Submitted by Sam Wells
The Genadendal hiking trail is a two day out-and-back loop that traverses the Riviersonderend Mountain folds. Striking features of the hike include prehistoric rock formations or “Wonderklippe”, a thick pine forest (where I nearly lost my mind), panoramic mountain views, winding streams, and the aptly named swim spot, Groot Koffiegat. (We hiked in rainy conditions, so we opted for a snack break here, rather than a freezing swim.)
The trail starts from the small historic town of Genadendal, winds up into the mountains and down into the Robertson Valley on the other side. You stay overnight in cottages on De Hoek Farm. The farm cottages are well equipped and we had a braai to warm up and eat heartily after many hours on the legs.
The return journey is a big loop back to Genadendal and it starts with a big (read, very big) climb out of the valley and then makes its way along a similarly picturesque route along another part of the mountain range. We hit a section on this return route that had given way from the heavy rains and formed a landslide. This was particularly sketchy to navigate as there was no path in sight and we had to slip and slide through the river as the “safest route” down and across this section. We heard recently that part of the trail is still in disrepair, so it’s probably good to check in with Cape Nature before setting off. The descent is very technical and potentially dangerous after heavy rains.
I created a little video here of our trip to give a perspective of this less explored side of the Riviersonderend Conservation Area.
MicroAdventure time in total, out and back:
2 Days out and back. 7hrs out and about 6hrs back, with picnic and swim time.
Getting to the start:
The start is at the historic town square (which is marked) in Genadendal, which can be easily accessed by any vehicle. The town itself is just off the N2, adjacent to Greyton about a 1.5hr drive outside of Cape Town. Once at the town square a trail leads up and out of the valley, and is very straight forward to follow as it's pretty much the only one. We used All Trails to help navigate/see where we were on the route.
Best time to go:
This hike has ALL the views - so I'd say hike in the day. We hiked in a very wintery (read rain) conditions in May which was pretty pleasant besides some slippery sections and rivers we needed to jump across. Summer from what I've read can be really hot without much shade, but swimming would be ideal then in the swim spots.
Cost (per person):
R250 - R500 per person
Special permissions / permits:
You need to book the trail through CapeNature and the cost is R30 per person per day, or free with your WildCard. The overnight hut is on a private farm called De Hoek. You book by calling Holt and Sandy Okes on 023 626 2176 and the rate is +- R65 per person per night.
A quick note about safety:
The route itself felt safe, but because of the terrain and length it would probably be advisable to do it with more than 1 person for general mountain safety.
Pro tips:
As with most overnighters try minimize your pack's weight as the undulating steep ascending and descending on this trail is significantly harder with the more weight you carry.