Following Footprints Part Five

I woke up 2 hours early this morning, lay in "bed" for an hour and then tried to quietly get my day started. Turns out I wasn't that quiet and managed to wake everyone and irritate all my fellow hikers. Looking back, I am very sorry for disturbing them, I just couldn't lie still and wait another hour for the sun to rise. It felt like the first day of school for me - the last 4 days were going to be the most punishing and I wanted get to started.

Eventually everyone got up, without holding back the insults on how irritating I was for waking them up (blush blush). We packed our bags and said our goodbyes, six happy hikers!

The forth day starts with a very steep climb,

 and then follows an undulating trail, until you get to a valley which you walk along for the rest of the day.

 It is the least spectacular day of the whole trail, except for the euphorbias and quiver-trees. 

 We also managed to see a few buck in the distance, but they wouldn't stand still for a photo shoot.

 

The official guide still speaks of filling your water bottles at Fonteinpomp - that is no longer an option, so you still have to carry enough water for the whole day.

We camped that night at De Valle Shelter. 

The biggest event of the day was Keith tasting some of team KZN's soya mince and declaring it "quite edible". I am not sure if it was the exhaustion talking, but he has agreed that it certainly makes sense to have it as a hiking meal. 

You have to make sure you fill your water bottles for the next day when you get to camp, before you "shower", because the water had mysteriously disappeared (the tank was empty) by the next morning. We had however managed to collect enough water the night before so we were not short.  

Day 6 is going to be a spectacular day, so be sure to keep "following footprints" next week.