The Hemel & Aarde Valley did not escape the big rains experienced across the Southern Cape in early May, with just over 300mm of rain recorded to fall in the Valley over 2 days. The De Bos Dam was filled to capacity by lunch time on day 1, which meant the overflow into the Onrus River filled up the placid stream rather quickly and in style.
Much damage was reported on the farms in the valley, with road and bridges being damaged and some farmers getting marooned on their land for days before being able to cross rivers again.
Sadly the trails network took a bit of a beating as well. We lost a few of our bridges where we cross the Onrus River, and erosion in areas adjacent to the trails caused havoc. We were forced to close the trails for a few days while assessing the damage, but 5 days later we opened up again, but with only partially open trails…
…the mop-up continues…
