My last blog talked about the hike from Boplaas to Middelplaas in the Karoo dessert of South Africa, but that time we unfortunately missed the turn off to climb the escarpment and ended up walking the jeep track for 10kms.
So here’s where we pick up from last week and continue the adventure on the ERDVARK HIKE in the Karoo.
The farm manager was a wonderful man named Kobus and he could believe how fast we had arrived at Middelplaas. To our dismay he informed us that we had not actually walked the proper path! He quickly organised a bakkie (or truck to our American friends) to take us back to the point where we should have turned off.
We screamed and held on for dear life as we bounced along for 10 kilometres back to the beginning of the hiking path.
Arriving safe and sound, we hopped to the ground and got walking. It was now around 11am and we had already walked 10km the first time around, so hike number 2 was going to be a warm one.
The Karoo has had an eight year drought and we were lucky to have booked for the season that had finally had rain. The rivers had small dribbles of water and this particular route followed the riverbed for the first 2 kilometre.
We followed the Erdvark (Ardvark) signs and cairns up through the Kloof crisscrossing the rocky riverbed over and over again. You really need to have an appreciation for geography if you hike this area, because the rocks, land formations and climate are something to be admired.
We eventually reached the top of the Kloof and the steep climb up the embankment and up towards the first plateau began.
We were all sweaty and out of breath, reaching for our water as we climbed up, up, up, keeping our eyes open for the erdvarkies and cairns which seemed to be MIA at times. The grasses had grown taller than the signs which made navigation tricky at times.
Finally up the plateau we celebrated with a snack break under the only thorn tree that could accommodate us. (Well most of us) I’m not big on breaks as my legs and feet tend to want to keep moving and then I have a good break when I’m done.
The path continued along the rim of the plateau with magnificent views of the flat Karoo desert below.
As we made our way along the precarious ledges we spotted an Oryx racing along a dividing fence, desperate to get to the other side. We walked quietly trying not to disturb him as he ran behind a bluff.
Around the plateau we went, following the path which felt like searching for a pile of rocks amongst a garden of rocks, sometimes losing the path only to make our own way through the rocks and grasses, now brown from the baking sun.
The ladders meant that we were moving from one farm to another and marked our progress toward Middelplaas (again).
Now around 7 kilometres along the plateau we finally started the slow descent. First we walked a very steep ledge with a massive drop off to reach the beacon making a division in the path.
The next section was a gentle rocky downhill as the slope gradually dropped away towards a ravine.
After scrambling across the ravine we encountered loose shale for the next 1.5 kilometres. The footing was precarious at best and our pace slowed dramatically. We also struggled to stay on the path as markings were scarce and the ground loose.
After a painstakingly slow climb down we found a spot of shade behind a large boulder to rest and hide from the sun.
10 minutes was all got and then up and away for the next section of the descent on the jeep track. We finally had the farm house in sight a few kilometres ahead. It was not very hot as we were on the leeward side of the mountain and desperate to finish.
The group had spread out and quietened as the path stretched ahead and flattened. I found myself walking alone at this point with a couple hikers ahead and the bulk behind me.
The farm gate makes the end of a crazy day starting with the 10km jeep track hike to Middelplaas and then the proper 12km hike over the plateau with the ridiculous descent to the farm for the second time.
We were all sooo happy to see the pool at the Bloubos guest house and celebrated with a dip in the COLD water and a braai for dinner. Nothing like an open fire to scare away the mosquitoes.
Our feet were tender but thankfully blister-free after our first 22 kilometres. We rested, recovered and looked forward to a “short” hike the following day.
But that’s another story to be blogged on another day. “Short” became rather long when we lost the path and had to get creative to find the next nights stop.
Here is a map and stats of the hike from Boplaas to Middelplaas over the Plateau
See you next time for more Karoo adventures…
