In the second week of the September holidays, a group of 12 pupils from Grade 10 and Grade 11 went on a five-day hike in the Oorlogskloof mountains, which is just inside the Northern Cape. Ms Bartosch and Mr Palk accompanied them.
Photo credits: Mr Palk
Writeup: Molly de Witt & Michael Sparks, Grade 11
The drive up to the Northern Cape on Monday morning was very rainy which made us rather worried about the weather to come. After making two garage stops as well as passing through Nieuwoudville to pick up our hiking permits, we arrived at the beginning of the trail and began hiking! There was periodic drizzling along the way but thankfully after only 4 km of hiking we reached Brakwater, our first hut. Unlike Adventure Weeks, we actually had huts to sleep in each night with bunk beds, mattresses, long drop toilets (which weren’t very long if you get what we’re saying), lights and even a tap and shower in one of them. We spent the rest of the evening cooking our food and playing various card games and enjoying the anticipation of the days to come.
After a pretty cold night filled with interruptions due to people freaking out over the rats running through the walls of the hut, we got ready for the day and packed up our bags. We hiked for 7km along a jeep track which was easy enough to enjoy some good conversation along the way. We arrived at Pramkoppie hut and spent most of the hot afternoon chatting on the stoep while many of us turned into tomatoes (including the tops of Ms Bartosch’s feet). There was also cellphone signal up a hill near the hut so a few of us spent some time walking to this spot and messaging family and friends (and trying to maintain TikTok streaks). It was a wonderful afternoon, until 6pm came along and it turned out that our hut had been double-booked. We have approximately 2 minutes to pack up all our things and “evacuate” and start the 7km hike back exactly the way we had come that morning. This took a bit of a hit on all of us mentally, but spotting a couple of zebras on the way cheered us up a bit. We were all very tired by the time we came back to Brakwater and so we had a rather uneventful evening.
On Wednesday morning we set out on our 10km hike to Doltuin hut, seriously hoping that this was a final goodbye to Brakwater! This hike was more challenging than the previous days due to the heat and steep uphills. There was a lot of climbing over big rocks as well as up ladders. However, the views on this day were breathtaking and at times it felt like we were in the Wolfberg Cracks. We eventually reached Doltuin hut and spent a lot of time by the river which was big enough to fully submerge ourselves in. Once again, the afternoon was filled with wholesome conversation, listening to music, massages and foot pictures (we’d prefer not to elaborate). Many of us were beginning to feel aches and pains by this time and so we tried to rest as much as possible knowing that the following day was going to be long and challenging. After supper and some games, we all went to bed, and thankfully were not interrupted by any rats that night and all slept surprisingly well.
We woke up early on Thursday morning to hike back to Pramkoppie, knowing it was going to be the longest and most difficult day (and that there would be a shower at Pramkoppie). The hike started with a steep uphill trek onto the plateau as the day warmed up quickly. For quite a few people, the highlight of the camp was the stunning view from one of the highest peaks on the mountain range, which overlooked the valley far below. The view definitely did not disappoint and we took many photos. The hike seemed to go on forever, but eventually we rounded the mountain and spotted our hut in the distance. It was so hot that quite a few people decided to go and sit in the stream near the hut to cool off and it was rather effective. Having recovered from the hike, we sat on the porch steps just outside the hut and chatted with each other to pass time. We certainly felt accomplished that day and enjoyed our final night with some card games and star gazing.
Friday was our final day of hiking and it was a moderately easy 8km hike that took about 3 hours to complete. It was also one of the more scenic hikes, as there was a gorgeous view over the valley, as we reached a trig beacon at the top of the mountain. At this point, most of us wanted to get to the bus at the base camp quickly, looking forward to a comfortable seat on the drive home. Those last few kilometres before reaching the bus were probably the fastest ones we’d hiked all week! We reached the bus at around midday, only to be told that we could not use the toilets and taps, as they were out of order. However, we celebrated excitedly
nonetheless, high-fiving and hugging, feeling very proud of completing the hike.
The bus trip on the way back home was nothing but pain in the 40°C heat. We drove the entire way with all the windows open, hoping for cool air to circulate through the bus (it didn’t).
We once again stopped at Vanrhynsdorp for lunch, but did not stay long. Later on the journey home, we arrived at our next stop for drinks and a few people decided to buy a massive pack of ice and very kindly share it with everyone in the bus. This meant that for a good portion of the rest of the trip we sat in the bus, lathering ice on our legs and faces, as well as throwing it down our backs. This was definitely one of our favourite memories of the camp.
Overall, during the five days, we had all got to know each other so well and become really close friends. We had made so many amazing memories and it was also a time of personal growth and development. The hike wasn’t easy but we all displayed grit and persevered, even through injuries, and this made it so rewarding in the end. We are so grateful to the school for providing this experience and mostly to Ms Bartosch and Mr Palk for sacrificing a week of their holiday to be with us.
See more photos here.