13/07/2023
The Tsitsikamma Trail is a highly regarded multi-day hiking trail in the Garden Route, known as the third jewel in its crown. It serves as an excellent alternative when the Otter Trail or Outeniqua Trail is unavailable.
Beauty Rating: 4/5 - The trail offers a mix of plantation roads, breathtaking indigenous forests, and stunning mountain views.
If you are hiking in the rainy season, the green and lucious landscape will most definitely take your breathe away!
Difficulty Rating: 6/10 - The trail requires moderate to good fitness due to the relatively long hiking days.
Technical Rating: The trail involves standard trail walking with some small river crossings and beach walking on the first day.
General recommendations:
- It is advisable to undertake this trail during the warmer months (October to April) to fully enjoy the swimming opportunities and avoid the rainy winter season, which can raise river levels and make crossings more hazardous and challenging.
- Prioritize coordinating logistics with your hiking group in advance. - For the slack packing option, it is beneficial to meet at De Vaselot/Nature's Valley beforehand, consolidate the food and slack-packing items into a few cars, and have selected drivers proceed to the Lottering Forestry Station for the bag drop. With proper preparation, unnecessary drives, fuel costs, toll road charges in both directions, and time can be saved. For example, our group of 24 could have used fewer cars.
- When departing from De Vaselot Campsite, avoid rushing towards the first trailhead you see (as we did), which may lead you away from the beach and your first night's accommodation, and delay planned activities. While walking on soft beach sand is challenging, the short, level walk to Kalander allows you to carry extra luxuries for the first night.
- If you find yourself going uphill on Day 1 or with the beach/lagoon behind you, you have taken the wrong direction.
- The key to Kalander Hut is stored in a discreet safety box, and you will need a code to access it. Request the code from MTO Forestry before your arrival. Some of us faced reception and battery issues with our phones, and we almost got locked out of the hut for the night.
- Start your hikes early, always. This provides daylight hours to handle any unexpected situations. Additionally, it allows you to fully enjoy the beautiful hut locations during the afternoons.
- Keep in mind that the distances measured by individuals in our group each day using GPS devices were longer than expected or indicated on the map. This can be mentally challenging for those eager to reach the overnight huts.
- In adverse weather conditions, try to keep the group together. If separation occurs, ensure that each subgroup has at least one map or GPS device.
- Most importantly, be vigilant for escape routes and distance markers, as there are several along the trail.
If you opt for slack packing, pack essential items in case of unforeseen circumstances: rain jacket, headlamp, hat, towel, swimming costume, first aid kit (including a space blanket), beanie, warm top or jacket, water and snacks, and perhaps even a change of clothing or underwear for heavy downpours or situations where access to luggage at the hut is not possible.
- After prolonged or heavy rain, river and stream crossings can become extremely powerful and dangerous. Monitor water levels of major rivers and tributaries closely after rainfall. If uncertain, turn back and take one of the exit routes. It takes between 6 to 24 hours for rivers to return to normal levels. Do not attempt to cross flooded rivers.
- Avoid swimming in the Lottering or Kleinbos Rivers as they provide water to downstream settlements.
- Hikers must bring their own food, cutlery, sleeping bags, camp stoves, pots, torches, candles, toilet paper, and basic first-aid equipment. The overnight huts provide large cast iron pots and pans, but these may not always be practical, especially for smaller hiking groups.
