Sterkfontein Heritage Lodge: The Redo This Trail Deserved

This was my overdue redo of Sterkfontein Heritage Lodge, and honestly, it was necessary.

The first time I did this trail was with my son, Salt, his other half Nutmeg, and (if memory serves) approximately 47 step-dogs.

Salt spent most of the hike stress-managing the canine population, which meant the whole experience felt rushed, chaotic and - I'm still holding a grudge here - he cut the hike short.

We completely missed the viewpoint.

Fast forward to this hike with my buds Boris and his human, Basil.

It was exactly as I remembered - a charming, well-run little establishment with a beautifully maintained hiking trail.

The difference? This time I actually got to appreciate it in it's entirety.

Since Basil has officially graduated to Trail Master (and I've been demoted to enthusiastic apprentice), every time we reached an optional path she'd casually ask, "Should we?"

Reader - my answer is ALWAYS yes.

The Trail

The trail begins a bit... beige, but don't be fooled. It quickly transforms into a scenic little wonder where it's almost impossible to believe you're still surrounded by suburbia.

Our first "Should we?" led us to the bungee jumping bridge.

This was both the closest I've ever come to bungee jumping and the closest I ever intend to come.

A few cautious steps onto the bridge were enough to convince my legs they no longer wished to participate in the outing.

Looking over at the actual jump platform turned my entire body into jelly.

Fascinating? Absolutely.

Something I'd voluntarily do? Never.

The waterfall appeared exactly as I remembered - almost out of nowhere, like nature popping out from behind a tree yelling, "Surprise!"

As we walked away, another detour took us up to the opposite side of the bungee bridge.

We then saw the gentleman we'd bumped into earlier (the one we'd reassured that Boris was, in fact, a certified good boy). That's when we realised he was actually a security guard that had been quietly shadowing us all along.

.

When we asked if we could head up the path, he said we could, but wanted to know whether we'd be coming back down.

Of course we were - as far as we knew, the only other way down involved a bungee cord, and that simply wasn't going to happen.

The climb was short, steep and rocky, and before long we found ourselves standing on the opposite side of the bridge.

Why were we so fascinated by seeing the exact same bridge from a different angle?

I honestly couldn't tell you.

Apparently if you climb a hill first, it's basically a whole new bridge.

Naturally we spotted yet another path.

Naturally we investigated.

A few minutes later it occurred to us that our long-suffering security guard had probably started filling out the paperwork for "Two women and one fluffy idiot presumed lost."

Back down we went.

When You Accidentally Create a Hiking Monster

On the way back to what I remembered as the long, open, steady climb towards the finish, we stumbled across a small but spicy scramble leading back up towards the bridge.

Another "Should we?" from Basil.

By this point I'd realised I'd accidentally trained my own replacement.

I was strangely proud.

I was perfectly happy to skip it - mainly because I still have mild PTSD from our paw-skid adventures in Fouriesburg.

Basil, however, was armed with approximately 97 reasons why Boris would absolutely smash the scramble.

She was right - he handled it like the fluffy rock star he is.

That said, we've agreed to keep Boris on the flatter scrambles in future.

No need to let success go to his head.

The Viewpoint I Finally Got To See

Eventually we reached the fork where I was previously robbed of the viewpoint by Salt's... let's call it "time management."

The gentle climb was absolutely worth the wait.

Both Basil and I had hiked this trail before with different hiking buds, but this time it felt completely different for both of us.

With the right hiking partner, every little side path becomes an opportunity instead of an inconvenience.

Every "Should we?" becomes an automatic yes.

Before you know it, you've turned a straightforward 5 km hike into an afternoon of unnecessary investigations, optional scrambles and an unhealthy fascination with a bridge neither of you has any intention of jumping off.

RATINGS

Trail Information

AREA

Krugersdorp

COST

R 50

Trail Details

TRAIL DIFFICULTY

Fairly easy with optional climbs and scrambles.

TRAIL LENGTH

5 km - unless Basil is with you - then the options are endless.

TRAIL MARKERS

Excellent - even the unofficial "off-trail" trails seem obvious.

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS

Beautiful waterfall, scenic viewpoints, and enough little adventures to keep things interesting.

WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER

Fair amount of exposed walking.

ABLUTIONS

SAFE FREE PARKING

AMENITIES

Charming coffee shop, bungee jumping and zip lining (booked privately) and accomodation.

NOTE TO SELF

Choose your tribe wisely - they're the difference between ticking off a trail... and discovering it.

FAMILY FRIENDLY

Yes

PET FRIENDLY

Yes

ON A FINAL NOTE

Highly recommended if you're looking for a reasonably priced hike close to home that doesn't require dedicating your entire day to climbing a mountain.

(TO)SOLO OR (NO)SOLO

(TO)SOLO