Klein Rivier Hiking Trail -- a 5 hour walk up a Kloof (Valley)

 

Klein Rivier Hiking Trail  -- a 5 hour walk up a Kloof (Valley)

The Kloof (Valley) we will walk up.   It is narrow in places with amazing cliff faces on both sides.  

Inspecting the boma at the start of the hike

Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- Shore Excursions -- Addo Elephant and other Wildlife Reserves -- Garden Route.  Flowers of Namaqualand -- 

0027 (0) 82 55 03 714    Whatsup
peter.giddy@gmail.com
Addo Elephant Park Day Visit and Night drive. 

• Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
• Daniel Cheetah Project
• Pumba; Shamwari; Amakhala; Kariega -- Day trips Private Reserves.
• Three day tour of Mountain Zebra Park. Graaff Reinet, Nieu Bethesda and Addo. 
• City Historical and Cultural Tours, 
• Horse riding for both experienced and inexperienced riders
• Hikes and Walks around Port Elizabeth (2 hour Nature and Coastal walks)
• Garden Route Adventure Tours (Zip Lines; Segway  in the Forest; Adventure Quad Biking; Bridge Walks; Bungy Jump; Knysna Elephant Park; Monkey Land and Birds of Eden; Big Cats Sanctuary; Oudtshoorn Cango Caves and Ostrich farms)
• Shore Excursions from Passengers ships
• Transfers. Airport; Hotel and Wildlife Reserve.
• Flowers of Namaqualand.  Seven days of adventure and exploring places and sights you never even knew existed.  History and natural beauty of the South West of South Africa
• Karoo to Garden Route. Six days of fun and activities.  Prince Albert; Swartberg Pass; Die Hell; Oudtshoorn; Prince Alfred pass; Plett and Tsitsikamma. 

Website --   petergiddyguidedtours.wordpress.com

For tours and bookings.. email me at.    peter.giddy@gmail.com
Contact me on Whatsup....  0027 082 550 3174

Approximately 50km from Port Elizabeth on the R75 towards Graaff Reinet you find the sign indicating the road to Cockscomb and to Klein Rivier. 

Look out for the sign showing the Klein Rivier Farm on your left. 

The Klein Rivier farm belongs to a group of people including Brad Sharp.   It is located on the road to Cockscomb which is about 20km north of Uitenhage.   From Port Elizabeth 50km on the R72 to Graaff Reinet;   Take a left turn when you see the sign Cockscomb and Klein Rivier.    Continue for 22km at a speed of not more than 50 or 60kmph.   Turn into the farm road of Klein Rivier where you need to open and close 6 x gates.    The farm manager is Deon.    On the farm we find a number of small overnight huts and chalets including some on the pathway to the Kloof.   Also a tented camp which sleeps 8 people.   On the farm is a variety of wildlife including Wildebeest and Antelope.   

The road to Klein Rivier is well signposted

A hut made completely of mud / clay. 

Dorper Sheep with lambs

Signposts explaining where everything is on the farm

We will be walking up the Kloof and past Dassie Krans. 

I am not sure if this is where we went but we did find a Dassie Cave. 

Heading into the forest

Sometimes crossing the stream was made easy with bridges.

The tented camp sleeps 8 people

Looking upwards to the Kloof that we would now begin to enter. 

I took some PE Rocks from the Mill Park conservancy and placed them on this trail. 

PE Rocks by Penelope 

The first time I do this hike we leave from Port Elizabeth at 7.30am.    We arrive at the farm at 9.00am and start walking by 9.15am.    We walk directly up the road towards the Kloof.   The first part is reasonably easy with a pathway.   As we continue up the kloof, all the time walking slightly uphill as the stream flows down towards the farm house.   To walk this trail you need a couple of things;   Reasonably strong shoes with a good grip;   Your shoes should be such that you do not mind getting them wet.     You need a hat;  at least 1.5lit of water;  a snack / energy bar / fruit and reasonable fitness.    You will cross the stream (if there have been rains otherwise the kloof could be dry) multiple times.   You will clamber over rocks and walk on ledges while holding onto rocks for balance.   You may be able to swim in 3 or four pools.   

On the Klein Rivier trail there may be a few scary bits

Klein Rivier is a working farm 

Take the Cockscomb turn off from the R75 which is about 15km from Uitenhage as you go to Graaff Reinet. 

One of the many Pools

Beautiful rocky outcrops make this a spectacular hiking trail. 

Klein Rivier Plant  --- Crassula Perforata -- Also known as String of Buttons

Klein Rivier plant 2   Crassula Perforata on the Klein Rivier hiking trail ..... Also in our garden.  

