ESCAPE
A MOUNTAIN PATH ON DAY 2 OF THE BLUE MOUNTAIN TRAIL
BLOEM RESTAURANT AT PAUL CLUVER WINE ESTATE
TRAIL GUIDE PATRICK SHARES HIS PASSION FOR THE LOCAL FLOWERS.
Elgin is already known for its orchards, cool-climate wines and excellent estates. You could drive between them, taste the wines, eat lunch and leave believing you had seen the valley.
Technically, you would have.
But at walking pace, there are fynbos single tracks ahead of you, tiny flowers beneath you and mountains disappearing into cloud above you. There are frogs beside rivers, breakfast next to streams and improbably white sand where you least expect it.
The wine farms are still here. So are the restaurants and beautiful bottles. But between them lies another Elgin. You just have to slow down enough to see it. IB
BLUE MOUNTAIN TRAIL The Blue Mountain Trail is a guided, three-day slackpacking experience covering approximately 50km through the southern Elgin Valley and Kogelberg Biosphere. Daily distances and routes may vary according to conditions. The package includes guiding, transfers, accommodation at Wildekrans Country House, meals, and selected wine tastings. Participants require a moderate level of hiking fitness.
For more information, visit www. greenmountain. co. za or www. wildekrans. co. za.
84 INBOUND SA / NOVEMBER 2026