4 Favourite hiking spots in Gauteng/North West

The first hike I ever went on, this is excluding the unofficial walks we took in the bushes when we were kids, was when my best friend and I hiked up Table Mountain. The climb was challenging but we managed and it felt exhilarating. The best part for me was the feeling I had when we got to the top. I mean, I felt like I can conquer anything. It was an amazing feeling which faded after a few days, amazing nonetheless. Not long after that I moved to Gauteng and she remained in Cape Town. I didn’t hike at all after that, I never thought about it to be honest. Years later she moved to Gauteng as well but it would be a few more years before either of us would think about hiking again.

When we did, towards the end 2019, a few of her other friends who would later become my friends, started a hiking group and I use hiking group loosely.

Well, it was/is just a few friends that enjoy walking to nowhere together, having amazing conversations and taking photos. We started hiking once a month and we just loved it and have been doing since.

I have compiled a list of 4 of my favourite hikes, in no particular order, if you would like to try them out with your friends. Before I get into it, as a general rule, hiking alone is not recommended, for safety reasons, take a friend with you especially if it is your first time hiking. Enjoy😉

1. Hennops hiking trail

My favourite thing about Hennops is that it’s close to where I live. It’s situated in close to both Pretoria and Johannesburg, just off the R511, on the way to Hartebeesport Dam. If you navigate to Hennops hiking trail, the navigator takes you straight to their parking lot. Speaking of parking, there is plenty of it and they have car guards to help you park, so no one is going to park you in and the car guards are there throughout the day.

We did the Krokodilberg which 10 km long; there are shorter options. The trail is very clearly marked and there is beautiful scenery. After your first climb, there is a look out and you get to see the Hennops River from the top of the cliff and it’s an amazing place to take beautiful photos. The bigger hiking groups usually start hiking around 8AM so I suggest you begin your hike before that, because it does get a little congested in the “look out” areas once the bigger groups have begun. What is also awesome about the trail is that you get to cross the river twice. There are 2 suspension bridges and there is a cable car, both offer an incredible experience and make for epic photos. The caves are also great places to see and take photos. Towards the end of the trail there a descent that has some loose rocks, that was tough on my knees but it stretches for about 800m so it’s not too long.

Overall an amazing experience, the trail is well marked and well maintained. I would do it over and over again but I still have many hiking trails to cover before I revisit one.

2. Cradle Moon hiking trail

This trail situated in Muldesdrift just off Beyer NaudeDrive. I have visited the trail twice already. One of my favourite places is the restaurant which is beautifully positioned, overlooking the lake. The restaurant gets packed, the hiking trail is a favourite because it is child-friendly, has the waterfall feature and mountain biking. So if you want to have brunch after your hike, I recommend you start early so that you can secure a good spot before everybody finishes their activities. The trail is well maintained and you get to see some wild life as well. The green trail is about 8km long and relatively easy.

We took some amazing photos on what looks like ruins of a building structure, it has an art-feel, absolutely loved it. The lake has beautiful infrastructure that forms a waterfall which you get to experience towards the end of the hike.

The trail, at least part of it, is shared with cyclists so from time to time, hikers have to make way for them to pass which can be annoying. Overall a wonderful experience with some great photos.

3. Rustig hiking trail

The trail is out of town, situated on the foot of the Magalies mountain range so you want to leave early so that you can start early before the sun starts blazing. Well, that would be my recommendation with any hike actually, start early. The group was torn between hiking 9 or 13km. The one half thought we had travelled so far to hike 9km and wanted to do 13km and the other half was okay with 9km so the 13 km half, myself included begrudgingly agreed to do the 9km. Am I glad we did. We climbed up, quite difficult but we managed and got to the top of the mountain. We had a picnic, everything was grand and we spent quite a significant amount of time admiring the view, taking photos and just having the time of our lives. Eventually we agreed to descend the mountain. What we did not know or anticipate was that there are 2 peaks on the trail. We literally climbed another mountain and this time, it was brutal. Towards the end, we were not talking to each other and we just wanted to finish. There is a confusing part at the top of the mountain and we nearly got lost but we called for help and they gave us directions back to the right path, down the mountain.

The trail is well marked, but for the part that confused us and a bunch of other hikers, and well maintained. The views are incredible and we took beautiful photos. The group decided that we should repeat the trail now that we know that you climb 2 mountains. I would not recommend for people who are not physically fit, it is challenging.

4. Milorho hiking trail

The trail is situated in the Rietfontein area near Rustenburg. The trail boasts magnificent views, gorges and the most beautiful rock pools I have seen yet. There is short climb at the beginning with some loose rocks but nothing too hectic. The trail is about 13km, well-marked, well maintained and the difficulty is moderate. The trail is out of town so you are going to have to leave early if you enjoy hiking in cooler conditions. Great place to take amazing photos.

The trail itself is not difficult but it look us a long time to finish because there was so much to see. We went in winter so we only dipped our feet in the rock pools. The plan is to go again in summer and swim. Definitely at the top of my to-repeat list.

What to bring (recommendation-list is not exhaustive):

• Comfortable shoes

• Backpack

• Hat/Cap

• Plenty of Water

• Food/Snacks

• Hand sanitiser

• Tissues

• Small First aid kit

What not to bring:

• Speakers – we want to listen to the sounds of nature, that’s why we go to nature

And of course, please don’t litter!