BEST SNOW ESCAPES

Whether you want to build carrot-nosed men, fling the stuff around, slide down it or just sit and look at it, here are the coolest escapes in South Africa this winter

Ten winter wonderlands for building snowmen, making snow angels and lobbing ice balls

1 GOLDEN GATE HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK FREE STATE SNOWFALLS IN LAST TWO YEARS

Dustings on the peaks, but normally heavier SNOW-O-METER No one is immune to the thrill of snow – not even Golden Gate’s hard-bitten rangers. They have been spotted making the odd snow angel or two. Senior section ranger Dhiraj Nariandas has witnessed the park’s seasonal changes over 10 years and says no matter how often it snows, ‘You still become a child when you’re in it.’ He says while annual snowfalls are usually substantial, with snow piling up on the ground, 2016 and 2017 had only light dustings on the peaks. Those winters were preceded by drierthan-normal months and Dhiraj is hopeful that better rainfall in the past few months bodes well for good snowfalls this coming winter. Some years, the snow has been so thick in the park – at least 30 centimetres – that even Dhiraj himself has become stuck. ‘I took my car instead of the 4x4 and got stuck for about two hours.’ Guests love being in the snow and he says during good falls, the park becomes ‘littered with snowmen’. While he doesn’t recommend overnight hikes during snowy periods, short day hikes, such as Echo Ravine (about an hour) and Mushroom Rock (about 30 minutes) – which are within earshot and view of the hotel – provide an opportunity for guests to walk through the snow. STAY HERE Golden Gate Hotel & Chalets has a range of options, from chalets with views of the Brandwag Buttress to hotel honeymoon suites. From R1 182 for a chalet (sleeps four). Guided horse rides R205 pp for an hour. 058-255-1000, sanparks.org