The Ravine Trail – A Little Adventure in the Cederberg

 

Wife on beginning of Ravine Trail
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat
Cederberg Mountains, South Africa

We are gradually becoming accustomed to the remarkably comfortable existence at Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat.

Perhaps a little too accustomed to it. We are certainly not lacking anything here ;-)

Well, that is not entirely true. There is one thing we are probably lacking: exercise.

The seemingly endless supply of excellent food and wine, combined with frequent enquiries from the staff along the lines of, “Is there anything else we can get you?”, does not exactly contribute to building muscle mass. Other bodily reserves, however, seem to be doing rather well already.

So we turn our attention to the three hiking trails advertised by Bushmans Kloof.

The Dassie Trail is graded easy and is 3 km long. The Mountain Trail is graded easy to moderate and covers 4.2 km. And then there is the Ravine Trail: 6 km, graded adventure, accompanied by the rather inviting warning:

“Not for anyone who suffers from vertigo.”

Not a difficult decision.

Obviously, we are going on the Ravine Trail.

Choosing the Adventure Route

Blogger, Ravine Trail
South Africa 2026

Before setting off, I enquire exactly what adventure means in this context. Apparently, the route involves negotiating narrow passages and scrambling through openings between rocks, but there is no actual rock climbing involved.

That sounds perfect.

There is also supposed to be a waterfall and a rock pool along the route, where you can take a dip.

We just need to remember one important rule: watch where you put your hands and feet.

As always in this kind of terrain.

According to the information provided at the lodge, the area is home to puff adders, boomslangs, black spitting cobras and Cape cobras, as well as several less dangerous snakes and scorpions.

This does not mean that one should wander around in a state of constant terror. Quite the opposite. During our many trips through Africa, we have actually seen remarkably few snakes.

There was, admittedly, the memorable exception on the second day of our previous Namibia journey with good friends, when we came remarkably close to stepping on a horned adder.

You can read that little story here: (link).

Horned adder on stairs
NamibRand 2024
Namibia

But the general principle remains: look before you step, and particularly before putting your hands into cracks, underneath rocks or into narrow openings that you cannot see properly.

A sensible rule when today's planned entertainment includes crawling through holes in mountains.

“Straight Up!”

Blogger looking for cairns
Bushmans Kloof Ravine Trail
South Africa 2026

We set off from reception carrying rather more emergency equipment than the average hotel guest heading out for a six-kilometre stroll.

We have the satellite phone, compass, extra warm clothing, drinks and even a support bandage.

Just in case.

The receptionist has pointed out where the trail begins.

“Straight up,” she says, pointing towards the nearby mountain.

This turns out to be the only genuinely bad piece of advice we receive during our entire stay at Bushmans Kloof.

We should most definitely not go straight up.

For a while we search unsuccessfully for anything resembling a trail, before eventually discovering that the route initially runs parallel to the wall beside the kitchen garden.

Once we finally locate the first small stone cairns marking the trail, everything becomes much easier. The cairns appear roughly every ten metres and, from this point onwards, the route is generally straightforward to follow.

We are finally on our way.

Straight Into the Difficult Part

Hard start, Ravine Trail
Bushman´s Kloof, South Africa 2026

The Ravine Trail does not believe in gentle introductions.

Almost immediately, we encounter some fairly steep and narrow passages where both hands and both feet are required.

It is actually an excellent beginning because it immediately establishes the level of difficulty.

What we do not know at the time is that it never really gets worse than this.

If you can manage the first section, you can manage the rest of the trail.

But of course, nobody has told us that.

So we continue upwards with a certain degree of excitement, wondering what exactly Bushmans Kloof has hidden around the next corner.

After negotiating the first rocky section, we suddenly emerge onto the plateau.

The contrast is wonderful.

Wife in sunlight on plateau
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

Sunlight breaks through the clouds and falls across the mountains, while the terrain becomes considerably flatter and more open.

And this is where the Cederberg Mountains really begin to reveal themselves.

The Cederberg forms part of South Africa's Cape Fold Belt and consists largely of Table Mountain sandstone, weathered over immense periods of time into the extraordinary cliffs, arches, caves and isolated rock formations for which the region is famous. Iron oxides give many of the rocks their characteristic burnt-orange and reddish colours, while mountain fynbos covers large parts of the landscape.

It is a completely different mountain environment from the granite landscapes of Namibia that we know so well.

And it is spectacular.

Blogger on plateau
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

Looking at our rather rudimentary map, we can see that we need to cross three clefts in the mountain during the next couple of kilometres before reaching the waterfall. From there, the route follows a much longer ravine back towards Bushmans Kloof.

Progress is good.

Negotiating rocky sections
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

The cairns are generally easy to follow and although we occasionally need all four limbs to negotiate short rocky sections, none are more difficult than what we encountered during the first part of the hike.

More importantly, it is beautiful everywhere.

We are already completely sold on the Ravine Trail.

Small rock hyraxes – dassies – scamper across the rocks around us, disappearing almost instantly whenever we get too close.

For a trail beginning only a short distance from a five-star lodge, it feels surprisingly wild.

The Waterfall

Waterfall and rock pool
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

Eventually, we hear the waterfall long before we see it.

It lies at the bottom of the long ravine that we will later follow back towards Bushmans Kloof.

