September 2023

Hike to a canyon at Uitspan Guest Farm

After our hike to the arch (read here), there was only one more place we wanted to see before the end of the day. Although we already walked through a beautiful canyon the day before, Uitspan Guest Farm also has their own canyon. After safely walking down the mountain, we headed straight for this canyon.

On our way to the canyon

Walking past a farm dam

As we entered the canyon, it was hard to miss a very large tree. Apparently, this tree, Ilex mitis (commonly known as Waterboom, Witboom, Wit hout, African Holly) has been added to the Large Tree Register of the Dendrological Association of South Africa.

This tree has been assigned National Tree Number 397, has a 100cm diameter at chest height and a height of 25-30m. It is the only species found in Southern Africa and is one of our country’s fastest growing indigenous trees. We were amazed to see it seemingly growing out of the rocks with its roots above the ground.

A national treasure – Ilex Mitis

Another amazing tree

We were now inside the canyon. High towering walls of solid rock and trees were on either side of us, with only a small patch of daylight high above our heads.

Inside the canyon

We had to climb over big rocks

Eugene had to ‘hold’ a large rock in the air for us to pass

In one of the narrowest places in the canyon, a single pole was strung over water on which we had to balance ourselves in order not to end up in the water.

Time for a balancing act

After we all arrived safe and dry on the other side, we had to hoist ourselves up on a rope and chain to get over a large rock. However, it was here that it started to drizzle lightly and we decided to rather find our way back through the canyon.

Huge rock to climb over

Going back down again

On the way back out of the canyon I saw some lovely rock art that was probably created by a previous hiker. The pebbles were packed in the shape of a small crab – how creative is that?

Rock crab

Almost at the end of the canyon

Back at our cottage (📷 credit: Eugene Horn)

We had quite an exhausting day on different hiking trails and it was lovely to relax a bit under the hot water in the shower. It was also time to make our last fire in the Baviaanskloof to have a ‘braai’. It was now very cold outside and we dressed warmly and huddled around the fire looking back at a wonderful day in nature.

‘Braai’ time

As we snuggled into our beds later that night, we heard the first rumble of thunder and then it rained all night. Our original plan to drive through the Baviaanskloof the next day, now seemed to be in jeopardy. But more about that in our next post (you can read about our last day here).