Day 4 - Oakhurst Hut to Andre Hut - 13.8km
Today was D-day - the crossing of the infamous Bloukrans River! It was also going to be a longer day as it was longer in distance. It is advisable to cross the Bloukrans at low tide as the crossing is at the river mouth and the sea here is strong. We had unfortunate timing though as low tide was at 6.30am in the morning and then again just after 7.00pm that night. We elected to get there mid afternoon and wait until 5pm or so when it may be possible to cross. We enjoyed a varied day of plateau walking ( again amongst burnt vegetation) beach and rocks, and cool forests - and of course………..steps!
Our fellow hikers had arrived at the crossing before us and were sitting waiting for the river to subside. We settled down for a long wait. Mid afternoon the young men started carrying packs across over their heads towards a section on the other side. Initially the water did not appear too deep but as they approached the side, it deepened dramatically and they struggled a bit. They stashed the packs on the rocky outcrop before returning to repeat the exercise. We were kept entertained! The girls then followed and they all eventually clambered out and continued on. By now it was close to 5pm and we decided to make a move. After stowing our backpacks in a dry bag we were ready to set off. It was all a lot easier than we had thought and we were able to get across into the sandy alcove without any problems. After pulling ourselves up the rope on the rocks and negotiating the sides of the cliff, we walked on the beach for a while before the final pull for the day up to the plateau, enjoying superb views before descending to Andre Hut. Although it was 6.30pm the light was still good, and I enjoyed the outdoor shower before it was dinner time and then bed.
