TAKE A HIKE

CASTLE GORGE, MAGALIESBERG

-  ZAAHIRAH SHAIK MOIDEEN

If you're looking for a day escape an hour and a half from the concrete jungle of Joburg, Castle Gorge in the Magaliesberg is the ticket. Full of rocky buttresses and views that echo the Cederberg in the Western Cape, Castle Gorge is an apt name. There are two trails that lead to the gorge - the so-called “front door” from the south, and the “back door” from the north.

My hiking buddy Saudah and I are doing the northern route, which starts at the Maretlwane Wilderness School near the town of Mooinooi. With snacks in our bags and cameras in our hands, we set off. The first stretch is along a jeep track to the main trailhead at a campsite where a small waterfall offers hikers the perfect post-hike cooldown. We turn right and follow yellow metal markers stamped “CG” for Castle Gorge.

The first river crossing comes soon thereafter. This is also where I drop my phone into the water. (Shoutout to Saudah for spotting it!) The crossing is normally fine, but it might get tricky after heavy rain. After that, the trail climbs. We hike up a slope for about a kilometre, with the river and small waterfalls to our left. If you're lucky, you might see giraffes, vervet monkeys or a porcupine. Birders, bring your binoculars: The Magaliesberg is home to more than 300 species, from forest specials like African paradise-flycatcher and grey-headed bush-shrike to soaring Verreaux’s eagles scanning the cliffs for dassies.

Eventually, we reach the gate into Castle Gorge Wilderness Reserve — there's a code on your permit to open the lock. Things get even steeper on the other side, and there are dramatic rock formations everywhere. The yellow markers give way to stone cairns, which lead us into a steep, forested valley. We cool off under a copse of trees before crossing the Red River, which is more orange than red, stained by iron oxide from the quartzite, shale and other iron-bearing rocks in the landscape.