Vogelgat Nature Reserve

Vogelgat is a private nature reserve in Hermanus, with a limited amount of members. It constitutes 35km of breathtaking hiking trials, waterfalls, plunge pools and majestic gorges and green rolling Cape Fold mountains. Overnight huts are hidden from each 

other to provide the hiker with an extended stay in which to 

rejuvenate his spirit and become one with nature. All the huts are fully equipped with gas cookers, cutlery,crockery,candles and bunk beds.Therefore all you need is your sleeping bag, warm clothes, 

food and do not forget the red wine,to equip you through the night.

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It was quite misty and humid whilst going up, and my back-pack was rather large so I got a good work out. It took us 2 hours to get to our hut - Leopard Camp.

We heated chorizo and black bean soup over the gas cooker and enjoyed it with freshly baked ciabatta and a bottle of Spier Pinotage, and once all the wine had been polished we turned to the old faithful Amarula to heat our tummies before bed!

It was a beautiful sunshine day the next morning and the walk back was much more visible.

A great hike with Liezani, Stephan and Dawid!!!

Chorizo and Black bean soup

150g chorizo cooking sausage

2 spring onions
½ tsp ground cumin

425g tin black beans, rinsed and drained

1 fresh tomato, roughly chopped

500ml chicken stock 

1 lime, juice only

2-4 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander

Slice the chorizo sausage into slices. Place the chorizo pieces into a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook over a medium heat for five minutes, or until they start to become crisp. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Slice off the green parts of the spring onions and finely slice them. Set the green parts of the spring onions aside.Finely slice the white part of the spring onions and add the pieces to the frying pan the chorizo was cooked in. Add the ground cumin to the pan, and cook over a gentle heat for two minutes, stirring the mixture. Add the black beans, tomato and the chicken stock. Stir the mixture in the pan and simmer for ten minutes. Add the chorizo pieces and the finely chopped green spring onions. Add some lime juice, to taste, and garnish with chopped coriander.