The Otter Trail is rated as one of the top 10 trails in South Africa, and is popular to the point that one has to book almost 2years in advance. Inky was asked 18 months ago if she wanted to go along, hardly knowing what she would be up to so far down the line. And it was well worth the wait! The Otter Trail starts at the Storms River Mouth rest camp and heads west keeping as close to the coastline as possible, finishing 42km and 5 days later in Nature's Valley. It is a trail well known for the river crossings, two of which have to be crossed at low tide, and for the spectacular scenery experienced along the way. The week leading up to the trip was nerve racking as the entire Garden Route was hit by a savage cold front and I was reading endless news reports on how the N2 had been closed at Knysna, houses had been flooded in Plett, and various other instances of damage caused by stormwater. Not a good start. As I drove up on the Sunday I could see where silt had been washed down the roads in Knysna. Further along, I stopped in Plett to see the driftwood (almost a small forest) which had been washed up on Lookout beach. At least the weather had cleared by then and the forecasts were looking hopeful for the week ahead... I met up with the 11 other members of the group at the Storms River Camp area where we had our "last supper" together and overnighted in small forest cabins, a good transition between the comforts of "civilisation" and the "bush." Monday morning we gathered at the Reception where we signed our lives away, received relatively useful yet rather inaccurate maps, and had the chance to watch an hour long video showing us what we were about to get ourselves into. Being an eager bunch, we fast forwarded to the Bloukrans River crossing and then headed to the start line. Day one is just a warm up at a paltry 5km - many people do that stretch as a day hike, a simple there- and back-route. It follows the high tide mark, clambering over rocks for most of the way, something I found off-putting as I was not yet used to carrying a heavy pack on my back while on the move! There were a few couples walking ahead of us, all of them stopping and turning around as they got to the first waterfall. Usually it's easy to get across but with the recent heavy rains, as with all the river crossings that were ahead of us, it proved to be more of a challenge than normal. So 1 and a half hours into the trail, shoes were off, feet were numbed, and the boys got to flex their muscles - all while some tourists were watching, fascinated that these nutters were actually doing all this. The camp sites seem to have been built from a catalogue as they were all identical. All four comprised of 2 cabins, each with 2 three-level bunk beds, a couple of benches and a counter. The cabins were situated by a communal gathering point with the braai place a bit too far from the shelter, and a "loo-with-a-view." One-way glass is fabulous during the day when you get to sit on the "throne" and gaze past the braai area to watch the waves crash on the rocks beyond. Just remember to turn off your headlamp when doing so at night... Day two covers 8km and is suggested to take about 4 hours. We got hit by rain that day so it took us a bit longer, mostly due to the time taken to put on and remove our various waterproofings as the sun toyed with us. The route also left the coast a bit and headed further inland - though probably not much more than 250-300m away from the coast at any time. Being in the forest was great as extra protection from the rain but it didn't help much with crossing the Kleinbos River. As the tide was coming in we realised we had to cross quickly, at which point the rain returned. Team work was order of the day to get everyone across as dry as possible. Luckily the only damage done was me getting wet in waist deep water (with my sleeping bag getting dangerously close to submerging) and Tim losing a sandal. Day three is about 8km again and also weaves its way away from the coastline and the associated rock-hopping, to forest paths with steep climbs and descents. Along the way you cross the Lottering River - not quite as tricky as the Bloukrans - but it is suggested that low tide makes things easier. With this in mind we woke up at 5:30am to start walking by 7am and to reach the river by the 10:30am low tide. Myself and Dylan got there just before 11:00 and within half an hour the last of the group arrived and were over, nice and easy. The campsite is just on the other side of the gorge, so for the first time we were able to sit around and relax for a long afternoon. And we didn't lack for entertainment! Once again the campsite was situated in a spectacular setting, this time very close to the rocks at the mouth of the Lottering, allowing us a fabulous view of the waves crashing on the rocks as the tide came up. While the sun was up we sat and watched these white "fireworks". As soon as the sun disappeared behind the