Misty mountains. Looking up from the bottom of the Wolfberg Cracks gives one a sense of our own relative smallness. What forces have shaped these massive monuments to Father Time?

A 48-hour adventureTHE MISSION WAS SIMPLE: CAN YOU GET OUT OF THE CITY, THROW YOURSELF

INTO THE OUTDOORS AND SUCCESSFULLY HAVE AN ADVENTURE IN 48 HOURS? BRYONY MCCORMICK AND A MOTLEY CREW OF ADVENTURERS HEADED TO THE

CEDERBERG TO FIND OUT.

WORDS: BRYONY MCCORMICK (@BRY_BRY_ZA)

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O ver a few casual beers, a group of us got to talking about adventures, and what it is that makes one. Do you have to leave your house for six months and cross a continent, or can you pack an adventure into a weekend? We decided to put the latter to the test and see

if we could plan, travel to and have an adventure that took us out of cellphone signal and left us refreshed, rejuvenated and “all adventured out” in one weekend.

I immediately went to work, researching the ideal adventure that ticked all the boxes, and finally settled on an overnight hike in the Cederberg, a few hours outside of Cape Town. We would hike a 10km trail through the Wolfberg Cracks to the Wolfberg Arch, where we’d set up camp for the night. After breakfast and sunrise, we’d hike an alternative route back to where we started. Pictures online made it an easy sell to the group of motley adventurers, and after a few back-and-forths on a Whatsapp group, a date was set and planning began.

We arrived at Sanddrif Holiday Resort’s office after a few hours of driving, stocked up on local beer and wine, and made our way to the campsite: a delightful, grassy lawn situated alongside a small, bubbling river and shaded by enormous trees. We spent the evening around a fire, anticipating the adventure and hike ahead, discussing how food was going to be split among backpacks and, importantly, who would carry the wine. With the stars shining bright above, everyone

On our way to the Wolfberg Arch the mist became thick as soup, giving our surroundings an eerie, mystical quality.

I CONSTANTLY EXPECTED INDIANA JONES TO POP OUT

AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.

lunar landscape we were climbing through. I constantly expected Indiana Jones to pop out and ask for directions to the Temple of Doom. There were moments where all you could do was stop, slowly spin in a circle and take it all in.

After squeezing out of the top, quite literally, which involved a few choice expletives on my behalf, we were met with awesomely foul weather: think sideways rain, strong crosswinds and gloomy skies.

We made the call to march the next 4km to the arch to avoid the risk of everything getting soaked. The mist and gloom prevented us from seeing most of the features and views anyway. By the time we got to the arch, the mist had become so soupy that I walked right past the rock feature. We set up our tents as quickly as we could in the rain, and in pairs all dove in, with drying and warming up the main priority. We passed the time by chatting (through our tents), snoozing, eating and sipping wine out of the bottle. As night fell the temperature plummeted to below zero, but fortunately most of us (bar Damien, who had forgotten his mattress) were cosy in our tents. Despite the weather, our spirits were high.

As dawn broke, my partner and the photographer of the trip, Andrew, was up first to assess the weather. He was out of the tent for less than a minute before loudly, and very excitably, waking up the forlorn campsite. I grumbled something from my warm sleeping bag that it had better be worth it. I warily poked my head out of my tent and was met with a sight that is difficult to put into words.

It was so beautiful, in fact, that I hopped out of my tent, barefoot through the bottom of my sleeping bag, and crossed the freezing cold earth to get a better look. The Wolfberg Arch, at sunrise, is something that should be added to your bucket list. It is a geographical wonder, and combined with the bright orange and pink sky as a backdrop and the sun peaking over the horizon, there was nothing to do but be amazed.

The morning that followed involved six highly excitable adults running around. We were giddy, taking photos and doing yoga, making brekkie and tea on the rock slab beneath the arch, drying out our wet kit and, in general, making the most of the insane location and situation.

However, with time ticking and a theory to test, we knew our time of being wild and free was nearing its end. We packed up camp and made our way back, this time stopping to admire the endless views at every opportunity and having two impromptu #teawithaview sessions.

We headed back to Cape Town that afternoon slightly feral, unbathed, sunburnt and smiling, adequately confirming that an adventure had indeed been had. Andrew asked if I wanted to charge my phone and after considering it for a few minutes I declined the offer. We still had a few hours of weekend left, after all.

We woke up the next morning to a spectacular vista. The skies had cleared and we could see all the way across the valley. We found that a true adventure starts with a good breakfast.

snuggled into their sleeping bags and shared dreams of hiking and rugged sandstone mountains.

With morning came the arrival of a cold front, and our sunny hiking ambitions were slightly dulled, but not our spirits. We kitted up in all the waterproof gear we could find and made our way to the start of the trail, parked our cars, did a final kit check and set off.

I imagine the first 4km up to the Wolfberg Cracks would normally be quite easy, but I must admit it was pretty challenging with the addition of a heavy backpack loaded with gear and food. As we ascended, the temperature dropped and by the time we reached the distinctive cliff faces, the first thing we did was find shelter from the wind and rain, and make a cup of tea.

Slightly warmer on the inside, and with the wind whipping around us, we cautiously climbed up a ledge, passing the backpacks ahead. Over the next kilometre our world views were significantly changed by the incredible

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