The trail starts at the Guest Farm Düsternbrook, follows the Otjiseva River for about 1.5 km, than you leave the river and follow the markings to the main entrance gate of Duesternbrook.
Now you enter Otjiseva Farm, follow the signs a bit on the main road for about 700 m and than you turm right on to the signposted trail.
Soon you will be passing UNDER THE BIG TREES, RIVER/GAME WATCH WALK and GEMSBOKKOELTE before turning into the mountains.
The vegetation is of the bushland savanah, the often large trees provide lots of shady places to rest, for instance under the BIG FIG TREE REST, where we had lunch – near 12km.
The owner of the farm showed us rock engravings at KLIPMERK GATE. The meaning of these engravings is still unknown. We rested a lot on rocks in the river bed. The path leads along some narrow kloofs with some interesting rocky waterfalls – one too high to climb and a path was made up a hill and around it.
From the top of the mountain - at the TOKTOKKIE TRACK REST- we had impressive views of the surrounding hills and flatter countryside looking towards Windhoek.
A last an easy climb leads to the beautiful setting of the overnight stop GUSTAV POSTEN, still on the farm Otjiseva, next to a big dry dam. It is completely in the wilderness and the sounds of Africa’s wild animals are heard and game seen, without having to be quietly.
Some interesting signs boards are SEXY FIG TREE, THE-ROCK-UNDER-THE-ROCK, SIT-GAT-RUS-BENE.
We follow again a riverbed on the KLIPPEKOU KLIM uphill until we reach the border with the farm Onduno before the SLAGYSTERKLIP gorge.
We sit a while on the rocks at the RED ROCK LIZARD REST waterfall and spend some time at the PARTRIDGE POOL and watch lots of birds coming to drink water.
At a farm dam, with water for a large number of cattle, we are met by the owner of this farm. He explains to us the route downhill into another riverbed with Oryx, Kudu, wonderful flowers and trees, past the CREEPY CORNER.
We have lunch at the side of a farm road under some shady bushes at the top of a hill where there is a nice breeze - this is experienced at higher spots on the trail.
Then up a hill to YIPPIE ON TOP ...!!
Early in the afternoon we arrive at the next overnight place - also next to a dam - where we have enough time to explore the surroundings and observe the bird and animal life.
The camp is below the LOOK UP!!
BABOON MOUNTAIN, on the bank of a small dry river in between two rocky hills with steep kranses. The one hill is called Bobbejaan kop - obviously a baboon sleeping place.
Each day brings interesting vistas and so did this day not disappoint! We had a pleasant hike past LEKKER SWIMMING, THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL BUSHES up on GRANDPA’S PATH, past KIEKIE DAM to the WINDHOEK REST.
Windhoek city can clearly be seen in the distance.
We TAKE IT SLOW BUT GO on THODO’S PATH through GAT SKEUR DEUR DRAAD to the highest point at 360⁰ AND OH SO FAR FAR AWAY!! with the best views all round of the whole trail, seeing as far as Okahandja and Windhoek while resting a round hill just under 2000 m above sea level.
After we have done some ups and downs past HEAVEN REST, BERND’S MOUNTAIN REST and ENORMOUS COCOON CORNER, we crossed the border to Monte Christo Farm on LEVEL ON THE GRAVEL to the WATERFALL. We climbed down this breathtaking high waterfall with 5 well secured wooden ladders.
We pass KORT-PAD-LANG-PAD, with a well deserved rest at SEER-KNIE-DAMRUS and walking past the STEENBOKKIE PLEK we finally reach the Aretaragas River at TARENTAALDRIF.
Breathtaking hiking for a kilometre along this river, watching hundreds of water birds and plenty of game pass SO CLOSE, we come to the Tree House, our overnight place on this farm. This tree house is a 3-storey building, built around and in a massive big Ana tree, with double decked 5 star toilets, a lookout and braai area on the first floor, overlooking a dam constructed round the tree. This was very special.
We took a walk to the Monte Christo home. It has a number of small lakes, which is ideal for bird watching such as water birds and Fish eagles. In total on this hike we identified more than 50 species of birds. We saw many oryx, waterbuck, springbok, zebra, kudu, warthogs and other small mammals.
The last day of the KHHT is a pleasant walk along the Otjiseva River with a number of river crossings and passing the following markers DRIE-ANA-BOME-RUS, COOL TREE REST, VLAKVARKGATE, WATERVOëLS LOOP and WATER KLIPPE.
This day led us from Monte Christo via Otjiseva back to the starting point at Düsternbrook.
Trails with Green Flag status ensures the best possible hiking experiences to hikers. Trails are however not graded subjectively from good to bad. Instead the system centres on the concept of allowing hikers, by supplying detailed information, to make their own informed decisions of the trails they’d like to walk. Green Flag Trails is thus an accreditation programme that seeks to offer hikers all the information needed to ensure the hike meets their expectations.
Contrary to other systems that make use of someone’s opinion of how a “good trail” should look like, Green Flag allows the hiker to make his/her very own assessment of what type of trail is preferred, and thus ensures a good experience.
By assessing the environmental conditions as well as safety along the trail, Green Flag ensures sustainable trails in terms of conservation of the environmental resources as well as the quality of experience had by hikers.
Green Flag accredits trails through its unique audit procedure and identifies, acknowledges and rewards those trails that demonstrate and practice responsible management.
Walking trails meeting HOSA's minimum standards are also accredited through the Green Flag Trails programme.
