REPORT
ON HIKING EXPERIENCE
MBOTYI RIVER LODGE BASE
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PREAMBLE
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Most hikes over a week take the form of a hiking trail
with participants going from point A to point B either overnighting in trail
huts/cabins or sleeping out in tents.
This particular experience was quite different in that the party used
the Mbotyi River Lodge as a base and then hiked on a daily basis returning to
the Lodge in the late afternoon each day.
For the purists this may seem a little too cossetted. However for the people who participated in
this experience it was undeniably luxurious to be able to relax, have a hot
bath/shower, visit the bar and then sit down to a 4-course meal served by very
friendly Lodge staff. It will take
some persuasion for people on the experience to return to more traditional (and
probably correct) ways!
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Keith and Margaret picked up Peter in Howick at 08h00
and then down to PMB to pick up Morris and Noλl at their home in
Blackridge. Merle arrived shortly after
to hand over her secretarial portfolio she will be in UK for 3 months to
spend time with her sons in Newquay in Cornwall and also to earn some good old
GBP! Keith and party then on to
Kokstad via Umzimkulu (who remembers the hassle of passing through the old
Transkei border post here prior to 1994).
The customs building is now completely derelict. Surely the local authority can turn this
facility into something attractive and useful!
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On to the Port St Johns road which has had a sealed
surface now for several years and to Lusikisiki. This has become quite a bustling sort of place being the largest
town in this Northern part of the Wild Coast.
Mbotyi is about 40 kms further on.
Arrival around 14h30 with quite pleasant weather. Mbotyi River Lodge was built about 12 years
ago and abandoned around 1994 at the time of the murder of Chris Hani who came
from the Transkei. The previous owners
feared retribution which subsequently proved to be unwarranted and amazingly
the lodge remained untouched for 7 years almost the Mari Celeste of the hotel
trade you might say.
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The new owners took over around the year 2000 and it
is now a comfortable and well equipped base for hiking, pony trekking, fishing
or just chilling out to coin a phrase!
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After establishing ourselves in comfortable
accommodation a small party decided to walk along the beach in the direction
of Waterfall Bluff. This is superb
country and a taste of what was to come over the ensuing days. The rest of the party arrived in the late
afternoon. Warwick and Brenda with
Selven and Prema. Anton and Penny
quite a bit later, just in time for dinner.
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All retired to the pub before dinner at 19h30, a
4-course affair and nicely served by very friendly staff. A good start to the week all feeling
strong about the hiking to come.
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2
JUNE MONDAY DAY 2
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Early (ish) breakfast the Mboyti
omelette quite awesome! This was the
first hiking day with a fairly easy 13
kms to get us all into reasonable fitness and shape for the next few days. The hotel arranged lunch packs so all the
work is done and all you have to do is walk!
Target for today was the Rock of the Bird (in Xhosa Ilityelentaka). Immediately after leaving the hotel the
route climbs to about 150/200m with great views of the surrounding area. The path then drops down to a river for a
pleasant
1½ hours or so across delightful beaches
with no one in sight! Not for nothing
is this area called the Wild Coast.
The Rock itself is about 30/40m high and is visible from at least 4 or 5
kms due to the guano deposited by seabirds gaunet, shag, cormorant over many
years. Keith and our guide Lennox
decided to summit. This was a fairly
difficult climb over a sea gully and then over sharp rocks. The observers enjoyed the spectacle while
eating lunch!
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On the way back, Brenda spotted a white collared
kingfisher which is quite rare and for
most of us a first. Other birds noted
were a Cape rock thrush and a white breasted plover. The route back to the lodge involves a fairly steep climb to
about 300m via several Xhosa hamlets.
Before dinner, Prema challenged people to scrabble beware, this lady
is a killer at this game as other guests outside of our party were to find out
later in the week. Adam then met us
(son of Sue joint owner of the lodge) and received the recommended hikes for
the remainder of the week with the hike to Waterfall with No Name being
considered the most arduous we unanimously decided to get this over with at the earliest
opportunity like the following day!
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Again a very good dinner with most of us retiring by
21h00.
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After breakfast (full works) we set off around 08h30
with Lennox again, down to a river followed with a steep climb to about 300m
through dense rain forest. At the top
for a breather we had seemingly lost Selven and Prema. Peter and Warwick went back down to the
river but no sign of them. On return
(another 400m climb in total) there they were in good spirits having taken a
wrong turn on the path which admittedly wasnt obviously marked but had
eventually found the main party.
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The route was now getting increasingly difficult with
a bit of rock hopping and cliff hanging
for about another hour before the waterfall came into view. This is quite dramatic with the first fall
descending from the escarpment by about 70m then a flat rocky section where we
had lunch. The main falls drop to the
valley from this area by about 100 120m.
After a welcome break, on through a densely forested section with a fair bit of climbing/descending and
back to the river. Home via further
Xhosa settlements. People in the area
are friendly and you dont get any feeling of hostility which is good for
tourism in this part of the E. Cape.
