Parks, beaches, and nature reserves are now fully open to the public to enjoy outdoor activities. We take you through all you need to know about alert level 2 rules, what you need for a great day out hiking with the family.
Lockdown Level 2 Rules for Hiking
- Wear face masks while hiking.
- Maintain a physical distance of at least 1.5 metres
- Curfew is 22:00 and 04:00 but pay attention to park-specific opening and closing times.
- Overnight stays at National parks are permitted with restrictions.
- Overnight accommodation will be open for up to 50% capacity.
Hike with Friends and Family
It’s never good to hike alone because anything can happen in the outdoors, whether it’s taking a fall and needing assistance or the weather changes for the worst, and you’re unprepared for the cold. It’s essential to keep social distancing practices in place, but for safety’s sake, invite some friends or family to go along with you. Some hikers may be faster than others, stick together, and always check in on each other. Before you set off on your hike, make sure to tell another friend or family member that’s not coming with you where you will be going and what route you will be taking.
What to bring on a day hike?
- Cellphone
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Sunblock
- Sun hat
- At least 1.5 liters of water per person
- Snacks and fruit
- Hiking backpack
- Hiking boots or trail running shoes
- Basic first aid kit with space blanket
- Navigation resources like parks maps
Emergency essentials
Make sure to take down the relevant park’s contact numbers for all the places that you visit and save them into your phone before setting off on your adventure. In the event of an emergency, the first thing to do is call the office of the place you are visiting and ask for help. They can then advise you on the best course of action for your situation and send the park rangers, rescue team, or other staff to your aid. If there is no hotline number for the place you are visiting, you can call the regional hotlines for the Mountain Club of South Africa.
If there is no phone signal, know that SMSes can still be pushed through on a very low signal. If there is a low signal and you can’t make calls, send an SMS to the person that you told that you were going on a hike. They can then phone the rescue services for you.
If someone in your group is seriously injured, do not move them unless they are in immediate danger. You cannot know for sure what kind of injuries they may have sustained without a medical assessment, so moving them may be dangerous. Don’t leave the injured person alone, but you will need to decide as a group to call for help. Make sure that at least two or more people find help while one person stays with the injured. Those that find help must make detailed notes of where the injured person is, including trail markings and landmarks, so that together with the rescue services, you can navigate back to the same spot. To make it easier, you can even take photos on your phone to record important landmarks for later navigation.
Mountain Club of South Africa Search and Rescue Emergency Numbers:
- Gauteng: (074) 125 1385 and (074) 163 3952
- Cape Town: (021) 937 0300
- KZN: 0800 005 133
