Everything you need to know about hiking

HIKING TRAILS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Willie Olivier Struik Travel & Heritage

Review: Orielle Berry

JUST in time for the year-end holidays comes this comprehensive book offering walking and hiking enthusiasts a plethora of hikes and trails.

In fact those who love to walk will find more than 500 trails, including 60 new ones, in this updated fifth edition of the well-loved and much-thumbed original edition.

Seasoned hikers will attest to the fact that there is no better way to see the lie of the land, whether it is along a beach trail or in a nature reserve, than on foot. Here you can take your time, stop, examine the flora and the fauna and take a deep breath – perhaps a whiff of the fresh sea air or the deeply aromatic nuances of fynbos.

Olivier himself has covered thousands of kilometres throughout southern Africa, not only by foot but by road.

Readers will find his introduction a mine of information in itself: he tells you how to read the guide, where walks have been listed under the name of the attraction (nature reserve, national park or botnical garden) and the city/town where they are located.

Olivier gives the lowdown on permits, facilities on the trails, and offers the details. Planning is a crucial issue in having a safe and happy walk, whether it’s a day amble or an overnight hike, and Olivier tells you to choose a walk according to your fitness level; what maps and equipment to take; and even offers a detailed, sample food menu that provides long-term sustenance.

The golden rule for safe hiking, says Olivier, which is both for personal safety and against potential attacks is to never set off alone and to always let someone know of your intended route and when you will be back.

The trails or hikes are grouped under area and in the southwestern Cape and Little Karoo, for example, 67 hikes are listed, from the Silvermine trail to Bain’s Kloof, Jonkershoek to De Rust Heritage Walk, and a host in between.

Also included in the grouped walks are Garden Route and Eastern Cape; Drakensberg and KwaZulu-Natal; Free State; Mpumalanga and Limpopo; Gauteng and North West; and finally Great Karoo, Namaqualand & Kalahari.

There are magnificent illustrations and each amble or trail is listed in a user-friendly way.

Olivier is the author of numerous travel guides such as African Adventurer’s Guide and Touring in South Africa. His latest book comes highly recommended.