The Loerie Trail - Trailblazing Triumph - Blyde River Canyon

So, go ahead and call me a total witch if you must, but after Salt's much-needed recovery day, it was time to get back on those trails. No rest for the wicked, right? 

So, day 4, We had to pick between The Loerie Trail or The Guinea Trail. Given Salt’s lingering saltiness, I let him make the call. Loerie Trail it was.

Now, this wasn't exactly promoted by the establishment, but being the rebellious trailblazers we are, we ventured forth anyway. And let me tell you, it turned out to be one of the best trails I’ve ever stumbled upon. 

The views were nothing short of breathtaking, the technical challenges were perfectly balanced, and—miracle of miracles—I wasn’t gasping for air every five minutes.

It genuinely felt like Salt and I had unearthed this trail ourselves.

Sure, it was marked, but it still felt like a puzzle to piece together from point A to point B. 

We had our fair share of river crossings—rocks, roots, trunks, you name it.

And as I’ve confessed in my previous blog, my newfound connection with trees, their roots and rocks has reached epic levels. Honestly, without my nbf's, many of the climbs and scrambles would’ve been far more precarious. It turns out that forging a bond with the landscape is not just poetic; it’s essential for surviving these trails.

Sometimes, you just had to accept that your boots were going to get a bit wet. But every crossing was an adventure, and the satisfaction of making it to the other side was worth the occasional soggy boot.

I wouldn’t have managed without Salt’s steadying hand here and there, but if you’re lacking a Salt, a pole would do the trick.

We’d been sternly warned not to attempt this trail if it had rained, and now I totally understand why. It would’ve turned into a slip-and-slide disaster. 

Just a week ago, Salt was sour because I refused to take the path that would have us balancing on rocks perilously close to cliff edges, but today he was suddenly in full overprotective mode—probably because he hadn’t been stung by a bee this time. 

He looked genuinely alarmed every time we had to cross the water. I pointed out that the worst thing that could happen was a bit of waterlogged footwear. 

But no, Salt had to get all dramatic, claiming I could end up cracking my head open on a rock. I silently thought to myself, "At least this time there’s a chance I’d survive a fall—unlike last week’s cliffhanger." But hey, bygones...

I totally get why the organizers don't over promote this trail. It’s not for the faint-hearted, and frankly, bashful tourists or kids would probably leave with more than just a few bruises.

We had two options for finishing the trail and, of course, we chose the more strenuous and less interesting route. 

We ended up on the end of the Guinea Trail, and I’m still scratching my head over why the Leopard Trail was labeled as the most strenuous. Although, I must admit, AllTrails does seem to have the more accurate reviews of these hikes.

AREA - Blyde River Canyon - Mpumalanga

DIFFICULTY - Moderate - Technical

I’d rate it moderate, mostly because there were inclines , but nothing that a rest stop here and there would not sort out.

LENGTH - 7 km - Loerie 3 km plus end of Guinea - Fowl 4 km

TIME - 3,5 hours

ELEVATION - Don't know, but nothing we have not done before.

MARKERS - Extremely well marked

HIGHLIGHTS - The entire hike.