Slackpacking in Sutherland

Stargazer’s Stroll: Slackpacking in Sutherland

Slackpacking in Sutherland is a journey through one of South Africa’s most dramatic and tranquil landscapes — the high Karoo. This is where vast, open plains meet ancient mountains, and where every footstep takes you deeper into silence, space, and sky. With your gear transported for you and your nights spent in warm, welcoming lodges or farm stays, this is hiking made easy and deeply enriching.

Sutherland is best known for its starry skies, but by day, its stark beauty steals the show. Slackpacking routes lead you through dry riverbeds, fossil-rich ridges, sandstone cliffs, and hidden valleys that echo with the call of Karoo birds. The terrain is gently undulating, with wide paths and clear trails that suit hikers of moderate fitness. With minimal weight on your back, you’re free to absorb the fine details — the crunch of gravel, the scent of fynbos, the distant outline of a springbok on the horizon.

Along the way, knowledgeable guides bring the landscape to life with stories of geology, ancient cultures, and early explorers. You’ll hike from one handpicked stop to the next, enjoying home-cooked meals, hot showers, and heartfelt hospitality each evening. As dusk falls, the sky explodes into brilliance — and no adventure in Sutherland is complete without stargazing, whether with the naked eye or through a telescope.

This is slackpacking at its most soulful: minimal stress, maximum connection. With its unique blend of solitude, space, and sky, Sutherland offers a rare kind of escape — one that stays with you long after your boots are off.