A Giant’s Cup Tale

Last year I expressed my interest in experiencing an overnight hike. Almost as soon as the words rolled off my tongue, I found myself committing to the multi day Giant’s Cup trail. Note to self: Be careful what you wish for. And then I began to sweat. What was I thinking? I knew nothing about hiking or what it required of me. Yes, yes, it is supposed to be one of the easier trails but I had effectively signed myself up for the unknown.

Disaster strikes but not for long

I stilled my fears the only way I knew how and prepared my body just as I had for the Adam’s Peak climb. Therefore, I should have been physically ready but disaster struck 5 days before we were to start the hike. I injured a disc in my back whilst cycling and as a physio, I knew this could have serious consequences if not sorted out properly.

I was considering pulling out. However, a gentle exercise routine helped. It wasn’t 100% but good enough to give it a chance. What I didn’t expect was the camaraderie amongst hikers. They were all willing to do what was needed to get me through this. Offers of swopping to use their lighter backpacks, taking some of my load like a semi-sherpa, hand-ups and non-judgemental looks as I did my light exercise routine at every rest stop.

Pre-hike prep for the inexperienced hiker…me.

First off was the brutal weighing up of my packing list versus the minimalist list of a hiker. And I was found wanting. Like a child that has sneakily filled the shop trolley with sweets and toys, the unnecessary items were sternly pointed out and I guiltily removed them from my bag. But my aeropress, that inner debate tore me. I worked out my most reasonable argument to justify it’s presence in my bag…and weight almost won. But caffeine kicked back and saved the day.

Did you know there is a secret way to pack your backpack for hiking? So my logic says put the heaviest stuff right down at the bottom where you can forget about it. I thought, yes, here is one place I won’t feel a fool. Wrong again. The heavy stuff has to be in the middle and toward the back of the bag.  Centre of gravity chaps, it’s a real thing and if you get it wrong, your Giant’s Cup Tale turns into a tragedy. Last step is to get that pack snuggly and safely wrapped around your hips. It contains your world for the next few days, precious cargo like a baby monkey clinging to its mother.

Getting on with it

I won’t bore you with every detail of the hike, because essentially there is a lot of walking. A. LOT. With ascents, your calves burn. With descents, your knees complain. Uneven ground (which is every step), your ankles fight for attention. But with every breath that you rake in, the taste is sweet. The sensation of your muscles burning, is a reminder of life pulsing through your body. And the views that sink into your eyes overwhelm your mind. Nature is diverse. It is a sensory overload and it filled my heart with unleashed joy.

Highlights

On this hiking trail you get to cross two swinging bridges, for some, it is an adventure all on its own. Fortunately I don’t have a fear of heights or swinging objects suspended over icy waters. In my humble opinion, the most beautiful part of the hike was along the Pholela River Valley towards the end of day one. Whether you look up or down the valley, your camera will thank you. We hiked the Giant’s Cup trail on the day of the Ultra-Trail Drakensberg,100km race. So lunchtime on day 2 provided some live entertainment as runners passed our stop and we gleefully offered them tea. Most wanted an ice cold beer, so did we.

I learnt about a variety of birds (Ground woodpecker and a lot of chats), got excited about exquisite veld flowers, dipped my feet in cold river streams and probably took a thousand photos trying to capture what I saw. Pictures don’t include what you feel, think or smell.  A favourite lunch spot (I think we all agreed) was on day 4 overlooking the Rhino Peak. It is not often that you get to see the Drakensberg from this vantage point.

Accommodation

Each night of this trail, your weary body is housed in a hut. This was the easy part, so we didn’t have to carry tents or mattresses. Or so we thought. The first night at Pholela Hut lulls you into a false sense of comfort. It is equipped with hot showers, electricity and mattresses on the bunk beds. You can even purchase wood for a campfire.

After Pholela, it came as a bit of a shock when we arrived at Mzimkhulwana Hut (night 2) and there were no mattresses. The botanists amongst us very quickly put their knowledge of different grasses to good use and soon we had transformed our hard bunk beds into straw beds (no ecosystem was harmed in the making). Besides the lack of mattresses, this hut has the best ambience on the Giant’s Cup trail. Situated next to a stream and with no civilisation in sight. The night sky is dusted with stars telling ancient stories about Orion and Cancer. As I looked up, I was reminded how small I am.

In the more remote huts, you get to share your home with nature…doves roosting in the toilet rafters and evidence that baboons have passed by. Winterhoek Hut (night 3) is where we sighted the most Oribi antelope on the trail. Surrounded by oak trees, these huts also have views of the Garden Castle mountains as they are bathed in the last light of the day.

Campsite activities

Night time entertainment consisted of cooking gourmet meals from barely any ingredients. It is incredible how creative one can get with just a few light items. Where fires were allowed, time was dedicated to collecting and building the perfect campfire. As the sun began to hide and the moon welcomed the night, beanies, thermals and fleeces slowly replaced shorts and t-shirts. Around the campfire were conversations that made me think, laugh and ask for more. And don’t forget games, a small pleasure when a book was too heavy to carry but it is too early to go to bed.

Getting out of my sleeping bag was the hardest part of my day. You know what it is like, so warm inside and fresh out there. I also tend to get myself so twisted that it feels like I’m trying to get out of a straight jacket. The first sip of coffee after the morning Aeropress ritual (well worth the weight) and the sun shining on my face was enough to help me forget the hardships of getting up. Get ready, pack up and look forward to the next day of adventure.

Final steps

We ended our Giants Cup trail at Swiman Hut with hot showers and an indoor fireplace. Effectively, this turned the 5 day trail into 4. A short drive away from a nice cold beer at the Drakensberg Gardens resort made it the perfect ending. For the die hard hikers, this trail has way too many luxuries. For those needing a gentle introduction to multi day hiking, this is a perfect place to start.

I was asked towards the end of our hike what struck me the most or surprised me the most about hiking? At first my answer was how well you can eat considering the amount of food we brought with. Clearly food is a huge factor in my life. In fact I generally warn people not to let me get hungry because then a monster appears in my place.

But the truth is that what really struck me, was how little you need, to live and be comfortable. It is an odd thought in a world where more is better and we aspire to attain a level of comfort, of luxury, by virtue of acquisitions. There is comfort in the warmth of a campfire, the simple pleasure of a cup of tea or the security that all you need for survival is safely in your backpack.

Side notes on The Giant’s Cup Trail

• Take a camping mattress if you don’t want to be caught out like we were. In all fairness, the booking form does state that Mzimkhulwana Hut does not have mattresses. We eventually found out the reason…they keep getting stolen.
• All huts have bolts inside, so you are reasonably safe at night when in dreamland.
• Pholela and Swiman huts have hot water showers and electricity.
• Mzimkhulwana and Winterhoek huts have cold showers…no electricity.
• The only hut where there is no dedicated area for a campfire (therefore not allowed) is at Mzimkhulwana.
• All huts have a clean water supply for you to stock up on for the following day’s hike.
• You can start the hike at Sani Lodge Backpackers as we did, just ask them for the directions and where it meets up with the official trail. Doing this, you miss out on one of the swimming holes but it makes the first day a bit shorter (steeper 9km instead of a gentler 13km).
• You can leave a car at Swiman hut. Just speak to the ranger first.
• To book this trail, contact  Ezemvelo KZN wildlife.