FANCY FOOTWORK
Glamtrails offers fine hiking with food and wine around the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Allison Foat tried two of their trails
Author and pro mountaineer Tim Lundy is a fresh-air fanatic with a passion for a good ramble. With 30 years of guiding under his belt, he has become something of a legend in the South African hiking fraternity and his latest offering is a triple whammy for nature lovers, foodies and oenophiles. With a choice of five stop-start walks through the Western Cape’s exquisite Hemel-en-Aarde valley, the recently launched Glamtrails showcases the best of what this extraordinary part of the Overberg has to offer in terms of fauna, flora, landscapes, the Hermanus harbour and the Walker Bay wine collective. The initiative took several years to plan. Thanks to input from botanist and conservationist Frank Woodvine and invaluable introductions to private landowners from Bevan Newton Johnson, Lundy was able to curate a sumptuous portfolio of familyfriendly hikes that unmask the region in a splendid and unusual way.
FERNKLOOF TO BOUCHARD FINLAYSON
DISTANCE: 5.5km
ESTIMATED TIME: 4 hours (stop-start) GRADING: 2B (some mild climbing)
Rising above Hermanus in the Kleinrivier Mountains is Fernkloof, a 14km² nature reserve with a 60km network of wellmaintained paths that snake around the berg like a fine, white ribbon. The trail begins at the Botanical Centre and climbs to an elevation of 321m up a path that’s steep but hardly noticeable because of the subtle gradient. Before you know it you’re at the landmark bench installed in 2015 on the occasion of the aforementioned Mr Woodvine’s 85th birthday, in honour of his contribution to conservation. At 300m it’s the ideal place for a breather and the sensational views across Hermanus and the Atlantic are the payoff. Right from the start, the footpath is flanked by fynbos, the fineleafed scrub adapted to inhospitable soils and the star of the Cape floral biome. The reserve is said to be the only place on Earth to host so many different species — around 1,600 — in such close proximity.
Restios, papery everlastings, bright ericas and pincushion proteas are a constant and the peppery scent, particularly strong in the early morning, is everywhere, so breathe deeply. Although the walk is to time, Tim’s pace is unhurried with plenty of opportunity to rest, ask questions and take photographs. The wildlife here — baboons, klipspringers, dassies and antelope — keep a low profile. As for the bird life, mostly orange-breasted sunbirds, rock thrush and Verreaux’s eagles can be spotted. The first wine tasting, a conservative tippling as one still needs to do a bout of walking afterwards, happens about 90 minutes in, at Hamilton Russell, the estate that pioneered viticulture in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The second tasting, an hour later, is at Bouchard Finlayson, the award-winning boutique winery, and the fitting finale to this trail is a slow lunch, with wine, of course, at The Restaurant at Newton Johnson — a fitting finale to the day’s excursion.