Green Mountain Trail

This trail was listed in The Daily Telegraph’s South Africa’s Top 20, and described as “Explore the Cape Floral Kingdom by day, then sample the fine wines produced by its terroir at night…a guided hike, with a walking stick carved from alien species. The four-day, 38-mile (60km) Green Mountain Trail option takes you through the Groenlandberg Conservancy, the world’s first biodiversity wine route. Art-filled Wildekrans Country House, a destination in its own right, is an agreeable place to stay.” Green Mountain was again awarded Trip Advisor’s Travellers Choice award, this time 2024.

The Green Mountain route runs within the Kogelberg Biosphere, a 100,000 hectare area within the Fynbos, the world Hot Spot for plant diversity, listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It traverses a tapestry of fynbos and fruit farms, replete with four star accommodation and wholesome meals. There’s a maximum of 10 people per group in fresh countryside air, and the current route covers only private land – you’ll be hiking through fruit farms, fynbos and vines, with bountiful birds and animals, and a knowledgeable, accredited and passionate guide.

The effort level of this slackpacking trail – as gauged by Slackpacker S.A. – is set at 3.5 with 5 being the most difficult (so, moderate level of fitness required).

You won’t go hungry, that’s for sure. The diversity of the area is also appreciated by the palate where food and wines reflect the differences in soils and rainfall. Feedback from hikers describes the food as: ‘a veritable feast’ and ‘it’s as much a gourmet experience as it is a hike’. The cuisine is seasonal and fresh, produced on many of the participant farms.
For birders, there’ve been over 200 species sighted in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, so expect to be rewarded with the endemic Orange Breasted Sunbird and Cape Sugarbird. Nesting Verreaux’s eagles are another special sighting for the area, and on the farmlands below, Blue Cranes are often seen striding through the fields
On the higher reaches of the trail, hikers may catch sight of klipspringers – duiker and grysbok may be seen on the lower mountain slopes while Mountain Leopard and Caracal slip by unseen or by night leaving their tracks along the trail.