Somabula Nature Reserve: Hiking, Herds, and Hypotheticals
- Apr 3, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 1
Ah yes, the long weekend - that sacred period meant for rest, recovery, and socializing.
Naturally, I chose hiking - because nothing says relaxation like voluntarily walking uphill in the sun for hours - well for me anyway.
Rest? No.
Relaxation? Also no.
Socializing? Technically yes, if you count shared suffering as bonding.
Friday to Sunday: A Beautiful Blur of Dirt
The three days merged together in a haze of dirt and exhaustion - so much so that if I hadn’t obsessively documented every step like an unpaid intern (drafting blogs, sorting photos, and compiling videos immediately after each hike), the entire experience would have dissolved into a dusty memory labeled - “Why did I do that again?”
But later, as I pieced together the blogs and flip through the photos, it all comes flooding back - an epic montage of dirt, sweat, and pure adventure - totally worth every second.
So yes, yay me, I have successfully transformed what should be a peaceful, soul-enriching hobby into a high-pressure, stress-inducing but soul-enriching hobby..
Nature, But Make It Humbling
So Sunday my hiking bud Sage and I tackled the trails at Somabula Nature Reserve with the Boksburg Hiking Club.
A few familiar faces from our first camping adventure showed up - you know, our blood brothers in the wild, bonded through sweat, late-night braais, and the sheer misery of sleeping on the floor.
It was truly heartwarming to see them bathed, rested, and functioning in a civilized environment - unlike the borderline feral creatures we had all devolved into out there.
I had envisioned cinematic moments - animals emerging gracefully from the bush, locking eyes with me, silently acknowledging my connection to nature.
However, thanks to the lush overgrowth from the rains, most of them saw us first and promptly “noped” out of there, deciding they wanted no part in my little adventure.
We did spot zebras and some buck early on though - just enough wildlife to technically justify the phrase “nature reserve” without stretching the definition into fiction.
Sneaky Hills
I also mentally prepared for one of those flat, uninspiring nature reserve walks.
But, wrong again!
It was actually scenic, with sneaky inclines that you only register once you’re inexplicably short of breath and glance back at the incline you somehow climbed.
It’s hot and it's open. If you want to see more animals and have less heat, maybe save this one for winter.
Functional Hiking Buddies
On a final note, Sage and I have become a well-oiled machine - I pick the trails and set the schedule; she ensures I don’t commit vehicular self-sabotage.
Like, hypothetically speaking, she may have gently pointed out that after three hours of hiking - and completely forgetting where I had parked - I was about to launch forward into a ditch instead of, you know, reversing like a normal human.
Pure speculation, of course.
Or, in another totally fabricated scenario, while heading to our post-hike feast in Cullinan, she may have also informed me that I may have followed the wrong car out of a convoy - because all vehicles look identical after 10 km of hiking-induced brain fog.
But again - no hard evidence.
And when the group started debating who’s leading, who’s in the middle, and who’s sweeping, Sage and I - no discussion needed - no words exchanged, just an unspoken understanding - volunteered in perfect unison to sweep.
A true act of sacrifice - totally not because sweeping means a slower pace, zero responsibilities, and the freedom for me to stop, snap pics, and take in the scenery without judgment - nope. Not at all.
RATING
AREA - Cullinan
COST - R 80
DIFFICULTY
Moderate, not flat, no technical bits, but don’t expect a casual stroll.
LENGTH - 12 km, (we did 10 km because...detours happen)
TIME - 3 hours
ELEVATION - 222 m
MARKERS
Not great...but when there are capable and trusty leaders...no problem.
ABLUTIONS
SAFE FREE PARKING
AMENITIES
Campsite and private bush camp
ON A FINAL NOTE
A solid mix of walking and hiking - scenic, peaceful, and just challenging enough to keep things interesting. Throw in some awesome company, a well-earned post-hike feast in Cullinan, and boom - a pretty perfect way to wrap up the weekend.
P.S. If you want to know more about this quaint, beautiful town—just a stone’s throw from Pretoria—check out my blog -
(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO
NOSOLO
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