Hiking from the St. Fort Country House, Clarens, South Africa

We went on two hikes from the St. Fort Country House. The proprietors of the farm keep the trails maintained and marked and will provide you with trail maps as well. You don’t have to stay at the farm to go on the hikes.

Hike One: Mushroom Rock

Below are some photos from the 1.5 mile trail to Mushroom Rock. It turns out we could have taken a ladder to the very top of the rock but somehow we missed that. Still, there were beautiful views, a mini-suspension bridge and a tiny cave/overhang to walk through with a ladder back down to the trail.

Hike Two: Prehistoric Rock Art

While our teens slept, my husband and I went on the next hike to a small cave to see the prehistoric rock art by the San people (hunter-gatherers). Twice during this walk we heard baboons sounding an alarm call – about us. It made me feel a little vulnerable to hear the sharp bark of unseen baboons sounding from the trees and cliff tops. But we kept hiking and they quieted down. However, when we approached the cave, we heard another baboon. My husband used his binoculars and actually spotted the one who was making all the noise. He was high up on the cliff, pacing back and forth, looking down at us and barking. I felt like I was in an old western movie about to be ambushed by outlaws!

This blog about our South African trip is winding down but there will be other travel blogs to come. Next week I will talk about the wonderful school we visited in Clarens. Stay tuned . .