A Winter Wonderland in the Western Cape, South Africa

When Amy and I saw that snow was forecasted for the mountains above Franschoek, we knew we'd have to do everything we could to get there! Having left all my winter hiking gear back home in Kwazulu-Natal, I set off with a second-hand ski jacket, gumboots and gardening gloves, and we arrived to the most surreal landscapes I've ever seen.
Of all the hikes I've done, this was without question the most jaw-droppingly beautiful. The fynbos-covered Cape Fold Mountains were transformed into a winter wonderland, and it felt as though we could just as easily have been high in the Alps. In certain parts, the snow was more than waist-deep, and even then our feet only sank to the point were it had been compacted enough to support our weight, likely still significantly above the actual ground. We were also treated to some beautifully varied skies, taking us from a moody and overcast start, to the midst of a blizzard on our way up the ridge, to a stunningly bright (almost Antarctic) summit.
Music: The Fleet Foxes - Blue Ridge Mountains
Patrick Watson - Sit Down Beside Me
Ivan and Alyosha - Be Your Man
Contact me: @daniel_johnson_pmbpk
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[@amyjohnson8767]

What a day!

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

Unforgettable!

[@tydronlee8214]

😎

[@warrengrant]

Nice Vid.

[@steven320]

Unfortunately been a while since I saw one of these adventures. At least I get to binge watch a few now. Awesome as usual,Dan!

[@timschleifer3138]

super film!! would like to hike the Drakensberg and some other parts in South Africa, which month would you say is the best - warmer ;) and dry.

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! For the Drakensberg, each season offers something unique, but your best bet is probably Autumn. Summer months have thunderstorm, but by April, the rain has mostly stopped, but things are still beautifully green, and its not yet too cold. Another great mountain range for hiking is the Cederberg, in which case November is a great month - it almost never rains, and so you can hike without packing a tent and just sleep under the stars. It gets very hot during the day, but is not yet the peak of Summer, so still manageable

[@joshuajacobs2306]

Awesome video, well done. Looked like a blast

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

Thanks Josh! It was indeed 😁

[@chris_col_]

Amazing as always 👏😱🥺🏔🏔🏔

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

Thanks Chris!

[@chrisbyrne1350]

Epic! Was this during the last cold front/snowfall in September? Went up to Amphitheatre hoping to find similar but nothing like this.

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

This was actually from the end of August last year (I'm a little behind in my editing schedule 🤦‍♂). Yea it's really hit and miss, went back to Franschoek this year when a lot of snow was forecast, but there was nothing except right up on the peaks. While the Drakensberg is always cold enough for snow in Winter, it's dry season in KZN, so only the odd lucky cold front brings proper snow. It's incredible when it happens though!

[@chrisbyrne1350]

Thanks for the reply and the extra info! Hopefully you being behind means there is still lots more in the pipeline.Let's get you to 1000 Subs.🎉👻

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

@@chrisbyrne1350 too kind 😂 yes indeed, something like 15 videos worth of adventure still in the pipeline 🤦‍♂️

[@simonkrone7302]

Fleet foxes... tuuune

[@daniel_johnson_pmbpk]

Thanks for putting me on to them! 😁