A place that leaves a mark
When we arrive at Cedar Falls base camp, Willem Maganie and his wife Marta tell us how the Leopard Trail is the realisation of a dream of being self-sufficient – something many residents of the Baviaanskloof didn’t think was possible.
Willem is small and sinewy, but he has a big smile. This tells you something of how a place as inhospitable as the Baviaanskloof moulds you as a person. You may not come here in the hopes of being changed, but the kloof will affect you, usually for good…
DAY 1 10 KM
One of a kind
We all stayed in the Cedar Falls Red Cliffs Farmhouse last night. For the next three nights we’ll sleep in tents in the veld, before returning here.
We start the hike with a strenuous climb from Cedar Falls up the aptly named Kick-Start Hill, to the plateau. It feels like you can reach out and touch the clouds. A sign catches my eye: “This journey will end at the same place you started. So, it’s not really about the destination.”
And soon, another one: “And you know we’re not really talking about this hike.”
So, what are we talking about?
I’m not a very
