Goodbye to civilization
The trail starts with a fairly tame path through the forest, which gives you time to adjust your backpack – fully loaded with five days’ worth of supplies – and to find your feet. But we’ve not gone far when my right foot slips on wet, mouldy leaves and I sit down abruptly. I jump up quickly, hoping no one noticed. Will I make it to Nature’s Valley? It’s five days, 42 km of uphill and downhill, and several river crossings away.

Tips for day 1
Cash.
You need to pay a conservation fee of R125 per person at the Tsitsikamma National Park office, where the trail starts. Take cash – payment by credit card can hold you up.
Moon phases.
Pick up a tide table in the Otter room. You’ll need to know when it’s low tide to cross the rivers safely.
Get going early.
Try to set off before 11 am. The sooner the better, because you want to have time to explore around the huts.
Lunch break.
The waterfall (which doesn’t seem to have a name) is about an hour and 40 minutes’ hike from the starting point and is a good place to have lunch.

What goes up must come down
The day’s hike starts with a steep uphill climb – to about 100 m above sea level. I’m glad that my backpack is one steak lighter than yesterday. About 2 km from the huts we leave our backpacks next to the path to climb a quartzite koppie called Skilderkrans. It offers a panoramic view of the sea and the coastline along which we’ll be walking today. From here you can see how the Geelhoutbos, Kleinbos, Elandsbos and Lottering rivers have carved deep chasms into the earth while tumbling seawards from the Oute­niqua Mountains.  It’s these river mouths we still have to cross – going down into a kloof, through the river, and then up the slope on the other side. (These are the same ravines you see when you cross over those high bridges on the N2 between Nature’s Valley and Storms River.)

Tips for Day 2
The earlier the better. Try to get going at about 9 am so you can get to the Kleinbos River for lunch (it’s 2 to 3 hours of hiking). If you want to push on for another hour, you can stop at Bloubaai.
I can see Maputo. Climb to the top of the cliff at the right-hand point of Bloubaai for one of the best views on the entire trail. The path to the top is not obvious, but look for it.

To the river we go
We roll up our sleeping bags, pack our bags, tie our shoe laces… We set off early, on track to reach the Lottering River at low tide.  After about an hour’s walk we take off our shoes and wade ankle deep through the Elandsbos River. The sun hasn’t reach the sandy beach next to the river mouth yet, so we put on warm tops before we light the gas stoves on a flat rock to heat water. Time for oats, muesli, tea and coffee.

Tips for Day 3
Take it easy.
This is the easiest full day on the Otter. Spend an hour or two at the Elandsbos River mouth – it’s only an hour’s hike from the Scott huts and the nicest place to take a rest during the day. Take a tennis ball along for beach cricket (you can use a piece of driftwood as a bat).
Keep an eye on the time.
Aim to get to the Lottering River an hour before low tide; you never know how much water there will be. It’s a good plan to wear strop sandals or Crocs when you cross the river.

Mr. Build it
“It’s time for a footbridge to be built over the Bloukrans River,” someone wrote in the comment book. “It’s become highly dangerous to swim through it!” All the sand that once filled up the river mouth has apparently been washed away by coastal storms and the river bed is now just rock, and it’s deeper than before. Fortunately low tide is at 12.30 today, which gives us plenty of time to get there without having to set off in the dark, which hikers are sometimes forced to do. Four-and-a-half hours later, I’m standing at the top of a flight of wooden steps and looking down on the greenish-brown water of the Bloukrans. Waves are pushing into the river mouth. It’s still early; the water will recede, I reassure myself.

Tips for Day 4
Be on time.
Take headlamps and extra charged batteries in case you have to start walking in the dark in order to reach the Bloukrans River mouth at low tide. You need to set aside 5½ hours.
Don’t take a chance.
Don’t cross the river if you’re not confident that it’s safe. Rather take the escape route and call the emergency number ( 072 917 4474). There is cellphone reception at the top of the path. A SANParks official will come and pick you up, and drop you off near the next hut.

Stairway to heaven
The day’s hike starts with a steep set of stairs to a viewing platform silhouetted against the sky. Within half an hour we’re at the top; not even the drizzling rain can hamper our pace. I think four days ago it would’ve taken us twice as long.

Tips for Day 5
Relax. Besides a steep climb at the beginning, Day 5 is not too difficult.