Named for the aniseed flavoured plants that abound in the kloofs, the Anysberg is vintage Karoo, with flat lands, koppies and mountains stretching for miles in every direction. It’s a wild desert place, somewhere between Ladismith and Laingsburg, where only the most resilient and resourceful of creatures survive.

Although deserts have attracted dreamers and vagabonds for centuries, I’d like to think our small group was neither of the two. Instead, we were here to experience riding into the wilderness on horseback, taking with us only what we could carry on our backs… or saddlebags.

Arriving late on a Friday night after a four hour drive from Cape Town, we breathed in the warm, still Karoo air and settled down in front of the braai fire with a cold beer in hand, allowing our bums one last night of comfort. Little did they know what lay in store!

But we were in good hands. Our ranger for the weekend (all horse trails are accompanied by a park ranger), Willem Fullard, was there to make sure that we were comfortable with our trusty steeds. After brief introductions he led us round to the paddock to be introduced to our mounts for the weekend.

Each rider is responsible for their horse for the weekend, which means grooming and caring for it in return for “free passage” in the saddle. After a quick tutorial from Willem, we were happily grooming coats, brushing tails and cleaning hooves. Although somewhat intimidating at first, getting up-close-and-personal with your horse helps break down any initial fear of your half-ton companion.

The trail caters for riders of all skill levels, and the grooming is followed by an hour or two of basic instruction by Willem in an enclosed paddock. I initially thought I was doing really well, but then realised my horse was actually just playing follow the leader, when my stern commands had little effect on a horse that seemed intent on breaking the two-second ‘following distance’ rule.

Nonetheless, Willem seemed to think we had it all in hand as we dismounted and put the horses back into the pasture. With the average summer temperature well into the 30’s, the trails normally only leave after lunch, as the afternoon starts cooling down. I think we were more relieved to hear this than the horses, as it gave us time to relax in the cool of our cottage and take a dip in the crystal clear water of the old farm reservoir.

On yer horse
Meeting back at the tack room, we saddled up, strapped on our saddlebags and bedrolls and headed off down the valley.

The reserve covers an area of over 60 000ha, with the landscape alternating between gently undulating Karoo plains and rugged mountains with steep inaccessible gorges. The Anys, Touws and Prins Rivers, tributaries of the Gouritz river system, all flow through the reserve.

Walking and trotting along the banks of a dry riverbed, we regularly passed small herds of buck sheltering in the shade of the few trees found in the valley. Gemsbok eyed us cautiously from a stony embankment, while the sound and smell of the horses allowed us within metres of two red hartebeest, until they burst from their cover in a small thicket. Dainty springbok were a regular feature on our route.

Although the Karoo is noted for its arid environment, I was surprised by the variety of vegetation surrounding us. I’d expected the proverbial tumbleweeds rolling across dusty plains, but the hills and valleys were covered with a blanket of hardy green shrubs. The flora ranges between mountain fynbos and typical Little Karoo veld, with both eye-catching succulents and impressive stands of proteas. Regular comments from Willem, riding at the front, let us know what we should be looking out for, from small herds of gemsbok watching us cautiously to a goshawk’s nest in the boughs of a thorn tree.

Four hours later we arrived at Tapfontein, our overnight stop and the site of a deserted farm. A new hut has been built alongside the crumbling old farmhouse, but the best place to sleep is under the stars. Tucked away in a hidden kloof, the feeling of isolation was immense as we settled down around the braai and watched a pair of black eagles hunting along the ridge. The hut has everything you could need, from mattresses and cooking utensils to gas lamps and even a flush loo!

Heading home
Willem had the fire going and the kettle boiling long before we roused from our sleeping bags, and after coffee and a quick breakfast it was time to get back in the proverbial saddle and head back to the reserve offices.

Shortly after leaving Tapfontein, Willem motioned for us to tie up the horses and follow him up to a small cave in the hillside. Crouching under a low ledge, he pointed out the rock art that had been painted thousands of years ago by the native bushmen using pigments from roots. The rock art here is just one of more than 180 sites that have been discovered in the reserve.

Feeling a bit saddle-sore, we were thankful the second day of riding is only about three hours long, but the ride through the upper valleys was enough to take my mind off any aches and pains, with waterbuck and klipspringer darting away in surprise, while the bark of baboons from the cliffs above reminded us that we were being watched. Black-backed jackal, caracal and the elusive cape mountain leopard roam these valleys, and their spoor is occasionally spotted.

Dropping back down into the valley and with the paddock in sight, the thought of oats had obviously become irresistible for our four trusty steeds, and a slow walk back to the tack room was simply out of the question as they picked up their heels and galloped for home.

Saddle-sore and dusty, we hauled ourselves off to the farm reservoir for the most refreshing swim of our lives. Winston Churchill once said, ‘No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle,’ and after a magical two days on horseback in the isolation of the Klein Karoo I’m inclined to agree with him.

    ANYSBERG HORSE TRAIL
    The Anysberg Nature Reserve lies in the Little Karoo between Ladysmith, Laingsburg, Touwsrivier and Montagu, and is approximately four hours drive from Cape Town. You should fill up with petrol in Laingsburg, or Ladysmith before driving to the reserve.

    The two-day pony trail costs R390 per person, and bookings can be made through the Cape Nature Conservation office in Bredasdorp on (028) 425 5020 or dehoopinfo@sdm.dorea.co.za.
    For further enquiries, contact the reserve on (023) 551 1922 or anysberg@mweb.co.za.