Mt. Esja

A few weeks ago we decided to climb Mt. Esja, which we see every day from our window. We were lucky to be out there on a beautiful day, just a couple days before snow appeared atop the mountain!

The shot above was taken partway up the path. Our car is parked down by the road, which is that squiggly line near the water.

The next photo was taken a bit higher up, looking down.

Here you can see how steep and rocky the upper part of the mountain is.

We made it to the top after about 2 hours.

The marker at the top shows the relative position of neighboring mountains and towns.

Looking in the opposite direction, there is a mossy expanse. It's soft and cushy to walk on. Feels like walking on pillows.

We can see our apartment building from here. See it? You might have to squint.

Looking up from near the bottom, it doesn't look like a strenuous climb. Most of it was mild enough, although the rocky top part was a bit of a challenge. It helps to bring sandwiches.

Tsitsikamma National Park

Along the southern coast of South Africa is a stunning national park called Tsitsikamma.



In this park is the Otter Trail, the most popular trail in the country. The first few kilometers of the trail are known as the Waterfall Trail, which we hiked.



This mini-deer is called a duiker. He and his buddies grazed next to the trail.



Here's the waterfall, reached after a lot of scrambling up and down big rocks. If you've hiked Old Rag in Shenandoah National Park, you have some idea of the type of rock scrambling involved.



The views all along the trail combine the rocky coast and gorgeous water.



Vegetation nearby included these practically flourescent pink flowers.