Leopard Hiking Trail - Baviaanskloof
Join us on the Leopard Trail, a 4 day, 3 night slackpacking hike through the remote western Baviaanskloof, part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site.
The trail climbs onto high plateaus, follows hidden kloofs and dry riverbeds, and crosses wide fynbos-covered valleys between the Kouga and Baviaans mountains. Expect huge views, deep silence and very few signs of people.
Leopards live here and their tracks are often seen on the trail. These shy cats are rarely spotted and pose no threat, but knowing they are out there adds to the magic. Take your time, swim in the natural rock pools along the trail or camp pools and let the Baviaans magic work on you.
This is aguided,cateredtour: we look after the planning, the shopping and the cooking, Go Baviaans moves your luggage from camp to camp, and you hike with only a daypack. We book all three sleeping huts for our group, so the trail, the camps and the swimmingpools are yours alone for the entire hike. Your shuttle from and back to George Airport is included.
Difficulty: ModeratetoChallenging - You need good hiking fitness. Days are long (up to about 19 km), with steep climbs and descents on rocky paths and some hot, exposed sections. There is no scrambling or technical climbing, but the distances and climbs add up over four days. Unfit hikers should not attempt this trail.
Overnight Accommodation: Each overnight camp has three sleeping huts with 4 bunk beds each, and mattresses. We book all three huts, so only our group uses the camp. A central kitchen and communal hut (gas stoves, cooking and eating utensils, a wood-burning fireplace and some solar lighting) is where we cook and gather in the evening. Each camp also has a braai area, a flush toilet, solar or gas hot showers and a small splash pool fed by mountain water. Bring your own sleeping bag and pillow.
Meals: Home-cooked, freshly prepared meals from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 4, breakfasts, packed lunches for the trail, and hearty dinners and braais around the fire. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and juice are included. Let us know about any dietary needs when you book. Alcohol and other personal drinks are for your own account; you can pack them in your luggage boxes and they will be waiting at camp.
Suitablefor: Children over 12 and hikers under 65 with good hiking fitness.If you are over 65 and hike regularly, chat to us. Not recommended if you have had serious knee or ankle injuries.
PAYMENT: Deposit of 20% secures your hike and installement plans are available on our payment platform
Route:Cedar Falls Base Camp - Camp 1 (night 1) - Camp 2 (night 2) - Camp 3 (night 3) - Cedar Falls Base Camp
Distance: Approx. 60 km over 4 days (9.75km, 16.7km, 19.3km, 13.6)
Start: George Airport (Go Baviaans shuttle to Cedar Falls Base Camp, Baviaanskloof)
End: Cedar Falls Base Camp (shuttle back to George Airport)
Accommodation: 3 trail cabins with splash pools at each overnight camp (sleeping 4 people each), maximum 11 guests
Cost: R 9,950 pp (including shuttle)
Next Tour Dates: 19 June 2027.
Register your interest to be the first to hear next dates. Departures are limited and the trail books out quickly.
What's Included:
- 3 nights accommodation in the trail cabins, with the whole trail booked for our guests
- All meals from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 4, with tea, coffee, hot chocolate and juice
- 4 days guided hiking with an experienced Gone Wild Adventures guide (Lv 3 First Aid)
- Daily transportation of your luggage and drinks between camps (slackpacking)
- Shuttle to and from George Airport and Cedar Falls Base Camp
- Trail and conservation fees
- Firewood each night
- Satellite communication for emergency support
What's Not Included:
- Accommodation before or after the hike (Base Camp accommodation can be booked on the Go Baviaans website)
- Sleeping bag, pillow and towel
- Alcohol, personal drinks and snacks
- Flights to and from George, travel insurance and gratuities
Optional Extras:
- Gone Wild gift pack: goodie bag, fleece and buff
- A night at Cedar Falls Base Camp before or after the hike, booked directly with Go Baviaans (backpacker rooms, cottages and farmhouse options available)
Day 1 —George Airport → Camp 1
9.75 km · 3 - 5 hrs · Lunch Pack & Dinner
An early morning shuttle from George Airport (pickup time approx 08:00) takes over over the mountains to Cedar Falls Base Camp in the western Baviaanskloof in time for the noon start. After the trail briefing we pack our luggage boxes and set off. A brisk uphill start (approx 220m of climbing) leads onto the plateau, followed by an easy downhill through a quiet valley to Camp 1. There is an optional detour to Gabriel's Pools, a beautiful swimming floor (allow an extra hour). Afternoon at the splash pool, then dinner around the fire.
Day 2 — Camp 1 → Camp 2
16.7 km · 5 - 8 hrs · Breakfast, Lunch Pack & Dinner
An easy start today alongReebok Valley for about 5.5 km, then the first real saddle of the trail, with sweeping views over the Kouga and Baviaans foothills. A lunch stop at the Reflection Pools, then a rolling stretch of small climbs and descents across open country (about 565m of climbing). Near the end we pass a guesthouse at Cedar Falls Reserve and briefly share the pathwith the Baviaan's Canyon Trail before reaching camp, the day is topped off with another delicious group dinner.
Day 3 — Camp 2 → Camp 3
19.3 km · 6 - 9 hrs · Breakfast, Lunch Pack & Dinner
The big day, and the most rewarding. Three named climbs (Honeybush Hill, Inconvenient Truth and Ain't So Bad) takes us through true wilderness with no sign of people and views deep into the Baviaans and Kouga mountains (about 687m of climbing). Water is available at Draaipunt around midday. The afternoon is spent winding about 9 km down the beautiful Kasey Floor, with red-rock walls and cedars, to our final camp. An early start helps on hot days.
Day 4 — Camp 3 → Cedar Falls Base Camp
13.6 km · 3 - 5 hrs · Breakfast, Lunch Pack
A gentle start through Birdsong Valley then the steep Fond Farewell climb to the plateau, where the whole Baviaanskloof opens up in front of you (about 610m of climbing over the day). We cross The Cauldron, two small valleys that can get very hot, before a steep descent into the Cedar Falls valley and the traditional swim in the reservoir's clear mountain water. After hot showers, the shuttle takes us back to George Airport for evening flights.
