BOESMANSKLOOF
If you live in Cape Town, you don’t have to use up precious leave days to hike the two-day Boesmanskloof Trail between Greyton and McGregor. And if you plan well, you can carry a daypack and still eat like a king!
Spend a weekend in the Riviersonderend Mountains on this two-day trail between Greyton and McGregor. If you plan well, you can carry a daypack and still eat like a king!
For the first two kilometres of the Boesmanskloof Hiking Trail between Greyton and McGregor, you walk along level terrain. You start in Greyton before making your way through the Greyton Nature Reserve and across the Gobos River (not much more than a trickling stream in late summer). But then the easy part ends… A jeep track snakes its way up the steep mountain slopes. I’m thankful for the cool, overcast weather. It’s true that you don’t have to be super fit to manage a two-day hike, but a hill is a hill and soon my legs and lungs are burning. When my alarm went off way too early this morning, I had serious misgivings about what a “fun weekend” meant to the group of eight hikers I’m with. But I’ve been wanting to do this hike for a while and I tell myself it’s “only” 14 km to Die Galg on the McGregor side of Boesmanskloof, where we’ll spend the night. Tomorrow we’ll hike back to Greyton the same way we came, but I’m trying not to think about that right now… The Boesmanskloof Trail (also known as the Greyton-McGregor Trail) goes through the Riviersonderend Mountains and it’s easy to see why it’s such a popular weekend hike, especially for Capetonians. Greyton is close enough that you can drive through on a Friday after work or early on a Saturday morning; there are nice places to stay on both sides so you only need to carry a light backpack; and the hike is challenging but relatively short in distance, which means that most people will manage fine. We’ve taken the idea of “travelling light” one step further: A pregnant friend who isn’t able to hike has offered to drive our food supplies to Die Galg, so we’re only carrying daypacks with water, snacks and warm clothes and our swimming costumes, so we can take a dip in a mountain pool about 9 km along the trail.
I guess I’m not supposed to feel such relief when we arrive at a place called Breakfast Rock. I don’t care – it’s been uphill all the way so far, the houses of Greyton got smaller and smaller as my legs got weaker and weaker. I’ve heard a rumour that people once ran through the kloof for fun. Apparently, before the annual rugby match between McGregor and Greyton, the team playing the away game
had to run through Boesmanskloof. Maybe I’ll feel differently tomorrow, but it seems that the Greyton side definitely drew the short straw. Or maybe I should feel sorry for the McGregor team, because they would have had to run this way to get home after a match in Greyton… Breakfast Rock is a big boulder on the side of the trail, marked with a sign so you won’t miss it. It’s a good spot to stop for breakfast about an hour and a half after you started. The mountain peaks are shrouded in mist and the Gobos River gurgles quietly through the landscape on its way down to Greyton. The view makes my coffee taste even better (remember to bring a flask or a gas stove) and getting up early has already paid off.
We’re not done climbing yet. After breakfast, the jeep track carries on with its upward trajectory. According to the map on the CapeNature brochure, it seems the mountain rising on our right is called Perdekop (1 346 m), but I can’t confirm its resemblance to a horse’s head because it’s also draped in mist. Protea bushes grow on the slopes on either side of the track – these mountains must be spectacular in spring. About 20 minutes from Breakfast Rock we reach a neck at about 650 m in elevation (Greyton is at about 220 m). The neck is marked on the map as a viewpoint: The Boesmanskloof Valley stretches out ahead; my eyes follow its green lines, with the brown trail visible in places, to the opposite side where a clump of bluegum trees marks our overnight spot. Above, two raptors circle against the grey sky. They might be Verreaux’s eagles, I can’t be sure. The jeep track has made it possible for the fitter members of our party to talk up a storm; now it’s nice to switch to single track. It feels like I’m properly in the mountains; yesterday’s work worries are fast fading away. The knowledge that we’ll be hiking the same trail in reverse tomorrow plays mind games with me: It helps to motivate me up the slopes (tomorrow will be downhill!), but it also makes me nervous when I see the trail zigzagging down from the viewpoint into the kloof. I enjoy it most when the single track spits us out on a contour path that leads deeper into the kloof. Fynbos flanks the path, decorated here and there with patches of pink everlastings. Walking here is wonderful; it will be just as wonderful tomorrow.
