I was 4 weeks pregnant when I packed my backpack and took off with Amy and a crew of inspiring women on a four-day walking safari into the northern reaches of Kruger Park’s Pafuri region. While some may call it madness - a first trimester hiking mission - I thought it was prime time to switch off before the rollercoaster of motherhood began. However, quite the opposite happened…

Our group stood somewhat nervously fidgeting at our backpack straps and retying our shoelaces. However, as Amy began her introductory chat there was a shared exhale as the anticipation of our trail had finally culminated in the start of the adventure, and Amy’s confident calmness set the tone. What was remarkable to observe was how this energy continued to shift to a place of true groundedness over the five days as we slowed our pace, connected our feet with African earth, and chatted around the evening campfire to distant calls of leopard and hyena.

The Pafuri region offers unparalleled wilderness for walking. We spent time between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers, a wedge that boasts 85% of the park’s biodiversity. The Luvuvhu river is 2,5 million years old and from the time of the earliest homo erectus, people have been living alongside it. Signs of the early stone age, iron age and modern people are found on this land. And you can feel it. There is an energy there that is both riveting yet familiar, as the primal basics of life - movement, water, food, shelter and community - sharpen into focus.

There are very few experiences in our modern lives that cultivate such presence as when you are immersed in bushveld. Your senses are heightened - you notice every leaf crackle, scent change, the slightest shifting of air against your cheeks, and scuffs and patterns in the sand below your feet. We were manoeuvring our way down a ridge when we heard the sound of hooves on rock. A rush of excitement as adrenaline kicked through our bodies with a partial view of a buffalo herd amongst the trees ahead. Amy clearly and swiftly directed us along the ridge contour, guiding us to a safe distance to view the startled herd - our hearts were racing. The buffalo had, however, blocked our path down to the river and we had to reroute through an overgrown gorge. We knew the general direction we needed to move towards and so one step at a time, we figured it out. It was the personification of Rumi’s poem, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears”. As we reached the river, packs were dropped, clothes stripped and we all plunged into the cool water, washing clean the sweaty trail dust of the day.

As the sun began to dip, an African fish eagle called and began soaring up and down the Luvuvhu gorge. We watched in silent awe as it suddenly swooped down and mid-flight plucked a fish out of the water. The excitement through our group was utterly electric! A remarkable moment of raw natural beauty witnessed by seven women sitting on the banks of a river, without any evidence of another modern human for kilometers. 

We spent four nights out on trail, sleeping under the stars and taking turns at keeping watch during the night. The route traversed rocky dolerite rides, Ironwood tree copses, riverine forest, baobab groves and the breathtaking Luvuvhu river gorge. We watched elephant herds as they ambled down to the river to drink, walked barefoot in the cool, clear waters, listened to territorial leopards advertising their presence and slept nearby shards of pottery which marked human settlement in this area from as long as 1500 years ago. During this time, we didn’t see another person or vehicle - a rarity in most of our daily lives. 

As we neared the end of our trail, feet tired but hearts full, the core meaning of being out there struck me - I wasn’t switching off, I had switched on. And, this was it - this is what I hope to share with my daughter when she arrives - a belonging to the earth and a deep sense of aliveness we feel when we make space for wilderness. We are of this earth, another creature on this planet and spending time in wilderness reminds us of this - that is the meaning of walking safaris. 

Walking safaris offer a unique experience to walk as our ancestors did: exposed and aware in wilderness. The joy of this is to slow down, awaken our senses and experience the thrill of encountering animals in their natural habitat. Walking safaris can be as primitive as a trail, like the one I was on, where you carry everything you need and sleep out under the stars. Or, if this seems a little too uncomfortable, walking camps support on-foot activities in the day with the luxury of a camp experience which really is the best of both. The wonderful thing about walking in wilderness is that it is accessible on just about any safari, even if it is a short bush walk that gets your feet onto the soil.

Andrea Fitzpatrick (Campbell)