Otter Trail

OCP

OCP

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Done it twice, take your time and leave early 8am except Day 1 and Day 5 is a walk in the park.
Also check Day 4 and prepare for Bloukrans crossing at precisely lowtide, 5 minutes later and you will be tits deep in ocean swells.
Both times I used 2 trekking poles because all day non stop you are going up and down stairs non stop. And I mean non stop all day.

www.kwathabeng.co.za

Bloukrans River Mouth Tides Oct 2025

Bloukrans River Mouth tides calendar: tide forecast and prediction, high water, low water, moon phase, moonrise, moonset, sunrise, sunset and best fishing times.
www.kwathabeng.co.za
 
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When I did it again in July now we used porters and for R2k a person it was a blessing, we had steak and rum every night.
Group of 12 and we used 2 porters so split that between all of us it was a breeze. Those guys are amazing.
 
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If you need any slackpacking, shuttle services or accommodation, anything, contact Vernon
We have all been using him for help for many years, awesome trustworthy nice guy, and affordable.

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072 658 9858
 
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OCP said:
My SO and I managed to get spot to do the Otter Trail next year October.

This gives us just under a year to prepare :)

Found a nice article with info and good suggestions: https://www.southafrica.net/gl/en/t...nic-hike-that-will-have-you-pinching-yourself

Does anyone have a training suggestions?

(We are regular hikers / can comfortably run 5km but have never done 45km hike over 5 days)
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Its really not that bad as you have all day and spending time at scenic spots while resting and airing your feet is not a waste. No point in rushing to get to the cabin. Its only if you are struggling with an injury or gear issues where it will become hard.

Just do the usual of good gear enough calories and enjoy it.
 
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Did it last year in November.

Only advice is to take it slow and soak everything in, so much to see and experience. The only day you need to worry about time is to get to Bloukrans at low tide, you don't want to take E6.
 
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OCP said:
We are regular hikers / can comfortably run 5km but have never done 45km hike over 5 days
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I haven't done Otter (yet), but plenty of multi-day hikes. The most important thing I can advise you to do, is to do longer hikes, with your pack, fully loaded. The reason is, distance/time has a way of amplifying small problems. Figure out how long your feet survive in the shoes you have. How long before your super comfortable hiking pants turn into sandpaper and the chafing becomes unbearable. Backpack that feels fine might be painful on day 3 when you're sunburnt and shoulders are chafed. Smoke out the little niggles before they ruin or detract from the experience.

Other than that, just do enough long hikes over weekends. Do a few 2-day hikes to trail your camping setup and get used to how you feel after a night sleeping somewhat rough.
 
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I did the otter trail 8 hour run a few years back, finished in about 7:45.

When I finished I though to my self I should have done way more split squats/lunges. My legs were jelly at the end and hammys were burning. Took a few days to recover from that one.

I would make sure you can hike with your gear the longest and second longest day comfortably, you can do a hike one day go home and sleep then do the same the next day as training.

I also said I would hike it if I ever did it again, there is so much beauty I missed because I ran it.
 
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1st Otter backpack 16kg
2nd Otter backpack 12kg

You need less than you think you do, clothing for 5 days weighs a lot, this time round I washed my clothes after each days hike and by next morning it was dry to pack away for when I reached the next hut to put on again.

12 people per day on Otter do not need 12 gas stoves.
 
Its a fairly easy hike. Packs should be light as you don't need tents or anything with accommodation every night. Average 9 to 12 km per day which is not exactly far. Even at a slow pace its about 3-4 hours of hiking a day. So if you can easily run 5km I doubt you will have issues unless you overpack and are trying to carry over a third of your bodyweight. Comfortable hiking is a little fitness and as light a pack as possible. 20% of bodyweight is a pleasurable hike. A 3rd is about the max you should take unless its something you do daily and build your body up to. I enjoyed the Otter and also recommend taking it slow and enjoying the spots you want to. Obviously time the low tide river crossing properly otherwise that can be dangerous.
 
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Did it again in April this year.
I'm a bit older now than wht I was, which is funny, the kids practically run ahead.
You do need some fitness, it will make the trail way more enjoyable.
There is a 3rd party slack packing option but it's expensive.

The bloukrans crossing was an adrenaline rush.

Lots of scenic views.
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Day 4 takes long, once you've crossed the Bloukrans River there is still hours to go before you finally get to the last hut. Prepare day 4 properly, both times I did it we left at 5h00 to reach lowtide at 12h30, a bit of an overkill but we allowed 1 to 2 hours extra in case of any accidents along the way. We reached the final hut at around 4pm.

11hrs, yes it can be done in much less time but we took our time, stopped plenty, took lots of photos, swam, etc
 
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SHL said:
What to do if you need to take a dump during the hike?
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Pull off to the right and dump. Otherwise wait until you get to the hut, they all have flushing toilets
 
It's not too hectic. People run the entire trail in less than 4 hours. but people=superhumans ;)

Pack some warm clothes. It's still pretty chilly in October. Summer only kicks in properly around December in the area.

Try to get to Blue Bay early on day 2. It's worth chilling there for a few hours and just enjoying the beach. A snorkel kit is even worthwhile if you feel like carrying it.

You can pack some decent food/drinks for day 1. It's not far , and it's suboptimal to sit there with your noodles and Provitas when everyone is drinking wine and braaiing steaks.

Keep in mind, that a river mouth takes a while to switch flow direction after high/low tide. So if you go on exact low tide, the river will still be flowing out quite strongly . I'd rather wait until 30 minutes after low tide to cross, much safer to be swept of your feet in an incoming tide than getting sucked out to sea. This is of course very dependent on conditions and tide height. A neap tide low in a storm is a different proposition to a spring tide low in calm conditions.

Edit: Depending on how strong/adventurous you feel at the end. The hike from Natures Valley to Keurbooms is a proper outing. You have to swim through a sea cave and you go to areas humans seldom visit. (after ignoring many 'do not pass this point' signs) But you have to know the area or take a guide, the route is hard to find unless you know where you are going, and it can be dangerous.
 
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Agree Day 1 is super easy so pack braai meat etc.
Every hut has braai facilities including free grid and fire wood
Take your own blitz and matches
 
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UB40 said:
Agree Day 1 is super easy so pack braai meat etc.
Every hut has braai facilities including free grid and fire wood
Take your own blitz and matches
Click to expand...
My wife and I did it a few years ago and I was 60+ with a few old knee and back injuries and managed just fine BUT we did do some hiking before hand. Definitely 2 poles and a light backpack (I was 12-15kg (braai meat), wife 11kg) and we had freeze dried food and measured out the whiskey; not enough according to the missus. Huts are brilliant and nice to socialise a little - plenty of time for us anyway. The day with the long downhill to the hut was hot and a bit taxing, as was the last day, on the beach and finally the tar road walking to the restaurant for a burger. 100% on Day 1; very short and we pulled away at 3am to get the Bloukrans tide right which was worth it - we did see someone who was a little late, missed the wave timing and got well wetted. Fly in and use the shuttles, makes it easy. It is a bit weather dependent.

Bucket list for me.
 
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