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My feet started ‘twitching’ with Anthony’s message ‘I’m coming down to Mountain Pastures for a few days, could we do a trail together?’…..

And here we are, starting off on the Grey Rhebok trail, one of the five trails on offer at Mountain Pastures. The trails have been certified through the ‘World trails network’ organisation and have been awarded ‘Green flag status’ which ensures trail users of a safe, quality experience.

It is such a pleasure to be walking with Anthony Rosenbaum, who is just as passionate as I am about hiking, fauna and flora. Anthony heads up the company ‘Wide Open Spaces’, offering clients unique tours, exploring a variety of wonderful ‘off the beaten track’ places with walking and other activities included. Mountain Pastures is one of the guest farms on Anthony’s Outeniqua tour.

Anthony gets the first sighting soon after the start, we have disturbed a resting Scrub hare and it bravely bounds away. Will this be a good sign for things to come….? After a short meander on the low-lying area, we start a gentle ascent, the views across the valley getting better and better. We now reach the top of the plateau with spectacular 360º views.

Luckily, we are also watching where we walk…. we spot an interesting succulent not previously seen. It turns out that this species is the rare Euphorbia willowmorensis. It is only known from 4 localities between Willomore and Misgund. It was only recently described (2018) as a distinct species (Jan Vlok, author of ‘Plants of the Klein Karoo). What a sighting!

The trail then leads us to a Trig. beacon and continues to the western boundary of the farm. From here we descend down a beautiful kloof to a clump of poplar trees, an excellent spot to relax and enjoy snacks in the shade. The trail then winds back in an easterly direction, and soon it is once again Anthony who spots two Eland, as close as one could get on foot to these majestic mammals. We stand speechless and watch as they gracefully move on. Further along the trail we spot a group of Zebra with a foal, Blesbok with young and Springbok!

‘All good things must come to an end’…The Grey Rhebok trail is in the game area, but to see so many of the mammals up close while hiking is something very special. We’ll be back……

Written by Dr Joy Coleman (PhD Zoology)