Tsitsikamma

The Dolphin Trail is "luxury" hiking where your luggage is transported to your lodgings. You overnight at guest houses that provide and haul all your food, water, and drinks for the two days/three nights on the 20 Km trail. Cost per person is approximately . What isn’t stated in the SANP brochures is the Dolphin Trail has considerable vertical relief and is better described as hiking up and down a 50-story building a couple of times. Web sites: Tsitsikamma, Dolphin Trail.

The maximum number of hikers is 12 for the Dolphin trail, but we were the only two participants with two guides. We were very lucky not to have to haul anything except ourselves. Our guides, Tate and David, acted as trail specialists and cheerleaders and fortunately were the only ones to observe our struggles!

We met our guides Tate and David at the Information desk at Storms River. We were briefed and warned that we were taking the Dolphin trail at our own risk. This statement came back to haunt me the following day. They showed us where to park the car, loaded our bags up on a large four-wheel drive vehicle, and we proceeded to Adventure Tours Headquarters, which is in the Village of Storms River.

After tea and snacks we drove into an indigenous temperate forest on a trail that definitely warranted the use of four-wheel drive. The road had once been a logging road, but logging was no longer allowed in the indigenous forests (the road was locked off to general traffic) and now stands of rapid growing trees were planted and harvested for lumber. Sure enough we eventually left the "wild" forest for a much nicer road that intermittently ran along cultivated stand of trees used for lumber that eventually took us to The Fernery.

The Fernery is the first Guesthouse and the beginning of the Dolphin trail (see Journal entry The Fernery and Day 1 on the Dolphin Trail). From there the Dolphin trail takes you along temperate forests until you reach the ridge that quickly descends to the ocean which we hiked along for most of the first day.

Our second night was spent at Misty Mountain Dairy , which is located on the top of the ridge requiring us to hike up to it in the early evening. Good food and company did much to revive our wilted spirits, although I winced with every step.

The following day our guides assured us that the second day was less strenuous and again we started on fairly level ground. They were right, but the hike was still challenging. The scenery was totally different from the day before, but equally stunning. We eventually reached Storms River SANP Center, which is the end of the Dolphin Trail.

We ate at the Storms River Restaurant with Tate and David celebrated surviving the trail. These two young men were instrumental in our enjoyment of the two days we had on the Dolphin Trail. Their stories enlightened us, their jokes humored us, and their encouragement kept us going. I would say it was a once in a lifetime event except I am seriously considering going again!

Quick Tips:

Good Hiking boots and soft lamb wool to cushion the toes of your boots. Both my husband and I lost toenails resulting from the hike.

We did take disposable heat pads you can buy in the grocery store that stick on, and they were heaven sent. An option is a hot water bottle, I used both!

Best Way To Get Around:

This was a hike so obviously walking! I did appreciate the luggage being delived by car. We used a car to reach Storms River.

The Fernery is a business that provides ferns for floral markets in Europe and now provides Guest Houses as part of the Dolphin Trail. Our Guest House/cabin overlooked a canyon with a river running a short distance to the sea. Our room was lovely and had twin beds placed side by side with kitchenette, sitting area, ceramic wood stove, and covered porch on two sides. The bathroom had both a shower and tub. The décor was enticing and with lots of windows to show the magnificent view, matched the lovely grounds surrounding the Guest House.

A wooden walkway lead from the cabins located on the canyon to a recreational area with swimming pool and pool table. Ferns, flowers and trees lined the walkway and each cabin was tucked against the edge of the canyon giving a sense of privacy and seclusion.

Another wooden walkway lead to a large enclosure used for dining and as a showroom for the different varieties of ferns. The enclosure was roofed, but the sides were open to the elements. The enclosure in addition to highlighting different species of ferns also had waterfalls and a relief wall of African animals. The atmosphere was tropical and soothing even though the temperature was chilly. Overhead heaters kept the immediate vicinity cozy during our dinner and breakfast the following morning.

Another couple joined us at dinner, but they were going to do the Tree Top Adventure the following day run by the same company that provides guides for the Dolphin Trail. We retired right after dinner to get a good night’s rest before our hike the following day.

When evening came on our first day of the Dolphin Trail, the beautiful view compensated for my aching thighs as we made our accent to the top of the ridge and Misty Mountain Dairy . After a Jacuzzi bath in our lovely cabin followed by good wine, food, company, and hot packs on sore legs, I thought I just might live.

