Bimonthly Organised Hikes
We will be hosting a guided hike at Hayterdale every second month to introduce everyone to our newly constructed dedicated hiking and running trails. We believe we have some truly spectacular hiking trails where hikers have the opportunity to see amazing views and beautiful wildlife, including various species of buck and local bird life. The Zuurberg mountains has extremely unique plant life and a number of different Biomes, namely Albany Thicket, Forest, Fynbos, Nama Karoo and the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt, which you will be able to see along our hikes.
Dates and Times
Please see below the scheduled dates for our organised hikes for this year, 2021:
- 12 June at 9am
14 August at 9am Postponed until COVID restrictions have eased- Changed to 11 September at 8 am
- Day to be determined in October
- Day to be determined in December
We will determine the last 2 dates closer to the time to accommodate for various events happening at Hayterdale. We will update this post with at least 2 months notice.
Routes
We are currently constructing and finalising all routes, there will be 3 routes which will have varying terrains and difficulties.
- The easiest route will be around 10 km in length along mostly flat terrain.
- The second will be about
12/13 km in length along mountainous terrain. - The hardest route will be around 15-20 km along mountainous terrain.
The routes will be posted on the Hayterdale hiking page as well as this blog post, we will update them as soon as they are finalised.
The first guided hike (12 June 2021) will take the second route, about 12/13 km in length. The hike will consist of one big group which will be lead by members of the Hayterdale team. Depending on the number of attendees we may decide to split the groups, but as of the moment that won’t be necessary. We estimate that this route will take 2-3 3-4 hours to complete.
We will update this post on which route we will take for the remaining organised hikes, after we have a feeling on what routes people have enjoyed hiking and schedule more from there.
The Blue Route is suited for those hikers who want a little bit of a challenge but are not up for the longer route.
Starting from Hayterdale you will head up Bush Buck Ridge to the top of the mountain. Once on top you traverse the ridge along to the GZT bridge and towards Camp Fig Tree, taking in the beautiful views along the way. While descending back along the marked trail into Hayterdale you will be able to see all the citrus fields of Addo.
The route will be temporarily marked with “day-glow” stickers. Once we get some feedback from the hiking community of the route and any possible changes we will mark it with similar signs that we use for our mountain bike routes.
The Red Route is suited for those hikers who are searching for a challenge
Starting from Hayterdale you will head up Bush Buck Ridge to the top of the mountain. You will then head North along the ridge hugging the R335 towards the Zuurberg Mountain Inn. You will eventually turn left and cross over the very popular TMH trail and head into newly built trails into the bottom gorge below the TMH farm. You will traverse this hidden gem amongst floral kingdoms which you would have never expected to see in the Zuurberg mountains, along secret pools and large forests. You will climb up towards Camp Fig Tree and finish heading down into Hayterdale before heading to the campsite again.
The route will be temporarily marked with “day-glow” stickers. Once we get some feedback from the hiking community of the route and any possible changes we will mark it with similar signs that we use for our mountain bike routes.
What to bring
Necessities
- Hiking shoes/boots that you will be comfortable to hike for 3 hours in. The routes are relatively well manicured but we recommend appropriate footwear eg. trail shoes or light hiking boots.
- A 500 ml water bottle. There is drinking water available at Hayterdale but we recommend bringing fluids along with you.
- A snack (sandwich, bar, nuts etc.).
- Sunscreen, peak cap, sunglasses.
- R40 trail fee.
Optional extras
- Towel. We have separate male and female shower facilities that you can use to freshen up after the hike. Your towel will also come in handy for Hayterdale’s new pool, which is perfect for those hot days in the Zuurberg where there is nothing more refreshing than a cool dip.
- Lunch. You are more than welcome to remain at Hayterdale after the hike and use the clubhouse braai or cooking facilities to have a nice outdoor lunch.
- Binoculars. There are many animals to see along the route that could be easily spotted.
- Backpack.
Additional information
Accomodation
We have plenty of accommodation options available at Hayterdale if you would like to stay the night before and after the hike, Book Now.
Addo Activites
There are many things that one can do in Addo, please see a few options below:
- Walk with the elephants (https://www.barefootaddo.co.za/index.html)
- Addo National park Safari, use your own car or go on a guided Safari.
- Ziplining (https://adrenalinaddo.co.za/)
- Mountain biking, bring along your mountain bike to explore the Hayterdale mountain bike trails.
