Richard and I had not been on a hike for some time and were definitely getting cabin fever! So we decided on a two night hike to the Bushmans Nek area and in particular two caves that Richard has never seen. The plan was to spend the first night at Bushmans Cave, and the second at Lammergeier Cave. We set off in near perfect conditions and even remarked that it almost felt like summer. The forecast was for some snow on the high peaks later that night, but it all seemed rather unlikely as we progressed down the very scenic Bushmans Cave valley under cloudless skies. We got to the cave just after lunch and settled in. The cave, as most are in the Berg, is basically an overhang which will provide protection from the elements as long as there is no driving wind. By now the clouds had started to accumulate and settle over Thaba Ngwangwe which towers above the cave. The entire area took on a distinctly eerie feel as it was very grey and almost smoky looking - normally a sign that there is a cold front/snow on the way. After supper of savoury ostrich mince and two minute noodles, we settled down in our sleeping bags. The two things I love about caves is being able to see the night skies and listen to the sound of the river tumbling past. Tonight the former was lacking as the clouds and mist covered everything. Nights are always long in the Berg as one inevitably goes to bed very early! We both spent a restless night - my mattress was too hard and I tossed and turned. At 3.30am we decided to make some coffee and after answering the call of nature discovered that the ground in front of the cave was white so snow was falling! It is always silent and so magical to see the flakes drifting down in the torchlight. I managed to doze a little after this knowing that the morning light would reveal a wonderland. And.......we were not disappointed! I have experienced snow many times in the Berg but its always an exciting sight every time. Everything was covered in a powdery soft snow with the grasses and protea bushes taking on beautiful transformations. After breakfast we packed up and headed up Ngwangwane Pass. This is not a long pass by Berg standards but still required some effort in the snow - luckily the sun was still obscured by thick cloud so the snow was not melting and it was still snowing on and off. We reached the plateau below Thaba Ngwangwe and made our way South towards Goats Cave. We could hear the sound of tinkling bells which meant that a herd of goats were nearby. Sure enough we saw them running down the slopes towards lower ground followed by the Basotho herdboys and their dogs. They had been sheltering in the cave during the snow and now the goats had made a break downhill. The herders were bringing them back to the cave as the area below is Ezemvelo Parks Board and livestock is prohibited. From here we headed down towards Lammergeier Cave and the snow was much less the lower we went. Lammergeier Cave is a very long, sandy cave with a sheltered sleeping area on one side. We took our packs off, had lunch and then went for a walk below the cave. On our return we could see crows in our sleeping area and knew what that meant! The crafty birds had got into Richards food and were having a fine time. By the time we got there, they had managed to destroy quite a bit and its amazing how they knew exactly how to rip open bags of two minute noodles, coffee, hot chocolate, nuts and fruit and rusks. One flew past us with a rusk in his beak! After this, we made a decision to walk out as we would not have had enough food and besides, the cave was extremely cold - thoughts of a long hot bath at home and a comfy bed probably swayed the decision! We packed up and were back at the car after 5.00pm ( only to have to deal with a flat tyre!) and eventually arrived home after 9.00pm. An eventful hike with the snow an absolute highlight.
