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Manoutsa Hiking Trail
Near
Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province
One of the
joys of life is coming across the unexpected. This is very true of hiking
and being a hiker. There have been a few occasions when I have set off for
a hiking trip expecting the mediocre only to be surprised by what I have
found.
Manoutsa
happens to be just such an experience and in my many year of hiking I
cannot recall having spent a weekend hiking in more spectacular
surroundings.
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The
Accommodation
Manoutsa offers an assortment of accommodation from the basic hikers
lodge to fully furnished chalets at the resort which is situated
across the road from the lodge so that it is an ideal weekend
breakaway for the whole family. |
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The
Trails - Day 1
There
are two trails at Manoutsa, the first, if done in both directions,
will take about 9 hours to complete. However, Manoutsa offers the
opportunity of a lift to the top of the mountain on the back of a
bakkie which enables the hiker to enjoy the trail at a leisurely
pace. |
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The
trail starts off with a short but quite steep ascent to a vantage
point about 750m above the Lowveld. Here there is a lovely waterfall
and stream. |
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The stream offers the
opportunity for a short break before the final ascent. |
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There
are some lovely cools spots to get out of the heat of the day. |
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Swimming is also a
possibility in the crystal clear pool. |
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From
the top the views of the Drakensberg are amazing. |
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Far
below the panorama stretches out before one as one looks east
towards the Kruger Park. |
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Once
the descent begins, the path meanders through rocky outcrops down to
a waterfall which is a good place to have lunch. |
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The
trail continues along a path that can cause a few nerves to twitter,
especially for those who suffer from vertigo. The trail passes some
more lovely pools along the way before eventually leading the hiker
back to base camp. |
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The Trail - Day 2
The second day of the
trail also starts with a lift up the mountain and it is well worth
taking a little time to visit the craft stall along the side of the
road.
The
trail starts with a short but steep descent down to the stream. From
here begins one of the most amazingly beautiful hiking experiences
that I have experienced in all my days of hiking |
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The
stream has deposited large amounts of Tufa over thousands of years
and this has produced caves and rock formations that can only be
described as amazing. |
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The
gushing stream descends through these Tufa formations and to
follow the cascading water the hiker has to make use of several
ladders. |
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The path can be
difficult in places and care needs to be taken |
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On its
way down, the trail descends through bat caves. |
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The
main waterfall is an ideal place for a swim. |
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There
are many swimming opportunities along the trail. |
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There are several
river crossings to negotiate. |
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There
are many large and beautiful trees along the route. The flora of the
area is superb and there are several fine examples of Matumi trees
along the river. |
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A visit
to a neighboring Citrus farm to see the Hippo pools is a wonderful
way to finish a beautiful weekend. |
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Conclusion
Manoutsa is an amazing place. A place that any nature
lover should visit. The hiking is great and this is a trail that will find
its place on the club calendar on a regular basis despite the distance
that needs to be traveled to reach there.
Bookings
Bookings for the Manoutsa trail
can be made directly through the resort
Telephone +27 15 795 5012
Footprint Hiking Club
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click on a hyperlink below
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