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Thank you for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

I think it will depend on your level of fitness and how much you enjoy driving. The last day of the hike is one of the longest and there are some long descents, so I would not recommend driving back to Jhb on the same day. You will finish hiking quite late and probably get home after midnight. But having one night to sleep over is sufficient time for recovery for most. I don't recall having much muscle soreness after the hike - maybe the difference in altitude (I'm from Pretoria, so similar to Jhb) and daily stretching helped?

Thank you, and thanks for watching!

You live in a beautiful part of the world to do cross country now, Robert!

Thank you for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Hi @Maritza. The paths are very clearly marked and Safcol provide a map of the route when you make the booking. No guide needed. Make sure you keep the emergency contact details with you in case someone falls and needs to be evacuated (the trails are pretty remote, but all the huts can be accessed by road). There are sections of the trails that are very steep and slippery, so make sure you have grippy footwear and perhaps even a trekking pole. With the exception of the Waterfall hut (which seems to attract some local day visitors), I have not seen any other humans while on the trail both times I've done the hike. I've had no qualms about leaving my vehicle, but note that there are no car guards. Your car will be unattended. Don't leave any valuables lying out in the open on the car seat, for example. We did see the baboons briefly from a great distance, but they showed no interest in us. I have dealt with problem baboons on other hikes where people have clearly fed them, but the ones at Magoebaskloof stayed far away from us. Don't feed any of the wild animals and be wary of ticks (tick bite fever is no fun!). I hope you have a wonderful hike!

Hi @Doug F, thanks for watching the video. The poem is my own love letter to this place.

@@MarnoKirstein Wow Marno - I really liked it. i have been scouring all the English poets I could find, and the web did not produce anything, which puzzled me. I have done most of the trail a few times with different groups of kids. I am setting up to do the last unexplored leg Seepsteen to Dokolewa n a few weeks. Please may I get a copy of the poem. I would love to use it (if you ok with that) with the kids I take. Perhaps even attach it to the video so it is undeniably yours? I once lived in an indigenous forest very much like Magoebaskloof for a few years, and it speaks to my fondest memories of my many wanderings in the forest.

@@dougf7097, I had to go digging (thought I'd deleted all the project assets already), but the poem follows. I'm not too fussy about attribution; I make these videos for posterity (as a hobby). If it can help kids fall in love with the outdoors, that would be very cool. Be blessed. Magoebaskloof Where old man’s beard and drippings sway And verdant’s veiled in shrouds of grey, Cicada sirens and silent swathes array. There, there my feet did stray. When wet descents through rusty clay Follows climbs to opal in heaven’s day, All while silks spread, snag and play. Even there, there my boots whiled hours away. Tributaries, meandering brown, part way Through carpets thick in pine trees’ hay; Beside, layered greens suffuse the lay. There, there my tramping mainstay. Waters chatter, thrushes natter, loeries bray, buzzards bleat, sunwaves beat, cuckoos pray. Calm mossy smells, bishops’ silver bells, cascading spray. Midst rugged towers and teeming flowers the soul’s cares fray. May I there lace up again, Shoulder my pack, lift my gaze, Endure the hours of trudging pain And then, once more, drink deep the haze.

@@MarnoKirstein Love it!

Thanks for watching! I checked out your #MYRUN challenge, and it's a good one! I've got a multi-day ultra coming up next month and I will address most of the questions in your challenge in my video. I'm not sure when it will be up, but I'll use the hashtag and reach out.

@holdingnamerequired4703, it's taken ages but I finally have a response to #myrun up on my channel. Thanks again for the prompt!

Thank you, and thanks for watching. I did a multi-stage ultra earlier this month, and am ramping up for my big 2022 race (a 50-miler) coming up in 8 weeks. Congratulations on the excellent result at Yao Yai!

Thank you Michael, and thanks for watching.

Thank you for checking in, and to you too. Happy hiking!

Thank you for sharing in the experience, @ervinslens. I’ve enjoyed looking through some of the beautiful footage on your channel, too!

At the time we did the hike, there were still (Covid-19) regulations about using only 50% capacity for indoor facilities. The tents created extra capacity so that we could have the normal number of hikers in the group.

Well spotted, @James Beard. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, they were only allowed to fill the huts to 50% capacity. The tents are for the overflow.

@@MarnoKirstein thanks, I did think that may be the reason after I sent the message. I used to take vacuum packed Braai meat for all 4 nights, bacon and eggs for all 4 breakfasts. It was worth it just to see the look on the other hikers faces. The meat would be marinated before hand and frozen then rapped in newspaper. Well worth it.

@@MarnoKirstein thanks again for the video, best hike I have done, I would love to do it again with my kids.

@@jamesbeard7797 how did you take the eggs?

@@durangokool8724 Hi. I have a plastic container from a camping store that takes 6 eggs, large eggs won’t fit.

Thanks, it was!

@@MarnoKirstein your welcome! We really enjoy making outdoor content also

Synchronising the cow tail-slapping her thigh with the sound of the snare drum was my favourite thing in editing this video. 😆 We saw about 35 bird species on the day. Some special mentions: Black-winged Kites, Diederik cuckoos, a Southern Boubou nest (which was a first for me), Rattling Cisticolas, a Lesser Honeyguide, Red-throated Wryneck, Dusky Indigobird and (we’re only 90% sure) a Ground Woodpecker. Heard (but didn’t see) Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Black-crowned Tchagra and Black Cuckoo, any one of which would have been a lifer for me. 🥲

It was a lot of fun. Thanks for watching!

@@MarnoKirstein you're welcome! We really enjoy making outdoor videos also