Despite a day of hot blustery winds, some 35 enthusiastic hikers turned up at the trailhead of the historical Karkloof “Shawswood farm” for a 15 km fundraiser walk for Karkloof Conservancy. The hike constitutes the first day part of a 3-day “Falls2Falls” slack pack trail and was guided by Julia Invernizzi from Spekboom Tours. For those of you unfamiliar with the term “slackpacking” it is walking trails without the burden of a backpack, hard mattress, and pot noodles for dinner to look forward to.
Much of the trail traversed private land using old Yellow Wood logging paths through the Karkloof forest, the second-largest indigenous forest in South Africa after the Tsitsikamma National Park. For many, it was a novel experience. “Even as a local, we don’t know our own backyard,” says Carol Owen, a local Howick hiker, and birder who helped organise the hike. “When you have the chance to explore special but often inaccessible places, you jump at the chance”.
For Invernizzi ( SpekboomTours) it’s a privilege to show local people the area. “If more people can be introduced to nature through hiking and trail running, we raise the profile of the conservancies, strengthen our conservation work and ultimately protect our rich biodiversity,” says this avid environmental educationist.
After a staunch but completely doable stride up through the Shawswood Forest to Grey Mares Falls, the walkers traversed the watershed escarpment and descended through Mistbelt forest to Rockwood farm.
A rare sighting of a lone Eland loping across grassland whilst drinking from a mountain stream was certainly a highlight and the day was beautifully concluded with a Lemon G&T on the veranda of the Rockwood Farm house.
A sincere thank you to Twane Clarke of KK Conservancy for arranging the hike, Bundy Shaw for transporting hikers and Nic and Tim Hancock and all the staff at Rockwood for generously wavering the trail fee and opening the Rockwood Farm for a glamourous ending to a long but enjoyable day for all.
For more information about slack pack tours in the Karkloof and Dargle please contact:
Julia Colvin 07681901615 julia@spekboomtours.co.za