After about 9 km, we round a bend and Oakes Falls comes into view, tumbling down into a dark mountain pool. It’s a great spot for a breather, especially on a hot day when that river pool will be even more inviting. (In high summer, it would be sensible to wait out the hottest part of the day here.) We rest for an hour and then it’s time to tackle the final section. Near the pool we meet a group of day hikers who have walked from Die Galg. Keep this in mind when you plan your hike: The pool can be busy. If you want it to yourself, get an early start. There are some smaller pools downstream if you want more privacy. The terrain is still fairly level and we make good progress. After a while we cross the river and the fynbos makes way for ferns and palmiet shrubs. At the 12 km mark we arrive at a fork in the trail with two signs: “Historical Pass” to the left; “Natural Beauty” to the right. I read somewhere that it’s easier to walk the “Natural Beauty” section downhill from the McGregor side, and we’d like to see the pass anyway, so we go left. This is the part where we have to hike out of the kloof to Die Galg, which is on a plateau. I’d hate to see the Natural Beauty section if the pass is considered the easier climb – it’s steeper than this morning’s jeep track! We arrive at the beginning of the pass and turn back for another scenic view over the valley. The sun is breaking through the clouds – far in the distance I can see the viewpoint at the neck below Perdekop. The pass was built in the 1930s to create jobs after the Great Depression, and to establish a short cut between the two towns. Driving between McGregor and Greyton involves a 140 km detour and I can understand why the kloof was such an attractive option. The pass itself is an impressive feat of construction, but it was never completed. Some say the foreman made off with the money; others say the funds dried up due to the war. But it all worked out in
ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND GREEN (clockwise from top left). The route starts with a jeep track that will challenge your city calves, which will soon be forgotten when you see the stunning view over Boesmanskloof. Get your camera ready to capture the many fynbos species growing in the kloof. But don’t make too many photo stops – the tannin-rich pool under Oakes Falls is a great spot to rest. The Boesmanskloof Trail traverses the Riviersonderend Mountains and it’s easy to get that away-from-civilisation feeling.
the end because this popular hiking trail would probably never have existed otherwise. We’re nearing the end of the trail and we pick up speed. The final section of the pass takes us past Eagle’s Nest House to our cottage at Die Galg. The ominous name ( galg means “gallows”) fortunately doesn’t have anything to do with the condition of the accommodation… The name comes from the Galgeberg on the one side of the kloof, where the straight edges of a cliff resemble a gallows. The cottage is small but it has everything we need, like bedding, towels, cutlery and crockery. “There’s even a plunger!” a caffeine addict calls from the kitchen area. Our pregnant friend arrives with our food supplies: Tonight we’ll eat like kings. I settle down on the couch on the stoep with a (cold) beer while I wait for my turn in the (hot) shower. Now I’m really glad we got up so early because it’s only 2.30 pm and we can relax for the rest of the afternoon.
The next morning we start our hike under a clear blue sky. This time we turn left near Eagle’s Nest and follow a steep path back down into the kloof. The dewy fynbos shimmers in the sun and the drought in Cape Town feels further away than a two-hour drive. We find a good rhythm and arrive at the pool within an hour and a half. The sun is out and I’m game for a swim. You can’t hike a trail like this and not jump into a mountain pool! Rationing is also a thing of the past – we feast on leftover braaibroodjies, muesli, coffee and sweets. Greyton is just around the corner! An hour later we’re on the trail again, heading out of the kloof towards the viewpoint on the neck. The day is heating up and my swim is fast becoming a distant memory. We take a breather on the neck, but not for too long. It’s all downhill from here. Today, Perdekop is crisply etched against the blue sky. (Sorry, it doesn’t look like a horse’s head to me…) We start walking faster, especially once we pass Breakfast Rock and the houses of Greyton appear down below. An hour later and we’re looking for shade on the outskirts of town. We stroll in up Nerina Street, pick up our vehicles and find a restaurant in the main road that serves burgers and beer. We’ve hiked 28 km and we’ll be back home in Cape Town before sunset – not too shabby! The Boesmanskloof Trail is close to Cape Town, it’s easy to hike with a daypack and it will make your legs tired in a good way. But here’s what makes it really special: When you get back to civilisation, it will feel like you’ve spent more than two days in the wilderness. It’s restorative. Maybe I should make a booking for next weekend!