‘We’re almost out of wood’, was the utterance from around the fire, followed by an anxious hush. Temperatures on the mountainside had plummeted when the sun set, and the embers were our only real source of heat. As we sought to hatch a plan as
The concept of nature as a shared resource is seldom heartily embraced like it is in Elgin’s Groenlandberg Conservancy. Built around a patchwork of various, private tracts of land, this growing movement is the result of a collective of forward-thinking landowners with shared values in
All the familiar landmarks came into focus: a miniature Wolfberg Arch; a tiny Maltese Cross; the peaks of Tafelberg and Sneeukop, sitting below us for a change. From Krakadouw to the north, to the Groot Winterhoek and Matroosberg mountains further south, the bird’s-eye-view below us
As we climbed out of the car, we were met with a shroud of mist and the chilly pitter patter of rain; sideways rain, as is often the case in the blustery Cape. As the forecast had assured us it was nothing to shout about
While its name doesn’t instantly conjure idyllic images of a pristine nature-lover’s haven; if you visit Silvermine, that’s exactly what you’ll find. In 1675, prospectors believed that the mountains in the area contained silver, but when shafts were sunk to locate it, there was in fact
If you’ve been to Hermanus and found yourself spellbound by its magnificent backdrop (as many people do), you’ve probably wondered how you could get closer to those mountains. The good news is that you can lose yourself in them. As one of the most spectacular, yet
I stirred from early morning sleep, struck by those initial thoughts your brain uses to jumpstart your body into gear – where am I and what day is it? It didn’t take me long to recall. I opened the door, met by a stiff mountain breeze. We
We woke up in the cloud. Unzipping the tent after a chilly night on the mountain (and an unrelenting scuffle with a persistent bush rat), we stepped into an icy breeze with mist all around us. First, warm tea, coffee and oats – then the
An afternoon meander on Chapman’s Peak Drive has become something of an institution in the Cape. Cut into the towering coastal cliffs between Hout Bay and Noordhoek, this iconic mountain pass boasts some of the most spectacular ‘out-the-car-window’ views in the world. Its status as
South Africans have an unfaltering obsession with snow. We’re never prepared for the cold that comes with it - but that’s no deterrent, and the allure of the white stuff generally tempts even the least likely of locals into an outdoor exploratory mission of sorts. The