THE BLUE SWALLOWS TRAIL
DURATION 4 days TYPE Self-guided LEVEL Fairly strenuous
‘Enjoy your journey!’ bellowed a man behind us as we settled into the rhythm of our second day. He was a forester, felling trees. He would be our first and last human contact on the recently revamped, four-day Blue Swallows Trail near Kaapsehoop in Mpumalanga. We would traverse the Drakensberg plateau, weaving through plantations, crossing valleys, kloofing up clear streams and descending into natural forest, with only baboons and wild horses as witnesses.
The forester’s choice of words clung to us and added weight to the endeavour, much like our hefty backpacks. This was no mere walk but rather a journey. The rocky trail traces the edge of the escarpment, often plunging down cracks in the cliffs and rising up through pockets of natural vegetation. Each time we spotted these sections from a distance, we were filled with both enthusiasm and dread.
‘I bet we’re heading down that cliff,’ my husband Hanc would predict, knowing a heavy workout awaited. Technically, you can cheat and walk sections of the trail along flat plantation roads, an idea that tempts you with its ease. But the rewards of the tougher trail include better views, forests and rivers.
Is this perhaps why Kaapsehoop was once called the Devil’s Office? No. The old name came from the oddly shaped sandstone rock formations in the area. They add an eerie atmosphere to the tiny hamlet, which is often covered in a blanket of mist. It was renamed Kaapsehoop when gold was found here during the late 1800s, offering hope to early prospectors.
There are still many remains visible from the gold-rush days and the AngloBoer War that followed, including herds of wild horses. Local Rudi du Plessis, who used to maintain the hiking trails and huts
and now runs Scootours, told me there are an estimated 180 wild horses in the area. It’s difficult to calculate their numbers exactly, as they roam over 17 000 hectares of the Berlin plantation.
Although we spotted some of the wild horses on our hike, the endangered blue swallow was nowhere to be seen. The Blue Swallow Reserve and the hiking trail were named after the numerous nesting pairs once found in the area, but Rudi says they haven’t been seen for four summers. Another endangered species previously found on the trail but now mysteriously missing is the Kaapsehoop cycad. These used to grow abundantly in Starvation Creek Nature Reserve. Rudi says poaching is to blame.
On the third day of the hike, the trail led past an old prospector’s cave, a few steep steps after Jack’s Corner. Legend has it that Jack was an unlucky chap – a miner who had a heart attack at this spot while rolling a big boulder out of the way.
We had luck with our accommodation. All the overnight stops face west towards the sunset, which makes carrying a heavy bottle of wine all the more worth it. One of the stops is at Florence Hill, a large fire tower with 360-degree views. After trekking 15 kilometres a day, up hills and down dales, you truly appreciate a sundowner, especially one with a view. After all, as we realised on this journey, the best views and experiences have to be earned.
‘Descending into natural forest, with only baboons and wild horses as witnesses’