Peter swimming

Careful as you climb down the ledge

Our group as we are about to start the hike with Teresa; Irene; Gillian;  Rina; Selan; Cheryl and myself

Kettle in the Rock Art Cave

Looking out of the Cave. 

Gillian in the Forest. 

Teresa in the Forest. 

Cheryl and Gillian

There is a tented camp behind where we are standing on this bridge.   

Do not be lulled into a false sense of security when you start this hike.   Bridges are only at the very begining.   There after the crossings could be rocky. 

Our last swim is in a hidden pool which requires a bit of rock climbing and abseiling . .

On the edge of the rocks. 

The valley stretches up for kilometers 

Some amazing views up the Kloof

The pathway is reasonably well marked ..... all you need do is stay next to the stream. 

Startgin the trail up with Klein Rivier Kloof. 

Rina climbs up the steep section. 

We are so fortunate that the stream is flowing strongly.  

Relaxing in the Rock Art cave

Cliff sides on in the kloof make this hike a special one

Selan climbing up the hill. 

Walking in the Forest keeps us cool despite the heat at over 35 degrees.  

Frequent stops to recharge was neccessary. 

This is the Dassie Cave. 

Gillian and Selan. 

Gillian climbs up from the Pool

This group loved the hike.   "Best ever"  was the comment

The tricky bits make this hike interesting

Walking past the Dassie Cave.  

Some strange looking figures. 

Hand Prints are common in this form of Rock art. 

Jenny points out the pottery and cutting stones. 

A double barreled Cycad

PE Rocks I placed on the trail . 

Dassie Cave with solid droppings and urine. 

Up and onwards and into the Kloof.   

The trail is out and back.   So it is possible to predetermine how long the walk will be.   We walked for about 2.5 hours up to one of the pools where the valley starts to open up.    With stops, exploring and swims we walked a total of about 5 and a half hours.   Care should be taken during summer days as dehydration and exhaustion could be a real problem.   Most of the trail is under trees and in shade;  however there are times when you are out in the open and we could feel an oppressive heat bouncing off the rocks.  

We leave from our house at 8am and take the N2 to the Swartkops Turn off.   Past Red House, Despatch and Uitenhage onto the R75.   15km past Uitenhage we turn onto the Cockscomb dirt road.  We drive at an easy 50 to 60kmph as this is a fairly rough road.   After 22km we arrive at the turn off to Klein Rivier farm.   Teresa is in her Hilux with is kitted out for all eventualities and has a solar panel which keeps her fridge cool.   Selan opens the 6 gates for us.    We are able to start hiking at 9.45am.    

The trail is well laid out and easy to keep to.   Fortunately for us the stream is flowing strongly.   Waterfalls and pools available to swim.  At 35 degrees it is a hot day.   But with the flowing water and shade of the forest we remain cool.   I take 1.5 lit of water.  And fortunately we are able to fill our water bottles at any time.   We swim in two of the pools.    The last pool has a bit of Abseiling to do and adds to the adventure.   Finally everyone swims across the pool to the waterfall.   We stop for a lunch break before exiting the trail at about 4pm.    

A full day of adventure, fun and exploring on the Klein Rivier Trail.    A day that we will not forget.   

Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- Shore Excursions -- Addo Elephant and other Wildlife Reserves -- Garden Route.  Flowers of Namaqualand -- 

0027 (0) 82 55 03 714    Whatsup
peter.giddy@gmail.com
Addo Elephant Park Day Visit and Night drive. 

• Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
• Daniel Cheetah Project
• Pumba; Shamwari; Amakhala; Kariega -- Day trips Private Reserves.
• Three day tour of Mountain Zebra Park. Graaff Reinet, Nieu Bethesda and Addo. 
• City Historical and Cultural Tours, 
• Horse riding for both experienced and inexperienced riders
• Hikes and Walks around Port Elizabeth (2 hour Nature and Coastal walks)
• Garden Route Adventure Tours (Zip Lines; Segway  in the Forest; Adventure Quad Biking; Bridge Walks; Bungy Jump; Knysna Elephant Park; Monkey Land and Birds of Eden; Big Cats Sanctuary; Oudtshoorn Cango Caves and Ostrich farms)
• Shore Excursions from Passengers ships
• Transfers. Airport; Hotel and Wildlife Reserve.
• Flowers of Namaqualand.  Seven days of adventure and exploring places and sights you never even knew existed.  History and natural beauty of the South West of South Africa
• Karoo to Garden Route. Six days of fun and activities.  Prince Albert; Swartberg Pass; Die Hell; Oudtshoorn; Prince Alfred pass; Plett and Tsitsikamma. 

Website --   petergiddyguidedtours.wordpress.com

For tours and bookings.. email me at.    peter.giddy@gmail.com
Contact me on Whatsup....  0027 082 550 3174