• Gustav Vermaas
  • Gustav Vermaas

Kruger Hike Sept 2021

Jobs can only fill our pockets, but adventures fill our souls Läs mer
  • Resans start
    31 augusti 2021
  • Day 2 - Baobab Tree

    2 september 2021, Sydafrika ⋅ ⛅ 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.Läs mer

  • Day 2 - Afternoon hike

    2 september 2021, Sydafrika ⋅ ☀️ 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 embankment
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  • Day 3 - Adventures fill our souls

    3 september 2021, Sydafrika ⋅ ☀️ 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.
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  • Day 3 The night is full of terror

    3 september 2021, Sydafrika ⋅ ☀️ 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 😁
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  • Resans slut
    5 september 2021