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NOTE: The balloons are on the exact location of the trail, or the nearest town (if we don’t have its coordinates).
Swartberg Trail
Issue 3
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Contact:
CapeNature Reservations, Tony Marshall
Telephone:
021 659 3500 | 044 203 6300
E-mail address:
sberg.cnc.karoo@pixie.co.za
Web page:
http://www.capenature.org.za/swartberg
Nearest town:
Prince Albert (19km) |
-33.347139, 22.042333
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Route distance:
74 km | 6-8 hours
Surrounds:
The Swartberg Nature Reserve is a mountain catchment area of over 130 0000ha, also encompassing the nearby Gamkaspoort Nature Reserve. The reserves are renowned for their pristine mountain fynbos and sweeping views of the Groot Karoo all the way to the Nuweveld mountains near Beaufort West in the north, and the lush Outeniqua mountains to the south. All this beauty takes on a different hue when viewed from the vantage points touched by the trail.
The trail:
This Cape Nature Conservation trail loop begins half a kilometre south-east of the Ou Tol hut on the road from the Swartberg Pass to the village of Prince Albert, which lies 19km away. The route runs east for 27km along the northern slopes of the Swartberg range, through deep ravines and valleys, and then doubles back on itself to give a total of 74km of off-road mountain action.
At places the trail climbs high into the crags, sometimes by almost 1 000m in just 3km! There are some very challenging ascents and descents.
The best time to tackle the route is in spring and early summer.
In winter, snow and heavy rain can make the trail almost impassable.
Accommodation:
Chalet facilities available.
Plus, Gouekrans self-catering hut, has basic facilities and a braai area.
Camping:
Camping available
What else:
Die Hel, an isolated settlement in the heart of the Swartberg Nature Reserve, and the 24km long Swartberg Pass, built by Thomas Bain in the 1880s, which climbs to over 1 436m above sea level. 
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