Green Mountain Trail
Food in Grabouw

Slackpacking hiking trail in Elgin, Houw Hoek, Cape. Your backpacks are delivered to your overnight destination. An overnight slackpack trail in Elgin and Houw Hoek. 4 star farm stays and local food and wine.

The Green Mountain Trail is a four day hiking trail around the Green Mountain in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa. Traversing a tapestry of fynbos and fruit farms this slackpack trail offers fine food and comfortable overnights in the Cape Winelands of South Africa. Delicious, wholesome meals are provided throughout. Guided by THETA accredited guides you learn about the biodiversity and the history of the area. Swimming in rock pools and dams on a hot day is as refreshing for the body as it is for the soul. All landowners are members of the Green Mountain Eco Route, the world’s first biodiversity wine route, and part of the region’s efforts to conserve the environment and promote responsible tourism. All members are Biodiversity Wine Initiative champions. This enlightened initiative unites conservation and agricultural development in a complementary, mutually beneficial manner. As part of the Green Mountain Trail’s social responsibility programme, hikers are encouraged to Walk with an Alien, a project in which a personalised walking stick is carved from alien vegetation by local communities. But it's more than a pleasant walk in good company: a major part of its appeal is that it allows hikers exclusive access to some very special parts of the Cape mountains. It's easy, non-technical hiking but much of the route traverses private land in an area of astonishing biodiversity. There are several endemic bird species to look out for as well as mammals such as baboon, klipspringer and rhebok, and leopard spoor is often seen on the path. Best of all however is the floral diversity: the Green Mountain Trail winds its way through the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and the number of flowering plant species is mind-boggling, especially from September to December. The transition zone between the lower level renosterveld habitat and the mountain fynbos is particularly rich, and the high mountains are home to several very rare and localised species.