A row of newly built and very comfortable cabins are a short distance from the main house that Val and Dav, our hosts, live in. Our warm, cozy cabin had two twin beds set side by side, a counter next to a wardrobe, sitting area, wall of windows facing the ocean, and a porch with comfy chairs that faced the ocean. The aura was like a cocoon set in a lovely seashell. Around our huge Jacuzzi tub, Val had thoughtfully places several red hibiscus flowers. The Jacuzzi was my first stop and after a good long soak I felt I would keep my legs after all.

Before dinner we sat in the den attached to their large country kitchen so we could visit with both Val and Dav while we sipped sherry. Dinner was buffet style and since we were such a small party we put the tables together so the six of us could eat family style instead of separate tables. Lasagna, hot vegetable salad, green salad, chicken, vegetables, and cobbler were all delicious and we attacked the food with hardy appetites from all our exertions.

Dav, who is in his 60s, built a substantial part of the Dolphin Trail, linking it to other trails in Tsitsikama . He related difficulties other hikers had and also the story of a feisty 70-year-old woman who got up early to "look around the dairy" before their hike got started. With that story I went to bed with the resolve to tackle the second day.

Storms River was the only true disappointment we had on the Dolphin Trail. The accommodation was a far cry from the luxury Guesthouses we had stayed at on the two previous nights. The cabin was not as nice as the cabin we had at Wilderness (see Journal Around the Cape West to East). It did have central heat, but no bathtub. The cabin did face the ocean, but was close to other cabins and did not give the sense of privacy or spaciousness our Wilderness cabin had.

We had to climb a daunting set of stairs with our luggage and screaming sore legs to reach our cabin. There was only a small shower, no tub and hot water ran out after a single shower. The bathroom was small. The bedroom/sitting area had two twin beds, a small cooking area, table with padded benches on both sides and a couch that could fold out to sleep on. The décor was decidedly rustic and crowded.

Fortunately we could drive to the main restaurant and the food was good. We ate with Tate and David, which raised our spirits and made staying at Storms River not as dismal as the cold shower had been. We did sleep soundly and had the roaring ocean as a soothing background.

Our Dolphin trail hike started through pine forests planted for lumber and used to shade the ferns cultivated by The Fernery. As we left cultivated property to enter the Tsitsikama SANP, pine forests were replaced by "indigenous" growth of yellow wood trees, ferns, lilies and other fauna. The lumber road narrowed to a trail. The tall trees, filtered light and exotic plants made one feel as if elves from middle earth could be behind the next tree. At mid-morning we were led up to a running stream and a table laid with tea, juices and snacks. This would have met with Pippen’s approval of civilization and the requirement for a "second breakfast." My husband also approved, since he will gladly pause any time for tea.

The temperate forest transitioned to brush and a narrow trail that eventually led to a descent to the ocean. As growth became more stunted due to vertical angle and costal wind, a magnificent view of the coast was revealed. Approaching the ocean required hiking across uplifted rock that showed the geological upheaval that separated South Africa from the Antarctic.

As we scrambled over rocks with the ocean intermittently rushing in where we had once stood, I questioned my sanity. Rock climbing has never been in my repertoire until now! I understood then why we were asked to sign waivers. David and Tate produced lunch like two magicians out of their backpacks. Lunch was eaten on rocks barely above the rushing tide and much more rustic than "second breakfast" had been.

Our final struggle for the day was to hike from the ocean back up to the top of the ridge where Misty Mountain Dairy was located. This was the end of our first challenging day and the thought of a warm bed and food was the only thing keeping me going.

Breakfast the following morning had me testing my legs and contemplating whether they would last the second day’s hike and my resolve would be sufficient. Day 2 of the Dolphin Trail started out as a walk around Misty Mountain Dairy.

Fortuitously there were no more challenging rock climbs, but the trail still descended downward only requiring us to climb back up and then down again. The trail wound around midway down from the ridges and the majority of the time we were walking mountainous trails and not shoreline. A stout branch and my husband’s broad back assisted with the up and down struggles. Each twist and turn of the trail would reveal another stunning vista and Ohhs and Ahhs outweighed my groans.

Midmorning we spotted a group of dolphins playing not far off shore. We could see them without binoculars, but were high enough that binoculars were used to truly appreciate their antics. Lunch was eaten near a stream that ran a very short distance to the ocean. The glen again reminded me of the type of setting depicted in Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Instead of Hobbits, myself, my husband and our two guides, David and Tate, inhabited the glen.

In the late afternoon we finally saw our destination as we gazed at the Storms River suspension bridge and Storms River SANP Center on the other side. Limping in I felt the success of completion and the expectation of food, wine and rest. After a celebration dinner with our two guides, we bade them farewell. Beautiful scenery and friendly people made the Dolphin Trail an experience I would be willing to repeat even though it took two days for my legs recover and be able to move without wincing.