Day 5

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Risks: Steep start
Highlights: Great views, Natures Valley
River Crossing:  None
6.8 km to end point before Natures Valley beach and a further almost 2km to Natures Valley rest camp. This excludes any exploring or swimming.
Day 5

No need to wake up early. Take the day easy and enjoy the last bit of the hike.  The rain was still dazzling, so a few of us decided to make our own improvised waterproof gaiters using duct tape and plastic bags. It worked wonderfully.  
The hike commences past the second of the Andre Huts just around the mountain with a very steep climb to the first wooden viewpoint of the day.  From there on wards it’s a smooth and comfortable trek. I made up for under utilising my camera the day before. There is plenty flora and birds ready to be explored.

We walked extra slow on this day, hopeful that this hike would last longer.

Natures Valley
Once you pass the end point gate it’s a steep decent onto the Natures Valley beach. A perfect swimming beach with odd rip tides. At the car park continue with the beach to get to the restaurant where you can hang up your boots and get an unofficial certificate. There is no official end point where you sign out even at the Natures Valley rest camp. This is something SANPARKS could look into, given that this is a challenging hike and everyone should be accounted for. However, I take my hat off to SANPARKS and the rangers for maintaining and keeping the trail world class. (2016 EDIT: Compulsory check out at De Vasselot Rest Camp at Natures Valley where Otter Trail certificates will be issued. SANPARKS probably succumbed to our request :)
5 days of punishing terrain, unforgettable friendship and unravelling beauty…



Comments

  1. Thank you very much for taking the time to write this blog. It has helped enormously to get a perspective on what to expect. It is well-written. Thank you

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  2. Glad it helped you, and good luck with the trail. Let us know how it goes.

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  3. Thank you for taking the time to write down your extraordinary experience of the otter. I would like to know at which time of the year you went?

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  4. Thank you for sharing your experience with the trail. I would like to know what time of the year you went?

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  5. I am going in July. How do I know if it's raining? I heard that it rains in winter?

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    Replies
    1. Winter months do have a bit more rain. The average temperatures and rainfall is here
      https://ottertrail101.blogspot.co.za/p/travel.html

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  6. Thanks for writing this. i would like to do the otter trail and it is helping immensely just to get my head around it. the terrain graph is especially helpful in anticipating what to expect.
    kind regards

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  7. Great write up. Really appreciate you sharing all this info!

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