Crossways hiking trail. With Peter Giddy Guided Tours. Cairn Route. Saturday 3.7.2021

 

Crossways hiking trail.  With Peter Giddy Guided Tours.  Cairn Route.  Saturday 3.7.2021

We are in Lockdown.   Covid 19 plays havoc in peoples lives.   But Hiking and being outdoors is probably one of the "cures" for a miraid of issues such as inactivity, slothfulness,  lack of sunshine and vitamin D,  & loneliness.   So with this in mind I am able to arrange a group hike on the Crossways farms trails.  

Faye has done this hike before and so she takes the lead.   We are nearly 40 in our group.   We meet either at the Windfarm or at to start hiking at 9am.   I meet Garth Puttergill who owns the land we will be using today.  I have prepaid and have the required permit for the walk.    A few people had to cancel at the last minute.   

On the trail with us today:   Faye;  Ayanda, Vuyo,  Thandi, Zimvelo and Sinako.  Ayanda and Lilly,  Wendy, Chris, Paul and Rachel,  Myles,  Patricia and Rochelle, Simphiwe,  Katharine,  Ronel and Dominique,   Carin and Aletheia,  Sharon and Scott,  Gerhard and Linda,  Hayley and Brittany,  Jeanne and Tandy,  Belinda, Unathi and Bhongo,  Cheryl,  Ateline, Ingrid,  Janice and Gay,  Jenny.   That is 38 walking today.   I had reserved for 41 --  with a few last minute cancelations.  

We walk out the Crossways entrance to the dirt road.   Turning north towards the mountains and then west into farmlands.   We turn right again into a valley past a dam with almost no water and cattle grazing.   Now we start to climb uphill.  The trail is marked Cairn Route which is the one we will be hiking today.   Over the turnstyle and up alongside the almost completely dry stream to our left.    

This hike has a number of obstacles and accepting help from another hiker is no shame.   The constant climbing is taxing on legs, heart and lungs.   After about 4.5km we reach the top of a clearing where we regroup.   Views across the valleys below and across to Jeffreys Bay.   The west wind is blowing strongly and at times we have to hold on for balance.    The morning sun is bright and in our eyes as we climb.   

After a short rest we continue uphill and then begin to contour our way back down the east side of this hill.   The trail zigzags to allow for a reasonably easy climb down.   However there are some tricky sections where you need to take care and a sure footing and balance is needed.  We make our way to the bottom of this valley and back onto the fields which we had crossed earlier.   We can see the Crossways farm stall and are soon back where we parked our cars.    The group has spread out to make the first to the last finisher probably as much as 30 minutes spread.   

At the stall we have a refreshment of cold drinks, coffee, breakfast buns and pies.   I finally get home at about 2pm.   This has been a worthwhile hiking trail.   Medium fitness is required.   The climbs are fairly difficult and long.  The hike is close to 10km and takes between 3 to 4 hours.  

Crossways farm village is situated 35km west of Port Elizabeth Gqeberha

The descent is a zigzag of some steep sections

Lovely flowers at this time of year. 

Amazing views across the bay to Jeffreys and st Francis

Long steep uphill climbs

The valley we walked up is long and a difficult climb

Ayanda is always clowning around

I make it over the turnstyle

Thandi; Sinako and Ayanda

Flowers -  Erica?

Jenny and Ateline

Rocky top of the mountain

Coffee sisters.   Carin and Aletheia

Cows in the fields

We are on the Cairn Loop

Ingrid nearly at the top

Patricia

Ayanda

Hayley

Ayanda. 

Belinda

Janice

Sinako and Thandi

Peter G

Gay

Rochelle

Still climbing up to the rest point

Taking a break at about 4.5km. 

Carin; Aletheia; Belinda and Sinako

Peter Giddy's hiking and tours group..... To enjoy the outdoors and to discover and explore places you have never seen or experienced.  Meet people and make new friends.  I understand that not everyone is at the same level of fitness and ability.   So I accommodate everyone but providing hikes to suite the individual.   No one is left behind.   

SA Guided Tours and 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 82 550 3174

Cheryl ...   Completed the hike with relative ease.   And with the front group.   So I now can use Cheryl as the bench mark for Medium Fitness

Peter and Ayanda.   Special day for her as she wears lipstick for the first time on a hike

And it is Ayanda's birthday .... Carin and Aletheia remember and bring her a Cup Cake to celebrate.  

Kolkols?

Heath?

Heath?