We also saw a flock of Cape parrots in the area, a severely endangered
bird and great to see.
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Back to the Lodge by late afternoon with 16 hard
earned kilometres under our belt.
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Usual banter around the bar and an excellent dinner
again. Earlyish night once more for us
all. You sleep well after good
exercise, company and food.
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This was the day for the big one Waterfall Bluff
distances estimated between 22 and 28 kms but probably 24 kms would be about
right. We had both guides Lennox and
Siphiwe for the day - principally for the possibility of anyone wanting to cut
short the distance. On the top of the
cliffs one could quite easily get lost without directions.
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Noλl decided not to go on this hike the weather had
changed and was quite chilly and overcast.
Earlyish start around 08h30 and after about 3 kms Prema decided enough
was enough and returned to base with Anton kindly looking after her and
accompanying her back. Penny shortly
after also decided to return but with Anton and Prema in sight we all felt
comfortable with this.
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We pushed on to the end of the 4th beach
from base and then a fairly steep rise up a conical shaped hill and onto the
cliff top area. This part of the coast
is riven with deep faults and we crossed a natural bridge over such a chasm at
least 150 m deep but probably only 2m wide quite dramatic. On to Cathedral Rock about 2 kms
further. This is a spectacular rock
formation which does have a look reminiscent of a church or ecclesiastical
building. With the sea breaking around
the base this is the Wild Coast at its best.
The weather had now turned wet and cold so on with wet weather gear and
over the cliffs moorland really to the river which becomes the lengendary
Waterfall Bluff. We had lunch on the
river bank the banks are really rock formations with several quite deep pools
no more than 200 300m from the sea.
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To view the Waterfall, walk northwards for about 1 km
to the cliff face and then down a gully ending in an enormous cave structure
evidence of weather erosion of the sand stone prevalent in the area. The Waterfall itself is a dramatic scene
this is one of only a very few in the world which drop directly into the sea
and certainly the only one in Southern Africa. The fall is about 50m and with a heavy sea running you
appreciate the forces of nature.
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Back home along the same route in worsening weather
although by the time we reached the beaches it had cleared somewhat. This was a long hike and most of us were
pretty tired and looking forward to hot showers, an hour or so at the pub and
then the usual very welcome dinner.
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One amusing encounter during the day was Lennoxs
observation that Keith, Margaret and Peter didnt speak English! Clearly their north country accents had him
confused. Please speak up anyone else
who had difficulty in communicating with our Chairman and his fellow
Lancastrians!
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5
JUNE - THURSDAY DAY 5
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This was the final hike of the week to Magwa falls
distance about 16 kms one way so fairly easy after the previous day. However the weather was again unsettled.
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This was Lennoxs day off so Siphiwe led the
hike. He became increasingly talkative
and helpful as the day progressed he was probably taking a bit of a back seat
to Lennox on the two previous days.
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Initially we took the path to the Waterfall with no
name again climbing to about 300m. On
through a fairly rocky patch and into a pine forest until we reached the edges
of the Magwa Tea Estates, a huge area which seems to go on forever although
there seemed to be little activity.
Clearly if only the tips of the tea bushes are picked for tea blending
then a lot of bushes are required! It
had become quite cold as we approached the falls. Again these are a magnificent sight a sort of mini Victoria
Falls. In full flood they must be
quite spectacular.
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The arrangement following Falls viewing was that we
would be picked up by the lodge people (Adam and friends) around 13h00. However they didnt appear until around
13h30 but the good news was that they had kept a hot lunch for us all. This was most welcome on arrival.
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Easy afternoon for most of us with the French Open
ladies final being the focus an all Belgian affair with a good win for the
underdog. It was the final evening
with Prema again the undisputed queen of scrabble and Margaret table
tennis champion of the week.
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The team from Blue Planet who had been there for
several days were also in festive mood.
The were preparing a video shoot of the area including the coast line
from the seaward side. Dinner up to
usual standard and then all retiring a little later with no serious activity
for the following day other than the journey home.
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6
JUNE FRIDAY - DAY 6
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After a relaxing breakfast and sorting out
our final accounts several deciding to visit Msikaba. This is a renowned spot for fishing and
camping and we were not to be disappointed.
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Theres a small community almost certainly holiday
cottages and a camp site with ablutions.
It would be superb for a week of fishing, walking and just
relaxing. We got details from the camp
office bookings are through the E. Cape capital of Bisho.
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Eventually all back home arriving late afternoon.
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SUMMARY
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This is deluxe hiking and the club should seriously
consider at least one such experience annually. However there is still enormous attraction in the more purist
way of camping, overnighting in caves and rough back packing and we should not
forget this as being the mainstay of club activities.
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As a group at Mbotyi we all bonded well and the
attractions of the Wild Coast continue to endure.
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Peter Wedge
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