On a Quest to See Vultures: The Hike That Almost Broke Me!

So, Day 5 of our Blyde River Canyon adventure arrived, and oh boy, did it deliver.

We had a hike planned that had been on our radar since before we even set foot in this neck of the woods.

In response to my quest for local hiking suggestions, we were tipped off about a hidden gem - a not-so-well-known trail that promised a trek to the top of a mountain with a chance to see vultures. 

To be fair, it was made abundantly clear that this is a new trail, and they were still in the process of finding a qualified guide.

They weren’t ready to go public with it, as they didn’t want to risk jeopardizing the entire project.

That’s why I’ve chosen not to mention the name of the hike.

Let me just put this in perspective though.

I had joined a whats app group a few weeks earlier to do a hike to Vergenoeg to ultimately see vultures at the top, which fell apart last minute.

So when I saw photos of it on Facebook - while on our way to Blyde River Canyon - vultures basically posing for selfies - I decided this one had to be even better.

Obviously.

We started at 6 am in the dark, drove into what can only be described as “village meets void,” and arrived at a GPS pin that confidently declared: "you’re here."

We were not convinced.

A call later confirmed we were in the right place-ish, and our guide - who turned out to be the contact's dad - and an assistant, appeared to shepherd us onward.

We parked in his backyard, met the family (all wonderfully welcoming), and set off on a kilometre walk through the village before the actual hike even began.

It was cool enough not to suffer too much - except I’d forgotten my “it’s freezing” jacket in the car, which was immediately adopted and carried by the "assistant" and my new best friend for the day.

I am going to vent for a moment before I rationalize:

Salt had to put up with my endless complaints about the difficulty and my rapidly dwindling patience.

To be fair, he was right - I was being a bit of a whiner.

But when you’re trudging through what feels like a never-ending uphill battle, your sense of humour tends to evaporate faster than the sweat off your brow.

So before I knew what hit me, we were off....walking over rocks which I would normally tread very carefully over. I was trying to keep up, so virtually as we started, I went tumbling on some rocks, and thank goodness only had a few grazes to show for it.

My friend (walking behind me the whole way to make sure I don't lag too much, carrying my "only when it's freezing" jacket) mentioned to dad to take it a bit slower.

Which he did...for about 2 minutes.

This hike was the most grueling, strenuous endeavor I have ever embarked upon. 

The hike was a relentless test of endurance, and I could swear we barely stopped for a breather.

The landscape was about water, rocks, inclines, scrambling, flat trails......everything rolled into one hike.

But I just wish I could have enjoyed it more!

By the end of it, I felt like I had been dragged up the mountain by sheer willpower alone.

The reward at the summit?

Unfortunately, my expectations had been set by the picturesque photo of vultures circling above from the trail I had missed the previous week.

Did we see vultures? Yes.

Up close? Absolutely not.

Am I being a spoilt brat? Totally!

It seems if we’d gone a bit later, we might’ve have been able to pet those vultures.

But no, I insisted on starting before the world even had coffee.

Still, imagine if it was later, I would have been a sweatier, grumpier mess on the way back.....and no one would have wanted that!!

In hindsight, it was an incredible hike - tough and raw and authentic.....  just as I have continuously been in search of. 

We walked up a mountain that dad probably walks up every day.

A stunningly beautiful mountain, and probably one of the highest mountains we have summited.

We walked through a warm and friendly village. 

Dad could not guarantee that we could pet vultures, and we didn't.

But let me tell you something.....We got back from the hike, and Salt's mom was broken. I collapsed on a bed and said I am going to nap.

And nap i did...for at least an hour...this I do not do........ in fact wait just a minute...could salt have phoned ahead??

If you’re looking for a real challenge, this is it.....and you might even get to see some vultures!

Just so you know, I sent this blog to the organizer beforehand for permission to post, because I’m not about naming and shaming - especially when I know I was having a moment.

His response? Pure gold.

He took my constructive criticism like a champ, agreed with me, and vowed to do better… though I’m sure he was fantasizing about pushing me off that very high and extremely beautiful cliff we had climbed!

All the makings of a future business mogul.