Day 1 Otter Trail 15 June

Mike at Ngubu Hut

Link to detailed route page and map click on route title [route-snippet id=”549″ featured=”image”]Ranger station drop off to Ngubu Hut

Woke to the sounds of a torrential downpour echoing off the galvanized tin roof to our hotel room. OhOh is this hike such a good idea (or words to that effect went through my head). What happens if I get wet boots again and more blisters. Why did we leave our gaiters behind and not get replacements in Knysna when we could. These were all the thoughts going through my mind. However, we went and had a hearty cooked breakfast (yummy) looked at the forecast which said the rain would tail off in the morning and regrouped. We decided to delay our departure (taxi to the San Park centre at Storms River Mouth) by an hour till 11 and go for it. Spent the morning listening to music and getting my head into gear. With hindsight definitely the right decision.

Arrived at the Parks HQ to be told that we would not be able to hike the first days trail along the coast as the tide was too high to safely traverse at the bottom of the waterfall along the coastal route. Instead a ranger would drive us to the emergency exit route near the hut and we could hike the short distance to the hut. This was the final non muddled message we got. The first version was a bit more doomsdayish i.e. The Otter trail was likely to be closed from the following day due to high tides / winds but that the ranger would confirm. This did nothing for my nerves whilst we waited an hour for the ranger to return from dropping off an earlier group of hikers.

Weighed my bag and it was 13.5kg without water. We had reduced our food and I had left out a couple of tops. Food was on the minimalist side (esp for cold days) and an extra top would have been good but I managed (thankfully nothing got wet even though everything was very smelly after being worn continuously for 5 days! Not knickers or socks 2 pairs each of those).

Moses, the ranger put our minds at rest and we hopped into the jeep for our lift. Unfortunately gales that morning had blown over trees on the forest track so after a couple of attempts Moses dropped us off some distance from the hut with ‘broad’ instructions of how to get there. Thank goodness for View Ranger and our map. Got lost once but backtracked and found the entrance to the first escape route which we walked down to get to the hut. Lovely trail in the woods.

Lucky enough to see a bush buck (I just saw his rear end as he darted across the path), a monkey and some very obliging giant grasshoppers. Felt we were on our own mini adventure to make up for not being able to do the first days hike ‘proper’.

Last to get to the huts. In one hut there were 3 (Wendy, Adrian and Natasha) and in our hut 6 (John Ray, Johan, father and son, Cubus and Annalise a young couple). Fortunately they had left the lower bunk free for me and Mike was able to sleep on the middle bunk as the couple shared the same bunk. We kept the same arrangements for the whole trail which was nice as it worked well. Everyone was very quiet in our hut – still needed my earplugs due to the sound of the crashing surf. Also I was the only one who seemed to need to get up during the night but I tried to be as quiet as a mouse and was thankful for the red light on my head torch.

After getting sorted,  could not spread out like we had on the T Trail! And a cup of tea we spent the afternoon exploring the rocky coastline near the hut and watching the waves coming in filling up the rockpools. Would not last long if you felt into the sea here with the height of waves and strength of surf. Sunbirds enjoying the purple flowers in the shrubs round the hut.

Wendy was good to suggest we all got together round the fire which was the pattern for all our evenings. Very nice that although we walked separately the evenings were social and full of conversation and laughter. First sighting of the small spotted Genet (type of cat).  Good end to the day and  glad to be on the trail.