Kruger Hike Sept 2021 | FindPenguins

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Trip start
August 31, 2021
Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 0 Hoedspruit
August 29, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
An early Sunday sneak out of JBurg to Hoedspruit. Spend Sunday at Stuart's house and found a lodge in town to work from "home" on Monday

A long Monday on calls when your gear is loaded and everything is ready for the hike.Read more
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 1 Start of an Epic hike
September 1, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Tuesday into Kruger. Slept at Shingwedzi Camp, Dennis the Ranger collected us on Wednesday morning (hiked Olifants with us) and off to the hike with some nervous smiles 😃
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 1 Hot Spring
September 1, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
1st Night in the bush. Camping in a small Tambotie forest next to a hot water spring.

We decided to carry in some meat and vegetables. Rustic braai and early night in the tents.
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 2 - Baobab Tree
September 2, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Started the morning with elephants grazing in the trees opposite the Hot spring. The hike started with the most beautiful Baobab tree. Shortly afterwards the rangers spotted two old Buffalo bulls - 60m away. We all huddled behind an Ant hill with the rangers assessing the risk. The bulls moved on and we relaxed for lunch in the riverbed after the usual dig for water.Read more
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 2 - Afternoon hike
September 2, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
The highlight of the afternoon hike was the breeding herd of elephants walking into a river bed to drink.

We were high above and could enjoy the sight in safety... or so we thought. What we didn't realise was that an Elephant bull came up from behind. By the time Sue saw the bull the distance was less than 30m. Lots of shouting and the bull decided to move off.

This set the tone for a number of encounters with these magnificent animals that lasted till the end of the trip

Rest of the hike was uneventful and we erected our tents on an embankmentRead more
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 3 - Adventures fill our souls
September 3, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Day 3 started slowly. A lonely elephant decided to visit us in the night and drank from our water pit - dug the previous afternoon. No one heard him - 30m from out tent. The only evidence its tracks.

We did a 14km hike with only day packs. Highlight was the buffalo herd and the lone hyena on the rocks.

Back for lunch and then started one of the most adventurous but sad incidents that we will always remember.

We unknowingly walked into a huge breeding herd of elephant in a dense mopani area

We only realized the size when we tried to move back twice and kept on bumping into other elephants.

The herd was not aware of our presence. While focusing on some cows to the left we startled a single cow hidden 25m away.

She immediately charged......

The gods were with us🙏

But the day was not done.Read more
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 3 The night is full of terror
September 3, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
After the elephant cow incident we were all rattled.

But the hike goes on.... big was our distress when we realized that there was a herd of elephant digging water where we wanted to erect our tents.

The only thing to do was to wait. 90min later we were rushing to dig for water, erect our tents, make food and clean.

At sunset a lonely hyena appeared....and then four. As it was getting dark we had a double whammy. The elephants decided to come back for more water. Elephants on the left and hyenas getting closer from the right.

By the time we were asked by the rangers to go into our tents, no lights and be quiet the hyenas where visible with our headlamps less than 25m away.

There is nothing as scary to be in a dark tent listening to Africa's wildlife meters away. The only defense being a few layers of plastic and we hope the animals age-old fear of the A-preditor being in town.

Something kept on upsetting the elephants and they were moving loudly about with the occasional trumpet... and then we heard it .... Lions in the riverbed🤯

By 0030 the Lions pushed everything away - no hyena and no elephant. The night turned silent and finally peace returned.

It was hugs all around as the sun rised for the last day 😁Read more
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 4
September 4, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
The last day was the fastest hike of the trip. 7km in 2 hours.

Safety, a truck and cold beers is a great motivator it seems
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Kruger Hike Sept 2021 Traveler
Day 5
September 5, 2021 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Stayed over in Hoedspruit and back home to clean the equipment for the next hike

Namib100... here we come
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Trip end
September 5, 2021