4x4 Action Group

I know this is not 4x4 related but it’s outdoors and kind of camping related.
I have just done the trail for the 3rd time. Last time was 10 years ago.
I thought that would be it but heard last year that there is a slack pack option available now.
I’m sure the purists will shudder but be that as it may. The slackpacking is not available from SANParks but the service is supplied by Vernon at https://www.otterhikingtrail.co.za/. They have a permit to supply the service.

First of all they supply a shuttle service from George airport after we flew in on the first flight from Jhb in the morning.
We were transported to the start of the hike at Storms River mouth and started hiking at about 1400. The first day is the shortest and we were at the huts by 1630. We only carried day packs. 5-6 kg instead of 15-20. In addition they brought in daily food packs which we prepacked and marked. In addition they kept the meat frozen and brought it in everyday. This is a game changer because in the past one could only braai the first night and possibly the second if feeling brave. For the drinkers they brought in daily cold drinks as well as a camping ice bucket with blocks of ice. As a teetotaller this was of no benefit to me but the drinkers loved it.

Unfortunately even though we were at the Bloukrans River at low tide we were unable to cross it. We were warned at the start that we may have trouble crossing and so it turned out. The escape route was the longest, steepest afk*k of the whole hike. The SANParks guy who picked us up told us that very few people had made it across over the last few weeks. An important point when booking is to look at the tide tables to avoid having to hike at night to reach the river at the right time. For us low tide was at 1330. Not that this helped us in the end.

The hike ended at de Vasselot which is a SANParks camp in Nature’s Valley. Here we were able to shower and we were then transported to the restaurant at the end of the beach in Natures Valley where it is traditional for finishers to have lunch. After this the shuttle took us back to George and we flew home that night. The shuttle service saved us having to spend the night before and after down there.

All in all it was a great experience which for me at my age would not have been possible without the slack pack option.

… will certainly look into it Woolf esp as a warm-up to another trail,
I’m planning, though thought there’s a long waiting time for the Otter.
Next year, I’m looking at doing the Lanner Gorge Hike up the Luvuvu River into Kruger.
That however is a full-kit self-sufficient hike with rangers through big-5 country …
I’m still building up kit to try and get a light but sufficient 12-15kg pack of kit for the ~60km (?) Trail.

Thanks, Woolf. Very helpful.

Thanks for your informative writeup Woolf.
I did the otter trail in 2010 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had a professor from Stellenbosch university in our group who has been credited with naming and identifying approx. 60 (if not mistaken) varieties of Erica flowers so very enlightening.
Another guy was a dam builder so the reply we had was always 'no, not here'.

Thanks Woolf, it's on my bucket list, if my body holds out long enough.