An array of grey and brown rock formations interspersed with greenery against the backdrop of the Groot Winterhoek mountain range create an incredible landscape for exploration. No electricity, no cell phone reception and hardly another soul. Just a walk in the wilderness – the perfect opportunity to reset.
Groot Winterhoek Hiking Trail
The Groot Winterhoek wilderness area is a wild, rocky area in the Western Cape. It is a World Heritage site protecting mountain fynbos and wildlife. Fantastic walks to the swimming spots and digging deep to make it back out of the wilderness in high spirits.
I first did this hike ten years ago to the day. It was my first multi-day hike with a full backpack, sleeping bag and loads of optimism. That hike was hot, gruelling, fun and frustrating all at once. This year, I came armed with more hiking experience, but it was still tough.
You could spend a couple of days exploring this fascinating terrain. Funky-shaped, towering rocks, proteas and red disa flowers alongside the trails and bright pink of the erica species flowers through the fynbos, it’s a beautiful spot to go hiking, swimming or detox.
Day 1 – 13km hike to De Tronk via the Kliphuis river
The first day of our trip was a 13km hike to our hut via the Kliphuis river. There are plenty of hiking options in this conservation area. You can follow a clear path or create your way (well, that’s what the website says). As adventurous as that sounds, it was too hot for me to entertain that level of meandering. We chose to follow the predetermined paths. That path consisted of rocky parts, relatively flat stretches and overgrown patches. The trails aren’t marked, but periodically, you’ll spot some boards with directional signs to help you stay on track.
Make sure you swim in rock pools along the way.
This wilderness area is one of Cape Town’s sources of fresh water. You can fill up your water bottle along the way. Exploring the wilderness would not be complete without pretty and refreshing rock pools. It was the height of summer, which meant it was a scorching 32 degrees Celsius by mid-morning. Jumping into one of these pools along the way was the perfect way to refresh. There was room to immerse yourself in the water, stand under falling water or sit on the more shallow rock – which was great. The water was perfect. We could’ve spent the whole afternoon there.
Day 2: A Day at Die Hel Rock Pool
We walked 5km from our accommodation to Die Hel rock pool on the second day. You could walk straight through to Die hel on the first day, but that would limit the time you can explore there. We opted to hike up to the hiker huts and spent the hottest night I’d experienced in a while there (actually, no, there was that one night in Malawi!)
The scenery mixes red, green and brown rocks and shrubs. I loved walking through it because of the different hues and shades of those three colours; it felt like many colours bursting around you. This part of the trail is winding but primarily flat. That is, of course, until you begin the steep descent into the valley that’s home to the rock pools.
(I wore shorts because it was hot as our ultimate destination was the pools, but those very pretty plants scratched, poked and scored my legs. I would go with long pants next time).
Die Hel rock pools
Die Hel is a large rock pool on the Groot Kliphuis River. Making your way down into this gorge is a challenging feat. It’s exceptionally steep and unrelenting. It’s very rocky, so do so cautiously. The upside is that you can’t get lost. There’s just one path down.
Once you reach the river, there is still a little scrambling over huge boulders. Looking across the Die Hel rock pool is incredible. Steep, red, quartzitic sandstone cliffs tower over the rock pool. The water is calm and fresh; there’s a waterfall at the pool’s edge and just a few patches of green brush. We spent most of the day here. There are caves to explore, and it’s deep enough to jump into the water at places and, of course, just relaxing swims. When you walk further down, there are more rock pools to explore.
Groot Winterhoek Rock Art
The Groot Winterhoek area has hundreds of rock shelters with rock paintings. These paintings are said to be 300 years old, some as old as 6000 years.
How to find it? Shortly after a lookout point, where you see Die Hel clearly for the first time, the trail continues on a steep, rocky descent. Keep an eye out for a small path to the left. It leads to an overhang and the rock paintings at the back of that shelter.
I suggest you make this baby detour on your way down while you still have stamina. On the way out of the pools, you need to just focus on that steep uphill slog!
Day 3 – 14 km Hike back to start via the Jeep track
We woke up to rain and gloom on the final day of our trip. I was annoyed that we’d have to hike in the shower. But I was glad the rain came after our brilliant day swimming at Die hel. We got up and watched the rain, waiting for that break to head out. The rain didn’t stop, but we headed out anyway. The wilderness is equally beautiful when cloaked in moodiness and moisture.
The 14 km hike back to start via the Jeep track was a gruelling walk that I didn’t enjoy. It’s slightly longer in kilometres but quicker time-wise. It’s a gradual incline with little variety compared to day one of the hike. Just slowly up and up, step-by-step monotony.
Groot Winterhoek Accommodation
Four basic hiker huts are available for accommodation at the reserve. We stayed at Ribbok hut, which accommodates up to eight people. The place has a flushing toilet, beds, chairs and an outdoor table. It has no linen, electricity or hot water. The hut’s water is captured on the roof and stored in tanks. A sign behind the door reminds you that water availability is only sometimes guaranteed. However, camping in the wilderness is an option if you’d rather sleep under the stars.
Where is Groot Winterhoek?
Groot Winterhoek wilderness is a wild, rugged area in the Western province of South Africa. It’s a world heritage site is great for hiking, swimming and birding. Before you head out on your adventure, explore the website for tips and recommendations o safely navigate this hike.