Green Mountain Trail

Attractions

FOUR DAYS OF LUXURY SLACKPACKING

REASONS TO WALK THE GREEN MOUNTAIN TRAIL

FYNBOS

Fynbos is a distinctive heathland unique to the Western Cape of South Africa. It is both the smallest and the richest floral kingdom in the world, with an extraordinarily high number of it’s plant species found nowhere else. The Green Mountain Trail takes hikers through exclusive areas within the Kogerlberg Biosphere, a 100,000 hectare area within the Fynbos which is the world Hot Spot for plant diversity and is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are several endemics, among them the Marsh Rose (Orothamnus zeyheri), the Silver Pagoda (Mimetes hottentoticus) and the critically endangered Mace Pagoda (Mimetes stockoei).

FARMS

All the farms we visit are family owned and each has its own story.

BEAUMONT is a family owned and managed farm situated in the heart of the town of Bot River (Botter Rivier) and is the final stop on the Green Mountain Trail where lunch and wine-tasting is enjoyed. The farm, home to the region’s oldest wine cellar, was originally established in the 1700s by the Dutch East India Company.

OAK VALLEY is one of the largest in the area known for its fruit, cut flowers, beef cattle and for its high quality, cool climate, wines. It also produces acorn-fed, free range pork, that source their food from the 4,000 plus oak trees that give the farm its name.

PAUL CLUVER covers an area of over 2,000 hectares, and is the largest farm in the Green Mountain Trail family. While half of the estate has been set aside for conservation into perpetuity, wine production and the farming of apples and pears is combined with Hereford stud farming as well as ecotourism activities.

WILDEKRANS COUNTRY HOUSE is a historic 1811 homestead with a rambling country garden. Home to a private collection of South African contemporary art and antique furniture, the atmosphere is relaxed, quirky and ancient, all rolled into one. Wildekrans Country House

FOOD

The combination of fresh air and hiking never fails to build an appetite. The diversity of the area is also appreciated by the palate, where the food and wines enjoyed by hikers reflect the differences in soils and rainfall. Feedback from hikers describes the food as a “veritable feast” and it’s as much a gourmet experience as it is a hike.

The cuisine is seasonal and fresh, produced on many of the participant farms. Olives, brinjals, asparagus, basil, lemons, tomatoes, gooseberries, apples, pears, plums and peaches are just a few of the locally grown ingredients that find their way onto the dinner plates of Green Mountain Trail hikers.

Hikers frequently ask for the recipes of the dishes served on the trail, so we figure we’re on the right track! Some of the favourites are melanzane parmigiana, slow-cooked lamb shanks, fresh herbed fish poached in Sauvignon Blanc, and berry pavlova.

FAUNA

On the higher reaches of the trail hikers may catch sight of klipspringers, standing like sentinels against the sky. Nesting Verreaux’s eagles are another special sighting for the area.

Duiker and Grysbok may be seen on the lower mountain slopes while secretive Mountain Leopard and Caracal slip by unseen or by night leaving their tracks along the trail.

With over 200 species of birds sighted in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, the hiker can expect to be rewarded with the endemic Orange Breasted Sunbird and Cape Sugarbird and on the farmlands below the regal Blue Cranes are often seen striding through the fields or giving their melodic trumpeting call as they soar gracefully above the horizon.

TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS - WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THE GREEN MOUNTAIN TRAIL

We hugely enjoyed our 4 days walking out of Wildekrans guest house on the Green Mountain trail. Each walk took place at a relaxed pace, starting early to avoid the heat and ending up at various wine estates for tastings and lunches. The quality of guiding was superb. Andrea's and Patrick are hugely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring - both passionate about the plants, the wildlife and the geology - 3 Dec '23

Having to sit down and plan an unforgettable 10 day trip around the Cape for ourselves and our great friends from Switzerland was no easy task. That said, being keen hikers Wildekrans Country House and the Green or Blue mountain trail immediately made our list. The problem was it was short notice, and yup you guessed it the scheduled Hikes were fully booked. Having done the trails before, more than once, we gave Alison a call in the hope something could be done. In no time she agreed to a special weekend shortened hike, including wine tastings and dinners out and about in Elgin and Bot River. And just like that our 10 day trip was off to the best start possible. The Wildekrans Country house is the best base for hiking the magnificent mountains that surround it. The staff are fantastic and see to your every need. Andreas and Patrick our highly experienced guides were wonderful company and highly knowledgeable. While they couldn't quite believe we wanted to do the hike on day one, in the atrocious weather conditions that we woke too, we all had wonderful day, albeit wet, windy and cold : ) Day 2 was perfect! Alison takes care of every detail and ensure everyone gets looked after. We will certainly be going back - 10 Nov '23

A group of friends hiked the green mountain trail in celebration of a birthday. What an amazing experience. From the guides to the scenery - everything was perfect. Even the cold temperatures made the experience embracing. We learned so much about the flora and fauna I bought a fynbos book to be better prepared for our next trip. I love geography and Andreas was a bottomless pit of information, so much so he gave a presentation on our last day. Such a memorable week - 2 Nov '23

This fantastic hike left us smiling from ear to ear and looking for dates to do the Blue Mountain trail. Every aspect of the hike was extremely well organised. What made this hike so memorable was the scenery with the stunning fynbos, the outstanding guides and the homely guesthouse we stayed at. Although a couple of the days were long walks we managed with relative ease because there were plenty of stops to enjoy the views, learn more about the flora or birds and have some refreshments.

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