Planet waterfall
Location: Between King William’s Town and Hogsback
Distance: 100 km
Duration: 6 days
Terrain: Through indigenous forest and over grassy hills. Lots of steep climbs and river crossings.
Eight backpacks and a bunch of hiking poles are standing out there in the hall. In here, Dan Cornick from Amatola Trails is pointing to a map of the Amatola Hiking Trail. “It’s a tough day with lots of hills, so make sure you get an early start,” he says.
We’re gathered around a table at Away with the Fairies Backpackers in Hogsback. Dan is giving us an overview of the next six days, and the roughly 100 km we’ll be hiking. Every time he uses the words “tough day” (I count six in total), my eyes get a little bigger and I giggle nervously. The Amatola is famously (or infamously) known as one of the Big Hikes in South Africa.
“It’s difficult, but it’s one for your bucket list!” that’s how I sold the hike to my friends beforehand. Now there’s no turning back!
DAY 1 MADEN DAM TO GWILIGWILI (12 km)
It’s a bumpy ride to the trailhead next to Maden Dam near King William’s Town. The sign reminds us what lies ahead: “Your 100km adventure starts here.” I’m not feeling particularly adventurous at the moment. We pose for a quick group photo and start walking at about 10am. The first day of the trail is shorter than the others (about 12km) and less hilly.
My body takes a while to adjust to my backpack, but I’m not allowed to complain. We elected to do the Amatola as a slackpacking hike – an option offered by Amatola Trails. They will drop off food supplies on the second and fifth day, so we’re only carrying enough food for two days. I’m thankful for this fact
