Day 2 at Bezhoek:18 km of Hiking, Endurance, and Iguana Roadblocks

1800 year old Cycad

Sunday Trail: 18 km

So Sunday, we did 18 km. Yes, you read that right:

Eighteen.

Kilometers.

On foot.

Voluntarily.

Don’t ask me why.

We still don’t know.

Carol (logistics queen, keeper of spreadsheets, and feeder of hikers) had us sorted with breakfast: rusks, muffins, and coffee courtesy of the accommodation.

The brief? By 6 AM sharp, we were expected to have cars packed, caffeinated, and ready to roll.

Getting ready to make our way to the Reserve

We set off to a different entrance of the reserve than the previous day. Because the road was a long stretch of sand, some of us hitched rides in bigger vehicles.

Bradden before his hair and make up has been done

Would I have preferred to start the actual hiking by 6? Of course.. Was that ever going to happen? Probably not.

Thankfully, the first couple of hours made up for it—cool breeze, overcast skies, and that fleeting illusion (as always) that 18 km might actually not be that hard.

This trail came with a few inclines.

Some were short and sharp, others slow and lethal.

But this trail was definitely more about endurance and grit, and less about the climbs.

Streams and Waterfalls.

A few kilometers in, the trail decided to soften its image with streams and a couple mini-waterfalls.

I say Iguana...experts say Rock Lizard 🤷‍♀️

But on this trail, if you actually wanted to make it back to Johannesburg before dark, lingering at each pretty spot wasn’t really an option.

When Endurance Is Tested

The second half of this hike was all about sheer endurance. Long, exposed stretches. We sweated and cursed our ancestors for ever discovering upright walking.

But—because hikers are a strange breed— we knew that once it was over, we’d feel like absolute legends.

Trail Highlights: Hiking With Experts

Honestly, this hike taught me the difference when you are with people who actually "know stuff." The landscape isn’t just scenery—it’s a classroom. Both have their place, but it was refreshing to be alerted to things I’d have completely missed if it weren’t for Carol and the team.

Case in point: a giraffe skeleton. Unusual to see.

Turns out, it was struck by lightning. Those are the kind of details we'd have missed without our higher graders teaching us.

We also saw various prints along the way. Each one being expertly identified by our experts.

And then came one very stubborn iguana (or, as the experts insist, a “rock lizard”). He parked himself in the middle of the path, no rush, no care in the world—just full reptilian entitlement.

We waited. He waited. Then he puffed himself up to double his size in an “intimidating lizard” routine. Bradden eventually stepped in as reptile negotiator and politely escorted him off the path so we could pass.

We saw a few herds of wildlife dash gracefully across the landscape, living their best lives while we huffed and puffed like 100-year-old pugs.

Then the ancient Cycads – Brad informed us these have been around for a gazillion years. Maybe not. But definitely older than anyone in our group. (Okay, maybe not me.)

Brunch in the Bush

Midway through, Carol unveiled a spread under the trees. Neatly laid-out snacks, bite-sized treats, and all the “just what I needed” fuel a tired hiker could dream of.

It was the perfect pause to revive the dead and convince us we were ready for the grind still waiting ahead.

And Carol? Your surprise treats that kept popping up over the two days were pure wizardry.

That naartjie tucked into our "padkos" bag popped up at the exact moment I needed it most. Honestly, it was like you read my mind—impossible—but still, freakishly uncanny.

The Final Kilometers

By the last stretch, it turned into the kind of hike where you swear, loudly and repeatedly, that you’ll never put yourself through this again (until Monday morning, when you’re Googling the next torturous trail - because apparently, you like suffering.)

Final Thoughts

Honestly—if you didn’t drag your sorry self through 18 km of trail torture, curse your entire bloodline, get home late on a Sunday and then panic-open your laptop to churn out content before work on Monday morning… did your weekend even actually count?

To Carol, Bradden, Et and Al: I know this whole adventure has been a dream come true for you guys, and all the groundwork really paid off.

I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time with every group that follows—though, let’s face it, we set the bar unreasonably high. Future groups will try, bless their hearts, but deep down they’ll always know they’re no us.