Ezemvelo: Day 2-The Hike I Almost Skipped (And Would’ve Regretted)

jeeksparties8
Jul 31
3 min read

Updated: Aug 1

Now, because I don’t read the fine print. Or the bold print. Or any print, if we’re being honest, I only heard after booking this weekend that it was actually a beginner friendly hike - one of those designed to gently welcome new hikers into the club with smiles, slow pace, and absolutely zero chance of losing a lung.

I had a five-minute internal crisis wondering whether I was happy to sacrifice two potentially epic hiking days… for a glorified Sunday stroll?

But then I remembered: I’ve been wanting to hike this place for ages. So—dammit—I went.

And you know what? Yes, please and thank you. So glad I did!!

Day 2. We set off at 7:00 a.m.—which, weirdly, is kind of my thing.

Not for everyone, I know. Me? I thrive in pre-dawn chaos....especially on the trail.

There’s just something about those early trail mornings—the crisp air, the eerie silence, the smug satisfaction of knowing I’m halfway up a mountain while most people are still sleeping. It’s peaceful. It’s powerful.

We weren’t entirely sure how much of the trail had been burned the day before, but hey—we’re hikers. By definition, we ignore logical warnings, walk into suspicious conditions, and will probably keep going even if our socks are actively smoldering.

Unbothered. Flammable. Committed. My kind of people..

The hike started exactly what you’d expect from a game farm. Flat. Open. Scenic in that low-effort, winter sort of way. Smudges of game on the horizon here and there—nothing dramatic, just a few graceful reminders that we were the least likable mammals present...or at all.

The pace? Slow.

But you know what? In the end, I was on a full-blown endorphin high, grinning like I’d just spent the day casually meandering through a field of wildlife. (Oh wait—I had.)

And although it started off flat and friendly... towards the end, things got a little spicier. A couple of precarious sludge crossings, an unexpected technical decline, and even a few cheeky inclines. I felt for the newbies.

But let me tell you: these newbies stepped up, scrambled up, and didn’t complain once (at least not out loud).

And like all good group hikes, the magic happened: strangers instantly helping each other without question.

There’s something genuinely heartwarming about watching a bunch of virtual strangers instinctively help each other down a slippery slope.

Hiking—it’ll restore your faith in humanity.

Not in me, of course. I remain part-feral, part-dead-inside. No faith restored here. I was firmly in my usual role: lurking off to the side, sneakily capturing all the feel-good moments like some emotionally supportive trail paparazzi.

The group? Solid humans.

The landscape? More about the vibe than the view.

The hike? Surprisingly amazing, actually.

RATING

AREA -Bronkhorstspruit

LENGTH - 12.25 km

TIME

6 1/2 hours (including snack breaks, taking it slow and general faffing)

HIGHLIGHTS

Ironically, the best parts were the messy, magical in-betweens. Like the wildlife gathering on the burnt grass. Maybe the fire had brought all the tasty creatures to the surface. Who knows. Nature doesn’t owe us an explanation.

But the sight? Elegant wildlife on a backdrop of charcoal-black earth? Hauntingly stunning. Aesthetically eerie in all the right ways.

And then—this one tree. Just one. Standing tall and weirdly untouched in the middle of all the scorched chaos. How? Why? Who knows.

But this is when nature reminds us who’s actually in charge.

And of course, those classic hiking moments: slippery rocks, awkward scrambles, and suddenly decent humans instinctively step in. Helping hands appear before you even have time to ask.