Hiking for beginners can be intimidating, but there’s really not much to it. You don’t need any special skills to hike – you just have to be able to walk and have some sense of direction. And, of course, South Africa is a hiker’s paradise, with some of the finest hiking trails in the world, where opportunities for adventure are endless. Whether hiking along rivers or treading up mountains, our country has trails for hikers of all fitness and skill levels.
But before we get into where to go, let’s start with the basics. The definition of hiking is “the activity of going for long walks, especially in the country or woods”. Basically, any kind of walk that isn’t on a road or sidewalk is a hike.
Types of hikes
Day hiking is what most people do when they say hiking. A day hike is done in a single day and can range from a quick 1 to 2km hike taking up to an hour to an all-day outing.
• is a multi-day journey. Trips entail carrying your gear (including your tent) with, which starts and ends in different parks, towns, provinces or countries.• is a relatively new trend, which sees trail organisers transporting your gear from hut to hut, leaving you with only a daypack.
