Jumping over the Mooi River: Highmoor to Lotheni

For a while now, Kliktrak and I have discussed doing a hike from Highmoor to the contour path. The route looks nice and easy, but looks can be deceiving!

So we left the Highmoor carpark at around 8:30. We motored it right through to the contour path (12km, approx 700m of gross altitude change) without taking a proper break in that stretch. We hit the contour path at around 12:30 - just in time for lunch.

Around halfway between Highmoor and the contour path you cross the source of the Mooi River. Without thinking about it I filled up water from the river and jumped across (although their is a concrete bridge on the dirt road that forms the bulk of the route). I realised how unusual it is to jump over this major river and drink water straight from it!

The views along this stretch - especially those of Giant's Castle and the Gable are really impressive, something very different to what I am used to in the Berg.

After eating the bulk of a large container of woolworths miniature samoosas (thanks for the idea ASL ), we decided to head south to try and get a view over Lotheni. We wound around for about 2km before getting a rather dramatic reveal of the valley, with views extending as far south as the slopes of the Phinong Bitso-Lebe ridge (the north side of the ridge that has the 12 Apostles that you drive next to on Sani Pass).

After taking some photos we turned around and reversed the route, I tried to boulder an awesome rock below the Sisters - probably about a grade 15/16, unfortunately I couldn't stick the first move on good hand holds and large heavily sloping footholds. I might have been doable by me in climbing shoes, but the move was a bit tricky...

In summary, its a great route for a slightly-more-chilled-than-usual day out, we had great views, saw lots of wildlife (including 3 different species of buck, baboons and a fair amount of bird-life).

Giant's Castle as seen from Highmoor:


Some local game about 1km into the trip:


The Cathkin range as seen from right near the car park:


Some more wildlife:


Giant's Castle gets rather imposing as it gets nearer!


I didn't realise how huge the Gable was until I stood right under it:


We saw a peak that looked pretty conical from the contour path, turns out to be a large ridge of a peak just past Kamberg. Its now on my to-do list, but I know nothing about it, not even the name:


The Tent as seen from the top of Taylor's Pass:


The south slopes of Giant's Castle:


The view south to Vergelegen:

That peak is The Kamberg.

Mission accomplished Finally made it to the contour path [and beyond]...

Very interesting to trace the old 4x4/jeep tracks also. They definitely wind up to the contour path and loop to Lotheni, although up at contour path level they have become badly eroded and don'look like they have been used in years/decades.

Would like to know more about them and their purpose - ie do they stretch back to the British Army's excursions in the berg for "security" ie are they wagon trails, similar to those found at Highmoor with early settler pioneer farmers. Or are they more recent, also "security", private or wildlife related.