.  At the far side of this pool there is a slight overhang with some impressive San rock art.  Home for the night was close to a rocky scree.  Luckily over the years hikers have readied a number of comfortable campsites between the stones.

 

The head lamp doing its thing underwater.

It was our last night and I could put the Extreme Lights headlamp through its paces.  According to Hannes, the designer at Extreme Lights, this torch is the first locally designed headlamp.  The design is simple with two aluminum tubes housing the battery at the back – either three AAA batteries or a Li-ion battery (which lasts forever) and another aluminum tube in the front housing the LED assembly.  It does not have the sleekest look on the market, but looks are forgotten the moment you turn the thing on.  The light is a monster with three settings: low being more than adequate for cooking and general campsite illumination, medium for more power, and high to spot and chase away any intruders, even if they are on the ridge on the other side of the river.  The light is truly waterproof, although Hannes warned me not to switch it on or off while immersed in water.  I switched it on and left it in the pool by the campsite for more than ten minutes while occasionally dunking it and throwing it around in the water.  It came out bright as ever with zero leakage. All round a perfect light for hikers, trail runners or adventure racers: compact, lightweight while still packing a considerable and sustained push.

 

Dripping wet and still shining.

On our last day in the kloof we battled through thick vegetation in high heat. Wattle has taken over most of the lower reaches of the river and this made for some stifled progress.  Furthermore we were reminded at some of the campsites lower down the river that not all who come to the mountains consider the ones who have to come after them.  Once we came within earshot of the traffic on the pass we had one final swim in a pristine pool before walking to the road and tackling the final three kilometers on the tar road to the inn nearby.  There cold beers, hearty meals and our ride home awaited us, fittingly ending a very pleasant couple of days in the mountains.

* Access to the trail is granted on the condition that information about the route should not be disseminated in public.