The setting itself is lovely, but unfortunately the scenery immediately around the waterfall and rock pool is rather compromised by visible water pipes and electrical cables.

It seems slightly at odds with the Wilderness Reserve atmosphere that Bushmans Kloof otherwise manages so successfully.

Surely this could be done more discreetly?

The descent towards the waterfall also turns out to be noticeably less well marked than the trail so far. It certainly does not appear that many guests venture down this section.

When we eventually reach the bottom of the ravine, we still have to cross through thick vegetation to reach the actual rock pool.

There is no obvious path.

In fact, there may not be a path at all.

And this is precisely the kind of terrain where we are least enthusiastic about putting our feet somewhere we cannot actually see.

So progress becomes slow and careful.

We move through the vegetation while keeping a rather attentive eye open for any unwanted company.

Eventually, we make it safely to the pool.

This part of the trail could definitely benefit from some attention. A simple wooden boardwalk through the dense vegetation and perhaps a small timber platform beside the pool would make a tremendous difference without spoiling the setting.

Blogger by rock pool
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

We settle onto a rock beside the water.

It is cloudy.

The water feels extremely cold.

Suddenly the advertised opportunity for a refreshing swim – or even a discreet skinny dip – has lost much of its attraction.

A few biscuits and something to drink seem considerably more appealing.

Into the Ravine

Blogger back on main trail
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

After our short break, we head back up to the main trail.

Curiously, climbing up is easier than coming down. From below, it is much easier to see the rocks, ledges and possible handholds.

Soon we are following the ravine back towards the lodge.

And this turns out to be one of the finest sections of the hike.

The sandstone walls rise around us as the route twists through the narrow gorge. Several times we have to squeeze through small caves and openings between the rocks.

At two particularly narrow passages, I have to remove my backpack and push it through ahead of me before following.

Exactly the sort of thing we had hoped for when we selected the trail marked adventure.

Blogger at rock arch
Ravine Trail, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

Then we unexpectedly reach an impressive beautiful natural rock arch.

We had not realised this was part of the route at all.

A wonderful surprise.

The Cederberg sandstone is at its most impressive here – twisted, fractured and sculpted into openings, overhangs and improbable shapes by millions of years of weathering.

It is quite simply a superb hiking landscape.

Almost Another Lap

After around three hours, including our break at the waterfall, we begin to approach Bushmans Kloof again.

And then we lose the trail.

We retrace our steps to the last cairn and systematically scan the surrounding terrain until eventually spotting the next marker.

There it is.

Going down.

We had completely missed the turn and were happily continuing ahead.

Had we not stopped, we might conceivably have started another circuit of the mountain.

That would certainly have solved the problem of excessive calorie intake.

Fortunately, we find the correct descent and soon the lodge appears below us.

Back at lodge, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

Back at reception, we check in again as agreed before leaving, so they know that their two Danish guests – satellite phone, compass, support bandage and all – have returned safely.

And we feel extremely pleased with ourselves.

At last, some proper exercise to compensate for the culinary temptations of Bushmans Kloof.

At least partially.

Our Final Day at Bushmans Kloof

Our cottage, Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

This is our final day here, and looking back, we have had some wonderful days.

The outstanding feature has undoubtedly been the extraordinary level of attention and hospitality from the moment we arrived until the moment we leave.

The staff are warm, friendly and extraordinarily attentive without becoming intrusive.

Bushmans Kloof
South Africa 2026

Bushmans Kloof itself is perhaps best described as an elegant country estate with a touch of African wilderness lodge – and a rather eccentric private museum thrown in for good measure.

That description probably comes closer to capturing the experience than simply calling it a safari lodge.

Because Bushmans Kloof is not really a safari destination in the conventional African sense. We have visited quite a few in many countries.

Nature drive with Niel
Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

We enjoyed both our morning drive and sundowner drive with Niel, and the surrounding landscape is undeniably beautiful. But these are essentially nature drives through the reserve and its immediate surroundings rather than the wildlife-focused safari experience one might expect in destinations such as Etosha, Kgalagadi or the private reserves bordering Kruger.

And that is perfectly fine.

Sundowner with Niel
What´s not to like
Bushman´s Kloof, South Africa 2026

It is simply useful to understand what Bushmans Kloof is – and what it is not.

The same applies to the advertised canoeing.

The canoe trips take place on a small dam rather than along a river or stream, as some of the promotional images might perhaps lead you to imagine. For children, or adults who have never paddled a canoe before, it may be an enjoyable little activity.

For anyone accustomed to proper river canoeing, it will for sure be less compelling.

Blogger, Ravine Trail
Bushman´s Kloof
South Africa 2026

The hiking, however, is a completely different matter.

The Ravine Trail was excellent, even for relatively experienced hikers.

Interesting, adventurous without becoming dangerous, wonderfully varied and – apart from the section around the waterfall – generally well marked.

Most importantly, it gives you a much more intimate experience of the magnificent Cederberg landscape than you get from sitting in a vehicle.

So when we return to Bushmans Kloof – and we certainly hope we will – we have already decided what to do.

We will walk all the hiking trails.

That should also create considerably more room for the superb food, excellent South African wines and extraordinary level of pampering.

After all, one has to maintain some sort of balance.

View from our room at night, Water Edge 2
Bushman´s Kloof, South Africa 2026