Injisuthi River to Boundary Pool
This hike is up the Injisuthi River to Boundary Pool then up Poacher's Stream and back along the base of the Little Berg. It is 6.5 km and an easy walk of 2 - 3 hours. This is the only short walk.
The pool is not a classic mountain swimming hole, being quite shallow and bouldery, but on a hot day it good for cooling off. If you have a map, or as you get to know the area, you can choose a number of alternate routes for this walk.
When hiking in the Berg, let boldness but not carelessness be your motto. From the rest camp walk back down the main road towards the vehicle bridge, with the camp site on the other side of the river, but just before the bridge take the path to the right up the embankment. The path rejoins the river bank 1 km from the start and continues for a further kilometre to enter the main Injisuthi forest.
Detour and Explore Further
Slingsby's map incorrectly shows this crossing to be before you reach the forest. The path crosses the Injisuthi just above Boundary Pool, formed where Poacher's Stream joins the main river. The path within the forest follows a drainage line and your boots may get very muddy. You can clean off in the fast-flowing, chilly water and then assume a low angle and bask on the grassy bank to contemplate the route back.
This is accomplished by crossing the river, if you have not already done that, and continuing up a grassy slope for about 800 m to a level platform between the sandstone cliffs and the river. The main path to Battle Cave goes to the right here.
Turn left and you’ll walk for about 300 m to cross Poacher's Stream, which must have been named by Sergeant Fergy after the poachers he kept encountering, and then keep left on the contour, another path turns off to the right heading for the cliffs on the left-hand side of the river: this path leads up through the cliffs, comprising an interesting 4 to 5 km detour to reach the top of the Little Berg.
After an easy 1.5 km stroll along the base of the cliffs you must take the left-hand junction down the slope towards the river, and not carry on along the contour as that goes all the way to Tree Fern Cave. Once at the river you can choose to go upstream or downstream, the former to a crossing to rejoin the outward route and back to camp, the latter to the main road and then back to camp.
By David Bristow