hill, temperatures plummeted and all the woolly gear came out and we slowly shrunk back to our cabins to prepare dinner and for an early bedtime. By 8pm as the moon came up, we were all climbing into our sleeping bags ready for an early day ahead. As mentioned, the Bloukrans River crossing can be a dangerous one, and has to be done at low tide. Due to the torrential rain falls the previous week the river was in full flood, gushing freezing cold water. The crossing is about 10km down the trail (approximately a 4-5 hour walk at a forced pace) so to avoid swimming, we got up at 3:30am and began walking by 4:30am. This for me was the highlight of the trail: for the first 3 hours we silently walked through forest and fynbos with our headlamps on, with awesome views of the moon's reflection over the waters and "white horses" pounding the rocks. I was "point man" for most of this time and whenever I could, I turned off my light, walking in the moonlight. Stopping to look back, all I could see was 11 small lights bobbing up and down in a row. It was a most surreal experience. We eventually stopped for breakfast as the sun started to rise after which we had a long section of rock-hopping ahead of us. It was along this section where we had our first and only accident. Morag, trained as a nurse and best qualified to handle such a situation, was unfortunate to slip on the rocks, injuring her face and arm. Being a trooper, she directed the first-aiders how to apply the bandages to the cuts on her face, watching their movements in a mirror! For the rest of the day the guys shared carrying her pack and she finished the trail without too much complaint. We only discovered how hardcore a chick she really is on returning to Cape Town: she had actually broken her elbow in two places!! Respect...! The Bloukrans crossing turned out to be ok for us. Most of it could be walked across with the waters below knee level on a sand bank. However this suddenly dropped off and one had to swim a short section while dealing with waves, a backpack in a (hopefully) 100% waterproof bag at the end of a rope and very, very cold water. Thanks goes to those who brought their hip flasks out on the other side! The rest of the day was relaxed and we could walk at a leisurely pace. We stopped off on a beach for a lunch break, where I dozed off in the sun for a good half hour - bliss! Luckily the weather was warm enough that evening so that we could all sit together at the braai area and cook dinner together, being the last night. Stories were already being shared about experiences on the trail. I think the most common theme through it all was mud: there had been mud everywhere, every day to various degrees. Sometimes unavoidable, and many times one slipped where you thought it was safe. A couple of shoes were nearly lost in it, but it provided a fair deal of laughter. Another comment that was passed often was the state of the trail. On days 3 and 4 we had passed workers in the process of fixing the paths, carrying logs down to replace steps and filling holes with fresh earth. It's a bit weird when there is no one around, yet you can see (and smell) that you are stepping on untouched soil. The people were extremely polite, obviously having had been told to make way for the hikers, some took it to the extent that they nearly ran away into the forest to leave us walk in peace. I just wanted to thank them for making our trip such a pleasure! Day five came with a touch of sadness, yet joy at a lighter pack (almost all excess food had been consumed the night before). At a short 7km, we relaxed, taking it all in and enjoying every last moment. Most of the trail followed the tops of the cliffs with dramatic 100m drops, waterfalls, crashing waves below, fynbos and a warm, friendly sun. Such a beautiful day! Eventually one gets to a point where you look down into Nature's Valley. We stopped here for a bit to relax, and then made our way down to the beach for a refreshing swim. The sea water being warmer than the rivers, it was a most welcome change! With a combination of the sun, invigorating swim, knowledge of the end of a wonderful experience, and thought of a cold beer nearby, we took off again with a feeling of joy and lightheartedness that was palpable. A trek down the beach led us to the cold beers, some cheesy garlic bread and fantastic greasy hamburgers. The whole week's worth of detox going down the drain... A taxi ride back to Storm's River took us to a warm shower and cellphones, slowly edging back into civilisation again. Many thanks to Nick Lain for organising the entire expedition. He was the reason we all went skydiving last year, so I wonder what adventure he'll co-erce us into doing next year... And hats off to SanParks for maintaining such a wonderful trail. If you ever get the chance to do it, cancel your plans and say yes! And to the other 11 Trotters, thanks for being such a great group and sharing a magic time together! Inky