Barberton Mountainlands Day Hike

 

If you enjoy hiking, birding, butterflies  or mountain biking, Barberton Mountainlands  should be a favourite must see on your list. It is one of the most scenic areas in South Africa. Home to the unique geological history and biodiversity of Mother Earth and some of the best preserved Archaean igneous  and sedimentary rocks dated at an age of 4.6 billion years. The rock formations found in the Barberton Mountainlands are dated at  3.8 to 3.0 billion years old and are known as Greenstone Belts. These Greenstone Belts are also found in Canada, Australia and Greenland and consist of a volcanic basement rock formation covered by a sedimentary unit.. The Barberton Supergroup  which has geologically remained intact, is subdivided into three main units. The Onverwacht Group which forms the volcanic basement, followed by the Figtree Group which is the volcano-sedimentary transition zone, topped by the Moodies Group which is a sedimentary unit. A bacterial microfossil Archaespheriod barbertonensis has been identified from chert layers in Barberton as an earliest form of life. With a window into Mother Earth’s early geological and life history, Barberton attracts much international and local research. 

 Your hosts, Adriaan and Lili Nel invite you to make your own discovery. 

Barberton Mountainland is classified as a Savanna (bushveld) Biome consisting mainly of East Coast thornveld and Valley bushveld. The area is also recognized as a principal local centre of plant endeminism, known as the Barberton Centre. It is the only area in which the rare Protea species, Protea Curvata occurs. It is home to the Barberton Daisy (Gerbera  Jamesonii) discovered in 1884 and one of the most propagated flowers (albeit with human induced genetic varieties) on our planet.

Old Coach Road Mountain Walk, Barberton

You can  experience some of these wonderful gifts of nature in the Barberton Mountainlands at  Old Coach Road Guest House. The mountain day hike will introduce you to our unique world in Barberton and hopefully persuade you to return again to Old Coach Road Guest House to explore the nature that surrounds you.

 

The Old Coach Road Mountain Hike is a circular day hike with marked waypoints. It covers a distance of  5.5 km, traversing the Lower and Upper Moodies Group, rising from about 610 msl to 1009 msl. Duration is 3 hours minimum if you are fit, without stops. Some areas are steep but there are rest points along the way. To enjoy the beauty that surrounds you, including drink stops, allow at least 4 hours.