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South Africa’s number one travel and outdoor lifestyle magazine. We pay our own way and tell it like it is. We drive back roads and speak to real people, giving you practical information about affordable destinations in southern Africa. Each issue is crammed with excellent photography, honest gear reviews and delicious recipes to make at home or in the bundu. Whether you’re looking to escape for a weekend or a month, your journey starts here.

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Meet the author • Lines of Least Resistanceis a compilation of vignettes describing all 101 hiking and scrambling routes on Table Mountain, written by climber and mountain guide Riaan Vorster. We spoke to him about why Cape Town’s iconic landmark has captured the imagination for centuries.

Meet the cartographers • It’s easy to tell who the hikers are in a group of people – you just have to say “Slingsby”and their eyes will light up as they remember all the adventures they’ve been on aided by Peter and Maggie Slingsby’s wonderful maps. Sophia van Taak spoke to the couple at their home in Muizenberg, Cape Town.

When the GR20 sinks a dream • Every hiker should be able to face their limits, says Marnus Hattingh. And know when to turn back…

Gear you can depend on • Our contributors recommend products that work.

Cool kit • Need new gear? Consider these tried and tested products – affordable items that can make a big difference, and a few heavy hitters to buy when your ship comes in.

In wilderness we trust • If you’re looking for a wild mountain adventure just two hours from Cape Town, the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area ticks all the boxes.

A wild walk to silence • As humans, we assume that our position at the top of the food chain is set in stone. But wait until you find yourself in the bush at night without a tent…

There’s nothing like the Naukluft • The eight-day Naukluft Hiking Trail traverses a wild mountainous desert that most tourists only ever glance at when they drive to nearby Sesriem. It’s one of southern Africa’s most challenging hikes but the reward is massive: The landscape feels sacred.

Southern delights • For the average hiker, the high mountains of the Drakensberg can be intimidating. But in the Bushman’s Nek area, there’s a relatively easy trail that will still deliver you to breathtaking heights – and you can sleep in a warm bed at night!

Where sorrow becomes joy • Near Graskop in Mpumalanga, a three-day trail winds through the southern reaches of one of the most spectacular canyons in the world.

A family affair • There’s a network of hiking trails on the escarpment between Machadodorp, Carolina and Badplaas. Come cling to the cliffs like an aloe, disappear into forests and brave the wind with the sugarbushes.

Swallowed by the earth • You’ve probably looked at Oorlogskloof from the N7 without realising it. But once you’ve hiked the Rock Pigeon Trail in this unforgiving but gorgeous canyon land, you’ll never drive past without saying hello again.

Mountain tonic • Where the Baviaanskloof and the Kouga mountains meet, and where ravines and peaks are stacked up to the Eastern Cape horizon, there’s a hike to soothe body and soul.

Worth its salt • Long ago, humans created routes between their hunting plains and their mountain refuges in the Soutpansberg in Limpopo. More recently, the same routes were used by salt traders who harvested the natural pan to the north-west of the mountain range. The Old Salt Trail draws inspiration from these chapters in history – it’s your portal to one of South Africa’s most unique landscapes.

Saturday, sorted! • We recently ran a photo competition on Instagram to find the best day hikes in South Africa, in collaboration with Adventure Inc and Osprey. The entries blew us away! There are so many great...